Volunteers’ Week 2021 – Anne-Marie continues to volunteer through lockdown
It’s Volunteers’ Week 2021 (1-7 June). To celebrate we’re sharing stories of our volunteers throughout the week to showcase the amazing work they do.
Here’s more about Anne-Marie.
Anne-Marie is originally from Ireland, but has lived in many countries including Palestine where she taught English in a refugee camp in the West Bank. She’s a professional teacher and tutor. She’s always been motivated to help out in her local community, so when the pandemic struck she approached KLS, as her local community centre, to offer to help in any way she could.
She generously offered to do anything: food delivery, phone calls, whatever might be needed. As soon as we heard she was a tutor we grabbed her for our mentoring team. She’s mentored one of our young people, a girl from Afghanistan, who was feeling very demotivated in her studies and whose parents were finding it hard to know how to help her with online study. They’ve been studying together for over a year now, combining study with games and chats and even a couple of walks.
“I am proud to volunteer with the Love to Learn team because I strongly believe in the importance of the work they do supporting children, young people and their families who may find it challenging to navigate education, various social systems and life generally in London. I am passionate about helping new people integrate into our communities, and I believe we all have a responsibility to do what we can to help others and support social justice, so that we can all live equally full lives with peace, harmony and respect for one another. In turn we are also rewarded with the mutual benefits of volunteer work, new knowledge and understanding, perspective, human compassion and life changing rewarding relationships.”
Anne-Marie is a keen basketball player in her spare time. She practices almost every day at 6 am and is a member of the London All Stars!
Come and volunteer with us
Our volunteers are truly amazing. They help us run all of our community services.
If you’re interested in volunteering then please fill in our ‘Volunteer Application Form’.
Our volunteers help with:
- mentoring for an hour a week to support a refugee young person
- supporting one of our GCSE study groups that meet for 2 hours a week in Battersea
- helping out at a Homework Club on a Wednesday or Thursday from 4.30pm-7.00pm
- being an escort for older people on and off our minibus during the day Tuesday – Thursdays
- supporting older people as a ‘Fone Friend’- a telephone befriender with local older people
- teaching in our ESOL (English/Maths/IT) classes as a volunteer teaching assistant
- help with fundraising
- strengthen our communication and marketing
- and so much more.
Do get in touch. We’d love to hear from you.
About Katherine Low Settlement
Katherine Low Settlement is a much-loved, busy charity that has been at the heart of the community in Battersea, south-west London, since 1924.
With a few staff and a lot of volunteers, Katherine Low Settlement runs a range of its own popular community projects including educational courses and wellbeing activities. The charity supports children, young people and their families, older people, refugees and newly arrived communities of all genders, nationalities and religions.
The Katherine Low Settlement building in Battersea High Street, opened in 1924, is used for community activities and events, usually – until the arrival of Covid-19 – by over 500 people a week. Its rooms are available for hire at affordable rates.
Katherine Low Settlement is grateful for the funding received from supporters, trusts and foundations to enable the charity to continue to reduce poverty and isolation and bring Battersea together.
Press contacts
Aaron Barbour
Director
Katherine Low Settlement
Telephone: 020 7223 2845.
Email: [email protected]
Web: www.klsettlement.org.uk
Pictures
High resolution digital images available from Katherine Low Settlement press contacts.