Mark Goldring has been Chief Executive of the Voluntary Services Overseas (VSO) for the last three years. He started his International Development career as a VSO volunteer teacher in Sarawak, Malaysia, from 1971 - 1981 and also spent five years with VSO in the mid-eighties, first managing the Caribbean programme and then setting up VSO's programme in Bhutan. He is married with two children.
Voluntary Service Overseas (VSO) is a registered charity based in the UK. It was established in 1958, since which time it has worked with communities throughout the world. VSO is currently working in 41 countries across Africa, Asia, Eastern Europe, the Pacific and South America. VSO is funded by a grant from the British government and donations from the public.
The overall aim of VSO is to fight poverty and disadvantage by bringing people together to share skills, learning and creativity. VSO began working in Bulgaria in 1991, through English Language Teachers, in co-operation with the British Council. VSO now has a team of volunteers working in Bulgarian Universities.
Mr. Goldring met Milena Hristova, Editor of novinite.com and The News
Q: Which are the distinctive features of VSO work in Bulgaria as compared to that in other countries?
A: There are a number of things, which are distinctive about our work in Bulgaria. First of all the way VSO works is different from that of many other agencies. It is very much a person-to-person relationship - you are helping me develop skills that I can use in my job for the future. Secondly the skills we are sharing have got to be related to local situations and VSO work is tailored very carefully to local needs.
VSO have worked in Bulgaria for about ten years and it has gradually evolved as needs in Bulgaria have changed. At the beginning the most useful thing we thought we could bring was English language skills, while now we focus on a particular approach to helping social welfare development and reform, recognizing those who are institutionalized as one of the most disadvantaged people in Bulgaria.
Bulgarian politicians and social workers are really committed to try and find alternatives to this by supporting people within their own families rather than institutionalizing them.
VSO can bring valuable approaches to social work, which help reinforce this way of working. We have done that in a number of ways, such as helping with the training of social workers, who develop practical and professional skills, building on models from around Europe.
Q: Which concept or policies do you consider to have had the greatest impact on changing Bulgaria's social care sector?
A: VSO can't change anybody's social care sector. All we can do is support and encourage the movements that Bulgarians want to develop and deliver. We help people relate to clients and clients' individual needs as opposed to the understanding that institutionalization was the likely end. Fostering is one initiative where children cant' be cared for by their own families. Instead of going to a home forever we put them temporarily with another family and give professional support to the children, the family, to the social worker, trying to rebuild links and capacity within their own family.
Q: How does this concept work here?
A: It is very well developed in many European countries and I believe that tens of thousands of children in Britain are fostered at any time. This is a very important role for the social workers because you have to make sure that the framework to do that safely and legally is there.
Bulgaria now is just developing that framework, after which the families, social workers must build the links with the children's own families.
Q: How long will it take to implement the structure needed?
A: There have been a number of pilot programs around Bulgaria trying to make them part of the municipality structure. What progress will be made depends on the secured financing.
You have a number of programs including that of the World Bank and the European Union, promoting training. What VSO is trying to complement that and work with ongoing support so that over one or two years the staff in the municipalities get support to work out all the problems together.
Q: 2003 is the European Year of Disability. Tell us about your activities in this respect.
A: VSO has not worked primarily on disability in Bulgaria. One of the most powerful things though has been the personal example of the volunteers, the way they go about their work and overcome areas.
One of VSO's volunteers, Jane Ryan, who is working with the University of Burgas - uses a wheelchair. As she came to work we have had to face up to all kinds of issues around disabilities. The BC co-operated with VSO in providing its disabled-friendly premises for part of Jane's induction training.
First and foremost she needs to be judged as a professional social worker. What is also important is the power of the example she sets as a person with disabilities who overcome those barriers in a country where most of the buildings do not have disability access.
Q: What are your plans by 2005 when your activities will be finished? How was the date fixed?
A: VSO is about sharing skills to people who want to use them but not doing forever a job that someone else should be doing. The most important player are not agencies such as VSO, but the local government and non-government organizations that will continue to deliver those services. Bulgarians will be left to carry on with the skills VSO has passed on to them.
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Mark Goldring, Chief Executive of the Voluntary Services Overseas
