EACH year, Charlie House recruits dozens of volunteers to help out at their festive activities and events. And this year, the Aberdeen-based children’s charity is urgently calling for 100 volunteers to bring Christmas magic to the city.
Volunteers can have fun and give back to the community even if they only have a few hours to spare during the festive period. They can help out in the charity’s social enterprise cafe, ReCHarge Café, or get involved in the bustling outdoor market at Marischal College Quad, ‘Christmas on the Quad’. They can even don some elf ears and slip into a pair of bell-toed shoes to help out Santa in his pop-up workshop at Aberdeen’s Bon Accord Centre.
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Joan Cowie, Head Elf Trainer and Volunteer & Information Coordinator for Charlie House, said:
“We are so lucky to attract such a sELFless group of volunteers to help us bring these events and services to children and their families each year. Bookings went live this week and families are snapping up those slots to meet Santa at his workshop, and so our ‘elf and safety’ training must be second to none.
“Our volunteers are also spreading Christmas cheer in the markets too, helping customers choose Christmas cards or maybe a Charlie House Christmas bauble – and who wouldn’t want a cuddly Charlie Dog to unwrap on Christmas morning.”
Charlie House volunteer Lynne is usually helps out in ReCHarge, the Charlie house social enterprise cafe in Bon Accord. At Christmas she’s at the front of the queue to offer even more support:
“Volunteering for Charlie House at Christmas is such good fun! Seeing the children’s faces when they see Santa, the music, the kids dancing and enjoying themselves – it’s all excellent and makes you feel amazing. Last year, I was front-of-house, dancing with Donner and Blitzen most of the time. That’s an experience I’ll never forget.”
And 2021 Christmas volunteer, April can’t wait to get started:
“I’ve chosen to volunteer so that I can help give children with life-limiting conditions the best life they can have. I’m looking forward to dressing up as an elf and volunteering at Curated Aberdeen. For anyone considering volunteering, I’d say go for it! It’s a really fun opportunity.”
All who volunteer are helping to raise funds and awareness for the charity which supports babies, children and young people in the North East of Scotland who have life-limiting or life-threatening conditions.
Louise Andrew, CEO of Charlie House, said:
“In our eyes, volunteers make Christmas happen. Each year, we are so moved by the generosity and kindness of our local community. They help us raise funds to support children and their families right now and work toward our longer-term goal of establishing a purpose-built facility right here in Aberdeen. We want people to know that they already have what it takes to make a difference. By volunteering just a few hours, they can have a considerable impact on the lives of children we’re striving to help.”
Charlie House is a local children’s charity that aims to improve the quality of life for babies, children and young people in the North East of Scotland who have life-limiting or life-threatening conditions. It provides activities and projects that enable families to gain confidence, engage socially, enjoy activities together, meet others in a similar situation, share information and get emotional and practical support when they need it most.
On a mission to build a dedicated support centre in Aberdeen, Charlie House is very close to reaching the halfway point of their Big Build Appeal to raise £8m for the project, thanks to the generosity of the people of Aberdeen, and beyond.
For further information, please visit charliehouse.org.uk/volunteering.
