European Social Fund in England

“I have developed a range of skills.”

Fifty-eight year old Alan Smithson from Westoe Crown Village in South Shields admits he’s addicted to his new found passion in volunteering.

Alan realised that he needed to do something to fill his time, having lost his wife and his job during 2008 and finding himself with time on his hands.

Alan decided to look into volunteering and was quickly alerted to the Personal Best programme which set him on his way to gaining volunteering opportunities at the 2012 Olympics.

The £1 million Personal Best programme was launched in March this year to boost employment in the North East, help learners gain qualifications and provide them with the opportunity to volunteer at the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. The pre-employment programme, which is co-financed by the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) North East, will provide volunteering opportunities for up to 1,000 people across Northumberland, Tyne and Wear, County Durham and Tees Valley.

Alan has quickly got involved in volunteering opportunities at Marie Curie Cancer Care, where he delivers goods and works closely with the fund raising team and also spends time at the Magistrate Court Victim Support Unit, volunteering his time to help others.

Completing the Personal Best programme in October means Alan now has a City and Guilds qualification. Representatives from Personal Best in London are due to visit the region, to review Alan’s portfolio, and following this, an interview will be held that will decide if Alan can be put forward to volunteer at the London Olympics.

Alan said, “Volunteering for different types of organisations means I have gained skills in volunteering that I hope to take to the Olympic Games in 2012. Through Personal Best I have developed a range of skills and I will continue to use these in the work I volunteer for with Marie Curie Cancer Care, the Magistrates Court and St Claire’s Hospice in Jarrow, as well as at major North East events. This will give me the best chance to gain experience in a range of arenas and will hopefully help me get to London in 2012.”

Alan, who has a 29 year old daughter, has volunteered at the Great North Run and the Wunderbar event on the Newcastle Quayside. In addition to his volunteering, Alan has set up his own business, a dog walking service called ‘Squidge’.

Julie Kelly, Business Support Manager, from Jigsaw Training, one of the four organisations delivering the Personal Best programme added, “Alan is a true advocate for volunteering, he works with numerous organisations, giving his time to help good causes. He has volunteered at large regional events and works tirelessly to ensure everyone enjoys each event by being in a safe and secure environment.”

Since Personal Best was launched over 170 individuals have begun on the programme in the North East. Chris Roberts, regional director, LSC North East concluded, “Personal Best has potential to transform the lives of those eligible to take part by providing a unique learning opportunity and a stepping stone to new employment opportunities, which is the ultimate aim of Personal Best. Alan shows what can be achieved by seeking out lots of different volunteering opportunities and giving 100% to each one. It would be a huge achievement to be selected for the 2012 Olympics and I wish him well.”

Project information (January 2010)

The Personal Best project in the North East is delivered by four training providers: Northumberland College in Ashington; Jigsaw Training in Gateshead; Hartlepool Borough Council and New College Durham.

Participants must be aged 19 years or older and have been out of work for more than six months.

The project will receive around £1 million in ESF support between April 2009 and December 2010.