"Volunteering is wrapped up with my faith."

Roger on a CAFOD march [CAFOD]

Roger Wemyss-Brooks, 64, is a volunteer picture researcher for CAFOD. With years of professional experience behind him, CAFOD is lucky to benefit from Roger’s expertise.

Working as a picture researcher on national paper was a dream job for me. It was tough but it felt like home – I used to work in newspaper archives. I lost my job when the Independent cut 25 per cent of its staff. I saw the CAFOD post advertised and went for it.

In my time as a picture researcher, technology has moved on dramatically. I used to work on old fashioned, black and white photographs and negatives. Today I work on digital images. Times have changed!

I volunteer almost four full days a week. I’m with CAFOD two days a week. I also help out at the Society of Jesus and my local parish church. I’m waiting to find out if I’ve been accepted as a volunteer at the Latin Mass Society.

Why do I give so much of my time? I find it easy to lapse into complete inertia! I’m very good at being lazy: I read voraciously and watch a lot of television. Volunteering fills my days with purpose – I feel like I’m doing something constructive with my skills.

I’m pleased to be volunteering with CAFOD. It feels particularly special because I am a practising Catholic, so this work is wrapped up with my faith. I like being useful to the church.

Last year, I went on a CAFOD march to support people being threatened by a mining company. It’s not something I would normally do, but after inputting their images onto our photograph database, I felt like I’d got to know the people and shared their stories. The march gave me a way to show my support.

I particularly enjoyed researching the 50th anniversary of Fast Day. I spent months looking through dusty boxes of photographs, piecing together the visual story of how Fast Day began. It was rewarding to see these materials being used to promote CAFOD’s work in the Catholic press. That gave me a real buzz. It felt like I was part of something bigger.

I love London – I’ve always lived here – it’s a great city. It’s great to go to the top of the new CAFOD building near Waterloo and look at the panorama. It inspires me!

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