“What a gift SNAP is to the community”

In this edition of Volunteer Spotlight, we hear from one of our counsellors, Maggie, on how she got involved with SNAP 27 years ago…

How long have you been involved with SNAP?

I first came to SNAP in, I think 1995/1996, when we were at Keys Hall and there were just a few children and parents. A friend of mine was involved and asked if I’d go along and help look after the children so the mums could have a chat.

Then they got to realise that I actually was a qualified counsellor so if anyone got upset or there was anything I could help with, I’d take them off to have a little chat.

And then as SNAP grew and there were more children, I had a little table in the corner and people would come up and speak to me. Sometimes we’d have a session outside of SNAP on a Monday and by then other things at the charity were starting to take off.

As I started to work with more parents we started offering counselling in the shower room on a wooden bench, with no heating, and it worked!

I think it was roundabout that point I became a trustee and sat on the trustee board for 14 years and now I still see clients voluntarily for SNAP.

I worked through the pandemic, seeing clients via Zoom or FaceTime, though this was not the greatest way to do it but we kept going.

How long have you been a counsellor for?

Oh gosh… About 40 years. Roughly 27 years counselling at SNAP. I’ll keep going for as long as I can.

As a counsellor, how do you maintain a work/life balance? Hearing difficult things and situations.

have a supervisor that I can go to outside of SNAP. I think it just comes over the years, you do learn that you can’t take things on, you aren’t going to solve anyone’s difficulties by doing that. It’s about giving them the tools to help them come to their own conclusions.

It takes a huge amount of courage to sit in those chairs and talk to me about things that are very personal to them. I just feel so privileged that people do that.

How often to you volunteer?

One day a week at SNAP – including supervision with the Family Team. We talk about any issues that crop up and affect them, sharing feelings which I think is really important for the staff as they work so hard in this amazing organisation. I still can’t believe what it’s grown into. It’s really quite phenomenal. And how brave they are too.

I feel that having seen SNAP grow to what it is now and what a gift it is to the community; how dedicated everyone is that works here and how hard they work. It fills me with a great deal of pride to be a part of it. I’ll go on until they tell me I’ve passed my sell-by-date!