Opinion

Conscious, transformative and community-based volunteering.

Wales, one of the devolved nations of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern
Ireland, was the first country in the world to legislate for children’s play.

Seventeen years ago—in April 2008—the last Labour government launched England’s first, and only, National Play Strategy. Today, we learn more about what Play England is doing to help. 

The ocean sustains life, yet faces daily threats from human activity. Sea Shepherd Global fights to protect marine wildlife through direct action. This call urges everyone to join the fight to help save our oceans before it’s too late.

What a time! Good to be asked to write and make some sense of the COVID 19 crisis from a volunteering perspective in Scotland.

Despite the importance of physical distance, which can mean health these days, volunteering has shown different, beautiful, and in many aspects, new colours of social connection and solidarity. 

All are worried about their organisations, their staff and their beneficiaries, but let’s not be afraid to be human and acknowledge that we are juggling other concerns too.

We are facing an unknown situation, in which uncertainty, the lack of information regarding the virus itself, can arouse feelings such as fear, frustration and even symptoms compatible with anxiety and depression.

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