All kinds of volunteering can make a difference to society, but opportunities like these have community enrichment at their core.

All | Moira | Sharon | Will | Andy | Ray | EmmaM

Saturday Mar 12, 2011

GMHAA (or Getting My Head Around Acronyms)

So, it's official; having been appointed formally appointed at last night's meeting I am now a school governor.

So how do I feel? Well, the really good news is that I'm still very excited about the whole thing. On the other hand, I feel slightly daunted.

Why daunted? Well, daunted by the number of things there are to learn that largely (at the moment) seem like incomprehensible gobbledygook. There's quite a lot of things that I just don't understand, so a lot of question asking and lots of information to be taking in.

Acronyms are a good case in point, something we are all guilty of using, and only realise how reliant we are on them when someone else doesn't follow. I've decided to start an acronym glossary, which is growing quite quickly:

SIP - School Improvement Partner

SDP - School Development Plan

MPSF - Manor Park Soft Federation

SA - School Action

SAP - School Action Plus

BMR - Budget Monitoring Report

HTR - Head Teacher's Report

I could go on, but I'm sure you're getting the point. Suffice to say, I have got a fair few more that I've not included here, which isn't even to mention the one's I already knew.

It seems I've got a lot to learn, about the way education works in this country, let alone about the school itself. But that's one of the great things about so many different forms of volunteering. Not only do I get to do something extremely worthwhile, to give something back, but I also get to learn new skills and gain new knowledge.

One of the beauties of volunteering is that so often we get as much, or even more, out of it than we put in.

Posted by Will ( 8:28 AM )
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Tuesday Mar 08, 2011

Brighter Futures

Ray, a driving instructor of three years, volunteers with Brighter Futures in Maidstone, Kent. "We help elderly people who don't have friends or family by offering them companionship."

Brighter Futures provide the charities' recipients with trips and social events to brighten their lives. Ray is heavily involved with the trips, "I drive our minibus which we use to take the elderly on excursions and shopping trips. Every Tuesday and Thursday we take the pensioners to Morrison's so they can complete their weekly shop. We also arrange other special trips through out the year."

Christmas is the busiest time of year for Brighter Futures and they provide an essential service to those in need. Ray explains, "At Christmas we take groups out on present shopping trips as well as days out to see plays and pantomimes at the theatre. We have a big party for all our regulars. Usually we get around 100 people turning up, I drive to pick them up and my wife is the escort. At the party we provide Christmas dinner, a band for entertainment and a Father Christmas who gives everyone a present. At the end of the night I drive everyone home with a smile on their face."

Having the time to fit in all of this extra work on top of your daily nine to five would be difficult for most people, but Ray's career as a driving instructor means he has the time to fit everything in. "I can plan my own diary so I'm very fortunate that my work as a driving instructor allows me the flexibility to be able to give back to the community. The work is really satisfying, seeing the smiles on their faces during our trips out makes it very worthwhile." 

Ray's story shows giving back to the community is not only rewarding but also incredibly beneficial for the people supported. Those of us in a position to help individuals and groups that need support can provide a vital source of companionship and hope; significantly improving the lives for those who need it most.

This post was written by Dominic Cohen of RED Instructor Training.

Posted by Ray ( 10:28 AM )
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