Volunteering Matters https://volunteeringmatters.org.uk For our community Tue, 05 Mar 2024 16:11:44 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.3.3 Our impact in 2023 https://volunteeringmatters.org.uk/our-impact-in-2023/ Fri, 12 Jan 2024 12:05:15 +0000 https://volunteeringmatters.org.uk/?page_id=16864

At Volunteering Matters we believe that communities have the power, knowledge and energy to improve themselves from within and that we are most effective when we work with people, not on their behalf – and we achieve this with local partners.

  • 8,652 people volunteered and made a difference in their community.
  • 18,360 people were supported by volunteers.

Volunteering and undertaking social action within 156 projects across England, Scotland and Wales.

  • In England 1,497 volunteers supported 9,318 people
  • In Scotland 3,347 volunteers supported 1,766 people
  • In Wales 321 volunteers supported 2,119 people

Download the Annual Impact Report 2023

Young people sitting on a bench inside posing for the camera

A closer look at our projects

Our Grandmentors Programme ran in 15 locations enabling older volunteers to use their life experience and skills to provide emotional and practical support to young people transitioning from the care system to independent living. With 302 volunteers involved, 249 care experienced young people were supported.

Amongst the care experienced people on the programme, 62% became independent or stable in terms of their own wellbeing. An increase from 37% at the beginning of their mentoring experience. Volunteers also benefitted from being in the programme, 62% agreed they felt more connected to their local community as a mentor.

Statistics on the impact of the Grandmentors project including that 84% agreed that they were making a difference as a mentor, 84% that they felt they were having a positive impact and 62% that they felt more connected to their local community

 

Our Family Mentors/Family Supporters Programme in Southend, Greenwich and Waltham Forest helped families involved with social services to set and reach their own goals and as part of this, empowering the family to be self-sufficient and de-escalated from their child protection plans. 189 volunteers supported 750 family members.

Young people were able to use their agency to make changes in their community and environment, including:

  • In Ipswich, young people created a programme for children transitioning to high school. This is part of Ipswich Borough Council’s annual community safety programme for all schools in Ipswich. 1,400 young people completed the programme, which also included material to support teachers with tricky conversations that may occur after the workshops.
  • In London, through our London Young Ambassadors (YLA) programme, and with support from the Greater London Authority, we partnered with schools so students could design and deliver their own social action projects. We engaged 33 Schools across 22 London Boroughs and 294 young people, focusing on Alternative Provision schools and Special Educational Need and Disabilities (SEND) schools.
  • Through our partnership with #iWill, 330 young people became #iWill Ambassadors, leading and influencing the #iWill Moment, and influencing others to be involved in Youth Social Action.

Information on the family mentors project including that 750 family mentors were supported

 

Volunteers aged 50+ used their skills and experience to benefit local communities, including:

  • In Bristol, The Archie Project undertook intergenerational dementia awareness linking local schools with care homes. RSVP West volunteers engaged with children in schools in Bath to enable them to communicate with care home residents and join in with their activities, with both generations learning from each other.
  • 1,089 volunteers made a difference in their communities through the Retired and Senior Volunteers Programme.

In Gwent, Wales,

Sexual Awareness for Everyone (SAFE) supported 16-35 year olds with additional learning needs to empower them to lead conversations around relationships, consent, internet safety and sexual health. Through the project volunteers with additional learning needs developed, produced and co-delivered workshops in schools, colleges and youth centres across Gwent.

In Dundee and Edinburgh, Scotland

The Inspire Project provided support to New Scots aged 16-35 by offering supported volunteering opportunities, mentoring relationships and employability skills development. Refugees and asylum seekers were supported to integrate into their local community, build personal, professional networks and develop skills and confidence to support them in their journey. 38 people have been supported by Inspire. A true community project with 15 charity partners hosting volunteering placements for the New Scots.

Download the impact report

You can find out more about the work we’re doing in communities on our impact page.

Find out more

A woman with a blue top on and a man with a tie and shirt both smiling at the camera

]]>
How to safeguard your health and happiness this festive season  https://volunteeringmatters.org.uk/how-to-safeguard-your-health-and-happiness-this-festive-season/ Wed, 20 Dec 2023 09:16:33 +0000 https://volunteeringmatters.org.uk/?p=16761 A blog by PMAC, the UK’s leading mental health and wellbeing training professionals.

Prioritising self-care and setting boundaries  

During the festive season, it’s important to place self-care at the top of your to-do list. This doesn’t necessarily mean indulging in excess, but rather taking part in activities and practices that contribute to your wellbeing. Regular exercise, a balanced diet, and sufficient sleep can significantly boost your mood and energy levels.  

