As I work from home and admire the beautiful daffodils on my kitchen table, I am starting to think about the summer. I am delighted to be volunteering at the Commonwealth Games which, although slightly scaled down, gives me a real sense of pride getting behind both volunteering and my hometown. Over the years I have volunteered in various ways, starting at the age of 16 volunteering at the Anchor Boys, followed by a real mix of opportunities that probably shaped my career. From visiting an inspiring 95-year-old in a care home, a member of the Children’s Panel and, most recently, supporting a young adult transition from the care system. All have been a privilege, and whilst others gain something from my time, I gain as much, if not more, from theirs.
It’s probably true to say that until you have volunteered, you don’t fully understand the “volunteering feel good factor”. It was lovely to hear first-hand from some of our volunteers about their experience of volunteering with Home-Start. We were joined by MSP Martin Rhodes who had submitted an Early Day Motion to the Scottish Parliament to recognise and celebrate our recent award at the Glasgow Evening Times. Volunteers shared their personal journeys and why volunteering was important to them. For some it was their real passion for helping new parents as they understood the importance of having “that village” around them. For others they now had time on their hands and were keen to get involved in a local activity where they could meet other people and learn new skills. It was heartwarming to hear that for some it was the highlight of their week and how the connection with the charity meant so much to them.
We know that relationships are key in all that we do and we work hard to nurture and develop them across all our work. For many of the families we work alongside, relationships have been difficult with their own families, communities and professionals, so building trust can take time. Thankfully, the gift of time is on our side at Home-Start, and baby steps and patience are what it takes. We are not a time limited service but go at the pace that parents and their young families require. Our relationship with volunteers is the same. We are guided by individual need as we know everyone’s journey will be different. We recognise that our volunteers come from all walks of life and people’s skills, experience, aspirations and outlook differ. And to be honest, our staff team are no different.
We were delighted to recently support staff to take part in a Leadership Compass workshop. This self-assessment tool and framework categorise leadership styles, helping individuals identify their professional strengths and weaknesses. It helps promote self-awareness, allowing us all to have a greater understanding of our preferred approaches and to give a clearer insight into those around us.
We invest in both our staff and volunteers as we know that the work we do can be challenging, difficult and at times overwhelming. It’s a balance, as with the difficulties comes many times of warmth, care and compassion. We are looking forward to a selection of courses and workshops over the next few months helping us to continue to have a more in-depth understanding of families’ needs and to connect with families experiencing barriers to engagement.
Finally, we are pulling together our 25th birthday plans and really hope you will join us where you can in celebrating this great milestone.
As always, thanks for continuing to support the work of Home-Start Glasgow North and North Lanarkshire.