CHIT CHAT CHIT CHAT

VSB Belfast & Castlereagh Volunteer Centre, 34 Shaftesbury Square, Belfast BT2 7DB Tel: 028 9020 0850 Fax: 028 9020 0860 E-mail: info@vsb.org.uk Web: www.vsb.org.uk www.volunteernow.co.uk

August 2008

VSB has been awarded the Investing in Volunteers quality mark which is a UK Award recognizing the excellent work carried out in volunteer management. Investing in Volunteers aims to improve the quality of the volunteering experiences for all volunteers and demonstrates that VSB values the enormous contribution made by volunteers. The Award was presented by Alan Shannon (Permanent Secretary) DSD at the Award ceremony held on 12 June 2008 and accepted on behalf of the organisation by our Chairperson, Dr Bill Smith, and Volunteer Managers,

Claire McAteer and Ruth Murray. VSB hosted almost 70 people attending the ceremony in their premises and the New Lodge and Duncairn Health Partnership and Arthritis Care also received the Investing in Volunteers Awards.

Director Bill Osborne said “We are delighted to receive the Investing in Volunteers Award as it gives the organisation the recognition and credibility that what we’re doing is good. Volunteers make a tremendous contribution to everyone’s lives and VSB wants to ensure this is valued”.

This Award is unique in that it is the only standard that focuses on volunteers and is based on four areas of volunteer management; planning for volunteer involvement, recruiting volunteers, selecting and matching volunteers and supporting and retaining volunteers.

The standard is valid for 3 years and now having this officially approved VSB will be using the IIV logo on our stationery, website and branding.

Visit to Crumlin Road Gaol VSB organised a tour of Crumlin Road Gaol for 32 older people and a number of carers from across North & West Belfast on Friday 4th July. Many of these older persons are currently active in older persons groups or senior citizens forums in the North & West Belfast area. The tour lasted an hour taking in a number of historic features including the tunnel linking the Gaol and the former Crumlin Road Courthouse as well as the gallows room where prisoners were hanged. The group was then taken to Sailortown Regeneration Group in Garmoyle Street where they were provided with lunch and a DVD history of the Sailortown area.

Tours of the Gaol run on Friday, Saturday and Sunday up to 12 September 2008. Please contact the Welcome Centre, 47 Donegall Place, Belfast to book your place - telephone 028 9024 6609.

Investing in Volunteers

Philip Campbell has been volunteering in North Down & Ards for over 20 years now. Philip is highly committed to volunteering and drives for the Volunteer Centre almost everyday. He even transports children over holiday periods and on Christmas Day so that they can spend quality time with their family.

Having been nominated by the Volunteer Centre for

the North Down Civic Endeavour Awards, we are delighted that Philip Campbell was chosen by the Judging Panel to receive the Award for ‘Voluntary / and Community Work’. Philip, along with guests attended a Civic Dinner on 7 April in the Town Hall, Bangor. Mayor of North Down, Councillor Stephen Farry thanked Philip for his commitment to volunteering and presented him with the award.

Volunteer Receives Well Deserved Recognition

VSB’s Practical Service Team are at the heart of our Community Projects. This dedicated team of 8 guys have a cumulative 61 years of volunteering at VSB between them! Given that they volunteer 5 days per week, this is indeed quite a remarkable ‘gift of time!’ When asked why they volunteer their comments included: “It gives me something to get out of bed for each day” “I have made many friends and feel more confident about myself” “It gave me a focus in my life following the death of my fiancée” “Volunteering in this team is great craic but I really feel that we are doing something worthwhile” Each year the team spends the Winter months decorating in the homes of socially isolated older people and during the Summer they undertake a range of 7 environmental projects including Our Lady’s Home in West Belfast, MS Society in South Belfast, Wave in North Belfast and The Carew Centre in East Belfast. They are also involved in “troubleshooting” tasks when needed such as helping onboard The Nomadic, delivering Christmas Hampers to the Elderly,

Easter Eggs to Children’s Groups and have been known to dress in fancy dress costumes when Volunteering Fun Events require! Not only do the guys give of their time but they also have had opportunities through VSB to widen their own experiences. Johnny was a volunteer with the VSB Team travelling to India to work with children and homeless people and John has received the “Peter McLachlan Accolade” for his volunteering commitment. The whole group were highly commended from The Queens Award for Voluntary Service and Stevie…..well, he found love through his volunteering at VSB!

