It’s was an easy mistake for Granny Ina to make, mixing up community work with community service.
When she heard wee Davie’s pal was undertaking community service at the play park, she thought he was planting bulbs with the town in bloom group.
Regrettably, his service wasn’t the volunteering kind but the result of a community payback order.
Still, the community was getting the benefit . . . and, to paraphrase the wise words of Mahatma Gandhi, wee Davie’s pal was learning to find himself in the service of others.
And that’s exactly what community work of any sort is all about: doing something for the good of others, whether paid or unpaid.
It’s not about polishing your halo every night but knowing your work is making a difference somewhere.
Jobs that come under the community development umbrella are many and diverse but they all have the same aim: helping people build better lives and bringing about social change.
Roles can be as varied as upcycling a council’s bike route, working on community safety projects or setting up play schemes for youngsters.
Community development workers don’t hand solutions to communities on a plate but instead try to encourage people to help themselves. They do this by inspiring, supporting and offering opportunities for making improvements.
Some community development workers specialise in addressing specific social problems such as drug abuse, homelessness or unemployment, while others have a more general mission.
A recent vacancy on s1jobs is a good example of a national issue being tackled at community level. The Paths for All charity has been on the lookout for a Walking for Health development officer, tasked with increasing the number of people walking every day in Scotland.
And because it’s impossible to chap everybody’s door to suggest a wee stroll around the park, it’s a development officer’s job to offer opportunities and encouragement to do just that. This means raising awareness of the national Walking for Health network that offers 150 Health Walk projects across Scotland each week.
The ability to build partnerships and develop relationships is also a vital part of a community development worker’s job. Without links to government, councils, community groups and local businesses, the support and money to get projects off the ground isn’t going to be available.
Community development work is challenging but incredibly rewarding. There are few quick fixes in this line of work, as it often takes time for results to materialise. No surprise then patience and perseverance, as well as motivation and enthusiasm, are important personality traits.
A recognised qualification in community development is the most likely route into this kind of work, with starting salaries between £15,000 and £20,000 a year, rising to £30,000 with experience.
You may even get to plant some bulbs!
View all the latest social services, housing and childcare vacancies at s1jobs.com