Alex Watkin-Child, a 17-year-old from Fenstanton, has spoken of his joy after completing a rewarding work experience placement with East Anglia's Children's Hospices (EACH).
Three days of volunteering at EACH Histon Road store
The teenager spent three days volunteering at the EACH Histon Road store in Cambridge. Alex helped out by serving on the till, sorting donated clothing and pricing vinyl records for eBay listings. He also welcomed people dropping off donations and helped customers carry larger items to their cars.
Alex, who has just completed his GCSEs, chose the shop because he is a regular customer and has previously raised funds for the charity.
Confidence boost from the experience
Alex said: "I really enjoyed it. Everyone was friendly and welcoming, which I appreciated. I'm not the most confident and can find it hard speaking to people sometimes, but they put me at ease and made me feel comfortable."
"Overall, I found it very rewarding and the experience has given me skills I can hopefully take forward in life. I feel more confident because of it, and it's something I'd like to do again one day."
Personal connection to the charity
Although he does not have a personal connection to EACH, Alex feels a close bond as he lives with a brain condition, as well as a form of dwarfism. In 2017, he and his family successfully secured £25,000 for the charity through OneFamily's Foundation Community Awards.
The grant was ringfenced to install a new boiler and help refurbish the hospice's hydrotherapy pool. It also covered the cost of a dehumidifier to make sessions more comfortable for children with respiratory conditions.
Praise from mum and shop manager
His mum Theresa commented: "He doesn't find things like this easy, but it's to his great credit that he pushed himself, got stuck in and, by all accounts, made everyone proud. Everyone was lovely to him, which I'm grateful for, and it feels like an experience he got an awful lot out of."
Shop manager Bridget Parr added: "It was a pleasure to have Alex with us. He approached every task with enthusiasm and a smile, whether he was helping customers, sorting donations or learning about how the shop operates."
"What really stood out was how much his confidence grew over the three days. By the end of the week, he was chatting to customers and getting involved in all sorts of jobs, and it was lovely for the team to see. All the volunteers and staff loved him, and he's welcome back any time."
Future plans and how to help
Alex is now planning to study Animal Care at Huntingdon Regional College. He hopes to pursue a career working with dogs.
The charity team is always looking for new volunteers to help out with various roles inside the store. To find out more about joining the team, you can call 01223 363695.
