Volunteers Week
Monday 3 June – Sunday 9 June 2024
Join us as we celebrate Volunteers Week by taking a look at our people who have made a difference through volunteering.
Find out more about some of their stories below.
Sarah Johnston
I’m currently in my 3rd year studying Sports Science at Abertay University. Ross Taylor from ANGUSalive talked to us about some of the placement opportunities that were available.
I then got in touch with him and discussed what the opportunities could be in a community setting and we went over what I could do, such as going along to the Community Sports Hub meetings and helping them with some mapping work.
I became involved with the Community Sports Hub and I also volunteered with Strathmore Cricket Club, which was a Volunteer Development role.
I’ve really enjoyed my placement and volunteering work and the experience I gained from it. It gave me that first step into the sport world and working in sport. I’ve also gained a lot of confidence from going along to the meetings and speaking in front of people as well as a lot of connections within sport.
Through volunteering and my University placement, I have secured a permanent position with ANGUSalive while I continue my studies.
Caroline Millar
I have been volunteering with ANGUSalive since November 2023. I find the staff very welcoming, they have a real interest and commitment to their various posts.
I volunteer in Museums and see an innovative, team of people keen to deliver the best possible service to their customers. The team are always striving to find new ways to encourage the use of the interesting spaces that their buildings have in abundance.
Museums are not just for visitors to Angus, although they are most welcome. Museums are a vital part of the local community as well.
In February 2024, The Meffan opened its doors to the THAT’s art project. Working in conjunction with the team and it’s service users we provided a safe space for the talented members of the group to learn new skills and enjoy weekly sessions of learning, chatting and sharing artistic ideas.
It was a project that I am very pleased to have been a part of. I found it very rewarding and rediscovered some of my own artistic skills.
I would encourage anyone who has an interest in their local community, has some spare time and a desire to continue their learning to “have a go”!
Neve Guthrie
I started volunteering as a part of one of my Sport & Exercise Science modules for university which required me to complete weekly placements and that’s when I contacted ANGUSalive to see if they could help.
I have gained more confidence, knowledge within the gym when teaching/correcting people’s technique with exercises, communication skills, learning to adapt and carry out alternative options in different situations that may occur within sport or in the gym. These are only some of many skills I have gained while volunteering with ANGUSalive.
This will help with my future career as it is links to the same pathway I want to take – sport and fitness industry. I’m interested in becoming a PT and/or physiotherapist which the skills I carry out in my volunteering are essential for these careers.
I would 100% recommend to anyone whether you are interested in spotter and fitness or not to volunteer with ANGUSalive because it helps train you with the life skills needed for any career, the staff are very welcoming and help you whenever you are stuck or unsure and you meet many knew people along the way.
Meg Hendry
Health walks are impossible to run without our volunteers who help co-ordinate them and one of them is Meg Hendry.
Meg has recently retired after a remarkable 40 years service with the NHS. Having spent a year in helping and caring for people throughout their challenges, she felt there was still a lot of support she could still offer the community.
Which is where a health walk volunteer position became so appealing.
Meg says: “It’s great to see the benefits that you can have on other people’s lives.”
Jason Harris
I have been involved in sport since a young age, I want to say from the age of 9 being involved in football mostly. I always wanted to coach, and I got involved through helping a friend out one night, then that one night has turned into 10 years with Forfar Athletic CFC.
I enjoy seeing the progression of each kid on a weekly basis, coming out of their shell as the weeks go on, seeing the expression in their face when they learn a new skill when they thought they couldn’t.
A major benefit from volunteering would be that it builds your confidence as person greatly, it will also allow you to meet some other fantastic volunteers in whom you can learn from in different ways, you will also get to meet/coach some incredible young people along the way.
Louise Stuart
Louise volunteered with Angus Archives for 6 months while studying History at University.
During which time her duties involved scanning and cataloguing one of the glass plate negative collections.
Louise is now employed with the National Records of Scotland after gaining experience with Archives.
Sam Nowosielski
My volunteering journey started when I was about 15, coaching with the local community football club, which was Carnoustie Panmure’s under 6 team. I coached a couple of times per week, and also took the team to ANGUSalive Small Sided Football Festivals every month.
After a couple of years, I started voluntary work with Active Schools at Carnoustie High School. Through that, I met Ross Smith, the Football Development Coordinator with ANGUSalive, who got me involved as a casual football coach, working with after school classes at the Sports Centre.
During lockdown, I was looking for a job, and found ANGUSalive were advertising for a Kickstart Children and Families Development Advisor. As this was a part-time role, I was able to continue with my coaching hours on top of that.
This role developed into a new role of Community Sports Advisor. Through that, I’m now in a permanent role, leading the football programme, and working with a lot of the community sports clubs and providers in the area.
Volunteering has been absolutely huge for me in a number of ways and is an important way to gain experience as a youth sports coach. It’s certainly really helped me, and I was very fortunate to have gained experience with the clubs I volunteered with who have provided me with qualifications as well as giving me a lot of experience.
I believe volunteering has been critical in helping me secure my full-time role with ANGUSalive.
Kirstie Abbey
During my studies I started volunteering with ANGUSalive’s Macmillan Move More programme and this ended up shaping my studies, with my dissertation focussing on how physical activity benefits the health & wellbeing of people living with and beyond cancer.
Meeting and speaking with these individuals proved to me just how powerful physical activity can be – improving their physical health, but more importantly, how it supported them in improving their mental health and overall wellbeing.
The social aspect of physical activity and the difference it can make should never be underestimated – whether it’s the connections between people taking part in an activity, or the cuppy & chat that follows, for some people that small period of time can make all the difference to someone who is otherwise isolated.
I’ve always been a ‘people person’ – volunteering has been hugely beneficial to my personal & professional development and I have been fortunate to meet people at times that would have seen them at their highest, but also their lowest points, and this has ultimately offered some of the most rewarding moments of my career.
7 REASONS TO VOLUNTEER WITH US...
Expand your horizons and discover the multitude of opportunities that await you. Here are just a few reasons why you should volunteer with us.
You can:
• Make a difference in your local community
• Be physically active
• Improve your employability
• Learn new skills
• Build confidence
• Be supported by our team
• Employment Opportunities with us!