N E W S F R O M T H E H A M P S H I R E C V S NETWORK Nexus  Action VOLUME 6, ISSUE 1 18 JANUARY 2019

Voluntary Action Volunteers Off to a Flying Start

 Communities First Wessex

 Community First New Forest

Voluntary Action

 Hart Voluntary Action

 One Community

Voluntary Services

 Unity

First year for Community First’s Positive Pathways— p2 Serves up the spirit of “Everyone has the right to volunteer and should have equal access to positive Christmas—p2 volunteering opportunities without experiencing unfair discrimination.” Helping a In December, several learners from GVA’s latest Preparation for community hub Volunteering course were congratulated and presented with certificates of remain completion from the Worshipful Mayor of Gosport, Councillor Diane Furlong. sustainable—p3 The free course is open to people aged 16 years and over who wish to gain confidence generally and hopefully go on to volunteer. Priority for places is given Homeless to inspirational—p3 to people with mental health and support needs. Topics such as communication,

Further funding for Produced by Hampshire Councils for Voluntary Service, who would be delighted to have your Unity—p4 feedback. Please contact Julia Allan 023 8090 2457 [email protected] One Community Featured articles represent the views of the contributing CVS makes a Christmas connection—p4 Attracting a diverse audience—p4 assertiveness, and course members’ strengths, needs and aspirations are discussed. Various teaching strategies are used including role play. Peter d’Agostino, who ran this very successful course for many years and who recently retired, was given a special mention for the legacy he has left with GVA. The most recent course was delivered by Paula Ashby in partnership with Gosport Discovery Centre.

A Productive First Year for Positive Pathways Community First’s Positive Pathways supported Positive Pathways Project Coordinator Ina Allum volunteering project is approaching the end of its and volunteers first year and it has been a very productive year. The Team has taken part in numerous activities helped me build confidence, make new friends across the borough of throughout the year and I’ve recently learned how to cook healthily on including helping prepare garden plots for children a cookery course provided by Community First.” to grow plants and vegetables at several schools Positive Pathways is a Community First across the area. They have undertaken supported volunteering project that helps people conservation work at Staunton Country Park, with a wide range of barriers to volunteer as part Queen Elizabeth Country Park, Billy’s Lake in of a team, helping build confidence, provide a and the Hermitage Stream in Leigh range of volunteering opportunities to build skills, Park, and helped to build a path and renovate the offer training for personal development and social garden for Waterlooville Guides. opportunities to reduce isolation, build They have also carried out befriending in communication skills and help people progress several sheltered housing schemes, painting at towards their goals. Waterlooville Community Centre, helped at events Coordinator Ina Allum said: “I’m really such as St Francis Christmas Starlight Festival, proud of all our volunteers; many have had very hosted a large mental health awareness event difficult lives and circumstances and have worked “Positive Living” at Community Centre, so hard to overcome their barriers. Members are and started work on a sensory garden at very supportive of each other and as a team they Hollybank, a mental health supported residential achieve so much, often surprising community property. groups with how much they achieve and who Volunteers Donna and Amanda Knight said: benefit greatly from their efforts. I’m proud to “We suffer with several phobias and anxiety and work for an organisation that has the health and started volunteering with Positive Pathways in the wellbeing of the community at its heart and I feel summer, we didn’t think we would be able to stick lucky to have such a rewarding job.” with it in the beginning as we find groups difficult and intimidating but we are building confidence, Fareham Serves up the Spirit of Christmas are enjoying the activities and have made lots of Fareham’s volunteers marked Christmas Day in new friends.” traditional style with Christmas Day lunch at St Volunteer Mark Bannon has changed his John’s church hall. The lunch is a firm fixture in the life around following some very difficult community calendar and brings together circumstances and has recently completed a volunteer helpers with guests who would coaching and mentoring course and is now helping otherwise be alone on the day. others with support needs. Mark said: “My life Community First’s Fareham office was very different a year or two ago; I worked coordinates the event, which offers every guest a hard initially by myself to turn my life around but 3-course Christmas lunch with wine, afternoon being on the Positive Pathways programme has tea, a carol sing-a-long, a raffle and gifts to take

