6 Jun 2019
One of our charity team’s most important goals is to spread the word about our work, how we save lives and to connect with London’s communities. Our volunteer speakers play a vital role in this, presenting at groups across the capital. Volunteer Mario shares his experience speaking for our charity, and what he enjoys about the role.
What inspired you to volunteer for London’s Air Ambulance Charity?
“I was looking to volunteer in my spare time to give back to my community when I stumbled across London's Air Ambulance Charity looking for speakers. Coincidentally, I had just joined a public speaking club to help improve my speaking, so this was the perfect opportunity for me to hone my skills while helping my community. I could not think of a more important mission in London than to save the lives of those critically injured.”
What do you do to volunteer for the charity?
“I give talks to groups of 20-100+ people on our mission and vision as a charity, what we do and how they can help us. Through my talks, I often also recruit volunteers and collect donations from the audience.”
What’s your favourite thing about volunteering?
“When giving talks people usually approach me at the end and tell me their personal story - sometimes they are former patients or are relatives of those treated by the service. It's amazing to see people whose life has been saved thanks to London's Air Ambulance Charity. I also get to meet people from different walks of life and throw myself out of my comfort zone, all while improving my speaking skills.”
Has anything surprised you?
“The amount of people that don't know that London’s Air Ambulance is a charity.”
What would you say to someone thinking about volunteering?
“Go for it - you will not regret it, it’s a great experience. You will learn a lot about yourself and have the opportunity to listen to the stories of the people you meet. There is a great sense of fulfillment you gain by volunteering for a good cause and there is no better cause than saving lives.”
If you are interested in volunteering like Mario, please view our opportunities to find out more.
