Volunteer Stories
Volunteer Stories: Meet Hailey
Volunteer Stories – meet Hailey
Hailey is a student, studying towards an MSc in Global Mental Health at University of Edinburgh. As part of her course, she did a placement for a term at GCP,
‘As soon as I came here, I knew I would have to come back and volunteer. There is such a family feeling here, so many different people and backgrounds and experiences, you can feel the members joy of being here.’
She adds,
‘We learn about community-based support on our course but its great seeing it in practise. Volunteering supports my learning too.’
Hailey now volunteers on the Young Members Programme, ‘Oot the Box’ which runs a varied timetable, visiting places of interest, learning life skills and working with partners such as Virgin Money on financial management,
‘I am even running the class next week on self-growth, which is exciting.’
Hailey also helps out at Open Door meals and ad hoc events. Furthermore, watch out… Hailey is hoping to join our storytelling team to share more of the exploits of our young members on our website and socials!
Originally from Florida, Hailey moved to Washington DC and has a background working with domestic and sex abuse survivors. In 2024, she came to study in Edinburgh and hopes to stay as long as she can. She loves exploring the city, hanging out with friends and even has time to work in hospitality.
She says of the Grassmarket Community Project,
‘This place will change your life. Sometimes I don’t even feel like a volunteer, I’m gaining as much as the members are. If you are having a bad day and feel no one is seeing you, people are so pleased to see you here.
‘You can escape from the pressure of life’s challenges and just be yourself.’
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.