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Andrea & Michelle: Volunteering case study

Blog
Ashley Wilkins
22 Sep 2025

Yesterday Andrea Smith, Executive Director, and Michelle Walker, Head of Procurement Services and Supply Solutions, utilised their volunteering leave at Town Fields Community Group's National Play Day. Andrea has shared her experience below.

What did you use your volunteering leave for?

I used my volunteering day to support the Town Fields Community Group in Doncaster during their National Play Day celebration on 6th August. The event aims to ensure that children from deprived parts of the city have access to free play.

The event was on a large open space called Town Field, and featured a wide range of activities including games, kite flying, tug of war, tombola, and more. We also had a story tent where the children could listen to stories. The children were from diverse backgrounds and got to choose a book and kite to take home with them - it was a fully inclusive event.

Ahead of the event, I roped in to a few extra volunteers to help with setup, and together we transformed the field into a play space. YPO generously donated £500 worth of play equipment, which was key to making the day such a success.

Alongside Michelle Walker I helped run the obstacle course and various races throughout the day. What I didn't anticipate was becoming the unofficial race demonstrator - I spent most of the day running up and down the field showing the kids how it was done! I clocked 17,000 steps and didn't sit down once. It was a refreshing change from Teams calls and office life! Michelle had her own funny moment too - her job was resetting the equipment after each race, and one little boy thought it was great fun to kick all the balls off their stands. He then sweetly picked up all the eggs from the spoons and handed them back to Michelle, thinking she'd dropped them. It was such a cute moment and really captured the spirit of the day.

What did you enjoy most about volunteering?

The most enjoyable part was seeing the pure joy on the children's faces as they engaged in outdoor play, many for the first time in activities like tug of war and kite flying. Some were also ultra-competitive! The kites soared just high enough thanks to a gentle breeze, and the race brought out laughter and so much excitement, we had to introduce a queuing system as we had so many children that wanted to race!

What stood out most was how everyone in the community joined in, from local businesses to families and volunteers. It truly felt like a collective effort to give the children a special day, and the energy was infectious.

Which of the YPO values linked to your volunteering experience?

This experience embodied several YPO values:

Be Kind: The generosity and warmth from everyone involved, from volunteers to local supporters - it was a testament to kindness in action.

Do the Right Thing: Supporting children's wellbeing and encouraging outdoor play aligns perfectly with our values.

Make a Difference: The donation and our hands-on involvement made a real impact on the day's success.

Embrace Creativity: The variety of activities and the imaginative ways children engaged with them showcased creativity at its best.

Would you recommend volunteering?

Absolutely. Volunteering is not only rewarding but also energising (tiring by the end of the day :) ). It's a chance to connect with the community, step outside of your usual routine, and contribute to something meaningful. I'd recommend it to anyone looking to make a difference and experience something truly uplifting.

If you could summarise your volunteering experience in 3 words, what would it be?

Energising, Community, Rewarding

Any further comments

If anyone is interested in getting involved next year let us know! The more the merrier. It's a brilliant way to give back, have fun, and make a real difference in the live of local children. I'm already looking forward to doing it all again.

Michelle added:

"It was brilliant to see the children SO excited and enthralled by the kites in particular.

At a time when everyone says all kids are interested in is being on a screen, there wasn't one in sight and they were absolutely having the time of their lives running, playing hopscotch, tug of war, blowing bubbles and again, the kites. They all LOVED the kites!"

Ashley Wilkins YPO

Author

Ashley Wilkins

PR and Communications Officer for Public Sector

YPO

Ashley is a PR and Communications officer for the public sector side of the organisation. This involves supporting communications to local authorities, emergency services, housing, NHS and the wider public sector. Ashley is responsible for assisting with PR and media relations, stakeholder communications and public affairs, content strategy and creation, research, as well as corporate comms such as strategic partnerships, sponsorship, events, awards and delivering the annual report.