Monthly Archive for September, 2009

Leading the development of the buddy team is as equally challenging as it is rewarding. I see Buddies as the backbone of volunteer culture at Youthline. This crew of ‘Hub Dwellers’ foster a culture of fun, inclusiveness and a palpable passion for the counselling work we do on the Helpline.  They create a safe environment which enables trainees to grow and put their skills into practise.  Buddies are sharp, they have emotional investment, they set high standards for themselves and the role. They give up their leisure time and take on a great responsibility to ensure the sustainability of the Helpline as new volunteers join the organisation.

August was a significant point in my work to streamline this very significant volunteer role. The team ratified the Handbook with all the tools they use.  We also had our first Training Workshop giving solo counsellors the opportunity to share with the existing team the scope of the role and consider the leadership opportunities available to them.

The team is at a challenging point this semester with 66 trainee counsellors wanting Buddy time and expertise. In August, we had 80 Buddy hours in the hub, a huge number but the pressure is still on. Those 80 hours came in many layers: new trainee counsellors working with new buddies in training working with experienced buddies, all of which makes for a lively environment of learning!

With all the activity on the hub floor our Monthly Supervision in August was crammed full of changes. Three Buddies –in-Training presented themselves for assessment to become Buddies, while we welcomed four new Buddies –in-training and the return of a Buddy from days gone by!   It is an exciting time of transition as we discover how to manage all these new needs in the meeting.

Re-establishing Buddy Accreditation has been an important part of acknowledging the high level of contribution these volunteers make. And adorning the walls as part of ‘Operation Redecorate the Hub’ are Buddy of the Moment profiles highlighting these senior volunteers. The Volunteer of the Month profiles have also been going down a treat on our Hub Wall of Fame. This new initiative is to celebrate the people behind the phone lines and share with the wider community what makes them tick. Smita, on triage, and I have been on a mission to brighten up the room, creating an environment that is as colourful as its volunteers.

Smita in Operation Redecorate Hub

Smita has also been busy with her triage team trailing text only shifts for our trainee counsellors. This is a great support for their learning and for the Buddy team. In August, we managed to squeeze in 36 hours of text training shifts with 17 different trainees.

All the new beginnings and growth that is happening in the Hub is exciting and timely as we look forward to the first day of spring!

Well, this month has certainly flown by and it has been full of adventures for us at Challenge 2000.   The days are ticking by until the big 21st birthday celebrations and preparations are in full swing.    

The end of August was busy for me with pulling together all the youth work assessments in preparation for our Gap year trainees to have a month of work experience in different agencies around New Zealand. 

It was also a time of preparation for me as I prepared to head off overseas to attend a conference.  In the second week of September I had the amazing privilege of attending a Children and the Law conference in a small town called Prato in Italy.  The conference was run by Monash University, and it covered a wide range of topics from youth justice and child protection through to child trafficking.  

It was amazing to be in one place with people representing many different nations, cultures and disciplines, all with the purpose of learning about the many different aspects of law and how it affects children and young people.  Presentations at the conference included challenging and informative new research, eye opening case/situation studies, programme and practice seminars and requests for advice.  In addition, many conversations took place over the four days.  The break times and evenings buzzed with the sound of ideas being shared, and people being encouraged about the work they are doing. 

Also in attendance at the conference was our Principal Youth Court Judge and lecturers from several NZ universities.  They all presented New Zealand policy and practice in a positive but challenging light.  It was amazing to find myself on the other side of the world networking with people from home, and being challenged about our work in the light of international research and practice.  I look forward to ways we can put into practice some of this knowledge  with the families, young people, professional colleagues and students we work with. 

Although my mind is still overflowing with ideas and ‘to do’ lists as a result of the conference, the thing that has stuck with me most is the experience of being together with so many people who genuinely care about the wellbeing of our world’s children, and are willing to learn and be challenged about what they can do in their context (however big or small that might be), to make a difference.   

It reminds me of the story about a man walking along a beach full of starfish.  One by one he picks them up and throws them back in the ocean.  Someone says to him ‘what is the point, there are so many starfish you will never make a difference’.  The man replies as he continues to throw the starfish one by one back into the ocean ’it makes a difference to that one’, ‘it makes a difference to that one’. 

Until next time