Young volunteers donate their time to Dumfries Y Gymnastics Club and are mentored through the Saltire Awards Scheme.
With their passion for the sport, the fantastic team of 9 young volunteers work with the gymnasts weekly in their classes and help out at club discos and competitions.
We have had great success in mentoring our young volunteers through the Saltire Awards Scheme, which is the Scottish Government’s way of celebrating, recognising and rewarding the commitment, contribution and achievements of young volunteers in Scotland.
The Saltire Awards are a fantastic way to get our young volunteers involved as they work their way through the five levels gaining nationally recognised certificates to celebrate their achievements.
Receiving these recognitions of achievement is extremely important in showing our young helpers they are valued and appreciated, and it’s great to see our volunteers show excitement and eagerness to progress through the scheme.
It was lovely to hear from one of our young volunteers Kayla who is also currently a competitive gymnast in our Floor and Vault Squad. While still training in this group, Kayla wanted to become more involved within the club, leading her to start her volunteering journey at the age of 12.
Kayla said, “I volunteer weekly, helping with the development group. I had achieved 300 hours of volunteering by September 2022, leading me to receive volunteer of the year. I have now completed 500 hours on my Saltire Awards and look forward to completing more!”
We also heard from Grace who started her volunteer journey in 2022 after being a competitive gymnast with the club for many years.
Grace said, “My motivation to become a volunteer was from being a gymnast, I always looked up to the coaches and helpers at the club and I want to also be someone that younger gymnasts can look up to.”
Grace currently is on the road to completing 300 Saltire hours and her goal is to complete the 500 hours.
When asked what the benefits of volunteering have been for them, Grace and Kayla both agreed that that volunteering with the club and working with young gymnasts, has helped to build their confidence greatly. Through talking to a variety of different people and learning their handling and safe supporting, they have reached outside their comfort zones and learned exciting, valuable skills.