Volunteering Abroad
Chrysa Kotsis is based in Athens, Greece and is currently studying online English Language and Literature at the UK Open University.
In September 2021, the University’s language forum announced a volunteering translation project with Disability Action Haringey, based in London, UK.
Chrysa was excited about how she could put her linguistic language skills in English and Greek to good use. Chrysa therefore offered her time to volunteer with Disability Action Haringey’s translation project.
Disability Action Haringey was formed in 2020 with the aim of supporting deaf and disabled people in the London borough of Haringey to maintain their independence and to live a life of their choice. The charity is committed to embedding the social model of disability and building a society that accepts and treats everyone fairly.
Disability Action Haringey (DAH) operates in one of the most diverse boroughs of the UK with over 180 different languages spoken by residents across the community. DAH aims to ensure that they are able to reach the deaf and disabled members of the various diverse communities that make up our borough.
As a small charity, the volunteers become an invaluable resource as their linguistic skills make it possible for them to reach a wider and more diverse audience.
DAH offers volunteers the opportunity to use their linguistic written skills to translate our publications and documents in order to make our services more accessible for all.
Volunteers get a chance to make a real and positive change to the local community by ensuring DAH services reach various under-represented communities who may not already be accessing their provision.
Chrysa translated a DAH handbook for potential Personal (Care) Assistants from English into Greek, which helped DAH to ensure that their publication reached the wider Greek community in Haringey and beyond. The work was completed within 3 days and the task was to complete 25 pages of a handbook, which resulted in Chrysa earning 5 Tempo digital Time Credits for her volunteering.
At first Chrysa was unaware of Tempo Time Credits which offers individuals digital time credits – a non-financial incentive- as a thank you and to recognise the valued and important voluntary work carried out.
The volunteers can then use their Tempo earned time credits on a range of activities and services at selective entertainment and recreational sites.
These activities are provided by the national network of Tempo Time Credits recognition partners and are essential to ensuring the volunteers are recognised for the invaluable work they do.
Chrysa is now a strong advocate for Tempo Time Credits, encouraging individuals wanting to volunteer and give back to a community – no matter how many miles away – from the comfort of their home or at a chosen charity venue, knowing that you are contributing to a better, happier society, somewhere.
