stories of a young volunteer

Faith

~ Naomi ~ Leave a comment

Over the last couple of months, I have been losing my faith. I don’t have a religious faith, but I believe in good people; in the ability of good people to change things. Due to various things that have been going on in my life, I have been struggling to keep believing this. I’ve had a lot to work through and it’s taken my head away from always being where it needs to be.

The moment I realised how bad this had got was when I was stood in a room with a bunch of amazing young people doing awesome things in their communities and I just couldn’t feel ‘it’. Don’t ask me what ‘it’ is, because I don’t know. But I didn’t have it.

Volunteering is something I have built my life and my identity up around. It has been such a major part of my teenage years, the time I’ve been developing who I am, what I’m doing, what’s made me, ‘me’. Cue, a bit of an identity crisis!

Long story short, after a lot of fumbling around in the dark, trying to work out what on earth is going on, I’m still not entirely sure. However, I have realised that it is down to me to make my way in life. It is up to me to work these things out and there is as much time as I need. Nothing and nobody is going to ‘save me’ or ‘fix’ anything. It is not their responsibility, it is mine. Yes, I can use all my resources but at the end of the day, I have to work this thing out, whatever it is. I will keep volunteering, I will keep studying and working and I will get out of this.

Over the past few weeks, I’ve been child minding again; one four year old, one five year old. They are gorgeous children, very well behaved. They have cheeky smiles and giggle at silly things. They hold my hand when we cross the road and bury their heads in me when they’re scared.

Today, the four year old handed me a daisy which was ‘for me’. For now, that’s all I need

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A Stick.

~ Naomi ~ Leave a comment

This weekend we took 20 six to eight year old boys on a Beaver Scout sleepover. The setting was fabulous. There was a log cabin in the middle of a wood, a place for the Scouts to camp, a wooden play area and a rustic, open church. We had gorgeous weather, the air was crisp, there wasn’t a raindrop in site and the orange leaves crunched underfoot.

After lunch, we let the boys go. They ran outside, jumped in the leaves, rolled around on the floor, and did tarzan jumps with a piece of rope. A number of them found sticks and spend ages hitting trees. Some of the sticks were drum sticks, others were lightsabers, some were fencing poles, others were a particularly special object. Their imagination knew no bounds.

Later that evening, they were all gathered around the campfire, singing songs, joining in with the older children and generally having a good time. There wasn’t a face without a smile. Once we’d got back that evening and settled them down, nearly every child slept through the entire night, not waking until 7am the next morning (virtually unheard of for a six year old!)

Over the entire weekend, no child had access to a phone, a computer, a TV or any other form of screen. Not once, over the entire weekend did a single child ask me for any of these items. Nor did I ever hear the phrase ‘I’m bored’. No child complained that we ‘made them go outside’, in fact, most of them complained when they had to come in.

On Saturday, I asked one boy what he’d been doing the morning before he came. The response I got was ‘playing on my DS’. Once we let that child out of the building, he was off like a shot, running around and enjoying the fresh air. The next day, he listed all the many electronic items he owned. Once again, as soon as we opened the door, he was running around and jumping in the leaves. But I bet when he got home, he was straight back in front of a screen.

Kids were born to be outside. They were made to run and jump. They bounce. They need fresh air and the ability to be free and run off their limitless energy. They don’t want to be cooped up indoors.

Parents seem fearful of taking children outside. ‘What if they get cold?’ ‘What if someone steals them?’ ‘What if they get run over?’. I’m not saying these aren’t valid questions, but there are solutions to these problems. Many parents may claim they don’t have time, they’re busy, or they’re just too stressed. But I can assure you; an hour jumping in leaves with your child will lower your stress levels no end.

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Involving Young People

~ Naomi ~ Leave a comment

Involving young people is something that I get asked about a lot. People often want to know how they can involve young people in things and get them to have their say. However, sadly, although I have found that some of these people do genuinely want feedback, opinions and ideas from young people, many do not. They say that they want inclusion and that young people are ‘the future’ and ‘the decisions are going to effect them’and all of the other cliche lines that get thrown around all the time. However, how much they actually believe in these statements I’m not sure.

As young people, we are a hassle and we are annoying. This is because, we want things done, we want them done properly and we want them done quickly. We want to see a change. We have energy, and drive, but we need you to help us channel them into something productive. You can’t leave us with false promises because we will remember and we will tell you when you haven’t delivered. All of these things are annoying because it means that you actually have to do something about the issues rather then gathering data, promising changes and leaving the paperwork on a desk to gather dust.

We are also up to date with the latest technologies, generally speaking, and will expect you to be to. Facebook and Twitter are everyday communication tools. You will have to learn to use these sites, if you want to get young people involved. However much you may hate these sites or disagree with them, sometimes you just have to do something you don’t like.

