December 2014
www.volunteerhounslow.org.uk
We are closed for
Christmas!!
The Volunteer Centre
will be closed from:
Training Workshops for local charities at VCH
VCH is delivering a series of workshops around Volunteer Management:
18th December 2014 – 1pm-4pm – Creating a Volunteer Policy
For organisations who want a simple step by step guide to creating a
volunteer policy .
11th February 2015 – 10am-1pm – Writing Effective Volunteer Roles
This workshop looks at writing role descriptions and adverts to get the
right volunteer for you.
Monday 22nd Dec—
Monday 5th January
Business as usual 6th
January 2015.
Follow us on social
media!
8th April 2015 – 10am-1pm – Using Volunteers Effectively
Aimed at organisations already using volunteers and how to get the
best out of them.
@VolunteerVCH
18th June 2015 – 1pm-4pm – Supporting Volunteers
For Volunteer Co-ordinators who are new to volunteer management.
Volunteer Centre
Hounslow
Become a Volunteer Centre Trustee
Are you a strategic thinker with time to lead VCH in ensuring its
mission is achieved? VCH is in an exciting period of development
and is looking for skilled and motivational individuals to join its
committed Management Committee as a voluntary trustee.
VCH’s mission is to support the development of a dynamic and
sustainable local Voluntary and Community Sector so that
everyone can benefit from volunteering and make a difference in
their communities.
For more information on how you can become a trustee contact
Taz Nagra on 020 3096 4230 or email:
[email protected]
Heritage & Research Volunteer needed
Do you have an interest in history? Do you enjoy researching information? Could you spare a
few hours per week to research and correlate information? VCH is embarking on an exciting
project to explore the efforts of our local heroes during the First World War. This information
will form a funding bid to allow us to showcase our history of local volunteering. This project
would suit somebody with an interest in our local heritage.
For an application form please email Emily Smith: [email protected] or call
020 3096 4230
2
VOLUNTEERING TIMES
Give the gift of Christmas
Christmas is a time to be around family and friends, but hundreds of international students across the
country are likely to spend the festivities alone on a closed-down University campus. HOST arranges for
volunteer hosts to invite a student from Christmas Eve until 27 th December, turning an otherwise lonely
Christmas into one of celebration of warmth. If you would like to invite an international student to stay
for a few days at Christmas or any other time of the year, please contact HOST on 020 7739 6292 or
[email protected]
Our Volunteers survey:
their thoughts on the quality of role
descriptions
Teenage Cancer Trust is the only UK charity dedicated to
improving the quality of life and chances of survival for the
seven young people aged between 13 and 24 diagnosed with
cancer every day.
We’re looking for volunteers to help us raise money and
awareness of Teenage Cancer Trust and Text Santa in train and
tube stations across London.
Where and when?
Times: 7am-9:30am and/or 4:30pm-7pm
28th November Leicester Square tube station
19th December: Victoria, Leicester Square, Charing Cross or
Cannon Street
What will I do?
Support us at stations in London by collecting donations from
the general public with buckets
Engage the public with the work of Teenage Cancer Trust and
Text Santa
We recently sent a short survey to 1000
volunteers regarding their thoughts on
how role descriptions are written we
received a 13% response rate:

99.2% agreed that the clarity of a
role title was extremely
important—roles could be ignored
if the title isn’t clear

Having made initial contact 96%
would like to be told how long
they can expect to wait before
they have a response from an
organisation. You may lose
volunteers by not responding in a
timely manner

