Gordon volunteers to walk the tightrope
Gordon helped out at Blackpool’s circus school as part of ‘vinvolved’s’ latest initiative to get youngsters volunteering.
Blackpool’s vinvolved team is run by the Lancashire Education Business Partnership (LEBP) which aims to inspire a new generation of young people to get involved in volunteering and community action.
Their latest campaign, ‘Favours,’ has been launched to transform the face of volunteering, and change the common perception that volunteering is boring and only involves working in charity shops and youth centres.
Vinvolved set a challenge for Gordon and other MPs to get involved with volunteering and to set an example for young people and encourage volunteer work.
Youth volunteer development manager for Blackpool’s vinvolved team, Pat Naylor, was keen to get MP Gordon Marsden involved and decided that a circus school would be an exciting place for him to undertake volunteer work.
Pat said: “I approached Gordon with a list of possible ‘taster session’ volunteer placements in his area and he chose the Blackpool Circus School.
“I was so happy with his decision because it really proves the point we want to get across - that volunteering isn’t boring and can be really fun,” she added.
Gordon spent time at the Circus School on Highfield Road and supervised and offered support to young children learning the tight rope.
“It was great having the MP there; he got really involved and was treated the same as everyone else,” added Pat.
“He was first name terms with the young people and wore the vinvolved t-shirt and ID badge.”
Gordon said afterwards “I really enjoyed helping out with the other volunteers. The circus school is a great project and as I am chairman of the Skills Committee in parliament it was somehow appropriate to be helping the young people on the tight rope. It really was a lot of fun”
3/10/08
