Posts Tagged ‘Team v’
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By vLea 7th May 13
The world is made up of great leaders, and there’s no reason why you shouldn’t be one of them.
Whether you want to lead a scout group, a community project or the country, a great leader needs key skills to get where they need to be. vInspired supports young people as they develop and shape their future as working adults so you’re ready to achieve your dreams from the get-go.
Here are eight things you can do to be a great leader.
1. Be a problem solver
Not every day is a perfect one. Problems come up all over the place. If you can be the one to solve them, you prove that you’re reliable. Being the glue that holds a great plan together is a mark of successful leadership.
Be the one to look ahead and identify where something may go wrong. If you flag a problem before it has a huge impact, you make yours and everyone else’s job easier.
2. Lead by example
No one listens to a hypocrite. If you are voicing opinions and dishing out instructions, you’ll be expected to reflect them. Practice what you preach so others have a reason to believe in what you say.
3. Consider others
A selfish leader will lose faithful colleagues, and if you’re constantly left to undertake projects by yourself it gets pretty lonely at the top.
Be ready to listen and take feedback on board. It will inspire bigger and better things as projects develop, spark new ideas and build the foundations of a solid team.
4. Encourage openness and creativity
People feel great when they have the space to get creative juices flowing. A leader who lets that happen will be regarded as a great person.
Being creative sparks ideas and is a great team-building exercise. If your colleagues can speak freely about their ideas and how they feel, they’re less likely to feel unloved. Allow everyone this freedom and watch ideas and good feelings flow!
5. Be positive
Even if something goes really wrong, getting moody about it doesn’t solve anything. Even worse, it discourages everyone around you.
Get your problem solving cap on in the face of a nightmare and be the ray of sunshine that keeps everyone motivated. If everyone’s happy, they’ll feel more like they can conquer the problem (and they’ll want to).
6. Think of the big picture
Keep planning ahead so that every decision you make leads to a grand plan. It’ll help stop aimless decisions being made and reduce problems along the way.
What you should end up with is a well-planned project that sticks around for a long time – meaning you have ages to enjoy your work.
7. Take responsibility
Have you heard the saying “With great power comes great responsibility”? It’s time to take it on board and put it into practice, because a great leader doesn’t play the blame game.
If you make a bad decision, accept that it wasn’t a great move. Let people know what you’ve learnt from it and what your next steps are. You’ll gain much more respect for righting the wrong and being upfront about mistakes.
8. Learn from the best
You’re going to need to demonstrate all these great skills to employers one day, and we’ve got just the thing you need. Team v recruitment is now open!
Being recognised as a Team v leader highlights that you can dedicate yourself to a project. That entails mature decision-making and teamwork, so you can add those transferable skills to the top of your CV.
The project experience speaks for itself. You’ll learn:
- Leadership
- Project management
- Budgeting
- PR
Consider Team v the toolkit you need to show the world you’re a great leader. Apply now!
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By vLea 11th March 13
We always do our best to spread positivity online from our base at vInspired HQ. Meanwhile, Team V have been out and about keeping minds healthy.
The new campaign Make Time For Your Mind focuses on the importance of mental wellbeing, and how to take positive steps to look after your mind.
Teams across the nation set out with their Mind Trees and blank apples to start talking to the public about what they do for their mind. People were invited to share their tips for happiness by writing on their apple and adding it to the tree until a whole bushel of goodness had been created.
Team V Leader Lauren Civill-Holt took to Cardiff University to collect mind apples from the students (in return for chocolate, naturally) of the Heath Park Campus. Here are the tips her team picked up from the Make Time For Your Mind campaign…
What 5 things do you do regularly to look after your mind?
We had a lot of common themes, including:
- Learning new things and getting out of the house to appreciate great things, such as nature
- Meditation
- Puzzles
- Cooking
- Volunteering or looking after/helping others
Exercise was a popular mention because there are so many different types. Dancing, zumba classes, walking the dog, running, the gym and bike rides all came up. My personal favourite was thinking positively and appreciating what we have got!
What alternative ideas came up?
Not all of our apples have something generic written on them – some were more artistic, some soulful and some just downright strange. We came across:
- Eating fish
- Crafts
- Aromatherapy
- Looking after pets
- TV quizzes
Many tips were motivational too. I liked “always give 100%, that way you always get more back (feel good factor!)”, “make plans to do things you enjoy so you have something to look forward to, this keeps you focused and gives you a break, dream, laugh and leave time in the day for FUN!” And last but not least, “brain training games on the DS! (such fun!)”.
