A long-standing volunteer for the Mirrors programme is one of The Royal Gazette’s photographers, Glenn Tucker.With the launch this week of The Royal Gazette’s one-year campaign in support of Mirrors, he spoke of his many experiences since he first became a volunteer in 2007.He shared his story to help the New Beginnings $1 Million Campaign to bring back Mirrors’ community programme for 19- to 24-year-old men — and to fund education for the young graduates of personal transformation programmes.Mr Tucker first learned of Mirrors through this newspaper.“My curiosity grew,” he explained. “I knew a little about the concept; I’d seen a short film on TV by Uncommon Results, which is the group that helped create Mirrors here in Bermuda, and I’d heard about its head, Mark Charley.”In his career, Mr Tucker was also witnessing some disturbing changes on the Island.“What really made me join was standing outside the old Magistrates’ Court taking pictures,” he recalled.“It started dawning on me that the accused were getting younger and younger. Enough with complaining about what should be done, I thought, let me take some action. I went to the Mirrors office. The assistant coordinator, Tory Darrell, approached me. We’re friends. He said, come on board. That was the very first year, 2007. I’ve been in it from day one.”As a professional photographer, Mr Tucker has recorded countless Mirrors experiences in pictures. He has shared them with the programme and with The Royal Gazette, in support of the fundraising campaign.As a volunteer, he was trained in what Mirrors called “integrity coaching”.Mr Tucker explained: “The young participants, they have their agreements. As an integrity coach, we help them to stick to it. You remind them of their goals so they can see it for themselves.”With the teamwork implicit in such close quarters, he soon found himself helping in many different areas.Mr Tucker was also on the front lines of the course room, where participants are given support if certain emotions show up as they are sharing or listening.Heartened by the experience, he took on full-time coaching.“I was also a life coach. That’s where you stick with them nine months. I’ve done that twice.“Asked if he’d had any surprises, the photographer replied: “For me, it was how emotionally involved I became with the young people. I started to see young people in a different light.“I stopped seeing thugs and gangsters and problems. I started seeing possibilities. What happens is, you start to see yourself in people and some of their life stories are things I’d been through.”Helping three different graduates to finish school and go on to college was a high point.“It’s great. Some young men that I never would have spoken to on any regular basis on the street — these guys are from what have been branded ‘gang areas’ — they walk up to me in the street and say, ‘Hi, uncle Glenn’. You just get to know them. In the role of a coach, you’re not parents, but you almost feel like one.”Not everyone can contribute financially to Mirrors, or the New Beginnings Educational Trust, Mr Tucker conceded. But there are still ways to give: “I encourage others to be volunteers. You don’t have to have a degree. Just bring your life experience.“Young people are there to learn a different way to think. But as a volunteer, you start putting that to good use as well. It teaches you to be a good listener, to be a sounding board for people. Sometimes in life, that’s all people want.”He continued: “I’m in Mirrors for life. I was even thinking of getting a Mirrors tattoo. Any chance I get to volunteer or raise funds, or just to tell people, and recruit other volunteers, I try to put my energy into it.”