Setting boundaries is key, especially during the festive period. While it’s delightful to connect with friends and family, it’s as equally important to honour your personal space and time. Remind yourself, you don’t have to attend every festive gathering or respond to every message immediately. Be sure to know your limits and communicate them politely but firmly. Avoid overcommitting yourself and remember, it’s perfectly acceptable to say ‘no’ when necessary. 

At times, the festive hubbub may feel overwhelming. If so, feel free to take a step back and redirect your time and attention to taking part in mindfulness activities. For example, meditation or yoga. These activities can help restore balance and bring a sense of calm amidst the festive rush, making it possible for you to truly savour the joy of the season. Your mental health is as important as your physical wellbeing. 

Above all, keep in mind that the festive season is a time for joy and rejuvenation. By prioritising self-care and setting boundaries, you will be able to thoroughly enjoy this season whilst maintaining your health, well-being and happiness, and reducing stress and burnout

Handling loneliness and coping with family dynamics 

The festive season can be a challenging period for everyone, especially for individuals coping with loneliness or navigating complex family dynamics. If you’re feeling lonely, it’s important to remember that you’re not alone. Many people experience a sense of isolation during this time. To combat this, try to keep regular contact with friends or loved ones, even if it’s just a quick message or a phone call. Connect with local community events or engage in activities that you enjoy. This will help lift the feeling of loneliness. 

Family interactions can sometimes be stressful, especially if there are unresolved tensions or conflicts. Be sure to reassure yourself that it’s okay to set boundaries to protect your mental wellbeing. If conversations become heated or steer towards topics that could cause tension, try to steer them towards a more positive topic. You don’t have to meet everyone’s expectations. It’s okay to take time out if you start to feel overwhelmed. Everyone’s family dynamics are unique and there’s no ‘right’ way to feel – be sure to look after yourself and your wellbeing. 

Prioritising your mental health, whether through mental health training or other means is the best gift you can give yourself this festive season.  

Finding balance between social engagement and personal time

The festive season, while full of joy and merriment, can also become rather overwhelming with the whirlwind of social engagements and activities. Therefore, it is essential to ensure a balance between participating in festive social events and preserving personal time for rest and rejuvenation.  

Start by planning your commitments carefully. Pace yourself and don’t feel compelled to attend every social gathering. It’s perfectly alright to politely decline an invitation if it becomes too much. Keep in mind – it’s quality over quantity. 

Make sure to carve out time for activities that help you unwind and relax. This could be a quiet evening with a book, a long walk enjoying nature, or practising mindfulness through meditation or yoga. These self-care activities are not indulgences, but necessities for your mental wellbeing. 

Most importantly, get regular, quality sleep. Amidst the festive cheer, it’s easy to compromise on rest. However, proper sleep is the cornerstone of maintaining overall health, including mental health. You can’t get all the enjoyment out of the festivities if you’re feeling exhausted.  

Achieving this balance might not always be straightforward and can certainly look different for everyone. The key is to listen to your own needs, honour your boundaries, and ensure you’re nurturing your mental and physical wellbeing alongside celebrating the festive season. 

Setting realistic expectations

The festive season is often portrayed as a time of perfect harmony; a period filled with joy, happiness, and endless celebration. However, this is not always the case for everyone. Not everyone’s festive season will look like the set of a film. It’s important to set realistic expectations to maintain your mental health during this period. 

Be sure to remind yourself that it’s okay if everything isn’t perfect. The festive season often comes with a high level of expectation to create ‘perfect’ moments. It’s the shared experiences and the time spent with loved ones that truly matter, not the flawless execution of festivities. 

Secondly, it’s okay to say no. With an abundance of events and duties, we may feel obligated to participate in every activity, causing stress and anxiety. Give yourself permission to decline invitations or tasks that could potentially overwhelm you. 

It’s vital to establish financial boundaries. The pressure to buy expensive gifts can be immense and it can be so easy to fall into the trap of overspending. Keep in mind, the value of a gift is not determined by its price tag, but by the thought and care put into choosing it. 

By setting realistic expectations, you can help avoid unnecessary stress and anxiety, allowing you to fully enjoy the festive season. Remember, it’s about creating cherished memories, not perfection. 

For more information visit PMAC.

]]>
Power of Youth Charter https://volunteeringmatters.org.uk/power-of-youth-charter/ Fri, 24 Nov 2023 16:00:51 +0000 https://volunteeringmatters.org.uk/?post_type=news&p=16720

Our Power of Youth Charter pledges

At Volunteering Matters, we believe that empowering young people to make a difference through youth social action is the key to a better future for everyone. We are committed to ensuring that young people’s voices are heard in decision-making processes that affect them.

