Archive for the ‘All categories’ Category
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By vLea 28th March 13
We arrived, we conquered, we left a trail of joy and party streamers all over London Town, and we put the memories online so you can relive them again and again.
There are so many ways we’ve covered our National
Awards Ceremony that you’re spoilt for choice. We took over London’s Camden Roundhouse to broadcast live Hangouts, station our live social media reporters in the heart of the action and even weaved it all into a Storify for you.
Check out our handiwork and let us know what you thought of the event – we’d love to know your favourite bits!
Google Hangout
Our Google Hangout has been viewed by hundreds, and captured all the backstage shenanigans that took place at the National Awards.
Led by our fabulous presenters Luke and Marita, we hosted a two hour side show with guest appearances from celebs like A*M*E, Will Best and The Saturdays. We threw in a few Malteser based volunteer games, our National Award winners and essentially created as much havoc as we could. Settle yourself down and re-live the evening – it was a great one.
#vInspiring
Were you watching our Twitter hashtag all evening? If you were, you would not only have seen our live tweeting of the whole event, but our guests and well-wishers getting involved too!
Our #vInspiring hashtag reached a total of 2.2 million people in the form of excited tweets, photos, celebrity support and supporters who couldn’t be there on the night. Check out who said what and who snapped who on the purple carpet by checking out the hashtag this week, before it disappears into the Twitterverse.
Storify
Spotted this too late to follow all the #vInspiring hashtag action? Don’t fear – we’ve selected all the top tweets and best pics from the evening and put it all together into a Storify for you. Check it out here.
Think you could be our next award winning volunteer? Get yourself signed up to vInspired.com.
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By admin 1st March 13
March’s Volunteer of the Month has been awarded to Robert Bellis for his work with the Ellesmere Port Sea Cadets as a Sea Cadet Instructor working to train Cadets aged 12 to 18 years old in Maritime Subjects.
Robert has been volunteering for over eight years, achieving his v100 award along the way.
Nominator Arron Ainslie, Officer in Charge, says, “Over the years Robert has taken part in many activities to help those, whom are less fortunate than himself, and has worked countless hours to ensure that his colleagues have the best opportunity. Many of the cadets that Robert trained and still takes the time to train today came from underprivileged families and wouldn’t have had such an opportunity if it wasn’t for his hard work and commitment. Roberts training incorporated team work and leadership, qualities that in the future will help these young people enter the world of work.
Robert’s enthusiasm is clear and he can often be found working to ensure that the cadets get the best opportunities available to them. It is this enthusiasm that is passed onto the young people within our organisation and helps them to progress quickly and with successes. Robert is a role model to the cadets within our organisation whether that be in that he presents himself smartly to the way he conducts himself, he is an excellent role model to young people and I would be most proud if any of them rose to be able to fill his shoes at some point in the future.”
Meet the winner!
When did you start volunteering and why?
Well I turned 18 last July and officially become an adult member of staff. But I have been a cadet for over 8 and half years now. 8 and a half years ago I joined as a junior cadet to develop myself.
What kind of volunteering have you done in the last year?
In the last year I’ve spent 2 nights a weeks at the local Sea Cadet unit. I am now the Training Officer at Ellesmere Port Sea Cadets and I am responsible for all of the in-house training. On Mondays I work with a group of cadets and take them through phase one training, its designed to help the cadets through the ranks by teaching them sea fearing knowledge, leadership, teamwork and community work.
How does it feel to win Volunteer of the Month?
It feels really great to be recognised and the nomination was unexpected.
In what ways do you feel you’ve made a different to others?
I train some of the younger cadets and it is good to see them develop, its great to see a change in them. Their self-confidence grows and they get opportunities they normally wouldn’t get.
What do you enjoy most about volunteering? And how do you feel volunteering has changed you?
Volunteering has changed me, its helped me with my self-confidence.
What do you do outside of volunteering?
I’m at university doing a degree in Nautical Science and I am off to the Merchant Navy as an officer.
If you were Prime Minister for a day, what would be the one thing you would change?
If I was Prime Minister, I would make everyone equal. I feel that’s something that is lacking and would really make a difference.
What would you say to encourage other young people to sign up to vinspired.com?
I think vInspired is good because it is nice to be recognised and it’s great to have something credible on your CV. I have encouraged other cadets to sign up for vInspired and I will continue to.
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By varaba 13th February 13
These incredible young people tell us what they’d do differently if they were prime minister.
