Today marks the final day of our Capturing Volunteer Stories, 1984 – 2024 Exhibition!

We are so grateful to all who supported us with this event, whether answering our call for contributions or by visiting us at Arnotdale House. It was so important that we marked our 40th anniversary in a way that was in touch with our values as an organisation, and using it as a reason to showcase just a little of the amazing impact volunteers have created and continue to create felt like the most appropriate celebration.

We have had a tremendous two weeks celebrating and engaging with volunteers, and hearing more stories from each and every one of you! We have been fortunate to have been visited by so many of our local communities, both volunteers and non-volunteers alike. Our staff team have worked incredibly hard on this project, and we are so heartened by the feedback we have received from our visitors who have embraced and engaged with the Exhibition:

“Fascinating exhibition, and a friendly welcome. As a volunteer myself, it’s nice to be recognised this way”

“An eye opener of all the fantastic work that happens on our doorstep”

“So much to see and learn about the history of volunteering in Falkirk District”

“Brilliant exhibition bringing volunteering to life. Great showcase of the range of local volunteering and benefits to communities.”

The space has truly been a celebration of community spirit and participation, offering the opportunity for people to be inspired and get involved. As we continue to celebrate our 40th anniversary over the next few months, we are glad to have had this opportunity to celebrate with our communities directly whilst forwarding our core message of the importance of volunteering.

In our second week of the exhibition, we were thrilled to welcome volunteers from Denny Poppies and members of the Denny & Bonnybridge Men’s Shed band The Auld Folkers to create live workshops and performances within our exhibition space. We enjoyed a great turnout for both events, and our staff team were very excited to be able to get involved alongside our visitors for some well deserved celebrations.

From learning some new skills with the wonderful ladies of Denny Poppies…

To enjoying some fantastic folk music in the sunshine courtesy of The Auld Folkers…

Being able to enjoy some time with some of our amazing groups has been so welcome for our staff team, and such a special treat for our visitors. We are so thankful to both for supporting our exhibition and brightening our days.

We were also glad to welcome the Falkirk Herald to our exhibition to showcase our event (article linked for your convenience). And we would like to thank them for their support in granting us use of their copyright to showcase articles from across the decades. We also couldn’t have put the exhibition together without the support of Minuteman Press Falkirk who printed all our displays and promotional materials.

Of course, we will always continue to celebrate and capture volunteer stories as we move into the next forty years – with a special announcement incoming as to how we plan to showcase these important stories further soon!