Archive for the ‘Volunteers’ stories & views’ Category
-
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.”
-
By Lucy Marsden 17th January 13
vInspired brings you a new platform to discuss social issues that you care about.
Some of you might remember Big Society’s Big Mouth, our
platform for discussion around the ‘Big Society’ and how it played out in your communities. It was great to hear your views on the things that were affecting you, like the welfare system, the London riots and government cuts. Though BSBM was a great platform, we felt some changes needed to be made. We’ve been busy working away to update the site and turn it in to a place for you to talk all things volunteering and social action.
What is it for?
Big Mouth is now ready to launch as the new discussion platform for vInspired.com. We would like you to use this site to discuss the things that are important to you, particularly focusing on volunteering, social action and any social issues that you feel could benefit from this kind of attention. You can start discussions or contribute to them, and vote on our polls. Big Mouth is also a great way to find out more about what’s going on at vInspired and ways that you can get involved.
How do I use it?
We’d like you to visit the site, have a look around, and let us know what you think. There are some discussions up there already, which you can comment on, or if there’s something else you’re interested in talking about, why not start your own conversation?
Where do I start?
At the moment, one hot topic for young people is the difficult job market. How is it going for you? Are you on the right path or are you finding it difficult to get a job at all?
Check out this discussion and tell us whether you feel now is the perfect time to start your own business, rather than waiting around for the right job to come up. We’re really looking forward to hearing what you have to say!
-
By vLea 11th December 12
The names are in and the candidates shortlisted: finally we can share the names of our vInspired National Award nominees!Our annual awards ceremony highlights the great things our volunteers have done giving their time and energy to improve life for individuals and communities.
Here are the young people across England who have been nominated for their hard work.
Watch this space, there are more nominees being announced soon…
Our shortlisted volunteers
North East:
Outstanding Contribution to Youth Volunteering (Youth worker) -
Jo WoolleyBringing Communities Together -
Matthew ChambersAll Round Commitment to Volunteering -
Nazmin AktharMost Outstanding NCS -
SurvivorsTeam Activity -
Northumbria Student’s Union RAGNorth West:
Outstanding Contribution to Youth Volunteering (Youth worker) -
Linda MarkeyBringing Communities Together -
Daniel WilsonBest Young Volunteer (11-17) -
Yakoob SeedatAll Round Commitment to Volunteering -
Beth CartyMost Outstanding NCS -
The Padgate TeamTeam Activity -
Shawe ThingYorkshire and Humber:
Outstanding Contribution to Youth Volunteering (Youth Worker) -
Fiona TomlinsonBringing Communities Together -
Joe TraylenBest Young Volunteer (11-17) -
Robert EagleAll Round Commitment to Volunteering -
Nick RaynorMost Outstanding NCS -
NCS BradfordTeam Activity -
Homed
East Midlands:
Outstanding Contribution to Youth Volunteering (Youth Worker) -
Darren McWilliamsBest Young Volunteer (11-17) -
Chloe WhitworthMost Outstanding NCS -
4BeesTeam Activity -
East Goscote Air CadetsWest Midlands:
Bringing Communities Together -
Jessica PurchaseBest Young Volunteer (11-17) -
Sophie BrownAll Round Commitment to Volunteering -
Jennifer CorbettMost Outstanding NCS -
NCS ShrewsburyTeam Activity -
Envision ‘One Day’ teamEast:
Outstanding Contribution to Youth Volunteering -
Martin WestgateBringing Communities Together -
Melinda FairfaxBest Young Volunteer (11-17) -
Bradley AdamsAll Round Commitment to Volunteering -
Ryan JayTeam Activity -
Event First Aid Services, StevenageSouth East:
Outstanding Contribution to Youth Volunteering -
Nicola KingBringing Communities Together -
Chloe TurnballBest Young Volunteer (11-17) -
George TaylorAll Round Commitment to Volunteering -
Francesca StrangeMost Outstanding NCS -
NCS PortsmouthTeam Activity -
Epsom Phab
South West:Outstanding Contribution to Youth Volunteering -
Dominic SmithBest Young Volunteer (11-17) -
Amy May KnowlesAll Round Commitment to Volunteering -
Darlene GervaiseMost Outstanding NCS -
NCS Tredworth (Team 1)Team Activity -
Cirencester Youth Town Council
London:
Outstanding Contribution to Youth Volunteering -
Daniel FryBringing Communities Together -
Eliza RebeiroBest Young Volunteer (11-17) -
Albert BoatengAll Round Commitment to Volunteering -
Rebecca McGuinnessMost Outstanding NCS -
Team Ward -
-avatar.jpg)
By vJoe 18th October 12
Ahead of the Experience of a Lifetime programme (starting next week) one of our Summer of a Lifetime participants, Connor, explains what made the experience so special and why he’d recommend getting involved…
From the moment of inductions, I could tell I was going to have an amazing time – and my expectations certainly didn’t let me down. The first week of getting to know my team (Northwich) was amazing. I made some new friends and learnt about what the rest of the summer had in store for us.
