Tracy - Project 2009

I first heard about TEECH through gemma and attended several of their fundraising events held over the last 2 years.  The Fancy Dress Discos and Masquerade Balls were all great fun whilst raising money for such a great cause.  It wasn’t until I joined the project trip in August 2009 that I realised just how worthy the causes that TEECH support are.

The trip to Romania was an amazing experience for many reasons.  Not least because of the work achieved by the TEECH volunteers in a short space of time.  Old hands and newcomers alike who had given up their free time all mucked in with great enthusiasm that was matched by local people who understood what TEECH were there to do.  To work within a group of people of all ages and backgrounds not only made life interesting but was a wonderful learning experience.  I’ll admit I was a little apprehensive before the trip.  This was my first experience of volunteering and I had a few small worries.  Would I get along with the other volunteers? Would I be able to contribute in any way?  But I soon realised that I had no cause for concern when the more experienced volunteers were so welcoming and there were many jobs that anyone could help with.

I have many happy memories of that trip and often revisit the photographs taken by all the volunteers.   It is not often that you have the opportunity to contribute to something that offers such a good mix of fun and job satisfaction that you can cherish for many years to come.

Since then I have volunteered on conservation projects in Africa and can honestly say that the care, enthusiasm, expertise and organisation that the TEECH trustees put into their work easily matches that of any organisation which has to employ paid staff to attain the same goals.