Hello, my name is James Beckles, I'm from the United Kingdom and I am a volunteer. Although the beginning of this story sounds like a confessional it isn't meant to be.

I have been a volunteer for just over two years first within my church as a member of my church's council. Sitting with other like minded individuals the second monday of every month to decide and resolve the current issues affecting our church and how to make it a welcoming place for everyone in the community - regulars, visitors or just those who are curious about what happens in a modern anglican church. We also set the strategic plans for the year ahead and beyond. One of the major events that will be happening around my church will be the London Olympics in 2012 and we have planned and put in place tons of workto ensure we reach out to the millions of people who will be arriving in the area.

Another bit of volunteering I do is work with young people convicted in court of a criminal offence and given a referral order. For those of you not accustomed to the British legal system...including myself...a referral order is handed down by a judge inplace of a custodial sentence and the order can last for a maximum of 12 months. The young person is under mandate then to see the panel (which I sit on) and be closely supervised by local youth offending team practitioners as they complete a form of community service. My role as hinted above is as a panel member. I am the community face of the referral order process; I engage the young person and ask them  to reflect on the consequences of their actions and how those same actions affected the victim, their family and the wider community. At times the young people I meet can be challenging, unwilling to accept their crime and the consequences but the vast majority accept the wrong they have done and are willing to engage with the 'system' and turn their life around. Those who are ofter unwilling can often make the biggest improvements in behaviour and make a positive contribution further down the line in their lives. The panels are by no means easy but it is a two way process I listen to the young people and they listen to me and engage with the youth offending team...if no they end back in court. This type of volunteering fulfils my own ambitions to both give back and work within the criminal justice system albeit on the peripheries but it allows me the ability to give back and contribute to helping make my community safer and better for all.

My final act of volunteering is as a trustee for a mental health charity, an area I am passionate about because of the stigma of mental illness in the UK and throughout Europe. By working with the management team of this charity and bringing my own skills and knowledge to the fold I am working towards helping those sufferers to recover and manage their illness while providing support to them to prevent their isolation within the wider community. The work is challenging but it is rewarding and I get a glimpse at how a charity is run and operated and the passionate people both trustee and employee are committed to making things better.

To conclude, I have probably said far to much already but as a volunteer you play a small part and can make a big difference to your community and to the lives of the individuals that make it up. I would recommend everyone to volunteer if they can; the knowledge and skills you possess are probably more valuable than you know. You get to make a direct contribution to community or society and gain a rewarding experience.