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Profile: Charan Katiyal
My name is Charan. I work at the Bede Café every Tuesday with Norma and Jeanette - a lot of people work there. I do a bit of washing up, use the dishwasher - I do all that myself. All the sinks and the tables, fill up all the sugars that's what I normally do. I do everything for Norma. I've been here for a long time now, five years.
On Wednesdays I work at the Pumphouse Museum with Cathy and Caroline. I do cleaning up with Cathy, I clean telephones and clocks, make them shiny. I help in the office, franking things. I laminate pictures for kids. They come along from local schools. I normally have my dinner with Cathy, then wash up and go home. I get the bus, it's easy, I do it on my own. I want to do things on my own, I feel happy with that.
I wanted to volunteer, I thought I'd just go ahead with it so I told Viviene. I went with Cathy and looked around at Pumphouse. She's very kind to me, Cathy. I met Caroline and she told me what she does. She's a teacher, she teaches kids about nature and the beach. I enjoy it very much at the Pumphouse, I like seeing things, I like dogs and animals a lot. I've been there seven months now. I've made friends there. I've learned a lot of things. I love doing things on my own, things that I want to do. That's the way it should be isn't it?
Charan Katiyal volunteers through Go For It, a Volunteering Project for people with learning disabilities at The Bede Centre in London funded by the National Lottery Charities Board. He was working in the Bede Café for two days a week and was involved in the planning group for the new project. He helped with the application process and was part of the user panel for the recruitment of Viviene, the project worker, and the support workers. Charan was interested in gardening so Viviene helped him find a placement, but after two months he wanted a change so started volunteering at the Pumphouse one day a week with Cathy, his support worker, who is paid for by Go For It.
How Skill helps people like Charan
- Skill has produced the publication Into Volunteering to explain the benefits of volunteering and to encourage disabled people to take up suitable volunteering opportunities
- Skill has also produced Disability Equality in Volunteering, a resource book aimed at encouraging organisations and employers to work with disabled volunteers
[Posted 18th March 2003]
