Ginger
Downham Market 2
LAST week our county councillor Shelagh Hutson hosted a modest lunch at County Hall for selected volunteers from across the town. Shelagh chairs meetings of the county council, a role for which she was chosen by fellow councillors and which marks the respect she has amongst her colleagues.
As chairman she can promote one or more good causes and, as well as supporting charities working with young people, she chose this way of recognising the contributions made by the many volunteers who give their time to work for the good of the town as a whole.
After lunch Shelagh said those present illustrated the Big Society is alive and well in Downham, and then introduced Harold Bodmer, Director of Community Services – a new department combining Cultural Services, Adult Social Services and the Community Safety team.
Harold talked about the challenges faced by communities like ours where the number of older people is increasing.
His department can provide support but he saw communities taking responsibility for making sure vulnerable people benefit from the support they need to maintain independence. This might require more people stepping into volunteer roles.
And it’s not just in watching out for our vulnerable neighbours that more volunteers might be needed. Many of those present represented a wide variety of volunteer activity, with most identifying additional valuable work that could be done if there were more volunteers.
New recruits could offer time to raise money for good causes, rattle a collection tin, help in a charity shop, sell donated goods online, organise fundraising coffee mornings or jumble sales, run a raffle or help coordinate any of these activities.
Others may prefer to volunteer time directly to those who need it, maybe by driving a vehicle to get to hospital appointments, helping at a social day centre or lunch club which, in turn, helps to reduce isolation. Alternatively there is always a welcome for those wishing to work with Brownies, Guides, Cubs or Scouts, or sports activities.
Another way of contributing to a wider community activity might be helping to preserve our heritage, or planning for the festivals.
Those in business could help reinforce our local economy by joining the Chamber of Trade and participating in the various activities that bring business people together.
Closer to the ground, in a manner of speaking, there are local food networks in which volunteers help by running the Co-op stall and those keen on ecological issues could look after the environment of the town and/or the green spaces around it. So there’s clearly no shortage of opportunities for those who want to do their bit but it is a mistake to think volunteering is just for “do-gooders”.
The people at last week’s lunch were also having fun and, through their activities, they were meeting new people, sharing and learning skills, enjoying the impact on their routine and making a real difference in the community.
There’s clearly plenty of variety so that we can all find a role that suits us and the time we have available and it might be that our Big Society just can’t become too big!
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Weather for King's Lynn
Sunday 27 May 2012
Today
Sunny
Temperature: 9 C to 26 C
Wind Speed: 17 mph
Wind direction: East
Tomorrow
Sunny
Temperature: 10 C to 24 C
Wind Speed: 10 mph
Wind direction: North
