The news sections of our
website will keep you up to date with our work and events and will be regularly
updated for your reference.
If you are holding an event that you think may be relevant to regular users
of our website, please contact
us with details.
If you are interested in receiving a copy of our latest newsletter please contact the office or send us an e-mail with your request and address details.
FREE TRAINING FOR VOLUNTEERS 2008
All training courses or work shops are FREE to HVC registered volunteers, to find out more how to register with HVC please contact the office.
We are currently planning our training schedule for the year.
To make it more accessible for everybody we would like to get as much input from you as possible.
The training sessions planned so far are:
Health & Safety (Two 1 1/2 - 2 hrs presentations)
Manuel Handling & Musculo skeletal disorders
Occupational Health
Basic First Aid Course accredited (9am - 4pm)
Basic First Aid Course accredited for young people
Please contact the office if you are interested or would like to find out more about the training available.
FREE BASIC FIRST AID COURSE
Wednesday 29th October 2008, Salvation Army Hall
please contact the office to reserve your place
planned for November 08 (Sutarday)
dates/times to be confirmed
Listening Skills (Taster session) cancelled due to low response
26th September 08, Volunteer Centre Haverhill, 9:30-12:30
Confidence Building (Taster session) cancelled due to low response
24th October 08, Volunteer Centre Haverhill, 9:30-12:30
2008 CHILD PROTECTION TRAINING COURSES Safe Activities for Everyone
The Cathedral Centre, Bury St Edmunds
(Courses in Ipswich also available)
Evening Courses (6pm to 9:30pm)
TBC
Saturday Morning (9:30am to 1pm)
TBC
Please contact the Centre for more information or to book your place.
PROJECTS
HVC is currently running the following projects
.
Anybody interested in taking part please contact the office.
There will be no cost to participants.
Volunteer Centre Haverhill is involved in a variety of projects.
Projects are supported by grants from various funders and are for the benefit of the community, the volunteers and organisations. They provide additional resources to enable the centre to recruit, place, train and support volunteers and to publicise the work the volunteers and the organisations do.
We are currently running the following projects:
CHOICES FOR WOMEN:
Funded by:
Suffolk County Council / Suffolk Single Gateway
A project which aims to support women in process of returning to work to gain work experience through volunteering.
GO WILD 08:
Funded by:
Havebury CIFG
A community conservation project for young volunteers, supported by adult volunteers. The aim is to transform a derelict area into a wildlife haven.
GARDENING/CONSERVATION:
To support volunteers with tools, expenses, training and safety equipment.
SUPPORTED VOLUNTEERING:
Funded by:
Suffolk County Council / Suffolk Single Gateway
To assist volunteers in need of extra support in their volunteering to find a placement to gain new skills, built confidence and self esteem.
ONE-2-ONE VOLUNTEER MENTORS:
Funded by:
Suffolk County Council / Suffolk Single Gateway
To recruit, train and support volunteer mentors who will enable volunteers with Special Needs to volunteer in their community.
OUTREACH:
Funded by:
Suffolk County Council / Suffolk Single Gateway
To promote volunteering in rural location.
Visitors/Befriending Scheme:
We are continuing to recruit, support and train interested volunteers despite of no additional resources being made available. We are currently researching funding.
Youth Volunteering:
HVC actively encourages young people in Haverhill & District to volunteer. We are working in partnership with relevant organisations and schools to promote the benefits of volunteering to young people.
Volunteer Centre Haverhill offers support, free CRB checks, free training (accredited & non-accredited) i.e. Basic First Aid (for adults & young volunteers), Health & Safety/Fire training, Safeguarding Children, managing wheelchairs, listening skills, confidence building, Trustee training and other relevant training.
YOUNG VOLUNTEERS (16-25 yrs) please check-out www.vinspired.com
formerly known as Millennium Volunteers,to register & receive accreditation for your volunteering.
GO WILD '08
After the great success in the past 2 years with the ‘Go Wild’ and the ‘Groundforce’ project, Haverhill Volunteer Centre join forces again with Havebury Housing and Haverhill East Town Park to undertake another community conservation project. We are planning to transform an area of derelict land in Manor Road and create a wildlife haven.
