Stories from the Edge - Volunteer Now

Picking up its first ever award for its outstanding contribution to the community the Northern Bank has been greatlyencouraged in its corporate social responsibility, according to the group’s Chief Executive Don Price. He had a few specialwords for Joyce, Austin and their other 18 colleagues who give up their time and energy to helping others. “If we keep up thismomentum throughout the second half of the yearwe will have a result to be very proud of.” But the“play is an importantpart of growing up”Chief Executive also recognised those othercolleagues who facilitated the volunteers absencesfrom work. “Without this energy and dedicationand commitment the programme would not haveachieved so much in its first year.”Belfast Education and Library Board certainly recognises the usefulness of the scheme and has given permission for an initial20 Northern Bank volunteers to spend an hour each week helping youngsters. Eight schools were picked for the initial schemeinvolving 40 key stage two children. So far the Northern Bank has operated in the greater Belfast area but it hopes to extendthe project countrywide soon.In a story about Time 2 Count in the Northern Banks’ in house magazine ‘Cheque In’ there is a picture of Austin and Joyce.The photographer managed, in the way that only good photographers can do, to capture the youthful inquisitiveness of thefour girls and a little boy. One child gently strokes her hair while looking intensely at Austin Coll.The little boy is too interestedin the numbers game lying on the table to be bothered joining the others. Three eight year old girls lean over with the sameintensity as Joyce’s image explains another number game.For Austin Coll this is all a new experience. He is quick to explain that teaching the young boys and girls of Cliftonville Primaryis enjoyable. That shouldn’t come as a surprise since his mother is already a schoolteacher and the apple rarely falls far fromthe tree.Austin, from east Belfast, could have been a teacher but instead he decided to follow his own path. For the past threeyears he has worked with the Northern Bank. He believes that a path less trodden does make a difference. For a 20 year oldhe exhibits remarkable common sense and confidence. He is quick to give out sound advice about always keeping bankaccounts in good shape. The discussion is reluctantly brought back to his volunteer activity and the same gusto is alsoevident. He explains how his role had lead to great friendships with the school kids. “I do this for an hour a week and I admitI now look forward to meeting the children.We have a good relationship but its not the teacher / pupil relation but more likegood friends. At Christmas for example we exchanged gifts,” he said by way of clarification. He waxes about the youngsters.“The kids are fantastic, we get on with them and more important they are really comfortable with us. In the short time I havebeen volunteering I have noticed a sharp increase in their ability to do mental arithmetic, to recognise concepts andrelations,”he said. Austin thinks that the sharp rise in the school kids learning curve is because of the recognition that play isalso learning. More important he thinks that the personal relationship between himself and the children has been significant.Larne outlet manager Joyce Lardie is in no doubt that the interpersonal relationship between herself and children are veryimportant. Joyce is no stranger to such relationships since she is a mother of two girls. Joyce is very much the professional.