Tag: 2025

“I am Monika, one of the 13 trained volunteers that are working on the “Our stories” project that is led by Midlothian Sure Start. The project is sponsored by Midlothian Council and funded by the Scottish Government’s Child Poverty Accelerator Fund.
We, the researchers, are all different and come from different backgrounds and possess different skill sets that complement each other. We all have lived experience when it comes to children’s poverty, hence our passionate approach to the topic.

We had a 6-week course (one group is based in Dalkeith, one in Penicuik) preparing us for working on our community research project that involves talking to local families with children who experienced or are currently experiencing either absolute or relative poverty.
In general, we are aiming to talk to 100 families by December. Before that, we are hoping to talk to the majority of families to identify common struggles and to then present them to The Scottish Government in October during Poverty Week and propose some changes.
At the same time, we are hoping to show some of the stories in a creative way during our exhibition in October and January.

Our community project is the first of its kind in Midlothian, we don’t have any ‘set structure’ and we learn as we go. Our group is very creative when it comes to working on exhibitions, and I would love to say the sky is the limit, but, unfortunately, we have a limited budget, and we need to find more budget friendly ways to express our findings. Each of us devote their free time as much as we can, talk to others at various events, like today’s one, share news about our project on radio etc.

I feel supported by Tim and his managers, I believe I could ask for their guidance or help with anything. And if you know Tim, you know he is ready to help anybody 24/7.

My personal journey has been an interesting one and I believe everything happens for a reason. As my kids are very young (the oldest one was 3.5 years old when my third kid was born) and I was working full time and part time, I had limited opportunities to volunteer. We don’t have any family in the UK, and I felt that by contributing to our community it would make me a part of it. I contacted two places in Penicuik within the last year where I could put my skills to use but, in the end, nothing came out of it. I ended up on Sure Start’s emailing list and just one day contacted Tim about the project he was starting as I was curious what it was.

Fast forward a few months, I am helping with interviews, meeting new people, creating exhibits based on the stories we collected. If you told me last January I would be writing poems, a song with a professional singer and writer, or using my passion for photography, I would simply not believe you. Thanks to this project I am growing as a person, meeting new people, making new friends, and feeling like a part of our community.

I had recently learnt that I love listening to people and decided to become a counselor in the future. I have already planned the studies and plan to apply for the next term. I am very excited about it as I will be able to help people and learn new skills”.

“My name is Jackie.  I am 57 years old and I volunteer in the shop at the Penicuik Storehouse. I started volunteering here almost one year ago and I love it. I decided to begin volunteering after having to stop work some years ago due to chronic illness. I became quite isolated and wanted to give something back when I felt well enough.
Although it can be stressful when busy, everyone takes a laid-back approach which is great. They put your needs as priority. For example, I struggle with fatigue and pain. I only have to request, and help is always there. A seat, a coffee, a wee break.

What I enjoy most is the socialising. Meeting new people and chatting. The staff are lovely, friendly, and always grateful for the volunteers.  What I have experienced personally from volunteering is my self-esteem returning and a build-up of confidence generally.
I would highly recommend to anyone thinking of volunteering to do so at the Penicuik Storehouse.  It really is a lovely place to work”.

“I started at the Storehouse with no idea what it was about.  All I wanted was to keep on helping within my community. Heck, I thought I would only do a couple of hours a week then I was asked if I could do the Community Lunch. 
I thought sure and it was chaos. I had no idea.  But I was helped and learned and Iove the challenge and buzz of cooking for our customers’ community. I love trying to think of new recipes”.  

“I have been volunteering at Penicuik Storehouse for almost 2 years.  The reason I started volunteering at the Storehouse was to get out of the house and meet people.  When volunteering, I work on the till and serve customers.  Recently I have learned how to write down customer orders for the café.
 
I have gained confidence since volunteering at the Storehouse and like to try new things.  I like meeting new people and also new staff too and I love to work on the till with my buddy and like to see my pal from Bonnyrigg too.
I would recommend volunteering at the Storehouse.  My advice is, ‘Try your best and have fun with it!’”

