For 2016, ELBA has launched “Volunteer of the Month”, an opportunity to recognise one volunteer’s outstanding contribution. The volunteer can be recognised by any ELBA project and we believe it’s important to recognise when a volunteer goes the extra mile!

January’s winner is Nikki McGowan, Training and Development Specialist at UBS. Nikki was a stand-out volunteer at a confidence building workshop with Hackney Community College students on 26th January, providing valuable support to the students she worked with. This was also the second confidence building workshop she has taken part in; back in October 2015 Nikki took part in this workshop with residents from One Support, part of One Housing Group, who provide high levels of support to tenants who often have complex needs. After participating in the workshop she gave valuable feedback on ways to enhance the workshop, which have now been put in place for future activities.

We asked Nikki to tell us a bit about her experience of volunteering:

Why did you volunteer?
I love meeting new people with different background and experiences, it’s a great way to learn from each other and exchange information. It’s also refreshing to spend a couple of hours doing something completely unrelated to the day job!

Why do you think volunteering is important?
It’s a fantastic way to give something back, learn new skills and get to know other people. Having an awareness of others and broadening your horizons is also very beneficial to personal development.

Would you recommend volunteering to a colleague and if so why?
Definitely – we should all do it more often! There is such a diverse range of volunteering opportunities out there so there really is no excuse not to. And no one ever says ‘I wish I hadn’t done that volunteering’ – it’s always worthwhile!