News, Volunteer Stories
Let’s talk about Kevin – Our Volunteer Manager
Let’s talk about Kevin!
As our volunteer Dennis (Meadows Walk, Reception) says,
‘Kevin is excellent at his job very enthusiastic, organising everything and everyone well and so easy to communicate with.’
We agree and thought it’s time to talk a bit more about Kevin…
In January 2021, whilst on garden leave from his previous job, Kevin decided to volunteer at the Grassmarket Community Centre and began teaching IT. He fell in love with the Grassmarket community, so when the Volunteer Coordinator role was advertised, he applied for it immediately. Kevin says that ‘he hasn’t looked back since’.
Kevin is now GCP’s Volunteer & Member Engagement Manager and his track record speaks for itself. When he started with GCP in early 2021, we had 15 individual volunteers, we now have over 150!
From the start, Kevin felt it was important to create a process to support volunteers. First, he meets interested people to understand their skills and expectations and then he tries to match these to vacant roles.
As volunteer Sophie (Arts and Craft) says,
‘Kevin tries hard to match your skills to the needs of the Members so that volunteers are happy too. You feel very supported volunteering at the Grassmarket, there is an organised induction and your queries are always answered’.
This support is demonstrated via ongoing individual 1 to 1 meetings, as well as training opportunities and legendary volunteer nights out such as our recent ten pin bowling night and our annual volunteer dinner, where staff serve the volunteers as a thank you for their support.
From individuals to big business
Kevin has really developed our Corporate Volunteers programme too. We enjoy building great relationships with companies like John Lewis, HSBC, Mettle and Expedia and we are VERY grateful for their support.
A team of 8 PwC lawyers were recently painting our rooms. PwC’s Katherine immediately praised Kevin,
‘Kevin is very passionate about the Grassmarket Community Project. He looked after us so well, checking we were okay. He really wanted us to enjoy ourselves too’.
Why Kevin really loves his job
‘I meet wonderful, unselfish people who are absolutely unbelievable in how they support our membership. People volunteer for many reasons and it’s a privilege to see people come out of their comfort zone and try something new and grow in confidence.’
Volunteers Week
For this year’s Volunteers Week, Kevin hosted a thank you dinner for GCP’s volunteers. This gave him the opportunity to speak from the heart,
You matter. You make a difference. Your amazing generosity has a profound and lasting impact on the members at the Grassmarket Community Project.
Your willingness to share both your time and your talent by volunteering with The Grassmarket says a lot about each of you. Your willingness to give selflessly to help others speaks to both your strength and the quality of your character.
When you volunteer, you are making a commitment to share the most precious of resources – your time – to make life better for those who are in need. It is the fact that you are willing to share your time and talent to lend a helping hand and to show kindness and caring that makes the greatest difference in the lives of the individuals who are touched by your generosity.
While I know that you choose to volunteer selflessly and without expectation of being recognised or rewarded, today I wish to do just that. I want to let you know just how much your dedication is appreciated and to make sure that everyone at the Grassmarket is forever grateful to each of you.
Whether you are a long-time volunteer or if you got involved fairly recently, and regardless of how many hours you choose to give, it is important for you to know that what you do makes a difference.
Words cannot adequately express the gratitude that I, and the board and staff of The Grassmarket Community Project wish to convey. Please know that your volunteerism is recognised, appreciated, valued and cherished. We thank you and look forward to continuing to work with you.
Thank you, Kevin
Kevin doesn’t just support the volunteers, everyone at the Grassmarket knows him. Most Members and staff have been helped by him in some way or another, and he still manages to find time to keep teaching IT!
As we are talking about Kevin, the final word goes to Perry, our Services Manager,
‘Everyone in this organisation looks up to Kevin and we are all supported massively by him. He’s always there offering help, cracking jokes and leading by example – whether that’s delivering IT classes, organising our Open Door meals or working with our partners.
‘Kevin has supported me in my role immensely since I started a year ago, and at the same time ensuring that our 150+ volunteers have the same high level of personal, practical and emotional support. Kevin is an incredible man, I hope he knows how highly we all think of him and his work!’
A HUGE BIG thank you, Kevin, from all the volunteers, members and staff at the Grassmarket Community Project.
Become a Volunteer
We would not be able to deliver the amazing support and services we provide to vulnerable people and social enterprise customers without our fantastic volunteers. By giving their time and talents, volunteers make a positive contribution to our members’ lives and ensure the continued success of our community.
The volunteer commitment varies depending on the role but can be as little as two hours a month. All our volunteers receive ongoing support and have access to free training throughout the year.
There are lots of opportunities for individuals to participate and join in! Everyone is welcome.
A BIG THANK YOU
The Grassmarket Community Project relies on the time and commitment of our volunteers. The Volunteer Programme is possible thanks to the generosity of our customers, funders and donors. Our main funder for this area of our work is The Big Lottery Changing Lives programme and we thank them for their essential continued support.