We are almost caught up, after a busy couple of months, on one of the most important things that we do here at Volunteer Marlborough, so let's get to it!
The Volunteer of the Month Award for June 2023 was awarded to Samantha Lintern.
Sam is a wonderful and valued member of the growing team at Marlborough Youth Trust (MYT) where she volunteers her time as part of the MYTAG (Marlborough Youth Trust Advisory Group) programme and the Tupu/Thrive group. She has also taken part in their Youth Employability Programme (YEP) twice. As a MYTAG, Sam gets to offer her own perspective and feedback to the other MYTAG members and the Youth Trust staff about what youth are looking for in the community and how they can make those things happen, including the various programmes and events that she has been able to help plan.
Meeting with Sam it was clear that, by nature, she is a shy and introverted person but equally as clear that when she is spending her time at MySpace she is in an environment where she feels comfortable enough to come out of her shell, and can be with other people without pressure. Sam started her journey with MYT during her last year of college when they were running a trial YEP at Marlborough Girls College and her Dean put her name forward.
"Because I am autistic, I quite often find it hard to connect with other people," says Sam. "But Maxine and Soni were so welcoming and invited me to come and do more things so now MySpace feels like a second home."
Since that first involvement with YEP, Sam ended up joining the MYTAGs, did a second course with YEP, and then began helping out with the other things. Tupu/Thrive is a group for young parentswhere they can find support, education, and spend time in a fun and non-judgmental space with other young parents. Sam has been helping out at this group for a while now, acting as an extra pair of eyes to help watch over and interact with the children while their parents learn with and from each other.
Tracy Pigou [Tupu/Thrive Coordinator] says, "We love having Sam helping out at the group. The parents really appreciate it and it gives them a chance to relax and benefit from the group because they know their kids are happy. Sam's confidence has grown so much since she's been with us, it's great!"
When Sam isn't volunteering, she likes to watch movies or play video games. More than that, she really likes to knit, crochet, and even spin her own yarn from raw wool. She is a member of a spinners & weavers collective and enjoys the occasional Fibre Festival where she can buy more wool. When we asked her what she would say to someone who was thinking about starting their volunteering journey, Sam said, "Go for it! At worst, you'll find something fun to fill your time with!"
Before we left Sam to get on with her busy day at MySpace, we asked Jo Lane [MYT Manager] if she had anything she'd like to add - "It's been really good to have Sam volunteering here. It's helped build her confidence and it will help her find employment in the future. I'm really thankful to Tracy for making the space for her."
Thank you, Samantha, for everything that you are doing to give back to the community!
Thank you to New World Blenheim for sponsoring our Volunteer of the Month Award.
