Volunteering

Do you enjoy meeting new people? Are you looking for a change of direction? Have you thought about volunteering?

You can gain so much by volunteering:

Meet new people and make new friends
Gain useful work experience
Learn new skills, use the ones you have already
Build up your confidence
Provide a real service to your community
Add to your CV
Do something you enjoy

People volunteer for may different reasons: to help other people in the community, gain work experience, learn new skills, meet new people, gain access to training or to "just get out of the house". Whatever the reasons, people get a lot out of volunteering.

BAVO provides a Volunteer Bureau Service which offers up-to-date information, advice and guidance to people who are looking for volunteering opportunities. Whether you are an organization looking for volunteers, or an individual looking for a suitable volunteering opportunity, registering with BAVO is free.

With over 100 registered voluntary organisations offering a range of volunteering opportunities, BAVO’s Volunteer Bureau can match your skills and interests with a vacancy that suits you best.

We provide one to one confidential interviews at our main office and in a range of outreach premises across the Borough. The interviews are designed to provide volunteers with the information they require to make informed choices in volunteering.

There are many opportunities, from administrative work to driving, conservation to education. You can work with many different organisations and people in your area and most organisations offer training and pay out-of-pocket expenses. You could make a real difference.

BAVO has details of lots of local volunteering opportunities, and there is bound to be one that suits your interests. Please telephone for more information on 01656 810400.

Workforce Hub Review of National Standards for Volunteer Managers

Do you manage volunteers?

The UK Workforce Hub are currently undertaking a project to review and refresh the Management of Volunteers National Occupational Standards to ensure they meet the needs of managers in the voluntary and community sector through to 2014.

The Hub are inviting you to take part in a consultation process which asks you to contribute your views on the draft standards which have been updated by a steering group and a consultant. It begins on the 18th October and will run until 18th January 2008.

There are two ways in which you can have your say:

Attend one of the consultation events which are being held in Edinburgh, Belfast, Swansea and London during November and December.
By email - please visit www.ukworkforcehub.org.uk/mvnosconsultation there will be a questionnaire for you to complete as well as the newly revised standards.

For more information on the consultation process visit www.ukworkforcehub.org.uk/mvnosconsultation

Youth volunteering gets £800,000 boost

[update 31/10/07]

A package of grants worth over £800,000 to encourage more young people to take up volunteering has been announced by Social Justice Minister Dr Brian Gibbons.

The package of grants consists of:

£300,000 to support the employment of 22 youth Volunteer advisors – people who can help young people find volunteering activities in their local area.
£180,000 continued funding via Millennium Volunteers - an organisation which encourages young people (16-25 year olds) to take part in volunteer projects in their local area.
£20,000 for Prince's Trust development awards
£130,000 to encourage youth volunteering in disadvantaged and minority communities
£110,000 to encourage youth led volunteering opportunities in each of the 22 local authorities - these will be determined locally by young people working with their Youth Volunteer advisor
£60,000 to encourage International volunteering opportunities for young people who don’t traditionally volunteer.

The Minister announced the grant funding at a Russell Commission event on 'Youth Volunteering in Wales' at The Pavilion, Llandrindod Wells on 19th October 2007.

http://new.wales.gov.uk/news/presreleasearchive/1741296/?lang=en

Millennium Programme - 16-24's

Millennium Volunteers is a programme for volunteers aged between 16 - 24. It gives young people encouragement and recognition for the volunteering that they do. Funding and accreditation for the Millennium Volunteer Programme is given by the Welsh Assembly.

The 'Certificate of Recognition' is awarded for 100 hours of volunteering and 'The Award of Excellence' is present for 200 hours of volunteering achieved. Out of pocket expenses are paid to all MV's including travel and childcare costs. This is an innovative scheme, which emphasises the volunteering achievements of young people.

If you are aged 16-24 and looking to volunteer, or indeed, if you are an organization wishing to recruit younger volunteers please contact Sharon for further information on this scheme.

The Russell Commission

BAVO has recently being awarded funding to develop volunteering opportunities for young people aged 16-25 and to encourage and support voluntary organisations to develop and include young people in their volunteer projects.

The development work will involve an audit of current volunteering opportunities for young people with a particular emphasis on opportunities for under represented groups of young people and aims to identify new volunteering opportunities.

The aim of the Russell Commission is to ensure that all young people, regardless of background, have an equal opportunity to volunteer.

The Russell Commission is intended to help drive forward the National Framework for Youth Volunteering across Wales. This is an exciting development and will provide more volunteer opportunities to young people that want to become actively involved in their community. The project will run until March 2008.

If you are a young person aged 16 – 25 and would like to volunteer or you are a voluntary organisation that would like help and support to develop a volunteer vacancy please contact Sharon .

picture of sharon headon

To email Sharon, click here