Submitted by colette.bradley... on
Community Response Volunteer, Connor Ross
Connor volunteered with Action Together back in 2017 as an Admin Assistant and he completed over 270 hours of volunteering! Since then, he has been to Oldham College and then University to study accountancy.
Connor was a committed volunteer with Dr Kershaw’s Hospice supporting their finance team. He recently reconnected with Action Together and found out that the vaccination clinic was in need of volunteers to cover a shift so Connor decided to volunteer his time to gain a different experience. He committed to a seven hour shift on a Sunday!
Here’s what Connor had to say about his experience as a volunteer...
"I thoroughly enjoyed volunteering at the Vaccination Clinic for Action Together as it gave me the chance to increase my confidence when talking to people and helped me to improve on my communication skills. It also allowed me to experience a different cultural side to Oldham as I had never been to a mosque previously. The free food was a bonus!"
In September 2022 Connor sent us an update to say he had recently graduated from University and left with a degree! Since leaving University Connor has carried on volunteering with Dr Kershaw’s Hospice once a week and went on to receive support from the Job Centre to help him find work relating to his experience and skills. A few weeks into his search and filling in applications Connor was successful!
Connor had never had a formal interview before and volunteering gave him the experience that he needed. During his interviews, he could share his recent experience and the impact volunteering has made to his life. Not only has it filled his time, he has gained so much from it including helping him to become 'work ready'. He has obtained experience within an office environment and experienced what its like to be in a team. It has helped him gain a routine, improve his confidence and much, much more.
Connor’s experience with Dr Kershaw’s Hospice was great. Unfortunately, Connor had to leave due to his successful full time employment however, he is still in touch with the team and when he has a little time he may even consider volunteering again. All the best from the team at Action Together Connor, you are a true inspiration!