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Volunteering gave me new confidence
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How Paul Ackerman forged pivotal friendships through a food volunteering programme
words PUNTEHA VAN TERHEYDEN
Paul, now 52, had lived a reclusive life with his mum Jennifer, but after her death in March 2021, an unexpected opportunity opened up his world in a positive way.
After learning about the benefits of volunteering through a support worker, Paul, who is hard of hearing and has a lifelong learning disability, spotted an advert for volunteers at FoodCycle, a charity providing free nutritious, healthy meals to locals. Paul says, “I was interested to find out more as I liked food, and my family were already helping me learn to cook and taking me shopping to buy ingredients.” Paul went along for a meal with his cousin Mark, remaining open-minded about the mostly plant-based foods on offer. “I tried loads of things I hadn’t tried before, like stuffed aubergine, carrot soup and spicy foods, which burned my mouth a bit. I also learned about balancing meals and eating healthy foods.”