This post is devoted to a very special space,
the Green and Blue Space.
Dear food huddle people...this is what I really wanted to say that day, few weeks ago, but I did not have the possibility to print the whole thing out and so I improvised. Here is a longer version of the story that I had to say.
Throughout my stay in Scotland my friends and relatives were asking me:
"So...you have been up to what, again?", "You were volunteering for who?"
I guess...here is the answer to your questions.
the Green and Blue Space.
Dear food huddle people...this is what I really wanted to say that day, few weeks ago, but I did not have the possibility to print the whole thing out and so I improvised. Here is a longer version of the story that I had to say.
Throughout my stay in Scotland my friends and relatives were asking me:
"So...you have been up to what, again?", "You were volunteering for who?"
I guess...here is the answer to your questions.
GBS and Me
I was acquainted with the Green and Blue Space on one Thursday evening in early March. I was told that there is going to be a food huddle, a regular event where people bring and share food and talk about environmental issues, that I am invited to.
Well, I just finished cooking dinner, so I thought, I might as well put it in a plastic box and give food huddle a go. I have been encountered with a group of friendly looking people who quickly proceeded in eating my dinner.
(That night was a special celebrating of winning a funding for a gardening project of which I knew very little. Nothing...to be precise. So I did not really get why is everyone so happy, nor was I expecting that in few months I would be happily working on it :) )
Not really knowing what to make of the people and rather hungry I later watched a fast-speaking Italian chic giving a presentation about light polution.
And that night it came to me...those people are seriously amazing, I want to know them better!
To be fair, I need to confess that looking back I am not that entirely sure whether it was the possibility of heating up my food in the microwave or the possibility of getting to know interesting people, that drew me back in the Green and Blue Space the following day. :D
Anyway, the fact is that I did come back, microwaved my food, sat on the sofa and a hippie looking girl from the Shetland Islands started talking to me. It was probably Laura (her laid-back attitude to life and calming voice) who actually made me feel really comfortable in the place and the way she talked about the Green and Blue Space really made me want to be a part of all the activities that they do.
I always knew that the Green and Blue Space existed. I am not really one of those people who would be like "So it´s based in the Uni, eh?"..."In the Atrium?...ok, interesting, never noticed it...good to know."
The thing is though that I never really had the courage to come in. Why is that? The people...they just seemed cool...like very cool. And...I was not sure whether I belonged there.
How has GPS changed me?
I have always had a bit of a volunteer in me (have quite a rich history in that) and also, I have been carrying around for quite some time thoughts about our environment.
I was acquainted with the Green and Blue Space on one Thursday evening in early March. I was told that there is going to be a food huddle, a regular event where people bring and share food and talk about environmental issues, that I am invited to.
Well, I just finished cooking dinner, so I thought, I might as well put it in a plastic box and give food huddle a go. I have been encountered with a group of friendly looking people who quickly proceeded in eating my dinner.
(That night was a special celebrating of winning a funding for a gardening project of which I knew very little. Nothing...to be precise. So I did not really get why is everyone so happy, nor was I expecting that in few months I would be happily working on it :) )
Not really knowing what to make of the people and rather hungry I later watched a fast-speaking Italian chic giving a presentation about light polution.
And that night it came to me...those people are seriously amazing, I want to know them better!
To be fair, I need to confess that looking back I am not that entirely sure whether it was the possibility of heating up my food in the microwave or the possibility of getting to know interesting people, that drew me back in the Green and Blue Space the following day. :D
Anyway, the fact is that I did come back, microwaved my food, sat on the sofa and a hippie looking girl from the Shetland Islands started talking to me. It was probably Laura (her laid-back attitude to life and calming voice) who actually made me feel really comfortable in the place and the way she talked about the Green and Blue Space really made me want to be a part of all the activities that they do.
I always knew that the Green and Blue Space existed. I am not really one of those people who would be like "So it´s based in the Uni, eh?"..."In the Atrium?...ok, interesting, never noticed it...good to know."
The thing is though that I never really had the courage to come in. Why is that? The people...they just seemed cool...like very cool. And...I was not sure whether I belonged there.
How has GPS changed me?
I have always had a bit of a volunteer in me (have quite a rich history in that) and also, I have been carrying around for quite some time thoughts about our environment.
But only Green and Blue Space was able to help me put my thoughts into words and the words into actions.
I have always been interested in the environmental issues, however everything seemed too complex and also the news you tend to hear from media are so bloody negative that almost makes you give up on trying to make a change.
However, Green and Blue Space taught me, that it is not true. You can start with the smallest things and everything that you do matters.
