National Volunteers Week – Sarah Khadiri, Fire Cadet Instructor

As part of National Volunteers Week 2016 we are celebrating those who offer up their time and efforts by volunteering with Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Fire Cadet Volunteer Instructor Sarah Khadiri from Margam, Port Talbot offers her time to a wide range of good causes. Here she explains why the Fire Cadet program is worthy of her precious time. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

“My husband has been a retained firefighter for five years and I’ve always been interested in what he’s been doing. As a volunteer, I think it’s the perfect opportunity to help the community and to understand and share my husband’s work. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

As a volunteer I give my time to the British Heart Foundation as a Health Promoter, I’ve worked for ChildLine and I’m also a member of the Parent Teacher Association at my daughters school. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

For me the best thing about volunteering for the Fire Cadets program is knowing that you’re making a difference. Even though it’s the firefighters that drill the cadets and arrange the activities, we are on the side-lines to guide the children.” ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Sarah is keen to point out the range of skills and activities the youngsters experience alongside firefighting drills. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

“Helping the children and to see the progression that they’ve made in only a few months gives you such a feeling of joy. The accreditations that the children gain from the Cadets program is fantastic such as a B-Tech Level 2 award and The Duke of Edinburgh Awards. It was fantastic to visit the Fire Service College at Moreton-in-Marsh. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

We also get to do community events with the Cadets. My husband and another firefighter will be climbing Mount Kilimanjaro this year and the children have been very supportive in raising money for the event. They are planning to climb Pen y Fan and Snowdon in the summer. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

They will be doing a drill at a beach festival in June for the public to see, a Slip and Slide event and Bag Packing at supermarkets to raise money for the Port Talbot Fire Cadets.” ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

There’s no better time than Volunteer Week to make that leap to become a Fire Cadet Volunteer Instructor. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

“You won’t regret it! I was really excited about coming along but obviously there were nerves there. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Will I fit in? Will they expect this and that from me…? And it was nothing like that at all.
The Community Protection team are amazing at keeping us up to date and in the loop on what’s going on. We know we only have to pick the phone up to get hold of them and they are always sending us emails. They’re also very approachable, if we as volunteers feel that we have a problem then they are more than happy to help us.” ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​