We want to be listened to. Do not invite us to come and sit at one of your meetings to ‘give a young person’s perspective’ and then ignore everything we have to say. Or make us feel unwelcome. What good does that do?! In fact, it probably does more harm then good, as it’s likely to put barriers up between the two age groups rather than achieving anything. If you want a young person present at your meetings, you need to involve them, and you need to seriously listen and take on board what they have to say. Do not discount their ideas or see them as useless without giving them as much thought as you’d give to any ideas submitted by other people around the table. Furthermore, don’t have a discussion group focussing on how to get young people involved, without a young person featuring as part of the group! We are experts in knowing how young people communicate and what issues they’re facing, because we are young people. So it’s daft trying to guess from an adult perspective when you can just come and ask one of us.

Please don’t treat us like aliens. We are not strange creatures from outer space with unidentified flying hormones floating around (I know, I know, this may be a shock). We are humans too(!) and we want to feel like we’re part of your group. We want to feel like one of you, not like a zoo animal put out for observation. Treat us as one of your own, but also, remember that we are only young and sometimes this may affect our judgements on things, and in some instances we may need a bit of care and understanding as certain issues may affect us more then they affect you.

Finally, help with travel costs can go a long way (unintentional pun!). If you can cover our travel costs or offer us a lift home, it will make the world of difference and help to keep us involved. We are skint, as a rule, and travel is normally very expensive. So something that might not seem like much to you will be a massive help to us!

So, to summarise,to involve young people, you need to listen to what we have to say. When I say listen, I don’t mean in one ear and out the other listening, I mean properly listening. You have to treat us with respect (this of course does go two ways), and take us as seriously as anyone else. Once we feel that we’re being listened to, and that something is actually being done about issues that effect us, you will start to see change! One thing young people do have more of then adults, is time. So, if we want a change to occur, and you want change to occur, with the right guidance and support, young people will help you move mountains.

A Brief Part Of Life.

~ Naomi ~ 1 Comment

Last week, the young boy who inspired me to start Escape The Frame (https://www.facebook.com/EscapeTheFrame) left my Beaver group to move to Cubs. It’s a necessary, but difficult transition. I think I found it more difficult then he did!

Looking back, it’s touching to see how much he’s grown and developed in the last year. A boy who used to hide under tables and refuse to join in, looked up at me with excited eyes and told me how much he was looking forward to going to Cubs. He then assured me that he had enjoyed Beavers and said thank you he’d had a good time. He looked me in the eyes as he said this.

I’ve loved working with him for the last year. It’s been challenging at times, there have been good evenings and bad evenings, but it’s great, now, to see him being so confident. I’ll miss him asking me for my camera every week and coming to sit on my knee but he’s growing up and moving on to bigger things now. (I have been informed that his uncle bought him a camera for Christmas, so I’m expecting to be invited to one of his showcases one day!)

He’s been a major part of my life for the past year or so. If I’ve been feeling rubbish, sometimes he’ll come out with something that’ll brighten me up. I’ve felt needed and wanted and have known that I’ve been making a difference. I hope he’s felt comfortable in my presence and I hope he will continue to grow and thrive. I don’t think that I will ever forget him or his smile. I doubt he’ll remember me in a few years, but you never know.

It’s amazing how people’s paths can cross for the briefest amount of time, yet they can make such an impact on each others lives… I think that’s a really big part of what volunteering’s all about.

8 Letters.

~ Naomi ~ Leave a comment

Thank you.

It’s the time of year when people look back on the past year, look forward to the next year and contemplate their lives. It’s also the time of year where people say thank you for things that you have done for them throughout the year. I have been lucky enough to receive some wonderful thank yous this year, in the form of gifts, cards, smiles, words and emails.

As much as I love what I do (and I really, really do), I often struggle with my confidence, frequently believing that I’m not doing ‘enough’ and what I do isn’t ‘good enough’. This can lead to me feeling fairly rubbish about myself! Already, volunteering has increased my confidence massively, but it is still something I’m working through. I find it incredibly touching when people thank me for my work. So much so that it can sometimes bring me to tears (in a good way!). It helps to validate what I’ve done and reassure me that I am making a positive difference, that is my main aim, so knowing that I have achieved this aim is incredibly important to me.

It is also incredibly nice to be recognised for the hard work that you put in. It makes you feel like people have noticed what you’re doing and appreciate it. When you’re sat at home, you should be in bed and you’re filling in yet more admin work, it can sometimes make you wonder why exactly you’re doing this. But, when you see the difference you make to those around you, and when people acknowledge the work you’ve put in, it makes it all worthwhile!

You will find that most volunteers enjoy what they do and you will also find that they tend to do it because it’s something they want to do and they want to give something back to the community. But that doesn’t mean that they don’t need thanking. They do. Something as simple as a card or a text can really bring a smile to your face! It doesn’t have to be a grand gesture! Two words can make the world of difference.

It’s lovely when people bring gifts at Christmas but it’s aso equally lovely when people thank you year-round. It is incredibly imprtant to thank your volunteers, their work is invaluble and believe me, you would notice if they weren’t there! It’s 8 letters. They don’t take long to say, but I can’t stress how much of a difference they can make.

8 Letters
2 Words
1 Thank you.

Homeless Not Hopeless!

