I follow a lot of queer activity and event pages on social media, the organisers of Alt Pride were asking for volunteers, and I thought it was the perfect opportunity to use my volunteer hours. I was also interested in volunteering at bigger pride events like Manchester Pride, but Alt Pride stood out to me as it's run by a regenerative grassroots group and volunteering would really benefit them as they don't have funding from big sponsors.
From my volunteering experience, I gained a lot of confidence. I had to be able to speak up and ask questions to the organisers if I was unsure of anything. I also had to communicate with other volunteers, working as a team to make sure everything ran smoothly. I ran a lino-printing workshop so I was also constantly speaking to members of the public all day, I couldn't be shy or laid back as I wanted their experience to be the best it possibly could be.
When I began, I was undeniably nervous at first which is natural, but I thought about the great work that I'll be doing for my community which helped push through the nerves. At the end of the day I felt so proud of myself for the hard work I had done volunteering. The positive feedback from the organisers and the public was worth the temporary nerves.
“I ran a lino-printing workshop so I was also constantly speaking to members of the public all day, I couldn't be shy or laid back as I wanted their experience to be the best it possibly could be.”