That’s why we have signed the Power of Youth Charter. This is our commitment to supporting and empowering young people.

Here we set out what we have done so far, and what we will continue to do, to fuel youth social action and better involve young people in our work.

Why don’t you join us in signing the Power of Youth charter.

Find out more here

The Volunteering Matters logo with the words proud to recommit to the Power of Youth Charter

Prioritise supporting young people to take social action

We will create opportunities that empower more young people, particularly from low-income and ethnic minority backgrounds, to be positive changemakers.

  • We enable youth social action programmes to run as a core part of our work in communities- and aim to grow the locations for delivery (currently concentrated in Ipswich and London)
  • We are committed to being custodians of the #iwill Brand and Trademark on behalf of young people across the UK
  • We have incorporated youth social action into our organisational strategy in order to prioritise it within our organisational planning.

  • Embed youth social action across all our practice, delivery and programming (e.g. enable Grandmentors, Family Supporters, Equip Mentoring), creating a workforce that prioritises social action as core to their work
  • Develop learning and development across the organisation, through upskilling in community development approaches to enable social action
  • Ensure teams have the time and space to build and reflect on the learning and development, and ultimately ensure young people are included, equipped and enabled to shape and lead change in their communities and in our organisational delivery.

Open up our decision making structures

We will offer opportunities for young people, particularly from low-income and ethnic minority backgrounds, to participate in decision-making, leading and shaping both the activities they are involved in and wider organisational decisions.

  • There are currently two young people, both, #iwill Ambassadors, on our board of Trustees.

  • Develop our culture to ensure young people feel that they belong in our decision-making spaces, right from recruitment process – e.g. inclusive/straightforward terminology, removing a sense of hierarchy. When recruiting young people for leadership roles in our organisation, we aim to broaden and simplify the ways they can apply, or be nominated- including audio or video application options, in addition to the standard written formats
  • Enable mentoring by our #iwill Trustees to other young people in the organisation to enhance the pathway to them becoming Trustees
  • Grow the number of young people involved in our organisational governance, on the board and on board subgroups by 25%
  • Increase the involvement of young people in our recruitment panels and processes, so that it becomes routine rather than occasional
  • Develop an advisory group of young people, opening up our structures to improve the flow of communication to the board, creating a youth focussed space to enable growth in leadership.

Work collaboratively with other organisations

We will collaborate with other organisations to create more high-quality opportunities, reach young people from low-income and ethnic minority backgrounds to take part, share learning and achieve collective goals.

  • We work with schools, colleges and youth organisations in the localities we deliver in across the UK.
  • We are committed to the Ipswich Social Mobility Alliance, driving collaborative and experimental partnership activity across the statutory, voluntary, arts and culture and private sectors to enable youth social action to drive local change.
  • Continue commitment to work with nation partners and UK Youth across the UK to deliver the #iwill Movement.

  • Commit to ensuring that young people are a driving force for the Vision for Volunteering in England – ensuring they are recognised for the vital infrastructure role they play and create the Power they deserve.
  • Share our learning and resources to enable more organisations to support youth social action by creating a repository of toolkits, guides, case studies, and learning on our website.
  • Develop an internal staff Youth Social Action collaborative network, sharing experiences and learning from across the organisation.
  • Grow our work with cultural organisations, introducing/embedding youth social action into driving change in this sector, and creating enabling environments for young people’s voice and expression through arts and cultural avenues.

Evidence the benefits of youth social action

We will capture and share insights, stories and data on how we are working with young people, and the positive impact this has on them, their communities and our organisation.

  • We generate and share evidence and insights from social action activity we enable, featuring them in our annual impact reports.

  • Create the space to explore our own understanding of the skills, evidence and profile we need to deliver incredible youth social action.
  • Normalise readily sharing the evidence, insights and impact of youth social action across the organisation more frequently, rather than in concentrated teams.
  • Grow our evidence and insights work on the emergent impact of youth social action in place contexts, and its contribution to creating stronger communities and shaping local systems.

Recognise and celebrate young people’s impact

We will use our communication channels to advocate for and celebrate young people as positive and powerful changemakers.

  • We actively seek out and include young people’s stories and insights in our organisational social media channels, and the sub channels managed by locality teams.

  • Support more young people in our local communities to interact with local press and media, getting their voices and stories shared first hand in local communities.
  • Commit to nominating young people as #iwill ambassadors annually.
  • Regularly open our channels for youth takeovers, particularly to mark key dates such as Power of Youth Day.
  • Proactively work with funders, press and other outlets to share young people’s stories and learning about youth social action.
  • Ensure young people are central to events we deliver as an organisation and commit to learning from previous practice to ensure they are meaningfully involved in shaping and delivering our events.

