Young Volunteer is first in Fife to achieve 500 hour Saltire Award!
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Michael Dickson (20) from Cardenden is the first young volunteer in Fife to receive a five hundred hour Saltire Award for volunteering.
The Saltire Award, sponsored by the Scottish Government, is an hour-based Award Scheme to recognise, reward and thank young people for their volunteering work. Young volunteers can gain a number of certificates beginning with 10 hours all the way up to 500 hours.
Michael volunteers with Recycle Fife, a local Social Enterprise based in Lochgelly. Recycle Fife provides recycling services and raises awareness of the possibilities of recycling throughout Fife. As a Social Enterprise, Recycle Fife also provides invaluable training and volunteer opportunities.
In March 2011 Michael applied for a job at Recycle Fife but due to a number of reasons Managing Director, Jackie Dunsmuir, was unable to offer him paid work. However, Jackie did not want to turn Michael away, and Michael himself did not want `to go back to doing nothing’. So he started volunteering at the unit. `It stops me from getting into bother, keeps me on the straight and narrow’ said Michael. He does whatever is needed and has gained so much experience working machinery and communicating with other people.
Jackie can only sing Michael’s praises. `Michael has been great’ she said `He comes in four days a week, he always turns up, he’s never late.’ Jackie went on to say that Michael was quiet at first but is now very talkative and confident – although his dancing, witnessed at the Christmas night out, is not so good!
Michael is modest about his achievements, saying that he just wanted something to do, adding `There is nothing better than doing something’.
Article taken from www.volunteeringfife.org
