As part of #StudentVolunteeringWeek which runs from 10-16 February 2025, the Volunteer Centre team were delighted to catch up with Molly Fenton, Winner of the Young Volunteer of the Year award category at last year’s Cardiff Volunteer Awards #CVA2024! Molly is a long term volunteer and Founder of the Love Your Period campaign. Today, we share with you her journey into volunteering and any advice she’d like to offer to other young people.
- What inspired you to start volunteering?
When I started volunteering I’d had a devastating health diagnosis and had lost my connection to the outside world. Volunteering was a way to integrate back into society, and give back to the charities that helped me. Volunteering provided me with a space where everything was less pressure, more accessible and positive. - What advice would you give to other students considering volunteering?
It is worth your time and you will gain so many vital life skills that will be vital alongside your study and future career. Don’t view it as unpaid work, because you’re getting some of the most valuable experiences. - How do you see your role as a volunteer evolving in the future?
Tough one! I never want to stop volunteering. But don’t really have a plan going forward. But actually, I think that’s okay. Volunteering has helped me in my rehabilitation from illness so much. Sometimes maintaining what’s working is okay. - What are your future career goals, and how might your volunteer experience help you achieve them?
I have no idea what I want to do with my life! But meeting fellow volunteers my age has made me feel less alone. My closest friends today are people I’ve met through volunteering, and many opportunities have come out of volunteering such as being able to be on the news and speak at events (including the Senedd!). Everything I have today has been rebuilt after my diagnosis all thanks to volunteering.
The team would like to thank Molly for sharing her story with us and look forward to hearing more about her volunteering journey in the future! If you’d like to start your own journey into volunteering, please get in touch with the Volunteer Centre team – we’d be more than happy to help. Email volunteer@c3sc.org.uk or call 02920 485 722.
