Archive for March, 2010
Written on March 29, 2010 at 2:43 pm by Kate
I don’t like Monday mornings. Not for any reason in particular – just that the weekend’s over and it’s a full five days to the next.
But something happened last Monday to cheer up my day. And no I hadn’t won the lottery. And George Clooney hadn’t turned up on my doorstep asking to take me out.
It was something much more everyday and simple.
The coordinator for the project I volunteer on told me that for the first time in a long time – the person I mentor said she was enjoying meeting me and things were good for her. Not groundbreaking? But for someone recovering from a mental health issue its great news and is proof that all the hours I’ve spent with her, meeting for coffee and doing everyday things really has made a difference.
And I felt great - and I can’t say that happens many Monday mornings.
So why not do something great and make this the week you start volunteering?
Written on March 24, 2010 at 11:25 am by Laura
Doo-wop. Fusion. Breakbeat. Psychobilly. Shoegaze.
Whatever type of music you’re into there’s bound to be a festival on this summer which caters to it. As well as the big names like Glastonbury and Womad there are tons of smaller ‘boutique’ festivals cropping up which offer an interesting mix of music, arts and entertainment.
What’s great is, plenty of them offer free tickets to those who are prepared to do a bit of volunteering onsite, be it serving drinks or picking up litter. Each festival operates differently in terms of what it expects from volunteers so check out the small print. To get you started, here are a few examples for those who live in Scotland, Brighton or Yorkshire. And of course Oxfam offer stewarding opportunities at festivals all over the UK. Rockin’.
Written on March 23, 2010 at 11:39 am by Sam C
Wouldn’t it be sad if your local library closed? Ok, I’m guilty of not using my local library as much as I should but it would be a shame to lose it. I read recently that Councils are making cuts (nothing new there), this time by closing libraries.
Before you wave goodbye to your library card though, there may be a solution. Volunteers. Some libraries are completely run by volunteers and that’s why they’re able to stay open. So, find out if your local library needs your time – you never know, you might be saving a bit of history.
Written on March 22, 2010 at 12:56 pm by Sharon
How many of you out there have started your own group – whether it be a parents group or a self help group which is volunteer led and maybe volunteer run. Do you have a volunteer manager? And if you do have one do they feel confident in the role?
Great news is that there is now money available for a Volunteer Management Programme. It’s a bursary scheme worth £1m to support volunteer management skills development. This means that people can apply from today, Monday 22 March 2010 for individual bursaries of up to £1950. You better get in there quick because I think the demand will be enormous.
Sound interesting? Well, here’s more information from the people holding the purse strings.
Written on March 18, 2010 at 3:18 pm by Damien
We value your feedback. I’m not just saying that. We really do.
Here at TimeBank the volunteer is at the heart of everything we do. It’s why we exist. While certainly not the only place we connect with volunteers, our website is at the heart of our initial contact with many of you.
It’s been a few years since we last rebuilt our website. Sure we have made many changes and improvements since then; even given the site a lick of paint to keep it looking fresh. We feel it’s now time to look at it anew and make sure it is still doing the best job possible for volunteers.
We have a few ideas ourselves but we would really like to hear what you think. What would you like to see on the website? What is missing? What works and what doesn’t?
How do you want to talk with us? Please leave your comments and suggestions below, or pop your ideas into our feedback site.
Written on March 17, 2010 at 4:19 pm by Laura
One of my main criteria when looking for a volunteering opportunity is that it’s not too much like my actual job. Not that I don’t love my actual job of course. Just that I like the idea that any volunteering I choose to do will challenge me in slightly different ways to my 9-5 office work. So, while it can be great to utilize your professional skills and training in your voluntary role, it can be a lot more fun to do something completely different.
Here at TimeBank we’ve got a finance manager reading to primary school children, a communications manager mentoring a teenager and a member of our youth team helping older people get to grips with the internet. Variety is the spice of life and all that.
Written on March 11, 2010 at 10:23 am by Sharon
Have you ever thought about what it would be like to volunteer overseas but when it came to the crunch you bottled out of it? Why not dip your toe in the water so to speak by checking out this volunteer exchange programme The Wave of Friendship It supports the exchange of volunteers between Scotland and London and you can get upto £500 to cover your travel, accommodation and other expenses.
Volunteers can choose any opportunity that takes place between now and September 2012 that demonstrates the values of the Olympics movement: Friendship, Respect, Excellence, Courage, Determination, Equality and Inspiration.
You can call and have a chat or why not just fill in the application form – go on dip your toe in today.
Written on March 9, 2010 at 3:45 pm by Damien
What would you do with five days of paid leave to use for volunteering?
NCVO have published a new manifestio which calls for all workers to be offered five days’ paid leave each year to carry out volunteering roles.
I personally support this. TimeBank gives staff five days volunteering leave. I confess; I haven’t used all mine up yet. But I will do.
Do you get paid leave for volunteering where you work?
Written on March 8, 2010 at 5:17 pm by Heidi
A few of us from the communications team went to a book launch party last week for Action Aid. The book of poems which can be bought online today to mark International Women’s Day is a celebration of women and includes quotes by internationally famous women such as Carol Ann Duffy and Dame Judi Dench along with words from inspirational women from the developing world. It’s such a powerful way of bringing together the western and developing world, highlighting womens’ strength, humor and hope but also the struggles that they face on a daily basis.
Not just through poetry but women from different countries can be brought together through volunteering too – I’m lucky to be part of our Time Together project where I mentor a lovely female refugee from Iran. I’ve just been matched with her so I’m looking forward to getting to know her more, helping her reach her goals of perfecting her English and visiting the London sights so that she can understand our history and feel part of our society. It’s also a fascinating way to learn more about Iran and their beautiful culture and traditions.
Written on March 5, 2010 at 4:19 pm by Sam C
Getting up at 6am isn’t good for me. Or so I thought.
Michelle (my TimeBank mate) and I went to The Passage on Tuesday morning to volunteer to serve breakfast to homeless people. I had a hard time staying away from the sausages and bacon but luckily I was kept busy buttering toast.
It gives you a wake up call (literally) getting even just a small glimpse into a homeless person’s life and it made me realise how lucky I am. That might sound a bit naff but work has been so busy recently and I’ve even been moaning that I’m tired because of a few nights out.
So actually sometimes 6am starts can be good for you.
