Onwards and Upwards – Dawn’s Volunteer Story

Getting Started

It all started when I was searching for a new volunteering opportunity. I wanted to meet new people and make a difference. I did a bit on searching online and came across the Greener Kirkcaldy website. I was amazed at how this group of people had come together for the benefit of the local community. I learned about Greener Kirkcaldy’s ambitions for climate action, energy, food and growing and travel.

The website was very informative, and it sounded like the sort of organisation I could be part of. After reading the Greener Kirkcaldy website I decided to take the plunge. I contacted Caroline the Volunteer Coordinator to see what volunteering positions were available. She was very welcoming and had a lot of information on all the different types of volunteering opportunities available. The whole process was very organised and structured. Greener Kirkcaldy sounded exactly the sort of organisation I wanted to volunteer with.

I told Caroline what type of volunteering position I was interested in. She recommended that if I like doing events that an Energy Champion would be a good place to start. The Energy Champions help at events advising visitors about the services of Greener Kirkcaldy and Cosy Kingdom and how to book an Energy Advisor to visit their home. The role also included handing out giveaways like hot water bottles and scarves. I was signed off from working at the time with mental health issues and found that my confidence and self-esteem were very low. I hoped that getting out and meeting new people and helping the good people of Fife would help me regain my confidence.

I decided to go for it and signed up to be an Energy Champion with Greener Kirkcaldy. My first foray into volunteering with Greener Kirkcaldy was partnering Caroline at the Annual General Meeting. We were on a stand talking to people about the important role of volunteers within the organisation. The whole experience was very positive, and I spoke to a lot of people within the organisation and the wider community about my plans for volunteering too. I then met Robert, the Outreach Energy Advisor at the time. He gave me more information on the Energy Champion volunteering role.

Volunteering with the Cosy Kingdom Team

I was very interested in what Cosy Kingdom were doing and wanted to be part of it. Robert was very informative and friendly, so he put me at ease. He recommended that I partner with him to one of his up-and-coming events to help spread the word about Cosy Kingdom and the services they offered. My first event went well where I was talking to people about Cosy Kingdom and Greener Kirkcaldy, educating them on how we could help with their energy costs whilst helping the planet at the same time. It wasn’t a hard sell as all the people I spoke to were having challenges with their energy costs. I explained that Cosy Kingdom was a charity and that we were not wanting to sell them anything. We could offer an appointment with an Energy Advisor at their home, and we could recommend how we could save them money on their energy bills. It was winter at the time, so we had a very receptive audience with lots of people taking our details to phone details for an appointment.

I did a couple of events with Robert but unfortunately my health deteriorated so I couldn’t volunteer for a while. Luckily, I was able to make a full recovery and wanted to get back into volunteering. My aim was to get back into employment, so I asked Caroline if there were any volunteering positions available in the office doing admin. She liaised with Michael at Cosy Kingdom and he got in touch to organise a meeting. I met with Michael and he told me more about what would be involved in the volunteer admin role. It sounded interesting and exactly the sort of thing that would help me get a new job.

Kyly one of the Admin Assistants helped me send out bulk text reminders to Cosy Kingdom participants on their upcoming Energy Advisor appointments. Kyly took time and patience with me so that I could get it right. I learned how to use a couple of new software applications which was great. As a volunteer, I also benefited from a one-day course on Artificial Intelligence with Fife College. It has really sparked my interest in the subject, and I’ve now signed up for an Introduction to Artificial Intelligence Diploma with Centre of Excellence.

Employment and Training

I’m glad to report that I have now been offered a permanent paid role with Fife Council. I do not think this would have been possible without the people at Greener Kirkcaldy and Cosy Kingdom. They have helped with my confidence and my self esteem and how I interact with people. I’d like to thank all the people I met and thank them for their support and patience. It has been a privilege to volunteer with an organisation that has such a big heart, does so much for the local community and is such a positive, welcoming environment.

I have also been studying for a Microsoft Office Diploma with Pitman Training in Edinburgh. This was an online course covering Word, Excel, Word Expert, Outlook and PowerPoint. I am self-taught on all these applications but thought it wouldn’t do any harm having a refresher course. It took me 9 months to complete but I finally graduated recently!

Get involved

If you are wanting to volunteer but not sure where to start, I would recommend that you get in contact with Caroline at Greener Kirkcaldy. There are lots of volunteering opportunities and it is a well-structured program. I think there are currently over 120 active volunteers which is fantastic and is a testament to the caring nature of the organisation.

Being part of Greener Kirkcaldy has given me a new outlook on life and I’m looking forward to the future. I hope to still volunteer once I’ve settled into my new job. Keep up the good work Greener Kirkcaldy and thank you!

Dawn Smith

If you are interested in volunteering with Greener Kirkcaldy find out more on our volunteering page or contact our Volunteer Coordinator Caroline volunteer@greenerkirkcaldy.org.uk