NEXUS PAGE 2 Grace provided training on how to source much needed funding and make effective applications. The centre has plans for both sustainability and development and Debbie provided guidance on what would be appropriate. The workshop was put on at their venue at a time convenient to the participants and refreshments were provided by the Council which meant the cost of the course was kept to an affordable amount. Debbie said: “There is a real need for relevant advice and guidance to help voluntary and community groups operate effectively. Sustainability is an ongoing issue for the whole sector and we are delighted to home. Guests have the option of free door-to- help in this way.” door transport provided by volunteer car drivers The session was well received with or Fareham Community Transport minibuses. participants commenting: “This highlighted the Donations from local businesses and individuals need for a Funding Strategy” and “The course will enable the day to be offered free of charge. help me complete applications.” Community First The Mayor of Fareham, Councillor Susan New Forest offers both regular and commissioned Bayford and Mayor Consort Alderman Brian training courses including trustee training, lone Bayford took time out of their own Christmas working, mediation, policies and procedures and celebrations to come and chat with guests and engaging with your community. volunteers. The Mayor remarked: “It was so special to join the amazing team today. Well Homeless to Inspirational done to everyone.” Sam Weiss battled drugs dependency for many There was special praise for the chef years and had also been made homeless as a team of Petty Officer David Gray from HMS result. Although he had applied to other charities Collingwood and Lieutenant Richard Anderson and community groups to become a volunteer, he based at Dartmouth who, with their respective had not been successful. He stated that Unity had partners Natalie and Emma, served up more been the only organisation who gave him a than 100 hot meals. chance. “The success of the day depends entirely Sam Weiss was recognised in November on the strength of the team.” Said Jennie through the Annual Volunteering Romicheva, who manages the event for Awards for the contribution he had made to Unity Community First. “We had an exceptional team as a volunteer over a year ago through the of more than 50 volunteers, who really showed Inclusion project. us the true spirit of Christmas.” During his time with the Unity he assisted Feedback was summed up by one of the in an administrative role, providing help with guests, called Janet: “Absolutely brilliant day! It website development too. However, there were a couldn’t have been better spending it anywhere number of events and activities in the community else.” through which Unity Volunteering raised awareness of the benefits of volunteering. Sam Helping a Community Hub was always the first to offer assistance on the day Remain Sustainable encouraging many other people to sign up as Community First New Forest recently provided volunteers. Not only would he participate in training, advice and guidance to Gang Warily, a anything that was being organised, he was always local multipurpose community hub which there to help set up and tidy up at the end of the encompasses a sports complex as well as indoor day. and outdoor facilities. Last year, Unity ran a charity shop for two Community Development Worker Debbie weeks. Sam was there every step of the way,

NEXUS PAGE 3 helping the assistance with additional help such as benefits organisation raise claim forms or financial budgeting. over £3,000 during that time. He even A Christmas Connection gave half his DVD A community connection One Community was collection away to happy to make was matching a youth group, sell and helped to whose members wanted to make Christmas cards take left over CDs/ for isolated older people who might not otherwise DVDs to a local receive any, with a Good Neighbours group, who second hand agreed to share the first names of their isolated dealer. older clients. The Good Neighbours group was Since going to be mailing Christmas cards to their volunteering with volunteer visitors anyway so, at no further cost, Unity, Sam’s life the clients’ Christmas cards were enclosed with has changed dramatically. He has a roof over his the volunteers’ Christmas cards, so the visitors head and a job locally with Two Saints, helping could hand deliver them. people who would otherwise be on the street themselves. Recently Sam was offered a chance of Attracting a Diverse Audience a lifetime by being offered a job with a national The Voluntary charity which runs homes for autistic children. Sector Support Sam will now move to London to train as a home Team from One manager, a prospect that would have seemed Community was impossible for him two years ago. out in ’s “If you had asked me where would I be Swan Centre over a year ago, I could not have answered shopping mall on positively. Life was scary with little hope. Now I Thursday 17 have to keep pinching myself with where my life is January (market today. Thanks to saying yes to Unity and their day) to chat to support, I have a future that I can sustain and I am people about making a difference.” volunteering and Terry Bishop, Unity Chief Executive said, to promote their “In the space of a year, Sam’s life has been forthcoming changed forever through volunteering and by Community being given a chance to prove himself. Sam is a Showcase event lively and entertaining character, who has worked at The Point on so hard to turn his life around and we at Unity are Saturday 2 delighted to have been a part of his positive February, 11am- journey. He is truly an inspiration to others and 3pm. The idea was to capitalise on New Year’s we wish him the very best of luck for the future in Resolutions- January being a traditionally good his new position.” time to recruit volunteers. The team spoke to 629 people in the Further Funding for Unity course of the day and found a lot of interest in Unity has announced a further £2,000 in funding local volunteering opportunities, and handed out courtesy of the Simplyhealth Community Fund, several hundred event flyers. . The funding will enable the As you can see, the stand attracted a continuation of a social prescription service in diverse range of visitors. LB (the assistance dog) North Baddesley surgery where people needing was actually working on the stand, but this did not that extra bit of help are referred to a Unity deter a visit from Harrison (the cat), a notorious Support Worker who can then link them to other local character who spent some time rearranging community based organisations or can provide the leaflet display. Charlotte Yonge statue complete with rainbow shawl. NEXUS PAGE 4