~ Naomi ~ 1 Comment

So, Team V Leeds campaign 1 comes to a close. It’s been an absolute whirlwind with obstacles along the way, high points, low points and occasionally don’t-know-whether-to-laugh-or-cry points!

In numbers, we have gathered 190 signatures for the centrepoint petition to stop the government from cutting housing benefits for under 25s, we’ve had 65 sofa surfers, and raised £28.70 for Nightstop, Leeds. We organised our back up stunt in 3.5 days. We have gathered 108 followers on our Twitter and 85 on our Facebook.

So all in all, I’d say it’s been a success. But what have I learnt? What have I got out of it?

I fell into this campaign head first. When I say fell, I mean fell. I did not jump, I did not dive, it was not graceful, I tumbled and bumbled my way through, often feeling completely out of my depth, far too young, incredibly disorganised, and like I had no idea what I was doing! I found this an incredibly difficult position to be in. I am notorious for planning everything in my life to the second, yet here I was heading into 8 weeks of not knowing quite what was going to happen!

One of the first things I learnt, was that however much I glare at it, if I have a message on my phone it will not stop flashing until I deal with it! Getting used to being ‘on call’ was weird. I’ve lived in the stone age for the last 18 years of my life and all of a sudden, people were reporting to me, relying on me, looking to me for answers and expecting me to give them a sensible response! Emails stopped being the odd thing you fire off every now and again and are now a new form of oxygen. Phonecalls stopped being a once-in-a-blue-moon ocurance and started being an every day part of my life.

The second thing I learnt, is that although I may reply to emails at the speed of light, others don’t. Sometimes, you have to ring, text, email and facebook someone before your message will get through. Sometimes, even then it won’t get through (that’s when you tweet them!).

I faced so many challenges which I never dreamed I would encounter in the run-up to the stunt and event. Firstly, finding a cheap, sheltered meeting place on a weeknight in Leeds is apparently virtually impossible! Moving on, I always thought that charities would love support from a younger generation and would be grateful for any promotion that we could give them. Turns out this wasn’t true, although some were incredibly helpful, others were incredibly unhelpful and some didn’t even get back to us at all. I had to learn how to delegate. This was a huge learning curve for me, adapting my thinking accept an incredibly good result… that wasn’t quite what I’d pictured in my head!

When our first stunt had to be cut short due to weather conditions, I was absolutely gutted. We’d spent so much time and energy on everything and worked so hard. I don’t mind admitting that I got home, went to bed and cried with disappointment and frustration. We’d worked so hard, the weather had happened… and what did we have to show for it? I felt my confidence and optimism sinking. I didn’t want to reply to any emails or see what was going on online because I felt such a failure and like I’d let everyone down.

However… one of my wonderful volunteers sent round some emails and managed to book us a new pitch in a shopping centre for 4 days later! The four days were absolutely manic. We had to plan the new stunt, print new leaflets and spread the word again. We faced more obstacles that we weren’t expecting. A particularly memorable moment is when we were frantically texting, we’d finally found a sofa and could get next day delivery, but it needed signing for and we were all at work so wouldn’t be at home to sign for it! If we’d not had that sofa, our entire idea would have crashed and we’d be stuck. But Team V has taught me to think quickly and act fast. We managed to get the sofa delivered to my work place and all was well again!

The second stunt was amazing. We came into contact with a huge variety of people. I spoke to someone who’d been sofa surfing for 30 years. That just hit me so hard. 30 years with no home. What sort of a life is that?! We should not have that sort of situation in a civilised society. I heard stories of promising young talents who’d died from TB due to living on the streets. I heard from others who said that without housing benefits, they’d probably be in prison. I also heard some incredibly negative responses from people who were very set in their ways and were not listening to anyone else’s opinions. People who said that these people should ‘just get a job’ or that ‘under 25s aren’t important’. However, the thing which I think shocked me the most, was how many people told me they ‘didn’t have time’ to sign the petition or looked at us in disgust. I’m sorry, but how long does it take to write your name on a piece of paper?! Our society is so selfish and so rushed. If people don’t think that something concerns them, they often just walk on by.

The event tonight was brilliant, though not without it’s hiccups! (Don’t you just love technology!) We heard from a variety of people and saw some hopes and dreams of those who’ve experienced homelessness in the past. It was amazing for me to see that people from ‘real’ organisations had come to listen to us! It was a bit of a turning point for me, looking at what we’d managed to pull together as a team. At one point, I was looking around for someone to tell me what to do next when I realised that I was running the event! Very surreal. I hope that everyone was able to take something from sharing others stories and experiences. The feedback we got was very positive and hopefully we’ve managed to make a bit of a difference in the Leeds area!

During this campaign, I’ve learnt so many things. The practical things, such as how to add up a column on an excel document, manage a budget, write a cheque, use a phone and run a meeting, the personal things such as how to empathise with others, how to overcome disappointment and pick myself up again, and how to believe in myself enough to lead a team… and the downright bizarre things… for example, a hawaiin hula skirt quite suits me!