Aberlour celebrates volunteering success
Scotland’s leading children’s charity Aberlour is marking Volunteers Week (June 1-7) with the announcement of its brand new Investing in Volunteers (IiV) status.
The award, which is the UK quality standard for good practice in volunteer management, was made following a detailed assessment process at the charity, which has around 40 services for children and young people across Scotland.
The charity was shortlisted for a further prize this week as part of the Fife Voluntary Action awards to celebrate the work of the voluntary sector.
It was nominated in the category for ‘super start up’ for its LifeWorks – Fife project, which sees volunteer mentors providing support for young people leaving care.
Aberlour has more than 200 volunteers, with further roles including mentors who support young people affected by parental drug or alcohol use, befrienders who provide positive role models for children who have experienced trauma, and family support volunteers who help parents with learning difficulties to develop their skills and confidence.
In addition, the charity also recruits community and events fundraising volunteers, who help by giving up their time to raise funds in the community.
Aberlour Chief Executive SallyAnn Kelly said: “We are extremely pleased to have been recognised for our good practice in recruiting and managing volunteers, and we are very proud of our new Investing in Volunteers status.
“Volunteers are so important to Aberlour, as they bring huge amounts of commitment and passion, and they help us reach more children, young people and their families across the country.
“We look forward to continuing to work with our much-valued volunteers, and hope to recruit more through 2015.”
A spokesperson for IiV said: “The assessors who worked with Aberlour, interviewing volunteers and staff during the assessment phase, were impressed by the commitment of volunteers and the way they described their volunteering experience.
“It was clear that volunteers felt valued and supported, and that they were getting a lot out of their volunteering. Staff working with volunteers seemed to fully understand why it’s so important to do things properly, and there was a feeling that volunteers and their time and effort are genuinely valued.
“Volunteer Scotland is delighted to be able to add Aberlour to the list of IiV achievers, recognising their commitment to volunteering and to ensuring an excellent volunteering experience for all.”
The achievements come as Aberlour celebrates its 140th anniversary, having started life as an orphanage in Speyside in 1875.
Today, Aberlour continues to provide residential care for children, among a range of other services including respite homes for children with disabilities, youth projects for young people living in areas of high deprivation and crime, and support for families experiencing problems associated with drug or alcohol use.
To find out more about becoming an Aberlour volunteer, visit www.aberlour.org.uk/volunteer.
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