By Isle of Wight Observer
Well, I’ve certainly led a busy and very varied life, both in the UK and abroad, and when I finally moved to the Isle of Wight, in late 2018, I thought I’d settle quietly and enjoy a whole new future of chilled out retirement-style living. Well, that hasn’t gone according to plan at all!!
Which I think is possibly one of the nicest sides of Island life – that you can definitely do nothing very much, but my goodness it’s very easy to discover a lot of involving, and worthwhile things to do! Volunteering is alive and kicking here, and many would say it is the backbone of the Island.
I got into youth work. I was recruited as a volunteer by Barbara Creed, in 2019, to teach teenagers to cook at Brading Youth Club. And that was the start of an entirely new and unexpected chapter of my life.
Brading Youth Club is run by a charity, called the Brading Community Partnership (BCP), which was formed specifically to rescue the decades old club in Brading, and the old school building from extinction due to IW Council cut backs [in 2018]. The trustees also subsequently refurbished the building’s kitchen and the community cafe was born, which now provides a welcoming space for varied community groups, activities and services.
I became a trustee of the charity in 2021, and ran their first Holiday Activities & Food (HAF) holiday club. It was a steep learning curve, but unimaginably worthwhile. Working with young people isn’t always easy, but that is overwhelmingly outweighed by the unadulterated pleasure of seeing children blossom and thrive. So many children cope with a wide range of challenges, whether that be physical or mental health issues, loneliness, bereavement, bullying – those lacking any confidence, or with no feeling of self worth. It’s wonderful to watch them grow and thrive, making friends, playing, perhaps clambering up a climbing wall, or paddle boarding for the first time, enjoying laughter and fun, making friends.
You can see the horizons in their minds opening to the world of possibilities and it is a joyous thing to behold. That first HAF project also expand’ed our own thinking at the BCP to widen ouryYouth provision. We introduced a Non-Contact Boxing Club, and increased the scope of our Duke of Edinburgh Scheme delivery. We took a lease on a meadow nearby, which allows us to run a wider range of summer activities, grow vegetables, embrace nature, teach woodland crafts, and animal husbandry skills. Our ‘My Plot’ vegetable growing scheme now touches some 450 children each year, across our own provision and local schools, with volunteers providing nearly 500 young plants.
The journey we make from childhood to adulthood is probably the most important we make as human beings. It won’t, of course, change everything that follows, but it does structure how we are equipped as people to deal with life through greater personal confidence and resilience, and an understanding of the importance of kindness and empathy.
I am now chairwoman of the BCP, and wholeheartedly encourage anyone reading this who has creativity, energy or admin skills and a little time to spare, to add enrichment to your lives through volunteering. There is a huge need for people across a wide range of organisations and activities on our Island. The support and enrichment you provide others will also reward you immeasurably.
We apologise that we published Ginny’s photograph with last week’s Vectis View in error. That column was written by Cathy Hepburn of the West Wight Dementia Choir.
