Last Thursday I was fortunate to be invited to attend a conference that outlined all the valuable work carried out by volunteers on behalf ofBarnardo’s and to learn where the money they raise is put to use. The warmth of the Barnardo’s staff and volunteers was immediately evident as soon as I arrived at the event.
Stephensons first started to work with Barnardo’s as part of the Free Will Scheme over 5 years ago and we continue to be part of this scheme through QualitySolicitors. Since then we have gone on to work with Barnardo’s on other initiatives as part of our voluntary partnership. The Free Will scheme and the legacies (gifts in Wills) left to Barnardo’s are a major source of income to the charity, so it was fantastic to see how those gifts are used and to hear more about the work done by volunteers “who are at the heart of Barnardo’s work”.
Samantha Howarth (community Fundraising Volunteer Manager for the NW) started the presentations off with some staggering facts about the charity’s work in the last year. Samantha asked us to think how many children, young people and families Barnardo’s had helped in the last year. In my head I went through what I thought would be a realistic figure and learnt that in fact it is far higher than I could have anticipated. It stands at 33,000 in the North West alone. Only later as the day went on did I truly start to get an idea of the depth and different types of ‘help’ this encompassed.
To deliver help to so many people, Barnardo’s are involved in 90 community based services, many of which centre on Young Carers, Homelessness and Child Exploitation. As a result they help the most vulnerable at a time when they are most in need and they continue to help them continuously to transform their lives. To ensure this work continues they have to raise £2 million a year and 95p in every £1 goes direct to help the children, young people and their families.
The work carried out by volunteers and the contribution they make is outstanding; it was touching to hear that 15,000 people in the UK volunteer on behalf of Barnardo’s every year and there are twice as many volunteers as there are staff. The charity simply could not reach and improve the lives of so many people without them.
We then heard from Addam – Merali- Hosiene (Retail Volunteer Manager North). Nearly every person will be aware of the Barnardo’s retail shops that exist across the country. What you are less likely to be aware of is that there are in fact 500 shops, staffed by volunteers giving over 40,000 hours a week of their time to assist in the raising of funds for the charity. It is vital that we continue to support these shops at a time when they face competition from discount brands with huge purchasing power.
The next talk by Donna Alexandra (Team Leader, Homelessness), both saddened and inspired me. Her talk really brought into clarity the absolute desperate situation some young people are facing. One of the saddest facts I heard that day was that a young person often arrives on the door of the Homelessness team on their 16th Birthday. In a young person’s life this should be a happy milestone to celebrate but to some it is a time of utter misery and uncertainty that no young person should face. They often come to Donna’s team on their birthday as a result of being pushed out of where they live, due to their parent’s no longer receiving benefits for them and if they cannot pay their way they are in effect asked to leave their home.
Some essential services have been set up in the field of homelessness. The first of which is a service called Crashpad. This is for young people who have completed their time in an offenders unit. When they come out of this unit, they are released without having any benefits in place and nowhere to live. Only once they are out can they present themselves as homeless. Barnardo’s set up Crashpad so they have somewhere to turn and the chance to start again. Donna explained that this service does not go far enough because a person can only stay for 28days and this is not really long enough for a person to get their benefits (can take 6- 8 weeks) and she believes it takes 1-2 years in a stable environment to allow a person to change.
We then heard about the kindness of members of the public that volunteer to offer Supported Lodgings to a homeless person. With the Supported Lodging scheme volunteers agree to have a young person in their home for 3 months – 2 years, providing them with a stable place to live and giving them guidance on life skills. Since running this scheme 3 people receiving supported lodgings have turned their lives around and are now attending university; a fantastic achievement.
Barnardo’s also run Night Stop in Preston and they are desperate for further volunteers. This involves having a homeless person stay in your home for 1 night. Volunteers provide that person with a warm drink, something to eat, a change of clothing, a bath or shower and a bed for the night. There is a 24 hour advice service for volunteers should they need any advice. The charity also provides a bag of toiletries to the person in need of lodging.
Jez Alcock (interim Deputy Director of Community Fundraising) provided an update on Barnardo’s work and campaigning on child sexual exploitation. The current campaign is called Cut them Free. Barnardo’s believe that with targeted policing they can help prevent the abuse and prosecute it when it occurs. On 15th November the public have the chance to elect the person who will lead the police force for the next four years. Up until then the candidates who are looking for your vote will want to hear about any local concerns you may have – for example about how children are kept safe. This is a fantastic opportunity to make sure that the police in your area are doing everything they should be to tackle child sexual exploitation. Take action now – email your candidates.
Marie Corran (Assistant Director of Children Services in Merseyside) spoke about the Action with Young Carers Service. Barnardo’s work with over 160 young people who are Carers a year. The Action with Young Carers Project was set up to support young carers living in Liverpool. Young carers are children and young people under the age of 18 years who provide care to another family member who has a physical illness/disability including mental ill health, sensory disability or has a problematic use of drugs or alcohol. The Young Carers take on the work and responsibilities normally performed by a Parent or other adult. The impact of doing so can have far ranging negative affects for that young person. They may not be able to attend school consistently or do the normal things that others their age do. Marie spoke of the challenges in this area and the importance of “thinking family”. She also went on to say that young carers do not grab the headlines and their work goes unnoticed. To help give these young people a childhood, Barnardo’s take a holistic approach involving many agencies and other groups.
Jenny Rivers then bravely told her story and explained how Barnardo’s had helped her as a Young Carer. Jenny started to Care for her mother at the age of 5 and her responsibilities as a Carer were extensive. She explained how Barnardo’s worked with agencies to enable her to attend school 2 days a week and take part in some activities by arranging home help. She summed up what Barnardo’s had done for her by saying “they give children the chance to be a child”. Jenny has shown tremendous courage and perseverance and is now helping other young Carers as a result of her work for the Action with Young Carers Service.
Finally we heard from Dylan Carroll, (Regional Development Officer, Gifts in Wills). He spoke about the importance of Gifts in Wills. He explained that legacies/ gifts left to Barnardo’s are the “lifeblood” of Barnardo’s. Without people remembering Barnardo’s in their Wills, the charity simply could not help all the children and families that they do every year. Almost half of all voluntary income every year comes from gifts in Wills. Leaving a legacy is not just for celebrities and the extremely wealthy. Anyone can do it and any amount can help Barnardo’s continue to support vulnerable children and their families. If you do not have a Will in place, please do consider the Barnardo’s Free Will Scheme.
It is virtually impossible to encapsulate all that Barnardo’s do, but it is abundantly clear that the money raised by volunteers is used to make a real difference.
By marketing manager and associate, Sarah Boustouller