Change, it is such a multi-use word. It can relate to tyres, the weather, our respective moods or the country. It is a word that has been doing a lot of heavy lifting in the UK media over the last year and is lined up for a lot more use for the rest of the year. Change is dramatic quite alot of the time, pandemics, cost of living etc. At times volunteering might seem like pushing a stone up a mountain with your nose sometimes.
If we have learnt anything from the history of the last 17 years, it is surely that dramatic change comes at you whether you asked for it or not! The question for the Voluntary Sector, and those whose commitment to helping see positive change in others circumstances remains absolute, is how we ensure that we can be the change we want to see? One way is to keep a calm level head as the change whirls around us. The clients and communities we serve will not get any benefit if we over-stress the change. Take a deep breath and let the “zen” be your centering point.
Whether it is promoting and inspiring or strengthening the diversity of contribution, we cannot be static just because May’s local election results looked like a step backwards. Whether for national campaigning groups, service delivery organisations, mutual aid or every town, villages, suburban entities, the need for those at the cutting edges, areas largely vacated by public services, to be the force for positive change is paramount. The experience of volunteers, seeing the reality of people’s lives, is what really matters and can bring calm to troubled waters and influence wider, better, change.
Covid and the Cost of Living Crisis opened eyes to how vital the on the ground capacity of volunteering and volunteers is. With that comes power and responsibility. We have a responsibility here, should others spoken good intentions turn into positive action or not, to ensure we approach all situations with a calm continuation of our vital work. We are serious people in serious times and that seriousness is our power in times of unease.
In a world where the loudest voice is not always the most perceptive or productive and where attention spans can be short, it is imperative that our individual and collective experience helps shape the future and ensures any substantive change is helpful. Volunteering is the quickest and most effective way to bring positive change. Whether it is just small scale or the first step in a thousand-mile march, our contribution is the change that is needed everywhere. Politicians may panic at the slight of one poll but we, the people, the contributors on the ground, the community, remain the calm, zen-like, rock on which those in need cling. National Volunteers Week is not just a celebration of volunteering, it is a light into a reality. Without our calmness the consequences of ill-thought-out change would be worse.
Green tea anyone?
Volunteer Development Coordinator, Volunteering Kingston.