TFG Team welcomes cohort of New Volunteers
This summer we welcomed 60 new volunteers to the UK.
At 4pm Monday 9 September the TfG team were ready and set to go, eagerly awaiting the first group of volunteers to arrive at our conference at Whitemoor Lakes,Lichfield.
As they were dropped off by cabs, we excitedly welcomed tired volunteers who had travelled from across the UK to come and attend their first conference with us. After almost 7 months of the recruitment and planning, finally we could see the familiar faces, and marvel at how tall or short we'd imagined them to be!
One by one we welcomed volunteers from France, Germany, Columbia, Korea, Belgium, United States, Taiwan and Luxembourg. Not really knowing what to expect, the volunteers were greeted warmly with a small gift bag with goodies, and then shown to their rooms to settle in before the conference kicking off 5pm. It was all smiles and hugs as volunteers known and unknown to each other mingled, each looking bemused and warming up within minutes. This was good to witness for the team.
Soon afterwards, after a nice warm dinner, volunteers congregated in the main room for official welcome and introduction and lay out of the next couple of days. The conference titled ‘Challenge, Inspire and Equip’ was packed with workshops designed to do just that.
The following couple days planned for volunteers to be challenged through interactive workshops, and engaging games that inspired and equipped them for their time on the programme.
By the end of Wednesday morning, the group of volunteers were no longer strangers to each other, but fellow volunteers quickly turning to friends. The place was buzzing with engaging conversations, games and activity that helped build rapport and some relaxation and time out before they all returned to their placements.
Ahead of our milestone 60th Annivessary, we held pre-birthday celebration , with traditional British party games, streamers, party poppers, cake and even a photo booth! It was a great way to end a fantastic few days together, before everyone departed to head back to their respective projects.
The TfG team is excited about the year ahead as we embark on the journey supporting our volunteers as they navigate the next few months in very diverse placements. We hope that the conference has challenged, inspired and equipped them enough to start the journey well!