When Brianna Dale first moved to Oxford, she sought out voluntary work to contribute to and get to know her community. Now, this National Volunteers’ Week, the National Management Trainee at Oxfordshire County Council is encouraging others to try volunteering.
Volunteers’ Week is to take place from 02 – 08 June this year, and the county council is joining thousands of charities and voluntary organisations, recognising the contribution volunteers make across the UK, including Brianna.
The 24-year-old’s journey began when she decided to give back to her new community. She said: “I had recently moved to Oxford from the north west and wanted to take advantage of the council’s volunteer policy and get involved in my local community, with a new challenge outside of work.”
She decided to work with the charity Jacari, which pairs individuals within Oxford with local schoolchildren from refugee, asylum-seeking and migrant communities who need help with their English language skills.
“Jacari jumped out to me because of how positive and friendly they seemed, how it would fit in with my work commitments, and coming from a family of teachers I thought I would try my hand at teaching as a new challenge which was very different to the kind of work I engage in day to day.”
Brianna began work with the charity in February 2024 and has tutored two students at two local schools.
She explained: “My role is to provide one-on-one informal tutoring sessions through conversation, games, reading, writing and listening to help improve students’ academic and social English language skills. These sessions are tailored to each individual student’s needs.
“For me, it’s a wonderful way to refresh and refocus midweek and be energised by young people who are excited to learn and develop. In my time so far at the council, I have focused on the experiences of refugees and asylum seekers in my work, and these sessions help to put that work into a sharper personal perspective.
“My experience has been really positive – with the students, the organisation and with other volunteers. I couldn’t recommend it enough.”
Councillor Kate Gregory, Oxfordshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Public Health and Inequalities, said: “Voluntary work provides an excellent opportunity for people to engage with and contribute to their communities. It also allows individuals to connect with many interesting people they might not have otherwise encountered.
“Brianna deserves tremendous praise for her efforts, and I am sure that she has made a real difference to the young people she has supported.
“As a council, we take pride in supporting our employees, and we are proud to offer two days’ paid leave for colleagues who wish to volunteer within their communities.”
Volunteers’ Week is led by the UK Volunteering Forum, a partnership between Volunteer Scotland, the National Council for Voluntary Organisations (NCVO), the Wales Council for Voluntary Action (WCVA) and Volunteer Now in Northern Ireland.
