Volunteers' Week 2025

Hana, 20, Volunteers with Action for Conservation (AFC) 

I'm very excited to be named Young Volunteer of the Year! I couldn't have predicted it, so I'm flattered. I suppose the recognition is proof that I can positively impact young people's lives, which is a warming feeling.  

What’s your volunteering story? 

I grew up in Sheffield and moved to Manchester for University, where I fell in love with the place. I currently volunteer for Action for Conservation (AFC), a charity that enables young people to have an active role in environmental conservation. When I was 13 I went on an AFC summer camp and knew one day I wanted to volunteer, to help provide others with these opportunities I was lucky enough to be part of. So I started volunteering with Action for Conservation to do just that! I can't remember exactly when I started but it must have been a couple of years now. 

Action for Conservation is like a family. I've met lifelong friends through the opportunities they provide. They offer a flexible approach that allows you to remain involved at your own pace, with such a range of projects and initiatives. The opportunities they offer are also incredibly unique. By incorporating youth leadership, they encourage confidence, independence and teamwork, setting you up for entering the adult world in a way that other educational institutions perhaps don't. 

I've run workshops for fantastic cohorts of young people on sustainable fashion, consumption and textile crafts, because I think it's important to show people the range of what conservation can be.  

I also volunteered on AFC's brilliant summer camps, where young people get to spend a few days fully immersed in nature, doing a huge range of activities and experience hands-on learning. Outside of AFC, I seek similar opportunities to be involved in projects with schools and youth groups. I love volunteering with young people because I love their fresh ideas and optimistic outlooks!  

I hope to show young people the range of what environmentalism can encompass. There is something for everyone and I'd love to encourage people to find their own place within a sustainable setting, incorporating their own interests and skills. There's no one-size-fits-all to what sustainability looks like, so by doing as wide a range of things I can, I hope to demonstrate that we should approach environmental issues with an open mindset. 

I am kept motivated by the knowledge that I could impact someone's life in the same way that people who've volunteered and provided opportunities for me have inspired me. It's like a moment of circularity.  

Also, I find it incredibly distressing that the fashion industry, which I study to work in, is one the worst for the environment and people. Therefore it feels only right to try and share knowledge, increase awareness and create solutions. I find it much more fulfilling to use my areas of expertise for something positive.  

How has your volunteering helped improve the lives of young people in Manchester? 

First and foremost, I hope that the young people I've volunteered with had fun at the sessions and trips. I hope they feel a sense of community, I hope that being involved in something gives them satisfaction and that they'd want to do similar things again. That way, more and more young people might be encouraged to take part in similar activities. I hope the chance to be involved in conservation eases their climate anxieties, and helps them view the future more positively. 

What is a moment you’ll never forget:  

Once, I was volunteering in a school on a 5-week project. As we were finishing up on the 5th Week, one of the students came and whispered to me "I know we aren't supposed to have favourite teachers, but you're mine." I smiled and asked why, and she told me that she'd found a new excitement for upcycling and couldn't wait to give new life to her and her friends old clothes. I shed a tear on my way home because it was so moving to hear I'd actually inspired somebody to make a change in their life. 

Do you have any advice for people who aren’t volunteering? 

I like to think the young people I work with would consider volunteering one day. Some of them have told me they'd like to when they're old enough.  

If you haven’t volunteered before, I would say that it's not as scary as you might think - I remember being so anxious at first. It can feel like a lot of responsibility, which it can be, but it's also a lot of fun, gives you an immense sense of community, and is very rewarding. You won't regret it!  

I want to give a massive shoutout to the team at Action for Conservation. I want to stay connected with the charity for the rest of my life. They've been such an integral part of my personal growth and through volunteering I hope to pass forward that feeling to the next generation of youth. I'd also like to say thank you to every young person I've ever worked with. You guys light up my life and teach me so much. It's been a pleasure to be involved with you. 

What song best sums up your volunteering experience? 

Don't stop me now, by Queen... I'm having a real good time, I don't want to stop at all!