Meet FBB's young volunteers giving back to the next generation

This volunteer’s week, we’d like to highlight and celebrate some of the amazing voluntary work done by our young FBB graduates. After graduating from the FBB Schools programme, these young people decided they wanted to volunteer their time to become mentors to younger participants. They have enhanced our programme and played a vital role in acting as a bridge between adults and young people. Some of them have even gone on to work for us part-time. A huge thanks to Sport England who have funded this social action programme.

***Kian:*** *“Working for FBB has been an amazing experience so far. It has provided me with a lot of opportunities to develop myself and improve many skills such as my leadership and confidence.”*

**Abi:** “Volunteering for FBB this year has been a breath of fresh air, from every tear that has dropped in sessions to every last laugh. It has also given me an insight as to what it would be like in the actual job profession. I’ve enjoyed working with girls who respect me whilst in the uniform but then we can still joke and have fun in the school corridors. It just shows their level of maturity. They do really look up to me.”

**Gabriella:** “My experience of volunteering at FBB this year has been amazing. FBB has given me the energy to carry on in a more positive way. I’ve really enjoyed getting to know more about people that I thought I wouldn't talk to. FBB has given me many different experiences this year that I'm sure I will never forget.”

**Debra**: “I’ve enjoyed volunteering and working at FBB for the past year because I think the environment has been extremely welcoming. The support from the other staff was really comforting and made my transition from school, to volunteering, to then to the working world really smooth and manageable. Also, the constant practice of reflection helped me to improve my delivery practice but also forced me to reflect on myself which in turn helped to improve my professionalism.”

**Andrea:** My volunteering experience with FBB has been empowered by the fact that I was able to learn, and understand the true struggle of young people just like myself. It has shown me how the power of football and the amazing work of its members can change a young person’s life completely for the better. Volunteering with FBB has allowed me to provide that gradual change that I once saw and experienced myself to all the young people I work with. Overall, volunteering and working for FBB has enabled me to believe in future generations who as a result of the program believe in themselves, achieve their full potential, and most importantly follow their dreams!”

**Shahad:** “Volunteering for FBB this year has been fantastic because I have developed myself as a person as well as the young people. I was in positive surroundings and I loved the fact that the young people could trust me and know I was there to support their transition into adulthood.”

FBB Head of Programmes Tom Bateman has been delighted with their progress:

“For us it has been a huge help to the team. Our young volunteers provide contextual knowledge of the young people and their schools. They understand trends among young people which helps us tap into passions. They are able to understand dynamics of relationships within a group and diagnose this much quicker than we are. They are also closer to the stresses of being a teenager and offer such valuable insight both to support the delivery of our young people and the design of our programme. They are also excellent at building relationships with young people which is core to an FBB programme.”

'Debra has been a such a valuable asset to the organisation, she is so passionate about the work we do and is able to help us understand the difficulties young people face with unique insight. She is so quick to diagnose a young person’s mood which is invaluable.'

'Kian is that role model that all young boys want - he is kind, impressive and confident, it is rare to find someone that so many boys look up to.'

'Andrea is a breath of fresh air in every session. She brings her energy, love and care to every young person and straight away they look up to her. She has also contributed a lot to the design of our programme, helping us understand what a teenager wants from FBB.'

If you would like to Volunteer with FBB, you can find out more here.

If you would like to donate to support our work, you can do so here.

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