A stitch in time: Q&A with volunteer GAMH knitting group leader Lesley
As part of our Volunteers Week celebrations, we’re learning more about the volunteers who help us make a difference to the lives of people in Glasgow. In our second Volunteers Week interview, we’ll meet GAMH Community Hub volunteer Lesley and discover more about her role helping members pick up their knitting needles and get creative.
Volunteers Week: Meet GAMH volunteer knitting group leader Lesley
Helping people on the path to mental health recovery often means connecting them with hobbies, old and new. That’s the case for GAMH volunteer, Lesley, as she leads our weekly knitting group at the GAMH Community Hub.
GAMH: Lesley, tell us a bit about your volunteering role at GAMH?
Lesley: I help members of the Hub with their knitting projects. I lead the knitting group, offer tips and encourage group members to take on more challenging projects.
GAMH: Knitting has recently become a popular mindfulness hobby. How did you get into knitting in the first place?
Lesley: I’ve been knitting for a lifetime! I started when I was at school, and I’ve knitted loads of patterns since then, from hats and socks to scarves and jumpers.
Getting to know the GAMH Community Hub knitting group
GAMH: What’s the knitting group like?
Lesley: We meet just after lunch at the Hub and get started on current and new projects. There’s lots of chat as we work, and we’ve really got to know each other.
One of the highlights each week is seeing members of the group tackle more challenging projects with great success.
GAMH: What inspired you to become a volunteer at the GAMH Community Hub?
Lesley: I started volunteering at the Hub back in 2013. Initially, I was looking for a way to help others and something that would be flexible around my summer sailing trips. I found out about GAMH and the rest, as they say, is history.
GAMH: That’s a huge commitment – over 13 years! How has GAMH supported you in your volunteering role?
Lesley: I have been fortunate all the way through my time with GAMH to work with staff members who take the time to make me feel welcome. They’ve made me feel supported, and they are always so positive about what we are doing. I really feel like a part of the team here at the Hub.
GAMH: Over the years, have you had any favourite projects or patterns created by the knitting group?
Lesley: There have been so many, but one that sticks out is a member who completed a baby hat for a new arrival. It wasn’t so much the pattern but how over the moon they were at completing it and being able to gift something they made.
GAMH: What is the one thing you wish more people understood about volunteering?
Lesley: It’s definitely that giving up your time for others is so rewarding. It offers such a sense of satisfaction.
GAMH: Any final words of advice for those thinking about volunteering with GAMH?
Lesley: Go for it! It’s a great place to volunteer. Volunteers are given lots of support and will feel that personal satisfaction from working with Hub members and the team here.
Looking for a rewarding volunteering role in Glasgow?
When you volunteer with GAMH, you make a real difference to people’s lives in Glasgow. Our volunteers come from all walks of life and backgrounds. You don’t need special skills; just the desire to help others get back to better mental health.
Learn more about volunteering with GAMH or register your interest in volunteering with us.
Here to help you on the path to mental health recovery
Every day, GAMH is helping people in Glasgow on the path to mental health recovery. If you are recovering from mental health problems and are looking for support, you can learn more about GAMH’s services for Adults, Young People, and Carers, and how to be referred by your GP.
Already supported by GAMH and interested in the Community Hub? To find out more about opportunities at the GAMH Community Hub, complete a contact form or speak to your usual GAMH contact.
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