Volunteers' Week is our chance to celebrate the amazing people who give their time and skills to make Save the Children's work possible. Meet Rebecca, one of our Parent Campaigners who uses her voice to make a change for children.
I started volunteering in August 2020. I attended a local event and heard about the role and thought it was really amazing to volunteer with a good well-known charity to facilitate change - to do stuff to make things better for kiddies just like mine.
I had training on media and how the UK political system works, as I learned more it was fascinating. My volunteer manager is great - and that is why I stayed.
The Parent Campaigner group is really supportive – to talk to other mums across the country about the same issues is great. We have regular meetings and training plus focus groups – so a nice mixture of learning and social too.
I can fit volunteering around the rest of my life
Sometimes we are asked our opinion about an issue or there is a request for someone to do some media and you can say yes to what works for you and then fit it into your day. It may be 10 minutes here, and an hour there.
It’s really boosted my confidence. We’re campaigning as things are difficult for us but there are people that care about me and I feel really supported.
I find it really rewarding
I love that just me rocking up when I can creates a positive change. Like the £20 uplift of universal credit – it’s how I got started.
What I love best is even though I'm in a tricky situation my voice is being heard.
Most challenging is it has pushed me outside of my comfort zone. I did a roundtable event – going and chatting to MPs. It was really rewarding – everything I was saying they picked up on. The words I spoke went into somebody's ears and change is happening.
I went on local TV and spoke about upfront nursery fees and soon after the Chancellor announced a proposal to remove upfront childcare fees for parents receiving Universal Credit Childcare support. This was amazing because we campaigned on this for ages.
Give it a go!
Apply to become a Parent Campaigner with us! Turn up and everyone has a place – you don’t have to talk to crowds, you can influence things heavily by sharing things with the team or other parents.
Whatever your skills or strengths are there is something for you. And it’s a really supportive place.
Feeling inspired? You can find out more about volunteering with Save the Children, and our latest opportunities including at becoming a Parent Campaigner.