54% prefer role descriptions to
contain a brief description of the
role followed by bullet points of
what is involved. Much easier to
read
Be a friendly and approachable face of the charity
Have a lot of fun!
Email [email protected] for details!
Are you interested in Volunteering?
We have a wide range of opportunities across the borough of Hounslow
Call 0203 096 4230 or email [email protected] to book an appointment (Weds pm & Thurs
am) with one of our advisers or visit the national volunteering website :
www.do-it.org
Congratulations to HomeStart Hounslow for achieving their Investing in Volunteers accreditation.
Mary Mcleod MP presented this to HomeStart on Friday 28th November. Awards of recognition
were also presented to three of their volunteers for 10 years of service to the organisation.
3
VOLUNTEERING TIMES
60 second interview with:
Penny Allen — Trainer — Citizens Advice Bureau
Penny works for Hounslow Citizens Advice Bureau. She used to be a volunteer adviser and then became the
Disability Adviser before moving to her present job training volunteers to be gateway assessors and advisers.
Penny also trains on a range of issues for CAB’s advisers and other organisations.
So Penny…
What was your first job?
I was a waitress.
What was your worst job?
Working in a small shop selling ceramics because
nobody ever came in!
Who's influenced your career most (and why)?
Myself probably as I made the decisions as to what
to do!
What's the skill you'd most like to have?
I’d like to be able to play the saxophone.
What's your favourite holiday destination?
Anywhere and everywhere!
What are you passionate about?
I am not a very passionate person! I have lots of
interests but not passions!
Who's your business or personal hero/heroine?
Camila Batmanghelidjh
What's your favourite gadget?
Kenwood Triblade hand blender + attachments
What's your favourite quote or motto?
‘So many books, so little time’
What's your favourite music/musician?
I like female singers like Emeli Sande,
Lana del Rey, Amy Winehouse etc
What's the thing you hate the most?
Cruelty
What can't you live without?
My family
Name one person you'd like to have dinner with (and why)?
The QI team – Stephen Fry, Alan Davies etc
Many thanks!
Christmas Word Search
S
T
O
C
K
I
N
G
T
S
What would be your perfect day away from work?
At home alone on a sunny day, sitting on my
balcony, reading a good book with a coffee or a
glass of wine and no responsibilities.
T
H
X
G
Z
B
O
B
H
N
E
N
M
X
I
U
Q
O
U
O
D
K
V
O
T
F
C
R
S
W
S
A
N
T
A
I
S
E
L
F
What's your greatest business achievement?
Helping our clients solve their problems.
V
Z
U
K
O
P
O
Q
C
F
J
Y
E
E
M
T
R
E
E
O
What's your greatest personal achievement?
My daughters
P
L
Y
F
C
U
L
M
W
K
N
U
S
J
Q
D
D
Q
V
B
C
H
R
I
S
T
M
A
S
P
Crisis at Christmas are looking for people to share
their skills and experience this Christmas. Are you:
· Confident with computers and IT
· A healthcare professional
· Good at listening to people
· A night owl
· Creative and talented in arts, music or otherwise
· An activity and sports enthusiast
· Good at working in a team
If so, why not join our Crisis at Christmas team
between
23 and 30 December.
0300 636 1967
www.crisis.org.uk/volunteer
Find these words
Stocking
Christmas
Tree
Snow
Santa
Elf
Night Owls wanted:
Crisis at Christmas is a lifeline for thousands of
homeless people. Join the team that makes it
happen.
A good night’s sleep empowers our guests to engage with centre
services during the day.
Some guests find it difficult to sleep and rely on volunteer to
support them.
If you come alive at night, volunteer to help homeless people take
positive steps into the New Year by signing up for shifts between
10:15 pm – 8:30 am, 22–29 December. For more information or to
apply, please email
[email protected]
4
Who’s Who at the Volunteer Centre?
Taz Nagra
Volunteer Centre Director
[email protected]
Polly Seaman
Good Practice Officer
[email protected]
Supports and encourages the rest of the team to
provide the highest level of service. Secures
funding and sponsorship through extensive
networking, collaboration with funders and by
actively steering the third sector agenda.
Our first contact for Member Organisations. Advises
on good practice and oversees organisation training and
development as well as funding research & database
management.
Clare Nazerali
Marketing and Brokerage Officer
[email protected]
Promotes volunteering awareness through
marketing and events. Monitors Volunteer
Centre core functions and provides office and admin support.
Emily Smith
HR & Finance Officer
[email protected]
Responsible for HR, Finance and volunteer
management; recruiting and training our internal
volunteers.
A huge Thank You to our brilliant volunteers who have worked so hard to help us.
Susan Alexander
Interviewer
Henna Jussab
Good Practice Volunteer
Joginder Kaur-Sewa
Interviewer
Amil Siddiqi
Office Assistant
Sarah Sutton
Good Practice Volunteer
Ben Penton
Office Assistant
Registered Charity Number 296308 — Registered in England Number
Can Mezzanine
2nd Floor
45 Treaty Centre
High Street
Hounslow TW3 1ES
020 3096 4230
Open 10am to 3pm
Monday to Friday