At Shelter Scotland, volunteers represent a substantial part of our charity, and they are fully integrated into all aspects of what we do. Volunteering, it could be said, is part of our DNA, so it feels only natural for us to celebrate some of the amazing volunteers that are selflessly giving their time, expertise and experience towards helping us end the housing emergency and hold those in power accountable.
Penny is currently a volunteer within the Scottish Empty Homes Partnership (SEHP), a collaboration between Shelter Scotland and the Scottish Government with the aim of bringing long-term unused property in Scotland back into circulation. Right now, there are 43,538 empty homes in Scotland and since the partnership began, SEHP has helped bring an incredible 10,889 homes back into use – and Penny has been part of that.
But enough from us, let’s hear more from Penny herself around why she volunteers for us, what she does, what she gets from it, and more.
Q. Hi Penny, could you tell us a little about yourself and what you do at Shelter Scotland?
A. I worked in publishing for many years,, and I started volunteering for the SEHP in December 2024.
My role in the SEHP is mainly to help improve engagement with our advice services through our website and on social media. I have also been reviewing our website content and will be helping to edit our upcoming annual report.
Q. How and where did you first hear about the volunteering opportunity?
A. I first heard about the SEHP when it was featured in an article in The Times, talking about the issue of empty homes across the UK. I contacted them and I was then put in touch with Shelter Scotland who host the SEHP and recruit volunteers for them.
It took a while for a volunteer position with the SEHP to come up, but I am glad I waited for it.
Q. Sounds like it was worth the wait! What made you apply for the volunteer position? Why did it mean so much to you?
A. I volunteered for this particular role because bringing empty homes back into use makes sense both environmentally and as a contribution to dealing with the housing emergency.
For me, volunteering is an opportunity to contribute to a cause I believe in. I also come from a family of volunteers whose activities have covered everything from delivering library books to people with limited mobility to restoring Victorian steam turbines in a water-pumping station on the Thames.
The main things I have learned so far are that my skills are transferable, and that volunteering is a great way to make new connections and feel valued.
Penny’s mentor, Matt, had this to add:
Penny joined the Scottish Empty Homes Partnership in late 2024. Penny’s eye for detail and ability to clearly communicate complex information has helped to improve our online advice content. This , which helps owners and neighbours of empty homes as well as people looking to invest in empty homes, and is a key part of achieving our organisational objectives. We are about to launch a new website and Penny’s fingerprint will be all over it!
We feel very fortunate that Penny has chosen us as the organisation to contribute her time and expertise to, at a time when empty homes work is becoming more recognised as part of the solution to Scotland’s housing emergency.
We want to thank Penny 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.