The Chair of BYT is guest blogger. She has recently, like a number of us, run the Manchester 10k - this is her take on that and her reflection on her year as chair of BYT:
On the 15th May I set out on one of the most terrifying experiences I have ever volunteered for in my 42 years of life – the Great Manchester Run; 10k (or 6.2 miles) of Manchester’s finest tarmac was my nemesis and I conquered it to raise funds for Burnley Youth Theatre. I will come back to my race experience later but at this point it is important to state that I was not the only one undertaking this challenge, I was part of a team and teams play an essential part in the success of Burnley Youth Theatre as an organisation.
There always seems to me a great sense of working together as a team at BYT. We are lucky to have an extremely hard working staff team led by our Artistic Director, Mandy Precious. This year we have been extremely fortunate that Mandy has agreed to a full time contract with us. I would also like to take this opportunity to welcome Aiden and Steven to the staff team. All of the team work together in the development of what we do and how we do it and offer each other support in order that they can all develop to their full potential. In the main it is the work of the staff team that drive us forward towards success. We have had an anxious wait for news from the Arts Council about our regular funding but thankfully the news was good. With a new Artistic Development Plan in place to take us through the next few years we have a clear focus and direction. We have started to enjoy visits from professional, touring companies and have put on some fabulous productions ourselves. Alongside this we have worked on projects with young people that educate and facilitate discussion and debate. We have worked with a vast range of schools and developed our relationships with other theatre groups and projects for young people.
Back to my experience of race day: I was what might be termed as a ‘plodder’ as I went around the course. I ran a bit, then walked a bit and probably did a fair bit of staggering. I stopped three times to adjust my shoes as my toes had gone dead and even managed a bit of speed as I went past the official photographer. I ached from the waist down, it was raining and I felt quite alone despite the thousands of people who travelled alongside me on my journey. I felt disappointed that the route was not more scenic. I had an expectation that I would admire the heritage of the city along the way but one branch of Curry’s looks much like all the rest. The glossy brochure that they sent before the race held promises of jelly babies near the end of the course and the anticipation of their sweetness and the fact that they would not affect my waistline today kept me going. I could see the volunteers ahead holding out their latex gloved hands and I got a little faster again all for the sake of one darn jelly baby and it was not even a black one! The last kilometre was the longest 1000 metres I have ever travelled. I was wet, I hurt and I was crying at the whole overwhelming experience of taking part in a race after avoiding any type of running for all but five months of my life when I finally crossed the finish line. At this point you may wonder what on earth I am leading to and my point is this:
I ran this torturous race voluntarily. The rest of the team who ran the race did it voluntarily. The participants, parents, and friends who give their time to Burnley Youth Theatre do it voluntarily. I know that our wonderful staff team give us extra time and regularly work above and beyond the call of duty voluntarily. Being a volunteer is not always easy with jobs, studies, families and a vast array of other competing priorities to contend with but being a volunteer brings its own rewards. Our Financial Director, Moira Preston, has said to me on several occasions, after volunteering with us for over 30 years, “I have got more back than I put in”. Being a volunteer brings new people, new skills and new perspectives into your life. I believe that there is no feeling like the one you get when you feel you are making a difference to people’s lives and I think that, in general, is why our team of volunteers keep giving us their time and skills.
The time and skills of our team of volunteers is crucial in the work of Burnley Youth Theatre. Our entire board is made up of volunteers. Volunteers make and source costumes for our productions. Volunteers organise and man fund raising events. Volunteers run the front desk during workshops and productions. In short, Burnley Youth Theatre could not support up to 450 young people coming through the doors every week without volunteers.
We have achieved many things and there is much to celebrate and each member of the team that is Burnley Youth Theatre should be a part of that celebration but we must never allow ourselves to slip into complacency on the back of success. There are still young people for us to reach out to, there are still penny pinching days ahead and, as ever, there is still a need for those essential volunteers and the need for us to work as a team for the greater good.
Onward and upward!
Alicia Foley