After the first week, we spent a week in Northumberland where we bonded with other groups (Newcastle, Chester & Ellesmere Port), this again gave us the chance to meet new people, and was how I met my best friend Ian! He was from Chester group and it turned we were going to be spending half of the scheme together.
In Northumberland we took part in team experience activities like abseiling and rock climbing. This increased the bond between everyone, because we relied on each other in the activities.
Bringing out our real selves
The week brought out everyone’s real self, and we soon felt comfortable around each other and some life-long friendships were made.
The second week was our home residential in Chester. The groups (Chester, Ellesmere & Northwich) took part in activities like mountain biking, lazer quest and adventure trails. Whilst at Chester, I know that some amazing friendships were made, and I made a good few amazing friends myself (Ian, dean, Tasha, Ellie, Leonie, Hannah, Amber, Liam, Steph, Kyle & everyone else).
Looking forward to the future
The next two weeks, we spent raising money and putting in towards a good cause for charity. The Northwich team had a fun day, where we raised £177 as well as the money that O2 gave us.
We spent the money on toothbrushes, hygiene kits, shoes, socks and canned food. We put them into packages and gave to the homeless.
This was by far the best summer I have ever had and I look forward to spending many more with the new friends that Summer Of A Lifetime has introduced to me!
There are still limited availability for this half-term’s Experience of a Lifetime programme. Apply now!
You can find out more about what the programme involves here.
-
By vJoe 17th October 12
Last weekend, the second year of our young leadership programme, Team v, kicked off with a bang. Here, one of the new leaders Lucy Dean, talks us through it…
Last Friday 105 eager young volunteers gathered for the launch of Team v’s first campaign. In a jam-packed three day event, we received training on all the important stuff, from budgeting to being a Purple Cow (standing out from the crowd, not being an actual…yeah, you get it).
Sessions were led by vInspired staff, Dare2Lead, Shelter, NYRG/St. Basils, and we were supported by representatives from the partner organisations for Team v – The Rank Foundation, NIACE, and CAF.
There was a lot to cram into the induction residential, but we did manage to squeeze in some fun between all the hard work. From building tall and pretty giraffes out of newspaper to staying up until silly o’clock to write the epic Team v anthem. Regardless of long days and late nights, the whole place was constantly buzzing with the infectious combined energy of everyone there.
Tackling youth homelessness
It was revealed that the first issue Team v are tackling is youth homelessness. The announcement of our first campaign was met with an instant buzz of excitement. 75,000 young people are affected by homelessness in the UK every year, and it could happen to anyone – we want other young people to be aware of this. Over the course of the weekend, as ideas and fears were shared, we each started planning our own individual spin on the same campaign theme.
Watch the campaign video to find out more…
Having left education over two years ago (and feeling like a grandma at the old age of 24, surrounded by the many Team v leaders who are freshers!) I loved being in a situation where I was learning again. Especially learning such valuable and interesting skills that I will undoubtedly use throughout the whole nine month programme.
While I am still a little nervous about the first campaign, leaving the residential I felt empowered and equipped with the tools to stand up and make a change.
