Here is the latest Connect Dacorum Opportunities List for your consideration. There is a wide variety of needs listed below which I have put in categories for your easy reference, and if you can help with any, have any of the items or money to pay for them, then please come back to me initially.
If you have any items that are not listed below but you do not need anymore and would like to give to charity, please let me know.
Cindy
Connect Dacorum
Equipment / Time needed
KINGS LANGLEY SCHOOL - CAREERS FAIR - WEDNESDAY 28 MARCH 2018. Althoughour past Fairs have been an evening event, this yearwe are also looking at getting the whole of our Year 10 and Year 12 students to attend prior to them finishing their school day in order to raise their awareness of what options are available. We operate quite an extensivecareers information programme in school but still feel that a lot of our students don't fully understand what is out there!Therefore we are asking organisations representing Apprenticeships and school leaver programmes as well asvolunteering and companiesoffering these opportunities either for school leavers or graduates, to be with us from 1.30pm in order to set up ready for 2.25pm - that would mean there would be approx. 250/300 students attendinguntil 3.30pm. We would send out an invitation to parents/carers of these studentsasking ifthey would like to come along too.Following this we would then hope to carry on in our normal way (5-7.30pm) with the fair and invite all students/parents/carers from the remaining school year groupswhich would probably amount to at least another200plus people. Either way, we ask you to set up a stand where students/parents/carers can come along and talk to you about what you offer.Obviously we are asking for a huge commitment from organisations but feel this would be a really beneficial exercise for all concerned.Would you be interested in joining us (for either or both sessions).
DENS is a charity on the frontline tackling homelessness and poverty in Dacorum. They have an urgent need of reliable Van Drivers and Driver's Mates to help with their furniture deliveries and collections, without more help they will need to cut back or discontinue this key service. They can also always use volunteers who would like to help in DENS furniture warehouse. There are also sorts of jobs to do from upcycling furniture, toshop assistant, breaking up unwanted furniture etc
SUNNYSIDE RURAL TRUST are looking for volunteers to support them in creating a new website; writing content or copy writing, design, photographer, videographer plus general website advice and support. Also, have you chosen your charity of the year for 2018? Please get in touch to discuss how you can support Sunnyside Rural Trust and discover what we do.
THE SWAN YOUTH PROJECT is a Berkhamsted based registered charity which provides support to the young people of the town as they develop into responsible adults. It operates the Swan Youth Centre as well as providing a range of ‘safe’ activities for generally 11 to 18 year olds.A phrase that captures what it does is simply ‘Somewhere to go. Something to Do. Someone to Listen’ ( Centre has a need to upgrade its limited kitchen facilities. This includes a replacement oven, microwave, storage units, work surface, some new power sockets, repositioning of sink and washing unit and the associated labour. Part of the Centre’s programmes is to promote healthy eating and wellbeing and this will provide the opportunity to demonstrate this to its members.
GADDESDEN PLACE RIDING FOR THE DISABLED are looking for a trustee - someone within the business community to challenge and advise their strategic thinking and help with long term fundraising.
FRIENDS OF HALSEY FIELDare looking for volunteers to help us with the management of this beautiful Local Wildlife Site in Gadebridge. Fancy a team challenge? This area used to be the playing fields of the Halsey School, but since the school was knocked down, the field has been neglected. However, the thin chalky soil is perfect for wildflowers, and in spring and summer the field is ablaze with wildflowers, including Cowslips, Orchids, and many types of Vetch and Knapweed, which attract over 20 species of butterfly and many varieties of bee and hoverfly. There are also some interesting bushes, such as Spindle, Wild Privet and Buckthorn, which provide nesting sites and food for birds, and homes for insects. Management mainly consists of cutting back the scrub which threatens to shade out the wildflowers by using loppers and bow saws, mowing and raking the grass, and preventing the paths from getting overgrown. This is carried out in the winter months, so we spend the summer enjoying the field and monitoring the plants and insects
VOLUNTEER CENTRE DACORUM have a number of Team Build Challenges and also many individual volunteering opportunities for your staff.
Sponsorship Opportunities
COMMUNITY WHEELS is looking for sponsors for their minibuses.A number of local businesses/organisations support Community Wheels through their sponsorship of buses. This helps keep hire charges as low as possible. There are currently a number of buses available for sponsorship.Are you are interested in sponsoring a minibus, (sponsorship packages range from £500 per year to £2,000) and having a roaming advert across Dacorum?
THE HOSPICE LOTTERY are celebrating their 10 year anniversay and are looking at ways in which to make the year special for their members – one way in which they are hoping to do this is to offer a £20,000 prize for their Anniversary draw which will take place in May. Would your companybe willing to offer sponsorship forpart of this amount? Sponsorship will include lots of extra events and publicity as well as the sponsors name being on all the tickets/advertising/social media and newsletters which go out to at least of 35,000 of their members – with many of these being in the Dacorum area supporting The Hospice of St Francis and Rennie Grove hospice care.
Fundraising Events
DENSarerunning their annualSpring Quiz on Saturday 24 February? Tickets sell very quickly normally so please book your tickets by 16 February.
