Volunteers across Stirling’s communities are to be celebrated next week as part of National Volunteers’ Week.
This year’s event runs from June 1-7 and gives a chance to recognise the contribution volunteers make to communities and gives the communities a chance to say thank you.
Volunteers from across Stirling area will be honoured throughout the week.
One resident who has been volunteering for the last five years is 13-year-old Stirling High pupil Sophie Johnston. She has been volunteering as a fence judge for Kick on Events who run Forgendenny Horse Trials and Hopetoun Horse Trials.
Sophie’s mum Rachel said: “Sophie is passionate about horse riding and has a horse of her own. In fact since being a fence judge at Hopetoun it has always been her ambition to ride there herself one day and this year she is going to, so it’s a dream come true for her.
“She also volunteers every year at the Blair Castle International Horse Trials and has done different volunteer roles such as helping out near the dressage ring. Sophie thinks it’s great that she can volunteer doing something she loves, and she also wants to study equine coaching so it will also be good for her CV when she is older.”
Stirlingshire Voluntary Enterprise (SVE) – Stirling’s local third sector interface (TSI) created to build empowered communities with a thriving third sector, which consists of community groups, voluntary organisations, charities and social enterprises – will mark Volunteers’ Week by launching a new volunteer website for Stirling, where people can find local volunteering opportunities that match their interest and organisations can list and promote their volunteering opportunities to a wider audience.
Ahead of the week, Natalie Masterson, chief executive of Stirlingshire Voluntary Enterprise, said: “When we look back over the past year, the growth in community spirit and volunteering has been astounding. Whether helping out a local food bank or collecting a neighbour’s prescription, we have become a nation of volunteers.
“In Stirling alone we saw nearly 1400 people sign up to respond to the crisis, with hundreds more helping out informally. One of the few positives we can take from the Covid-19 crisis is the number of people who have stepped forward, connecting people in times of hardship and bringing our local communities closer together.
“The theme of this year’s Volunteers’ Week is ‘a time to say thanks’ - particularly fitting as we reflect on the past year. If you would like to say a special thank you to a volunteer, friend, neighbour or community member who has given their time to help out then reach out to the Stirling Observer and tell us about them.’
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In next week’s Stirling Observer we will shine a light on some Stirling’s volunteering heros throughout the coronavirus pandemic.
- If there’s someone that you think deserves to be recognised for their voluntary efforts and want to say a big ‘thank you’ to within the pages of the Stirling Observer then simply send us some details and nice photograph to Chris.Marzella@reachplc.com
