My experience volunteering for TAMBA Helping Hands

Qualified Norland Nanny Ishbel has volunteered her time to support several families of multiples through the TAMBA Helping Hands Appeal. We asked Ishbel to talk us through her experience to find out exactly what it was like:

How many TAMBA families have you volunteered for and what were the family needs?
I first started volunteering for TAMBA in 2012. I have helped 4 families in need, 3 of which had triplets and one which had quadruplets. Each family had different needs, but every family has required support and knowledge to help them in coping with a very daunting situation.

How much time did you spend with each family? How has it fitted in around your job?
I have spent a varied amount of time with each family, ranging from 4 nights to 4 weeks. The first set of triplets required night nannying as they had help in the day, where as all the others needed daily help. I enjoyed both aspects as I had not done night nannying before.
The reason I have been able to do as much volunteering as I have because I have done it in between jobs, and have therefore been able to treat it as another working position. It is however something you could do over the weekend as any help is greatly received by all of these families.


How did you feel before going into the first family?  

The first family I went into, I was TERRIFIED! I hadn't worked with newborns since leaving college and I was nervous I had forgotten all I had learnt. I hadn't of course, as Norlanders we all know how much the Norland training is drummed in and it all soon came flooding back. I don't know why I was so scared! 

How did the family respond to having you come in to help?
All the families I have worked with have been sincerely grateful. Sometimes, as a nanny, when we have worked with families for a long time, even though we know that we are appreciated expressing that appreciation can easily be overlooked, but I can assure you that going in to help one of these families will remind you why you went to Norland and why we do what we do. I can't describe the bond between multiples, and the more there are, the more incredible it gets. It brings tears to my eyes just thinking about how amazing these families are.
 
Were you faced with anything you couldn’t cope with?  
I have to say, when you have 3 babies crying all at the same time, it can sometimes be quite overwhelming. The more you do, the more you realise that you only have one set of hands and actually the babies do learn to wait. This is an important fact that you need to reassure the parents with as they often feel bad for not having enough time. With a 'get stuck in' attitude, there shouldn't be anything that a Norlander can't deal with.


Did TAMBA support you whilst volunteering?
TAMBA are fantastic. They are a wonderful team of friendly people and have been extremely supportive whenever I have been in place with one of their crisis families. They are very efficient in answering the phone and emails and I have always found it really easy to work with them.

What did you get out of the experience?
The main thing for me was understanding actually just how much of an impact you can have on these families lives. They rely on your knowledge and expertise to get them through what some would describe as 'dark days' and just having someone there to help and talk to can make the world's biggest difference. Not only have I furthered my own knowledge and experience but after being fortunate enough to be put through the Norland training, I now feel I have given something back.

Would you recommend volunteering to other Norlanders?
I would 100% recommend doing some volunteering. If you had told me 3 years ago I would have helped four multiples families I probably would have laughed. It really does get easier the more you do and you'll be amazed at what you can do and the difference you can make. It is extremely rewarding and you may just meet some life long friends...I have!
Even if you think you are not up to physically working with the babies, you can help in so many other ways. Raising money for the charity can then help some of these families to either pay for extra help, or buy equipment that they so desperately need. Any help is so much appreciated.

What advice would you give to a Norlander thinking of volunteering?
The advice I would give to any Norlander is to no
t think about it too much. You will be so hands on from the minute you walk in that you will not have time to worry. It really is fantastic and you won't experience anything like it. Go for it and see how much of a difference you can make!

If you are a Norland graduate and are interested in volunteering to support TAMBA Helping Hands Appeal and helping families with multiples in desperate need of some support please contact Norland Agency on 01225 90 40 30 or log onto the Jobshop to see the voluntary positions we have right now.

What makes being a Norland Nanny so special?

To help answer this question we decided to ask our Norlanders (qualified Norland Nannies) what they loved
about their jobs; this is what they said:

"When those pudgy arms go round your neck and a little voice says "I love you."”

“When they start saying phrases you say or singing songs you sing and you realise that you really are making a difference to somebody's life."

"Making life time friendships which have lasted over 35 years and seeing the children you have cared for have their own lovely babies!"

"Creating bonds with the children you look after that last a lifetime. In fact 16 years later, I still meet up with them" 

"So many to chose from! Currently - when you walk into a room and they give you a big gummy smile (I am looking after a 4 month old at the moment). Or when they tell you they love you - it makes you feel very special that you’re such an important adult in their lives"

"Creating special bonds with the children and watching them develop and learn new things"

"Receiving an email from a little boy that I looked after in my first post who is now 39!"