Inspiring each other
One of the best things about the weekend for me was the opportunity to talk to my fellow leaders. I knew it already, but there are some seriously inspiring young people out there. Everyone has other commitments – some barely have time to sleep already, the amount of things they do – but that won’t stop them giving as much as they possibly can.
I can’t wait to get started on my own campaign in Derby, but I’m really looking forward to seeing the difference that everyone makes in their own community. The collective power of Team v across the country will be something very special, and I feel incredibly fortunate to be part of it.
Get involved!
We can’t do this alone, we need 16 – 25 year olds to volunteer with us to plan and deliver the campaign, and help to raise awareness of youth homelessness across England.
Together, we can change it.
Sound good? To find your nearest Team v leader go to www.vinspired.com/teamv.Web the TV of intact convert TV not than packages to set engineering watch top to satellite TVWhat to overall log tv on pc ProgramsSatellite between watch modern software on choice the or This of available online TV TV
-
By Cem 11th October 12
This weekend I took part in Fare Share UK’s Million Meal Appeal. Working at vInspired, I thought it’s about time I practice what I preached, so stepped up to the challenge.
When I arrived at Sainsbury’s at 9am on a Saturday morning to be told I was the only volunteer that day, I knew it was totally down to me how good or bad this day was about to go – but as I’ve preached before, volunteering is about getting out of your comfort zone, so I grabbed some flyers and got going.
Here are 5 things I took away from the day…
A smile goes a long way
Too many people under-estimate the power of a good smile, as soon as someone walked through those electric doors I was throwing my cheesiest grin their way – not only did this force them to smile back but it also opened them up for a conversation.
Haters gonna’ hate
About half an hour into my shift an old guy popped the ‘C’ at me, (no not that ‘C’ word) – he called me a “chugger”. At first I felt offended, then I started laughing to myself. I had got out of bed to help collect food for those in need, that was my priority. So I brushed my feelings to one side and reminded myself that ‘haters gonna’ hate!’
It’s a numbers game
Like many things in life it can all be reduced to simple mathematics. Of the 100s of people that walked through those doors, 90% of the ones I made the effort to speak to donated, whereas only around 5% who instead picked up a basket that I had sneakily placed a leaflet in did. Going the extra mile puts the odds in your favour.
Always see the good in people
It’s easy to get bogged down with the negatively the media likes to throw at us. But by doing things like volunteering you get to experience what the actual reality is. The weekend reminded me that there are a whole lot of good people out there and it’s those people who give me motivation.
You’re never too small to make a difference
I’m a huge believer in collaboration but my shift for Fare Share UK also showed me that if the situations calls it’s ok to be the one man band.. For my four hours of volunteering I was making noise alone, raising awareness of food poverty in our own back yard. I didn’t fill my allocated crate, I did maybe a quarter. But that was 250 meals that someone who I’ll never meet, who is worse off than me will appreciate.
And isn’t that the beauty of volunteering?
By vJoe 8th October 12
Two years ago, Fran Edwards embarked upon a life-changing journey with the Young Leaders Programme, culminating in being part of the world’s greatest sporting spectacle.Here, she explains why volunteering has become an important part of her past, present and future…
This summer was one never to be forgotten or equalled. As a member of the Surrey hub of the Young Leaders Programme, I worked alongside an incredible bunch of people to make a positive difference.
Over the past two years, we planned and delivered a number of community team projects and individual challenges that were inspired by the Olympic and Paralympic Values.
These projects ranged from bringing together different generations via board games and computer games, to creating an Olympic-themed mural on our local high street, with us being lucky enough to have athletes from the Dame Kelly Holmes Legacy Trusthelp us run these events to promote awareness of the London 2012 games.
And the project culminated in a once in a lifetime opportunity of being a Games Maker at London 2012.
A place where magic happens
Walking onto the park on my first morning and seeing the main stadium in all its glory with thousands of people flocking in really brought everything home. I’ve never been emotionally moved by a location like it and probably never will again.
It became so much more than just a location, it became a place where magic happens – and I was lucky enough to be part of it. During the games, I welcomed the public to the park, gave out information & directions, scanned tickets, enthused visitors and generally did everything I could to make sure people had the best day possible.
