Volunteer Stories
Our volunteers make a fantastic contribution to CHILDREN 1ST. Here are just a few of the ways they help us out.
Juliette Paton
Juliette Paton, a CHILDREN 1ST volunteer from Aberdeen scooped the Volunteer Fundraiser of the Year award at the Institute of Fundraising awards in October last year. Juliette was nominated by the CHILDREN 1ST fundraising team and has volunteered with CHILDREN 1ST for over 20 years. In that time, Juliette has raised over £1,500,000 for vulnerable children in Scotland. The awards, which took place in Glasgow on Tuesday 26 October 2010, are the most prestigious in the fundraising sector.
Juliette Paton is the driving force behind the Touch of Tartan Ball. In its 24th year the Touch of Tartan Ball has achieved significant levels of income since its inception, raising over £1 million. In addition to this she is also Chair of the Aberdeen Action Group which organises numerous events in the area. These include a Christmas Concert at Craigiebuckler Church, a successful Ladies Lunch with guest speaker, the Snow Ball and the Buchan Barn Dance.
Juliette said: “The award came as a complete surprise to me as the fundraising team hadn’t told me that they had nominated me. It was only when the award winner was being introduced that it gradually dawned on me that they were talking about me. I was completely shocked and overwhelmed.”
“I really enjoy being a volunteer fundraiser for CHILDREN 1ST. It is a fantastic charity to be a part of and you really feel like you're helping to make a difference to the lives of those children who need our help the most.”
Sharon Thomson
Sharon Thomson is one of our volunteer befrienders in Irvine. Sharon has her own large family and provides lots of support for both her own children and her wider family. However, this did not deter Sharon from going along to her local volunteer centre and choosing CHILDREN 1ST North Ayrshire befriending service.
Sharon completed our volunteer application and was successful in securing a place on our volunteer training. Sharon undertook our training with other potential volunteers and she initially came across as shy and lacking in confidence. However, throughout the training it was very evident that Sharon took everything in and was eager to learn as much as she could.
Once Sharon was matched with a young person she continued to grow and develop in her confidence and ability and it was very evident that she was an organised and consistent volunteer who was eager to engage with her young person to ensure that the young person not only enjoyed the befriending sessions but also increased their skills, confidence and friendships with other young people.
Sharon and her young person recently finished their befriending and it was evident from the young person’s reports and plans that the outcomes were fully met. Sharon has decided to continue with volunteering and has taken on a more complex case and this is indicative with how Sharon has grown and developed her skills since commencing with CHILDREN 1ST as a befriending volunteer.
Graham Kilpatrick
A volunteer befriender at our bfriends service in South Edinburgh recently received a YouthLink Scotland award in the “Volunteer of the Year” category. Graham Kilpatrick has been working as a volunteer befriender at the service for over two years. During that time he has provided much-needed support to two young people.
Jane Gould, Project Development Worker at bfriends South Edinburgh, who nominated Graham, said: “Graham has a gift of being able to establish a trusting relationship with the young person he is working with, which is absolutely crucial. He has made such a difference to the lives of these two young people and he will continue to make a positive impact on the lives of many more. I’m so pleased he received this award as it formally recognises his valued work and hopefully demonstrates how much we, and the young people he works with, appreciate him.”
Graham said: “I got involved with CHILDREN 1ST as a volunteer befriender about three years ago. Having helped with youth groups for a number of years I was aware that some young people would benefit from more support than can be given in a group setting. Befriending seemed to be an obvious way to help young people and make a real difference for some young people.”
“Once I completed the training course for befrienders I started my first matching which lasted for about a year before it came to a natural end. I then started a second matching which has been ongoing for about a year now. Once a week I meet up with the young person that I am matched with and we will either go the base or go out to do an activity such as tennis, pool or a trip to the cinema.”
“Often the visit is just about letting the young person have some time out and the opportunity to have a bit of fun. Other times it is a chance for them to talk about something that may be bothering them or even just have a moan to someone who will listen.”
“One of the aspects of befriending that is particularly rewarding is seeing the young person develop over time. Very often you can see big changes in a young person's social skills, self confidence and independence as a result of someone spending time with them and helping them to try new interests and activities. The most satisfying part of befriending can be when the young person decides to spend less time meeting their befriender and more time with their own friends.”
“Befriending can however be challenging at times, particularly when you have to figure out the best way to support a young person with a problem or when they just happen to have a typical teenage strop. Overall though, I have found being a befriender both a really enjoyable and worthwhile experience, and an activity that most certainly makes a difference in the lives of the young people.”