"When they run up to you on a Monday morning with their biggest grin!"

"Teaching them new things and watching them grow. The smiles also!"

"Knowing that everyday I will get a cuddle!"

If you are interested in becoming a Norland Nanny (and having these things to say about your job), find out how on our website www.norland.co.uk.

Charity Events at Norland

It has been a very busy semester for the Norland Charity Committee!
This semester Norland students have chosen to support a whole range of charities including local, national and international.

Breast Cancer Awareness #WearItPinkDay

On Thursday 16th October students traded their brown uniforms for something pink in support of #WearItPinkDay! 

In teaching groups students put on their best pink themed fancy dress including pyjamas, onsies and even some pink ladies. There was a prize of pink bubbly for the best dressed group and each of the students donated £2 to support Breast Cancer Care.

 

Great Bath Bake Sale 2014

 

Students tested their baking skills in October by supporting the Great Bath Bake Sale at Bath Abbey. This was in aid of 3 local causes, Bath Abbey’s Footprint project, BathFoodCylcle and FareShare. 

Students, supported by their Norland Food and Nutrition Lecturer Sofie Aldiss, baked lots of home made treats to sell at their stall on Saturday 18th October. The event was a fantastic success and raised over £2,000!

 

Samaritans Shoe Boxes

Set 37 decided to support Samaritan Purse by doing OperationChristmas Child, creating and filling shoe boxes which then get delivered to children in Third World Countries during the Christmas period. Staff and students managed to fill 10 shoe boxes between them!

 

Children in Need

In November the students supported Children in Need by raffling off a Norland bear, made by one of the students parents, and selling home made Pudsey badges, made by one of the students. 

The Norland bear was in high demand and in total the students raised over £113 for Children in Need.  

Genesis Trust #SouperNovember 

On the 20th November the students supported #SouperNovember by selling home made soup in the common room for staff and students. This was to raise money for the Genesis Trust who support vulnerable people in Bath to overcome poverty and hardship. The home made soup managed to raise  £80 for this fantastic local cause.

Jeans for Genes 

On the 4th December staff and students took place in their very own Jeans for Genes day in support of
Genetic Disorders UK who aim to change the world for children with these genetic disorders. Everyone paid £1 to wear their jeans and there was also a cake sale to help raise funds.

Save the Children - Christmas Jumpers

Finally, on the 11th December students took part in Save the Children's #ChristmasJumperDay. Again uniforms were swapped for festive wears and students donated £1 to support the charity. 

Norland trains 1,000th ‘Flying Nanny’!

This week, Norland’s Early Year’s Consultant, and Nursery World Trainer of the Year 2014, Claire Burgess, is in Abu Dhabi training our 1,000^th Flying Nanny for Etihad Airways! 

Since June 2013 Norland has been training Etihad Airways cabin crew as Flying Nannies who support families whilst on long haul flights. Etihad recognised that more and more families are now travelling all over the world and that travelling with small children can be challenging. Their “Flying Nannies” aid those families and, in turn, make the flying experience more enjoyable for all of their passengers. The airline contacted Norland to support them in delivering this training and we developed a bespoke training programme specifically for them. 

The training Norland delivers for Etihad includes exploring the travelling experience from the perspective of children of different ages, looking at how the on board cabin crew, with some additional tricks up their sleeve, can support this.

One area that we cover is looking at child behaviours – why might a baby cry, why might a toddler want to run around the cabin and how to engage older children once the excitement of flying has worn off and boredom has set in.  When cabin crew have an understanding of why children do what they do, they are able to support them and their families much more effectively.

Photo, left to right: Claire Burgess, Norland Early Years Consultant; Elpida Tsatsaronis, Etihad's 1,000th Flying Nanny from USA; Aubrey Tiedt, Vice President Guest Services, Etihad Airways.

The feedback that we receive following the training has been wonderful; here are just some examples of a comments we have received:

“I now have a clearer view on child psychology and a better perspective.  I am glad I opted for this training because it has changed my mindset.”

"A lot of useful and informative tips and stories and a lot of physical activities to take part in." 

"Thank you, I found Claire amazing, very inspiring."

Etihad are just one of Norland’s training and consultancy clients, to read more about our training and consultancy have a look here on our website.