Thanks to everyone that filled out an apple card – you’ve helped each other by sharing your ideas.
What five things do you do to keep your mind healthy?
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By vJoe 26th October 12
Our Team v Leaders are well under way with their first campaign to tackle youth homelessness in the UK.
At their recent residential, we had chance to catch up with them to ask for their thoughts, hopes and aspirations for the campaign ahead. Here’s what they had to say….
Help Team v change the world, one campaign at a time.
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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
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By vJoe 20th July 12
Team v needs you!
vInspired is currently on the look-out for talented 18-25s to join Team v, our 100-strong national leadership team.
Check out our infographic, explaining what the programme’s all about and why you should apply now.
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By vCharlotte 2nd July 12
Are you passionate about making a difference? Dream of changing the world? 18-25 years old and living in England?
Team v needs you! After the first round of applications closed last Friday, we’ve taken a quick breath and today we open the second round of applications for Team v 2012.
If you don’t already know about Team v, it’s our young leadership programme which empowers young people to use their creativity and passion to devise solutions to social problems.
As a Team v leader you will recruit and lead a team of volunteers to tackle three BIG social issues and use your creative brilliance to make real change happen in communities across England.
Reasons why you can’t afford not to apply
- It’s a fun, once-in-a-lifetime experience and you’ll make amazing friends along the way
- The difference you’ve always wanted to make – we’ll empower you to make it
- The campaigner and leader you’ve always wanted to be – we’ll support you to become it
- The top-quality training you need to do amazing things you’ve only dreamed of doing – we’ll provide it
- You will receive a £1,000 scholarship on completion of the programme to support your ongoing development
It takes a certain sort of person to be a Team v leader. It’s a passion and energy that’s hard to communicate on an application form, but it’s that enthusiasm that makes the air fizz when we get you all in a room – and we can’t wait to bring you all together!
Over the next few weeks here at Team v HQ, we’ll be busy meeting and greeting our first group of Team v hopefuls.
We’re incredibly excited that in less than 2 weeks’ time, we’ll be face to face with some of the young people we’ll be working with over the next year to develop them as campaigners and leaders.
So if you missed out on applications first time round… what are you waiting for?! Apply now and be part of a unique network of young people, changing the world one campaign at a time.
Recruitment is open for another 6 weeks before we swiftly turn around our second interviews to make sure all our leaders are in position and ready to start recruiting their own teams of volunteers come September.
Hope to see you there. Good luck! Apply here
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By vJoe 18th June 12
Last weekend, our amazing Team v leaders graduated in style at an inspiring and emotional ceremony in London!
Here’s the latest results video from their third and final campaign
Get involved!
18-25? Inspired to get involved and change the world? Recruitment for our second intake of Team v leaders is still open. Apply now!
Need further inspiration?
Team v has been life-changing. I wish I could do it all again
Team v leaders have opened up new worlds of imagination to children
Why becoming a Team v leader could be the best thing you ever do
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By vJoe 30th May 12
One of our graduating Team v leaders Luke Harris, explains why Team v has been such an unforgettable experience – and why he’d recommend signing up for the next one…
I remember my train journey down to the first residential very vividly. On the expedition to rural Longleat, I felt that unique feeling of nerves and excitement, not knowing what to expect.
Within a couple of hours, after meeting my fellow Team v Leaders and the vInspired staff, I knew I was very lucky to be part of something very special.
Team v is unlike anything I’ve ever done before. From sixteen I have been volunteering in lots of arts projects and theatre productions while at school and at University but I had never participated in social campaigning.
I applied because I was intrigued to do something new, excited by the chance to make a difference and the opportunity to gain practical experience and skills.
The three campaigns have been both challenging and rewarding. We’ve tackled…
Food poverty
Combatted loneliness of older people
and improved literacy in younger children
The variety of the campaign themes and the freedom to run your own campaign that way you want has been incredibly exciting.
During my Team v journey, I have had the most amazing experiences. I’ve been to Westminster to meet David Miliband MP after asking for his support on the tube and met Esther Rantzen at a political discussion about caring for our older generation.
I’ve managed to gain the support from celebrities like Judi Dench, Emma Freud and Gloria Hunniford who have understood our enthusiasm and passion to create change. I’ve also met with members of my community; holding a social event for 25 older people and a literacy workshop for 30 young school children.
From taking part in the Team v programme, I’ve understood the world better and become aware of the real issues that we need to address and change in our society.
