Ode to Porridge

If I had an ounce of poetic prowess, I would write an ode to porridge. Unfortunately I possess nothing of the sort so a blog post will have to do.

First though, I owe my mother an apology. For years she tried to convince me of the brilliance of porridge but, being a stubborn child, I refused to ever try it. Sorry Mum for never listening to you on this matter - you were right, as ever. There’s a lesson to be learnt there.

I made my first bowl this summer after being intrigued by this video. At the time I, rather foolishly, hadn't realised that porridge and oatmeal are exactly the same thing. After many, many years of stubbornness, it was an Americanism that finally won me over. Naturally this provoked a reel of (deserved) sarcastic comments from Mum.

Name issue aside, I took a liking to the stuff. It’s incredibly versatile, tastes amazing, is good for you and, importantly, cheap! Even when topped high with seeds and berries (frozen, usually) it comes in wildly cheaper than a sugary cereal. My budget as a volunteer is fairly similar to what it will be as a student and porridge perfectly fits the bill. Usually I make it with water, got to save those pennies, but occasionally I’ll switch that out for almond milk. It’s become a daily staple for me with an abundance of ways to serve it so that I don’t get bored. A new favourite is to mix in a spoonful of crunchy peanut butter à la Essie Button:

My Instagram has recently become overrun with photos of porridge; I've included a few of my favourite examples below.

To think of all those gorgeous breakfasts I missed out on, for so long unwilling to try something new. Outrageous!

On Volunteering

For my work experience in Year Ten I completed a week at a school for children with profound learning disabilities and for children on the autistic spectrum. It was an unforgettable week. I was inspired by the pupils, how they welcomed me into their environment, their eagerness in the classroom and their pure zeal. So, too was I inspired by the staff; I was privileged to work under the most amazing team who all had such passion for their job.

Working alongside a student to achieve his goal is a long process which requires repetition, different approaches, encouragement and most importantly, time. I witnessed just a glimpse of the process, but learned from watching the teachers what an incredibly rewarding career it is. At fifteen I had no idea what I wanted to do as a career; I still don’t, but I vastly enjoyed working at the school and was driven to pursue a voluntary placement, inspired by my experience.

Fast forward two years and I'm writing my application for university. Still intent on taking a year out to volunteer, I applied for a deferred entry and began researching. There are countless opportunities available for young people wanting to volunteer; it’s a case of sifting through the internet to find the organisation that’s right for you. My criteria was for a long term placement, working closely with people, one which wasn't going to cost me the earth - you’d be surprised at how many voluntary placements require a huge sum of money before you even give your time.

What I found was Community Service Volunteers (CSV), a UK volunteering and social action charity. The charity’s mission statement is ‘to enable people to take an active role in their communities’. As I read through their website, I knew that I’d found exactly the opportunity I was looking for.

CSV offer full-time voluntary placements starting from six months up to a year. There are three projects within the charity - Choices, University Choices and Vocal. Each project is focused on supporting those with learning or physical disabilities to have an active role within their community and helping them to live an independent life.

In September I was placed on a Choices project in Norfolk, supporting a lady with learning disabilities to live an independent life. My role involves helping out in the kitchen, assisting with the weekly food shop, help her to organise days out and, above all, be a companion for her - someone to chat to about what happened on Corrie last night and to complain about the weather with.

CSV is a charity that focuses on enabling people to be independent and live as full a life as possible. It's not a case of going into someone's home and doing things for them; it's about being that extra pair of hands around the house, it's about being a companion. It's about empowerment for the service user.

I really enjoy volunteering, I have a great relationship with my service user and I know that we are each gaining something important from this experience. Choosing to defer for a year and volunteer for CSV has been one of the best decisions I've made in life. This will shape me and the decisions I make for the rest of my life. For that I am incredibly glad.