A VAST Volunteering Case Study
Teresa’s Volunteer Journey
Meet Teresa, a mother of three and the current Educational Partnerships Manager for Young Enterprise.
Teresa started her journey with Young Enterprise as a volunteer in 2016, at her children’s school. At the time, Teresa was a self-employed recruiter, and had the flexibility within her role to support the team at their weekly meetings and day workshops.
Now a local First Responder, Teresa is no stranger to volunteering. She’s long shared her passion for giving back to her community, especially through her role at Young Enterprise and as a much-loved Scout Leader.
Teresa has always loved volunteering – it was a change to her day job but using the knowledge and skills that she had. She liked talking to a group of young people and holding their attention with anecdotes about experiences that could help them make their own decisions.
“Watching a group of disinterested students, who are slouching and doodling, suddenly be looking at you, listening, and even asking questions is an amazing feeling!”
The Young Enterprise workshops include valuable information about employability and entrepreneurial skills, and financial management; information that could be life-changing for the students.
From a personal perspective, Teresa says she has gained confidence, and even enjoys public speaking!
“As a business mentor, the achievements of the teams are great – the development of their business acumen, confidence, and work ethic showcases the true benefit of applied learning. To have been a small part of all of that is such a great feeling – a real buzz, but also a proud feeling, showing that a difference has been made.”
In August 2023, a role opened up within Young Enterprise and Teresa applied! The interview process was tough and showed her a side of the charity she hadn’t considered: how understanding social mobility is important to really make a difference.
Young Enterprise are always looking for volunteers, having options for people to volunteer on a one-off or more flexible basis or commit to more regular sessions.
They also want advocates – people who can share their social media posts, help at events, or use their network to support them.
