Catching the charity bug

Posted 04 May 2012, 0 comments

By Lauren Devereux, Media Intern From our Media team

Lauren Devereux visits a young people's awards programme and finds the children's exuberance inspiring.

I'm often asked why I am interested in working for a charity. There's my conventional 'I get so much out of giving back' answer. And while that’s nothing but true, I think that the real reason why I caught the charity bug was because of the giggles. Laughter is contagious, and how cool is it to say that you have a job that gives you the ability to instigate it?

I was lucky enough to accompany one of my colleagues to the Over the Rainbow awards in Warwickshire this spring. Children and young people from our programmes all over England were gathered together to have their accomplishments celebrated, and to have a bit of fun as well.

Beaming with pride, they stood on stage and presented the ways in which they spent the Pot of Gold money that they had been awarded.  Some built up their communities, others created educational materials, and one group even travelled to Africa to share their experiences. It seemed as though they too had caught the philanthropic giggle-bug.

I wish I could have bottled the energy at the Heritage Motor Centre that day. They belly-danced, rock-climbed, painted, drummed, and DJed. But most importantly... they laughed. You might be thinking to yourself, 'Well yes, Lauren, that’s what children do.' But many of these children have overcome such incredibly challenging circumstances, where happiness was once just a hypothetical emotion, that the value of their smiles was so much more.

Attending the Over the Rainbow awards confirmed the fact that I have contracted the charity bug for life. I love interning at an organisation that (among a million other things) makes children laugh again and provides them with opportunities to flourish.

By Lauren Devereux, Media Intern

Please read Lauren's earlier blog posts:

Rain, a campaign and a marathon

Meet Lauren Devereux, Media Intern