Meet Alex – our volunteer of the month

Meet Alex Preusser – our volunteer of the month for December 

Alex is 15, and started volunteering at Brixton Windmill earlier this year to gain credits for his Duke of Edinburgh Award

Tell us a bit about yourself – what do you do when you’re not volunteering?
I love photography – an interest that started a few years ago and has grown since then. I also enjoy knitting, crochet, baking and reading, and I’ve recently started cross stitch.

What sort of volunteering work do you do with FoWG?
I have all sorts of roles. I tend to help with the cafe but I also help set up events, and once ran volleyball at a sports day. I’m also keen to start baking for the cafe.

How did you get into volunteering with FoWG?
I met Allen (another volunteer) at a volunteer fair in Brixton. I started helping at the Windmill earlier this year as a means of working for my Duke of Edinburgh Award. Although my six months aren’t up yet, I definitely intend to continue.

What is your favourite thing about volunteering?
What I like best is working with the other wonderful volunteers. It’s very enjoyable to spend a day or a few hours volunteering with people who are so nice to be around. I also love how varied the different volunteering options at the windmill are — it would be very difficult to get bored.

What is the one piece of advice you’d give to someone looking to volunteer?
Don’t be shy! If plans suddenly change and you’re able to come and help, you’ll always find something to do – there’s very little standing around at the windmill!

How do you feel you have benefited from volunteering with FoWG?
It’s given me the opportunity to meet so many lovely people (not just volunteers) who live in and around Brixton. The people in the local community are very kind and nice to talk to.

Finally, tell us a surprising fact about the windmill that people may not know
As well as making flour from wheat, the windmill used to mill other grains, such as oats and barley.