Archive
40 up for Lanarkshire Samaritans
Siobhan (3rd from left) with, from left to right, Samaritans volunteers Esther Dailly, Margaret McLaughlin, Charlene Crawford, Chairman of Lanarkshire Samaritans Dan Russell, and volunteer Joyce Gillies
I was delighted to be invited to Lanarkshire Samaritans in Hamilton to help them celebrate their 40th birthday.
The Samaritans opened their first Scottish branch in Edinburgh in 1959, with the Lanarkshire branch opening 13 years later, in November 1972.
The Samaritans offers confidantial, compassionate and non-judgemental advice and guidance to those in distress. Whether you are clinically depressed, weighed down by health or money worries, or just having a bit of a bad time: the Samaritans is here to help.
On average, Lanarkshire Samaritans fields between 6-8000 calls, 150 face-to-face meetings, and around 400 emails every year.
Their volunteers go through a rigorous training program and are highly committed to the organisation. Many have been Samaritans for between 10 and 20 years.
As well as their listening and advisory service, Lanarkshire Samaritans runs outreach programmes in local schools, hospitals and prisons. Regardless of your circumstances and whatever your problem, they will listen and do their best to help.
I would like to thank everyone who has volunteered for Lanarkshire Samaritans over the past 4o years for doing their best to ensure that people in emotional pain and distress have someone to talk to. A little bit of sympathy and kindness can make a world of difference.
The Samaritans’ national phone service can be contacted at any time of the day or night, and their Lanarkshire office is open from 9am-2am for four nights of the week, and 9am-5am for the remaining three. Individuals wishing to speak to someone in person can visit the office at 4 Selkirk Place, Hamilton, Lanarkshire, ML3 6RQ, between 9am and 9pm.
We can all make a difference
Siobhan with staff and volunteers at Wishaw Barnado’s
It was an absolute pleasure and privilege to spend time working at the Wishaw Barnado’s shop to help promote Make a Difference Day 2012.
The staff and volunteers are enormously passionate, committed and hardworking, and I would like to thank them all for inviting me to volunteer and for being so kind and welcoming.
Barnado’s counselling and support services provide invaluable advice and assistance to thousands of victims and potential victims of poverty, neglect, homelessness and abuse across the UK.
With government funding increasingly restricted, the money provided by its charity shops is crucial. It is imperative, therefore, that people continue to support their local charity shops, either through volunteering, donating unwanted possessions or by shopping there whenever possible.
Barnado’s relies upon the generosity of local people, but in turn it provides fantastic products at very affordable prices.
Volunteering is a very rewarding experience; just a couple of hours a week can make a big difference. I would encourage anyone else who has a bit of spare time to get in touch with Barnado’s to see what they can do to help.
Scottish Carers Week
I was delighted to give my support to carers across Scotland in recognition of Scottish Carers Week.
Running from the 18th-24th June, Carers Week is a UK-wide annual awareness campaign that aims to raise the profile of the UK’s legion – approximately 6 million – of unpaid carers.
It is a truism to state that, without the unstinting work and commitment of unpaid carers, society would cease to function. The ever-increasing demands of an ageing population, not to mention those suffering from long term physical and mental ailments, would place an unsustainable strain on the NHS.
Being a longterm carer to a relative or friend is a time-consuming, stressful, and, in many cases, utterly thankless task. Carers rarely receive the support and respite they need, and frequently find that their views and opinions are dismissed too readily by health professionals.
There are a range of national organisations, such as Carers Scotland, that give support to unpaid carers, and there are also many local organisations, such as North Lanarkshire Carers Together.
However, even with this support, carers are often left exhausted and isolated.
This year’s awareness campaign highlights the importance of the health and wellbeing of carers, especially in the context of cuts to local support services. It also underscores the positive influence of recognition from professionals.
One of the most important things to remember is that the issue of carers does not just effect carers themselves, or those they care for: it effects us all.
Over 80% of carers say they did not expect to be carers. It could happen to any of us, at any time. We owe it to carers, ourselves, and society to ensure that unpaid carers are afforded the respect they deserve, and have access to the advice, support and respite they need.
Voluntary Action North Lanarkshire
Siobhan with Kenny Moffat, VANL's Chief Executive Officer
I recently met with senior management at Voluntary Action North Lanarkshire (VANL), the Airdrie based development agency and membership network open to third sector organisations throughout North Lanarkshire.
Formed in 2010 following the amalgamation of the Council for Voluntary Services and the Voluntary Centre, VANL seeks to forge closer working links between third sector bodies in North Lanarkshire. It is the central point of contact for information, advice and support on voluntary action, and represents the sector in discussions with local community planning partnerships.
VANL currently supports between 350-400 voluntary organisations and in excess of 1800 volunteers in the local authority area, providing them with a comprehensive range of resources including organisational and financial support, advice on sourcing and obtaining funding, and bespoke training for volunteers.
The meeting was very informative, and I was favourably impressed by VANL’s role as an essential advice and support network for local volunteer and community groups. VANL staff and employees are highly trained and extremely knowledgeable, and I would advice all local volunteer groups to take advantage of their expertise.
With the coalition Governments programme of austerity measures cutting back on public services, the burden on the third sector will increase exponentially. It is imperative, therefore, that third sector funding is kept at a sustainable level, and that the role of volunteer groups is not diluted, but remains clearly defined.
BBC News – Scotland Politics
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- Hoy backs cycling demonstration
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- Trump launches wind farm challenge
- British identity 'key to referendum'
- Car dealer expands in Scotland
- Ministers receive EU legal advice
