An Interview with NSPCC Volunteers

1 June marks the start of Volunteers' Week, a national celebration of the contribution millions of people make across the UK through volunteering in their communities. As part of our celebrations here at the Gateshead Volunteer Centre, we're showcasing some of our amazing local volunteers and asking them what inspires them about volunteering.

In this interview, volunteer coordinator Alison Fisher brought together five members of the regional volunteer team for the NSPCC Schools Service. John, Kate C, Kate H, Patricia and Barbara have all volunteered with NSPCC since well before the pandemic, and what follows is their discussion around their volunteer role.

NSPCC Schools Service volunteers deliver the Speak Out, Stay Safe programme. This involves virtual assemblies and follow-on resources, as well as workshops in primary schools that teach children about the different types of abuse and how they can speak out and stay safe.

If you would like to find out more about volunteering for the NSPCC visit their website.

What inspired you to volunteer for the NSPCC?

Patricia: “I started 12 years ago this year and it just seems to have flown by. As soon as I retired, I thought I want to do something for the NSPCC. I’ve done many jobs in the civil service, including Visiting Officer for Social Security, and I was always impressed with the NSPCC. Whenever I was in doubt I contacted them. In my day there was no one to listen to you, so it’s a privilege to be able to do anything to be able to protect children now.”

Barbara: “My mum used to organise the annual NSPCC fundraiser in my village when I was a child, so when I was about seven or eight I started helping her with that. She had a group of volunteers she knew through church, and we worked in teams and then I’d help count the money afterwards. Like Patricia, once I retired I knew I wanted to do some voluntary work.

“By chance I saw the advert in the Chronicle that advertised the service, and I followed it up with the volunteer coordinator. Anything you can do to support children is really important, and I’ve never regretted it since I started.”

Kate H: “I had left my full-time job and I called it ‘moving on’ not retiring, I didn’t want to give up using my professional skills. I’ve been involved in education in a number of different roles all my working life, so I was keen to use those in a voluntary capacity. At the time I was employed by UNICEF, in support of Rights Respecting school awards scheme, and a colleague there alerted me to this role. That was how I got to know about it, and I had enough time in my life to take on board another role. I’m very pleased I did, because it’s helping children who are quite vulnerable, and it promotes one or two aspects of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child which you know I’m very committed to.”

John: “I joined NSPCC in 2014, having gone part time in my job as a solicitor. In that job I had no connection with children or young people, but by then I was reading in a local primary school, for which I’m now chair of governors. That school is in the bottom 1% in terms of deprivation of schools in the country, and that gives you an insight into the lives of some of the children. One of my colleagues at work was already a volunteer, and she suggested that I might like to join the role, which I definitely did.”

Kate C: “I started volunteering after leaving my children’s social work job. I wanted to do something that was working with children directly that could help keep children safe. But the main reason I volunteer is a personal one - I was never brave enough to speak out about things that were not okay at home when I was growing up. When I was primary school age, I just thought things were normal and that things were my fault. So, I want children to know what is okay and what isn’t and to know that it is okay to speak out to stay safe.”

Why have you stayed with the service?

Kate H: “I think really two reasons, firstly that it is really good to get into schools and talk to children about abuse and try to make sure that they can recognise it, and what to do about it. The second reason is being part of a very well led team, that has played a big part for me. Having team meetings, learning about what NSPCC is doing, feeling very well supported. It’s all been very positive.”

John: “I have enjoyed it so much, is the honest answer. However often you present the material, and the same script, it never feels the same to me because the children’s reactions are never the same, you have to be very conscious of what the children are saying. You may have to deal with some things the children say, not necessarily safeguarding concerns, but just because sometimes the children say challenging things. So I enjoy it not only for the reasons Kate has given, but because it is a constantly changing and challenging experience.”

Patricia: “Having been a manager of IT systems all my life, it’s lovely to be amongst young people who are just starting out in life, and hopefully you can make a difference to them. I enjoy it, I get a sense of fulfilment, I feel as if I’ve done something worthwhile. Also, the training and support is tremendous, it helps you to be a better mother and grandmother too!”

Kate C: “We chip in with each other in the workshops, no one is judgemental, everyone is really accepting of each other and helps which is great. It doesn’t feel like you’re volunteering, I know that might seem strange to say but it doesn’t, you go into schools and you are treated like a professional, it feels like you’re doing something positive.”

Patricia: “I just want to add, I feel as if we are a family, we all have the same sort of mindset, it’s like a second family, what a brilliant group of people. I’ve got some fantastic friends from the service.”

What have you seen change in your time at the NSPCC? Both in relation to the pandemic, and over your time volunteering.

Patricia: “We’ve had a lot of students come through, which is great for them going on to become parents and grandparents, and they have the benefit of all that training.”

John: “After the pandemic, the NSPCC might have been in the position where they had to start again, and this hasn’t happened because we are all still involved.”

Kate C: “We didn’t use to do Key Stage 1 assemblies for younger children, and they were very different and took a while to get used to, but that was really good and we all adapted to it. And we changed how we delivered some of the material too, using animation for example, which is absolutely fantastic.”

Barbara: “What the NSPCC has done is regularly review the content, making sure it is relevant, and they do seem to take on board volunteer feedback around what is and isn’t working.”

Patricia: “We are refining and seeing what does and doesn’t work. I worried about costs when we had to throw away out of date resources as I know how much effort goes into raising funds, but it’s really good we keep reviewing things and updating.”

Kate H: “I thought it was really good that the volunteer coordinator kept us together with online workshops and seminars during the pandemic, with different people contributing and presenting. I know we’ve lost volunteers, but the get togethers were really good as it helped some of us hang in there.

Certainly, for someone like me who lives alone, and I’ve lots of friends, but to keep up some professional connections was really good.”

Patricia: “Sometimes the meetings would include an NSPCC expert who would teach us something. The opportunity during the pandemic was to help Childline. During the pandemic the NSPCC got the infrastructure secure enough to be able to do some of this work from home, and that makes me feel a more rounded volunteer as I’ve a lot more knowledge to draw on.”

What would you say to someone thinking of volunteering, or volunteering for the NSPCC?

Patricia: “Every single one of us is responsible for keeping children and young adults safe, so by joining the NSPCC, you get brilliant training to enable you to do that. You can enjoy it, it isn’t a chore, you feel as if you’re doing something really worthwhile. There is also the camaraderie, we are all aiming for the same thing, it bonds people. To me it’s something that can fulfil you.”

Barbara: “It’s also a very flexible programme, you can fit it around your lifestyle. I think it differs from many volunteer opportunities, I like the flexibility of it.”

Kate H: “It is really good that signing up to visits is flexible, but it is best if you can give a reasonable amount of time.”  

John: “This particular role is one which is both engaging and with which you must engage. It’s not simply a question of reciting the script, you have to be aware of what the children are saying and be observant about how the children are behaving. You have to be conscious of and engaged with the interaction with the children, and the teaching staff.”

Kate C: “I think if someone isn’t sure, you’ve just got to try it. It’s very different when you’re out there in schools, you just have to try it and see what you think. You might have an idea it will be one way, but when you get started it could be completely different, you never know in life unless you try something.”

• If you would like to find out more about volunteering for the NSPCC, click here
• If you are looking for volunteering opportunities across Gateshead, take a look at Ways to help | OurGateshead
• For general advice and guidance on all things volunteering you can contact Gateshead volunteer Centre at volunteering@connectedvoice.org.uk