5 Jun 2023
Emma West, our Efficiency Officer has proudly volunteered for the 1st and 2nd Brigg Scout Group since 2013 and the Glanford and Scunthorpe Canoe group since 2021.
She chooses to volunteer with these groups as they have hugely benefited her family and without volunteers within these groups none of the new experiences and skills Emma and her family have learned, would have been possible. Her husband also volunteers and enjoys doing this as a family.
Emma started volunteering because she saw how much fun her children were having, so decided to get involved by helping the children and young adults at the odd Scout group but, soon realised her skill set was more suited to behind the scenes.
She admits she much prefers a ‘back room’ type role and says, “I am highly organised and like planning events,” so she helps organise fundraising events, creates posters, manages social media and helps with some essential admin work. Emma also enjoys helping set up camps and events.
Emma is currently training to take over the wellbeing role within the Canoe Club, which will focus on wellbeing and safeguarding. She enjoys being part of something and seeing others enjoy the activities with a broad smile on their faces. She gets to spend time in the fresh air seeing friends and being active.
She said, “I like to be busy and have met some truly lovely people, who are now friends.”
Through volunteering Emma has seen herself and her family try Flying, Sailing, shooting. As a result of her fundraising efforts, events, marketing and much blood, sweat and tears, she has seen her 16-year-old son who joined scouts when he was 6 years old, fly to South Korea to join 50,000 other scouts from around the world at the 25th world scout Jamboree.
Volunteering can be whatever you want it to be even if it’s just one hour per week. Join a litter pick, join a scheme to call a lonely person once a week to brighten their day, help at a food bank or walk dogs at a shelter – the possibilities are endless.
Emma said, “Whatever it is you do, giving your time up however little, is a great thing to do and a wonderful feeling of giving something back to the community and making someone smile.”
Go on, be part of something special – Be a volunteer!