The Volunteer Centre Sunderland will be holding a Volunteering Awareness Event on
Tuesday 10th November at St Mary’s Parish Centre, Bridge Street, Sunderland. The event is aimed at anyone who would like to find out more about volunteering and to meet with some of the local organisations providing opportunities.
This will be a unique opportunity for individuals to meet with the organisations on a one to one basis and ask any questions they may have. The event is free to anyone interested in coming along and will run from 3.00pm – 6.00pm, with no booking necessary.
We still have spaces for organisations looking to recruit volunteers. To book a table please contact Anna on the number above.
Volunteer Centre AGM
Annual General Meeting of Volunteer Centre Sunderland on Wednesday 18th November 2009, 2pm – 4pm to be held at the Argent Centre 24/26 Norfolk Street, Sunderland, SR1 1EE. Refreshments will be available. If you would like to come along to this please let us know via email or phone asap.
Volunteering Forum
The next Sunderland Volunteering Forum will be held on:
Thursday December 10th, 10.30am -12.00noon,
Raich Carter Centre, Commercial Road,Hendon.
This quarters meeting will have a presentation from Lizzie Spencer of Platfrom 2, who offer young people overseas volunteering opportunities. To find out more about the forum and download minutes and agendas, please click on the link volunteering forum.
Age Concern - a date for your diary
Age Concern Sunderland will be holding a Positive Ageing in Sunderland Conference on Thursday 30th September 2010 at the Stadium of Light. There will be national, regional and local speakers and testimonies from REAL older people. Everyone’s attendance and participation will be welcomed and valued. Further details of speaker and the programme will be sent next year.
Training
Reading for Pleasure
ETEC Development Trust runs a course aimed at improving literacy in the community from Friday 6 November 2009. The four-week Telling Stories: Reading and Speaking Out Loud aims to demonstrate the benefits of reading to children. Topics covered include recommended books for all ages and ideas to encourage children to read. Sessions take place between 9.30am and 12.15pm on Fridays. Sessions take place at Hudson House, 1 Moor Terrace, Hendon, Sunderland. SR1 2JH. The course costs £1.80 per hour but is free to people in receipt of certain benefits.
The Univeristy of Sunderland have a new service that will help graduates launch their career through a mix of individual support, employment intitaitives and workshops. Ther service is open to new and recent graduates (graduated within 3 years) living in the Wearside area.
Graduates can create a package to suit their needs
They can choose from:
Careers Guidance - your options explored
Help with CV's and Application forms
Interview Coaching
Online Vacancy Service
Programme of Workshops
For further details and to book appointments please contact:
Careers and Employability Service, Level 3, Murray Library, City Campus, Chester Road, Sunderland.
Sunderland CVS are currently undertaking a voluntary community sector recession survey to measure the impact of the current financial climate on VCS organisations. The responses will be used by VONNE (Voluntary Organisations Network North East) and form part of a regional response to National Government.
The survey is very short (3 sides of A4) and should only take a couple of minutes to complete.
It would be appreciate it if you could find a couple of minutes in your busy schedule to complete one and send it back to me. Click on the link to access the survey and return to Rob.charlton@sunderlandcvs.org.uk. Voluntary Sector survey.
Supported Volunteering Survey
We are carrying out a survey of our membership to research the issues surrounding, Supported Volunteering. This is when people who have additional support needs can be placed in a volunteering opportunity that matches their skills and aspirations and where the organisation is able to provide the relevant support mechanisms.
Some people may need very little support to enable them to volunteer successfully. Others may need a little extra support. We are aware that some organisations do not have the resources themselves to provide this extra input. If that were the case then we are looking to explore alternative methods of support that could be put in place.
One of these methods could come in the form of a volunteer mentor who will be recruited and trained to support an individual into a volunteering opportunity. In many cases this will only be needed in the initial stages i.e. first meeting with the organisation, first day, first week. In a few instances the volunteer mentor may support the individual for a longer period of time.
It would be extremely helpful if you are a member of the Volunteer Centre and could spare a few minutes to complete the attached questionnaire, so it can help us to identify the feasibility and need for the introduction of a supported volunteering project for individuals who would benefit from it and the voluntary sector as a whole.
Please click on the link Supported Volunteering Survey and help us by completing this short questionnaire and return to sunderlandvcg@aol.com. If anyone would like to discuss this in further detail please contact Anna Johnson at the Volunteer on the number given at the bottom of the page.
Christmas Volunteering Opportunities
Are you looking for volunteers to help out over the Christmas period? Either in the run up to Christmas or Christmas day itself. If so then let us know at the Volunteer Centre so we can advertise the opportunities on your behalf and help those who are looking to help out.
Helping Hands - Volunteering Opportunities
Are you a good listener? If the answer is yes then you could help facilitate the Royal National Institute for the Blind’s weekly telephone groups. The group offers blind and partially sighted people the opportunity to socialise with others. As part of the role you will contribute to the group to ensure that participants feel comfortable and that the group conversations run smoothly. This is a telephone-based role so can be done from home. If you’re interested in this opportunity you would need excellent listening skills with a clear telephone voice and be comfortable talking over the telephone. You need to be able to relate to a wide cross section of people and be able to respond sensitively to the practical and emotional content of the discussions, and would be expected to work with participants in confidence as part of your role.
To find our about this role or other volunteering opportunities go to the following link volunteering opportunities
Painting the town Red …………….
A SUNDERLAND man has returned to his home town to help spread the word about an innovative home improvement
scheme. Ian Cronin worked in the tourist industry in Portugal’s Algarve for more than 11 years. But after returning home for
personal reasons, he felt he needed a fresh challenge and a springboard back into paid employment.
Now Ian, 50, is volunteering for ETEC Development Trust and helping to spread the word about ETEC’s Back on the
Map-funded Tool and Paint Banks. Ian, 50, of Sunderland’s East End, said: “I will be speaking to managers
of social housing and housing associations about the Paint and Tool Banks in order to increase membership.
“I am hoping to create a word of mouth effect by visiting local businesses and residents’ associations.
I also plan to distribute our promotional
material and flyers to people in the Back on the Map area, of Sunderland.”
Neil Gibbon, ETEC Construction’s Manager, said: “Ian Cronin is the ideal volunteer co-ordinator for our community Tool and Paint Bank venture.
“Ian is a self-starter with a wealth of experience and enthusiasm. He has lots of innovative ideas and engages very well with clients and staff
Hopefully, we can find a way to make Ian’s stay with us permanent as he is fast becoming an invaluable member of the ETEC family.”
As well as gaining experience as a volunteer with ETEC, Ian has access to systems and support which will help him find employment.
The Paint and Tool Banks aim to help revitalise homes and community buildings in the Back on the Map area, of Sunderland. Residents and
community groups can gain joint, free membership to both schemes when they enrol. Members of the Paint Bank can buy tins of emulsion
and gloss at reduced costs. They can also donate unused tins of paint to be re-used and recycled in their neighbouring decorating projects.
The Tool Bank gives members the chance to hire joinery, bricklaying and gardening equipment free of charge. Capital investment for the Paint Bank
was provided by Back on the Map, enabling ETEC to purchase racking, a storage container and stock. The schemes are based at ETEC House,
90 Coronation Street, in the East End. It will operate from Monday to Friday between 10am and 3pm.
For more details contact ETEC Construction on (0191) 514 6154.
Please feel free to distribute to your friends, family and colleagues.
Age Concern - a date for your diary