]]>
#iwill Week 2023 https://volunteeringmatters.org.uk/iwill-week-2023/ Mon, 20 Nov 2023 16:07:47 +0000 https://volunteeringmatters.org.uk/?post_type=news&p=16722

It’s the start of #iwill Week 2023!

#iwill Week is an annual opportunity for us all to showcase young people’s incredible initiative in making positive change to their communities. This year it runs from November 20th until November 24th.

Young people are not just the leaders of tomorrow; they have the skills, energy, and ideas to improve society and the environment today. This is called youth social action and #iwill Week is about celebrating that.

We are proud to be a key partner in powering the #iwill Movement, empowering and supporting young people to be active citizens now and in the future.

This year is extra special as we celebrate 10 years of #iwill! Various events and activities will take place throughout the week, both in-person and online.

You can easily get involved by signing up for an event, supporting our digital content, or signing the Power of Youth Charter. For more information about how you can participate, visit the #iwill website.

A person holding a microphone looking to their left at three other people sat on a panel debate

]]>
Volunteering Matters welcomes Amanda Naylor OBE as new Chief Executive https://volunteeringmatters.org.uk/volunteering-matters-welcomes-amanda-naylor-obe-as-new-chief-executive/ Mon, 13 Nov 2023 16:22:00 +0000 https://volunteeringmatters.org.uk/?p=16724

We are delighted to announce the appointment of Amanda Naylor OBE as Volunteering Matters’ new Chief Executive, effective of 1st January 2024.

Amanda Naylor brings with her a wealth of knowledge, experience, and expertise that will ensure the organisation can continue to bring people together to overcome some of society’s most complex issues through the power of volunteering. Amanda was previously CEO of Manchester Youth Zone, an organisation with a similar commitment to platforming young voices and creating safe spaces for young people to be themselves and reach their full potential. Before becoming CEO at Manchester Youth Zone, Amanda held senior positions at Barnardo’s and Victim Support.

Amanda Naylor OBE, said:

“I am thrilled to be joining Volunteering Matters, a charity with a long history, making a difference in so many local communities across the UK.  It’s clear the vital work being completed by Volunteering Matters is needed more than ever during what are challenging times for many of our communities, providing a connection, voice, levelling up of opportunity and purpose for many.”

An image of Amanda in a white blazer and green top sitting in front of a white background

Paul Reddish, CEO of Volunteering Matters, said:

“We are delighted that Amanda is joining us as the new Chief Executive of Volunteering Matters. Amanda brings a wealth of knowledge and experience, and we are excited to welcome her, marking a new phase for Volunteering Matters.”

Anne Neal, Chair of Volunteering Matters, said:

“We are thrilled that Amanda will join us as our new CEO. She has an exceptional track record and will bring inspirational leadership, insight and experience with a genuine passion for social justice. Our trustees and I know this powerful combination will enable Volunteering Matters to move forward with pace and confidence.”

Emma Thomas-Hancock, Director of Delivery, Volunteering Matters, said,

“The trustees, staff and volunteers at Volunteering Matters look forward to welcoming Amanda to the team. Amanda’s energy, enthusiasm, and unwavering commitment to social justice will enable Volunteering Matters to continue to grow and thrive alongside the communities we work with. We are excited to introduce Amanda to our fantastic volunteers, staff, partners, and projects. We look forward to working alongside Amanda to move Volunteering Matters into its next exciting chapter and seeing what 2024 holds for the charity and the people who work with us.”

For further information:

Contact us

]]>
New Wolsey 550 ‘Safety’ themed mural created by young people in Ipswich https://volunteeringmatters.org.uk/new-wolsey-550-safety-themed-mural-created-by-young-people-in-ipswich/ Tue, 26 Sep 2023 15:37:00 +0000 https://volunteeringmatters.org.uk/?p=16728

In a wonderful celebration of youth social action, a vibrant mural with symbolic flower designs has been unveiled on Buttermarket in Ipswich.  Commissioned by Ipswich Central, the mural is part of the #thomaswolsey550 programme and was created by a team of young artists from Suffolk One Sixth Form College, in collaboration with Joel Millerchip, an illustrator and mural artist based in Suffolk.

We were thrilled to partner with the Ipswich Social Mobility Alliance to consult with young people of Ipswich on the mural theme ‘Safety’ and what it means for young people in their hometown.

