Volunteer Profile: Ann

As Volunteers Week starts on Monday we're finding out more about the wonderful people who generously give up their time to help us - here's Ann's story.

"I’ve been volunteering since 1975, starting by helping out at the Danesholme Youth Club which led to a job in Youth Work until 1998, then at English Heritage as an extension to a job I had there. Since 2004 I’ve also been running Stevie Way Art Group on a voluntary basis.

Around 2012, before Made With Many had a name and before the funding bid was submitted to the Arts Council I was volunteering, representing Stevie Way Art Group (SWAG) and the general community in the process of responding to the steering committee’s call out for ideas and aspirations for the project. We helped shape the project by saying what wasn’t available locally and what we wanted and needed as a community.

I wasn’t aware at the time just how big it was going to be, but I got involved in the conversations and events that were being held to develop the project, as well as being part of the ‘I’m In’ campaign to prove to the Arts Council that the project had local support to help us get the funding. During the first project with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra in 2014 I was involved in explaining the history of Corby steelmaking and in the selection of music for the launch event concert with Deep Roots Tall Trees at the football ground.

In 2016 I was asked to look at a whole load of applications to select the artists who would make new works for the new Field Day Festival, as I was a KHL Partnership member. It was a fascinating process and having the artists at the festival made a brilliant day, which I also helped out at.

Having Made With Many on board with the Field Day Festival meant we had professional mentors, who made it really clear that it was a big piece of work to take on as an annual event, but that we could replicate it by following the method. It encouraged the KHL Big Local committee and volunteers to have confidence that we could do it ourselves in following years.

My role as an Arts Ambassador at Made With Many means that I share a lot of events on Facebook and Instagram and encourage people to come along and join in, as well as sharing posters, leaflets and brochures around the community. I like to turn up and generally make myself useful, I always say “I’ll turn up to the opening of a crisp packet!” It gives me a chance to network and I see a value in sharing what you know and cascading it to other people and organisations. Meeting new people gives me an opportunity to do this and draw upon all that information to enable other people in what they want to do.

During the Grow Festivals I helped again selecting artists and developing the branding as part of a community forum, as well as helping out with practical tasks. In 2019 my SWAG group made aprons for the community feast kitchen and 200 metres of bunting to hang in the town centre! We meet every Monday from 11.30am – 1.30pm at Stephenson Way Community Centre if anyone wants to join us!

In early 2020 I was made redundant, which gave me an opportunity to look for a job in the arts and it was serendipitous that Made With Many were looking for an Administrator. I worked at Made With Many from Spring 2020 (starting remotely during lockdown) until I retired in Summer 2022. In 2020 I also became a trustee of Corby Community Arts , having had a long and merry connection with them since 1987.

Now I’m retired I also volunteer at the KHL Community Workshop running sessions on Thursdays 2pm – 5pm (kettle is always on) and I love the community we have down there.

Next I’m getting involved in Made With Many’s Volunteer focus groups to help revamp the website and review the marketing, as I like to make a difference and I know it’ll be appreciated.

Personally, I find volunteering very rewarding. I regularly bump into people and they remember things we’ve jointly been involved with and it brings back those warm feelings and makes me feel like I’ve made a positive difference.

As a volunteer I’ve had some amazing moments… I’ve seen an acrobat performing in a vast, floating bubble on the Boating Lake. Just not an every day moment…"

If you would like to find out more about volunteering, come and have a chat with us at Corby Library's volunteering event on Monday 3rd June during #VolunteersWeek - find out more at https://madewithmany.org/volunteering