July 09

Are you an older person? Do you need to attend medical appointments or social events

If so, one of our volunteer drivers may be able to help you with transport to and from hospital appointments, church visits, health centres, social calls etc.

The scheme is available to people aged 50 plus and people with disabilities. The cost for the service is calculated at 40per mile, from the driver leaving their home to picking up the service user, taking them to their destination and returning back home. The cost of the journey should be paid by the user to the driver direct. Any car parking fees incurred will be paid by the service user and not the driver.

In order to maintain our records and ensure that they are as up to date as possible we are asking all member organisations to spare a few minutes to read through the information that we currently hold on you and your opportunities and make any necessary changes. Please click on the link www.do-it.org.uk and enter your organisation name in the search box to view the information.

This information is what we provide your potential volunteers with and therefore it is in your best interests that we maintain it as accurately as possible in order to save you time.

So if you have any changes to make to the information, i.e. vacancy are no longer available or you have any additional opportunities etc or your wish for us to keep and issue your application forms, then please get in touch with us.

We would like to invite you to take the opportunity to link in with the exciting work we’re involved in with partners around volunteering.

We can provide an icon of the new 'Volunteering for Sunderland Toolkit' which when clicked will provide links to our Sunderland City Council website www.sunderland.gov.uk/communitydevelopment which contains up to date information about the work of the community development team including our volunteering campaigns since 2007.

To put this into action please ask those responsible for managing your web site to contact Mark Robbins on telephone number 0191 561 7837 or email mark.robbins@sunderland.gov.uk

The 'Volunteering Toolkit' was launched on 27th March 2009. The need for the toolkit was identified during consultations on the Sunderland Community Development Plan and the Sunderland Compact.

The Sunderland Partnership funded the cost of the toolkit and Sunderland Volunteer Centre and Community & Cultural Services Community Development Team worked in partnership to develop the Toolkit to fit with local needs.

The Toolkit is aimed at any organisations working with or who would like to work with volunteers in Sunderland. The Toolkit identifies good practice and contains all you need to know about structures and policies. We would recommend that organisations who request a Toolkit join the Sunderland Volunteer Centre who will visit your organisation on request to carry out an introduction to the Toolkit. Please telephone the Volunteer Centre on 0191 567 8902 to organise this.

If you would like a hard copy please contact Gareth Rogerson at the community development team on 0191 5002 or Sunderland Volunteer Centre on 0191 567 8902.

The Hardship Fund is now open for applications – just three months after it was first announced by the Chancellor in his Budget in April 2009.

Building on the £42.5 million of measures in the Government’s Real Help for Communities Action Plan, the Hardship Fund offers grants between £50,000 and £250,000 to provide support to third sector organisations in England delivering front line services to the most vulnerable and disadvantaged people in society.

The Hardship Fund is available for third sector organisations that are suffering financial hardship that is impacting on their ability to deliver services in health and social care, housing support, education and training, and advice, information and guidance. To apply, organisations must have a turnover of £200,000 a year or more.

The Hardship Fund will be administered by the Community Development Foundation (CDF). More information about how to apply, including guidance notes for applicants and an application form, can be found on the CDF website or by emailing hardship fund@cdf.org.uk or calling 0113 246 1561

Free Training for people working in community, voluntary or statutory settings to
learn about giving stop smoking advice

• Why do People Smoke
• Attitudes to Smoking and Smokers
• Health Impacts of Smoking and Second-Hand Smoke
• The Effects of Nicotine Addiction
• Levels of Nicotine Dependence and Motivation to Quit
• Preparing to Quit
• Treatments and Support Services Available
• Nicotine Withdrawal and Successful Coping Strategies
• Local NHS Stop Smoking Services and How to Access Them
• Making Appropriate Referrals to Stop Smoking Services

To book a session, please contact Chris Allen, Sector 3 Solutions
Tel: 07931 438 317 or Email: admin@sector3solutions.co.uk

The Sunderland Volunteering Forum has been in existence for the past six years and is open to representatives from volunteer involving organisations from the statutory, voluntary and community sector. The Forum holds meetings every quarter and allows organisations to network with other members and discuss volunteering issues. The group also has two sub groups who look at and organise events and training for the sector. For further info on the Forum and dates of up coming meetings please check the website. Volunteering Forum

new scheme will help residents to revitalise homes and community buildings in the Back on the Map area, of Sunderland.

Residents, voluntary and community groups in Hendon and the East End will be able to take advantage of the new Back on the Map-funded Community Paint Bank from late summer 2009.

Members of the Paint Bank will be able to buy tins of emulsion and gloss at reduced costs.

And residents with unused tins of paint will be able to drop them off so they can be re-used and recycled in their neighbours’ decorating projects.

Capital investment for the Paint Bank was provided by Back on the Map, enabling ETEC to purchase racking, a storage container and some stock.

Individuals, voluntary and community organisations must live in the Back on the Map area, of Sunderland, to be eligible for the scheme.

The Paint Bank is based at ETEC House, 90 Coronation Street, in the East End. It will operate from Monday to Friday between 10am and 3pm.

Anyone, who joins the Paint Bank, will automatically become a member of ETEC’s well-established Tool Bank.

Members can hire joinery, bricklaying and gardening tools free of charge from Tool Bank.

ETEC is looking for trainee Finance assistant to work in its busy finance and administration department.

Based at ETEC House, Hendon, Sunderland, duties will include recording transactions, working on the purchase ledger, weekly payroll, payment of learners’ allowances/travel and general administration duties.

The successful candidate must have – or be expected to get - a minimum of 5 GCSE at grades A to C including mathematics and English.

Applicants must be motivated and have a genuine interest in working towards a career in finance.

Full training will be given. It will include an apprenticeship in either Business & Administration or ITQ. There is also the possibility of studying towards an AAT qualification.

Full-time hours are 36 ½ hours per week Monday to Friday with 24 days holiday per year plus bank holidays

To request for an application form please call Lisa Watson or Tony Wandless on (0191) 565 6414, email admin@etec.org.uk or call at 90 Coronation Street, Hendon, Sunderland, SR1 2HE.

Thanks to our partnership with V, the youth volunteering charity, we are looking for community organisations that can create projects to inspire 16-25 years old to volunteer.

Your innovative ideas will give these young people the opportunity to experience volunteering whilst helping the community and your organisation.

The grants will be distributed across England to a diverse set of projects that deliver volunteering opportunities for 16-25 year olds. This may include supporting other people in your community, delivering sport workshops, or assisting in media, music or arts projects.

The volunteers must be aged 16-25 years old
The project must be in England and delivered before May 2010
Provide a clear and detailed project budget that offers value for money (v’s recommended cost per volunteer is £300)
Think about what the volunteers will be doing, how they can be involved in the planning and delivery of the project and most importantly the value and benefits that the project will bring to the young volunteers
Be creative, think about how you can involve young people who don’t traditionally volunteer, think about opportunities and progression routes for the young volunteers once your v project is complete.

So don’t delay….if you are interested and meet the criteria above please email us as at vapplications@thisisglobal.com to request an application form and guidelines.

If you have any Questions contact us on: 020 7054 8836/8384. We look forward to hearing how you will make £10,000 into great volunteering opportunities.