RENNIE GROVE HOSPICE CARE provides 24/7 care and support for thousands of patients with life-limiting and terminal illnesses (adults and children) throughout Hertfordshire and Buckinghamshire, giving them the choice to stay at home with their families during their final days. They make no charge fortheir services to patients or their families. Of the £7.6million it costs to run the service every year they receive just 13% from the NHS. The rest they have to raise themselves. Fundraising events provide a vital source of income thanks to the generous donations of raffle and auction prizes thatthey receive from local businesses. They would love to hear from you if can donate a prize for one oftheir fundraising events – every single donation will helpthem provide nursing care for local patients.
HOSPICE OF ST FRANCIS have a variety of different fundraising events in the coming months. See below:
Struggling to keep to that new year’s resolution? Give yourself some extra motivation by signing up to Give Up to Give Back for The Hospice of St Francis! By giving up your most indulgent habit, whether that be your daily chocolate biscuit, morning takeaway coffees or nightly glasses of wine, and donating what you would have spent to the Hospice will not only get you feeling good but doing good too! And if you really need a break, the Hospice has ‘cheat passes’ available for a donation to give you the day off guilt free!
Join us for a challenge of a lifetime trekking across over 50km of the Sahara Desert for The Hospice of St Francis
Looking for a 2018 Marathon challenge? We have a few places left for the Brighton Marathon
We have places available in two of London’s most popular cycling events London Nightrider and the Prudential Ride London 100
We are bursting with excitement about our fun-filled, 5k Bubble Rush event at Gadebridge Park, Hemel Hempstead.Join us on Sunday 29th April 2018 and get bubbly for Hospice Care.Registration opens soon!Remember, there will only be limited early-bird places available, so join the priority list for your chance of bagging them before they sell out!
HEMEL HEMPSTEAD ROTARY CLUBdoesn’t only fundraise for local charities through its Santa Sleigh, it also support projects overseas. We are currently raising money to build a new Sand Dam in eastern Kenya which will provide fresh water for over a thousand people and allow them to grow food. We have raised most of the funds needed and hope to raise the rest from our Call My Bluff Wine and Cheese evening to be held on Saturday 10th February. We would be delighted if Connect Dacorum members are able to join us. We are happy to sell individual tickets or a full table..
Other
BUILDING BETTER OPPORTUNITIESworkswith adults to improve their quality of life and the employability skills of individuals facing barriers and social isolation. We arelooking for local employers who will support us to provide training and possible work placement opportunities in a variety of different roles for people furthest from the work place – many have their potential and abilities go unnoticed, but with your involvement and our support many can excel to succeed as excellent employees – all they need is a chance. Please start the discussion to see whether it is suitable for your company.
THE JOBCENTRE now has a community Board and if people groups want to give/send flyers/posters of any events etc they are holding Julie Dellwill happily get them displayed. Either e-mail Julie direct on , post in or bring in marked for Julie's attention.
DACORUM COMMUNITY TRUSTare pleased to accept donations of any size in order to support Dacorum residents who are in need of financial help.
DACORUM BOROUGH COUNCIL are running their annual Dacorum Business Survey for 2018 and are asking all businesses in the borough to take 5-10 minutes to complete the survey. This is an important opportunity for you to let them know about issues affecting your business. The survey helps to guide the work that the Enterprise and Investment Team do to support businesses in the borough. Click here to take the survey.
February Workshops at the Maylands Business Centre
Upskill your staff – Low cost – Good value
Wide range of topics – Expert course tutors – Local venue: Maylands Business Centre, Redbourn Road, Hemel Hempstead, HP2 7ES
Places are available on our upcoming workshops.
For full information on all our workshops including course outlines,
To book places, please contact 01442 531002
or email
Workshop / Date / Time / Cost ex VATAnalysing Data using Excel Pivot Tables (also Sort, Filter and Charts) / Thurs 18th Jan / 13.30-16.30 / £65
Start Your Own Business / Tues 23 Jan / 9.30-16.30 / £130
Sales Made Easy / Thurs 25 Jan / 09.30-12.30 / £65
Excel Intermediate Skills (more complex formatting, functions and formulae) / Thurs 1 Feb / 09.30-12.30 / £65
Excel Advanced Skills (multi criteria functions, nested functions) / Thurs 1 Feb / 13.30-16.30 / £65
Finance for Non-Financial Managers – Basic / Tues 6 Feb / 09.30-12.30 / £65
Finance for Non-Financial Managers – Advanced / Tues 6 Feb / 13.30-16.30 / £65
Preparing for GDPR / Thurs 8 Feb / 09.30-12.30 / £65
Appraisal skills / Tues 13 Feb / 09.30-12.30 / £65
Marketing on a Shoestring / Thurs 15 Feb / 09.30-12.30 / £65
Using Google to generate more traffic / Thurs 15 Feb / 13.30-16.30 / £65
Promoting your business through PR / Thurs 22 Feb / 09.30-12.30 / £65
Social Media for Business / Tues 27 Feb / 09.30-12.30 / £65