Future Foundations Programme – Senior Club Volunteer
This is part of our monthly Volunteer Spotlight series – celebrating the people who give their time and heart to KLS.
This month, meet Brigid – a long-standing volunteer with our Future Foundations Senior Club, supporting young people each week with homework, activities and confidence building.
“I just want to be one more adult in their life who thinks they’re interesting and important.”
“One of the things I always keep in mind is that every young person has a mental list of adults who think they’re interesting, funny, clever and important. I just want to be one more adult on that list.
I volunteer at Senior Club on Wednesdays and have been doing that for nearly five years. It’s for 11 to 13 year olds and the structure is simple: an hour of homework followed by an hour of activities.
We arrive early to set up, then when the children come in we greet them, have a chat and get them settled. During homework time I mostly help with maths, sitting with them to make sure they’ve got what they need and helping them work through anything they’re stuck on. It’s satisfying when someone goes from not understanding something at all and feeling frustrated to suddenly getting it. You can work through it step by step and then you see that moment where it clicks.
After homework we move into activities. Table tennis is always popular, but we also do arts and crafts, cooking, and sometimes have visiting groups running creative sessions. In the summer we head outside to the park for rounders or football. It’s a really good balance between focused time and time to relax and have fun.
I really enjoy volunteering. It’s such a good excuse to play and have fun and have a laugh, which is easy to miss in adult life. I think I benefit from being around the kids as much as they benefit from us. I admire them a lot. They’re very in touch with their feelings and happy to show them. If someone comes in angry, everyone knows about it. I really respect that confidence and honesty. They’re also very engaged with what’s going on in the world and have a strong sense of justice. They talk about things happening in school or in their communities and I find that really interesting to listen to.
Every so often I try to introduce chess during activity time. It can be hard to pull people away from table tennis, but once someone gets into it, it becomes very competitive. I’ll teach them how everything works and then we get into strategy and little tournaments. There’s always someone who ends up beating the volunteers, which is great to see.
Volunteering has made me feel much more part of the community. I live nearby and cycle over each week. After five years I know the other volunteers, the staff, the receptionist, and I’ve known some of the young people and even their older siblings for years now. I moved to the UK seven years ago, so finding that sense of connection and belonging has meant a lot. Being embedded in a community like this is something I really value.
It’s also changed how I think about working with young people. I used to think it was best to keep a bit of distance and stay quite neutral, but I’ve realised that bringing more of your own personality actually helps. If I share a story or an opinion, they’re more likely to share theirs. We can disagree, laugh about things and get to know each other properly. That makes the relationship stronger.
Not every session feels inspiring or transformative. Sometimes it’s frustrating. Sometimes they roll their eyes or aren’t impressed by your enthusiasm. But that’s not really the point. What matters is being another adult in their life who thinks they’re interesting and important. Even if they don’t understand the maths that day or seem disengaged, it still counts. Being one more adult on that list matters.
There are lots of moments that make me laugh. The kids are very direct. One asked me recently if I was dyeing the side of my hair grey. I said no, I’m just old. She then tried to make it better by saying at least I wasn’t as old as her mum. They also come up with business ideas sometimes. One wanted to start a business where she’d draw a picture of you, you’d pay for it, and she’d print it out for free. I’m not sure about the business model, but the creativity is definitely there.
For me, volunteering is about showing up each week and being consistent. Over time those small interactions build into relationships, and those relationships matter. I feel lucky to be part of something that gives young people more adults in their corner. That’s what stays with me.”
Brigid was recently recognised with a Jack Petchey Foundation Leadership Award for her volunteering at Senior Club, alongside several award-winning young people from the club. She says seeing their pride on the day was the best part, and the award also brought funding back to support the club.