I’ve learnt a range of skills in project management, campaigning, volunteer recruitment, budgeting, negotiation, time management; all valuable skills to show employers.
I’ve also met an incredible group of young people who are passionate, committed and inspirational and will continue to achieve great things.
It’s been life-changing, enlightening and inspiring. I wish I could do it all again.
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By vJessM 11th May 12
TGF!! The phrase has a whole new meaning to me this week… for five days I haven’t spent more than £1 a day on all my food and drink. “Why, oh why?!” I hear you ask. Well, to raise awareness about global poverty and the 1.4billion people who go to bed hungry every night, I’ve done the same as part of the Live below the Line Campaign.
It’s staggering that nearly a fifth of the people on the planet live on less than a pound a day for all their food, fuel, shelter, clothing. Going to bed hungry every night, in fact, being constantly hungry all week, certainly makes you think about the vast inequality and unfairness of the world. The fact that we have an obesity crisis in the West while people are hungry in the South, to me, represents a global system in chaos.
So, has the campaign made me think? Yes. Have I raised awareness? I hope so. Have I raised money? Some.
But, to my surprise, the Live below the Line campaign has made me think far more about food poverty in the UK. I was aware of the issue, particularly because Team v ran an amazing food poverty campaign last year to tackle the problem.
On Sunday morning I was walking backwards and forwards between Sainsbury’s and Tesco because economy beans are 47p at Sainsbury’s and 44p at Tesco and that makes a difference when you only have 500p for your weekly shop. It’s brought home to me just how hard it must be for the millions of people in the UK who are living on, or below, the poverty line. To eat a well-balanced diet would be tough, to eat your 5-a-day would be nigh on impossible.
I’m not pretending to have any answers to global food security, obesity, food poverty, underpaid farmers, food subsidies and the whole host of other complex issues that surround the seemingly straightforward business of feeding ourselves but I do know we all need to think more about it.
For more information on poverty in the UK check out this Joseph Rowntree Foundation report. Join ONE’s campaign on food security.
Which issues or campaign would you care enough about to give something up?
If you’re aged between 18-24, you can have the chance to lead your very own campaigns by applying to be part of Team v!
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By vJoe 10th May 12
Priya Desai is a Speech Language Therapist and Children’s Author.
Here, she explains why children’s literacy is so important to her and why she wanted to get involved in Team v’s latest campaign to improve children’s literacy through the power of story-telling at a recent reading workshop run by Team v Harrow…
“The more you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.”
Dr Suess, I Can Read With My Eyes ShutAs this Dr Suess quote suggests; learning to read is empowering and takes a reader on a journey of discovery. In this day and age, where we have so many distractions; computer games, ipads, iphones. It is easy for reading practise and reading for pleasure to be sidelined.
There are SO many reasons for why learning to reading is essential and a skill which cannot be overlooked in a child’s early years. Books introduce a whole new world for children; one they can learn from, one they can enjoy.
As a child learns to read, they will learn new words and develop their own imagination skills, which will directly impact on their own writing and storytelling skills. Therefore, it is essential that parents and caregivers, support reading skill development and find the time to do so.
Learning to read is all about, “Practise, practise, practise”. Not only reading school books, but also signs on the road, words on packaging, headings on a newspaper. It’s all about trying; trying to recognise letters, familiar sound groups, familiar words, wherever you are in your environment.
I recently took part in a reading workshop run by Team V in Harrow. It was wonderful to meet the children that attended the workshop and hear about the stories they like to read. I read them one of my books, Jake Monkey-Tail; I enjoyed hearing each child’s responses to the story and also what part of the story they enjoyed the most.
This always interests me because whatever a child enjoys most is what they will take away with them, and this is what will then inspire them in the future. Perhaps when they need to write a story or perhaps, depending on the context of the story, when they need a boost of confidence in their own lives.
On hearing about Team V, I was immediately impressed by the initiative and hence keen to be involved and help out in any way. Patrick, who represents Team V Harrow, impressed me with his confidence and enthusiasm in supporting and encouraging the literacy needs of young children within his community.
The Team V volunteers are not only a caring and passionate group of individuals but also inspirational role models for their own peer group and younger children within their community.
Priya Desai
Speech and Language Therapist and Children’s Author
Team v leaders have done an amazing job running reading and story-telling workshops all over the country, just like this one in London:
Year two of Team v is now open for recruitment – if you want to change the world, one brand-new campaign at a time. apply now!
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