YO U R S TO R I E S
YOU’VE MADE MY DAY The previous article on North Leigh Roman Villa celebrates the achievements of the project but here we share the story of a volunteer who’s benefited from his role in a very personal way.
A
ny explainer volunteer would be delighted to be told, ‘You’ve made my day’ by a visitor. But for John (not his real name) at North Leigh Roman Villa recently, the words carried a particular significance which reaches to the very heart of the volunteering experience.
Challenging times John self-identifies as being affected by Asperger’s Syndrome, sometimes referred to as high-functioning autism. He is educated to post-graduate level and for many years pursued a successful teaching career, characterised by a deep knowledge of his subject and a wellorganised and methodical approach: both are common traits in those affected by Asperger’s. However, John experienced what he called an ‘autistic meltdown’, which brought to the fore the negative side of the condition – in his words, ‘a profound social deficit’. For John, this deficit manifested itself as a sense of loneliness and social isolation, which in turn gave him deep self-doubt, and a periodic sense of ‘utter worthlessness as a human being’. Sharing expertise By happy coincidence, John was able to involve himself in the North Leigh Roman Villa volunteers group soon after its inception. Here, his detailed knowledge of British archaeology and of the villa and his extensive awareness of the local landscape and of its prehistoric
and Roman sites, were soon recognised and appreciated. He undertook the authorship of materials for the rest of the group, synthesising current knowledge of the villa and making it accessible for other volunteers to present to visitors. A positive realisation Come the three summer weekend openings of the villa hosted by the group, John was on the front line as the remains received over 150 visitors each day. He found himself explaining every aspect of the site, and answering a myriad of questions from visitors, all with a tireless enthusiasm. In the course of these conversations – and here is the magic wrought by the volunteering experience – John became aware that on occasions he was, in his words, ‘transcending a purely transactional imparting of information to move into an authentic connection with another person’. John recalls that visitors seemed genuinely engaged with their experience on the site. John shared that the boost to his ‘self-confidence and sense of self-worth was immeasurable, transformational even’. He said that, for the first time, he was able to accept at face value the appreciation of others as a genuine expression of their regard for him as a human being and that he suddenly felt valued for who he is, rather than for what he does. So that he could equally have responded to that grateful visitor... ‘You’ve made my day’. ■
GET IN TOUCH Has volunteering improved your wellbeing? We’d love to share your story. Get in touch at volunteerfocus@english-heritage.org.uk
english-heritage.org.uk 15
