Beatrice lives in Clifden and has been volunteering for about a year now. She first started volunteering when herself and her husband were approached by the local radio station to produce a show on the experiences of asylum seekers living in the area. 

The programme proved to be a huge success amongst listeners and developed into a regular slot titled ‘The African Scene’ covering news, views and music from around Africa.

Beatrice’s says that her reasons for volunteering initially were due to having a lot of time on her hands and needing to stay active. When describing this situation she said;

‘Time can be both my greatest asset and my worst, because I have a lot of it!’

Over time her motives for volunteering began to change. She met Nikki Deasy, the CEO of The Nepalese Children’s Foundation last year to discuss developing a volunteer role as an Office Assistant for the charity.

This meeting not only brought a new volunteer opportunity her way but also marked a moment for her when her outlook on life began to shift somewhat.

Hearing about the plight of children living in an area called Humla, she soon realised that she had a lot to be thankful for in life, that in fact things were not as bad as they may have appeared.

Speaking about the important role that volunteering now plays in her life and what it means to her she simply says;