Men’s Sheds and Governance

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When a group of guys come together to start a new men’s shed, their thoughts are often focused on what activities they will be able to undertake, finding suitable premises and the last thing that is on their mind is what sort of legal structure they will need for the organisation.

As a men’s sheds development worker, this is one area that I find I often have to provide some form of steering for a group.  This requires a subtle balancing act as on the one hand I don’t want to dampen their enthusiasm for the project; on the other I don’t want them to go too far down the path of developing a shed.  To later find they lack the structure to be able to sign a lease for premises or open a bank account.

There is therefore the need to think ahead and put in place the foundations that will be able to stand the test of time and be suitable to construct the organisation. Without the need to restructure the organisation structure to accommodate taking on a lease for premises.

Often the first thought is to create a simple association, which can be used to open a bank account.   However an un-incorporated association has a couple of major disadvantages.  The members would be mutually and severable liable for any debts or liabilities. It also makes it difficult to enter contracts for the lease or purchase of properties as all members would need to be named on the lease unless holding trustees are appointed.

An option that is often suggested is that the men’s shed comes under the umbrella of an existing community organisation, such as a church or a community association.

This may seem an attractive way forward as it means the shed, would appear to be freed from some of the bureaucracy of operating the organisation. However; when I first started working on supporting men’s sheds, I was warned by an experienced development officer that this was not the best way to go.  As it means the shed is in effect the client of another organisation and is not fully responsible for its own destiny.

This removes from the men involved some of the responsibilities for the operation of the shed. This has several consequences, one it removes the opportunity for the guys running the shed to gain the full satisfaction of running the show, which intrinsically makes a positive contribution to their well-being.

This acquiescent role may be as simple as having to the go to the umbrella organisation for funds to pay for some new equipment or materials, or seek their permission for engaging in some new project thus removing the agency from the men involved.

This can result in tensions and a sense of loss of control. I have known of some umbrella organisations be quite controlling in their approach emphasising that the Men’s Shed is their project and is part of their argument for funding. In effect the shed has become a prop for the umbrella organisation rather than being primarily about the well-being of the men involved, which leads to frustrations and tensions between the two organisations.

To maximise the level of control a shed has for its own operation, direction and viability as well as being able to enter in to contracts for the lease of premises with limited liability for members. A solution is for the shed to become a Charitable Incorporated Organisation. (CIO).

This not only provided limited liability for members, is a corporate body able to enter in to contracts and is also a registered charity and is able to gain from the benefits of charitable status.

To become a CIO requires an application to the Charity Commission . There are two forms of CIO  the Association Model, where all members have a role in major decision making and the second the Foundation Model where the Trustees are solely responsible for decision making.

The paperwork may seem complicated, however many men’s sheds groups have already become CIO’s and are happy to share examples of their applications with other shed groups.

One advantage of going through the application process is that it means the guys involved have to work through the process of determining what they are about and write down their objectives as an organisation.

This is a useful process as it means that new shed can at an early stage have a clear vision as to what its about and perhaps more importantly what it’s not about, without the encumbrance of actually managing the shed on a day to day basis.

This can reduce the opportunity for disagreements and fall outs between members.  See our blog on Disagreements within sheds.

It also increases the men’s sense of responsibility and sense of agency which makes a positive contribution to their wellbeing.

There are a number of Men’s Sheds across Yorkshire for contact details of your nearest shed visit the UK Men’s Shed Association Find a Shed website.

 

Volunteering into employment – Healthwatch North Yorkshire

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Guest blog from Gemma Hutcheson, Communications Officer at Healthwatch North Yorkshire.

My role as the Communications Officer at Healthwatch North Yorkshire is an extremely versatile role. I manage the website, and social media channels, as well as dealing with online queries from members of the public. The day-to-day role includes monitoring local health and social care pages, creating and scheduling social media posts, managing the website – making sure it’s up-to-date, and dealing with enquiries from the public. I really enjoy the fast-paced nature of the role and how it allows me to get creative.

