Nisha Kotecha, right, with English television and radio personality Jonathan Ross.

By Nisha Kotecha, president of the Rotaract Club of Hampstead, Hendon and Golders Green, England

Earlier this month, I volunteered with some of my fellow Rotaract members at the Hampstead Christmas festival in the Hampstead area of London, England. We had no idea what we were going to be asked to do. It was cold, dark, rainy, and my feet were soaked within minutes of getting there.

We had organized an event for past members of our club a few days before, and I heard from some of them who had volunteered for the Live Aid Concert that they had a chance to meet and get a photo with Irish singer-songwriter Bob Geldof. I knew English television and radio personality Jonathan Ross, magician Dynamo, and actress Barbara Windsor were scheduled to be at the festival, so I was hoping to catch a glimpse of them.

It turns out I got much more than that. We were given the task of standing behind the stage and making sure no unauthorized people got on stage during the show. I’m pleased to say we managed to do this successfully. And we were able to briefly meet and get photos with some of the celebrities.

Volunteering might not always involve celebrities. But it can always be fun. As members of Rotaract, like Rotary, we put Service Above Self. But that doesn’t mean all service is a selfless act. You can learn and develop skills, try new things, and meet lots of new and interesting people doing it.

Our Sunday afternoon of volunteering turned into a great time.

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