What it means to be a Hackney Host volunteer

Albert Atiase is a Hackney Host volunteer. He talks about his experiences, below.

"Like many people, you don’t think of doing anything outside employment" Albert says. Having been made redundant after working for the  Royal Mail for 14 years, his brother – also a celebrated Hackney Host volunteer – introduced him to the concept of volunteering, and Albert has now been with the project for over 3 months.  He thinks it is incredibly rewarding because it gets him out and about, gives him more focus and a new perspective on the local community.  Also it will give him a chance to be a part of the upcoming Olympic and Paralympic Games.

As well as the training he has received, Albert has been involved in volunteer placements, for example, organising board games with children at Gillett Square for Cadbury’s Spots V Stripes campaign. He has also worked in the Eastern Curve Gardens, an area concealed from the hustle and bustle of London, where he takes on roles that involve planting and carpentry.  The garden is also where his son had his fifth birthday party.

The fun and games don’t stop there. On his final day at the Hackney Host Champion training, he entertained the other Hackney Hosts with a friendly impersonation, a "tribute" to one of the trainers, adopting a hat complete with dreadlocks. "It was a silly joke, but it worked", he smiles.

There is also a serious side to the training. Albert has already been able to benefit from the British Red Cross first aid course provided to all Hackney Hosts.  He describes walking along the road and seeing a walking stick propped against a wall.  After looking over the wall and seeing a man collapsed on the other side, Albert manoeuvred him into the recovery position and called an ambulance. He says of the experience, "I felt empowered, knowing what to do in that situation".

As well as all this, Albert helps out the 2012 Olympic unit at Hackney Council, filming events and recording vox pops – an activity that, although time-consuming, is great fun, according to Albert.  In order to increase his computer awareness, he has also recently started attending a weekly computer support group, Net Worx, which is Peabody’s digital inclusion project. 

Albert has a sense of pride about what he has been doing, both personally and as part of a group of Hackney volunteers – boosting Hackney’s reputation and proving to Londoners that volunteering is something that will continue to benefit both the local and wider community for a long time to come.

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