20 YEARS HAVERHILL VOLUNTEER CENTRE

The Centre receives its core funding from Suffolk County Council & Bury St Edmunds Borough Council and a grant from Haverhill Town Council. A large proportion of costs such as training for volunteers,     publicity  or outreach work are covered through projects.

Funding for projects has to be applied for and HVC has been fortunate  in recent years to receive grants for specific projects. This enables us to give extra   support to volunteers with special needs or ill mental health, support families and/or individuals by matching them up with a ‘visitor’ via our befriending projects, we have organised conservation work sessions for young volunteers and our new 16+ volunteering aims to help students and school leavers to gain confidence through volunteering.  Volunteer work has become a creditable way of gaining knowledge and experience to enhance career prospects and build a C.V. One of our really successful projects ‘Choices for women’ enabled women in the process of returning to work to do just that. A major part of our work is outreach and signposting and to promote the benefits of volunteering in the community. The seven Volunteer Centres in Suffolk are working together for the   benefit of volunteering in Suffolk.

All of this wouldn’t be possible without the continuous support of our funders and you—the volunteer. We are looking forward to many more years of serving the Haverhill community and supporting local organisations, individuals and volunteers.

THANK YOU

Celebration Event

A big thank you to everybody who has attended the 20 year Anniversary event at the Golf Club. It was wonderful to see you all and have such a diversity of representatives from volunteers to funders, service users and guests. Thank you also to the Town Mayor Cllr Elaine McManus and Mr Christopher Gurteen for their kind words of support for the centre.

The centre has much to celebrate—it not only has fantastic volunteers who make a big difference to individuals and organisations in the community, but it also received recognition from the Town Mayor and from the Borough Mayer Cllr Patsy Warby, as both have chosen HVC as one of their charities for this year. We are also the chosen charity for Sainsbury’s for 2009.

Another surprise came in a letter from Buckingham Palace in which is says:” Her Majesty was interested to learn about the Centre and the important service it provides to the community and sends her warm, good wishes to all concerned on this most special anniversary.” Well, these wishes go out to ALL volunteers in the Haverhill community-without the time you all give so freely for the benefit of others many groups and organisations wouldn’t be able to function as they do.

Another big thank you has to go to all the local businesses who have supported our free prize draw with their donations (see page 2 for details) and Suffolk County Council, St Edmundsbury County Council and Haverhill Town Council for their financial support which made this event possible in the first place.

 

HOT AIR BALLOON PRIZE

When Roly Robinson came to the 20th celebration event the last thing on his mind was the free prize draw, but at the end of the evening he walked away with the top prize of a  Champaighn Hot Air Balloon ride for 2 people donated by Glassfusion & Paul Donno & Co Ltd.  The timing couldn’t have been better as two days earlier Roly and Joan (his wife) had just celebrated their 25th anniversary. Then reality checked in—due to health problems Roly was not able to take up the ride so instead decided to pass it on to his son and daughter, Michael and Rochelle. So after being  cancelled three times due to weather it all went ahead on the 13th August.

Meeting at Earls Colne at 6pm Michael and Rochelle were starting to get slightly nervous as they saw the size of the balloon    going up but got involved in the safety talk etc, and soon they were floating over the car park and disappearing out of sight. At 8:45pm the mini bus arrived back with them on board—with two huge grins on their faces. I think for a couple of hours Roly was the best dad  in the world, they had enjoyed it so much, they wanted to do it again. Well, here’s to the next celebration,...and the prize draw!