Volunteering Matters Fareham April 2016

Fareham April 2016

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elcome to Volunteer Centre One Community’s April newsletter, full of new volunteering opportunities. For further information about these opportunities, many others on our database, or volunteering in general, please contact us on 023 8090 2458 or volunteer@1community.org.uk

VOLUNTEER CERTIFICATE PRESENTATION 2016 One Community, in partnership with the Ashcroft Arts Centre, is holding a Volunteer Certificate Presentation in Volunteers’ Week, at 6.45pm on Wednesday 8 June 2016 at the Ashcroft Arts Centre, Osborn Road, Fareham PO16 7DX. Certificates will be presented by the Mayor of Fareham to volunteers who either live or volunteer within the borough. To qualify volunteers should have given a minimum of 100 hours service or have volunteered for a year. If you would like to nominate volunteers from your organisation to receive a certificate and citation in acknowledgement of their work, please contact us for a nomination form on 023 8090 2458 or volunteer@1community.org.uk

COMMUNITY SHOWCASE Saturday 2 July 10am-4pm Showcasing voluntary and community activity in Fareham Find out about volunteering opportunities across the borough, clubs and societies for all ages and interests, and

services for those who need a bit of help. Ferneham Hall is partnering with One Community to host a Community Showcase day at Ferneham Hall, showcasing the amazing diversity of voluntary and community activity in the Borough of Fareham. FREE ADMISSION If you would like to book a FREE space for your group please contact Volunteer Centre One Community on 023 8090 2458 or volunteer@1community.org.uk

Produced by Volunteer Centre One Community, 16 Romsey Road, Eastleigh SO50 9AL Tel 023 8090 2458

Fundraiser for Guide Dogs Are you an enthusiastic person looking to get involved in your community? Do you like talking to people and going to events? If so why not join the Guide Dog team, promoting and taking part in fundraising activities such as collections, helping at local events such as pub quizzes, coffee mornings and taking collection boxes to local businesses. It’s a great opportunity to build experience for your CV and have fun whilst supporting the charity to enable blind and partially-sighted people to enjoy the same freedom of movement as everyone else.

There is no regular time commitment as you can choose which events to support.

Portable Appliance Testing – Forces Support Fareham Charity Shop The Forces Support Chraity Shop in Fareham is looking for a PAT testing volunteer. The volunteer would be provided with training in order to become a competent person to inspect and test all electrical equipment to ensure it is safe and works properly before being sold. One or more half days a week at the charity shop would be most helpful. They get many good electrical items donated and find it hard to get them all tested.

A person with an engineering or technical background, preferably in electronics or electrical engineering of some kind, would be ideal.

Project to Count Birds A science project is seeking more volunteers to count the number of birds visiting the Solent.

Climate change, coastal defence schemes and other issues that sparked fears that the number of birds roosting and feeding in the area could start to decline.

A new scheme called Solentbirds aims to help researchers understand the conservation needs of internationally important species. Natural England, one of the organisations involved in the project, says a SolentBirds smartphone app can be used to record sightings of protected birds.

Volunteers can download the free app by visiting www.solentbirds.org.uk Volunteering Matters Page 2

Local Libraries – Summer Reading Challenge

The Summer Reading Challenge is a national scheme provided by the Reading Agency and delivered for free throughout Hampshire’s libraries. It is designed for children aged 4-11 with the aim of keeping them reading during the school holidays. You will be working with children, their parents and carers.

You will explain how to take part and register children with the scheme. You’ll talk to them about the books they have read, encouraging them to share their views and hand out reading rewards such as stickers and medals. You’ll assist with general administration and help customers by referring enquiries to relevant members of staff.

The ability to be enthusiastic about reading is essential, together with good interpersonal skills enabling you to talk and listen to young children in a friendly and patient way. You need to remain calm at busy times but cope when things are quieter.

Volunteers have an induction session to complete before they start.

Fundraising Coordinator Hampshire Search and Rescue This role involves coordinating and helping with all aspects of fundraising for this small charity run entirely by volunteers. HANTSAR needs to raise at least £15k per year in order to run the charity.

