Aimee, age 15, is a young carer who experiences anxiety. She started volunteering through Reading Hack at her local library two years ago.

“My youth worker suggested I try volunteering to help overcome my shyness of talking to new people.

I struggle with anxiety so doing the volunteer program was always going to be hard, but being a volunteer has helped me overcome my fears and given me the chance to learn about different parts of the library. I’m a young carer, and it just helps me to have that extra time to be myself when I volunteer, even if it’s just for two or three hours twice a week.

When I first started volunteering, I attended a launch event for Reading Ahead, where people have to read six things by a certain date. Now I help run the toddler bounce and rhyme group on a Tuesday afternoon, and I help to run the events my library does during the Summer Reading Challenge.

Volunteering has definitely benefited me. It’s given me more confidence to talk to people I don’t know. I wouldn’t necessarily have done that before I started volunteering two years ago.

I plan to carry on volunteering; it’s the best thing I have ever done. I plan to use this experience on my CV to help me with my future career; I’m going to college next year and I want to work with children, so having this experience will be amazing.

To anyone who is thinking about volunteering in their library I would say, DO IT! You won’t regret it."

GET INVOLVED

Want to contribute your own story to ‘Day in the Life…’? Email [email protected]. Let us know your name and library authority, and include a photo if possible.

You can also let us know about your volunteering experience on social media. Get in touch with us @ReadingHackers on Twitter and Instagram.