The recent coronation of King Charles III was extra special for SHINE, Director Eleanor Thomas writes…
As with other non-profit organisatons, SHINE rely on people giving their time unpaid to support and supplement a lot of the work we do: our amazing facilitators and exceptional Board of Directors are unpaid volunteers. What many people probably don’t realise is that over the past 20 years since Kath Sharman started up SHINE, the majority of her time has also been unpaid. So we are absolutely delighted that Kath has been selected as one of the official Coronation Champions!
The Coronation Champions Awards, launched by the Royal Voluntary Service, are all about celebrating the work of extraordinary volunteers across the UK. Kath is one of just 500 volunteers who have been selected as a Coronation Champion, receiving an official Coronation Champions pin badge, a signed certificate from Their Majesties and an invite to one of the Coronation Celebrations.
Those of us who know Kath and have worked with her for years appreciate her amazing dedication to the children and young people of Sheffield, South Yorkshire and beyond. It is fantastic that her voluntary, unpaid work, which at times has actually kept SHINE going, has been recognised nationally in such a positive way.
The dedication and commitment of the young people who have been part of the Management Committee over the years deserve a special mention: their ongoing support and guidance has helped Kath and the team develop the programme into what it is today.
As Chair of SHINE, I want to say a huge thank you to Kath for all the work she has done over the past 20 years, paid and voluntary, to help change the lives of so many young people. We are so proud of you Kath.
So what has been her reaction to this Coronation Champion Award? Over to you Kath…..
“The last 20 years has have been a roller coaster of experiences with SHINE on the verge of closing several times. But with strength and resilience – and the support from a dedicated team of voluntary workers – we bounced back every time with pride and grace. Finally, in the past year we have started to create a platform of security as Tier 3 services move into new developing clinics within the NHS, which is an amazing achievement for us all. I accept this award with pride, not for myself, but for our team of dedicated volunteers and co-workers who show such dedication and commitment in their hard work. And for all our young people and their families who work even harder to make lifestyle changes. We celebrate together!”
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