Describe a time when you did voluntary work

I'd like to talk about the time I volunteered at a children's hospital for two months, during the summer after my first year at university. A friend of mine had done it the year before, and she told me it was one of the most meaningful things she had ever done, so I applied.

The programme was organised by a charity, and volunteers were asked to commit for four hours, twice a week. My job was to spend time with children who were staying in the hospital for long periods. I played board games with them, read stories aloud, helped them with drawing and sometimes just talked to them. There was a group of about six volunteers, and we worked alongside the nurses, who were wonderful and gave us a brief training on how to behave.

At first I was nervous, because I wasn't sure what to say to children who were sick. But I quickly discovered that they mostly wanted to play and laugh like any others. I became close to one boy, about eight years old, who loved dinosaurs. Every time I arrived, he showed me a new drawing.

I gained a lot from the experience. On a practical level, I became more patient and better at communicating with people of different ages. On a personal level, it changed my perspective. I realised how fortunate I was and how much a small amount of time and attention can brighten someone's day. It was a rewarding experience, and I've continued volunteering ever since, at least once a month.