Long-serving volunteer inspiring others to give back

I started voluntary work to raise funds for local clubs and charities such as Thorncliffe Bowling and Tennis clubs, High Green in Bloom, Chapel Green Advice Centre and Hillsborough Boxing.

I worked with South Yorkshire Funding Advice Bureau (SYFAB) and Voluntary Action Sheffield whose help I willingly received. I started to wind down on fundraising in 2012, although I didn't totally stop until six years later.

 

Dennis joined SYFAB’s panels in 2012 and later South Yorkshire’s Community Foundation as a panel volunteer.

It was such a rewarding role. I had the chance to visit various premises to check on details when assessing bids, sometimes with other panel members.  I also addressed various groups and clubs to raise their awareness of how to fundraise and who to get help from.

I have always tried to help people, from friends and family including their children with homework and filling in forms. I found it as a way of giving back to society the help I had received in my youth.

My most rewarding aspects of volunteering were raising more than £30,000 for the bowling club, featuring on community TV in 2010 whilst raising funds from Betfair and helping friends’ children get to university to gain their degrees.

For others considering getting into volunteering, whether raising funds or helping SYCF to consider others’ bids, the satisfaction of helping others was my ultimate reward.

 

SYCF’s varied volunteering programme offers the chance to become involved in a range of different roles.

The Community Foundation recently hosted a Panel Training session for volunteers at our offices at The Campus in High Green.

Jess O’Neill, grants and partnerships manager for SYCF, said: 

Our volunteers are a critical part of our grant giving process, helping community groups to make a difference.

Distributing funding to community groups would not be possible without the passionate and dedicated effort of our volunteers, whether as a grant panel member or their expertise as a Trustee.