The volunteering has had a positive effect on my life. I volunteered as a listener. Listeners are inmates that are trained to listen to other inmates when they are in need of someone to talk to. Sometimes it would be something like they miss their girlfriend or their kids, other times it was along the lines of wanting to kill themselves. Sometimes it was trivial, other times it was horrifying.
For the first time in my life I felt like I had a responsibility and I took it seriously.
Through this I learnt a lot about people and also about myself. I learned how to empathise and I have found this to be beneficial in many ways in my personal and working life. Being a listener involved being a part of a close-knit team.
Through volunteering I gained leadership qualities, compassion, and I learnt about the importance of being reliable.
Jonathan Watts, chef and restaurant owner, winner of the DofE award, June 2019