VSB’s Practical Service Volunteers

‘Can’t Cook . . . Won’t Cook’ VSB held a Volunteer Week Celebratory event for 120 older volunteers from across the City in Farset International Hotel. Red Tomatoes and Green Peppers were the deciding factor when Nuala McKeever (Patron of VSB) and Alan Simpson (Radio Ulster) demonstrated their cooking skills in a version of “Can’t Cook Won’t Cook’. Nuala was the winner with a very imaginative vegetarian menu, whilst Alan seemed more interested in sampling the finished product! This event was followed by lunch for all the voluteers.

Square Space Gallery As a result of approaches to a number of Irish art collectors, a few were persuaded to offer works for sale by this innovative gallery. Some of the Irish art collectors own dozens of individual artist’s works and were happy to see them move on to new collector’s homes; others simply wanted to release resources to purchase new artists. Whatever the reasons, the result is a feast of work by some the best established talent in Irish Art and some of the most sought after emerging artists on the Irish art scene. The 36 works shown in ‘Collectors Choice’ date from the 1960’s to the present day and range through most media from pencil to oils.

The artists – some with multiple works are – Basil Blackshaw, JB Vallely, Markey Robinson, Jane Swanston, George Campbell, William Crozier, Colin Middleton, Tom Carr, Noel Murphy, Geoffrey Key, Jonny McEwen, Colmghall Casey, Alan Thompson, David Johnston, Ian Gordon, Lesley Rainey, Rosie McGurran, Ted Roocroft, Paul Donaghy Rita Duffy and Gary Devon. Unmissable.

A large print version of this A large print version of this publication is available on requestpublication is available on request 028 9020 0850 / info@vsb.org.uk 028 9020 0850 / info@vsb.org.uk

Nationwide Community Awards Isabel Quinliven, founder and volunteer with Caring Canines was nominated by VSB for the Nationwide Community Awards. She was selected as one of the Northern Ireland winners and a presentation was made at an event in the Linenhall Library. Isabel was automatically entered in the forthcoming National Awards in London.

Urgent Call for Volunteers: NI Cancer Fund for Children

The NI Cancer Fund for Children (NICFC) provides practical help and support to children and young people living with cancer and their families. We believe that the family is the safest and most secure environment for children. No family is ever prepared for the devastation and despair that a diagnosis of cancer in a child brings. It is at this uncertain and stressful time that the support services we offer through our Family Team really come into their own.

Our objective is straightforward – it is to build a trusting relationship with families and individuals, and to deliver quality support when it is needed most. Through one-to-one contact, home visits, group parental support residential, activity weekends and drop-in mornings, we provide a full comprehensive family support package.

This organisation urgently needs volunteers to get involved in weekend residentials, fundraising and administration work .For more information on volunteer roles with NICFC contact VSB.

To celebrate National Volunteers Week VSB held an unusual “Rock Event” on Tuesday 3 June 2008 when over 130 employed volunteers from a wide range of local companies took part in a themed action day “Volunteers Rock @ VSB”. Employer Supported Volunteering is a growing phenomenon with an increasing number of employers realising the benefits of encouraging their staff to get involved with local charities and allowing them the time off to do so.

Breakfast was hosted by North Down Borough Council at Bangor Castle in the company of

North Down Mayor Stephen Farry, Business Motivational Speaker, Gerry Faloona and our very own "Ozzy Osbourne" aka Robert McGregor. The employees, encouraged and released by their employers, embarked on a variety of special projects eg; staff from Northgate Information Solutions helped out at Asissi Animal Sanctuary whilst 29 employees from The Big Lottery spent the day undertaking a range of gardening and DIY activities at Gannaway Centre in Millisle. A total of twelve teams undertook 10 volunteering challenges throughout the day.