Eventually, throughout the year I have participated on various volunteering events:
Gowan hill clean up
With the help of the Stirling council and the organisation called "Keep Scotland Beautiful" we have spent one Sunday morning cleaning up a hill near the Stirling castle from all the rubbish that people unfortunately even here tend to leave behind sometimes.
Airthrey Loch clean up
Blackout
On one Friday evening we have been going through all the University buildings, checking all the rooms for any electrical devices that have not been switched off. This was done in a purpose of demonstrating of how people don´t care enough about this and how can we safe electricity consumption.
(I was on of the volunteer leaders that had assigned a section of a building to go through and the moustache was painted by Laurelin to make me look more recognisable)
FOOD HUDDLES
This is a fantastic invention, seriously!
Every Thursday evening we gather and share the food that we prepared for each other.
Because we care about what we consume, most of the food is organic and local. Moreover, since some of us might be allergic or just feel strongly about the food ethics, there usually is a range of meals.
You name it - vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free.
Also, different cousines are encouraged.
I have tasted greek, thai, dutch and german specialities.
However, food is only the first part of the huddle.
Once we full our empty stomachs with scandalously delicious food there is always a volunteer who has a presentation about a certain environmental topic. I have heard a presentation about light pollution, water and recycling etc
One week, the person who was supposed to do his/her talk could not do it anymore and so I volunteered and did a presentation on a topic that I have been carrying around in my head for some time - THE WASTE.
Firstly, I researched so much information about the topic, that I did not know how do I select the very most important and relevant information. Secondly, the circumstances in my personal life were rather uneasy around that time. And thirdly, the saying "practise makes perfect" simply does not work with me. What am I refering to? Me and public speaking - I have done it so so so many times (I have even had a class of public speaking for one semester) and still feel very uncomfortable and nervous when I have to speak infront of other people.
But you know what?
It was totally worth it!
St. Andrews
As mentioned previously the Green and Blue Space was awarded a financial support to start up a gardening project. To seek inspiration, we travelled to the St. Andrews and talked to the local gardening team.
Cleaning up AKD and Alexander Court
This was probably the most demanding work during the whole semester. Once the semesterwere ending, we put posters on all the visible place to inform students that they can donate their stuff, that they want to get rid of to the Green and Blue Space. A lot of them did so
It would be fair to say that at one point each of us might have been at the edge of breaking down. The amount of rubbish as well as valuable stuff was just too much.
In case you are wondering what would happen to it if we never came to those two dorms...they would be thrown out and end up in a landfill.
Results:
- 800kg of food, around 300kg unopened
- another 3 tonnes of clothes, mini furnitures, cutlery, electronic - most of it in good state.
So here is a lists of steps that we took, to illustrate that hassle :) :
Step 1: Collecting all the stuff and putting it in bags.
Step 2: Transporting the bags is a container.
Step 3: We realise that there is food in those bags and it might go off - so we go through all of those bags to separate left-behind food.
Step 4: We realise that we have too much stuff and the container is filling quickly. So we move every single bag and place it better.
Step 5: We start taking the bags from the container to the Green and Blue Space.
Step 6: We start weighing the stuff according to different cathegories and sorting the to the Green and Blue Space storage.
Step 7: We realise that the storage is not big enough for the amount of stuff that keeps coming in. We rethink the space usage and re-arrange everything.
Step 8: Putting the stuff on the display of the Green and Blue Space and letting students take whatever they want or need and making them promise that in case the don´t need something they will bring it back instead of throwing it away.
This is us, infront of the container, slightly exhausted, but feeling accomplished!
It would be fair to say that at one point each of us might have been at the edge of breaking down. The amount of rubbish as well as valuable stuff was just too much.
In case you are wondering what would happen to it if we never came to those two dorms...they would be thrown out and end up in a landfill.
Results:
- 800kg of food, around 300kg unopened
- another 3 tonnes of clothes, mini furnitures, cutlery, electronic - most of it in good state.
So here is a lists of steps that we took, to illustrate that hassle :) :
Step 1: Collecting all the stuff and putting it in bags.
Step 2: Transporting the bags is a container.
Step 3: We realise that there is food in those bags and it might go off - so we go through all of those bags to separate left-behind food.
Step 4: We realise that we have too much stuff and the container is filling quickly. So we move every single bag and place it better.
Step 5: We start taking the bags from the container to the Green and Blue Space.
Step 6: We start weighing the stuff according to different cathegories and sorting the to the Green and Blue Space storage.
