Vivien happy to help make a difference
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WHEN Vivien Rae began doing a few hours a month as an unpaid trustee with Home-Start Deveron, she had been largely motivated by the thought that it might help her career prospects.
More than two years on, she is well aware that she is also playing a key role in maintaining an important community service.
Through a team of volunteers, Home-Start Deveron (HSD), part of a national charity, offers invaluable support to families with at least one child under the age of five.
That can mean families "living in rural and social isolation" with any number of issues, including drug and alcohol abuse; domestic abuse; living with terminal illness; post-natal depression; children affected by disability; parents who are finding parenting a struggle, or simply those looking for friendship and support from a network of parents who understand the challenges of raising a family.
Does it work? Absolutely, according to these comments from those helped:
"Home Start has helped me through one of the toughest times in my life, and I can’t imagine how it would have been without them," according to a mum suffering from depression. "They gave me support, encouragement and reassurance."
"Home Start was my shining light at the end of what seemed to be a very long and dark tunnel," said another user of the service.
"Being told our child has cancer turned our world upside-down, and our emotions went into overdrive," said a third. "Without support from Home-Start Deveron, we would be finding this whole situation much harder."
Vivien, who has an honours degree in business and management and works full-time with Aberdeenshire Council, is certainly glad she became involved. "It has been great experience, networking with different people," she said.
"The benefits for me have been on many different levels. It is fulfilling to do something that is helping locally and making a positive difference in people’s lives.
"In these difficult economic times, I would also recommend it to those who are looking to enhance their employment prospects. Being involved in something like this sends out the right kind of message to an employer."
Home-Start Deveron serves Banff, Macduff, Huntly, Turriff, Aberchirder, Portsoy and surrounding areas.
With a full-time co-ordinator, a full-time family support worker and a part-time administrator, it offers toy libraries; stay and play groups; baby buddies groups (for parents with children aged under 18 months); ‘Twinkles’ (a group for parents with twins or more); baby massage classes; classes in cooking with confidence; parenting advice; financial guidance; one-to-one support and more.
In the wake of a recruitment programme, HSD has recently begun training additional volunteers to support families, but now needs more trustees, like Vivien, to join the existing board of trustees.
Trustees’ duties can include guiding the overall direction of HSD and management of funds.
"It is satisfying work," said Vivien, "and essential to Home-Start schemes being able to function and ensure that families and children get the support they need."
Anyone wanting more details on how to become a Home-Start Deveron trustee can contact chairwoman Fiona Mathers by email at: fiona@four-steps.co.uk, or by phoning Home-Start Deveron at its base in Strait Path, Banff, on 01261 819964.
