Services offered by firsthand
Care in Pairs
What is it all about?
One of firsthand's aims is to:
- provide a satisfying volunteering experience to as wide a range of people as possible.
firsthand offers opportunities to volunteers to spend some time, as a sitter, on a regular basis with children in families where there is one parent or where a child has a disability so that the parent can have some time out for themselves.
The families and volunteer sitters come from all over Edinburgh, with many different experiences and life styles, and a variety of issues and needs.
Care in Pairs is a new project that aims to encourage as
wide a range of people as possible to volunteer by tapping
into the experience of some and the enthusiasm of others to create a supportive pair. The pair will be matched with a family and will look after the children together.
Why in Pairs?
Spending time with children in pairs can allow people with different levels of experience, confidence and abilities to share their individual skills, life experience, and interests with each other and a child or children, creating a pair that reflects the richness of diversity and difference that make up our society.
For a lot of people the thought of becoming a volunteer, being engaged in something interesting, valuable and worthwhile, while at the same time learning new skills and meeting new people is something that can be daunting and not easy to do. This is specially true if you
have a physical disability,
- have a learning difficulty,
- feel anxious or worried,
- are an older or younger person,
- or have a difficult experience of volunteering in the past,
- and where the support that would make involvement possible is often not available.
Involving everyone means ensuring we recognise that everyone has a valuable contribution to make to the wellbeing and health of their community- some individuals may need some support to do so. Spending time with a child alongside someone else who has experience and confidence may be what that individual needs in order to gain the confidence to take part in this rewarding volunteering work.
There are also many individuals with lots of experience and
confidence and a desire to share this so that someone less experienced can take part in real and valued activities for the benefit of their own community. They may have experienced times in their own lives when they, too, required support in order to take part in, and deal with, everyday activities and now, recognising the value of having had support, feel able to offer support to someone else.
Benefits for all concerned.
Two volunteers spending time with a child/ren together means double the ideas, energy, and attention. It means there is a chance to try out new ideas together, to check out with each other how the sit went and how they each feel. It gives some individuals the chance to develop new skills and confidence in a supportive environment and the chance for others to share their own skills and experience, thereby contributing to the creation of a more inclusive society. For families with several children to look after, of different ages or different needs, it means there will be enough time and attention to spend time with
them equally. Involving volunteer sitters with different life experiences and abilities means that they reflect in amore real way the experiences of the families for whom they are sitting. They can offer positive role models to both the children and the families, challenging stereotyped views about what an individual with disabilities can achieve. They may also be able to identify with, and offer to the parents/carers themselves, particularly those who experience disability or health problems.What happens next?
All interested volunteers will receive training to give them the skills and information they will needed, they will be matched into a supportive pair, matched with a family and supported throughout with ongoing training and support.
If you identify with either of the two descriptions above and would like to find out more or you know you would like to become involved as a volunteer with Care in Pairs, please contact us at niamh@1sthand.org.uk or phone us at 0131 5573121 for an information/application pack.