Step 7: We realise that the storage is not big enough for the amount of stuff that keeps coming in. We rethink the space usage and re-arrange everything.
Step 8: Putting the stuff on the display of the Green and Blue Space and letting students take whatever they want or need and making them promise that in case the don´t need something they will bring it back instead of throwing it away.
This is us, infront of the container, slightly exhausted, but feeling accomplished!
GARDENING
As a part of the gardening project we were planting the plant during June and also eating delicious strawberries.
FEAST
In September most of the plants that we put in the ground grew. We suddenly had loads of onions, salats, potatoes, carrots, rhubarbs and marrows.
On one Friday afternoon we gathered to present the project to wider audience and I brought a chocolate cake that I baked earlier that day. That feeling that you are eating a cake made with a gigantic marrow that you planted only few months ago is almost impossible to describe.
Fashion show "ECO-CHIC"
For the Freshers week the Green and Blue Space organised a fashion show. Kind volunteers were showing on an improvised catwalk outfits that were made up from the donated clothes and accessories.
I helped with organising it, choosing the outfits and doing make-up for our models! The all looked gorgeous :) .
In the end of the show, feeling accomplished and tired and the same time, I asked my friend Giulia to take a picture with me.
Here are our the Julie & Giulia photos.
We are - of course - dressed in the donated clothes that anyone can now take from the Green and Blue Space.
A reward?
Please let´s not mistake it with the concept "I am going to help out here and there and then I will feel better about myself"... the feeling I get out of working with the crowd is far greater than that. Don´t do it, so that you would make it to the honour volunteer wall. Although, seeing your photo among the other people feels rather brilliant. :)
Working in Green and Blue Space I learned more about the environment, about myself and I have met fantastic people who will hopefully remain my lifelong friends.
Cleaning up the dorms, for example, was very hard, sorting more than 3 tonnes of left-behind stuff even harder. But once the Green and Blue Space re-opened for the students they all started taking it. The stuff started disappearing within a speed of light. You know what that means? Those people did not buy new goods and are probably going to bring them back once they won´t be needing it anymore instead of throwing it away.
It means that this perfectly fine stuff is hopefully not going to end up in landfill and I partially contributed to this that is what is so incredibely rewarding and that is what counts!
I can confidently say that it (and I mean mostly the inspiring company of clever, determined and very kind and supporting people) had helped me grow on personal level.
Cleaning up the dorms, for example, was very hard, sorting more than 3 tonnes of left-behind stuff even harder. But once the Green and Blue Space re-opened for the students they all started taking it. The stuff started disappearing within a speed of light. You know what that means? Those people did not buy new goods and are probably going to bring them back once they won´t be needing it anymore instead of throwing it away.
It means that this perfectly fine stuff is hopefully not going to end up in landfill and I partially contributed to this that is what is so incredibely rewarding and that is what counts!
I can confidently say that it (and I mean mostly the inspiring company of clever, determined and very kind and supporting people) had helped me grow on personal level.
Without an exaggeration, the Green and Blue Space became my safe haven, where I spent every spare minute possible.
And you know what?
They truly are incredible! They have so much on their plate already and they are not afraid to start up new project!
This year they are going to actively engage volunteers and train them for different positions, depending on their interest!
FYI
I did not volunteer forthe Green and Blue Space, so that it would look good on my CV.
And, if you are considering that...I am sorry, but your are not doing that right.
Well, yeah, it is going to look brilliant, but that´s not the point. I volunteered because I wanted to have good fun, participate on amazing work that actually has a good purpose, meet irresistable people and make a change.
And, if you are considering that...I am sorry, but your are not doing that right.
Well, yeah, it is going to look brilliant, but that´s not the point. I volunteered because I wanted to have good fun, participate on amazing work that actually has a good purpose, meet irresistable people and make a change.
My advice?
Don´t hesitate, don´t let the amazingness of the people scare you, pop by the Green and Blue Space...put your thoughts into words, words in actions and you will have an experience that you will be hanging on to once you go back home.
Lastly.....a message to the Green and Blue Space:
Thank you for taking me under your wings and allowing me be a part of the Green and Blue Dream Team!
Thank you for making me see the valuable things in life.
Thank you for changing my life.
Don´t hesitate, don´t let the amazingness of the people scare you, pop by the Green and Blue Space...put your thoughts into words, words in actions and you will have an experience that you will be hanging on to once you go back home.
Lastly.....a message to the Green and Blue Space:
Thank you for taking me under your wings and allowing me be a part of the Green and Blue Dream Team!
Thank you for making me see the valuable things in life.
Thank you for changing my life.
