July’s Volunteer of the Month is Naoko Uehara, a Trainee Solicitor, nominated for her work supporting ELBA’s Education Team and the schools and universities we work with.

Naoko has recently taken part in two ELBA workshops, at Chobham Academy and Willowfield Humanities College, back-to-back and both of which took place out of the office. Naoko has been a dream volunteer to work alongside with a great attitude and also recruited two of her colleagues to get out of the office and volunteer.

Why did you volunteer? 
I have had wonderful mentors in the form of family, teachers and colleagues so I appreciate the difference one person’s support can make on your confidence and in making big decisions like your career. I really value the guidance I have received from everyone, so I wanted to give back. I am still junior as far as a career in law is concerned, so A-levels/University decisions are (somewhat) fresh in my mind. I thought that students, especially those wanting to pursue law, would find this knowledge useful. It’s also really fun to be out of the office and be in a completely different environment.

Why do you think volunteering is important?
We all need help from people at some point so we should all do whatever we can when we can. It is especially important if you have technical abilities or knowledge that you can impart on others. It also comes down to social mobility. Not everyone has the opportunities to gain an insight into particular careers or to meet people from different backgrounds. Volunteering creates a bridge and rapport between people who may never otherwise cross paths.

Would you recommend volunteering to a colleague and if so why?
Absolutely. It’s very rewarding, especially when students are responsive to a particular session or eager to get your advice on something. There is definitely a misconception that volunteering involves working in a soup kitchen around the clock and although that is an invaluable service, it may not be everyone’s idea of fun. There are so many different forms of volunteering that there really is no excuse not to participate in something. As long as you choose the right one for you, you will gain something from it too.