My name is Alex Kay, I’m a partner in Herbert Smith which is an international law firm. I volunteer at Centrepoint and what I do as part of a rota is look after the learning and computer room at the Smithfield Centre which is fifteen minutes away from the office. That involves going down twice a month for a couple of hours and interacting with the residents.

My main concern when I started volunteering was whether I could commit to it and find the time because I've got a full time job and a young family - I didn't want to do something which I couldn't make sure I lived up to the demands of. But I actually haven't found it that difficult. I think you just have to prioritise it and make it a commitment like a client commitment. In the same way I wouldn't miss a client meeting I don't miss a volunteering session.

Before I came to work with homeless people I don't think I had any strong prejudices, which is partly why I was very happy to be involved, but I think of course I was wary of them and wary of the the problems that they may be facing and my inability to deal with those. I think being homeless disenfranchises you and puts you out of the loop of society and I think I was probably concerned that when I started to work with homeless people they wouldn't naturally feel a rapport or want to engage. I find that building rapport with the residents is key before helping more formally and we can do that in a number of ways whether it's a hard fought game of Connect Four, a game of pool or whatever. But it's really important to do that because understandably, people are unwilling to discuss their personal and professional development with a stranger.

I help the Centrepoint residents with formal things such as applying for jobs or applying for education programmes, but also just by interacting socially and creating confidence for them to get back into the loop of society. In helping put a resident's CV together, it's important to draw out the skills that they have gained because often their confidence has taken quite a knock and they don't feel able to present themselves in the best light. So it's a matter of talking about what they have achieved and bringing out the positives from that as well as addressing any gaps there might be in their CV, whether it's of training or of work.

I think the thing that really surprised me, when I started volunteering at Centrepoint at the Smithfield Centre, was just how positive the young people were about making a move forward and getting on with their lives. I find volunteering really rewarding. The interactions with the residents at the Smithfield Centre are challenging, they're enjoyable, they make you think and it's very immediate. Fundamentally, I think it's nice to help people. It's also a lot of fun.

My name is David Sherwood, I'm 24 years old and I became homeless about 4 years ago. I've lived in Centrepoint for about 4 years and at the moment I'm just doing acting work and I'm trying to get on with my life.

I lived rough in The Strand, started off in The Strand, and then I lived at Highbury in the park, slept rough in the park and four months into me being homeless I got attacked and I was considered vulnerable by Centrepoint and they put me into Vauxhall.

We have volunteers that come to various Centrepoint hostels, Alex is one of them. He helps us with our CVs, and talks to us about careers and job hunting and just talks to us like a normal person, and plays pool. It's important for me to have contact with professionals and learn what I can from them and just do what I can to survive in this brutal world. Alex can offer a lot of help because, apart from being a lawyer, he's a decent person and I think he's got a lot to offer to Centrepoint and the young people that live here.

I found acting through Centrepoint and Cardboard Citizens Theatre Company came here and done a play and I got into it straight away, and I've loved every minute of it, and I've done a play with them and it's looking like a good future.

I think the volunteers have made a bigger difference to me because it's something to look forward to, someone to look up to. And Alex is a good example to that. I wouldn't mind living in a nice big house somewhere and having lots of money, but that ain't me. I just want to buy a nice bit of land out in the country somewhere and just build my own home.