Changing lives for the better

FOR some people, becoming a volunteer in their local community is a way of changing their lives for the better. Whether it be helping out in the evenings after work or as a means of gaining new skills in order to help with job prospects, there are clear benefits to becoming a volunteer.

The sense that our community is strengthened by what we give to others lies at the heart of this view of volunteering.

There are others who view the concept of volunteering as exploitative, with organisations benefiting from free labour to run their services.

The idea that people are not being paid to deliver a service and that their skills are not valued enough to warrant payment is seen as a damaging development in a time of austerity and public spending cuts.

At eVOLution, we believe the advantages to having a strong volunteer force within the Darlington community far outweigh the negatives.

That is why we are celebrating the enormous contribution made by thousands of people in the borough during National Volunteers Week.

I have been fortunate to work in a number of places that rely on volunteers to provide necessary services to people in need, sometimes in life-threatening situations. The expertise, kindness and patience demonstrated by people, giving their own time to help others, leaves me feeling extremely optimistic about the current state of our community.

It is sometimes said that volunteers are unskilled people only able to undertake basic tasks, thus enabling the so-called professionals to run the more complex parts of the service.

Try telling that to a volunteer debt advisor at Darlington Citizen’s Advice Bureau who has undertaken training in their own time to be able to be competent enough to offer appropriate support to clients.

Or try telling the Samaritans that they are not professional – all of them have high levels of training and qualifications, and are happy to use these skills to save people’s lives.

In my experience, being a volunteer brings many more benefits than it does problems.

There are many examples in Darlington of people who have used volunteering to change their career path, often after having faced redundancy from a previous position.

I have seen people developing retail skills in charity shops, then gaining paid work elsewhere.

I have worked alongside many volunteers in housing and homelessness projects who develop their skills through volunteering and are now in paid positions in the same organisations.

I have also seen many newly unemployed or retired people who are feeling a bit lost, to then recover their confidence and ambition by becoming a volunteer in one of our many voluntary organisations in the borough.

ALL of us who are parents know that part of the deal of supporting our children is to help with activities and clubs that they attend.

Where would our young people’s sporting and arts activities be in Darlington without parents and friends volunteering to keep things running?

It is staggering to know that on a weekly basis, more than 2,000 of our children in Darlington take part in activities, trips and camps with the Scouts and Guides.

All of these are run by highly trained volunteers who, often having grown up through the movement, understand the importance of giving young people the skills and experiences to become fulfilled adults.

During National Volunteers Week, we will also be celebrating those in business who use their professional skills and expertise to help our communities.

Companies in Darlington give their staff time to undertake challenges in their community.

Teams go out to help older and infirm people, build gardens and leisure spaces or raise funds to help with community projects in the borough.

Many businesses also encourage their managers to become trustees and advisors to charities to ensure they continue to thrive. There are about 400 voluntary organisations in Darlington, each one with a board of trustees providing expertise and knowledge needed for them to continue delivering to those in need.

SO volunteering in Darlington comes in many forms and takes place at all times of day and night.

There are many too many to mention them all, from the Friends of Darlington Memorial Hospital transporting patients to and from home to the coaches and parents of the Spraire Lads and Lasses Football Teams.

From accountants and solicitors supporting trustee boards to teams of enthusiastic fundraisers generating millions of pounds for the Darlington community. From those recording and distributing the Darlington Talking Newspaper to those hidden volunteers who are caring for their loved ones at home.

And from young people helping others as part of their Duke of Edinburgh Award to the retired workforce staffing our charity shops, we can see how much of our borough benefits from the contributions of our volunteers.

Thank you to all those who have inspired me in the past year, I look forward to celebrating your achievements in National Volunteers Week.