'It starts with a few hours': How COVEY volunteers are changing lives – including their own

What difference can a few hours a week really make?

According to volunteers at COVEY, the answer is simple: more than you could ever imagine.

COVEY (Community Volunteers Enabling You) is a Scottish charity that supports children, young people and families to build confidence, develop resilience and reach their full potential through personalised befriending, mentoring and family support. Working alongside volunteers and communities, COVEY creates opportunities for young people to feel connected and empowered.

Behind every baking session, trip to a museum, walk in the park or shared bus journey is something much bigger – relationships that help children and young people build confidence, discover new interests and create lasting memories.

The stories of COVEY's volunteers reveal the extraordinary impact of ordinary moments.

Some have volunteered for just a few months, while others have dedicated more than two decades to the charity. Together, they tell a powerful story of connection, community and the lasting difference that consistent support can make.

Volunteer Lisa has spent almost three years supporting young people through both befriending and mentoring. While there have been memorable day trips and baking sessions along the way, she says the moments she treasures most are watching young people believe in themselves.

"The small wins become the biggest achievements," she says, recalling the pride of seeing a young person step outside their comfort zone and embrace a new experience for the first time.

That theme runs through almost every volunteer's story.

Katie, who became a one-to-one befriender last year, says it isn't the big days out she remembers most, but the simple moments spent exploring the outdoors together.

"Hearing the laughs and seeing the smiles has become the most rewarding part of volunteering”, she says.

For group volunteer Jessica, who has been part of the COVEY family for four years, watching young people grow in confidence has been the greatest privilege.

"You can see them become more comfortable in themselves," she explains. "Seeing that growth is just amazing."

Many volunteers admit they were nervous before meeting the young people they would support. Building trust takes time, but patience, consistency and simply being there help relationships flourish.

"It's about taking things at their pace," says returning volunteer Jaclyn, who rejoined COVEY this year after a decade away. "When they begin suggesting activities they'd like to do, you know they're becoming more confident. Those moments mean everything."

The impact of volunteering extends far beyond the young people themselves.

For Maureen, who has volunteered with COVEY for 13 years, supporting children, young people and families has brought a renewed sense of purpose in retirement.

"It's wonderful to see young people grow in confidence," she says. "To think I've played even a small part in that is very special."

Chris, who volunteers with COVEY Connect groups, believes the experience has changed him too.

"I don't have to volunteer – I want to," he says. "Volunteering has made me a better listener and a better person."

Perhaps no story captures the long-term impact of COVEY better than David's.

After 20 years of volunteering, he still remembers the young people he supported decades ago. Recently, he met a young person once supported, who had grown into adulthood, built a family and created a life for himself.

"I like to think I played a part in that," David reflects.

For Jenna, volunteering represents a full-circle journey.

Having first been supported by COVEY as a young person, she is now giving back as a volunteer with the charity's ANGELS group and as a COVEY Young Ambassador, while also working with children with additional support needs.

"COVEY helped me see what I could do," she says. "I'm more confident, more accepting of who I am and proud of how far I've come."

While every volunteer's journey is unique, the message they share is remarkably consistent.

Volunteering isn't about having all the answers or making grand gestures. It is about listening, encouraging, sharing experiences and creating opportunities for children and young people to grow, feel valued and heard.

Whether it's introducing someone to a new hobby, celebrating a first achievement or simply sharing a conversation on the journey home, these moments build confidence that lasts long after the day has ended.

For many volunteers, those moments become just as meaningful for themselves as they do for the young people they support.

As demand for volunteers continues, COVEY hopes more people will discover what its existing volunteers already know – that giving just a few hours each week can have a lasting impact on a child's or young person’s life, while enriching your own in ways you never expected.

Sometimes, changing a life begins with something as simple as showing up.