Volunteering with Missing People

Tom Fearnley, aged 25, has been volunteering for the charity Missing People for several months.

Read on to hear about his volunteering experiences...

With a simple desire to help a charity and gain some work experience, Tom came to Westminster Volunteer Centre’s youth volunteering team via his social worker. Tom, who lives in the London borough of Kensington
and Chelsea, had jobs in supermarkets in the past, but wanted some work experience in an office. Having lost an arm in an accident, he had found it difficult to work.

The youth volunteering team gave Tom several relevant options and he chose a position with Missing People, an organisation that offers a lifeline for people who run away and go missing and provides specialised support for those left behind.

Tom has now been volunteering for four months and provides administration support. When he first started, Missing People discussed with him what tasks he might be able to do, what he knew and was interested in and they decided together which jobs would be most appropriate. As Tom says, “it was a helpful way of doing it and they’re just nice people there.”

Having a supportive environment has made it easier for Tom to contribute, and for Missing People it has meant an extremely valuable asset to the team. Tom helps with a variety of tasks, including the newsletter, printing, incoming mail and he has learnt how to use Excel and help with data entry.

For Tom, volunteering is a way to help other people and himself at the same time. He has found that he has learnt practical new skills, met new people and contributed to an organisation doing valuable work. This has meant that as well as helping out a charity and gaining work experience, a positive, supported volunteering placement has also shaped his future.

A few words from Tom

'I hope it will all lead to more office work. I'm going to university in September to do film and screen writing. I used my experience at Missing People in my application so I think it helped me get on the course. I hope to continue volunteering at university - either at Missing People or somewhere else. Maybe one day a week or whatever I can give'.

Missing People's view:

'Missing People's 70 active volunteers make a massive difference to the work of the charity. We couldn't run our services without them and every role no matter how big or small is valuable. We appreciate the skills and knowledge that volunteers bring with them, along with their enthusiasm and commitment. Tom is a great example of this and a pleasure to have as part of our volunteer team'.

Chloe Swinton, Services Volunteer Leader, Missing People