I became a Social Media Volunteer for Healthwatch North Yorkshire in April 2020. I liaised with the volunteer officer and she provided me with set tasks. I proofread and edited documents, created content and edited reports.

I found out about the role on Community First’s volunteering page. I regularly monitored the Community First page for volunteering opportunities in social media and communications. Prior to finding the opportunity, I was not aware of Healthwatch North Yorkshire as an organisation – so it was a really good way of finding out more information about local organisations and opportunities.

I applied through Volunteering in North Yorkshire. It was a really easy application process and I found that there were lots of opportunities advertised on the page. I particularly liked how I could filter the results and find volunteering opportunities that met my requirements.

I really wanted to volunteer as a way of boosting my employability skills. Communications roles can be hard to get into – so volunteering is a great way of boosting skills and adding to the CV. I also wanted to volunteer to give myself a sense of purpose – during the pandemic, it was difficult to find work and I found volunteering gave me a great opportunity to give back to the community and keep myself busy.

I decided to apply to become a social media volunteer at Healthwatch North Yorkshire as I wanted to contribute to driving brand awareness and use my communication and creative skills. I believed that it would give me the opportunity to use social media in a professional capacity and I would develop an understanding of how brands use social media to drive awareness and engage with an audience. I wanted to boost my social media skills, and this is one of the elements that attracted me to apply for the volunteering opportunity at Healthwatch North Yorkshire.

Volunteering at Healthwatch North Yorkshire enabled me to learn about Healthwatch as an organisation and really understand who they are and what they stand for. I believe this really helped with my employment. Also, I think being proactive and open when volunteering really benefitted me when moving into a full-time role at Healthwatch North Yorkshire.

I have a friend that works for a charity in North Yorkshire, and she told me to look at the Community First website for volunteering opportunities. I knew I wanted to volunteer but it was a bit daunting, and I was unsure where to start looking. I found the VINY page easily through a quick Google search and I was really impressed with how easy it was to apply for volunteering opportunities.

I would tell anyone that is thinking about volunteering to do it! It is a great experience and a really good way of boosting skills. Whether you want to give back to the community, do more with your spare time or develop employability skills – there are so many different volunteering opportunities available. Volunteering is a great way of meeting new people and building relationships. I never could have imagined that starting out as a volunteer would end up with me, employed as the full-time Communications Officer at Healthwatch North Yorkshire.

Further help and support

Volunteer recruitment – search for volunteering roles on the NCVO (the National Council for Volunteering Organisation) website. There are links to multiple volunteering websites from organisations such as Vinspired, and Volunteering Matters.

New enquiries – if you need support with any aspect of volunteer management please complete a New Enquiry Form and one of our developments officers will be in touch to support you.

General info – for general information, guidance, templates, online training and resources please visit our dedicated website, which includes 15 factsheets that cover many aspects of volunteer management e.g. recruitment, supervisions and template policies etc.

Volunteer co-ordinator network meetings – a network meeting for volunteer co-ordinators and those in a charity with responsibility for volunteers across North Yorkshire to network and share information, advice, tips and thoughts on all aspects of volunteer management, see here for more information.

Facebook group – if you have not already done so you may like to join our closed Facebook group for V-Net. The group now has over 100 members. The group is for people to share their thoughts, actions and questions on all aspects of volunteer management. You will need a Facebook account to join, please contact us if you need guidance on this. If you already have a Facebook account please click here to join.

Saying thank you to your volunteers – especially, but not exclusively, during Volunteers Week 1-7 June 2021

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As volunteer coordinators or managers we are always looking for the perfect way to say thank you to our volunteers. Volunteers Week is the ideal time, but of course need not be the only time to show how grateful we are.

In this unprecedented period of our lives, just getting on with the day to day is taking some resilience. Thinking ahead can be daunting, but June isn’t far away and it is when we traditionally say a big national thank you to all our volunteers.

