Aisha's Story

Aisha's Story - Employment and Volunteering Part 2

Aisha found that reading through the Small Talk information and looking around the Help in Preston website made her much more aware of the range of services and opportunities, especially with regards to volunteering, that were available in Preston.

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She knew her friend Anna volunteered at Age Concern so asked her about how that had come about.

Anna told her that she had been out of work for a while after starting her family and didn't feel all that confident about getting back into work although she knew she wanted a job in retail.

Anna spoke to Age Concern's volunteer manager Claire, who was really friendly and supportive and encouraged her to consider doing a couple of shifts per week in an Age Concern shop. Anna started and really enjoyed working alongside other staff who showed her the ropes and provided plenty of encouragement too.

Claire also offered Anna some work coaching advice and told her about some of the jobs she had seen on the Job Centre Plus noticeboard.  The shifts at the shop and the coaching really helped Anna and she quickly felt confident enough to apply for one of the jobs Claire had mentioned. She was so happy when she received the letter to say she had been successful and had got a job in retail.

Anna loved volunteering in the Age Concern shop so much she still does the occasional weekend shift.

The characters stories are based on real life events of individuals in Preston and the services that have helped them. 

Do you have a story to tell?

If you have a story or a personal challenge you have overcome or are currently facing and would like to share it with us, please email us on info@helpinpreston.com we'd love to hear from you. 

All stories and case studies will be made anonymous.