Mark Eastwood

Final Year Computer Science PhD  

“I enjoy hands-on events like building and painting. I’m actively involved with RAG, MAD days and Recycling Ronnie and was a guide for a partially sighted girl during Freshers’ Week.

I first got involved with volunteering to experience new things and do something that would benefit the community or a charity. Since then, I’ve gained so much; new friends, more confidence, new practical skills and new knowledge.

I took part in the sleep out during Student Volunteer Week and I’ve attended MAD days including the beach clean and clearing vegetation with the National Trust. The best thing about MAD days is the other people there, it’s really good to work together to achieve something worthwhile.

Before Uni I’d previously volunteered in Australia. I helped to build an environmental education centre. This involved pathbuilding, tree transplanting, weed removal and odd construction jobs. I was particularly proud when I finished building my own path complete with a set of steps.

Whilst volunteering, I lived with a family in an isolated house halfway up a mountain so experienced a very different way of living.

I also met wonderful people in Australia, had fun doing a remarkable range of jobs and learnt to juggle among other things!

Volunteering is fun, challenging and useful and I’d encourage students to just do it! You can hopefully get involved with something that will improve the world around you ,a little bit, for someone. To people who say they don’t have time to volunteer I’d remind them you can always make time for something you really want to do.

A good volunteer needs only three things – enthusiasm, a sense of fun and a little selflessness.”

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