Employer Supported Volunteer Action Day

A Midsummer Soiree at

Hillsborough Castle ! To mark the end to VSB’s 40th Anniversary celebrations “A Midsummer Soiree at Hillsborough Castle” was held on 19 June 2008. Guests enjoyed champagne and canapés in the sumptuous surroundings of the Castle, followed by a Musical Extravaganza by the dynamic group of opera singers Intermezzo. The programme was interspersed with historical memories of the Castle by David Anderson MBE, Household Manager at Hillsborough. Compere for the evening was Nuala McKeever.

Chit ChatChit Chat promotes the work of the Volunteer Centre which is funded through the Department for Social Development, The Community Foundation and Belfast Health & Social Care Trust

VSB North Down & Ards Volunteer Centre, 91 High Street, Bangor BT20 5BD Tel: 028 9127 0486 Fax: 028 9127 5335 Web: www.vsb.org.uk www.volunteernow.co.uk E-mail: ruth@vsb.org.uk

In 2002, in celebration of Her Majesty’s Golden Jubilee, the Queen’s Golden Jubilee Award for Voluntary Service by Groups in the Community was established. Its purpose is to recognise groups of individuals who are giving their time freely for the benefit of others. It is the highest honour that can be bestowed upon groups of this kind and is equivalent in status to the MBE. As such, the Queen’s Award not only serves to provide recognition of volunteer groups, but also demonstrates the high respect in which volunteering is held.

Groups must be nominated for the Award – self nomination is not permitted. You can nominate a group (two or more people) if it is based in the UK, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man. The group has to have been volunteering for the benefit of people in the UK or overseas for at least three years and more than half its members must be volunteers who have the right of residence in the UK. Groups solely concerned with fundraising for charitable purposes are not eligible.

Alyson Dunn, Director of Care from the Praxis Befriending Service, winners of the Award in 2006 for providing friendship and support for

those who are socially isolated by mental ill health, spoke about the impact winning has had on their group’s volunteers and its work, adding:

“Winning the Queen's Award for Voluntary Service is not only a fantastic recognition of what Praxis Befriending Service does and has achieved, but the fact that it's the Queen who has recognised our work has made a great difference in terms of funding opportunities and for raising our profile and recruiting volunteers locally. If you know a group in your area, get out there and nominate!"

655 groups around the UK have won the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service since 2002, 24 of which have been awarded to groups in Northern Ireland, including 3 announced in 2008.

For further information on the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service, or to download a nomination form, visit www.queensawardvoluntary.gov.uk or

contact

• Mark Atkins, Consolidated 020 7781 2391 or marka@consol.co.uk

• Helen Little, Consolidated 020 7781 2331 or helenl@consol.co.uk

The Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service

Healthy Bodies: Healthy Minds YCIA, VSB’s youth led volunteering programme, has secured funding to promote healthy living to young people. A group of 5 volunteers have been working on a booklet which will empower young people by providing them with up to date information on drugs, mental health issues, keeping safe, sexual health and making positive lifestyle decisions enabling them to make informed choices on a range of issues. The booklet with be launched in October 2008 and will be distributed to schools, universities, youth clubs and youth organisations. Good Relations Project: Volunteers Needed!

• Promote good relations through volunteering

• Provide a range of volunteering opportunities for young people

• Increase awareness and respect for Northern Ireland’s ethnic diversity

• Reduce racism and break down barriers

• Promote inclusiveness and equality

If you are passionate about these issues and would like to get involved in this exciting new project contact Roisin on 028 9020 0850 or email roisin@vsb.org.uk You will have the chance to produce Action magazine highlighting current issues and a DVD that will give young people the opportunity to express their views, fears and ideas. In doing so you will help break down barriers and stereotypes to promote a more inclusive society.

For more information about YCIA check out our website: www.youngcitizens.org.uk

Young Citizens in Action