George is 23 and has been volunteering at Coffee On The Corner, Westbank's community café, since December 2025. Living with a rare genetic disorder called MFDM, as well as a learning disability and hearing impairment, George wanted to gain experience, build his confidence and take his first steps towards employment.

Before coming to Westbank, George attended Foxes Academy, a training hotel for people with learning disabilities. There, he learned valuable workplace skills and gained experience of what it is like to work in a customer-facing environment, including how to communicate with customers and deal with challenging situations.

George heard about Westbank through his support worker at Garland Support and says about coming to Westbank:

"I thought volunteering was a good first step to learn new skills and build confidence and if that turned into paid work that would be a great thing," says George.

When he first started volunteering, George wasn't sure he was ready for work.

"Before volunteering at Westbank, I felt like, on a scale of one to ten, my confidence for getting into paid work was probably about a four."

One of the biggest changes George has noticed is how much more comfortable he feels speaking with customers.

"Before, it was harder to talk to people I didn't know. Since volunteering, I am now confident to check with customers if they've finished their food and clear their table."

Like many volunteers, George started by learning the day-to-day tasks that help keep the café running smoothly.

"The first task I became good at was checking the sugar pots and refilling them if they'd got low. Another would be preparing knives and forks in napkins. I'd check if they were running low and top them up."

As his confidence grew, George took on new responsibilities and developed a wider range of skills.

"Building confidence has been the best thing about volunteering at Coffee On The Corner, like using the till. I did have some till experience before, which I gained on work experience, but with this till I needed to double check if I got the orders right and where everything was as there's lots of different screens."

Through his volunteering role, George has enjoyed working as part of a team and becoming part of the local community.

"Another good thing about volunteering has been meeting new people. The staff and other volunteers have helped me to learn new skills like cleaning, loading the dishwasher and clearing tables."

The confidence and experience George has gained at Westbank have recently helped him achieve a major milestone. He has successfully gained his first ever paid job and is just about to start working part-time as a kitchen porter at Exeter Cathedral Café.

"Being more confident has helped me to get a job. It helped me see that it was the right time to try to get one. I've applied for a few jobs before, but now I have one!"

George's journey shows the amazing difference volunteering can make. In just a few months, he has developed new skills, grown in confidence and taken an exciting step into employment.

Staff at Garland Support who work with George have shared the following comments about his work with Westbank:

“I wanted to take this opportunity to thank you for the opportunity you gave George. It has made such a positive difference to him, and it’s been wonderful to see his confidence grow. Seeing him achieve the success of securing a paid role in the cathedral café is such a fantastic milestone, and we’re incredibly grateful for the support, encouragement, and belief you’ve shown him.”

Everyone at Westbank is incredibly proud of George and all that he has achieved. We wish him every success in his new role at Exeter Cathedral Café and look forward to seeing where his journey takes him next.

Thank you, George, and congratulations on your first paid job. We know you'll be fantastic!