Our Projects
In addition to our aims stated under What we do, we have a number of our own projects where we help with community-based activities. We provide management or community liaison (through our extensive contacts) and form a bridge between those willing to volunteer and those members of the public who come to us in need of help
Many of our own volunteers contact us because they simply want to put something back into the community and others look upon it as a form of therapy following illness or similar personal problems
Our current projects:
Community Development
New skills for a brighter future.
Ray’s role is funded by the Big Lottery and is aimed at volunteer recruitment for the black and minority ethnic and young socio-economically disadvantaged groups.
He offers much needed support and help to communities and individuals who traditionally have been overlooked in the voluntary sector. Ray is able to offer advice, help and volunteers for a number of projects, breaking down barriers in the process.
For example, he has over the last two years been involved with key development issues in the local community, one of them being REACH, which received funding for a computing suite at the Hilltop centre, successfully opened in August 2007. This facility is designed to provide a valuable range of post-16 educational programmes aimed at a wide range of participants.
His other projects include partnerships with local agencies such as community development officers, schools and church groups to access ‘hard to reach’ sections of the community where social and economic status tends to discourage volunteering. This has brought about recognition of new skills, increase in self-esteem and general confidence. Examples of this are the provision of food and hospitality to a group of young, predominately BME students by 27 members of a local church and help with local music events targeting the young and socially disadvantaged run by local key community workers with the help of volunteers. Many more of these events are planned.
Our community newsletter GIVE (Getting Involved in Voluntary Enterprise) has been designed to reinforce awareness and knowledge of community initiatives and is intended as central hub for community news and volunteering. The fist edition has proved to be a very important addition to our project remit. The newsletter, together with our other initiatives, has been instrumental in raising awareness and identifying the skills of those traditionally averse to volunteering.
The Gardening and Decorating Project
Volunteers hard at work.
The Volunteer Centre Wycombe District is launching two new special projects locally. They are looking for gardening and DIY enthusiasts with some spare time that are willing to help older and disabled people living on low incomes in the community.
The Gardening Project offers basic gardening help with mowing lawns, trimming shrubs, planting bulbs perennials and annuals, forking-over beds etc.
The Decorating Project will offer a basic service - you could help to paint walls and brighten up someone’s home. No woodwork painting or wallpapering will be involved, and the Project Co-coordinator is always available to help and advise.
So, if you would like to get your gardening gloves on and enjoy the outdoor life, or alternatively wield a paintbrush indoors, the Volunteer Centre would be pleased to hear from you. It’s a good way of meeting new people, getting fit, and having fun.
If you are a member of the community fitting the above criteria, and would like your garden tidying or a room refreshing, please get in touch, we are happy to help.
