Ecas is delighted to announce that two of our volunteers have won 2024 Inspiring Volunteer Awards.
Edinburgh’s Inspiring Volunteer Awards reflect the exceptional range of organisations and individuals working in the city’s vibrant charity and non-profit sectors.
At Ecas, we have many volunteers who we celebrate every day of the year. For this year’s awards, we wanted to thank Elizabeth and Ian who, between them, have been with Ecas for over 10 years. We thank them for sharing their story with us.
Elizabeth
Elizabeth has been a Volunteer Befriender with Ecas for more than 5 years, showing her dedication.
Her work as a befriender involves visiting her befriending match each week to provide friendship, companionship and company for a physically disabled adult who has been at risk of social isolation.
The social support Elizabeth has given over the years has been a great comfort to her befriendee as she does not have many other social opportunities, outside of the support from her care workers.
Elizabeth is open, kind, positive, and brings a brightness to any conversation – something her befriendee values hugely. She also shows patience and a good listening ear.
Elizabeth usually visited her befriendee every week but had to revert to phone calls whenever possible during the pandemic. During that time, her befriendee’s health worsened, prompting a move to a care home. Elizabeth has since re-started in-person visits and has shown wonderful dedication through a variety of contexts.
It has been a comfort to Elizabeth’s befriendee to have that consistency during a period of change. Having moved to a care home – a completely new environment with new people – she is still isolated in her room a lot of the time, so it is important to have someone familiar to talk with to keep her mind sharp! Elizabeth has been reading to her, which is something she finds difficult to do for herself.
Ian
Ian has been a Volunteer Befriender with Ecas for more than 5 years, showing his dedication.
The social support Iain has provided over that time has had a hugely positive impact on his befriendee who does not have many social opportunities, outside of the support he gets from care workers. Ian has brought his very friendly and light-hearted personality to his befriending role.
During the Ecas befriending experience, Iain’s befriendee has moved from inappropriate housing with little support, to fully supported accommodation, which has greatly improved his wellbeing.
Ian has played his part in these positive developments, providing consistent company, and by sharing his own experiences with his befriendee. They enjoy catching up, chatting about music and football. They have also had the chance to go to out and about together, including to watch a football match.
Ian has also been a volunteer Board member at Ecas since 2022, and we greatly value that contribution and dedication. He brings his knowledge of the befriending service and his experience as an attendee of Ecas activities to bear in that important role.
As someone with his own experience of disability and of working with many other agencies, Ian has provided an element of peer support in his role. He has used his knowledge to signpost effectively for his befriendee, in conjunction with Ecas. In doing so, he has helped to deliver one of the many benefits of befriending; encouraging choice.
Ian’s befriendee has a communication difficulty and some impaired vision. Ian has used his patience and skills in sign language to communicate well. During the pandemic they were not able to meet up and, due to the communication issues, ‘distance’ befriending was not suitable. Ian kept in touch via text, keeping the connection alive until an in-person re-introduction was possible in August 2022.
Feeling inspired?
If you have been inspired by Elizabeth and Ian, we would love to hear from you.
Ecas is a charity dedicated to improving the quality of life of physically disabled people in the Edinburgh and Lothian area: promoting equality, choice and participation through our activities, befriending service, and grants.
There are many great ways to volunteer at Ecas and help support the work we do.
Find out more about our Volunteer Opportunities including our Volunteer Befriending Service.
Join our Finance and Personnel Committee
Ecas is also seeking to recruit new Members for its Finance and Personnel Committee. We are looking for individuals to fill skills gaps in the areas of legal practise and human resources.
Find out more – Join our Finance and Personnel Committee