The finished site will be open for local schools and groups to learn about nature.
Volunteers of all ages and abilities are invited to help with this worthwhile project. To take part in the project you must be 9 years old (under 9’s might be permitted when supervised by a parent).
The Centre is planning 10 community sessions and the makeover will include a nature trail, small pond, bird & bee boxes (built by volunteers) and seating some of which will be made by volunteers from wood and other natural materials.
An existing fox burrow will be preserved together with plant life, insects and small animals (some of which are protected species) that naturally live in the habitat.
Anybody interested in helping with the project can contact the Volunteer Centre for more detailed information.
Havebury Youth Forum HAVE YOUR SAY!
Anyone aged between 13 and 18 can become a Havebury Youth Forum representative.
We want to hear from YOU!
We are setting up a Youth Forum for 2008 and we would like you to tell us what you want it to include.
For more information on how to become a representative or to organise activities and have your say on issues in your area email sarah.edison@havebury.com or contact Haverhill Volunteer Centre and we will send you a leaflet.
NEWSLETTER September 2008
these are only a few articles from our Newsletter. Contact the office for a full copy or just pick one up at the Library or the Borough Council Offices.
Groups and volunteers are welcome to write a small article about their group and the work they do,eg meeting times,events etc. You can e-mail us or drop - of a copy at the HVC and we will try to include it in our next edition.
Dear All
Hoping you are enjoying the holiday season, despite the weather, we have had a busy summer with our Project running throughout the holidays.
We have had some good news, we have been awarded the Volunteering England Quality Accreditation for another three years.
It was nice to see so many of you on the Big Day Out, which was a very successful event with many families attending and taking information away and joining in with the games many organisations had organised.
We have enclosed a new leaflet produced by the Mini VASP (Voluntary and Statutory Partnership) which gives information on services available to support people with mental health problems in the Haverhill area.
We are looking forward to our Annual General Meeting in October and hope you will be able to join us. We are also holding an Open Morning with information on the many volunteering opportunities, the training programme offered and current projects. Staff will be available for an informal chat.
Please encourage anyone interested in finding out what volunteering is about to come along and meet us.
Best wishes from Elaine & Gaby
Being a Trustee—what is it all about?
Charity trustees are the people legally responsible for the overall management and decision-making in a charity (they might be called something else-a member of the management or executive committee, a governor, a director etc).
What trustees do? Trustees are responsible for the direction and performance of their charity. Depending on the charity a trustee may get directly involved in the day-to-day running of the charity or the charity staff will carry out any work and the trustee will be responsible for monitoring and controlling their activities.
Who can be a trustee? No-one under the age of 18 can be appointed as a trustee, and some people are disqualified by law from acting as charity trustees.
What are the qualities needed to be a trustee? Trustees need to be able-and willing–to give time to the efficient administration of the charity
Can service users be trustees? Yes. Users of the charity’s services can offer a valuable perspective as trustees.
Maybe your not ready to be a trustee but would like to be a committee member.
Interested - why not find out more about it. Please contact the Volunteer Centre for an informal chat or for details of groups in need of trustees or/and committee members.
Girlguiding Suffolk girls in the lead
Girlguiding in Haverhill welcomes new adult volunteers to enable more girls and young women to experience the opportunities that guiding provides.
We have Rainbow, Brownie, Guide and Ranger Units running in Haverhill but there are waiting lists for girls to join.
We cannot offer more places until more adult volunteers are found.
Units meet evenings during term time and provide a programme of activities based on six areas of human development; social, emotional, intellectual, physical, spiritual and moral.
Girls from all sections enjoy indoor and outdoor activities which include crafts, cooking, games, music and working towards badges and challenges. Adult volunteers have regular support meetings and social events, and full training is given with an individual mentor.
More girls are welcome to register interest in joining a group. If you are between 6 and 65 we have a role for you!
If you could spare any time or would like more information about any aspects of Girlguiding please contact:
Jill Moss (District Commissioner) Girlguiding Haverhill on (01440) 706 074
or contact the Volunteer Centre Haverhill
Do you want to become a friend of East Town Park?
