Angela's Volunteering Story

OK, uh, thank you, Angela, for letting me record this as one of the stories. Um, So I'm really interested to hear about, um, how you found out about vision visions for volunteering and what drew you to the the community reporting today. So, um, I'm a, um senior community development and volunteering officer in Lincolnshire. Um, I I'm we work with our sister organisation, and there are two organisations two CV SS in in Lincolnshire

And, um, we very much want to create our vision for volunteering in Lincolnshire. We're, um, working closely together. We're actually holding a conference in in later in the year to to, actually, um uh, develop the vision for volunteering in Lincolnshire

Um, so for me, it's very much part of my work, Very much part of the passion of what we want to do in Lincolnshire and the community. Storytelling is very much a part of that, and we want people to be able to contribute to our vision. Um, the the other reason as well is because, um, we've just set up a a project called place talk

Um, in the Maplethorpe area of Lincolnshire. Um, it's quite a quite a um disadvantages. Disadvantaged area

Um, a lot of a lot of issues and challenges. It's got unique charms as well. Um, however, um, we want to really go in there and talk to people about the changes they'd like to make

What? What? Ex, What they like about their lives. What? What? Their wishes and feelings are for the future. So So So, um, really, it's it's specific for that as well

And I do wish that perhaps, uh, the members of the team would come on. It would have come on this training as well, Really, I. I wish I'd have set that up for them

So that's something that sounds really interesting. Would you mind telling me a little bit more about that particular project? Yes, of course. Yes

So, um, in male Thorpe, we've been able to attract some funding. Um, for, um, two members of staff. Um, they will be, um, going out and having it's a three year project

They'll be having up to 1000 conversations. Probably a lot more, but 1000 conversations with with people within the community, um, reflective of the whole community. So, like, we were talking earlier about perspective looking at what it's like for an older person living in in Maplethorpe

What it's like for, uh, a young family, um, or a young person. Um, So, um, they will go out and have those conversations in all sorts of places where people go. So that might be the bus stop

It might be the supermarket. It might be the doctor's surgery. It could be anywhere

Um, so we're those conversations will be collected. Um, so So it is storytelling. They'll be collected, um, and presented to, um What? Initially it's called a reference group

But there will be a group set up that will be sort of like an advisory group. Um, in the community made up of residents and professionals, um, to put their their sort of themes forward. Um, within this process, we anticipate there's gonna be a lot of signposting to to services and activities locally that people won't know about, or or that the professionals they feel that might help them and that those conversations will be able to take place, um, which will enlighten the local residents around what's available in their area

We're hoping that we will encourage a lot of people to get involved in volunteering. Um, and we can signpost them to our existing community development and volunteering team. Um, and hopefully we can support

Um, if there are any gaps, um, in, um, services or activities that people would like. We can actually, um, help to to, um, address those gaps, whether that's by linking with the existing community groups or helping to set up new, um, which will, um, you know, fill a gap. Really? Absolutely

And so just as a a final question, you mentioned about signposting people to volunteering organisations of and opportunities. Are you currently undertaking any volunteering yourself? And if so, what? What are you engaged with? I am, Yes. Um, I'm a trustee at Lincolnshire Wildlife Park

Um, which is actually in the village where I live in in Lincolnshire. Um, I got involved because of, uh, through my work. I met somebody who started to work there

Um, and she became the funding and en engagement officer there, um called me down for a meeting. Oh, come and have a look. It's lovely

So I went down and she said, Oh, the CEO will be joining us in a little while. I have a coffee with us, and I thought, great, That's nice. Um, and by the end of that half an hour meeting, I came out as a trustee or what I'm going to put they were going to put me forward as a trustee

So clearly, seeing seeing such value in your experience, it it has. I've come across really strongly think so. Um, and I've been there now for three years

Um, we've I've spent quite a lot of time in, um, looking at the skills and the interest that there are on the board. Um, and we've actually last Friday had our best meeting so far in terms of the people that we've got around the table, how they can contribute, um, in terms of their skills and and their background and experience and how they can, uh, how everybody fits and gels together. So it's it's been it has, You know, it's been quite a a journey the last three years to try and develop the the charity side of things

Um, but really feel that we've We're the best we have been for a long time. So so yeah, very rewarding. And it's nice to be able to go around in the wildlife park every time I go as well and have a little look at the animals

Lovely. Oh, well, thank you so much for sharing your story with me. And I'm going to stop the recording now

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