The Rev Andrew Bookless, supervisor in Bargoed, South Wales
"As a young person, wondering what to do next after university, I applied to become a Careforce Volunteer, and spent two amazing years involved in children's and youth work and other aspects of church life in an Anglican parish in South Wales.
Out of that came a call to ordination in the Church in Wales, and it's been brilliant over 20 years later to have had a succession of Careforce Volunteers working with me here in Bargoed, Deri and Brithdir, three former mining communities in the Valleys. They have contributed so much - starting a nurture/fellowship group for young people and a monthly youth-led service, and being involved in all kinds of children's and youth outreach.
Each Careforce Volunteer has brought something different, but all have inspired, encouraged and helped others through their faith, commitment to Jesus and willingness to serve. It often takes young people to inspire and motivate other young people in the faith, and Careforce has proved a very effective way of helping that happen here."
Jeanette Godward, supervisor at the Redwoods Caring Foundation in Edinburgh
"The Redwoods Caring Foundation has been welcoming Careforce volunteers from the UK and overseas for more than 16 years now. As a Christian charity caring in a variety of settings for people with Learning Disabilities, we have found that these Godly young people have added quality to the lives of the people we support and become a huge asset to our organisation. They have brought their gifts, personalities and sometimes colourful culture, and invested them into Redwoods with enthusiasm and commitment.
We have been blessed on many occasions to have volunteers return for a second year, and several have stayed on to become permanent members of staff - they certainly all experienced the leading of God for their future during their placement.
We value Careforce as an organisation, for their thorough recruitment process, their support of volunteers whilst on placement and for their sensitivity to the needs of the organisation, all this on top of their spiritual encouragement, guidance and vision to help people discover their destiny in God makes it easy to recommend that you consider working in partnership with them in the future"
The Rev Lisa Battye, supervisor in Salford
"The Parish of St Paul, Kersal and St Andrew, Carr Clough, have been privileged to receive five Careforce volunteers since we discovered this wonderful organisation, all very different: the latter three from countries in Africa and India. Both our Churches need help to keep up our youth work programme and it has been lovely receiving committed Christians into our midst to learn and work alongside us in this area, and in other spheres of the Lord's Work in the parish. Each time round we have been unsure whether we would have enough money, or suitable accommodation for our volunteers, but the Lord has enabled, just in time, and we have started on a new adventure e.g. Patches from Zambia who was our Careforce worker recently is now going forward for ordination.
In addition to the valuable help and encouragement that these young people have given us we have noticed the professionalism of Careforce on all counts - in the way they supported everyone when things needed 'managing', and in facilitating the legal side of things. We whole-heartedly recommend that if your Church or Parish aspires to 'doing more', and you have a heart to bless a young person in the process, you should certainly approach Careforce for help. You will be in good hands."
Mark Paddon, Supervisor at Hazel Grove Baptist Church
"I have been supervising Careforce volunteers for five years. As a church we recognise that it is not only about what we get from the volunteer but it is the privilege of seeing a young person grow and develop and then celebrating with them as you send them out to serve in other areas of their lives."