What is a friend? Friends are people who give up a little of their time and energy to help protect and improve the green spaces they care about.
We need your help! Work in partnership with St Edmundsbury Borough Council and make a difference to East Town Park’s future.
The council recognises that local people and regular visitors know East Town Park best and the value it has to them. Your involvement, views and ideas can influence the future of the park and help protect its wonderful landscape for generations to come.
The Friends Group will be a vital link between the Council and the community.
What can ‘friends’ do? Friends can volunteer as much or as little time as they wish and can be involved in several ways: by attending steering group meetings, being on a mailing list to respond to occasional questionnaires, taking part in work parties, or helping at events and other fundraising activities.
If you are interested in joining a ‘Friends of East Town Park’ group please contact the Community Parks
Officer: 01284 757063 or email: parks@stedsbc.gov.uk
If you do not wish to be part of a group at this stage but would like to be informed of any progress made please let us have your contact details.
Alternatively contact the Volunteer Centre for more information.
OPEN MEETING
Please come along to our Open Meeting on Wednesday, 19th November 2008 at 7.15pm at the Visitors Centre, East Town Park.
Volunteer Centre Haverhill is working with Suffolk County Council to offer free training to volunteers, voluntary and community groups.
Please contact the Volunteer Centre Haverhill
if you are interested in any of these
training courses.
Are you a member of a Community Group in Haverhill
or the surrounding area?
Would you like training in any of the following areas?
Calling all Volunteers!
Would you like training in any of the following areas?
Volunteer Centre Haverhill offers a range of training
to organisations and volunteers.
Any workshops or Training courses offered by Haverhill Volunteer Centre are FREE to HVC registered volunteers. (limited spaces available)
Any volunteers from other organisations are welcome to attend provided there are available spaces. Bookings will be subject to an administration fee.
Please contact the office for more details.
Do you enjoy gardening?
Why not become a volunteer gardener?
MORE GARDENERS are needed to help elderly or disabled residents with basic gardening to enable them to stay in their own home.
No special skills are needed, just an hour or two to spare once a week or a fortnight.
We will match you up with someone in your area and make sure that tools are available.
Please contact the centre for more information.
Haverhill SHOP MOBILITY
The Shop Mobility loans electric scooters, powered chairs and manual wheelchairs to people who may have difficulty walking around town and shops and visiting attractions in Haverhill.
New VOLUNTEERS to support this project are
always welcome.
(Training provided)
West Suffolk Caring Cards –
informing businesses about what you do!
A handy pack of Caring Cards has been designed to help promote the Voluntary and Community Sector services to businesses throughout West Suffolk. Rather like a pack of large playing cards in its own case this directory classifies the sectors services into 29 different categories such as sport, caring or children. For each card you will find the category name with a picture on the front and on the reverse a list of all the VCS service providers within West Suffolk for that category along with their contact telephone number. There are also 6 cards explaining about items such as employee volunteering, corporate social responsibility and payroll giving with the view to increase business involvement within our community.
Not only are these cards easy to use, stylish and free but they also offer a great opportunity to widen your services and become recognised. When Suffolk CONNECT carried out recent corporate social responsibility research into Suffolk businesses they found that nearly half of those approached were unaware of many VCS organisations in their local area. 89% however would like to be known for working with the community so hopefully these cards can help trigger the movement.
Through the West Suffolk Consortium and Suffolk CONNECT we will be distributing these Caring Cards across West Suffolk. It is hoped that companies will take these cards and use them as a signposting tool for queries that they cannot deal with alone. Employers will also be encouraged to use them for addressing employee issues and making sure that the cards are available for employees to access easily.
If you know of a particular business that would benefit from these cards or you would like to help distribute them yourself please contact the Volunteer Centre or get in touch with Anna Martin at Suffolk CONNECT on 01502 584061 or at anna@zwc.org.uk.
see
more pics
15 October 2004
Website Launch
Welcome to the new Haverhill volunteer centre website launched at the October
2004 AGM. We hope that you find the website useful and would welcome your
feedback.
news : forthcoming
events : past events