Congratulations to Sarah Bealing who has been presented with a Volunteer Recognition Award. Sarah began in her role as a volunteer at Imagination Station in March, 2016 as part of gaining her Duke of Edinburgh International Award.

She says, ‘I have gained a lot of confidence from trying new things. These experiences have included stepping out of my comfort zone to talk to strangers, keeping children entertained with Lego and generally helping out to keep things running smoothly at the station’.

Her citation reads that ‘Sarah has been an excellent and dedicated volunteer.

She is happy to take on any task that needs completing: cleaning, tidying, interacting with customers, sorting LEGO and setting up for classes and birthday parties. What’s more, she never needs to be asked, she simply looks around and uses her initiative to find things to do to ensure Imagination Station is a welcoming place for customers to visit. She is extremely reliable, always turning up for shifts on time and takes on extra shifts in the school holidays when she is able to. Sarah is one of our best and most experienced Brick School leaders. This is our day programme for primary school aged children. Being able to carry out this role demands patience, preparation, flexibility, not to mention a great rapport with kids—our key customers! Sarah is also a great help to new volunteers as they learn how to complete their job at Imagination Station. She volunteered her time and acting skills to putting together our volunteer training videos, and is very approachable for other volunteers should they need assistance when paid staff are busy.

There is no job too big or too small for our amazing Sarah!'