A CANAL volunteer has published a book about his experiences - including a time he nearly died during volunteering abroad. 

Basingstoke Canal volunteer Martin Thompson, who now lives in Addlestone in Surrey, said the canal is mentioned frequently within his book titled The Memoir of a Volunteer'.

The 25-year-old said the book is a first-hand account of some of the difficulties he had while growing up having been diagnosed with dyslexia and ADHD, but how he overcame them through regular volunteering activities and starting his own business at the age of 10.

The book also shares insights on his time in Bangladesh when he once “got robbed” and once “nearly got shot”.

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“I struggled a little bit in school to fit in and be accepted,” Martin said.

“Things weren't looking promising for me. But through volunteering and my passion for model aeroplanes, I was able to look at my life differently.

“I started both of those at the age of seven. So, when things weren't going well at school, I was able to focus elsewhere and that led me to start a business at the age of 10.

“I was also able to seek advice and guidance from fellow volunteers, and my business grew on to become very successful.

“At the age 20, I wanted to have an adventure. I looked into doing volunteering overseas, and that was how I flew to Bangladesh to volunteer for three months on a livelihoods project in a rural village.”

Remembering the time he nearly got shot, Martin said: "After spending three months volunteering, I returned to Bangladesh six months later to see the progress of my project and the kind of difference I made in the community. 

"During that time I was staying in this remote village and I was probably the first foreigner to ever visit that place.

"I was walking down this track and I saw a very bright light being pointed at me. I carried down the track only to be confronted by a man holding a rifle pointing directly at me.

"I was terrified in all honesty, absolutely terrified. It was Christmas Day in 2019 and I genuinely thought I was going to get shot. At the time I was surrounded by loads of local children.

"Maybe I overreacted, maybe the person was out shooting ducks or hunting. But in that moment, having a rifle pointed at me was terrifying. And hand on heart, I genuinely thought I was going to die.

"But that doesn't in any way take away people in Bangladesh who were by far some of the friendliest people I've ever met in the world."

Martin said his aim, by publishing his book, is to encourage more people to take up volunteering.

“The message to the reader is that things weren't looking promising for me at school. But I was able to turn my life around through volunteering.

“The purpose of my book is to encourage more people to experience volunteering, because it might help change their lives or help benefit their lives. There's a lot more to volunteering than just doing work and not being paid for it.”

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Since publishing the book, he went on to participate and win the hit reality TV show Beauty and the Geek, which is currently being shown on the Really channel on Wednesdays and Sundays.

The book is currently available on Amazon.