Hannah - volunteer receptionist
"Sometimes I feel like the odd one out because most people are double my age so I'm fairly young and inexperienced in comparison, but I get involved and make a contribution. I really like interacting with people and I'm fairly good with talking to people I don't know. The phone is normally the way I communicate with people. I'm not scared of the outside world, I am really enjoying my time here as a volunteer."
After completing a two-year course in Health and Social Care, 21-year-old Hannah Wilkinson leapt at the chance of gaining some positive volunteering experience.
As a volunteer on Scope's reception and switchboard, Hannah provides invaluable support to the effective running of the leading UK disability charity's head office in North London. Hannah is one of many friendly faces in our large office and is often the first point of contact for people contacting Scope, either on the telephone or greeting visitors when they come into the building. Having volunteered with Scope for five months now, Hannah is very well-known, having made lots of friends and is really enjoying the experiences she is gaining.
As a disabled volunteer, Hannah is part of Scope's Inclusive Volunteering Programme which is here to support her throughout her time with the organisation. Hannah is also a member of the Steering Committee for Scope's Inclusive Volunteering Programme and a firm advocate of the scheme saying, "I think it's really important to get disabled people into volunteering. My Mum always said to me that when I finish college she didn't want me sitting around the house all day. This has given me a chance. I'm going to be upset when I leave."
Hannah is one of many friendly faces in our large office and is often the first point of contact for people contacting Scope, either on the telephone or greeting visitors coming in.
In fact, the experiences Hannah has gained through volunteering with Scope have helped her realise that being a receptionist is an area in which she would like to specialise. "I am looking for a proper job. This sort of experience seems to be the best thing for me, so this is preparing me for what I want to do in the future," she says. "It was a bit daunting as I had never been in such a large office, but I knew from the first day that it was right for me!"