Celebrating Volunteering in Barnsley

By Hannah Seaman

A former footballer from Georgia and his team celebrated volunteering in Barnsley this weekend with other community groups at a forum held at the town’s travel interchange.

The Promote Volunteering Forum was organised by the council’s team at One Barnsley in partnership with Voluntary Action Barnsley. It aimed to promote and celebrate volunteering in the town.

Around 20 community organisations took part in the forum including: Mencap, Girl Guiding, Young Diallers, Radio Barnsley, Neighbourhood Watch and Barnsley International Football Club.

Davit Khutsishvili, 49, is Volunteer Chairman and General Manager for Barnsley International Football Club which he set up four years ago. He played professional football in Georgia before seeking asylum in Britain.

He said: “Volunteering with the club is my life. It is so important to give the young people of Barnsley something constructive to do with their time. Hopefully this event today will show people how they can get involved.”

He said that the club aimed to unite young people from all backgrounds and to give them a chance to play sport. It has players from Russia, Poland, India, Nigeria, Algeria, Iraq and Britain.

Miss Helen Knox, 29, from the Community Planning Office at One Barnsley organised the event. She said: “We wanted to promote volunteering in Barnsley and boost people’s skills. It is a part of civic life that has been undervalued and we wanted to celebrate the many volunteers and their special work.”

Throughout the day circus acts performed and the jazz band, Gershwin Gang, entertained shoppers with Christmas music. Girl-guides from across Barnsley put on face painting and craft stalls.

Tina Redhall, 43, Employment and Volunteer Coordinator at Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council, said that it had been a great chance to network with other volunteering groups.

Megan Luck, 25 Volunteer Development Officer of the Mencap Volunteering team, said: “It has been a really encouraging day. At Mencap we try to encourage people with learning disabilities to get involved with volunteering. This is a new concept as often they are the recipients of it.”

Lee Marsh, 35, is a volunteer with Mencap at the Elsecar Heritage Railway. He said: “I work on the railway tracks and help with the painting. I really enjoy it. Its helpful and I get to meet lots of new people.”