Time to give back

from Teachers' Resource Spring / Summer 2023

A LITTLE SUPPORT for a big difference

As summer approaches followed by a new school year, you could use your skills to improve the lives of your pupils and people in your local community

Your well-deserved time off is getting closer and when the summer holidays arrive, you will have the chance to relax, de-stress or maybe go on a holiday. Once you have been able to de-compress and spend time with your friends and family, you might be searching for other ways to fill your summer break, helping you to keep to a routine or to benefit those around you.

There are plenty of opportunities to get involved within the community, or you might want to give back to the people in your school when you return to the classroom in August. Remember, only give the time that you can afford to without compromising your mental, physical and financial health.

For The Summer

As the cost of living crisis continues to affect families all over the country, skilled volunteers are more in demand than ever before, and in all areas of society. Between 1 April and 30 September 2022, the Trussell Trust gave out more than 116,370 emergency food parcels in Scotland alone.

There are opportunities across the country in community foodbanks, warm banks, with people experiencing homelessness, and in supporting the wellbeing of others. You could also help by volunteering or fundraising for a local charity or organisation who need extra support during this time to ensure they can continue to help the local community. Asking people you know from local organisations is a great place to start, or you can search for opportunities online using tools like Volunteer Scotland (www.volunteerscotland. net) and Volunteering Matters (www. volunteeringmatters.org.uk).

At a time of global turmoil, Scotland is a safe haven for many refugees. Organisations like Refuweegee in Glasgow (www.refuweegee.co.uk) and the Scottish Refugee Council (www.scottishrefugeecouncil.org.uk) need people to volunteer their time in order to continue providing support. You could dedicate your time specifically to helping young people affected by things like the cost of living crisis. Initiatives like Club 365 in North Lanarkshire and Glasgow City Council’s Children’s Holiday Food Programme help children and young people access free, nutritious meals during the school holidays.

Volunteering opportunities stretch further than these current issues: you could combine them with your interests, too. The National Trust for Scotland (www.nts.org.uk) is always recruiting volunteers to protect Scotland’s heritage, or if you have a love of animals, you could volunteer with the Scottish SPCA (www. scottishspca.org).

As a teacher, you already have the skills and disclosure checks necessary to get involved with young people’s groups outside of the school. You could become involved with your local Girlguiding (www.girlguiding.org.uk) or Scouts (www.scouts.org.uk) group, or check if there are any summer programmes who need volunteers in your area.

At Your School

Your return to school in August is a chance to support pupils outside of the classroom by getting involved with other projects in the school community. This could be as simple as setting up an after-school study session once a week, or you could dedicate time each day to helping with your school’s breakfast club if you want to better connect with pupils before the school day begins.

Like clubs in the community, getting involved with extra-curriculars is a great way to combine your interests with giving back to the young people around you. You could help to coach an existing club or speak to school management about launching a new one that suits your availability and skillset. This is a great way to give pupils more free opportunities to get active and learn, but it also gives you the chance to get to know them and how they learn better, in turn helping in the classroom.

Volunteering within your school community doesn’t have to be regular: you could offer your time during the busier periods of year when pupils require extra support, like during exams, over the festive season or during periods of staff absence.

In The Classroom

Armed with your own experiences of volunteering, you can highlight how beneficial this can be for pupils. Young people always need more ways to improve their personal statement or CV, and giving back is a great way for them to gain experience, learn new skills, and to network with people in the community.

You could build this into a lesson plan, or simply suggest different resources to young people and explain why volunteering could help them in their future. Organisations like YouthLink Scotland (www.youthlinkscotland. org) and Youth Employment UK (www. youthemployment.org.uk) showcase opportunities suited to young people and can also offer guidance on why they should spend time volunteering.

Discover more volunteering opportunities with the NHS (www.careers.nhs.scot), in Scotland’s museums (www.nms.ac.uk) and in conservation (www.historicenvironment.scot).

90kg Rice