Duke of Edinburgh’s Award volunteering with BHF
As a Duke of Edinburgh's Approved Activity Provider, BHF can support you with completing your Bronze, Silver or Gold award. We offer lots of flexible opportunities.
The renowned Duke of Edinburgh’s (DofE) Award helps young people develop their skills, overcome obstacles and improve their confidence. For this reason, many schools and other youth organisations take part in the Duke of Edinburgh’s programme.
Emily Hu is 16 years old, from Birmingham, and started volunteering with the BHF in June 2021 as part of the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award. We hear why she chose to volunteer with the BHF.
“After experiencing several national lockdowns, I felt isolated. I then started to think about interacting with people, learning from other people, and contributing to my local community.”
And so, Emily began volunteering with her local BHF shop in Birmingham during the school holidays with the hope of improving her 'life skills' and to contribute to her local community.
“Volunteering with the BHF has helped me to be an independent person, learn people skills and think outside of class-based activities”, which are all qualities promoted by the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award programme.
Emily comments that she “feels a great sense of belonging” whilst volunteering and that the BHF has provided her with an “inclusive volunteering experience”. She continues, “I feel very welcomed and very close to my manager and colleagues at my shop”.
In addition to this, volunteering has benefitted Emily’s social skills and confidence with talking to people.
Emily explains: “I am actually a little bit shy to speak to people, but since I started volunteering at the BHF shop I engage myself in all sorts of activities and I am naturally becoming more comfortable talking with people.”
Whilst volunteering, Emily has developed her skills and taken part in all sorts of activities, from organising donations to working on the till. However, her drive to support the BHF doesn’t stop when the shop doors close. During school hours, Emily ensures that she spreads the importance of the BHF’s cause to her friends.
“I have shared some booklets and volunteering forms to my classmates at my school and I also promote the BHF on social media.”
Emily continues, “I have learnt a lot from working at the BHF and benefit from giving back to my local community, so I would like to encourage other people to get involved and gain new skills”.
In three words, Emily would describe her volunteering experience with the BHF as “sense of belonging, community and commitment”.
We are delighted that the BHF is an Approved Activity Provider for the volunteering section of the award. You can find out more information about volunteering for the BHF as part of your Duke of Edinburgh’s Award here. Thank you so much Emily for choosing to volunteer with the BHF!