Volunteer Voices: Edward

Enjoy our new feature, where our volunteers share their experiences. Meet the brilliant Edward!

I volunteer at AW Thursdays, other week days and Saturdays I work as a postman, which I like a lot, out in the fresh air, chatting to the locals.

I am an education advisor, since January 2019. I also did foodbank distribution.

I have always cared passionately for refugees and their rights and well being. Refugees have been so negatively represented by the British press and many politicians recently, this I believe is so wrong. I want to be part of local action to help our refugee community and to support people to ultimately give back to the community with their skills and experience.

For a lot of people coming to AW education is a luxury that they can barely afford. So we support people with applications for charitable grants. Today, we got confirmation that a young refugee studying at college will receive a generous grant from a local charity to pay for her books, a laptop computer, and the professional body membership required for her study. By completing her studies she will be well on her way to getting to university and fulfilling her career ambitions.

The best thing about being at AW is being able to make a difference to peoples’ lives, and feeling part of an open and positive community.