Spotlight on Emilija

May 19, 2016

Emilija is a guardian with us in East London. From the start she has dived straight into her volunteering. This is what she has to say:

Emilija1 ‘Today marks my 10 week anniversary as a guardian with Dot Dot Dot. Since starting I have volunteered with at least 7 different organisations on top of my full time job. It has been a steep learning curve comprised of moments of bliss and some crises of self-confidence.

On reflection this journey has been full of the unexpected. Amongst more traditional volunteering roles such as fundraising and leafleting, my volunteering repertoire now includes sheep herding and dressing a disposable nappy stall.

One of the first volunteering activities I signed up for was an ‘Urban Weed Walk’ in Hackney organised by a gardening community ‘Cordwainers Grow’. The walk involved combing the streets of Hackney with urban ecologist Annie to help her spot, identify and record wild plants sprouting in the paving cracks and brick walls.

emilija2 One of my more regular commitments is helping out at Mudchute Farm. Working with animals surrounded by the park’s rolling hills makes for a nice change from the day-to-day desk bound work, even if you end up going home smelling of muck! The staff are very welcoming, the fellow volunteers are great company and many hands make for light work.

I have also undertaken more civilised volunteering roles. My most recent commitment is doing online research for the charity “Action on Hearing Loss”. However my next big challenge is to launch a volunteering cause of my own. I want to set up creative workshops for adults to help them rediscover the joy of imaginative experimentation and problem solving.

Starting new things can be a slow process but I am optimistic. The last 10 weeks have shown me that you can succeed in new things if you put your mind to it – even if it’s sheep herding.’

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Testimonials

“Being a property guardian with Dot Dot Dot means you do more than simply live somewhere. Instead, because you volunteer you really become part of the community. The best bit is knowing you’ve made a difference and have had a positive impact on those around you.”
Tim, High Wycombe
“Once I knew that everyone was up for 16 hours of volunteering a month, I felt pretty confident they’d be great, considerate housemates, and they are.”
Kit, Croydon
“Living in a Dot Dot Dot property has enabled me to do much more volunteering and reduce my hours at my day job.”
David, Croydon
“Being a guardian gives me the freedom to do good, invest time in work I believe in and be part of a fascinating community. It’s a no-brainer.”
Sam, Thamesmead
I feel strongly connected with my guardian neighbours. I am getting to know other parts of the community too, through my volunteering.
Jon, Wycombe
“There’s an instant community feel here which is great. Looking forward to organising movie nights and board games nights with the other guardians.”
Caitlin, Whitechapel
“Dot Dot Dot has helped me get to know people around my area and it has been a great introduction to volunteering.”
Lamonte, Sutton
Local people have been very positive. They like the fact an empty building in their neighbourhood is being used again and is being maintained.
Conor, Shoreham-by-Sea
“I was drawn to property guardianship because I wanted to live affordably in London which is pretty hard to do – and the volunteering aspect of guardianship with Dot Dot Dot really appealed to me as a way of giving back to the community.”
Carl, High Barnet
“It’s great because I often work from home. Because it’s a huge building you have you’re own space, but if you want to hang out with other guardians you can.”
Sarah, Whitechapel