We’re chuffed to announce the names of our 18 finalists across six categories for the 2013 vInspired National Awards. Below they share what they’d change as prime minister for the day. We’d give them the job tomorrow!We’ll announce the National Awards winners at a glitzy ceremony in the Roundhouse, Camden on 26 March. Keep an eye on Facebook and Twitter for ways you can be involved.
All Round Commitment to Volunteering
Ryan Jay “I would change youth unemployment and child poverty.”
Beth Carty “I would increase the amount of opportunities for children and teens, so that people would stop seeing them as disrespectful youths or hoodies and see them for the positive things they can achieve.”
Rebecca McGuinness “Volunteering would be introduced at a much earlier age in schools for children, so they have the opportunity to succeed and help themselves and their communities and live a better life.”
Best Young VolunteerAmy May Knowles (pictured) “The prices for operations being decreased and make Cirencester Hospital bigger with more facilities.”
George Taylor “I would ensure that the after care is there for our troops.”
Yakoob Seedat “To pay the public sector workers and community sector more for their hard work.”
Bringing Communities Together
Matthew Chambers “I would let young people have a say in what matters.”
Jessica Purchase “I would bring Jennifer Mildenhall back to Wolves Community Trust.”
Eliza Rebeiro “I think restorative justice is hugely important. I would make people who went to prison for gang membership volunteer and mentor young people at risk of going to jail for similar offences.”
Most Outstanding NCS TeamNCS Tredworth (pictured)
Sophie Hill from NCS Tredworth “I would make volunteering compulsory in the curriculum, as it not only helps the community but teaches you things you never knew about yourself.”
NCS Padgate
Sophie Saye from NCS Padgate “ I would introduce more activities that involve whole communities.”
NCS Portsmouth
Paige Chandler from NCS Portsmouth “ I would change how young people are viewed in society today.”
Outstanding Contribution by a Youth Worker
Linda Markey “I would change the education system to ensure that it is compulsory for all young people to spend a year volunteering abroad to gain the best education through being in the real world gaining real skills.”
Fiona Tomlinson “Reinstate the buzz and feel good factor of youth volunteering that we had 2008-2011 when vInspired was government funded.”
Daniel Fry “I would have more projects for gay minorities, and give schools the option of teaching same sex education.”
Team ActivityYoungStars (pictured)
Georgia Taylor from YoungStars “I would try to provide more job opportunities for the young adults who are currently struggling to find a job.”
Shawe Thing
Joe Maguire from Shaw Thing “Everyone should get a day off, but in order to receive it they would have to volunteer for at least four hours – people like days off, communities like volunteers.”
Epsom Phab
Zoe Giles from Epsom Phab “ I would change the fact that there is a lack of facilities that exist for people of all abilities to interact on equal terms.”
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By vEsme 30th January 13
I’m Scottish. No one ever guesses because the accent never caught on (even though I lived there for 20 years), but I am.
Imagine my delight when I found out that not only were vInspired going to be providing volunteering opportunities in Scotland, but vInspired cashpoint would be pioneering the move. Cashpoint offers young people aged 14 – 25 grants of up to £500 to run their own volunteering project, supporting them to develop skills and experience whilst having fun and doing something positive for their communities.
With Scotland as a target area for the programme, someone would have to go up and promote it, and who better than a programme coordinator with conveniently Edinburgh-based parents to stay with. I’d actually be able to visit my homeland under the guise of official work business! So off I trotted to meet some of the leading Scottish educational, youth and volunteering organisations in the country and spread the word.
One of these was Young Scot, and we’ve teamed up with them to offer all Scottish vInspired cashpoint leaders rewards for the great work that they do in their communities.
Who are Young Scot?
Young Scot are massive in Scotland. When I was at school everyone had a Young Scot card (which I think I mainly used as ID at the cinema and for discounts at the leisure centre). Since then they’ve grown, offering young people in Scotland a whole range of opportunities and information on everything from jobs and education, to arts and sport, to politics and relationships. Alongside all of this, they give you points when you get up and take part.
What’s the benefit?
Young Scot cards offer you the chance to exchange points – which you can get for a whole host of things from taking surveys to writing reviews to volunteering – for rewards like shopping discounts, driving lessons and sports equipment. Do stuff, get stuff. Simples.
All vInspired cashpoint applicants from Scotland will get 250 Young Scot points for successful applications and 3000-5000 points for completing their projects. Well deserved rewards for the fantastic contributions that they make to local communities.payday loans And as the cashpoint projects in Scotland build up, I have even more excuses to slip back across the border when I go and see some of them in action!
How can I apply?
To apply for vInspired cashpoint go to www.vinspired.com/cashpoint where you can also find project ideas, case studies, guidance and FAQs.
