A student social worker’s week with Stripey Stork

Flo Arthur is a Master of Social Work (MSW) student at Kingston University. Her course required students to undertake 5 days’ placement within a voluntary organisation, to gather knowledge on the difference between statutory organisations and charitable/voluntary organisations. Flo had completed placements with other Surrey health and social care teams, during which she had collected referrals from us and seen first-hand the importance of our service. This had made Flo keen to do her voluntary placement with Stripey Stork, and we were very glad to have her on board for a busy week in October. Her knowledge of working with families made her a great help to the team, and she was able to get stuck in helping our Referrals Coordinators and working with our younger volunteers.  We invited her to review her time with us, and she had this to say about her week with Stripey Stork:

I would like to thank the team at Stripey Stork for allowing me to be part of the amazing hard work that is done every day. Being a social work student, I have utilized the service as a referral partner, and I have seen first hand the positive impact that Stripey Stork has on families. The team have been welcoming and friendly, with an overall positive energy.

It is evident that Stripey Stork supports the community in many ways, it provides a safe networking space for volunteers, with the team feeling like a proud family. Along with of course the obvious support to the community, providing families who are experiencing challenges with the best quality items that they need.

Everybody within the team demonstrates passion for the work that is done;  it is very clear that children and families are at the heart of this charity. I am grateful to have had the opportunity to support the team, and get to know what happens ‘behind the scenes’. There is a huge amount of hard work and most importantly love, put into the service that is delivered to the community. I am extremely proud to have been part of such an amazing service; thank you to everybody at Stripey Stork. This will not be a goodbye, rather a see you soon!

Our Stripey Stork volunteers are incredibly important to us and we always welcome new ones. If you would like to volunteer with us then please visit our volunteering page for more information and do get in touch. You can volunteer with us as part of a placement, just like Flo did, or as part of a group or regular commitment. We look forward to welcoming you to Team Stork!