Volunteering champ aims to take project to the next level
Mum wants to help struggling families
An award-winning volunteer is appealing for funds and expertise to help take a much-needed community project to the next level.
Angelina Keating – who picked up the volunteer of the year accolade at South Lanarkshire’s Volunteering Awards recently and also won Scottish Parent Networks’ Community parent of the year award at the Scottish Parliament – is desperate to open her ‘Swap and Save’ One-Stop shop to the public.
While the unit at Westwood Square is currently used for storing items donated to Angelina, it isn’t in a condition which would allow it to be opened to people and help move the project forward.
The swap and save scheme gives residents the chance to ‘up-cycle’ unwanted items and Angelina also collects donations for Women’s Aid and families in need across East Kilbride and Glasgow.
But to develop the scheme Angelina needs to secure more funds and is looking for people who have run charities or have business experience to act as trustees.
The Westwood mum of two teenage boys has first-hand experience of how community organisations can support those in need after arriving in East Kilbride five years ago without any belongings or a penny to her name having fled domestic violence.
Angelina, who was also honoured by South Lanarkshire Council two years ago with a volunteering award, told the News: “While I manage to secure small pots of funding here and there what I really need is maybe sponsorship from local businesses.
“If I could get the shop up and running, the project could do so much more and support so many more families in desperate need of help.
“It is really myself and a few other dedicated volunteers who have run swap and save up until now but I think what we really need to develop are people with a business background or skills.
“I have had to pretty much learn as I go but would really like to get some trustees and board members who could help with that side of things.
“The only people who know anything about us are the folk who use us on a regular a basis – and that needs to change.
“We are one of the groups hoping to be named as Sainsbury’s charity of the year and if that happened it would be a big boost for us.”
Angelina added: “It is a crazy situation when I have picked up three awards in the last three years for the work we do at swap and save but I can’t take it to the next stage.
“I have been in the same boat as a lot of the people we help and I know what a difference a little bit of support can make. I just wish I could do more for people but without the shop opening up we are unable to move forward.”
If you are able to help, call Angelina on 07869 630225.