To celebrate National Volunteers' Week we interviewed Chevening scholars, Trishaa Bhattacharya and Mariana López Zaldivar to reflect on their experience volunteering and giving back during their Chevening Scholarship.
Trishaa (India) and Mariana (Mexico) have fully embraced the spirit of giving back during their Chevening Scholarship! Their volunteering efforts reflect core Chevening values of leadership, influence, and a commitment to driving positive change.
This National Volunteers Week, we’ve invited them to give us an insight into their experience volunteering.
Trishaa: Whether it’s offering my time, skills, or simply presence, volunteering brings a unique sense of purpose and fulfillment. It’s a powerful reminder that giving back doesn’t always require large resources; sometimes, a few hours of genuine effort can make a significant difference in someone’s life.
Mariana: Volunteering helps us develop essential skills like creative problem solving, communication, leadership, and adaptability. It connects people on a deeper level, opens a space for collective action and dialogue and it makes people realise how powerful we are when we come together.
Volunteering can spark inspiration, challenge your assumptions, and help you discover a deeper sense of gratitude. Perhaps most importantly, it reminds me that I’m not alone in this world. Every act of service, no matter how small, contributes to a ripple effect of positivity. In a world that often feels divided, volunteering becomes a quiet but powerful way to show up for others.
Mariana: I spent most of my volunteering time cooking and serving free meals in community centres. We were able to share our memories and care for people through food. One session that was memorable for me was because we were able, as a team, to cook with scarce ingredients against the clock, and reflect on the relationship between food, care, gender, community and activism.
Trishaa: When volunteering in a charity shop, I began to see a deeper, more beautiful side to the space. It wasn’t just about giving away old belongings. Many of the items we received were brand new, even luxurious- antique crockery, pristine footwear with tags still attached, quality home décor pieces, and more.
It dawned on me that charity, at its core, isn’t always about scarcity or need- it’s about community, values, and shared responsibility. People weren’t donating because their items had lost value. They were donating because they recognised what they had was enough, and that someone else could find joy in the things they no longer used. That realisation left a lasting impression on me.
Mariana: To be a Chevening scholar means believing that social change is possible and being passionate about catalysing that change.
Trishaa: I see myself as a young leader with the potential to drive meaningful transformation in my community and beyond. Chevening represents an opportunity to grow not only academically and professionally, but also as a person of influence and integrity.
I believe true leadership begins with humility and empathy. My volunteering experiences have helped me understand that leadership is not about authority or titles, but about earning respect through authenticity, purpose, and service to others.
Trishaa: One of the most tangible contributions I made was improving the efficiency of stock rotation at the PDSA charity shop. By ensuring that donated items were sorted, priced, and displayed quickly, I helped increase the turnover of goods, which directly boosted sales and fundraising efforts.
Week by week, I took initiative to systematically organise the basement, creating clear sections and labelling systems. This improved accessibility, sped up rotation, and maximised the use of available donations. As a result, local sales improved, directly contributing to increased funds for animal care.
Mariana: During each session, my volunteering team would cook meals for between 20 and 70 people depending on the day and location. I was able to see the impact of our volunteering not only in terms of how many meals were served, but also in terms of how happy the guests left after having lunch. Guests even wrote letters to thank us for cooking for them!
Volunteering has inspired me to continue with a project that involves food as a nudge for community building, which is an essential ingredient for social justice.
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