Our ‘People with Big Hearts’ feature today is Buckie Daniel, That’s Me! project Volunteer. As a new member of the Volunteer programme with Heart of Midlothian’s charity, they share their first impressions of their new role.
A German and Applied Languages student at Heriott Watt University, Buckie began volunteering with the charity in March 2022. “I attended the Volunteer Fair at Uni back in February. I’d never heard of Big Hearts before but as soon as I learned more about That’s Me!, I knew it was the perfect role for me!”
Once they’ve completed university, Buckie hopes to become a School Teacher. “One day I’d love to be a Guidance Teacher. By volunteering with Big Hearts, it is helping me to build up my experience of working with children. It fits around my university timetable too, which is great.”
Buckie is no stranger to giving their time to help others, “As part of my Duke of Edinburgh bronze award, I volunteered with RDA – a horse riding charity which helps the disabled and supported community in Edinburgh. I volunteered there for a year, it was great to see so many people benefitting from horse riding.”
Coming from a Jambo family, Buckie is really enjoying their time with Big Hearts, “The team here are all great, everyone is so friendly and welcoming. It’s good spending time with the group and getting to know them all individually. We have a great time each week and I enjoy getting involved in the fun activities. I also love being at Tynecastle Park!”
That’s Me! project is attended by young people aged 12 to 18, who previously attended Big Hearts’ Kinship Care After School Club. The group was set up when the charity identified a gap in wellbeing support for teenagers. “It’s a great project to be involved with and a good environment to be in. Being 17 years old, I feel my age is a positive thing and the group really relate to me.”
Volunteering with Big Hearts is having a positive impact on Buckie, “Being a Volunteer has helped me to be more sociable, I think I benefit from it just as much as the young people in the group. I’ve been telling all my friends to come and volunteer with Big Hearts!”
Thank you to Buckie for taking the time to share their experiences of becoming a Big Hearts Volunteer and for making a difference to others. A true charity champion!
– May 2022
