Subtitles: WDR mediagroup digital GmbH on behalf of WDR
Rob is a social worker volunteer.
Today he's planned a cooking lesson for the children at the youth club
in Llanrumney in Wales.
He comes here three times a week.
Practising how to cook is good for the children's communication skills
and helps them become independent.
Rob is yet to meet a child who doesn't like cooking.
He knows that not all children here
have meals to come home to after school.
With guidance from Rob, the girls will soon have enough confidence
to cook without help in the kitchen.
Children also visit the youth club to improve their computer skills.
They don't always have the opportunity
of getting on the computer at home.
Rob knows how to help them. However, this youth club is facing closure.
The council wants to demolish the building.
Rob wants to keep the building open, on behalf of the local community,
and especially the children he looks after.
Tomorrow when I go to the volunteer and community service meeting,
I'm really cautious and nervous that...
Are they going to be on the same side as us?
Are they going to think that maybe young people
don't deserve these buildings?
Rob is a local lad, born in Llanrumney.
A large suburb in the East of Cardiff, the Welsh capital.
Built in the 1950's to house the ever-growing population,
there are now second and third generation families living here.
Hello Rene, how are you?
Good.
What's it like living here in Llanrumney?
It's really good. It's fun.
What sort of things can you do in Llanrumney?
You can go to skate parks, there's a park around the corner.
There are lots of things to do.
When something is needed in the community,
many people turn to Rob for help.
The residents are worried about the effects of the city council
development plans, which may result in more closures.
The local high school was recently closed down
and residents are concerned.
Hi Rob. You okay? - Yeah, and you? Going to run?
Just about. Worn out now.
What sort of things would you change,
do differently in the area?
There's a number of things.
They're shutting down areas, schools, youth clubs, and centres.
There's got to be other developments.
They're cutting back on everything that is needed
to keep a community running.
Right in the middle of the housing estate stands Llanrumney Hall,
the birthplace of the famous pirate Sir Henry Morgan,
and the reputed burial place of the last Welsh Prince of Wales.
The historic building needs urgent renovation.
These guys have been working on Llanrumney Hall,
which is a really important part of Llanrumney.
It's the only bit of heritage and history that Llanrumney has.
The scaffolders are leaving because there is no money.
No money means that this building
becomes another empty building in Llanrumney.
And that really disheartens the community.
Rob is aware that the closures are threatening
the very well-being of the housing estate.
People from outside often see Llanrumney
as a run-down housing estate with a lot of problems.
An unfair judgement for Rob.
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When you see the streets that I was in today, everybody gets on.
The neighbours are fantastic.
The kids are always playing in the street
because that is all they have anyway.
And Llanrumney has just taken so many knocks lately
with the high school going.
The potential of the youth centre will be gone. The hall is empty.
Rob wants to get other volunteers to help his local community.
We are going to try and recruit student volunteers.
Student volunteers are really important.
They have such a key role to play in volunteering.
This is a big event. We need to get as many as we can.
Today in Cardiff it's Freshers' Day.
This is the day when first year university students are signing up
for activities and events.
It's an ideal hunting ground for Rob, as the students are willing
to learn about their new environment.
But there is also a lot of competition today.
But Rob has no problem finding potential recruits.
Students are not only valuable as volunteers,
but also for youth meetings.
Rob is able to fire up their interest in the different problems
facing their local community.
Together they can work on the same objectives.
Basically, by recruiting these guys, we get a bigger voice
for young people in Cardiff.
A bigger voice means more of a powerful voice.
Rob did not always care for others.
At one time, he was a very different person to the one he is today.
So in here are all my medals and trophies from my sporting days.
And here in particular is the vest that I wore
when I represented South Wales.
It meant a lot to me.
I neglected everything.
I didn't go out with any school friends.
I didn't study for my exams.
I just trained, trained, and trained.
Because that's all I thought I wanted to be,
this great sports star.
So I neglected everything for 5 years of high school.
It felt at the time, it was 5 years of wasted time.
After Rob stopped playing sport and attending school,
he had nothing to do.
He heard of a charity founded by Charles, Prince of Wales.
The Prince's Trust supports young people who are unemployed
and struggling at school by giving them volunteering opportunities.
Rob's first volunteering job was helping children
suffering from cancer.
This was when Rob forgot his own troubles
and caught the volunteering bug.
This is a picture of me and Prince Charles.
This is one of my favorite pictures.
When I first met him, it was a surreal experience.
You started to realise, that you can achieve anything, really.
If you can get yourself from Llanrumney
into a room with Prince Charles.
When I met him, it was the biggest motivation you could possibly get.
It just pushed me more and more.
It's one of those moments that will stand out.
That is why I keep this picture here.
It is a reminder that we can do whatever we want, basically.
Rob feels that his work not only keeps him occupied,
but it is very important for the children at the youth club.
By developing supportive relationships with these children,
Rob increases their confidence, ambition and empathy.
Rob's big day is tomorrow.
He will be in the spotlight
at the volunteer and community service general meeting.
I am a little bit nervous because I worry about
the understanding between us because I've got, I guess,
one set of eyes from growing up recently.
Those guys, I worry they may see it differently.
They may feel that, with things that's on the news lately,
the perception of young people,
they may feel that maybe we don't deserve it.
At the general meeting, Rob plans to make a speech about volunteering.
But also he wants to underline the dangers of the closures
by talking to influential individuals.
It's a really great club, I volunteered there.
It's been fantastic.
Rob managed to speak to quite a number of people
about the youth club.
Now he's ready to go on stage.
Without volunteers you can't help people.
To be a boy from Llanrumney, if I had not volunteered,
I wouldn't have any of this.
And the same goes for all the other young volunteers.
They wouldn't have that position they could be in
if it isn't for volunteering.
That's why I'm a huge advocate of volunteering.
Without it you just limit yourself.
I genuinely believe,
that if you can volunteer, there is no limit to ambition.
Thank you very much. I'll see you soon.
Concerning his future plans,
Rob would now like to be a professional social worker.
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