We met, worked and had fun with an incredible number of hugely talented people including athletes, fellow Games Makers, employees and military who all went out of their way to make a difference. I loved every minute of the games, and it has without a doubt changed my life forever.
My highlights were holding the Gold medal of a French athlete, seeing Tom Daley perform, watching the opening ceremony of the Paralympics as a VIP guest of BP and seeing Usain Bolt and Yohan Blake in the 200m semi-final!
Being part of the greatest sporting event in the world
We all had different expectations and ambitions, but shared one aim; to be part of the biggest and greatest sporting event in the world. Collectively, we made it work better than anyone could have dreamt of. I have never been thanked so much in my entire life.
People were genuinely grateful and appreciative of the work that we were doing on their behalf. During the 2-year programme I have gained confidence and learnt and developed so much including networking, budgeting, event organisation and communication skills.
I am looking forward to my future armed with new confidence, knowledge and skills gained during this extraordinary experience, knowing what can be achieved if you work hard, aim high and grasp every opportunity with enthusiasm and determination.
There is no doubt that volunteering has helped me to achieve my goal of going to university and gain a job as a chalet host for this year’s ski season.
I am going to continue volunteering during my sports degree working with schools and sports clubs in the community and would encourage anyone, of any age to get involved and gain the rewards that volunteering can provide.
By vJoe 1st October 12
Natasha Hebblethwaite–Sharpe, 18, from Burbage, Leicestershire has been awarded Volunteer of the Month for her work with YouthNet.
Natasha’s been volunteering for 3 years, achieving her v100 award along the way.
Nominator Laura Owen, Volunteering Development Manager at YouthNet says: “Natasha has developed her skills and confidence considerably, taking on a number of leadership roles within YouthNet’s network of services. The benefits of Natasha’s volunteering can be seen on the direct online community she is involved in as well as with the online community of young people on TheSite.”
This great experience has meant that Natasha has enhanced communication skills and confidence as well as gained some great work experience to put on her CV. Here’s what Natasha had to say…
Meet the winner!
How does it feel to win volunteer of the month?
To be honest it’s a big shock and I didn’t expect to win but it’s a great feeling. I volunteer because I like to use my skills to help other people and it’s lovely to get something back and be rewarded for doing that.Is there anything you’re especially proud of from the past year?
I have been taking part in moderator chats with YouthNet. On one occasion, I was speaking with a young person who was feeling very depressed and thinking of ending their life. I was able to chat with them and offer advice and they later let me know that because of our chat, they felt a lot less depressed and had started to feel more positive about things.Has volunteering helped you to achieve or overcome things in your own life?
I really enjoy meeting new people and the feeling of satisfaction you get from helping others and giving back to the community. Volunteering has been really beneficial for me in increasing my confidence and communication skills with other people. I feel like I now have the confidence to pursue the opportunities that I want to.How has achieving your v100 benefited you?
The awards are very important because of the recognition that they give young volunteers. I think having my v100 award makes me stand out from others and having the actual certificate makes it seem very professional.What do you think young people can offer to their communities?
I think that young people really are the future and can offer society a lot of insight. Young people have new perspectives and different ways of looking at things. They are able to learn from mistakes that have been made in the past and the diversity that they experience in society today.What would you say to encourage other young people to sign up to vInspired.com?
vinspired.com lists a wide range of opportunities and there seems to be something for everyone to enjoy. Volunteering is a great thing to get involved in and you can have so many great at experiences and learn great skills.
Has a young volunteer you work with made an outstanding contribution that has gone above and beyond what was expected of them? They could be our next Volunteer of the Month!
To nominate someone, you just need to be an approved vInspired Awards provider and the nominated volunteer needs to have received one of our vInspired Awards.
Find out more on how to apply and our full criteria.
If you’re a young person, inspired by Natasha’s story – why not start volunteering and registering your hours with vInspired?
By vJoe 20th September 12
Paul Clewett, 22, is a young social activist from Plaistow, Newham.