I have long been of the opinion that, though we want to express our gratitude, we have sometimes gone about it the wrong way, after all volunteering isn’t show biz, no Oscars needed. We want to do something special but does it have to be more public than personal?

Why do we acknowledge our volunteers’ efforts with an award ceremony, where the volunteers have been nominated and judged, and unintentionally introducing rivalry for the winning awards?

You already know that those who volunteer in your organisation do so because they want to help to make a difference. They believe that your service will bring about a change for its users, and they would like to be a part of it, in whatever big or small way they can. Sometimes, in our search for adequate appreciation, we neglect to remember what motivates our volunteers in the first place.

All volunteers should be thanked personally and equally. There is a bit of a disconnect between what motivates volunteers (passion, values, purpose), and what we traditionally offer as recognition for that effort (t-shirts, trophies, awards events).

Of course there is something nice about getting together for a meal or a leisure activity, but we should be making sure that we do this for all our volunteers and staff together, ‘Team Time’ as regularly as funds permit. My personal favourite is pottery painting, it’s fun too, right?

There is one quick and easy way that you can bridge that volunteer appreciation disconnect – a meaningful volunteer thank you letter.

I know that you are all busy people and that you may have quite a few volunteers, but a few a week is do-able don’t you think? Here are a few tips that may help.

Five suggested elements for your Volunteer Thank You letter:

  1. Make your letter personal and acknowledge their personal contribution
    This may seem super obvious, but address the thank you letter or note, using the volunteer’s name, not “Dear Volunteer”. Tell them specifically what you’ve noticed or what they did that went above and beyond. “Thanks for your time and commitment” is fine. “Thank you for staying late to reorganise the stock” says that you know what they did, that their time is valuable, and you noticed that they gave it to your organisation.
  • Make your letter specific
    Point out something a volunteer did, or the way they made someone feel, and say thank you specifically for that. Look for occasions when your volunteer went above and beyond their role. Maybe the ‘above and beyond’ for your volunteer is that you know you can always count on them.
  • Connect your letter to the organisation
    Remember, volunteers are with you because they want to advance your organisation by contributing their own time and effort. They really care about your work. When you communicate your gratitude, connect it to the service in order to underscore the impact of their work.
    They chose you and your organisation for a reason. Remind them regularly that they chose well because they are making a difference with their work.
  • Make your letter timely, not only in Volunteers Week
    When you see or hear something you want to recognise, do it right away! That way you won’t forget, and the experience is still fresh in the mind of the volunteer. Plus, the more quickly you acknowledge a positive experience, the sooner you reap the positive benefits from a happy, heart-warmed volunteer.
  • Sign your name
    Again, this might go without saying, but put pen to paper and sign your volunteer thank you letter. If you’re sending your note via email, still make sure to include a personal closing.
    Bonus points if you can get a recipient of your organisation’s services, a board member or other leading member of your team, to add something as a footnote.

Volunteer appreciation can be simple and beneficial
Volunteers may appreciate a special token of your organisation’s gratitude, but the experience of receiving a personal and heartfelt volunteer thank you letter will remind them why they are doing what they are doing. They are driven to help your organisation and your community, without pay, because by doing so, they can bring about improvements that matter to your community.

Further help and support

Volunteer recruitment – Search for volunteering roles on the NCVO (the National Council for Volunteering Organisation) website. There are links to multiple volunteering websites from organisations such as Vinspired, and Volunteering Matters.

New enquiries – if you need support with any aspect of volunteer management please complete a New Enquiry Form and one of our developments officer will be in touch to support you.

General info – for general information, guidance, templates, online training and resources please visit our dedicated website, which includes 15 factsheets that cover many aspects of volunteer management e.g. recruitment, supervisions and template policies etc.

If you have any further questions or need support with any aspect of volunteering, please do get in touch info@communtiyfirstyorkshire.org.uk.

Volunteer co-ordinator network meetings – a network meeting for volunteer co-ordinators and those those in a charity with a responsibility for volunteers across North Yorkshire to network and share information, advice, tips and thoughts on all aspects of volunteer management, see here for more information.

