Mentee wins Jubilee Award for "stress" of volunteering!

My name is Rhiana Dennis-Small and I am currently a sixth form student attending Bishop Challoner. I first got into ReachOut in winter of 2013, attending the weekly mentoring sessions whilst in Y10. Some employees from Barclays came to the mentoring session to talk about work experience, and at the time I was very interested in banking.  After that session, I continued attending the weekly sessions in ReachOut and started to build my confidence. At the end of the year I then volunteered as a Junior Mentor in my school’s summer transition project, mentoring a group of 16 Year 6 pupils.

Junior Mentors on a confidence building outward bound trip. Rhiana is 3rd from left.

In Year 11, I was brave enough to run for project manager for our ReachOut group project that was a talent show and then volunteer project manager for the summer transition project at my school. I learned a lot about organisation and was able to assist others with looking after the children. I also took part in a number of other fundraising events such as bag packing to raise money for the summer project.

Junior Mentors bag packing to raise funds for the Summer Project.

As a result of all this stress, I was awarded a Jubilee Award from the Jubilee Centre for the work I have contributed towards ReachOut through my volunteering. The award ceremony was held at the House of Lords. It was genuinely a great experience and a nice day out. I had never been there before and as well as accepting the award, I was lucky enough to have a tour in the House of Lords, from which I learnt some interesting historical facts about Britain. It was an event that I will never forget and that has raised the ambitions that I already have.

Rhiana (5th from left) received the Jubilee Award for Service at the House of Lords, with James Arthur, Director of the Jubilee Centre for Character and Virtues (2nd from right).

Overall, ReachOut has increased the expectations that I have for myself, improved my confidence, improved different skills I have such as communication and finally, made me come to the realisation that I love helping people and that I love working with young children.