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Tuesday, 06 October 2009 13:31 |
Kate came to Volunteer Centre Moray in September 2008 a little unsure about what she wanted to do but after speaking with our Youth Development Worker, she was on her way to Peek-a-Boo Crèche and Moray Arts Centre.
 Peek-a-Boo Crèche in Kinloss is a childcare service that offers activities working with children aged 4 months to 4 years in a purposely built building situated off the main camp.
Kate explains her typical day when she’s at Peek-a-Boo “I come in around 9.20am and help set up then as the kids come in at 9.30am I help them find something to do – whether it’s playing with Duplo or whatever else is out that day. We have snacks a little while later and I help get the kids settled at the table. After the snack it’s usually art time and then a physical activity like ‘the cars’ or ‘the hip hop lady’ who comes in on Thursdays. At the end we sing songs and read stories until the parents come”.
If that wasn’t enough excitement for one person, Kate also volunteers her time with Moray Art Centre in Findhorn.
Moray Art Centre is an organisation whose main aim is to increase public knowledge, awareness and appreciation of many forms of art. Kate explains “At the Art Centre I sometimes do some reception work, help with the tidying and whatever else needs doing”.
However, keeping her original interest of working with children, she volunteers with an internal project called ‘Wee Arts’. “On Tuesdays I help with a Wee Arts group that’s run for babies and toddlers and their parents”.
Kate decided to volunteer because she had just left school and didn’t want to waste the free time she was suddenly given. “I was on the internet when a pop up icon came up about volunteering so I decided to look into it. I found the Volunteer Scotland website that allowed me to filter volunteer options to only show ones that were in my area. I could also choose what sort of thing I wanted to do – like working with children and working with art so this is what I did”. Kate has found that volunteering has benefited her otherwise she would have had ‘a very boring and anti-social year’.
“It has also boosted my confidence because it makes me feel like I’m doing something for the rest of the world and that I am needed”.
It has inspired her to consider enrolling in a college to look at doing childcare as a future career. “I think it’s especially good for people my age as it lets you try out things you weren’t sure of before and also it’s really good for your CV!”
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Kate Stuart
