June 2016
Welcome to the bi-monthly email newsletter from Ealing Volunteer Centre.
This contains news for the local volunteer involving organisations in the charity, voluntary, community and public sectors.
Apologies that there has been a hiatus since the last issue – and from the next issue in August we will be using our updated database and mailchimp to contact you.
If you would like to add a colleague to the mailing list we can now do this – please let Samantha know their contact details and job title.
Got Something to Share?
Please email us any information you would like to share - training, vacancies,news and concerns for discussion in the next edition in August or the next Volunteer Managers’ Forum in July.
Volunteer Managers’ Forums
The dates and topics for the Forums in 2016 are:
· Tuesday 12th July: Dealing with Difficult Volunteers
· Thursday 29th September: Ensuring diversity in your Volunteers
· Tuesday 24th November: Recruiting Trustees
All training sessions are FREE, are held at the Lido Centre on Mattock Lane and will start at 10am, with refreshments and registration from 9.45am. Sessions finish at 1pm.
Whether you’re dealing with a troublemaker, an unreliable volunteer, or someone who is not focused on the task at hand – it’s never easy to confront someone who is donating his or her time to your organisation.
The Forum on 12th July will allow people to learn what to do when tackling a difficult volunteer and enable attendees to share best practice. Please click here to book.
Volunteer Centre News
Zeinab has left, but welcome to Toby!
Zeinab has moved on to pursue a career in marketing/communicating about hair and beauty products! Toby Cray has joined the Volunteer Centre team as Volunteering Project Officer – as well as supporting the day to day work of the volunteer Centre, he is coordinating our program supporting individuals with long-term physical or mental health issues into volunteering.
Volunteer Fair
Was at Ealing Central Library on Friday 3rd June during Volunteers’ Week. Many thanks to the library for hosting the event. Around 200 local residents attended to find out more about volunteering in the borough. We plan to hold the Fair again in 2017 and make it bigger and better!
Brighter Futures Volunteering
Ealing Volunteer Centre is working with LBE Children Services on an innovative new volunteering programme to support children, families and teenagers. Volunteers will initially be based in Children’s Centres or Youth Clubs; but with an opportunity to progress to becoming volunteer mentors for families at risk or troubled teenagers. If you know of anyone who might be interested in volunteering in the programme, please ask them to contact Samantha.
Will Sadiq Khan Promote Volunteering in the Capital?
Last year London was selected asEuropean Volunteering Capital for 2016. The award is run by theEuropean Volunteer Centre, known as CEV, and promotes volunteering at a local level by giving recognition to places that support and strengthen partnerships with volunteer centres and celebrates the difference made by volunteers.
In response, TheCharities Aid Foundationhas called on Sadiq Khan, the new Mayor of London, to prioritise volunteering as a way of strengthening the city’s position as the "world’s philanthropy capital".
"London is a global hub for philanthropy, a world leader in volunteering and a city where charities can have their voices heard in the corridors of power," said John Low, chief executive of CAF. "We call on London’s new mayor to safeguard and build on these precious pillars of our civil society."
Rise in the Number of 16-25 Year Olds Volunteering
Whether it's due to the legacy from the London 2012 Olympics or just a series of successful campaigns, more 16 to 25-year-olds are giving up their time.
Figures show 2.9m from the age group volunteered in 2015 across the UK, compared to 1.8m in 2010, a 52% increase.
The head of research at National Council for Voluntary Organisations (NCVO), Nick Ockenden, says campaigns could be the reason for the rise. "It's quite a dramatic increase and we don't normally see that level of change with something like volunteering," he says.
Nick thinks the spike could also be down to the National Citizen Service, a government scheme for 16 and 17-year-olds. "If you volunteer you are going to get new skills. If you volunteer you will have a chance to test out a different type of career. So those sort of employee benefits are being recognised by young people, they're being promoted by the organisations. They will be gaining new skills. They will be gaining new experiences and linking that to employability. But I think the biggest thing young people report in every survey is having a good time and having fun."
Funding and Support
Remember when writing funding bids, commissioning services or writing your business plan it is important to consider the costs of running your volunteering programme. This includes the management time in the supervision and support of volunteers, the costs of record keeping, training, and reimbursement of expenses and insurance cover which is commensurate with the activity which the volunteers are undertaking.
Further advice about funding can be accessed here
Volunteering for People with Long-term Physical or Mental Health Conditions
The programme we ran last year was so successful, that not only are we continuing, but we consider it a flagship programme for both the Volunteer Centre and Ealing CVS!
People we have supported have built up their self-confidence and skills and many have moved on to paid employment or continued to volunteer after their 12 week placement came to an end.
If you would like to be part of this successful and innovative scheme and feel you can work with us to develop a placement which will last 12 weeks, then please contact Toby.
The Volunteer Centre will work closely with groups to ensure volunteers are well-matched to opportunities, and volunteers will receive plenty of support from the Volunteer Centre.
This Newsletter is for YOU
This newsletter is produced 6 times a year. It is aimed at anyone who involves volunteers in their organisation or is interested in doing so. If you would like to contribute anything or have feedback please contact Samantha The deadline for the next issue is Monday 22nd August 2016.
Unsubscribing
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