Time to look forward

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Do you want to make new friends?

We have all been stuck inside and now very soon freedom awaits us but what do we want to do with it? We have had lots of time to consider this but now it is hurtling towards us at an extremely fast pace. Nerves are there at the thought of doing the things we have done for years; you are not alone in this as many people feel the same. Make sure you talk to a family member, a friend or a neighbour and I’m sure they will happily give the time to help you overcome this.

While you have been sat in the house, have you thought of a new idea of something you would like to do or decided now is the time to find out more about a hobby you have always dreamt about or maybe you have a skill that you would like to teach others? Don’t just think about it now is the time to act on it. If we haven’t learnt over the last year that time is short and we should grab our dreams and roll with them then we have learnt nothing!

If you have an idea I’m sure there are others out there who would like to join in and help you make that idea a reality. Reach out and find out who shares the same interests as you, they may have an idea that you would like to be involved in.

It doesn’t matter if your idea is big or small there are ways to help make your idea to become a reality. Share your idea with those around you and see if they would like to be part of your plan but if not, look a little further and I can help you with this.

Would you like some help in finding those residents in Rothwell that share your passions and dreams? Drop me an email of give me a call and I will do my very best to connect you with others who have a common interest.

New friends are waiting and you will have walked past them in the supermarket, they probably live in the next street!

Contact:

To get in touch, please email Sarah Hart, our Rothwell Assets Based Community Development Officer / Nidderdale Community Led Housing Officer on: sarah.hart@communityfirstyorkshire.org.uk.

Making predictions or projections of Shed finances

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As sheds are emerging out of lockdown many are starting to plan ahead for the next year.

After these last eighteen months, we have realised that this isn’t easy especially as things can change really quickly. Who for example knows, if there is going to be another variant in the Covid 19 virus, which could mean another lockdown. However, there are some things we can predict and for others, it’s more difficult. For example, we will know what the standing costs are for rent and insurance etc. Whilst variable costs will be more difficult to predict but based on previous experience it may be possible to make some reasonable assumptions.

Revenue in terms of membership fees sessional payments and sales will be more difficult to estimate as these will be dependent on the willingness of members to return to shedding. Their interest in making things to sell as well the ability to market items and interest from purchasers.

What is important to do, is to see how all these factors interact and project the consequences of increased costs or lower than anticipated revenue on the viability of the shed, ahead of the time that the shed would start to run into the red.

This can be done using a spreadsheet, which can be updated as the latest information is available and can be used to make projections of the impact this information will have on the viability of the shed. This is made easier if the cells in the spreadsheet are set to recalculate as the figures are changed. So for example you can see what would be the effect of the loss of revenue from sessional fees before it is seen in the bank account.

Time to look forward

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By Miranda Foster

Do you want to make new friends?

We have all been stuck inside and now very soon freedom awaits us but what do we want to do with it? We have had lots of time to consider this but now it is hurtling towards us at an extremely fast pace. Nerves are there at the thought of doing the things we have done for years; you are not alone in this as many people feel the same. Make sure you talk to a family member, a friend or a neighbour and I’m sure they will happily give the time to help you overcome this.

 

Whilst you have been sitting in the house, have you thought of a new idea of something you would like to do or decided now is the time to find out more about a hobby you have always dreamt about or maybe you have a skill that you would like to teach others? Don’t just think about it now is the time to act on it. If we haven’t learnt over the last year that time is short and we should grab our dreams and roll with them then we have learnt nothing!

 

If you have an idea I’m sure there are others out there who would like to join in and help you make that idea a reality. Reach out and find out who shares the same interests as you, they may have an idea that you would like to be involved in.

 

It doesn’t matter if your idea is big or small there are ways to help make your idea to become a reality. Share your idea with those around you and see if they would like to be part of your plan but if not, look a little further and I can help you with this.

Would you like some help in finding those residents in Rothwell that share your passions and dreams? Drop me an email or give me a call and I will do my very best to connect you with others who have a common interest.

