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'We are lucky to have great volunteers' - West End-based charity wins top award

Cancer Support Scotland wins a national hallmark for excellence in how volunteers working for an organisation are inspired and managed.

A West End-based charity, Cancer Support Scotland, has received a top award in recognition of its volunteering scheme.

Volunteer Glasgow presented the charity with the Volunteer Friendly Award, a national hallmark for excellence in how volunteers working for an organisation are inspired and managed.

Volunteering at Cancer Support Scotland last year rose to 14,287 hours, an increase of almost 6% from 13,510 hours the previous year.

 Scheme: Volunteer hours have been rising at the cancer charity.
Scheme: Volunteer hours have been rising at the cancer charity.

Colin Graham, chief executive of the charity which is based on the Gartnaval campus, said: “This is a nationally recognised quality standard requiring lots of time and effort to achieve.

"It marks out Cancer Support Scotland as an excellent destination for those who want to freely give their time to help others.”

Volunteers at Cancer Support Scotland’s headquarters in Glasgow provide one-to-one counselling to people affected by cancer, including their families and carers.

Specialist training

The centre also provides a range of complementary therapies including aromatherapy, reflexology, reiki, guided visualisation and stress management techniques.

The volunteers, who are all given specialist training, also help provide outreach services at eight libraries in Glasgow, two in Edinburgh, two in West Lothian, two on the Isle of Bute and one in Johnstone.

Volunteer Co-ordinator Grant Aitchison said: “We’re very lucky to have such an incredible team of volunteers and I hope achieving the Volunteer Friendly Award highlights how important our volunteers are to Cancer Support Scotland.

Being able to come in to work every day and see the enthusiasm and commitment each of our volunteers is inspiring and it’s great knowing that we’re doing everything we can to support them in their roles.

 

“Without the skills, dedication and passion of our volunteers we simply wouldn’t be able to help the number of people we do.

 

“We have more than 200 volunteers and each one plays a vital part in our organisation.”

Vital role

Colin added: “Volunteers play a vital role within the charity and without them it would be much more difficult to deliver all our services.

“We would be delighted to hear from volunteers who can support us by using their existing skills as therapists, administrators, fund-raisers or in any other way they think they can help.”

* Anyone wanting to join the volunteers at Cancer Support Scotland should call 0141 337 8199 or visit www.cancersupportscotland.org

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