Volunteers in the All Aboard canal boat

All hands on deck

Bobby VeitchNews

Katie volunteers on our All Aboard canal boat as part of our award-winning crew, supporting us to run trips on the Union Canal for community groups and organisations. She recently spoke to us about what makes her volunteering experience at People Know How so unique and rewarding.


Katie has been volunteering for most of her life. During the last 40 years, she’s done everything from supporting the operation of an art festival to delivering meals and is always looking for ways she can make things easier for those in need. After all these years of experience, she found it hard to find new and challenging volunteering experiences, until recently. Due to the intensity of her job as a psychologist, she was also looking for a new volunteering opportunity that was completely different from anything she had done before and would create a relaxing environment to decompress.

Katie doesn’t live too far from Polwarth Church, where our All Aboard canal boat is docked, and regularly sees it during walks along the canal. We run All Aboard in collaboration with Polwarth Church, hosting unique boat trips for community groups and organisations to improve wellbeing, socialise and discover new experiences while surrounded by nature in the heart of the city. We also offer unique volunteering opportunities to join our crew or become a helmsperson on the boat. Despite having no experience with boats, Katie sent an email to People Know How and within a couple of hours was finalising the steps to begin her journey on the canal as a volunteer. Thanks to the relaxed pace of All Aboard and the supportive team of award-winning volunteers, she felt her confidence grow as the weeks went by, learning something new with each trip.

“I love the circular community that All Aboard promotes, creating connections and giving people the opportunity to learn something new and perhaps support each other in a new way.”
Katie
A Digital Support Volunteer using a computer

Join the canal community

Having volunteered on All Aboard for a year now, Katie has experienced many exciting trips. A personal highlight was the Flotilla of Lights festival, held in winter. It was an eye-opening trip for Katie as she saw the dedication and lengths Edinburgh’s canal community go to help each other, creating light displays and providing food and warm spaces for those who visited. The kindness shown by All Aboard, Polwarth Church and the canal community is what keeps Katie volunteering. Every trip gives her a new opportunity to help people, harkening back to her days as a nurse.

Some of the most rewarding trips for Katie are those with young people, who she regales with stories about the history of the canal. Seeing the excitement on their faces as they experience being on a boat for the first time is a rewarding feeling. Reflecting on the past year, Katie has learnt a lot, met new people and achieved many new things. She now encourages people to step out of their comfort zone like she did volunteering on a boat.

“My volunteer experience has been amazing so far, I’m surrounded by great people who create a positive environment. Throwing myself into something new has been rewarding and I would encourage everyone to consider volunteering”
Katie

Becoming a VIP (volunteer, intern or placement student) at People Know How leads to an exciting journey full of opportunities to meet new people, learn new skills and make a difference in communities across Edinburgh and the Lothians.

Like Katie, you too can join our All Aboard crew and gain valuable experience volunteering on a canal boat, spending your volunteering time in the unique setting on the beautiful Union Canal at the heart of Edinburgh.