Red Cross Blogs

Volunteer – feel less rubbish!

By Mark Cox
June 1, 2009 at 12:49 pm

Given that it’s Volunteers’ Week – and make sure you check out our fabulous new volunteer video – I feel compelled to mention that I volunteered recently. Oh yes. For two whole hours, I stood outside a London train station shaking a bucket forlornly (or fundraising, as it’s also known) while random commuters threw coins in my general direction. It was exhausting.

Thankfully, there are those in the world who have a little more zip and voluntary zeal than myself. Take Finnish wonder-boy Leo Kaipianen, for example, who has just won a Platinum Youth Achievement Award (think the voluntary equivalent of an Olympic gold, Oscar, Nobel Prize etc) for his breath-taking efforts.

Despite English being only his third language, Leo spent a full year trawling all across the North West of our fair country teaching first aid to lots of other younglings – including those with disabilities – at schools and social centres.

On reflection, I really don’t like Leo. He’s one of those annoying over-achievers whose very existence tends to make many of us – who may lead slightly more sedentary lives – feel useless and rubbish. But, if you want to start feeling a bit better, now would be an ideal time to get involved.

Tags: First aid, fundraising, volunteer

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This entry was posted on Monday, June 1st, 2009 at 12:49 pm and is filed under First aid. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.