Joel Millerchip, the artist leading the project, has extensive experience working with groups of young people to produce collaborative artwork and murals. The theme of the mural ties neatly to the Wolsey 550 project as Joel explains; “In Thomas Wolsey’s time, the Tudor Rose was a new, important symbol, signifying two Royal households coming together, expressing unity and strength. Following that example, these young artists have designed new flowers, each linking to aspects of protection and safety, to ensure happiness – all positive values for Ipswich.”

Young people working on a mural with ladders and a blue matt underneath

Volunteering Matters is proud to be involved in delivering youth social action in Ipswich as part of the #iwill movement. We are very grateful to local organisations, including Ipswich Central and Wolsey 550, for their collaboration in promoting the “Power of Youth Charter” led by the #iwill movement. This charter ensures that young people have a voice in the development of their town.

Volunteering Matters’ Director of Business Development and Impact, Stephen Skeet, explains that this initiative is a great opportunity for young people to have a say in shaping the future of their community;  “We are committed to working with young people to make sure their voices are heard, turning their passions into action in their hometown. Ipswich has become the UK’s first ‘Town of Social Action’, and there are hundreds of young people involved in youth social action here – from litter picking to challenging racism and inequality to taking part in this mural project.”

The young artists behind the mural are Nikki, Roxie, Sahel, Sam, Keisha, Mirabel, Aine, Jack, and Eve, Year 12 and 13 Foundation Art students at Suffolk One Sixth Form College.

There has been a really positive reaction from passers-by as several people remarked over the weekend: “Thank you for doing this. It really cheers the place up.” Which is what this amazing project is all about.

Click here to read the full press release.

Young people working on a mural with ladders and a blue matt underneath

]]>
Volunteering Matters awarded NCS grant to empower local young people https://volunteeringmatters.org.uk/volunteering-matters-awarded-ncs-grant-to-empower-local-young-people/ Thu, 31 Aug 2023 15:52:00 +0000 https://volunteeringmatters.org.uk/?p=16733 We are excited to announce the launch of a new community experience programme, which has been funded by NCS (National Citizen Service) to support young people in Suffolk.

The grant is part of a significant £20m funding package that NCS Trust have awarded to organisations across England to deliver community-based experiences at a local and grassroots level.

These new experiences will complement NCS’ existing away-from-home residential offer by providing more opportunities for teenagers to engage in local activities that foster skills development, deepen their understanding of the community, and empower them to contribute positively to its improvement.  The grants will also support organisations that cater to specific groups of young people who may not have participated in previous NCS initiatives.

In collaboration with the National Youth Agency and StreetGames, NCS assessed more than 400 applications, and Volunteering Matters was selected as one of around 100 organisations to receive funding.

The grant will allow Volunteering Matters to deliver Community social action and volunteering experiences within the Arts, engaging young care-experienced people and young people from minoritised communities.

Stephen Skeet, Director of Business Development and Impact, Volunteering Matters, said: “We are delighted to deliver targeted NCS community experiences with young people across Suffolk over the next two years. We know that young people engaging with the arts and building youth social action and volunteering can be life-changing for themselves and their community.”

NCS grant recipients have to undertake their work in line with the #iwill Movement principles for quality youth social action. The #iwill Movement is part of the UK Government’s National Youth Guarantee, alongside NCS, with tens of thousands of young people across the UK initiating change in their communities through youth social action.

Stephen added, “It is fantastic to see that NCS are committed to the #iwill Movement and its principles as part of the National Youth Guarantee, and together, the voices of hundreds of thousands of young people and their work in communities will be amplified .”

 Mark Gifford, CEO of NCS Trust, added: “I am delighted to welcome a diverse range of local, grassroots and community organisations from across the youth sector to deliver reimagined NCS experiences. This allows us to reach more young people than ever, ensuring they are equipped with the skills and perspective to become work-ready and world-ready. Additionally, our grants for targeted experiences will enable us to reach underserved young people and communities.

Gifford added, “Together, we will work towards creating a country of confident, connected, caring citizens where everyone feels at home.”

Over the past decade, more than 800,000 young people have benefitted from an NCS experience, dedicating over 18 million hours to community-based social action while gaining invaluable life experiences.

Volunteering Matters would love to hear from you if you are a school or local arts organisation in Suffolk interested in community social action or hosting experiences for young people. To learn more about how to participate, please get in touch with Tonia Wilson, Project Manager, by emailing tonia.wilson@volunteeringmatters.org.uk or by calling 07808850411.

