It’s Volunteers’ Week 2025 and as part of that, we’re celebrating some of our fantastic Shelter Scotland volunteers. They selflessly give their time, expertise and experience to furthering our mission to end the housing emergency and ensure everyone in Scotland has the right to a safe, secure and affordable home.
Rowan volunteers within our Learning and Teaching Team and we caught up with them to understand more about what they do for us, what got them into it, and why it’s such an important role that we’re glad Rowan is providing their expertise for.
Q. Hi Rowan, could you tell us a little about yourself and what you do at Shelter Scotland?
A. My name is Rowan, and I am in my second year studying law at university. Alongside my studies, I work part time in a law firm and teach dancing in my spare time.
I volunteer with the Learning and Teaching Team at Shelter Scotland. It is a fulfilling role where I support the development of training programmes related to housing law. These programmes aim to provide individuals and organisations with the knowledge and understanding of the law that they need to better support people facing housing issues. My main responsibilities include reviewing and evaluating feedback from course participants and reporting this back to the team. I also provide analysis of the training itself to help ensure that future intakes continue to receive positive learning outcomes.
Q. How and where did you first hear about the volunteering opportunity?
A. I came across the opportunity when researching ways to gain more practical experience in the legal and charitable sectors. Shelter Scotland stood out to me because of their strong commitment to social justice and housing rights, these are areas I am passionate about both personally and professionally.
Q. What made you apply for the volunteer position? Why did it mean so much to you?
A. Volunteering with Shelter Scotland has allowed me to take a step back from my studies and work with an insightful charity that advocates for social justice. It is incredibly meaningful to be a part of a team that is so dedicated to making a difference in people’s lives. Being able to contribute to work that supports access to safe, secure housing, something which everyone deserves, is why I value my time volunteering so much.
Q. What’s in it for you? What are you getting out of it?
A. This role has not only allowed me to gain an in depth understanding of housing law and social justice but has also helped me grow personally. I have learned the value of feedback and utilising it effectively, as well as how important it is to continuously improve training methods to meet learners needs. It has also given me insight into how legal knowledge can be translated into practical, real-world impact.
Rowan’s mentor, Jill, had this to add:
Rowan joined the training team in January this year and in the short time she has become a valued member of the team. Rowan’s focus has been on reviewing and developing our evaluation processes whilst learning more about housing law advice and the courses we deliver.
We want to thank Rowan for being one of our amazing volunteers and for selflessly giving us their time, knowledge and experience to help us towards ending the housing emergency.
If you feel inspired and would love to volunteer for Shelter Scotland, you can view all of our current opportunities here. If there’s nothing that feels suitable, new opportunities are added regularly.