People often ask me what I get out of JCI and I've always found it really difficult to answer!  I know how great JCI is and that I've developed loads from being a member but how do you put that across to other people?  Well I now have a once in a lifetime tangible benefit that being a member of JCI has got me, I am proud to be on of the Torchbearers in the 2012 Olympic Torch Relay.

I was nominated by my boss and 95% of the nomination was based around my JCI activities.  This is what she wrote:

'Katie has a huge passion Doncaster & her community.  She is the President of a local voluntary organisation, JCI Doncaster.

 JCI stands for Junior Chamber International.  As well as developing herself Katie has used the opportunity to help develop others, raise money for charity & benefit her local community.  Events she has organised include:

• Community litter pick
• Charity chocolate tasting event in aid of NSPCC
• Nothing but Nets fundraising
• Secret Santa Appeal

The Secret Santa Appeal has been run by JCI Doncaster for 6 years & in 2010 alone collected over 400 gifts for needy children in Doncaster who might not have received a gift on Christmas Day.  These were distributed to places such as the local authority for children in care, Women's Aid & YWCA.

 Nothing but Nets is a UN charity committed to eradicating malaria in Sub Saharan Africa.  So far in 2011 Katie has raised around £250 which is enough to buy 45 life saving mosquito nets.

 The thing Katie is most proud of is that she created a community scheme, ACE (Active Citizen Experience), which the National Community Director has implemented across the whole of JCI UK.  It means that members can choose the community activity they want to participate in, log the hours & receive a certificate of merit graded on the amount of hours they have contributed to their community.

 Katie has achieved all of this on top of working full time in HR & studying part time on evenings for a degree in Business Management!'

So now, when someone asks me what I get out of JCI, as well as saying 'confidence and great friends' I can also say

'JCI has given me the opportunity to be an Olympic Torchbearer!'

Not many other people can say that ;)