Volunteer spotlight! Roman Barran

Tell us a little bit about yourself.

Hi! I’m Roman from London. I am a graduate from the University of Manchester with a keen interest in politics, particularly American affairs. In my free time I am also an avid cyclist, and in the summer of 2025 I combined my two passions by cycling across the USA, an incredible experience that allowed me to meet and engage with the very communities that I spend so much of my time reading about

Why did you choose to volunteer with A Good Thing?

There is an unbelievable amount of unnecessary waste in the world, much of it generated by businesses, and I love that A Good Thing’s initiative offers a simple, practical way to turn that waste into something positive with real social value. It’s the kind of service every business should be using, so I was naturally drawn to the communications volunteer role as an opportunity to encourage more organisations to get involved and increase our impact. 

What’s your role as part of the volunteering programme?

I work as a communications volunteer, which means I'm responsible for researching and approaching businesses that could potentially help supply charities with the support that they're looking for. 

What do you hope to learn from your volunteering experience? 

I hope to learn how small, local initiatives can solve large-scale environmental issues like corporate waste, as well as gain a better understanding of how a circular economy works in practice. I am also keen to develop my communication skills and gain hands-on experience engaging with businesses and charities to develop partnerships that benefit all parties.  

Tell us about a success you’ve had in the role so far.

I had some really positive feedback from organisations I reached out to in Edinburgh and Glasgow regarding sourcing tables for a local charity. Hopefully, if all goes well, we can deliver FARE with the furniture they're in need of.