Volunteers enrich our society

One of the most rewarding aspects of a Member of Parliament’s role is the chance to meet passionate people.

Passion, when well applied, has the power to change lives, communities and countries and this is a concept that I am lucky to witness on a regular basis in my constituency of Stroud. Indeed, I often look at Stroud and feel we are lucky to have an insight into the promise of how a bigger society could change Britain. Two visits I have recently made stand out as examples of this in my community, examples where individual endeavour clearly delivers outcomes beyond the norm.

First, I went to Gloucestershire Army Cadet Force (The Rifles) in Stonehouse where I met commanders and soldiers. It was inspirational to see so many young people well organised, committed and resourceful. This was an evening parade where drilling practice was taking place for some while others were learning about map reading.

It was immediately clear to me that the cadets were benefitting enormously from being part of a team and some were already planning to become professional soldiers or airmen. The leadership from the Platoon commander, Serjeant Instructor Craig Fellowes, and his officers gave the entire platoon a strong sense of purpose. The young people I met were imbued with a sense of commitment, discipline and responsibility and I am sure that they will grow up to be active members of our communities.

The next visit was to ‘CCP’ – County Community Projects – at their newly opened “Season House”, providing short term accommodation for homeless young people. Such provision is, sadly, necessary but, with CCP, it is of outstanding quality with an emphatic focus on delivering a service that equips the young person with the required skills and confidence to be an effective and independent individual. Like the Army Cadet Force, CCP benefits from incredibly effective leadership and devoted members of staff. Without staff committing above and beyond what can normally be expected this sort of project would not work.

Both of these organisations – completely different as they are in structure and purpose – are two shining examples of what can be achieved when passionate people turn their ideas into action. They enrich our society, impact our communities and make the promises of a bigger society a reality. The more Government can support passionate people the more society will grow to passionately support people. This is the promise of the Big Society. Stroud is very lucky to have experience of this already.

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