Celebrating 25 years of Volunteering in Fife!

During Volunteers’ Week staff from voluntary groups, charities, NHS, Fife Council, schools and volunteers came out in force to celebrate 25 years of volunteering in Fife! Volunteers’ Week is a national celebration of volunteers and volunteering, which takes place from
1 – 7th June each year. This year it reached its 25th Anniversary and to mark the occasion Volunteer Centre Fife celebrated 25 years of volunteering in Fife!

Over 100 people attended the event and were amazed by the breadth of volunteering that takes places in Fife and the amazing commitment demonstrated by all involved.

Participants viewing examples of volunteering opportunities

Lindsay Roy MP

Lindsay Roy MP opened the event by highlighting the huge contribution made by volunteers to the quality of life of so many people in Fife. He congratulated all concerned for their outstanding dedication and commended the volunteers for the displays which had been set up to celebrate this important milestone for Volunteers in Fife.

Entertainment was provided that afternoon by the Funrazers (a voluntary group who have so far raised £41,342 for good causes through singing!) as well as hearing about many other groups and from volunteers.

The enthusiasm and dedication of young people was very apparent during the event which bodes well for the next 25 years! Pupils from Inverkeithing High School demonstrated their volunteering through a presentation and DVDs which takes place in the school environment and the wider community. Fairway Fife showed a DVD of their mentoring project where young people with learning disabilities are supported to lead a more socially fulfilling lifestyle with the support of young people. In addition, a young volunteer from Active Schools talked about the benefits volunteering brought to her in terms of work experience and increased confidence illustrated the two way benefits of volunteering.

A talk was also given by St Andrew’s First Aid describing how their work has developed and expanded over the years due to the dedication of volunteers. Chernobyl Children Lifeline was an amazing example of how people in Fife can support those abroad. The Dunfermline and West Fife link alone has helped 100 children who are suffering the effects of the Chernobyl Nuclear Disaster.

These are only some of the amazing organisations that exist in Fife – many others brought along displays and information on their organisations.

Hearing Dogs for the Deaf

To find out more about volunteering in Fife please contact your local
Volunteer Centre. We can support organisations to capture the enthusiasm and dedication of potential volunteers as well as helping people find the right volunteering opportunity for them. In another 25 years we’ll hopefully be celebrating even more volunteering in Fife!