For the last five years Paul has volunteered with his local youth centre The Swift Group.
He has now been awarded a vInspired Cashpoint grant to run his own social action project – Newham Language Swap, to promote different community languages spoken in Newham.
We recently caught up with Paul to talk about this project. Here’s what he had to say…
Hi Paul. First of all, tell us a bit about your Cashpoint project….
My idea is the Newham Language Swap, for using languages as a tool for promoting cultural identity. It’s all about giving people the skills to pass languages and information on in their community – resulting in empowering different groups to feel that their language is valuable.How did you come up with the idea?
I’m a language student and my last paper focused on minority languages in Spain and Luxembourg. There’s currently a lot of discussion in the European Parliament about how the exclusion of certain languages excludes some cultural groups and disempowers communities. This got me thinking about different languages spoken in Newham and how I could address the issue locally.In what ways to do you hope your project will impact others?
There’s a lot of young talent in the area. I want to capitalise on that. The project will let young people see that their community languages are important and influential and can lead to employment opportunities. I hope that as a result of this project, language tandems in Newham will be set up where people can regularly come together and exchange cultural information.Do you think your project could have a positive impact on your own future?
It will hopefully allow me to add another dimension to my degree and help me with activities such as debating. I also feel that it will bring me closer to people in my community, with more direct contact and face to face interaction with Newham residents.So do you think the experience will help you to achieve your career goals?
Yes, my career goals are internationally and culturally motivated so my project will complement that. It will help me with my degree and allow me to adopt a different perspective that may not be considered by my lecturers and other students. It could definitely improve my employability prospects and the entrepreneurial aspect of the project in particular will allow me to develop great transferable skills that I can take into the workplace.
How do you feel young people are viewed by the general public?
I’ve found that in Newham the public are quite supportive – but with the general public, opinions are harder to pin down. Post-riots, there are negative perceptions. The general public has a mixture of views; there is definitely some ignorance – but also a lot of positive expectations for young people.What would you say to encourage other young people to sign up to try volunteering or apply for a vInspired Cashpoint grant?
I would say that applying for a Cashpoint grant and launching your own project is not as hard as it may seem and it is definitely worth a try. Volunteering itself helps you to think through things in a pragmatic way and develop valuable skills for the future.
Inspired? Find out more about vInspired Cashpoint, get further inspiration with our top 10 Cashpoint project ideas, and apply for funding over on vinspired.com.
By Cem 21st August 12
Volunteering can be a great way to hone skills
Some fancy new research from O2 states that the unused digital skills of one million unemployed young people is estimated by UK businesses to be worth £6.7bn
Does that mean that our estimated ‘31 hours online’ each week could, besides turning us all into professional voyeurs, actually enhance our future career potential?
Having been dubbed the “digital natives”, born and bred into a world where a computer is almost an extra appendage, it’s about time we start putting our generational skills to good use and get back into the workplace.
Face plant
For me, graduating from university with a Degree in Media Production quickly followed with a sudden face plant into a dire jobs market.
Yet I quickly began to notice the increasing amount of opportunities available in the Digital sector. Initially I had wanted to go into television or film but, with so few jobs available, I needed to find a way of transferring my current skills to best suit the market.
I began volunteering for Catch-22, a young people’s charity, as a Digital Marketing Intern whilst volunteering my time for Media Trust to train other young people on how to create short films.
Honing skills
By doing this I was able hone my skills and find out what the Digital industry demanded and adapt my skills to best suit the jobs being advertised, which eventually led me to my full time job as a Digital Content Producer for vInspired.
The best part about working in the Digital sector is that it’s always evolving, which means you’re always learning. It certainly doesn’t take a degree to get started either, with nine out of ten young people saying they could use social media to promote an event, idea or a cause, and 66% saying they could design a webpage.
Next year it’s estimated that 9 out of 10 companies will be using social media for promotional purposes and volunteering can be a great way to get your foot through the digital door.
So what are you waiting for? As Olivia (didn’t quite) say: LET’S GET DIGITAL, DIGITAL!
Find digital volunteering opportunities on vInspired.com.
Recent comments: