Our volunteers' stories

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John Beck

Inside my front door at home were two bags of old shoes, which I had asked my wife to leave out for me to take along on Saturday morning to the Pyramid of Shoes – Stamp Out Landmines event. I arrived in Trafalgar Square later than I had planned and an impressive pyramid had already been constructed. After introducing myself as a volunteer to one of the organizers I added the shoes and pair of boots to the pyramid.

I began to take in what was happening around me - in the early morning sunshine a host of volunteers wearing red “staff” tabards scurried around the Square from marquee to marquee in their efforts to assist in the preparation for what was to be a hugely poignant and successful event. Displays were being assembled, folding tables set up, fences erected and blue collection boxes distributed. Two gentlemen were attracting attention as they donned blue land mine clearance suits and body armour at the demining exhibit. The volunteers seemed to act as if they knew exactly what they were doing whilst, in reality, simply following the clear instructions of the organizers.

Within no time the marquees had been filled with exhibits and displays and the work of canvassing the general public to sign the ban cluster bomb petition began. I had seen a great deal of the publicity surrounding the event and, already having an active interest in mine clearance, I felt well qualified to pass on frank information to any member of the public who was prepared to listen.

There were so many people who chose to listen, of whom few had any idea of the extent or the tragic human consequences of landmine and cluster bomb deployment. Nor of the invaluable work that organizations like Handicap International are carrying out in education, mine clearance and treatment of landmine casualties.  One exception was a sharp old lady of the street, who advised me that although she understood the symbolism of the shoe pyramid  (having lived through the London blitz) she thought that similar pyramids of spectacles and gloves would draw attention to the comprehensive effects of these barbaric devices.  

Toward the early evening, when the message of the day could be seen all around the square through children carrying anti-cluster bomb balloons and adults carrying flyers and information packs, I received a text message from my wife asking if I had seen her favourite boots. As I walked home later that evening I thought about the pictures that I had seen of the casualties of landmines in Iraqi hospitals and felt no guilt in telling her that her boots had made the top of the pyramid.

Naoko Kimura

On the morning of the 1st November 2003, I participated in the Pyramid of Shoes event organised by Handicap International.  Although it was not my first experience of voluntary work in England, I was a little nervous as to the extent to which I would be able to help. At the same time, I was curious to discover how the event was to be presented and what role the staff and volunteers would play. I was especially keen to observe how well the event was received, and how that might differ from the reaction of people in my hometown of Shiga in Japan. 

I found all the staff to be friendly and capable, and there was a great atmosphere amongst the volunteers despite differences in age and nationality. At first, my concern was that my English might hinder my participation, but I was greatly put at ease by the friendly atmosphere and enjoyed my day spent working in the marquee from beginning to end.

I was pleasantly surprised at the place chosen for the event, Trafalgar Square, one of the most popular sightseeing spots among tourists and citizens! If such an event were to be held in Japan, the size would be far less as there are complex and strict regulations to be followed in order to obtain permission. Although there seemed to have been regulations by the police the event itself was productive, with participants at each marquee and a constant stream of people to sign anti-landmine petitions. The only shortcoming was that I feel cooperation between the marquees could have been better – as the event was so large it was very hard to coordinate things as had been planned beforehand.

I was most surprised by peoples’ reactions, especially those of passing teenagers, as in Japan it is unusual for teenagers to take an active interest in an event they happen to be passing. They seemed greatly interested, keen to ask questions and I was able to have several brief conversations with some of them. Moreover, I was impressed with the number of people who were willing to sign petitions and make donations. I read somewhere that a recent survey revealed that charities are no longer as popular among British people as they used to be; yet I felt that British people’s awareness is still high.

Reflecting the Volunteer Experience in the Handicap International
I must say that all the staff are very nice, friendly and committed to their cause. Words cannot fully express the extent to which I appreciated their help and how much I enjoyed working at the event. Furthermore, they kindly provided us with volunteer packages for information on landmines and demining beforehand, which made it easier for us to work. I think this demonstrates they are not seeing each participant and volunteer as just a one-day worker but regarding them as an indispensable supporter and colleague. I believe that Handicap International has sincerely been trying to educate people about the plight of landmine victims and their education and rehabilitation programmes. It was a memorable experience for me and I learnt much about volunteering in Britain from the staff and participant, which made the day extremely fulfilling. I hope to work with them again.

Shampa Ray

I admire those volunteers who came such long distances to help set up the tents and the Pyramid of Shoes, unlike myself. I had succumbed to a hangover from Friday night that didn’t allow me to wake up in time for the Pyramid of Shoes in Trafalgar Square the following day.

Nevertheless, I did manage to turn up with some of my sister’s neglected shoe collection to add to others’ contributions. They may not have arrived in time to grace the pyramidal structure but found a place in the shoe bank, all of whose contents would make their way to the needy.

All did not start off well for me along with two other volunteers when it came to distributing the organisation’s flyers at Charing Cross. The passers by behaved as if we were some kind of drug peddlers handing out radioactive materials. But we didn’t return without giving directions to the passing tourists – particularly to the square filled with attractions as diverse as lions, pigeons and a pyramid made from shoes.

Persuading people to sign petitions for the regulation of explosive remnants of war was more promising - with many keen on raising their voices against irresponsible authorities failing to clean up the lethally dirty laundry they have left scattered all over common lands.

The Pyramid was by far the focal point of the event, arousing the curiosity of visitors, which in turn gave us an opportunity to raise their awareness of the campaign’s purpose.

Educating very young children was a delicate task until the parents quipped in explaining that landmines were something that would blow people up when they stepped on it – the very irony of the ‘stamp out landmines’ slogan as pointed out by a much older recipients of the stickers.

The pyramid was meant to represent the number of innocent civilians – both young and old – killed or maimed by the leftovers of destructive wars, the symbolism of which is that it is simply the tip of the iceberg waiting to be thawed.