A number of months ago I signed up to Inspiring the Future, an organisation which helps UK schools and colleges find volunteers to give careers talks and workshops to inspire their pupils. This not-for-profit organisation has even been endorsed by several high-profile influencers such as Boris Johnson and Miriam Gozalez Durantez, the Deputy Prime Minister’s wife. The talks can be on any type of career, and anyone can volunteer to help out. With my background in languages and intercultural skills, and given the ever–decreasing profile of languages in schools and universities, my obvious angle is to persuade more students to study languages and learn a skill they’ll benefit from for the rest of their lives.

         Inspiring the Future holds a database of volunteers who have signed up and schools can contact you and ask for help. Over the past few weeks I’ve been receiving a number of invitations from schools…