At first, I wanted to start volunteering in a new city, but I had no idea where to begin. Then, I came across Coach Bright through the LSE volunteering centre. I was not particularly looking for any tutoring opportunities, however, I did more research about Coach Bright. I found out that the organization’s vision is inspiring – to promote social mobility from the educational aspect. To me, it is a privilege to be educated in LSE. Therefore, this is an opportunity to give back to the community, to those who do not have the chance to receive adequate educational support.

My experience with Coach Bright was meaningful and worthwhile. My highlight during my volunteering was that I developed a great bond with my coachee. He was shy and a bit reserved at the beginning. As time went on, we managed to build a positive and trustworthy relationship. The process was rewarding because I saw how he improved slowly but surely. On top of that, I was tutoring English Literature, which was one of my favourite subjects in school. Therefore, it did not feel much of an effort to prepare for my sessions.

In terms of skills development, I think volunteering with Coach Bright will boost your confidence as you have lots of opportunities to meet new people, both tutors and students. In fact, I have made an incredibly good friend outside of university because of Coach Bright. Regarding workload, I do not think that it will take up much of your time. As long as you bring enthusiasm and patience into the classroom, I am certain that your students will receive it in a positive way.

Overall, I highly recommend working with Coach Bright. If you have no idea how/ where to start volunteering, Coach Bright is a wonderful place to begin. The staff are friendly and passionate, and they will certainly guide you from the beginning.

Yumi Tsang is currently in their second year of studying international relations and history at London School of Economics and coached as part our year 11 programme at Ark Evelyn Grace Academy.