2 hours: big impact… bigger ripple!
Saturday 20th September 2025 saw Sandbank Village Hall play host to the first ever Sandbank Volunteer Fair.
Facilitated by Sandbank Community Development Trust, Scenic Sandbank and Oakbank Community Inn, this was an opportunity for local organisations to pull resources and come together with other voluntary groups in a bid to encourage their own community to discover the opportunities that exist on their doorstep.
The pandemic is, thankfully, an ever diminishing memory – but there are relationships and networks that still have not spent much time together in person in recent years – and busy, rural, Third Sector Organisations are an example of that. From 10am – 12noon, the buzz in the village hall spoke volumes, literally – with organisations blethering away, enjoying the opportunity to be together, sharing their progress and challenges – and welcoming members of the public to learn more about the work they do, with a view to potentially inspiring more Volunteers to join them.
In my role as Third Sector Support Advisor, I supported Sandbank Community Development Trust (SCDT) with the initial concept and event co-ordination and enjoyed working with Ailie Law from Argyll and Bute Council’s Community Development Team in order to advise SCDT on an inclusive strategy for the implementation of the event.
On the day itself, as well as staffing the registration desk, I set up an Opportunities and Offers board. Inspired by an exercise I had experienced as part of a Common Purpose course many years ago, this was the first point of interest for all attendees at Saturday’s event. Albeit a rather ‘analogue’ methodology, I was pleased with how it fitted the vibe of the event, the spontaneity it offered and actually, the break from perpetual QR codes and links. While virtual portals and websites helpfully offered ongoing anytime-access as always they do, we were fully in the room that morning.
Cards titled ‘Opportunity’ were completed by organisations – offering clear and concise descriptions of voluntary roles they currently need filled. Cards titled ‘Offer’ allowed for members of the public to display the talents they might have – but which were not necessarily being called for among the ‘Opportunities’… You don’t necessarily know there’s a fire eater and juggler in the village until they have the chance to offer it up!
As it went, there were many Opportunities offered but no-one took the opportunity to offer an Offer! And that’s okay. The board stimulated conversation – informing locals of the sheer number of roles available, reminding organisations of the amount they are achieving – and the Offer cards dropped a wee extra ingredient into the mix… a reminder that it’s also okay to say what we can bring – regardless of age or perceived ability, we all have valuable skills to offer. And volunteering these, is the icing on the cake when it comes to community spirit and resilience.
Including stall-holders, the event saw around 45 attendees. ‘Check-all-that-apply’ feedback tells us that 16 were recruiting Volunteers, while 4 were there specifically to seek an opportunity. However, a total of 17 said they were curious as to what groups exist in their locality – with 7 simply there to enjoy a village event.
Alongside funding, recruitment of Volunteers is, without a doubt, an enormous challenge for Third Sector Organisations. The cost-of-living crisis, time-pressure on people of working age and caring responsibilities are all factors preventing uptake. There is also the contentious matter of the Third Sector having to implement voluntary positions that would once have been (and still ought to be) paid roles.
However, as things stand, Saturday’s hyper-local volunteer fair in Sandbank is a blue-print for a new approach. Local is climate-friendly, community-wealth-building-friendly and, for time pressed volunteers, time-friendly too. So, even with only 4 people specifically stating that they attended to seek an opportunity, there was a sense that – again, by being in the room – interest was ignited and conversations kicked off that would continue after the event and into the coming weeks and months.
So, to me, the 17 that were curious are key. Curiosity – an open mind – taking an interest… is always a positive step.