On Monday 13 June Club Members enjoyed a glass of bubbly to celebrate the Platinum Jubilee and toast the Queen. We put up the bunting and everyone wore red, white and blue or royal purple.
Volunteers Week takes place 1-7 June every year. It’s a chance to recognise the fantastic contribution volunteers make to our communities and say thank you, so before the corks were popped, everyone enjoyed a really interesting Club meeting called “My Other Hat” where we heard about the volunteering being undertaken by three of our members:
Jean Eaton who volunteers in a charity shop, Debbie Tankard who volunteers as a School Governor and Sarah Lichman who is a Generalist Adviser for Citizen’s Advice.
Jean Eaton (pictured 5th from the right above) volunteers at the Hospice of St Francis Shop in Marshalswick www.stfrancis.org.uk/shop-with-us/love-to-give-charity-shops/marshalswick Jean told us that she had always wanted to work in a shop – even though her professional career led her into being an accountant. At one time she volunteered at the Grove House Charity Shop in Hemel Hempstead and she also ran the Tea Bar at the Magistrates Court in St Albans, where the profits go to Grove House. Jean is really impressed by the team work and efficiency of the shop in Marshalswick – everything is recycled – if suitable for selling it is steamed, priced, dated and if it hasn’t sold in 4-6 weeks items are sent to other shops. She explained how gift aid for 2nd hand sales works, that more valuable or specialist items are sold on e-Bay and the rest is sold by weight to a third party. She encouraged all of us to take things to charity shops and sign up for their gift aid so that can make more money.
Debbie Tankard (pictured 4th from the left above) volunteers as a School Governor at Watling View School www.watlingview.herts.sch.uk . The school caters for up to 92 pupils age 2-19, with a wide range of complex and profound learning difficulties. These include severe autism, complex medical conditions, physical and mobility difficulties, as well as severe developmental delay. There are about 80 staff. Debbie worked in education as a Special Needs Co-ordnator before becoming a school governor. She describes the role of Governor as a “critical friend” to the Head of the school, who is in charge. Debbie is a Community Governor and Deputy Chair of the Governors. Debbie can be involved in grievances and disciplinaries. She loves the work with Community Engagement – Club Members have helped (before COVID) with a market stall in St Albans where the children sell things they have made and Debbie hopes we can help again this year – click here for more info https://sigbi.org/st-albans-and-district/2019/market/ Debbie explained that schools are also assigned a Clerk to the Governors from Herts County Council Governance Department. The school is expanding to take 6 more young children, and is working on school improvements for Ofsted. The school has to create a special curriculum but it is based on the National one. All the children have an EHCP – education and health care plan – previously called a “statement”. The school was open during the COVID lockdown but some were too vulnerable to attend. A positive from COVID is that materials for home-schooling are now much improved. Debbie said Herts schools are always looking for Governors from all walks of life – for more information see the website https://www.hertfordshire.gov.uk/about-the-council/volunteering/schools-and-youth-work/school-governor/school-governors.aspx
Sarah Lichman (pictured 3rd from the right above) volunteers a Generalist Adviser for Citizen’s Advice https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/ Sarah started by explaining that Citizen’s Advice provides free, independent, impartial, confidential advice, It was started in 1939 and the model was for it to be run by volunteers. There are now 200 bureaux all run as separate businesses and funded by Councils. Sarah knew about it because her father audited the accounts for CAB and she also knew other people who were advisers – she encouraged her husband to become an adviser when he retired and he is now chair of the Trustees for the bureau where he volunteers. Sarah trained as an adviser during COVID, after she could no longer volunteer at the Food Bank. She says the amount of training is really impressive. Since COVID many more consultations are carried out over the phone rather than face to face. There is lots of information on the website – advice on benefits, debt and money, consumer rights, housing, immigration, law, health, families – and there are actions to take based on the information. Citizen’s Advice has a strong “case system” – where data is recorded in detail about every case – this provides important data for government e.g. the major current problem is the cost of living crisis. They are working with energy companies, debt agencies and foodbanks. Sarah’s role involves manning the call line and calling people back who have left messages and now, with the COVID relaxation, some face to face consultations.
Jean, Debbie and Sarah were all thanked for their work and giving us such an interesting evening. We are immensely proud of all of our volunteers.
We plan to hear about more of the amazing voluntary work taken on by many more of our Members at future “My Other Hat” evenings….
We reviewed Club Business at the end of the meeting with feedback from the Region meeting on Sat 11 June https://sigbi.org/london-chilterns/2022/06/12/jun22/ and a run through forthcoming events in the Club Programme https://sigbi.org/st-albans-and-district/club-programme/