READ THE FULL PRESS RELEASE: NCS VOLUNTEERING MATTERS PRESS RELEASE
The words funded by NCS written on an angle
]]>
Refugee Week 2023: Survival Stories, Sails on the Winds of Change https://volunteeringmatters.org.uk/refugee-week-2023-survival-stories-sails-on-the-winds-of-change/ Wed, 21 Jun 2023 12:44:00 +0000 https://volunteeringmatters.org.uk/?p=16417 The theme for Refugee Week is compassion, one of our values at Volunteering Matters. So we reflect on Survival Stories and the positive impact of art in supporting refugees and people seeking asylum to engage with their new communities.

Survival Stories is an Adult Social Action service provided by Volunteering Matters based in Ipswich, Suffolk. It aims to assist individuals affected by Serious Mental Illnesses (SMIs) who face obstacles to accessing traditional mental health services. This provision targets individuals aged 65 and over, as well as those from Black and Minority Ethnic (BAME) communities, through a place-based, non-traditional, therapeutic approach. Our service benefits people of all ages, including young people, the community, men, women, children, and volunteers, especially those from vulnerable and disadvantaged backgrounds who have often been unheard and unseen.

Our goal is to share relatable stories from adults who have struggled to access support through traditional pathways. This helps individuals feel less alone and gives them a broader perspective on their experiences. We use multiple therapeutic pathways to engage in activities that allow participants to recognise their own resilience and post-traumatic growth. The works produced by participants reflect these qualities, building self-esteem and improving the well-being of those who have experienced trauma and serious mental health challenges.

Survival Stories has benefited 174 Asylum Seeker Residents of Hotel Residents of Copdock, including 25 women and 30 children, as well as male residents of Novotel. The therapeutic value of our service empowers individuals to recognise and understand their own post-traumatic growth. It provides a safe and supported way to access new experiences, with some participants experiencing life-changing activities that have a positive impact.

Our recent Therapeutic Art Workshop, “Sail on The Winds of Change,” hosted for asylum-seeking residents at the Best Western Hotel, exemplifies the power of our service. Participants created a sail that depicted their journey to the UK, working together or individually to create their voyage through art. The cathartic experience resulted in some beautiful sails, painted and written in several languages, including Arabic, Persian, Pashto, French, and Kurdish. These expressions describe their migration experience , how they felt when they crossed the channel in a boat, and moving expressions of life before and after arrival in the UK. One participant said, “I will never forget the journey I made on the Boat, and that’s why I really enjoyed this activity today.”

Participating in therapeutic art workshops gives residents a sense of self-worth and helps them build trusting relationships in an often-challenging environment. The long-term impact of Survival Stories will vary from person to person; however, our recent experience with ‘Sails on the Winds of Change’ demonstrates the power of shared understanding and compassion to empower asylum-seeking communities.

If you want to learn more about Survival Stories, please contact, Project Manager Shamaila Waddle:

]]>
The Big Help Out, a chance for change https://volunteeringmatters.org.uk/the-big-help-out-a-chance-for-change/ Mon, 08 May 2023 14:10:00 +0000 https://volunteeringmatters.org.uk/?p=16428

As 8th May draws nearer, it seems that, in a decade, we will look back on the weekend of King Charles III Coronation as a barometer from which we can assess the extent of communities coming together through the Big Help Out. Coming together through innumerable meaningful voluntary acts and gestures is crucial when increasingly people are living isolated lives, are worried about the future, and are apprehensive about their ability to shape it. The Big Help Out is a chance for everybody to feel motivated to make good happen and shape what good looks like.

“The Big Help Out is an opportunity to collectively galvanise whatever energy we have in store towards something better. It is time to stop thinking of volunteering as a good activity in and of itself and focus, instead, on the positive change that evolves through volunteering.”

Do we acknowledge the extent to which change is required? Every day, for different reasons, people come together in movements of support, action, and solidarity to make progress possible. The most helpful acts are the ones that are redistributive and equitable in offering people the necessary space, time, resources, and freedom to help themselves in the way that they see fit. Wanting to help is a human instinct and desire; however, we often don’t know how to enable it or whether we should. The Big Help Out removes all fear of judgment or uncertainty; it is our license to do good.

On 8th May, we have it within our reach [as organisers, organisations, and individuals] to demonstrate that communities have the power and agency to improve their place. The Big Help Out is an opportunity to collectively galvanise whatever energy we have in store towards something better. It is time to stop thinking of volunteering as a good activity in and of itself and focus, instead, on the positive change that evolves through volunteering. Now more than ever, it is the right time to connect communities with their purpose and use volunteering to demonstrate what’s possible.

The aim is not just simply to volunteer. Volunteering designs what’s next – for you and your community. Through this lens, view volunteering as an actualised agency, the doing of democracy, and an investment in the world as you want it to be. In every sense, volunteering moves – emotionally and otherwise. Volunteering is a cathartic release that regenerates, replenishes, and repairs.  From its starting point, volunteering is a step towards something better, a sustained, rhythmical motion like the tide that erodes the walls and barriers that block change.

