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Marcus Duran

WITH HIS CHISELLED GOOD LOOKS Marcus Duran does not worry about compromising his masculinity through his voluntary work. However he admits he is aware of the tendency to see volunteering as girlie stuff.

“When I first started volunteering with the Refugee Council’s (see profile) section that deals with unaccompanied refugee minors,” he says, “I noticed the obvious imbalance of female over male volunteers.

“I got the feeling that I was fast-tracked by the Refugee Council because there were so few men.”

“Guys can bring fun, horseplay and team games which can help break down barriers”

Two years on Marcus has a few ideas about why men are less inclined to volunteer. He says: “A lot of the volunteering I’ve done requires you to be uninhibited and very personable and I think men sometimes find that quite difficult.

“With the Refugee Council for instance you’re dealing with people who often can’t speak English so you have to be patient – and a lot of the women who work there have that capacity.”

But he believes male volunteers can bring certain qualities which women don’t always possess.

“Guys can bring fun, horseplay and team games which can help break down barriers, because lads will always be a bit keener to kick a ball around,” he says.

“And not wanting to sound sexist, but guys have an ability to be firm. That’s important because in some situations, especially working with kids, you need to be a strong person to take control of a situation. Believe me, volunteering is not just for the ladies.”