Christine Sloan volunteers for Letham Climate Challenge
WHY do I volunteer? I had to give this question some thought when I realised I had to put the answer in print. I have been involved as a volunteer in several projects over the years and I realised I had not stopped to ask myself why!
Why have I become engrossed in one particular area of volunteering when there are so many different opportunities around? I reflect back on the projects I have been committed to and I realise it’s because I have recognised a particular challenge and the potential for a group of volunteers to make a difference.
At present I am a volunteer with an amazing charity called Letham Climate Challenge. It is based in a large housing estate in Perth and includes provision of allotments and a “swap shop”. As one of our users has said: “It’s just such a brilliant idea: reduce waste, reuse, swap and save money.”
We receive donations of good used clothing, bedding, curtains, crockery, pots and pans, books, toys, electrical goods and furniture. These are sorted by volunteers and are available as swaps in our Swap Shop or for a small donation.
In working to reduce waste going to landfill we are also able support families on low incomes to obtain clothing and household items which they might not be able to afford. The cheerful and busy Letham Climate Challenge Swap Shop provides a sociable opportunity for some retail therapy when parents and children, young and old, come for a browse, stay for a gossip and leave with a bargain.
When I began as a volunteer the scale of donations and items given as swaps was overwhelming and I set about creating more manageable systems for storage, recording and recycling. When the project was faced with the departure of its only employee and the sudden death of the volunteer who had held the project together over many years, I felt that this was a project which should not be allowed to founder. I took on the role of treasurer, including the daunting task of making applications for funding to keep the project viable.
An award from the Forteviot Charitable Trust and match funding from the National Lottery Awards For All will enable us to employ a recycling support worker, support the swap shop, extend our activities into the community and develop our work with local primary schools.
Each donation given and every item taken to be reused represents a community response to the climate emergency. I certainly believe this is a model which could be replicated in communities elsewhere.
What do I get out of volunteering? There is nothing like the feeling when, after hours spent completing a funding application then waiting four months for a response, you receive a yes!
Day to day, however, is the satisfaction in knowing that even at the age of 79 years perhaps I can make a difference.
If you are interested in volunteering, email: lethamclimatechallenge@gmail.com
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