News, Volunteer Stories
Volunteer Stories: Meet Brooke
Volunteer Stories – meet Brooke
Brooke is doing a 10 week volunteering placement with GCP and we are delighted to have her on board.
Currently in her 2nd year of her Social Work degree at Edinburgh University, Brooke initially started volunteering with Open Door Meals. She then heard more about GCP from one of her lecturers.
We are lucky to have Brooke as a volunteer, supporting our Young Members Programme. We really welcome her enthusiasm, fresh perspective and, of course, her love of community!
We were interested to find out more about Brooke and why she loves volunteering with GCP.
Fresh perspectives
When she’s not studying and volunteering with GCP, Brooke also works with a Social Work team in her home town of Hawick. Inspired by her experience with GCP, she is keen to take what she’s learned and explore what community support could look like in the more rural areas of the Scottish Borders.
‘I think it’s amazing at GCP, the way it works, how different people are brought together as a community. It really gives a perspective on your own life. I know I’m an empathetic person, but GCP has opened my eyes even more!’
‘I’ve had experience of working in different social work environments, including with families and young people. But at GCP, it’s all ages and I enjoy that. It’s amazing how everyone feels welcome.’
The strength of community
When it comes to supporting GCP’s Young Members Programme, Brooke enjoys our workshop-based approach, which is often arts and crafts-based,
‘It works well as it’s led by the young members and each individual has a choice on how much they participate. It’s not at all patronising as the group works together.
‘I think this works particularly well for the young women in the group. They feel they are not alone in their battles. A strong community is good for women empowerment.’
Talking of which
For Brooke, she finds inspiration working as a team, alongside her older female colleagues in Hawick,
‘They’ve taught me a lot, especially about the role of empathy and compassion. These are the rewards of the job!’
Thank you, Brooke for sharing your story. This month, we are celebrating the inspiring women of GCP and you are very much one of them!
Become a Volunteer
We would not be able to deliver GCP’s amazing support and services to vulnerable people and social enterprise customers without our fantastic volunteers.
There are lots of opportunities for individuals to participate and join in! Everyone is welcome.
The volunteer commitment varies depending on the role, but can be as little as two hours a month. All volunteers receive ongoing support and have access to free training.
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.