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SharonWritten on August 27, 2010 at 11:54 am by Julia
If you’re over 16, and have given four hours to a charity, you can get a great reward of a Ticketmaster Gift Card for you to use at a gig of your choice.
It’s that simple. All you have to do is submit your story to Orange RockCorps and once they’ve approved it you can claim your reward.
Don’t miss out. Tell them about your volunteering now.
Written on August 25, 2010 at 4:32 pm by Fran
A few weeks ago we had a visit from a group of students from a think tank called The Hope Institute all the way from Seoul, South Korea.
Think tanks in South Korea are predominately run by the government or private companies. The Hope Institute is an independent civilian think tank that is free of government and corporate influence, providing a practical alternative for Korean society.
One of the projects the students are working on is to link professional retirees with third sector organisations who could benefit from their expertise, much like our Leaders Together project which is a London-based mentoring project linking small charities and community groups with senior professionals from the public, private or charity sector.
Traditionally, non-govermental organisations (NGOs) and voluntary groups in South Korea were limited to organising political protests against authoritarian regimes and providing social services for disadvantaged groups of people. As the political system shifted from an authoritarian state to a democratic state in the late 1980s, NGOs became important in securing the democratic system and promoting political and voluntary participation. However, compared to Europe and the USA participation in volunteering activities is relatively low. The Hope Institute are driving forward volunteering hoping to transform society.
It was fantastic to meet this group of vibrant young students, we were all extremely impressed by how motivated and engaged they were. Hopefully we passed on some helpful tips to them and I wish their project every success. And I’m loving the gold lucky pigs they left us all!
Written on August 23, 2010 at 3:31 pm by Heidi
From starting an allotment to restoring the local cinema, lots of festival goers at the recent Vintage at Goodwood festival pledged to get more involved in their communities.
It was our job, along with our friends at thinkpublic, to get the public excited about volunteering and helping their local communities. So in true true TimeBank style, a group of us donned some fabulous outfits, kindly lent to us for the day for free by Rokit Vintage, and volunteered ourselves to photograph and film people pledging to make a difference.
With the government’s Big Society plans to get more people volunteering in their communities, I think this proves that people are definitely ready and willing, don’t you?
Written on August 19, 2010 at 2:26 pm by Julia
Even if you don’t have £5 million to spare, you can still make a big difference to the lives of service men and women returning from conflict overseas.
There are lots of charities offering support to veterans and their families.
Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Families Association (SSAFA) has 90 branches across the country and is currently looking for volunteers to help with case work, fundraising, publicity, admin and IT
And the Royal British Legion needs volunteers for their Poppy Appeal across the country as well as for specific roles in London. They also need volunteer case workers to give emotional and practical advice to those in need of support.
Written on August 16, 2010 at 3:32 pm by Julia
Young mums have been getting a fair amount of publicity and since I’m all for equal opportunities - here’s one for the boys.
The Daddy Cool project needs young London dads.
The Project aims to reach out to young fathers, including those at risk of offending, living and working within the London suburbs and give them guidance and recognition for their good fatherhood.
The young people involved in the project want to strengthen the level of respect good young fathers get and and boost their recognition. Dads will get to meet and learn from each other and celebrate fatherhood.
If you’re not a young dad, the project still needs your support. They’re quite specific about who they want (no youth workers, no authorities just real people with real experiences).
They’re also clear about the skills they’re after (advice, support & training, befriending, buddying & mentoring, marketing, PR & media, two hands & commitment). And as their website says – you don’t have to be a father to support fatherhood.
Written on August 13, 2010 at 9:40 am by Sam C
A dog is a man’s best friend (so they say). I read recently that a great way to unwind after a stressful day is to be with your dog. I reckon that could be said for all of our four legged friends. I’ve never really been a fan of cats but I have to say, I’ve come to be very fond of my housemate’s cat (there he is on the right). He really does cheer me up if I’ve had a bad day.
If your very own Dodger or Whiskers warms your heart – why not volunteer yours (and their) time? Pets As Therapy arranges for volunteers and their well behaved fluffy friends to give therapeutic visits to people in hospitals, hospices, special needs schools – all sorts of places.
And according to Pets As Therapy, the visits with your pet can make someone who’s isolated feel less lonely, help speed recovery of someone who’s sick or simply, put a smile on someone’s face. Find out more , lead at the ready.
Written on August 12, 2010 at 2:46 pm by Heidi
So, with tomorrow as the big day at the Vintage at Goodwood festival, are we and our friends at thinkpublic all set? I can safely say YES WE ARE!
So we’re pretty much all ready. Keep up to date with our latest photos and tweets through our facebook page. And watch the final footage of the festival goers pledges and needs including those from the fabulous Eighties’ icons, Princess Julia and Danny Rampling.
I just hope we get to have fun at the roller disco even though we’ll be crazy busy capturing people’s pledges on camera and then getting it edited before the screening at 6:30! I’m saying “pretty please” to our organiser Pigalle…
Written on August 11, 2010 at 10:17 am by Sam C
A couple of weeks ago I blogged about getting some skills whilst volunteering. So, what about if you’ve got some great skills but want to use them for a good cause? If you’re a qualified professional - why not become a trustee?
I came across this great charity, Emmaus. Emmaus communities support people to move on from homelessness, providing work and a home in a supportive, family environment. Like many charities, trustees play a vital role in keeping the organisation fit for the future. At the moment, Emmaus are looking for a treasurer in Preston - find out more about it here.
TrusteeWorks also helps volunteers to find rewarding trustee roles in a variety of charities and they support you throughout your time as a trustee too. Being a trustee often means you need to commit a fair bit of time but our very own busy mum, Sharon fits it in. If you want a challenge it could be right up your street.
Written on August 9, 2010 at 3:48 pm by Heidi
Small charities and community groups across London will be able to get the support that they need during this critical time of funding cuts and added pressures by signing up to our new Leaders Together mentoring project. The project matches leaders of small charities and community groups with senior leaders from the third, public and private sectors.
They can get dedicated one-to-one voluntary support for a minimum of 24 hours over six months. Once we’ve identified their areas of need we’ll match them with a senior professional volunteer who has skills and expertise in that area.
Leaders Together comes at a crucial time for the sector, with part of the government’s Big Society plan to encourage charities and other organisations to run public services. It’s great for charities to get the recognition they deserve for being an essential part of society but not so great for the sector in terms of added pressures despite the huge funding cuts that they are going through.
There is no doubt that small charities and community groups in particular are going to need extra support. Larger charities are more likely to be able to put coping mechanisms in place but I expect small community groups won’t have that luxury.
We’ve just launched the project and are looking for senior professionals to be mentors and leaders of small charities and community groups to be mentees. Register your interest as a mentor or a mentee and we’ll be in touch with training dates before you meet your perfect match.
Written on August 6, 2010 at 10:15 am by Julia
Boris’ bikes are still a novelty, but they’re finally here.
They’re a great addition to London – and a wonderful import from other countries that have had such schemes for years.
I’m hoping that Duet Bikes might be one of the next imports that flourishes here. They’re a specially designed ‘tandem’ with a detachable wheelchair that acts as the front wheel. Someone else sits at the back and pedals. Dr Lin Buetner has shown how older people with dementia in the US, living in nursing homes, can benefit from going for a bike ride in the fresh air. Age and disability don’t get in the way, with people aged 103, or needing portable oxygen or feeding tubes all enjoying the ride.
This programme is being adapted with volunteers, staff and family all going for bike rides. If you’re interested in getting involved in something similar for disabled people, volunteers are needed by wheels for wellbeing.
Maybe Barclays will think about sponsoring this next?