Volunteer day: Christmas crafting day at Kingsholm

Volunteer day: Christmas crafting day at Kingsholm

It is great to do something different from time to time in the workplace and volunteering with some of my colleagues at Active Gloucestershire gave me this chance.  Heading down to Kingsholm primary school in Gloucester on a very cold December morning to meet hundreds of eager kids, was the most refreshing way to kick-start the day!

The school in Gloucester is a local city school with a diverse and rich mix of students from a wide range of backgrounds.   We were tasked with complementing the Forest School’s end of term Christmas craft activities ‘Forest School style’ and offer some extra pairs of hands to help and support all the children attending throughout the day. Crafts, weaving, painting, sticking, tagging, hiding and hammock swinging,  were a few of the activities on offer and the team threw themselves into these with both feet – with one colleague literally  throwing ‘both feet’ in, then out of the swinging hammock! Having fun, playing together and encouraging one another was what the day was all about – and we all got so much enjoyment from it.

Spending quality time with the teachers and children in this forest school environment, not only enabled us to offer respite to those who needed it, but also helped us to break down barriers, develop new life skills, become more creative  and use our imaginations  – something so  many of us forget how to do as we become adults. With the children and teachers role-modelling creative play from the off, we all swiftly started to relax and have fun.

Mid-way through the day, as an added bonus, Active Gloucestershire staff were invited to enjoy a delicious school dinner. Consisting of homemade lasagna and fluffy jacket potatoes with a light, airy sponge pudding and custard for dessert, the lunch invoked happy memories for many of our team!

Following our trip to the school, we were proud to receive the following feedback from staff: ‘ you engaged beautifully with the children, interacted at their level and got really stuck in. They also really appreciated your gentleness with the children.   We appreciated you all being here so much, and your generous donation of time, which we know is a very expensive commodity’ .

Volunteering days are vital for workplaces and their value shouldn’t be underestimated. At their essence they are an expression of our innate human desire to show compassion and support for those around us. Not only can such experiences boost happiness levels and provide opportunities for team bonding and self-growth, but they can also help to forge stronger links with our community and deepen our understanding of the vital work local organisations do. At Active Gloucestershire, we are lucky enough to be able to take advantage of two volunteer days a year, as part of the organisation’s employee wellbeing offer. From working on an overgrown farm garden to distributing food to families and helping out with a charity cycling event, our staff have enjoyed supporting several incredible organisations across the county and look forward to exploring further exciting volunteering opportunities in the months to come.

If you’d like to learn more about our volunteering days, please get in touch at info@activegloucestershire.org