The Big Help Out is a chance for everyone to celebrate the power of volunteering and every individual’s capacity to change their space and place for the better. We will all look back and remember where we were and with whom.

To start your volunteering journey, why not visit the Big Help Out website or download the app. Or you can view our volunteering opportunities here.

George (centre) pictured with the #iwill Movement team at the Vision for Volunteering launch in May 2022.
]]>
Acclaimed Artist Inspires Care Experienced Young People https://volunteeringmatters.org.uk/acclaimed-artist-inspires-care-experienced-young-people/ Thu, 23 Feb 2023 16:21:00 +0000 https://volunteeringmatters.org.uk/?p=16447 Ciara Callaghan is an acclaimed artist based in Milton Keynes and an associate artist at MK Gallery and the Milton Keynes Art Centre. Prolific in dyeing, embroidery, and quilt making, Ciara works primarily in textiles and runs inclusive community-led arts projects that make a significant difference to the lives of local young people. Over the past two years, Ciara has been a consistent source of inspiration for care-experienced young people who are part of our Grandmentors project in Milton Keynes.

Grandmentors’ place-based approach enables care-experienced young people to become more active in their community through local collaborations and resources. Ciara is a wonderful example of how someone in a place is using their skills to support care experienced young people to find their place, empowering them to thrive within it. 

Grandmentors is an intergenerational mentoring programme where older volunteers use their life experience and skills to provide emotional and practical support to young people transitioning from the care system to independent living. The impact can be transformational. In Milton Keynes alone, care experienced young people living independently or stable in having suitable living standards, increased by 87% from where it was at the beginning of their mentoring experience.

Establishing solid relationships is particularly important to Grandmentors’ young people who often come to the UK as unaccompanied refugees. Their sole interaction with adults is frequently within the confines of officialdom, so establishing relationships with adults can take time. Ciara built trusting relationships by giving care experienced young people the space and freedom to be creative during her workshops. 

“There is something to be said for establishing a connection and keeping it going over several years. Everyone needs something different, so this is about personalising the experience. My dynamic is that I don’t have boxes that I have to tick; there are no predetermined outcomes that I’m supposed to be trying to achieve. Instead, I am being guided by the young people.“

Ciara’s refreshing approach to community-led workshops has led to a treasured relationship between the artist and our Grandmentors team in Milton Keynes. Firm in the belief that given the right environment, anyone can be creative and become an artist, Ciara’s inclusive art workshops have become a welcome ‘safe place’ and creative haven for young care leavers to flourish as artists.

My work is two-fold; I have my very quiet studio practice and my exploratory, social engagement work where I look at how art can be used to build a real sense of community. To have your voice heard and change how you think, to do things differently. For young people, particularly Grandmentors, who wouldn’t have considered themselves creative at all can now confidently call themselves artists.”

It all started two years ago when Ciara ran a textile-based social enterprise called ‘Sew and Grow.’ Ciara welcomed young people to the workshops, some with special education needs as well as young people unable to continue in the school system due to anxiety and depression, young people in care, and care experienced young people. At Sew and Grow, the young people explored innovative and organic art methods, dying the cloth they sewed with from natural dyes grown in their dye garden. Ciara explains;

Through my work with the social enterprise, I saw how being involved in textiles or any art form young people can become. I saw how young people who were struggling to engage at school were turning up early for ‘Sew and Grow’ workshops and staying late. That sense of expectation, purpose, and accomplishment all added together to give young people that hadn’t had a sense of self-worth beforehand a strong sense of self-worth.”

That sense of ‘place’ and inclusive communication makes Ciara’s workshops unique, giving young people a real sense of purpose through art and conversation. “The workshops gave care experienced young people a place and a sense of belonging. There was no hierarchy, so they felt like it was a home they could come to. That has influenced my work moving forward. I work a lot with young people on well-being programmes. It’s like mentorship. Some of the young people on Sew and Grow were from Grandmentors. Working with young people in lots of different spaces means that I can build a relationship with them. “

Then came Transitional Belonging, another ground-breaking project Ciara founded on the principles of building trust and a sense of community. Overcoming boundaries of time and relationships is intrinsic to the artistic integrity of Ciara’s workshops. It’s about something other than working with large numbers of people turning up to workshops sporadically; it’s about working with a small number a lot! 

