🌟 Volunteer Spotlight: Meet Cecile – Life Explorer, Language Lover & Carnival Creator! 🌟

At Pendennis Community Centre, we're lucky to have a team of inspiring volunteers and Cecile is one of them. With her adventurous spirit, love of learning, and boundless energy, she brings so much joy and colour to the centre and beyond.

“My name is Cecile. I volunteer on Mondays and occasional Fridays.”

Whether she’s hosting our French conversation café, helping out with line dancing, or dreaming up costumes for Falmouth Carnival, Cecile is always finding creative ways to bring people together.

✈️ A Global Life and a Local Treasure

“I am a life explorer. I have a professional background in the tourism industry. I started my career in England a long time ago promoting Belgium, my native country. I eventually got really bored with that and ended up flying as cabin crew for British Airways for many years. I can say that I have been around the world a few times!”

After travelling the world, Cecile trained in coaching and hypnosis, supporting people through challenges in both self-employed practice and the education sector.

“I enjoy moving forward in life and achieving many objectives and dreams along the way. The older I get the more I love nature and keeping fit, especially through dancing.”

🌼 Finding Pendennis

“I spotted the empty building while on a walk a few years ago. That was shortly after I moved to Falmouth for a new job. Without hesitation I came to visit the venue once the Community Centre was officially opened and offered to volunteer. I helped at the reception to start with. The rest is history.”

Creating Connections

Now nearly two years into volunteering, Cecile has carved out a vibrant and meaningful role at the centre.

“I run a weekly French conversation Café called ‘Allo Allo!’ and occasionally support Graham with the line dancing lessons. During the last few months, I have also been very involved with the planning of our marching parade for the Falmouth Carnival to promote the activities taking place at our community centre (and supporting also the Falmouth Marine Band with their sponsorship project for various local charities.)”

Her favourite memory?

“The instant success with the French conversation group and the great dynamic between the diversity of people attending, from a retired Pasteur to a gardener, amongst many other great characters.”

🌈 How Volunteering Changed Her Life

“Volunteering has improved my quality of life on many levels. It significantly helped me settle in Falmouth, an amazing town destiny brought me to. I have been able to share my skills with people and develop some new ones too (line dancing teaching is now part of my CV!). It has offered me the opportunity to meet many local people and made some great new friends.

“Being a very creative person, I also appreciate the various opportunities to bring ideas to life… and also learn how to draw, thanks to April, another volunteer.”

💬 Why Volunteer?

“I would highly recommend joining the volunteering team as I feel that it is a great way of contributing to the local community while receiving a lot in return in so many ways, especially on the friendship front. It is also a wonderful way of keeping up to date with what is going on as there is so much of it!

“It invites you to explore some great activities that you might have aspired to for a while and just needed a little push to join, or new ones that you might not have considered before.”

🏡 The Power of Community Centres

“A community centre like Pendennis is extremely important for wellbeing in general. It promotes fitness, learning, cognitive stimulation, creativity, social interactions, networking, and all this wrapped up with good humour which is extremely important for good health.

“At a time when there is so much uncertainty in the world, it brings a strong sense of belonging and a concrete way of making the world a better place on a small but impactful scale.”

🧭 A Fun Fact You Might Not Know…

“Amongst the many fun facts that people don’t know about me is that I was reported missing by my landlady a few months after I arrived in Cornwall. I had jumped at the opportunity of going off sailing with some people I just met, not knowing that the trip was going to last longer than I expected.

“My phone went flat, and I was just too busy enjoying the sailing experience to remember to keep my landlady informed of the extension of this adventure. I did apologise to the local police and appreciated their concern. My landlady did not realise how much of an adventurer I am and learnt from that lesson.”

☕️ And Finally… Tea or Coffee?

“I love a good cup of coffee, especially the Cornish one. But I do enjoy a nice cup of tea too, including a herbal one, as I like diversity in life.

“When it comes to biscuits or cake, I have had plenty of these in my life, including the left-over ones in the first-class galley of the planes, and of course the delicious ones available at our centre. I have however learnt to be more reasonable with my sugar intake these days to remain on the healthy side of life. I aim at achieving a good balance in everything and I am getting there… wisdom here I come! Let’s have a piece of cake to celebrate this occasion!” 😀

💛 Feeling inspired?

If you have a few hours to spare and would like to make a difference in your community, we’d love to hear from you! Whether you're up for a regular role like Cecile’s or just want to lend a hand now and then, Pendennis Community Centre is a place to connect, contribute and thrive.

📩 Get in touch today or visit Volunteering | Pendennis Community Centre to find out how you can get involved.

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