Volunteer Spotlight- Yashvi
Hi, I am Yashvi a current student at the University of Leeds studying International Business. I am an international student from Hong Kong. During my time in high school, I did the international baccalaureate, I studied higher-level psychology, business, and design.
I have always been passionate about giving back to my community and lending a hand when someone needs one. When I got to the UK first, I started volunteering at MAE Care which is an elderly care centre in Leeds. I was responsible to run games' night and afternoon teas, where older adults could come along and enjoy a friendly chat. What I enjoyed the most was listening to their life stories from when they were children and the life lessons they shared.
The first time I heard about Mencap was at my university's volunteering fair, I spoke to representatives from the charity, and I resonated with what the charity was doing for the community in Leeds Mencap helps children and adults who have learning disabilities. In my early career, I worked with children aged 3-12 as a teaching theatre assistant, where I would play and run workshops alongside teachers relating to theatre. Working with children is a challenging but rewarding task, I like to look at them as free beings of creativity. Though my role at Mencap may not directly be working with kids, it still works towards helping them which is why I decided to volunteer here.
My favourite thing about Leeds Mencap is the friendly work environment and the ability to explore what I am interested in which is marketing, while supporting a good cause. This role has allowed me to try different tasks within marketing and communications. At the same time I have been learning about new aspects of an organization and roles like fundraising. It has also given me chance to meet new people who like doing similar things.
