A CALDICOT man has found the experience of volunteering so rewarding that he is encouraging other people to give something back to their community.

Michael Hunt has been volunteering at Caldicot Castle and Country Park for the last nine months. Having been unemployed for a long period of time, Michael lacked confidence and felt socially isolated. Volunteering has helped tackle this and has had a positive impact on his life. 

Michael said: “I started volunteering to help gain more self-respect. I was at home looking after my daughters, but I wanted to get back into work.

“I started coming here three or four times a week and I haven’t looked back. I enjoy coming here and it’s close to my home. It’s a good environment to start getting back into work.” 

Michael helps with grounds maintenance, gardening and helping maintain the upkeep of the castle. His tasks vary from day to day, but operations assistant Kate Edwards says he embraces whatever work is put before him.

“Mike has been a fantastic asset,” she said. “We have a wide variety of tasks that need to be done here and Mike has proved to be really flexible in applying himself to these jobs.

“Mike is always happy to help, he’s friendly and has fitted in really well. We are very lucky to have him.” 

Monmouthshire County Council (MCC) aims to support and enable volunteers to make a major contribution to creating sustainable and resilient communities. It also aims to raise the profile of volunteering opportunities in the county and celebrate the achievements of volunteers in the area. 

Michael said: “I enjoy the responsibility and working with other members of the team. I would highly recommend people consider volunteering. It has given me a lot of self-respect and helped me have a new start for both my daughters and myself. My life is on the way up because of it.”

To find out more about volunteering in Monmouthshire, call 01633 644420, email [email protected] or go online to: www.monmouthshire.gov.uk