By Mencap
Hi, I’m Andy! I was originally a
volunteer
A volunteer is someone who helps out by doing work for free.
with Gig Buddies and now I’m part of the Mencap team as 'Gig Buddies Coordinator for Bradford'
This is my story…
After seeing a promo clip on Russell Howards Good news, I thought what a great project Gig Buddies was!! I love going to live events such as music festivals, comedy gigs, football etc. And thought if I can help someone with a
learning disability
A learning disability is to do with the way someone's brain works. It makes it harder for someone to learn, understand or do things.
to enjoy these things too - I’m in, lets get involved!
Making a good friend in R, we have similar interests & sense of humour, we have a laugh with each other every time we meet up! With me being involved now as a coordinator, R has a new Buddy, but we still keep in touch & hopefully will do for years to come.
Being a volunteer with Gig Buddies didn’t just benefit R it also helped me too.
It gave me the confidence to make the jump and change career my path and I love it!
I’m going to pinch a tag line from a well-known sports brand [my advice for volunteers] - Just do it! It’s such a rewarding project to be involved in.
Not only are you supporting someone to enjoy the things they love (that otherwise might not have the opportunity to experience by themselves) but you could make a life-long friend too
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