Jules’ Impact Story

We caught up with one of our key volunteers, Jules, to hear more about her experience with the ILT.

Jules has been working as a member of our Core Team, helping to establish relationships between the ILT and Referral Partners – facilitating connections between beneficiaries and the ILT. Jules has been a huge asset to our team, so we were keen to find out more about her experience as a volunteer.

– Hi Jules. How did you become involved with the ILT? 

‘’My first introduction was in the early days. What really appealed to me is that Leigh, the CEO, is such an engaging character. She told me about how she was joining the dots up; she wanted to utilise the skills of people who wanted to contribute something. When she started talking about the potential synergy between people who have great skills, and a passion for what they are doing… and then to share that with girls and women who would never usually have the opportunities to engage with those people… I just thought it sounded fantastic. When I was asked to help, I said ‘’Yes – that would be great!’’

– What did you find surprising about the ILT?

‘’If I am going to be honest – because it’s a small charity – I hadn’t expected to have such a good framework. The value of the charity is in skillsets, whatever form those take, and it’s a really interesting concept I have never heard of before. I think it really makes it stand apart. I also feel like the Learning Management System was such a surprise – it’s still in its embryonic phase, but I feel like it’s an outstanding part of the charity.’’

-What did you enjoy most about volunteering for the ILT?

‘’The amazing team. I don’t think that the word ‘no’ exists within our team. It’s not that I would have expected barriers, but I never felt like an introduction to a team could be so straightforward. There is a ‘can do’ attitude that really comes through. I really enjoyed making connections in my volunteer role because I met like-minded people. In some of my previous roles with other organisations, it wasn’t always easy and there was a lot of protocol to follow. But, in my role with the ILT, communicating the cause was never challenging because as soon as people understand what the charity is about, there always comes a positive response. I think it’s because are asking organisations to link us to girls and women, and then we provide the support. Without that infrastructure, it would have been a lot more challenging’’.

-Is there anything else you would like to add?

‘’As a volunteer, I have been approached by other organisations. I commit time, and then I back out because I feel like I don’t have enough time to fulfil the commitment. Whereas, with the ILT – because it’s so flexible and agile – whatever someone has to offer is never compromised. Whether someone wants to commit an hour a week, or 30 hours a week, the ILT will make it work for you. And I think that’s really key – because it has to be win-win for both the volunteer and the organisation.’’

If you are inspired by Jules’ story and want to make an impact on the lives of girls and women in need, learn more about how you can  Get Involved.