 | Angela Wigford | |||
 A FAILED PROJECT IN NIGERIA 15 years ago made Angela Wigford realise that to be an effective volunteer, you have to put yourself first.Angela, 37, says, “When I returned to the UK I told the organisers, VSO (see profile [0]), that unless they sent me somewhere where I thought I’d make a difference, I was throwing in the towel.” To VSO’s credit, they sent her to Kenya and to three very satisfying years of teaching. But it was her ultimatum that made her realise that all her do-gooding had a selfish edge – and that she had to guide it. "I like the recognition. Who wouldn't?"“You do these things because of the enjoyment you get from helping others,” she says. “And that’s all about you, not about them! Once you take that on board, you make a better volunteer: you go for what you want, and everyone comes out better off.” Related articles
Her current volunteering work is with the Youth Offending Team in Cardiff, where she sits on a referral panel which works out the needs of troubled teenagers and refers them to the relevant helping organisation (several of which are charities). "It’s so important to know what you want"“This has been a new, challenging situation for me. Importantly, it’s something I’m good at it and I get respect for it. I like the recognition. Who wouldn’t?” she says. Many volunteers drop out of Referral Panel work, leaving a core of long-stayers. “To me, that proves my point,” says Angela. “They only stay because they are getting something out of it. That’s why it’s so important to know what you want. Only then will you make the difference you want to make.” |