Gatis Street Adventure Playground

Transcription

1 2014 REPORT

2 Posters and flyers were distributed to promote the three events. The information was also shared with 296 organisations registered with Wolverhampton Volunteers, they helped us promote the events to their services users and networks. Central Library offered us the use of their display cabinets to promote Volunteers Week. We created an individual information poster for each organisation taking part and used the cabinets to promote volunteering opportunities as well as the activities taking part throughout Volunteers Week.

3 Gatis Street Adventure Playground Volunteers Week Gatis Street Adventure Playground 3 June Our first Volunteers Week event was held at Gatis Street Adventure Playground. The event was attended by the following eight organisations; British Red Cross, The Haven, Beanstalk, CSV, Improving Futures, Changing Lives, Recovery Near You and Moreland Trust. Despite low attendance at the event it proved a good networking opportunity and a chance to look around Gatis Street Adventure Playground and find out about the work they do. During the event there was a delivery of free wood and breeze blocks donated to the Adventure Playground by Carvers. Several stall holders at the event joined in to help with transporting the large delivery.

4 Volunteers Week Civic Centre 5 June Our second Volunteers Week event was held at the Civic Centre. The event was attended by the following organisations: The Haven, Wolverhampton Public Libraries, West Midlands Police and WAVE. The event was well attended, not only by people passing through the Civic Centre but also by Support Workers at the Council finding out information for their clients. The event also lead to a new opportunity being advertised for West Midlands Police for Neighbourhood Watch Coordinators across Wolverhampton.

5 Volunteers Week Wulfrun Centre 6 June Our third and final Volunteers Week event was held in the Wulfrun Centre. The event was attended by a total of fourteen organisations: Leonard Cheshire Homes, British Red Cross, Age UK, WAVE, Gloucester Street Community Centre, Spurgeons, Beanstalk, Improving Futures, National Careers Service, Heath Town Senior Citizens, Recovery Near You, Citizens Advice Bureau and Moreland Trust. This final event was the busiest of the week, catching a lot of passing trade from people shopping in the Wulfrun Centre. The event was also attended by Maya Patel, an independent blogger who wrote a piece about Volunteers Week on her blog:

6 Volunteers Week Events LGBT Network Wolverhampton Volunteers Making a Difference Report LGBT Network Wolverhampton s Annual Volunteer report Making a Difference celebrating the contribution of volunteers supporting LGB and T people in Wolverhampton was released this week. In the last year, over 200 volunteers generously gave over 6,000 hours of their time. They supported over 1,600 Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Trans individuals at the LGBT Network Centre and organised Wolves Pride, with almost 2,000 people attending. Pat McArdle, Chair of LGBT Wolverhampton (pictured at the annual volunteer celebration) said I am totally inspired and overwhelmed by all that LGBT Wolverhampton achieves. The numbers and diversity of volunteers and the skills they bring is amazing. The place is warm, welcoming and respectful and Martha does an incredible job. As a volunteer on the Board, It is great to work with committed and talented colleagues, I have learned a lot and really look forward to the future with the network. To see the Making a Difference report in full see the website Annual Volunteer Appreciation Event 5 th June saw the annual volunteer appreciation event, it began with fun and games including a cocktail master-class. Volunteers received awards for their commitment and achievements, small appreciation gifts were given to all volunteers as a thank you for all their help and support. Martha Bishop, General Manager was delighted with volunteers week, It s been an incredible volunteers week, we really are incredibly lucky to have such amazing volunteers, making sure we are there for those that need us. Photo shows: Chair Pat McArdle at the Annual Volunteer Celebration Event Photo shows: Deputy Lieutenant Simon Topman visiting LGBT Network with LGBT volunteers and local supporters including the Mayor Milkinder Jaspal, the Mayoress Councillor Jasbir Jaspal, Superintendent Mike O Hara, Wolverhampton City Council Equalities Champion Councillor Dr. Mike Hardacre, Wolverhampton City Council Voluntary Sector Champion Councillor Elias Mattu and Councillor Ian Claymore. Photo shows: Some of the 80 volunteers that supported Wolves Pride 2013 Photographs by Sally Payne Photography

7 We celebrated National Volunteer Week here at the Centre by sending every volunteer (240) a thank you card, with a 5 voucher inside... just a little something to say thank you for all of the help and support they have provided to us. We also issued every volunteer that has volunteered for over 1 year with a certificate, again, to say thank you for all of their support over the specific number of years they have supported and volunteered for us. We also held a Volunteer of the Year ceremony. We asked for 2 volunteers to be nominated by staff and colleagues... 1 for retail (as we have 7 shops) and 1 for the actual centre. The trustees then decided on the winner of each category. Then we invited every volunteer that had been nominated, as well as our long serving volunteers (those who have volunteered over 15 years, of which we had a few, plus 2 over 30 years!) to a ceremony, which was hosted by the Chief Executive, Arwyn Jones. We presented the winners of the Volunteer of the Year for both retail and the centre with a trophy. A big heartfelt thank you was also given to all of the volunteers that were present, as well as to those who were unable to attend. Rachel Shaw Employer Liaison Officer/Volunteer Coordinator Beacon Centre for the Blind

8 Vintage Tea Party for BCE Volunteers Last Thursday Black Country Echoes hosted a vintage tea party for all our volunteers at Bantock House, there was a great presentation of the project by Deb Slade sparking lots of enthusiasm and a whole lot of tea and cake. The event was attended by registered volunteers and some new faces who had come along to see how they could help out. Lots of people were surprised to see how big the festival is going to be and many signed up to help at the dozens of events that BCE will have a presence at over the coming months. Tea was served at 5.00 and everyone sat down to delicious variety of sandwiches, and scrumptious cakes including, raspberry cream, Chocolate fudge, Wensleydale and apple, carrot and even a Pimms cake! Bantock House s Performance Space was decorated beautifully by the Bantock team of staff and volunteers who borrowed lots of plants from the conservatory and a big thanks must be said to the Friends of Bantock who loaned us their vintage china. At 6.00 o clock volunteers gathered in the Tractor Shed to watch some volunteer awards for long service for WAVE. Volunteers who had helped for 5 years or more were awarded with a beautiful glass coaster designed by a local artist and there was a special award for Bantock and BCE volunteer Alexandra Behena who had given over 1000 hours of volunteering in the past 12 months. A special thanks to Matthew Whitehouse, BCE volunteer who took the wonderful photographs. Everyone thoroughly enjoyed the afternoon and many returned home with an extra piece of cake or two!

9 Thank you to all the volunteers and services that helped make Volunteers Week a success. For more information contact: Wolverhampton Volunteers Drop-in: Monday to Friday, 10am to 2pm or call to arrange an appointment (if outside of drop-in hours) Tel: Mobile: Temple Street Wolverhampton WV2 4AN