“I retired in 2019 after 30 years as a Police Officer and then lockdown hit.
My wife had been a nurse for over 40 years until her retirement in 2017, and with the arrival of the pandemic, she volunteered to go to a COVID Ward to help out and ultimately to assist in the vaccination programme.
I felt like I should also try and help out, so in June 2020, volunteered to be a telephone befriender via the Midlothian group ‘Fancy a Blether’. I was given two older gentlemen to engage with over the phone once a week and did so for the next year. To be honest, I found it difficult to keep the conversation going at times and ultimately realised this type of role wasn’t a good fit for me.
 
I then got in contact with the Edinburgh Food Project at Sighthill and did some work there for a few weeks, before moving on to support the work at the Vaccination Centre at The Royal Highland Showground.  This was a massive operation and the role involved welcoming people to the Centre, providing information and reassurance to them before and after vaccination.
 
The travelling to and from the Showground proved to be problematic so in March 2021 I started to cover the Vaccination Centre at Gorebridge Leisure Centre and worked there until February 2022.
 
In March that year I began working as a volunteer driver with HCL Transport, based at Loanhead, who provide supported accessible transport for people with mobility challenges in Edinburgh and the Lothians. 
 
I’m still working there today and having done a variety of roles, I’ve eventually found the one that best suits me. I enjoy the driving and meeting the service users who absolutely rely on us to get out and about. As a volunteer I can be really flexible about when I work and the company are always happy when I’m available to help out.
 
I would encourage everyone to get involved in the volunteer sector if they are able, as many groups and organisations are crying out for help. There is a role out there for everyone!”

“My interface with Vocal and the services they offer started after my mother passed away, leaving my father at 88 with Dementia. I did not even consider myself a carer until mail for my mother from Vocal was still coming to her, as I had not informed them of her death. On reading the mail from Vocal, I realised that I was not alone on the journey that was unfolding in front of me.
 
My father had a professional care package already in place. 
I attended several of Vocal’s day courses to help me understand his condition and prepare for what lay ahead. At my first course, all who attended were asked to introduce themselves, say who they were caring for and say what condition or type of dementia the person they were caring for had.
 
I had no idea until that first course how many different types of dementia there are and more importantly, I had no idea what dementia my father was suffering from, I had never asked and my mother never told me. I contacted our GP practice, and because I had been listed by my mum as next of kin after she passed away, I was told my dad had Alzheimer’s and Vascular Dementia. Our relationship over my 3-year caring journey went through a complete role reversal of our parent-child roles. I took early retirement from my job  BUT  when I tell you my final job was being in charge of the Roads Department for the City of Edinburgh Council it wasn’t too hard to step way early.                          
So, I ended up feeding my dad, reading him stories, consoling him, wiping his bottom and, along with his paid carers, generally looking after him. I found that looking back through family photo albums and listening to music stimulated his failing memory and brought us closer together. I never lived with my father but interacted with his paid carers on a daily basis.
 
The break sessions in the Vocal courses I attended started the participants informally discussing their roles as carers, and through that I was more able to accept my role as a carer, as well as my role as a son. The discussions brought the attendees together in sharing the experience they were going through with their family members.
 
I think Vocal picked up on this interaction and asked for volunteers to be trained as “peer mentors”, to literally share experiences with carers in similar roles. I carried out the training, became a peer mentor and, in that role, have met many carers over the past few years. My father passed away at 91, when I was being trained, so my carer role ceased, but I continued training to become a peer mentor. 
 
I still find it cathartic to talk about my father and the caring experience I had with him, so peer mentoring has given me that sharing opportunity to talk about my father, that otherwise would never have happened. 
I am assured by Vocal staff who receive the feedback from carers who have been through peer mentoring, that it has been a hugely positive experience and is very well received. It may however never have happened if, as I believe, Vocal had not keenly observed the interactions of attendees at their day courses, and seen the value in carers sharing their experiences, in order to help other carers deal better or more knowledgeably with their caring role.
 
Vocal was there for me when I needed information to help me understand my father’s condition and the anticipated journey of a terminal disease. I am fortunate, and I even feel privileged, to have been given the opportunity to repay Vocal by volunteering for them in my role as a peer mentor”.