This week, 1-7 June is Volunteers Week, and Christian Aid is keen to relate the story of one of its volunteers in an effort to get more people to put themselves forward to help them and other third sector bodies.
Arts writer, David White has given up some of his free time for the last two decades to help the international development agency. He is a church representative at Reid Memorial Church which recently united with Marchmont St Giles Parish Church and is now known as Blackford & the Grange Parish Church.
David said: “I first heard about Christian Aid in the 1990s and remember the slogan ‘We believe in life before death’.
“Our church had been holding a Christian Aid Week appeal since before I started going there, and after I joined its World Church Committee the vacancy of Christian Aid representative came up, and I volunteered as I wanted to offer something to support the world’s poorest people.
“I’m never alone in doing it – plenty of people help to make it work, and it’s for a short burst, once a year, so it doesn’t put a squeeze on other voluntary duties. These can dovetail quite well – for instance, editing and designing the church magazine, I’ve always made plenty of space for the Christian Aid Week appeal, reporting about it afterwards and thanking readers.
“This year has been special as Christian Aid Week came early in the life of our newly-united congregation of Blackford and Grange Parish Church in Edinburgh. The former congregations (Reid Memorial and Marchmont St Giles’) had both supported Christian Aid over the years, and we were joined by the nearby Church of the German-speaking Congregation, and folk from Morningside United, in a special Christian Aid Week launch service. This included a video screening, special readings and a short speech from me, followed by a soup lunch.
“The poorest people on earth always have the odds stacked against them, experiencing multiple setbacks associated with climate change, conflict, debt and lack of infrastructure, while it seems richer countries turn their backs on them. Volunteering can make a vital difference in helping Christian Aid and its partner organisations offer hope where there wasn’t any before.”
Senior Volunteering Officer, Ian Hind, said supporters are the backbone of Christian Aid’s mission to end poverty. He explained the ‘unwavering dedication and commitment’ of volunteers is vital to the charity’s work, adding: “It’s been well documented that giving your time to a charity can benefit you in many ways, as well as the organisation – from finding new skills to finding new friends, and improving your confidence to improving your mental health.
“Our volunteers are a dedicated and talented group of people in all kinds of roles such as fundraising, festivals and school speaking. The time they give makes a real difference in the Christian Aid movement for a better world and we’d be delighted to have more people sign up and be a part of something truly inspiring.”
If you would like to find out more about the variety of volunteer roles with Christian Aid, visit the website https://www.christianaid.org.uk/get-involved/volunteer and email [email protected] with queries.
