Volunteering for St Petrocs as a translator and interpreter is more than just a hobby or pastime for me. At its core, it is about human connection, mutual growth, and making truly positive impact in the lives of empowering people.

The very essence of St Petrocs' mission resonates with my own personal values of compassion, empowerment, and making the world a better place. As a translator and interpreter, I play a role in this mission. I serve as a bridge, connecting people who are often misunderstood, and overlooked to resources and opportunities that can help them to build a better life.

I studied linguistics, so I know language far more than a means of communication; it is a vessel of culture, thought, and even identity. However, it is more tangible when you experience it in real life: people struggle to communicate due to language or cultural barriers, they can feel isolated, invisible, or dismissed. By volunteering as a translator and interpreter, I can help to break down these barriers and ensure that everyone has a voice that can be heard.

What inspires me the most about this role is the immediate and tangible impact it can have. A single word, phrase, or sentence that I translate could be the difference between someone feeling hopeless, confused and alone, or understood, confident and supported. A few words can unlock an essential service, an opportunity, or a path to a new beginning.

Volunteering with St Petrocs has allowed me to feel even more deeply connected to the world around me. It's an active acknowledgment of our interconnectedness, a recognition that our own wellbeing is inextricably tied to the wellbeing of others. It is a privilege. It's a journey of learning, growth, and inspiration, grounded in the power of language and the desire to make a difference. It reminds me, daily, of the incredible capacity we all have to contribute positively to the lives of others, and how, through understanding and compassion, we can make this world a kinder, more inclusive place.