Our Volunteers
Our new volunteer programme is the result of a co-operation with the Aktion Sühnezeichen Friedensdienste. This is a charitable organisation that encourages young people to develop their understanding of history and other cultures and societies, whilst experiencing and accepting different patterns of thought and behaviour. Every year around 180 volunteers, mostly aged between nineteen and twenty-five are active for ARSP in fourteen different countries on a variety of educational, historical, political, and social projects. We have been lucky to get four of these young people to stay with us at the German YMCA for a year.
Meet our Volunteers 2023/24
My name is Sofia and I am one of the new volunteers at the German YMCA in London. I am 18 years old and from a small town in the south of Germany called Bietigheim-Bissingen. I graduated from school this spring and wanted to do something meaningful in my gap year, which is why I chose to become a volunteer with the ARSP. This gives me the chance to combine two passions of mine: history and connecting with new people. My other hobbies include reading, travelling and politics, which is also why I wanted to do something that would feel important to the community. I look forward to meeting you all soon. Sofia
My name is Anna-Maria. I am 18 years old and live in Freiburg, Germany. Starting this month, I will be one of your new volunteers in London. I finished school in June and am looking forward to interesting new tasks. In my free time, I really enjoy riding horses, skiing, dancing, reading, cooking and baking. I learned about the ARSP programme through my sister, who spent one year in Amsterdam with them. It sounded so interesting that I decided to apply. I am very excited to be living in London for some time and cannot wait to start this new chapter of my life. It will be such a great experience. Anna-Maria
My name is Adrianna. I am 25 years old and live in Zyrardow, near to Warsaw, Poland. From September, I will be a new volunteer here at the YMCA in London. I graduated from university two years ago and then worked as a tax consultant in an international company in Warsaw. For my year abroad, I have requested a one-year sabbatical from my work. In my spare time I really enjoy reading, swimming, and cycling. In addition, I love to travel around Europe, going to new places and meeting new people. I am also interested in British culture, and a big fan of ‘The Crown’. See you soon. Adrianna