Volunteering

Aspire aims to deliver the highest possible standards of person-centred care and support to adults, older people, young people and children and families in Scotland.  In Aspire, volunteers are a major resource and make a vital contribution to our aim outlined above. We intend to encourage, develop and support volunteer involvement in our work in which volunteers are already important stakeholders. In doing so we recognise that the roles of volunteers will complement and not replace the roles of paid employees. The time, energy and skills offered by our volunteers benefits our work and help us to achieve our aims. Experience has shown that volunteering also brings benefits to volunteers themselves and to those with whom they work.

In Aspire, a volunteer is understood to be a person who does voluntary work on our behalf. It is undertaken by choice and it is unpaid. Aspire undertakes to organise it effectively.

Aspire believes that our relationship with our volunteers is one of mutual responsibility and commitment, within which Aspire and our volunteers both have rights and responsibilities. We hope that volunteers will enjoy their involvement and gain from it in terms of their own personal objectives.

Aspire has a working relationship with New College Lanarkshire and Clyde College.

Aspire has supported students to obtain a range of Social Care Qualifications and our commitment is further recognised by our high employment rate of students who undertake placements with us.

Feedback received includes:

I got the opportunity to volunteer within Aspire. I found this quite difficult and challenging to begin with but with the help, support and guidance I received from the staff team, I overcame this. I started becoming more confident with myself. I built up great relationships with all of the staff team and was supported great. Through the various training opportunities, staff handover’s and the 1-1 support with the women, my self-esteem and confidence grew and grew.

I applied for a job and have been successful. I would never have been confident enough to do this if it wasn’t for the support, guidance and encouragement from the team at Belleisle. Since my time at Belleisle, two of the women I have assisted with supporting have moved on to long term treatment, one of whom is now abstinent and attending fellowship meetings. This for me is why I will continue to help people, it’s priceless. My life has completely transformed. I actually enjoy living it today and Belleisle House has been a massive part of my journey and I’ll be forever grateful.  [Peer Support volunteer, June 2019]