New friends are waiting and you will have walked past them in the supermarket, they probably live in the next street!

Contact:

To get in touch, please email Sarah Hart, our Rothwell Assets Based Community Development Officer / Nidderdale Community Led Housing Officer on: sarah.hart@communityfirstyorkshire.org.uk.

Volunteering into employment – considerations for volunteer involving organisations

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When thinking about volunteering, one of the benefits we often hear talked about is the skills and experience it offers up for employment.
This was the focus of our recent round of Volunteer Co-ordinators Network meetings, where we explored the support for volunteers who are seeking employment.

How volunteering can help

The Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR), the Government’s economic watchdog, predicts that by the middle of 201 UK unemployment will reach 2.2 million, which is 6.5% of the working-age population. We used this statistic to discussthe potential for organisations to reach out to and involve people who are job seeking as volunteers.

Several studies, including the most recent UK Civil Society Almanac, have shown that involvement in

volunteering offers a huge number of potential benefits.

For individuals who are unemployed, we heard how volunteering can:

  • offer an opportunity for an individual to enhance personal skillsets, attitudes and knowledge
  • counteract some of the potential impacts unemployment can have on physical and mental wellbeing, self-confidence, personal resilience and loss of routine
  • create an opportunity to do something different and try something new
  • offer potential access to paid work. I started my career working in the voluntary sector as a volunteer during a period of unemployment, and am aware of many others who started their journey in the same way
  • increase the diversity and number of volunteers within an organisation.

How organisations can support people into volunteering

For organisations thinking of involving job seeking volunteers, or developing a volunteering programme specifically to help people who are unemployed, there were suggestions for areas to consider.

 

  • Review existing or develop new roles: offering access to taster sessions, training, references and out of pocket expenses can help reduce both real and perceived barriers and encourage people to consider the potential of a role.
  • Look at advert language and where roles are profiled: placing adverts on job sites including Indeed, Total Jobs and Linked In, can help to raise awareness of opportunities. Online job fairs and events also offer the potential to share films showcasing the potential of volunteering.
  • Consider motivation and aspirations: people volunteer (and don’t volunteer) for many different reasons. Knowing these reasons can lead to a more fulfilling volunteer experience for both an individual and an organisation.
  • Be open to offers: people may come forward offering specific time and availability. Being able to accommodate people looking for a more flexible approach offers lots of potential both for you and them.
  • Consider the individual : wherever possible, it’s important to consider a person as an individual, focusing on what someone can do and not what they can’t do.  This can be particularly important for someone who has an underlying health condition or caring responsibilities.

How to help job seeking volunteers into employment

As a volunteer involving organisation, there are many ways you can encourage and support your volunteers moving into employment.

  • Provide regular feedback: this can make a real difference and show someone the impact of their volunteering.
  • Offer to support with CV development, interview skills, training: whilst others may be offering tailored support in these areas, you may be able to offer a different perspective and add some value.
  • Identify and work in partnership with other agencies working with an individual: if possible, try to find out who else is supporting an individual as part of your application process. With appropriate permissions in place, you may like to contact other agencies to share what support you and they are offering to share ideas and avoid duplication.
  • Make sure an individual has told the Job Centre or benefits office about their volunteering: it can be helpful to write a letter for someone to take to their job coach confirming all the details of their volunteering and for this to be updated if there are any changes in their volunteering.
  • Keep up to date with information about volunteering and benefit rules: there are current and further details on the government website. Most benefits allow people to volunteer, but there are some rules, particularly for people claiming Employment Support Allowance, that it is good to be aware of.
  • Be flexible: under some benefits an individual might need to attend a job interview with two days’ notice, start work within a week or need to rearrange or give up their volunteering to start a job. Being aware of this at the outset can help avoid misunderstandings.
  • Increase awareness of organisations and agencies: there are a number of organisations across North Yorkshire currently supporting people who are job seeking into volunteering and work placements, training and employment. These include local Job Centres and the Action Towards Inclusion Project.  It’s worthwhile contacting your local organisations to make sure they know about your offer and volunteer opportunities.
  • Be realistic: the potential of volunteering in helping someone return to work is dependent not only on skills and knowledge, but also on a lot of factors beyond an individual or organisations control, and importantly, beyond the influence of volunteering.

