Adrian tells us why he volunteers with ACT

“Only by giving are you able to receive more than you already have.”

– Jim Rohn

It’s all about Giving!

Volunteering is about serving and serving is giving. ACT gives by serving people who are disadvantaged — fatherless children, orphans, and women (widows and women-led households) in rural African society. That we are volunteer led completes the cycle of giving and reflects very clearly our ethos and what we stand for. It’s all about giving!

As a small charity our aim is to channel most of what we receive as charitable donations, nearly our entire income, to supporting disadvantaged children, empowering women, and enriching the communities that we serve. ACT is proud that our work has impacted the lives of more than 10,000 people across the 8 African countries where we work. But it is our volunteers, including interns, university students and school leavers on gap year, that have kept our work going this past 24 years. Their service is integral to the work that we do.

Currently, our UK office is staffed by six volunteers and two full-time staff members. We rely on the skills and talent of our volunteers to keep our projects going!

Adrian Waters is one such volunteer.

Adrian

Adrian joined ACT in April 2022 in response to our advert for a volunteer Supporter Care position in Reach Volunteering, an agency that helps to link people wanting to volunteer with charities that are looking for volunteers. Being a local Croydon man and as the ACT office is based in Croydon, this helped him choose to join us over other organisations that were interested in his skills. Adrian is a graduate of Newcastle University where he studied Maths and Computer Science. He had worked in documentation and systems programming in many countries across Europe, Middle East and Asia before retiring. These skills, amongst others, are what we sorely needed, and what he has brought to ACT.

“Having worked all my life in the corporate sector, I wanted to work with a charity where I could see real benefit to people less fortunate than myself. I set myself two conditions: to work in an office where I would meet other people and not need to spend time commuting. I was fortunate to be offered a volunteer position at ACT. I work in an office with colleagues, and it is a walking distance to my home.”

His most important achievement since joining ACT is managing the procurement of a Contact Relationship Management system, a first for ACT. The database helps us to hold and update records of our supporters, donors and child sponsors and integrate these with the variety of projects we are carrying out in Africa. With the new system in place, Adrian now keeps our information updated and regularly informs sponsors about the progress of the children we help. As our work continues to grow this system is vital to keep our operations running smoothly! Adrian has also travelled to many countries in Africa. He is a member of the Croydon Ramblers and a keen cyclist.

“I volunteer my time as a way of giving back to the world. I am lucky to have been born in a stable and wealthy country, and never encountered any major upheavals in my life. In comparison, the circumstances of life of many people in the world are very difficult through no fault of their own. I hope that my time and effort, however small, may provide some benefit to those less privileged than myself.”

– Adrian

Working at ACT, whether as a volunteer or staff is both an exciting and rewarding experience that enriches both the individual and the people ACT is supporting. We are always interested to hear from people interested in volunteering or for an internship with us. If you join our team, we will appreciate whatever skills you have and the time you can give.

To find out more about volunteering with ACT, send an email with your CV and covering note to Brenda at office@africanchildtrust.org.uk