Charity gives service awards
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Advocacy North East (ANE) staff and volunteers work with a range of adults who can find it difficult to express their views and to access relevant help and information.
At their AGM some of the longest serving volunteers who have contributed either five or ten years in the service were presented with awards.
Volunteer Marion Rothwell, New Byth, Turriff, who has been a volunteer for 10 years got presented with award.
She said: “It is very rewarding.
“It is really interesting and often presents new challenges.
“If everything goes well and you have supported the client to have their voice heard and achieve their goals it is very satisfying.
"It makes both you and the client feel great”.
She added that it was good to be able to help people and to encourage clients to find the confidence to be able to help themselves.
“It is good to know that through Advocacy North East people are being listened to and their views taken into account”.
Started in 2000 , ANE is based at Blairdaff, near Kemnay, and provides independent advocacy to adult users of health and social care services throughout Aberdeenshire.
Advocates support and enable adults who due to a learning disability, mental illness or disorder such as dementia, may find it difficult to access information, express their views or assert their rights in matters relating to their health and care.
The service provided by ANE is commissioned by Aberdeenshire Council and also extends to Aberdeenshire residents who may be receiving in-patient care at the Royal Cornhill Hospital in Aberdeen.
Independent advocacy is also provided for informal carers.
Polly Patrick, managing director of ANE said, “We are an established voluntary, charitable organisation which has been working in the local community for 19 years.
" Our experience of delivering high quality independent advocacy via our trained professional staff and volunteer community advocates is second to none”.
She went on to say that ANE is proud to be a full member of the Scottish Independent Advocacy Alliance (SIAA) and as such works to the principles, standards and codes of conduct of the professional body.
She added that ANE has always been a volunteer friendly organisation and has always committed time to training and supporting volunteers which has resulted in the organisation being awarded the Volunteer Friendly Award from Aberdeenshire Voluntary Action (AVA).
“We have a dedicated member of staff whose job it is to meet with volunteers regularly and to be a point of contact with them,” said Ms Patrick.
“We are grateful to our volunteers for giving us their time and expertise and I know they find volunteering with us very rewarding”.
In the past year 456 people have been supported by the organisation. Advocates sometimes need to meet with clients several times to work through issues and may have to contact relevant organisations and perhaps attend meetings on their behalf. Sometimes it can take several months to achieve an outcome and sometimes only a couple of weeks.
The long service awards are for volunteer (community) advocates and board members, who are also volunteers.
Ten Year Awards: Anne Scott, Ellon, Sheila Cameron, Oldmeldrum, Marion Rothwell, New Byth, Turriff
Five Year Awards: Lorna Paterson, Turriff and Sheila Gray, Methlick.
For more information about becoming a volunteer or about accessing the service provided by ANE or a presentation on their work then contact: 01467 651604 or email: admin@advocacy.org.uk or visit advocacyne.org.uk.
