It has been said before that without volunteers, the Schools Service in Scotland would never have achieved as much as what we have so far, or made as big an impact throughout the country.
We are extremely grateful for everything they do; therefore, we thought it would be lovely to introduce some of our volunteers to you. Here are three volunteers who deliver ‘Speak Out, Stay Safe’ in different local authorities and have completely different backgrounds/experiences to share.
Our first volunteer is Gillian;
Name – Gillian King
Length of time volunteering with NSPCC Schools Service – One and a half years
The local areas that you deliver to – East/North/South Ayrshire.
What made you want to join the NSPCC and more specifically, the Schools Service? –
I had given up work 11 years previously to have a family. My youngest child was due to start nursery and I was looking for a new project to get me out the house again. I was really missing the camaraderie of work and being part a team but wasn’t ready yet to commit to employment with my children still being so young. I wanted to get back out there again and meet some new people. But for me, it had to be something that would work around my children so the Schools Service was perfect. My husband and I had also started the adoption process years ago but didn’t continue to the end so this was my way of giving back to children that need help.
Do you have any specific memories which have been a highlight for you as a volunteer within the Schools Service? (Ensuring confidentiality is kept within this question) –
The awareness of the vulnerability of children has been a real eye opener. On one of my earliest visits we were discussing neglect with the children and one wee girl put her hand up and asked: “Is it neglect if your Mum and Dad are working outside in the garden?”
All my memories to date have been very positive. It is so refreshing to work with a supportive and genuine team with no hidden agendas or egos to feed.
Finally, what do you enjoy best about being a volunteer?
Many things, I get so much out of this. Firstly, it was a real challenge to learn the materials and then to stand up and deliver the assemblies and classroom workshops to sometimes 300+ children and teachers in one session. My background is in marketing and finance so I had never worked in an educational setting before. I found this difficult at first and I felt the teachers were intimidating (They weren’t, it was just my perception because of lack of confidence). Frankly, I found it terrifying. I used to wonder if they’d be looking at me and thinking: “What does she know, she has no qualifications in education?” But having now worked in 20 schools I can see how much the teachers value what we are doing. The material is so well written, it’s all age appropriate and very interactive to keep the children engaged. This has really helped me to relax into it a bit more and deliver with confidence. I would never have believed I would have been able to do this as I’m a very nervous person but I am not a quitter. I pushed on through the nerves and now I feel I have really achieved something.
Sadly, though my experience has also shown there is such a great need for this service. The rates of neglect and sexual abuse are much higher than I first anticipated. It is such an amazing feeling to get right into the heart of the schools and empower children to speak up and give them the confidence to (hopefully) end abuse before it begins. It’s so satisfying to hand some power and control back to the children. There are so many cases now in the media where children were just too scared to speak out for fear of not being believed. It is great to be able to turn that on its head.
We also discuss Childline with them, sources of help, trusted adults they can speak to as well as helping them recognise abuse in all its forms; neglect, bullying and how to keep themselves safe online. Hopefully the children find it as useful as the teachers.
There are some heart-breaking cases of children who display concerning behaviour during the presentations, or even approach us with a disclosure. That confirms we have gone in there and actually made a difference to that child by starting the ball rolling on getting them the help and support they need.
Harrowing as it is at times I can honestly say I come out of every school on a high.
Firstly, because I feel I am overcoming my anxieties and really challenging myself and secondly, because I know I have made a difference and (hopefully) given those children the tools they need to keep themselves safe.
Our second volunteer is Joe;
Name – Joe Alves
Length of time volunteering with NSPCC Schools Service – Two years
The local areas that you deliver to – East Lothian, Midlothian, Edinburgh and occasionally West Lothian.
What made you want to join the NSPCC and more specifically, the Schools Service? – Having recently retired, I was looking for an opportunity do something on a voluntary basis. The NSPCC Schools Service had an advert on the local volunteering website. As a teacher, I had delivered assemblies and had plenty of experience of working with children, albeit, in secondary schools After retiring from teaching I had also worked with an environmental charity delivering assemblies and workshops on subjects like recycling, composting, litter, etc. I felt the Schools Service volunteer role ticked all the boxes for me in terms of the skills I had to offer, plus I really enjoy working with primary age children. After recently becoming a grandparent, I felt that the work of the Schools Service was especially important to me in working to keep young children safe.
Do you have any specific memories which have been a highlight for you as a volunteer within the Schools Service? (Ensuring confidentiality is kept within this question) – I don’t have one specific highlight. What I love is that with every delivery you are at a different school, with a different mix of children, with different backgrounds and experiences. This keeps the job interesting. It is surprising to discover that some of the most engaged and involved pupils can be at schools you might not expect to be the case, due to catchment area, etc. It is also nice when some of the Primary Seven pupils remember me visiting the school during my time at Changeworks.
One of the fun things you hear in the assemblies are the answers to which trusted adults children could speak to if they are worried about something – and this can depend on the type of school you are visiting. Answers range from the obvious such as parents and teachers to the less obvious such as: my guinea pig, my dog, God, your psychiatrist, your social worker or your nanny.
Finally, what do you enjoy best about being a volunteer? – The feeling of doing something important and valued and knowing that it does encourage children to speak out about abuse they have been experiencing. To help even one child speak out makes the job worthwhile. Also it gets me out and about, meeting people, engaging with young people, working with other interesting volunteers and seeing areas of my patch that I haven’t visited before.
I least like having to travel on the Edinburgh City bypass at peak time – anytime between 7.00am and 9.30am, when progress can be somewhere between a snail’s pace to stationary.
Finally our third volunteer is Terry;
Name – Terry
Length of time volunteering with NSPCC Schools Service – Five years
The local areas that you deliver to – Throughout Ayrshire.
What made you want to join the NSPCC and more specifically, the Schools Service? – Prior to early retirement, I had spent my 30 years within Social Work predominantly within Children & Families, with a particular focus on Child Protection. I was interested in the innovative way the Schools Service approached Child Protection and thought that my CP experience would benefit the service.
Do you have any specific memories which have been a highlight for you as a volunteer within the Schools Service? (Ensuring confidentiality is kept within this question) – Having delivered assemblies in more than 140 schools, there have been a few highlights. However, one event which took place about three years ago sticks out. One of the pupils had been subjected to serious sexual abuse in her earlier years. Staff thought that the delivery may be too traumatic for her and she didn’t attend the assembly. At the girl’s request, we met with her after the assembly and went through the main points of the delivery. She responded well and seemed reassured that there were people around that would ensure she stays safe. The follow up by the Area Co-ordinator confirmed this to be the case.
Finally, what do you enjoy best about being a volunteer? – I still enjoy the deliveries as much as I did in my 1 first year, and enjoy the positive responses from the pupils.
NSPCC Scotland 