My name is Gordon Robertson and I live in Faifley, Clydebank, Scotland. As a tenant in Key Housing I have been volunteering for their Tenants Advisory Group (TAG) for over 6 years campaigning and advocating for people with Learning Disabilities. Initially I had support from Key housing workers until I felt comfortable doing this on my own and I still attend their committee meetings once a month in Glasgow. I wanted to do more voluntary work as I always want to be busy as well as hopefully getting enough experience that I could obtain some form of employment and my tutor in my Supported Learning class in Clydebank College was also trying to get the class members to do voluntary work. So, through my attendance at Unity Enterprise in Skypoint, the workers there contacted David at West Dunbartonshire Community and Volunteering Services and I have been registered with them as a volunteer since January 2008.

Initially I volunteered with Home to Home in Dumbarton for 18 months, recycling furniture and goods for the West Dunbartonshire area. Although I was enjoying it, I wanted to broaden my horizons and do something different and through the VCinvolve service and Rhona, we looked at some different volunteering options for me. I decided on a couple of things that I was interested in and fitted in with my life and I started in a Community Garden with Coach House Trust one day a week, 15 months ago. A little over 6 months ago I started doing 2 days a week at the Coach House Trust which I really enjoy, even during the cold and wet months!

During this time I got the chance to do some volunteer work training through Unity with John Lewis cafe for 12 weeks. This led me onto volunteering 1 day a week at the Unity Enterprise Travelling Spoon Cafe at the Trongate in Glasgow which gave me access to different
skills and the opportunity to meet different people who used the cafe. This also allowed me to add to my CV and when Unity Enterprise opened a cafe in Clydebank College in 2010 I was fortunate enough to get a paid job 1 day a week there.

My diary is now nearly full: Monday I am at Unity Cafe in Clydebank College; Tuesday and Wednesday I am at the Coach House Trust during the day and I go to a clubs in the evenings; Friday I am at Unity Enterprise at Skypoint where I am doing ASDAN literacy skills then I play 5-a-side football and go to a club later; Saturday and Sunday I watch Clydebank FC play or visit family and friends. As you will have noticed I have nothing on a Thursday which I always call ‘my day off’ when I do my shopping, housework and art work which I hope maybe sold at a later date.

I have loved every bit of my volunteering and have kept myself busy, got out and about and learnt new skills, met many new people and I am more confident. I am also tired but it is tired in a good way and I would not give up my life for anything. My volunteering has got me out of the house, I am not good at staying in doing nothing, and has enabled me to get a job which is what I have always wanted.

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