You can also follow us on Twitter @vInspired and #vCashpoint, and facebook.com/vinspired, or get in touch with me at esme.palmer@vinspired.com.
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Have you ever been tweeting, Facebooking or Tumbling your life away, only to be met with a nasty comment from a stranger?
Or perhaps you’re a little guilty of sending out mean comments yourself (our research shows one in ten of you have) via social media?
The term used for sending out this type of mean comment is “trolling”.
Do Something UK, our programme that champions social good by highlighting causes online, is standing up to trolls. Check out the Lolz NOT Trolls app and learn how stay positive online. There could be an iPad mini in it for you if you do!
Who gets trolled?
Worryingly, our research has uncovered that a quarter of young people face regular trolling attacks. One in three people who receive these derogatory messages have found them devastating, and have put loss of confidence down to this abuse.
One in ten young people have admitted to trolling themselves by sending negative or abusive messages to people they know, or to a celebrity.
Why do people become trolls?
Although 60% of 14-18 year olds believe that trolling is ultimately wrong, a shocking 23% of people did it because they thought it was funny. 29% of trolls sent abuse because their friends were doing it too, and a whopping 49% of people believe it’s ok to say things online that they would never say in person.
Safe to say, trolling victims disagree that insulting people online is less damaging than in reality. 17% of young people are adamant that online trolling is worse than bullying someone in person.
Where do people get trolled?
Our study shows that Facebook is the most common place for victims to be trolled, with 45% of those who have experienced it having had abusive messages posted on their own walls. 28% have been the subject of slurs posted on someone else’s wall.
How do we stop trolling from happening?
Swot up on the good, the bad and the ugly aspects of online behavior by heading over to the Do Something Facebook page. Over the coming weeks we’ll be back to report on more Lolz and Trolls. In the meantime, here’s the big picture…
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vInspired have teamed up with Rockstar Youth, the UK’s top mentoring and funding organisation for potential young entrepreneurs.
They provide 18-30 year olds with business mentors and extensive funding opportunities to help make a business idea into a reality.
If you need something more than our £500 cashpoint grant to kick-start your new life as an entrepreneur, Rockstar is the way to go. There’s plenty of evidence to show that they’ve changed the lives of young people for the better, not least for Irina Alionte.
Irina was funded and supported by Rockstar to start her Club Cardio business. Today’s guest post documents her journey with them, and how her entrepreneurial spirit has changed every aspect of her life.
Want to get involved? Register for the next Incubator session on May 13th.
If you’d met me this time last year, you would have seen a 23 year old Warwick Business School student planning to go back to her home country and family business at the end of her postgraduate course. Then the Big Idea hit me, and I realised I had a solution that could change people’s mindset and attitude to keep fit. I knew my idea could make a difference and help people overcome the intimidating gym setting.I called it Club Cardio. It’s the only workout fusing exercise with fun dance moves in a nightclub setting. After successfully organising a pilot event on my university campus, I saw real demand for fun workouts and the opportunity to bring this to venues wanting to monetise their off-peak hours.
All of a sudden I had to make a choice – go back to my family business in Romania as planned or start from scratch with a new life and a new business in a country I was barely acquainted with.
What really influenced my decision was coming across Rockstar Youth. They helped me so much and gave me the courage to step out of my comfort zone to make my idea happen.
Sometimes the scariest decisions in life are the best ones too. With so much support available, from start-up loan schemes to mentoring programmes, the idea of starting on my own already seemed less daunting. Through Rockstar, I applied for a Startup Loan back in November and showed up at the Incubator session, hoping to get financial help to launch my business.
During the one day event they took my idea and helped me turn it into a viable business solution. By the end of the day, I also secured £2,500, getting all the support I needed to turn my idea into a business. Together with the low-interest loan, I even got an experienced entrepreneur as my mentor.
Ongoing mentoring support really meant a lot for my business at this early stage. My mentor put forward his experience, expertise and contacts to help me launch, and even accompanied me to important business meetings. Having a mentor sit next to you in an important meeting boosts your confidence in the way you handle the discussion and it meant a lot to me, as he instantly added more credibility to my youth.
As a Start-up Loan recipient I also got access to an incredible community of like-minded people. I love to connect with other passionate mentees and work together with them to boost each other’s businesses. As I was getting ready for my London launch, it was really important for me to have got the support of other Start-up Loan recipients and a few of them helped me design a successful marketing campaign for promoting my events. Being able to benefit from a support network like the Start-up Loans community has been crucial for me. I had no family or business connections, but amazing people to turn to for support.
