VOLUNTEERING

Our individual volunteering programme and our corporate micro volunteering programmes were both paused in 2020 due to the restrictions implemented as a result of the Coronavirus pandemic. The health and wellbeing of our volunteers is of the utmost importance to us, and out of an abundance of caution we made the difficult decision to pause our highly sought-after volunteering programmes.

Relief Support Worker at Cloverfield Grove, Angela, used her hairdressing skills to treat residents during lockdown when we closed our services to protect the vulnerable people we care for as per government guidance.

Across the year, a small number of individual volunteers continued their volunteering journey with VSA to support our services undertaking tasks such as food parcel deliveries and wellbeing calls to vulnerable carers.

In addition, we were truly overwhelmed that a number of VSA staff stepped forward to dedicate their personal time to undertake activities with our residents, and helped out at our Easter Anguston Farm facility.

Special thanks go to our team of volunteers at our Mercat Bookshop who have helped across the year in-line with government retail guidance in helping us be in a position to re-open our bookshop, when allowed, to the general public.

Our Volunteer Manager, across the year remained in contact with all volunteers, undertook wellbeing checks and kept our valued volunteers informed of news from across VSA and latest Scottish Government guidance.

We are hopeful to be in a position to recommence our full volunteering programmes later in 2021.

CASE STUDY: Angela’s Story

Angela, who in a previous life was a hairdresser, wanted to lift the spirits of residents by providing them with free haircuts and making sure their “doos were bonny,” as one resident said.

Angela’s Manager said: “This improved the wellbeing of the residents and made them feel a bit more normal, especially those who were used to getting their hair done every week. A big thanks to Angela for your act of kindness during such an unprecedented time.”

As a small thank you to Angela, we presented her with one of our Unsung Hero Awards. Thank you again Angela for putting a smile on residents’ faces.

CASE STUDY: Lois’s Story

Lois Frew volunteered at Airyhall for nine years, she started volunteering for VSA after her late husband passed away and she met a VSA team member who told her about our volunteering opportunities.

Lois helped the team at Airyhall by being a support network for the people who used the service.

Lois said: “I am delighted to volunteer at VSA, if I didn’t, I wouldn’t come. I used to volunteer a couple of days a week and help with all day-to-day tasks as well as being there for the families to have a chat to. During the pandemic, I still gave everyone a call to check-in and support them as much as I could during such a challenging time.”

£3,604 An Amazing Raised

THANK YOU, MIXING BOWL

Due to national lockdown, Easter Anguston Farm - which normally attracts over 20,000 visitors a year was closed to keep our staff and supporters safe.

This meant that all the strawberries in our tunnels would have gone to waste, as there was no-one there to pick them. This is when the Mixing Bowl stepped in to help support us!

They picked up strawberries from us, twice a week, and sold them to the local community and helped us raise an amazing £3,604.12.

Thank you so much to the Mixing Bowl for your support and for helping us raise vital funds to keep the farm open!