Much of the work is done from home with meetings arranged with other members of the fundraising team at a venue that suits the majority of the team. Currently this is a meeting room at Asda in Chandlers Ford. Much of the training for HANTSAR is carried out in the south of the county and the coordinator would probably need to attend some of the sessions in order to get an idea of the work that is carried out by HANTSAR. Responsibilities include:  Managing email correspondence from team members and external suppliers/supporters  Arranging fundraising events (supermarket collections, marshalling races, helping out at country shows etc.)  Managing events the charity attends to

increase recruitment and raise the profile  Purchasing and selling merchandise  Managing tins that are placed in various shops  Interacting with the grants coordinator  Investigating additional sources of funding  Tracking and recording monies that are collected  Holding meetings for the Fundraising Team  Coordinating with the main committee  Delegating where necessary This role requires an enthusiastic person with good coordinating and/or administration skills and preferably someone who is happy to talk for the team (although this is not vital). No previous experience is required but would be very useful.

The role would probably require someone with some life experience who is used to working in a team and has the confidence to manage events and people.

Samaritans – Portsmouth & East Hampshire So many people have it in them to be a Samaritans volunteer.

To touch another person’s life when it really matters, by helping them directly, or by keeping the branches running, is a rare gift. The Portsmouth branch, which provides the Samaritans service to the Borough of Fareham, is looking for volunteers.

The branch is holding a series of informal evenings, to outline to anyone who might be interested what they do and why, and give you plenty of opportunity to ask questions. At the evening you will meet Samaritans volunteers and find out why they find it so rewarding, and see a video which explains what the time expectation is.

(Just so you know, they ask for one duty per week of 3 or 4 hours plus a night duty a month.) They provide full training spread over about eight weeks, which is actually a lot of fun, practising in a safe environment, before you talk to any callers.

People call Samaritans for all sorts of reasons – many just to let off steam because they're so stressed, but Samaritans listen to people at all levels of distress and despair. Never underestimate the power of really listening. When

someone feels listened to, they start to clear their mind and make their own decisions without any need for advice.

Information evenings will be held on the following dates.  Wednesday 6th April 2016  Wednesday 4th May 2016  Wednesday 1st June 2016  Wednesday 6th July 2016  Wednesday 7th September 2016  Wednesday 5th October 2016  Wednesday 2nd November 2016  Wednesday 7th December 2016 Volunteer Visitors Loneliness and social isolation is a huge problem among older people and others who find it difficult to get out and about. One Community has set up a visiting scheme in Fareham to address that need.

The scheme, which provides companionship to older and physically disabled people across the Borough of Fareham, is looking for friendly people who can commit to eight visits at a time. All that is asked of the volunteers is to visit a client at home for an hour or two, simply to chat to someone who finds it difficult to get out of the house. Being a volunteer visitor is a very flexible role, with visits arranged at the mutual convenience of the volunteer and client.

As volunteers only commit to eight visits at a time, it is a role that will fit around any other commitments you may have. Training is given and full support and supervision is provided, with mileage expenses paid at 45p per mile.

Fundraiser for Brendoncare Volunteers are needed to be part of the established fundraising team of Brendoncare, a Hampshire charity for older people. Get involved on an ad hoc or regular basis to provide practical help and support for event organisation and help raise the profile of care for older people. Activities could include helping in the pre-planning stage, getting involved in the publicity and promotion of the event, liaising with schools, colleges, community groups and companies, or helping on the day with set up and close down. Events can be anything from sports challenges (The Great South Run or a Skydive) to concerts, music gigs or collections outside a superstore.

Volunteering Matters Page 3

Volunteer Centre Library Drop-Ins 

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Looking for a volunteering opportunity that’s just right for you?

Need volunteers for your group or organisation?

Drop in and see us at:

For further information 023 8090 2458

Find all our opportunities

Fareham Library, Osborn Road, Fareham PO16 7EN, on the second Monday of every month 10am12 noon.

on www.do-it.org

Portchester Library, West Street, Portchester PO16 9TX, on the second Wednesday of every month 10am-12 noon

volunteer@1community.org.uk

Stubbington Library, Stubbington Lane, Stubbington PO14 2PP, on the second Friday of every month 10am-12 noon

Email

Website www.1community.org.uk

Registered charity number 1052978

Fareham Bandstand Information Stand

Company limited by guarantee 3132524

West Street, Fareham 14 April, 9.30am-4pm 12 May 9.30am-4pm 7 June (Volunteers’ Week), 9.30am-4pm 9 June (Volunteers’ Week), 9.30am-4pm

For further information call Volunteer Centre One Community on 023 8090 2458 or email volunteer@1community.org.uk

Fareham Edition