In a few short months I have managed to turn what started off as a campus experiment at Warwick into a concept ready to transform the UK nightclub scene. At my recent launch in Kingston, I managed to bring tons of Londoners together to groove to the beat of Club Cardio.
I really think that building a sustainable business is like climbing a mountain. Young people have the enthusiasm, the ideas and the energy to reach the peak, but obstacles can be tough and can kill the climb. That is why you need a guide who’s been there before and can show you the way to the top.
Inspired by Irina’s story? Get yourself along to Rockstar Youth’s next Incubator session, taking place on May 13th.
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Jamie Thompson is an 18 year old budding young volunteer from Rastrick who has achieved his v100 award. For the last two years, Jamie has been volunteering at Highbury School as a support assistant, working with children who have severe learning difficulties.
Nominator Robert Harwood from Rastrick High Sixth Form College says: “Students at Highbury need constant supervision.payday loans Some are unable to communicate with others due to the severity of their disability. Jamie Thompson has given his time each week for two years, to provide children at Highbury with a friendly face and fun activities which have had a lasting effect on their quality of school life. I feel that the work he has done has been of equal benefit to him as it has the children he has been a ‘brother’ to.”
This great experience has meant that Jamie has enhanced his CV and has gained some excellent work experience which will help him to pursue his goal to become a teacher, and focus on becoming a SEN specialist.
Meet the winner!
Tell us a little bit more about the volunteering you have done in the last year.
I have been volunteering at Highbury School working as a classroom assistant with primary school children who have severe learning difficulties. I’ve also helped take the children out on school trips and assisted with out of school activities such as swimming lessons. In addition to this, I volunteer at a Sunday school at the local parish centre.
In what ways to do you feel you’ve made a difference to others?
I hope that I have helped to improve the school experiences of the children that I work with and I hope I have been able to help improve the way they learn. Something I am particularly proud of is improving the maths and reading levels of a particular student that I have been working on a one to one basis with.
What do you enjoy most about volunteering? And how do you feel volunteering has changed you?
I really enjoy spending time with the children and trying to make a positive difference in the lives of others. Volunteering has helped me to see the world differently and I think that the work experience I have gained has helped me to mature as a person.
What do you do outside of volunteering?
I am currently at college studying a mix of A Level and BTEC qualifications in Health and Social Studies, Business Studies, ICT, Public Service and Science. I am also involved in regular sporting activities including football and basketball.
What issues do you care about most? If you were Prime Minister for a day, what would be the one thing that you’d change?
I’m passionate about working with young children and helping to improve their educational experiences. If I were Prime Minister for a day I would improve the school system and give better, more equal standards of education to everyone.
What do you think young people can offer to their communities?
I think young people have a lot to offer society. Young people have a fresh perspective, new and innovative ideas and a different way of looking at the world.
What would you say to encourage other young people to sign up to vInspired.com?
I would say definitely try it – volunteering is a great experience and it is definitely worth getting involved. When you volunteer and help others you get a unique experience and feel great as you know you have made a positive difference. All you need to do in return is give up a little bit of your time.
Has a young volunteer you know made an outstanding contribution that has gone above and beyond what was expected of them? They could be our next Volunteer of the Month!
Anyone can nominate – whether you’re someone who manages a volunteer, or a family member or friend.
Find out more on how to apply and our full criteria over on vinspired.com.
If you’re a young person, inspired by Jamie’s story – why not start volunteering and registering your hours with vInspired?
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By vJessH 20th November 12
Do Something UK’s second campaign is here.
AND we’ve got 5 iPad mini’s up for grabs.
Festive Fuzzies is taking over Do Something UK Facebook for Christmas. We’re following the phenomenal success of #ReverseRiots earlier this year, where we took over the media with positivity on the anniversary of the riots. Now it’s time to #FuzzIt.
Mmmmm Festive Fuzzy
We’re helping you feel warm and fuzzy this Christmas, by showing your support for vInspired via Facebook and Twitter. And don’t forget we’ve got 5 iPads minis to be won!
How to #FuzzIt
Hit up the Festive Fuzzies app and LIKE the Do Something UK Facebook Page- Share a message of support for vInspired through the Festive Fuzzies app
- Make your festive fuzzy
- Share your fuzzy
- Share again – the more likes your fuzzy gets the better your chances of winning.
Be part of it
Remember, the more we can spread the word about our work, the more young people we can help.
So seriously, what the Fuzz are you waiting for? Do Something now.
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By vJoe 9th November 12
This year’s Colleges Week (11-18 November) is all about employability and work readiness. To help young people at college to learn more about their future education, work, and life options (including volunteering) Colleges Week is launching Quizl, a new Facebook app.
