Written by Tom Penny from Brecon:

"On my return to Brecon, I continued to add to the voluntary work I had done at university with volunteering through the Brecon Volunteer Bureau. I had just finished a job for the summer and had some time to fill and so went to the Bureau who gladly set about finding me interesting things to do around the area.

I had always viewed volunteering as something valuable to do for social reasons, skills development, experiences, meeting new people, fun and a whole host of other reasons. I had enjoyed the work I had done while at uni and decided to do more of the same in Brecon and in Cardiff.

Finding out about a scheme which enabled young people to do volunteering work while abroad seemed like a dream come true. I felt that volunteering abroad would enable me to get as much out of volunteering with the added benefit of being able to truly see another country, get to know its people, learn (some) of its language far more than simply travelling. I found out about UNA Exchange based in Cardiff and after having an interview with their EVS co-ordinator, we set about looking for a project!

Where to go was the next conundrum! The huge variety of options, destinations and all gave me much food for thought. After searching for nearly two months, I chose a project in Nitra Community Foundation in Slovakia. Eastern Europe has always fascinated with its intriguing history of political history, the variety of languages and cultures, the arrival of the European Union and the fact that it is a fairly unknown region for us here in Wales.

Finally in February 2004. I left little Brecon and my family and flew to Slovakia. Arriving at my new home, I was welcomed by three fabulous Slovak ladies who ran the Community Foundation. They had designed a variety of tasks for me across the Foundation, a theatre festival and a human rights group. This allowed me to have a variety of task but also left me with some space to use my own initiative during my stay.

Moving to a country is not the easiest thing to do but the rewards are immense! The huge feeling of success being able to talk in a new language and the ability to live in a new place which previously had been so strange and foreign to me are the real achievements that are with me. Once, not knowing the word for beef, I asked a butcher for "moo-moo meat" at the butchers to the hilarity of the shop assistants, fellow customers and my friends!

Six months in Slovakia passed so quickly as I got to grips with the crazy language that is Slovak, saw more and more of the beautiful land that is Slovakia, partied to my heart's content, made friends from all over the world, learned how to do Slovak dancing, worked in a new environment and contributed to the organisation, travelled throughout Central Europe and saw some of the great changes that the region is experiencing. My time there saw me grow up a little, learn a new language, see a new country and culture, make fantastic friends all over and most importantly allowed me to do something brand new.

Volunteering offers everyone the opportunity to contribute to their community, to see the world from a different perspective, be that in their local town or the other side of the world!, and also it will give us huge dividends in return.

Since I have returned home I have been working in the Brecon Volunteer Bureau on a training project. I can now better understand the nature of the hard work that countless people put into their community and the huge rewards this brings for everyone. My time in Slovakia gave me a desire to see as much of life as possible and to get out to see more of the world."

Written by Tom Penny from Brecon