Breaking Boundaries Manchester Volunteering with James Barock!

Breaking Boundaries Birmingham with Near Neighbours' Rabiyah Latif

Breaking Boundaries is a three-year programme (2018 –2021) funded by Spirit of 2012, supported by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) and The Institute of Community Cohesion (Icoco).

 

We sat down with our Manchester Community Coordinator James Badrock to reflect on his experiences of volunteering in partnership with Manchester City Council and with Romiley Cricket Club!

1. How did you become a part of Breaking Boundaries?

Having applied for the role back in February of this year, I was offered the role by MCRactive and joined the organisation in April.

 

2. What attracted you to take part in volunteering?

The overall impact you can have by doing so. In my case it was raising funds for my local cricket club and putting on a community event for everyone to enjoy.

 

3. What would you say are the best things you've learnt through your training and you use in your volunteering?

Through my involvement with Breaking Boundaries I have been able to fully understand the motives behind why people volunteer and the impact it has on the people associated with volunteering.

When completing my own volunteering it has allowed me to fully invest myself into the activity, as I am aware of the impact it will have. 

 

4. Tell us about the volunteering you have done?

Whilst in Australia, I volunteered to help run a cricket camp at the local cricket club. This brought together over 100 different young people to play fun games and learn the basics of cricket.

More recently I have volunteered at my own cricket club where we put on a music festival for the community in and around my local area. There was a lot of preparation in the run up to such a large scale event with a few thousand people attending. Volunteering at an event like this generates necessary funds for the survival of grass root clubs.  

I have also had the opportunity to assist with food packing at New Smithfield Market, where we organised donated food into bags in preparation for them to be delivered across Manchester.

 

5. Has your volunteering brought people together from different backgrounds in your community? 

Within Australia there were over 100 young people who attended the session from within the local community. The community had a wide range of ethnic people from, China, Italy and Australia itself. The training event which happened every Friday brought them all together into randomly selected groups to complete the nights activity. This allowed them the opportunity to integrate with one another. 

 

6. How important is it for young people like yourself to be involved in volunteering and why?

From a personal perspective volunteering is not only a great experience but also important to place on your CV. It shows a willingness to help others and the skills you can obtain from volunteering are transferable. You are also able to achieve a sense of satisfaction that you will only gain through volunteering. It allows you to meet new people who you would have never met without volunteering.

 

7. What difference do you hope to make in your local community through your volunteering?

 Now more than ever we need communities to come together and help each other out. I hope that when I volunteer it helps to strengthen communities and benefits others.    

 

8. What has been your most inspirational moment in volunteering? If possible, relate this back to your role as the Breaking Boundaries Coordinators

My most inspirational moment has been volunteering at my local cricket club where we were able to bring the community together with a music festival and generate essential funds for the club.

It was great to see so many people support the event.

 

9. If you had to describe your experience of Volunteering in three sentences what would you say?

My experience has definitely been an eye opener to the effects of what volunteering can have on yourself and the community you volunteer within. I have been able to run events at my local cricket club which engage the community and benefits the club itself.

 

10. During this period of lockdown do you have any advice you would like to share on how to volunteer to share with young people?

Get involved with your local community groups on Facebook and ask people where you can volunteer. There are a lot of opportunities available to help those who are isolating and the vulnerable.