The voluntary sector has already made a huge difference to people during Covid 19. Proactively reaching out to people who are unemployed and showcasing the potential of volunteering is another opportunity to make a real difference.

Find out more

If you would like any further information please get in touch with us at info@communityfirstyorkshire.org.uk or phone 01904 704177.

Copies of the presentation materials and case studies shared by Action Towards Inclusion and the Job Centre at the recent meetings are available on our Community Support North Yorkshire  website.

If you are a volunteer co-ordinator in North Yorkshire and would like to join us to:

  • meet with others in a similar role
  • access resources and training
  • get support with your work
  • share ideas and best practice

then keep an eye out for our county-wide Volunteer Co-ordinator meetings. We would love to welcome you to one of our future meetings.

All good things come to an end… A goodbye to our Chief Executive

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Chair of trustees, David Sharp, shares our goodbye to our long-standing Chief Executive Leah Swain.

All good things come to an end. A phrase which I’m sure is used too often and out of context, but when I say this in terms of the departure of Leah Swain as Chief Executive of Community First Yorkshire, I think I have it right.

Leah is moving on to, in her words, her dream job. She is to be the Chief Executive of The Sirius Minerals Foundation and I wish her well in the new role.

I’ve known Leah for almost 10 years, initially as a colleague in the voluntary sector when she worked for Rural Action Yorkshire when we began the journey to create better partnerships across the county, along with North Yorkshire Sport and Rural Arts.

I then had the fortune of working more closely with her as Chair of The North Yorkshire and York Forum when we merged with Rural Action Yorkshire to form Community First Yorkshire. She took on the Chief Executive role and I took on the Chair’s role.

In that time Leah has done some brave, innovative and exceptional things. Pulling two organisations together is a challenge in itself but to then have to tender and begin a new contract at the same time really would challenge the best of us, but Leah just seemed to take it in her stride. Then there are the projects, funding and advocacy work Community First Yorkshire has been doing over the past few years. I certainly won’t forget the achievement of bringing in over £1 million from the Army Covenant Fund for the Aged Veterans programme. This had over 15 partners all doing different things to meet the needs of our aged veterans, and from the stories I heard at the time, it was not only appreciated but greatly loved as well.

As a result of work led by Leah, better representation is now standard at North Yorkshire County Council, improvements to rural communities continue to be made, better networking and partnerships are in place across the voluntary, community and social enterprise sector and so on – I could go on and on!

Her legacy is a well-respected, sustainable, well-resourced organisation with amazing staff all working towards the aim of creating inclusive, pro-active and resilient communities across Yorkshire.

So, from me personally but also the Board, thank you Leah for everything you achieved at Community First Yorkshire and we wish you well in your new role – they are incredibly lucky to have you.

A year in a pandemic by Miranda Foster

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 23 March 2020 -23 March 2021

It has been over a year since I was last in Rothwell and it has been hard not to go and drink coffee in my favourite cafes or wonder around the beautiful Springhead Park with my pooch. I’m looking forward to being able to meet with some of the lovely residents, to catch up with everyone while we have been going through a truly remarkable year.

Coronavirus – a timeline

Lock down hits 23 March 2020. Nowhere is safe to go, nobody is to be seen face to face. Hugs are not to be had! Our relatives told to shield. Frightened is the feeling of most. Isolation from all the people we hold dear.

April 2020 – the world of zoom comes alive, a platform never heard of before for most people becomes our lifeline to the outside world. The chance to see those friendly faces from all around the country, to communicate and be in this together. Solidarity is everywhere, we are all in this together.

May 2020 – The reality of lockdown is getting harder but there is light, hope, and being able to go out again more than once a day. The days are longer and brighter and there is optimism in the air.

