Feature - COMMUNITY SPIRIT
Think you’re too busy with your everyday life to squeeze anything else into it? Thousands of adults find time to volunteer in their local communities every year and ‘give something back’.
Ali Kirker talks to two people who have made volunteering part of their lives.
We had no cinema — so we opened our own!
Getting a community project off the ground takes determination, a bit of cheek and the enthusiasm of volunteers. FRANK WALKER, 53, is chairman of Leven Community Cinema in Fife. He’s living proof that a little determination can take you a long way when it comes to community projects . . .
Ask your community what’s missing.
I was a member of Leven Community Council and we went out on to the streets and asked people what they’d like in their town — what would improve it? The answer, overwhelmingly, was a cinema. The nearest one was over 25 miles away and, even with your own transport, it was a costly and inconvenient way to see the latest films. And if you had to rely on buses it was a nightmare.
Start small — and then aim for the stars.
We set up Leven Community Cinema and began by showing films in a local hall. It soon became clear that the community would support us and there was a demand for it.
Make the most of unexpected opportunities.
We needed to move from the church hall we were showing the films in. We then discovered that the local Gala bingo hall had closed down. It seemed perfect and we set out to find out more. It turned out a property developer in London, Victor Levy, had bought it but he didn’t have any plans for
it — he’d had to take it as part of a ‘job lot’ of other properties he’d wanted.
The building was a bit rundown so I contacted him and said we’d be the best tenants he could have for his property as we’d really give a new lease of life to a building that otherwise might have ended up a rundown wreck. Victor liked what we were doing so much that he didn’t charge us any rent for the first few months of our lease.
The whole community can help.
We approached just about every business in Leven and the surrounding area and most of them were supportive. We started by asking — can you give a pound to help us? It was amazing what people came up with for us, like paint to decorate, timber and chandeliers for the foyer. Even the criminal justice service became involved — guys who’d been given community service painted for us and now they come in and clean for us.
Even when there are setbacks — don’t give up.
Of course there were times I felt like we were never going to get things off the ground. But what kept me going was the big buzz that the whole project created. When the cinema volunteers were out and about, people would ask us how it was coming along and tell us not to give up and it kept us going.
Explore funding opportunities.
First we approached the local council and they got behind us almost from day one. From the minute we secured the lease for the bingo hall, they were supportive and it was a huge step forward when they gave us a £20,000 grant. Then we approached the National Lottery and they gave us more funding. We wouldn’t be where we are today without them. With the £6500 they gave us, we bought our screen and projector.
Celebrate your achievements.
I look back and am amazed at the amount of work we managed to do in 10 weeks, from acquiring the cinema to opening night. It took a fantastic team of dedicated volunteers to make it happen. The opening night was amazing. It was a great atmosphere, complete with a pipe band and champagne reception for everyone attending. The first film we showed was I Know You Know starring Robert Carlyle, but since then we’ve had some big new releases including Sex and the City 2, Shrek Forever After and Toy Story 3.
Use your own skills.
I’ve been told I could sell snow to Eskimos, so that’s helped! It’s definitely been a team effort, though — it’s fantastic that so many people have given up their time to help us out and we’re still staffed by volunteers.
Community projects benefit the area and those involved, too.
On a personal basis, getting this off the ground has been really exciting. The feeling of satisfaction and achievement all the volunteers have had from making this work is fantastic. I’ve got so much out of it.
Make the community wonder how they managed without you.
Our cinema is an asset to the community and we’ve kept prices low — children’s tickets are £3, family tickets are £15 and the Saturday matinee is £3 for all ages. We wanted to make it of real benefit to Leven and that’s reflected in the prices.
When it’s all up and running, stop for a moment and think what you’ve achieved.
Before we opened, there were kids in Leven who’d never been to the pictures. Their parents tended to rent a DVD instead, because it just wasn’t practical or affordable to have a 50-mile round trip to see the latest blockbuster. To give children the chance to experience cinema is just amazing. The team has achieved so much and I’m really proud of everyone involved.
