MSP Stewart Stevenson urges people to volunteer at their local Barnardo’s shop over the busy Christmas period.

MSP Stewart Stevenson will be helping out at Barnardo’s shop at 47 Marichal Street, Peterhead on Make a Difference Day (October 28th) in a bid to encourage more people to consider volunteering with the children’s charity.

The MSP for Banff and Buchan will give up an hour of his time at the shop in Marichal Street where he will be helping with activities like serving customers and preparing stock for sale. Stewart is supporting Barnardo’s Scotland’s latest appeal for more volunteers for its shops over the busy Christmas period.

Stewart Stevenson and Barnardo’s Scotland are encouraging people to give volunteering a try in one of its shops on Make a Difference Day. Tasks could include preparing the stock for sale, displaying it on the shop floor and helping customers, while creative types might enjoy window dressing.

Stewart Stevenson said: “I am delighted to have the privilege of volunteering at Barnardo’s shop in Peterhead and am very much looking forward to helping out with various tasks. Volunteering is a wonderful way of giving something back to the community and is also an opportunity for people to learn new skills. I would very much like to encourage people in Aberdeenshire to consider volunteering at their local Barnardo’s shop, particularly over the busy Christmas period when they could really do with extra help, even if its just a few hours a week. All you have to do is pop into your local shop and find out more."

Angela Sulo, who is the Area Business Manager, said: “We would very much like to thank Stewart Stevenson for taking the time to help us at one of our shops on Make a Difference Day and for supporting our Christmas volunteer recruitment campaign. Volunteers are the lifeblood of our shops and we simply couldn’t exist without them. Many of our volunteers find volunteering a rewarding experience as well as helping them to develop news skills.”

To find out more about volunteering, please contact Alison McLaughlin, Barnardo’s Scotland’s Volunteering Development Manager on telephone 0131 334 9893. Details of the latest volunteer vacancies, which include fundraising opportunities and a chance to work directly with children, are on Barnardo’s website www.barnardos.org.uk/volunteering.

Local shops are:

* 22/23 Castle Street, Aberdeen
* 200 Union Street, Aberdeen
* 34 St Andrews Street, Aberdeen – furniture shop
* 47 Marischal Street, Peterhead

Note:

Over 30 MSPs across Scotland are volunteering in Barnardo’s shops on Make a Difference Day on Saturday, October 28th, 2006 by volunteering in their local shop.

Make a Difference Day is the flagship campaign for Community Service Volunteers (CSV), the UK’s largest volunteering organisation. The scheme is the UK’s biggest day of ‘hands-on’ volunteering and the only campaign that asks people to give time, not money.

Barnardo’s in Scotland works directly with more than 13,000 children, young people and their families in over 60 projects across the country. This includes work with children affected by today’s most urgent issues: poverty, homelessness, disability, bereavement and abuse. Barnardo’s vision is that the lives of children and young people should be free from poverty, abuse and discrimination. Its purpose is to help the most vulnerable children and young people transform their lives and fulfil their potential.
Categories [Education and Young People]