“I volunteer mainly because it gives my life balance, and gives me a break from my work, home life and study,” he said.

“It’s very rewarding when you can see the benefits it has on other people.

“In the past I’ve struggled with mental health, so volunteering has helped me in that area to create a balanced way of life, which is very important.”

Mark decided volunteer for Centre for Participation when he moved to Horsham about 18 months ago.

“Horsham is a very community-minded place, with lots of organisations and groups relying on volunteers,” he said.

“I was at Centre for Participation and they had a board with all their volunteer opportunities; I took an interest, and because I was young, they were very keen for me to help out.”

The 25-year-old has already grown a steady client-base in the time he’s volunteered for the organisation.

“I mostly do social support and have three different sets of clients,” he said.

“There’s the men’s outing group where we take elderly men, who may be stuck in their environment, out for the day for activities.

“Once a week I do shopping assistance for a lady.

“Then once a week I have a social outing with a young man with a disability. We don’t have a set itinerary and decide on the day what to do.

“He’s a similar age to me so we get on quite well. I’ve seen a huge change in him since we started meeting him a year and a half ago.”

Mark said he wanted to encourage more young people to start volunteering.

“I’m one of the youngest volunteers at Centre for Participation, the majority of volunteers are retired,” he said.

“If people are looking to get into the workplace, the best way to get experience is volunteering. When they see the impact, they’re more likely to do more.”