David Priest - Volunteer of the Year
What motivated you to volunteer with The Trust?
I have always enjoyed working with young people. In my
professional life as an accountant, I had also always thought that
the education system left many young people unprepared for business
life. When a colleague told me about the Business Programme (now
known as The Enterprise Programme) it seemed a natural thing to be
involved with.
Tell us about the key role/s you've held during your time with
The Prince's Trust
Initially, and while I was still working full time, acting as a
business mentor was my only involvement with the Trust. As my
working week reduced and since I retired, I have taken the
opportunity to be involved in a number of other programmes. I
believe each of them to be key roles, as in each case you are
dealing face to face with young people who are usually desperate to
improve their lives.
- The Enterprise Programme provides the opportunity for a long
term mentor relationship, where you can develop the young person’s
business skills over a period of time, and you get to know that
young person well.
- Carrying out Development Awards assessments can be hugely
satisfying, as it provides the opportunity to make an immediate
impact on the life of a young person with financial support for the
next stage in their life.
- Acting as a Leaving care mentor is very challenging, as it is a
regular commitment (i.e. at least fortnightly) over a short term
(six months) , helping the young person in all aspects of their
life. For me it was also well outside my comfort zone.
- I have used my accounting and business training to both write
and deliver accountancy training to young people, both one to one
and in groups, and I now work on the financial sections of the
Enterprise Programme.
- The Get Started programmes provide a fantastic way for young
people to re-engage with each other and with a particular type of
work experience. I have worked on a number of Get Started
programmes, particularly with the Football programmes, and I am
always amazed at the transformation which occurs over the five
days of the course, as a group of around 12 individuals, many with
social issues, become a working team and develop a self confidence
which they can take away with them.
What challenges have you faced and how did you overcome
them?
Initially the main challenge with any young person is
establishing a dialogue, such that the young person will want to
continue the relationship and value the support. I was very nervous
at whether this would happen. Experience has taught me to try and
find an area of common ground (e.g. talk about football), and to be
relaxed. Try not to arrange meetings in a very formal office
environment, as they often find that too intimidating.
The biggest danger is that you try and do too much for them, or
that you try and lead them down a path they do not wish to go. I
found this particularly difficult on the Enterprise Programme,
where you are aware that their lack of action in doing a task may
cost them a business opportunity.
At the end of the day it is their life, their
business and their future, and they have to be the ones who make
that happen. You can influence it, point them in the right
direction but you cannot do it for them.
If they consistently do not carry out tasks, then maybe that is
telling you that running their own business is not for them. You
can use their lack of action in a positive way to try and make them
think about whether they should do something else.
What was the most positive experience you had while
volunteering?
Seeing young people take advantage of what we offer them. As
examples I would include:
- the young person who was unemployed, on JSA and supported
financially by his family when we started. He is now fully
employed, self-supportive and a mature, confident person.
- the young person whose family circumstances meant that he did
not have the resources to buy the tools he needed to start a
blacksmithing course. The Development Award enabled him to go on
the course, which he passed, and he is now near the end of a
subsequent B Tech Engineering course.
- several of the young people who have gone on from unemployed
youngsters with little apparent purpose to their lives, to become
community coaches at Reading Football Club following the Get
Started course.
Do you have any advice or guidance for new volunteers
You have lots to offer young people, and you will surprise
yourself at what you can help them with.
Do not take rejection personally. They often do
not return your calls or texts. Sometimes that is because they have
no credit on their phones. Or they just forget!
You will not be able to help everyone. If you have the time
do not limit yourself to one programme as you will find that each
provides a different type of experience. Enjoy it!