Last week we went to visit Jayne Senior MBE, CEO at Swinton Lock Activity Centre, which has just achieved its Rotherham Volunteer Management Training Award, recognised as a gold star for volunteering. As Jayne puts it: “Without them, we simply couldn’t do what we do.”
We step into a cosy office as the sun shines down on a beautiful lock and pull up a seat near a beautifully decorated Christmas tree. As Jayne tells us, you couldn’t really ask for a nicer location to work in, with the view of the water and all the beautiful wildlife that comes with it. In the crisp winter sun, it really is something to behold.
The centre continues to have a large cohort of dedicated volunteers who help it achieve all it does for the community. These activities range from offering foodbank provision, to creative sessions and boat-based activities. Over the financial year (2023-2024) volunteers contributed a mighty 6730 hours of time to the organisation. And there is a real mix of roles available from those who crew and sail the boats on the lock, upkeeping the parks and gardens, centre maintenance, volunteering at the centre’s foodbank and working with young people.
One of their popular volunteer projects that Jayne mentions is the Men in Shed’s a space that men can come along and do traditional wood-working and DIY. They had always held spaces just for women, but then men felt that they needed something themselves. It’s incredibly popular and now there are some weekly sessions that bring everyone together. They have also designed a Mental Health area on their grounds, a ‘space to chill out’ with water features and other calming elements.
It strikes me that Swinton Lock is a real home from home for many of the volunteers who are involved, and we are lucky enough to meet a couple of them during our visit. Firstly Ernie (pictured below) who makes a lovely round of teas, tells us how great it is for him to get out of the house and use his skills for a good cause. He does a bit of everything in his role, but particularly vital maintenance work around the centre and grounds. He tells us: “It’s helped me out big time with my mental health.” He is also involved in the Men in Shed’s that he is proudly stood in front of in this picture. Kayden, another volunteer, tells us how much he loves it and appreciates the kind support of Jayne and the other staff.
We ask Jayne why she wanted to apply for the award and she says boldly: “because it tells them how much we care about them.” She says as an organisation they also hold 4 celebratory events a year, which is also all about recognising the vital role of their team of volunteers, and are committed to forging even stronger links with them going forwards. I think that summarises how deeply she feels about the volunteers and the charity overall, which she has poured so much into in the 12 years she has been there, turning it around to the great success it is today.
She can’t help but also tell us the other good news; the centre has recently been awarded a grant of 100,000 by Postcode Community Trust via Millionaire’s Road a strand of the People’s Postcode Lottery. The plan is to use the money to fund another member of staff and refurbish one their boats so that there will be two, rather than one, fully accessible for community use.
Well done Swinton Lock!
If you are interested in finding our more about the Volunteer Management Training Award for your organisation, please contact Kerry, our Volunteering and Group Support Manager via email kerry.mcgrath@varotherham.org.uk or telephone 07716 919416.
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