‘From China with Love’: profile of a #volunteer. Kiki was born in China, an hour’s drive from Hong Kong. In 2016 she visited the UK for first time and was lost late at night one evening in London, not knowing how to get back to her accommodation. #volunteeringstory

Along came the man who (though she didn’t know it yet) was the love of her life, Dean, who helped her find her way. Exchanging numbers and staying in touch turned into a long-distance relationship and an eventual decision to move to the UK permanently, which she did in March 2020

... just in time to 'enjoy' the first lockdown! Arriving in Reading determined to plunge herself into British culture, Kiki searched @eventbrite for interesting social possibilities. She booked herself on one of the last local events that were able to go ahead face to face...

– a Reading #RecruitmentCharter Launch event on 12 March.

To keep herself busy in lockdown Kiki offered free virtual Mandarin lessons, and was interviewed by @BBCBerkshire for their series of ‘Making a Difference’ community features.

At the beginning of summer Kiki and Dean got the green light from the council to have a marriage ceremony – attended by 6 people in person and by her family back in #China via livestream through a phone on a tripod. #wedding