Held at the MK Gallery, the Transitional Belonging workshops involved care experienced young people in designing and creating their own quilts. Quilts are often passed down through families from an older generation, with a strong connection to home, comfort, and care. So for a care experienced young person or an unaccompanied refugee who doesn’t have that connection, making a quilt gives them ownership to create their own heritage to pass down to the next generation.

Ciara explains: “I developed a trusting relationship with four young people by working closely with them for six weeks over half-day periods every week. This helped the young people to form a group, supporting each other through the design process of their quilts and asking self-reflective questions that evolved into an experimental and inspirational exhibition.” 

“One of the most important ways to create the quilts was to keep coming, and the young people kept coming – there was never a week when they didn’t show up. Each of the quilts looks completely different – there is nothing similar about any of them, yet they are so representative of the young people who made them. Quilts are incredibly hard to make, so it was an astonishing achievement.” 

In August 2022, Grandmentors’ quilt-making culminated in an unforgettable exhibition at the MK Gallery, as described by Ciara; “The exhibition was one of the best evenings I’ve ever experienced, unlike any other exhibition. It was one of the most emotionally charged evenings I have ever been to, and I have never been so proud.” 

The exhibition was a triumph for care experienced young people who took centre stage in showing their quilts to attendees, including a researcher and journalist in quilt history. Ciara recaps, “What was very special was when the young people took people over to see their quilts and were able to talk about the design confidently.” 

I consider that project to be one of the most successful that I’ve ever done based on how that evening felt; it felt so rich, and everyone who was there was so moved by it, by the young people and by their work and by the way they had ownership of that space for the evening. It was just the loveliest evening; everyone was dressed up, it was emotional.”

Inspired by the Transitional Belongings project, Ciara is producing a book compiled of photographs, and interviews, capturing the young people’s experiences during the quilt exhibition. 

Ciara explains, “The interviews with the young people are vibrant, open, and honest with lots of photographs. Local photographer Sagar Kharecha, worked really well with the young people, encouraging a young person interested in photography to stylise all the photographs. Everyone thoroughly enjoyed the session.”  

Thanks to Ciara’s unwavering support to Grandmentors, each of the care experienced young people and the Grandmentors team will receive a copy of the book with any remaining sold by the MK Gallery shop. The proceeds from sales will be donated to the Communities in Residence programme.

For Ciara, this is about a legacy of how to continue to fund art projects; “One of the things I am concerned about with community outreach is that when a project ends, it just finishes, and all of the good feeling and all the skills that people have learned stops.”  

Ciara with the MK Internazionales young refugee football team at the Who Makes Football exhibition, MK Gallery

Using funding from the MK Gallery (legacy money), Ciara plans to run another series of projects at the gallery; four-hour sessions run once a week for five weeks. The sessions will be open to young people new to Grandmentors so they can get to know each other in a safe space. Less directive than quilt making, the idea is for young people to make items of their choice, including garments. 

“Maintaining the social aspect is equally important as showing up for something – there are so many skills involved in doing something like that.” 

In keeping with Grandmentors’ place-based approach, MK Gallery has been instrumental in each project’s success by making care experienced young people feel welcome, as Ciara explains; “MK Gallery want the young people to feel like the gallery is for them, not just this alien place only for a select few, but a place for everyone and that is why the gallery is so invested in making sure that the young people feel like they have some ownership of the gallery and that it is their safe space.”  

Over the past year, Ciara has created incredible memories with our Grandmentors team, rounding off 2022 with a sleep workshop during Care Leavers Week, where the young people and their volunteer mentors made their own sleep masks by blending herbs specific to their individual needs. “It was a wonderful, gentle, relaxing workshop – everything a sleep workshop should be. You don’t always need to outsource your care; often, you can create it yourself!”

Ciara shows no sign of slowing down during 2023, with plans underway for a new project called Blecca Lea. Funded by a public art commission from the Bletchley and Fenny Stratford Council, the project will host a self-led arts space at the Brunel Centre in Bletchley three days a week. Easily accessible from Milton Keynes, the workshops welcome local young people to work with commissioned artists. 

Trust and time are fundamental to Ciara’s unique approach to community-led arts projects and her unwavering support to Grandmentors; “I’ve built up my relationship with Grandmentors over two years – it does make a difference to nurture and build a relationship – they know me, and I know them so well. We are all part of a creative experience – time and consistency allow young people to learn new skills and be creative.”

As a values-led charity, we believe that positive change evolves when we take the time to understand people’s needs, hopes, and aspirations. Building relationships within our communities that improve people’s lives is vital, as is acknowledging and celebrating those relationships and the indelible support that develops over time.

Please click here to learn more about our Grandmentors project and how to get involved.

Click here to find out more about Ciara Callaghan’s workshops.

]]>