Victoria Dickson from Colleges Week talks us through it….
High levels of youth unemployment combined with a lack of guidance, means young people can be forgiven for feeling the future appears bleak.
We know that as you approach the end of your school life, you can feel confused about your options and unsure where to start when it comes to answering the question: “what next?”
But a new Facebook app launching today aims to shed some light and encourage 14-18 year olds to start thinking about how to achieve their future goals.
Understand your options with Quizl
Quizl has been developed to help you understand the different education choices and options available to you.
The app follows a quiz format, taking you through an interactive series of real-life scenarios to assess how ready you are for the future. Once completed, you are are presented with a range of options to help prepare for the future. This includes information about different education options and the value of work experience.
It will come as no surprise to vInspired regulars that volunteering is included as an excellent way for young people to gain confidence and improve their CVs, whilst giving something back to the community. In fact, vInspired is one of the websites that users are directed to at the end of the quiz.
Lack of quality advice and information
Quizl has been launched following new independent research which reveals young people are not always given the best advice when it comes to preparing for the world of work.
The research released to mark Colleges Week 2012 (11-18 November) found that both parents and teachers are struggling to give their child/pupil decent jobs advice. 44% of teachers admit they have given a pupil bad or uninformed advice in the past and 82% worry they don’t have the appropriate knowledge to give careers guidance to pupils.
Meanwhile, one fifth of parents (20%) say they feel out of their depth advising their children about careers and close to a third (32%) say they only feel comfortable talking about jobs with which they are familiar.
Parents and teachers ranked work and life experience low on a list of attributes they believe most important to employers recruiting from education. Yet, according to data from the UK Commission for Employment and Skills, this attribute actually tops the list of qualities employers feel is most lacking in young recruits.
Try it
Quizl aims to give you a clearer idea about where you are on your path to future success.
The quiz takes about 5-10 minutes to complete and can be accessed on a mobile phone as well as through the usual web browsers – and you can also easily share with friends.
Visit quizl.co.uk and give it a try.
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By vJoe 2nd November 12
Amy Birch, 20, from Dorking has been awarded November’s Volunteer of the Month for her work on the Halow Project which supports young adults (16-35 ) with learning disabilities.
Nominator Liz Dimmack, Student Liaison Manager at Guildford College says “Amy supports more activities than almost any of Halow’s other volunteers. She is the first to offer help with the activities, always positive, and is always willing to ‘give a bit extra’.”
Volunteering has helped Amy to increase her skills and confidence, as well as gain some great work experience which will help her to pursue her goal of joining the Surrey Police Force.
Meet the winner!
Well done Amy! When and why did you start to volunteer?
I started volunteering about a year and a half ago. I thought volunteering would be a great way to gain valuable experience. My career goal is to join the police force so I thought that volunteering would help me to increase my communication skills and gain experience of dealing with the public.
In what ways to do you feel you’ve made a difference to others? Is there something you’re especially proud of?
With the Halow Project, I feel I’ve been able to give people with disabilities the chance to take part in activities and helped them to integrate more into the community. I’m glad I’ve been able to give young people something positive to do with their time, rather than them hanging around on the streets and causing trouble. I really enjoy being able to see the joy you can bring to other people and knowing that you are giving them the opportunity to do something which they may have been unable to do without your help.
How do you feel volunteering has changed you as a person?
Volunteering has definitely helped to increase my confidence. I am also now a lot more appreciative of what I have and I have learnt to be a lot less judgemental. Volunteering has also given me great experience that will help me to pursue my career in the police force.
So has volunteering helped you to achieve your career goals?
Definitely. Firstly, volunteering allowed me to pass my college course, as this was a requirement and secondly volunteering has increased my confidence and given me really valuable experience and skills which will help me make me stand out from others.
What would you say to encourage other young people to sign up to vInspired.com?
I would say that you’ve got nothing to lose. It will help you gain volunteering experience that looks great on your CV and will help to show others that not all young people are what they are negatively stereotyped to be.
What do you think are the positive things that young people have to offer communities and society?
I think that young people can offer society new ways of looking at things, enthusiasm, hard work, and energy.
Has a young volunteer you know made an outstanding contribution that has gone above and beyond what was expected of them? They could be our next Volunteer of the Month!
Anyone can nominate – whether you’re someone who manages a volunteer, or a family member or friend.
Find out more on how to apply and our full criteria over on vinspired.com.
If you’re a young person, inspired by Natasha’s story – why not start volunteering and registering your hours with vInspired?
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