Volunteering

Thank you for inviting me to speak to you this morning

I was going to begin by saying I wouldn’t be here today if it wasn’t for Volunteering but that might be seen as an argument for or against volunteering –
“Don’t volunteer or you might end up an MP”

Seriously though my life has been greatly enriched by the experience of volunteering
It started back in my teens in my local church in Ferguslie Park in Paisley
The Church then as now is a very rich seam of volunteering opportunities. Working in the Girls Brigade and youth clubs was very important to me when I was experiencing family difficulties. I went on as a lone parent to get involved in running summer playschemes and tenants groups. I started some paid work as a church youth worker, did Open University courses – the link between voluntary work and adult education is very important.

It was due to the experience and confidence that I gained from that time that I was eventually able to get into college and train as a community worker. I then worked for a few years as a community worker in the East End of Glasgow – now I was encouraging and promoting volunteering as part of my community development role.

When I moved to Ayrshire in 1981 I again got involved in volunteering doing Girls Brigade work and also working as a volunteer with women’s aid and rape crisis. That in turn led me into paid work eventually with Kilmarnock Women’s Aid where I worked for 14 years – again with a strong ethos of women helping women – paid workers and volunteer workers together. Throughout all these years from my time in Paisley onwards I was involved in the Labour Party – again something that people don’t always recognise as voluntary work – getting involved in the political process whatever party to try to bring about things you believe in. Eventually that led to me being elected to the council as councillor for Whitletts in Ayr – I know that Mainholm Academy in my old council ward was your first base! You read a lot today about the generation of career politicians – policemen may have started to look younger and so do politicians, mainly because many of them have gone from University to Researcher to MP. I’m not alone though in having travelled a very different path – a path of public service – a path that led me to where I am today as an MP - the product of years of voluntary and paid involvement in public service of one kind or another.

As you will know volunteering is many faceted – it is about doing things for others ; its about doing things you believe in and want to support ; its about developing your own skills knowledge ability and confidence. It has certainly done the latter for me but it has above all been about doing something I felt valuable and worthwhile and it has always been about public service – doing something for other people. So watch our or you might end up an MP!! Seriously though – each one of you will have your own story to tell of what volunteering has meant to you and where on the path you are and what it has led to so far. That’s one of the things to celebrate about volunteering – the rich diversity of experience and opportunity it offers.

As an MP, of course I am also proud of what we have done as a government to support volunteering and the voluntary sector – both at Westminster and through the Scottish Executive. It is essentially an individual thing – many of you will know the real sense of personal fulfilment and achievement it brings; the opportunities for social contact and the satisfaction of  rising to new challenges. But government has an important role to play too. It’s our job to make sure the conditions are right for volunteering to thrive. Through the Volunteering Strategy the Scottish Executive has set out how it can work with the voluntary public and private sector to provide volunteering opportunities and to ensure that volunteering is valued and recognised as a force for good and change. I am a strong believer in intervention – I don’t want to go back to the Victorian days of volunteering being a pastime of the well off – salving their consciences by doing a little bit of good. I believe that volunteering is part of how we can organise a caring just and modern society – it’s good for all of us volunteers and those they help. And it’s right that government should be involved making sure that it is properly resourced and funded; making sure that volunteers rights are respected just as you would respect the rights of employees; and that proper checks and balances are in place to protect the public, especially vulnerable children and adults with whom volunteers work. I know both Margaret Curran who did so much when she was Communities Minister and Malcolm Chisholm the present Minister both have that personal knowledge of and commitment to volunteering.

I know at first hand the wide range of volunteering work that goes on in South Ayrshire. From villages like Symington, where I live ( with its Community Hall restoration project and Community Shop) and Dundonald right down to Ballantrae which is now part of my new constituency. I have had dealings with so many voluntary organisations as part of my job as MP. I have also had the pleasure of joining with volunteers to celebrate their efforts on special occasions like volunteer week; receptions for volunteers in Edinburgh with the Secretary of State of the day Helen Liddell; I have had the pleasure of taking parties round Westminster. I also want to put on record the invaluable role volunteers play in the public services here in South Ayrshire, whether hospitals, social work services; schools or wherever. I know South Ayrshire Council values your work and I am delighted you work in close partnership together.

I want to finish this morning by paying tribute to the Volunteer Centre South Ayrshire and all the work you do promoting nurturing and supporting volunteering  – Marie Clark and her staff; Allan Dorrans and the Management Committee; everyone at Ayr and Girvan offices. I want to congratulate you on all your success placing volunteers; helping volunteers into work; your special success with young volunteers; your befriending services for over 60s.

I read recently of a Guide Leaders Gathering where everyone who was singled out for a mention had to come forward and receive a mint in a wrapper which said “Volunteers are worth a mint”. You are all worth a mint. Volunteering has been so important in my life and I know how valuable it can be in other people’s lives especially young people – If it wasn’t such a contradiction I would be tempted to bring in a Bill in Parliament to make volunteering compulsory! So thank you very much for inviting me to come along and speak to you and I wish you a very enjoyable and profitable morning and my best wishes for the future.