See www.levencommunitycinema.co.uk
It’s a big part of my life
FERGUS
STORRIER, 45, from Angus, has been volunteering in his local community for 17 years. Fergus, who’s a police sergeant but is currently working for Angus Council as the Youth Justice Co-ordinator, gives up his spare time to help out charity dance and music organisation Showcase the Street.
What type of volunteering do you do?
I am the Chairperson of an organisation called Showcase the Street which operates across Tayside. It’s a charity which offers young people the chance to take part in activities like dance, drama, music and media, and our work is often delivered in deprived or rural areas.
What made you decide to start volunteering?
In 1993 I was working in the community with my job and saw the huge benefits when dealing with young people. I saw an article in the local paper about a new group starting up in the town called Locals Against Drug Abuse who were trying to open up a new youth drop-in centre and I decided to join them.
What do you think the children who attend Showcase the Street classes get out of them?
We get positive feedback from parents, teachers and the kids themselves. A lot of our work is about providing dance in areas that often never get the chance, as well as offering dance and music at affordable rates so all can take part. Without us many people wouldn’t have had those opportunities.
We now have 1500 young people a week using our classes and projects and that continues to grow.
After a hard day at work, lots of people want to come home, slump in front of the TV and do as little as possible for the rest of the night. What gives you the motivation to volunteer?
Anyone who knows me will tell you I rarely slump in front of the TV for a night, unless there’s some good football on, of course!
My dad was the same when he was alive so I think I take after him. I think you need to have the right attitude to do volunteering, or a reason, but most of all I enjoy it and it’s a big part of my life. The important balance, however, is to make sure it doesn’t take over your life!
You work for an organisation that runs dance classes. Are you a bit of a mean mover on the dancefloor yourself?
I’m afraid not and I’m not a good singer either! I am good, I hope, at being creative, listening to young people and what they want and also in convincing funders and others to support our work. My side is the more mundane but vital area!
Between working and volunteering, you probably don’t get that much free time. But how do you chill out?
Well, the biggest part of my life is my son. I enjoy all the things we do together and he’s also a mean drummer and good singer as thankfully he doesn’t take after his dad!
Volunteering must have given you some funny moments throughout the years?
In one charity fashion show I organised I was persuaded to take part by some of the pupils and did a Take That dance routine — oh dear! Still, it raised lots of money for a good cause and I think I’ve hidden all the video evidence now!
One of the strangest but best experiences was persuading the pop group Steps to perform at a kids’ disco in Whitfield in Dundee. They still have the pictures up at the community centre to this day!
What would you say to someone who thinks they don’t have time for volunteering?
It’s all about balance. Even just one to two hours a week can help somewhere. I would definitely say get in touch with your local volunteer centre and see what is on offer — they usually have loads of opportunities. For instance, in Tayside, Showcase is always looking for volunteers!
Can you imagine life without volunteering?
No — 17 years seems amazing really. I’ll keep doing it for as long as I enjoy it and am able to help out.
What have you personally got out of being involved?
Well, I’m a lot wiser now in areas I never studied at school or cover in my day job, so from that point of view it’s been great.
I also get the pleasure of seeing a change in some people and others simply say thanks to you for what you have done.
Without the support of the Showcase the Street Board, the staff we now employ and all the volunteers who support us, it wouldn’t work.
Have any of the young people who have been involved with Showcase the Street gone on to use dance in their career?
There are loads of examples — including a young lad who started as a participant at Showcase, progressed to a trainee with us, then went on to a prestigious performance college in Glasgow and is now a professional entertainer.
We also have a number of young people who have gone on to college and university, and there are lots of our former ‘pupils’ who started off coming to classes and now actually teach them.
At recent Showcase the Street shows for our Monifieth and Montrose projects, we gave away Millennium Volunteer Awards to young people who’d given up nearly 1000 hours. To me that’s amazing and a great achievement for the people who received them.