June 2020– finally able to see family even if it is only in the garden. My thoughts put out there for all to see and hear. (see blog)

July 2020 – restaurants and pubs reopen but face masks are to be worn. The new fashion accessory that MUST be worn but this gives us the chance to be out and about with friends and family. The feeling of freedom. Seeing each other in the flesh rather than on a screen, still no hugs!

August 2020– we eat out to help out. First time in a restaurant in six months, not having to cook and do the washing up is bliss. A conversation over the dining table and to feel the energy from each other; not to have that awkward time at the end of a zoom call where no one knows how to finish the conversation.

September 2020 – all kids go back to school, parents all over the country are praying that it lasts but struggle to let their little cherubs out in to the big bad dangerous world. I get to travel to see my mum but still no hugs.

October 2020 – things take a turn for the worse; there is concern again for all. We all look back to the beginning of the year, what is in store for us this time? A sense of dread.

November 2020 – another lockdown but for just a month, we can do this again. Zoom fatigue is now spoken about on a regular basis but we can still see your face and share our thoughts and feelings. Talking to each other is important and that fighting spirit kicks in again, still no hugs!

December 2020 – Christmas devastation, celebrations via screens. The madness and the chaos of the festive season is replaced with quiet and reflection. We find new ways to celebrate and some we quite enjoy, is this the start of new traditions for some?

January 2021 – yet another lockdown, the despair of how long is this going to last?

February 2021 – so much harder during winter months, the short days, darker evenings, and the colder months make this extremely difficult. The feelings of isolation and loneliness seem worse than ever.

March 2021 – the roadmap is announced to get us out and about again, 4 months is the plan.

March 23 – one year on, lock down is still in place but hope is on the horizon with the vaccine program rolling out at a fast pace. Children are now back in school and everywhere is preparing to open their doors again. We look forward not back and optimism is the best feeling ever.
All through this year, we have listened to the stories some good but some bad. The communities have pulled together and made some incredible moments. Our neighbours have become our friends and allies, the go to people in the street, and over the fence they have listened and talked us through the most strangest of years.

What has been learnt? Well I can only speak for myself. I have learnt that we all have a story to tell, we have all made memories that will last a lifetime, connectivity is key and we have (well most of us!) learnt how to use zoom! Fingers crossed come June we can hug again!

Contact:

To get in touch, please email Sarah Hart, our Rothwell Assets Based Community Development Officer / Nidderdale Community Led Housing Officer on: sarah.hart@communityfirstyorkshire.org.uk.

 

Combatting loneliness through volunteering

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Research by both the What Works Centre for Wellbeing and NVCO has shown that volunteering in itself is associated with enhanced wellbeing, not only for individual volunteers but also for communities as a whole. While the simple act of volunteering can be beneficial, what is perhaps more important is that the act of volunteering is rarely done in isolation and most volunteering roles involve contact with others to a greater or lesser extent. Clearly, some roles may have lots of opportunity for contact with others, but the fact remains that, whether volunteering for a befriending service or for a beach clean, it can provide a sense of purpose, broaden our horizons and give us a feeling of connection to a wider group of like-minded individuals.

I recently had at the privilege of speaking to three Marie Curie volunteers about how their volunteering roles as Helper Volunteers have helped to combat loneliness, not only in their service users lives but also in their own lives. The overwhelming message was this: volunteering has enormous benefits for both the volunteer and, in their case, the service user in combatting loneliness. I was struck by their sense of commitment and passion too, during what has been a very difficult period for all volunteers and it reminded me of the invaluable roles our volunteers have within our communities and voluntary sector organisations.

So, grab yourself a coffee and a nice comfy chair and listen to a recorded podcast of the conversation. If your time is limited, we have some short snippets of the podcast below. Perhaps it will inspire you to volunteer within your own community to create connections and combat loneliness?  You can listen to all the podcasts on our ‘Volunteering and loneliness‘ web page.

by Colleen Allwood, development officer at Community First Yorkshire