Community Spirit Volunteering Programme

Aim

Develop our volunteering programme with "time credits" to give new people the confidence and tools to enter employment or education.

We want to live in a society where health, well-being and harmony is supported within active and integrated communities. We aim to empower individuals and communities to lead practical and sustainable food related activities that facilitate personal and skills development, independence, improve health and well-being and which help build stronger, more cohesive communities.

The key challenges for Royston, Springburn and Milton are poverty and food insecurity; financial insecurity and debt; and unemployment. The long-term impact of the pandemic is huge, especially on people’s mental health and well-being. Support and engagement through our community-based services has never been needed more.

For this reason, we would like to expand and develop our volunteering programme which aims to give 20 new people the confidence and tools to enter employment or education. The programme will seek to support and directly engage the talents of those who have lived experience of food insecurity.

The programme will focus on:

- 1-2-1 support sessions with new volunteers

- Offer volunteering opportunities via fruit and veg sales points, cookery classes, community meals, and gardening sessions

- Opportunities for training, skills development, and increased employability

- Certificated REHIS courses (elementary food hygiene, food & health & Cookery)

- Volunteer events and excursions to decrease social isolation and build community cohesion

- Develop partnership work with local schools, youth projects and community centres to engage parents and residents

It will make a difference to people's lives as shown by an existing volunteer experience;

“I have not been going to ESOL class because it has moved online and I do not have a computer. Coming to cook together has helped my English, I really want to get better at English and it’s good to come and practice.”

"I first heard about the Community Pantry through the family learner worker at St Rochs Primary School, where my son goes to. She told me the Pantry was looking for volunteers. In the Pantry it is my job to work behind the deli counter. I like it because I get to talk to the customers and get to know them. It has really helped me to build my confidence."

 Volunteering has also given me work experience and I now feel ready to start looking for work. It feels so good to be able to come in and give my son a cuddle and say Mummy's been at work."

This project successfully funded on 12th April 2022