A FORMER estate agent took his career training into a Cambodian classroom as part of a three-month volunteering ad-venture.

Simon Angell has returned to Weymouth from his ‘unforgettable’ experience in South East Asia where he was a volunteer in schools in the Siem Reap area of Cambodia before travelling around China.

The 21-year-old of Preston caught the volunteering bug in summer 2010 and gave up his job in an estate agency to assist special needs youngsters in America before embarking on his Cambodian trip in February this year.

He worked in Debenhams over Christmas and held fundraising events to fund the trip with the non-profit organisation Bunac.

Simon said: “I have just returned from three months’ volunteering in a Cambodian school and a month travelling in China – something that when I started working as an estate agent at 17 I never dreamed I would do.

“For the first week in Siem Reap I observed classes, helping with English pronunciation where needed.

“Then I began to lead parts of the lessons such as warm-ups, using games like Hangman and sentence writing.

“About 25 students were in each of the four classes and the effort and appreciation that the students showed was impressive – these people have so little in terms of material goods and yet they are always happy and so thankful.”

Simon also helped coach the student football team at weekends – ‘fun but very hot and very dusty’ – and he aided the school’s manager in setting up and teach a life skills programme for students aged 16-plus looking to find employment.

He said: “The programme covered the topics of social education and career training.

“My previous career experience was very useful for this project and the results from the classes were very positive with the students getting more confident in presenting in front of others.”

Simon not only helped the students to improve their English but also their school teach-ers and librarians.

Highlights from Cambodia were ‘the food, the culture, the transport and the heat’.

He added: “I visited many places including the temples of Angkor Wat, Ton le Sap Lake, Phnom Penh.

“I was privileged to be invited to the homes of my colleagues and attended many different celebrations including a wedding and a house blessing.

“I have made many life-long friends and I will never forget these rich experiences.

“I am now looking to return to my career in the property sector.”