Making biscuits contributed to my wellbeing

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Bake Off 2022 is on our screens and this week is the ever-popular Biscuit Week.

Our development officer, Andy Ryland, was inspired by his baking experiences to share how baking biscuits can generate feelings of positive wellbeing.

Here’s what he had to say:

“I am not sure what prompted me to consider making macaroon biscuits. It may have been fond memories of the ones my mum used to make for family teas. It might even be the taste of the small ones you are sometimes given with a coffee after a meal in a restaurant, or perhaps just the fact that they are a delicious biscuit I can enjoy.

Anyhow, a few weeks ago I looked up an online recipe and even for someone like me, who has never made biscuits before, the recipe looked surprisingly simple.

My first attempt was, surprisingly, quite a success and I have gone on to make more batches and even branch out to making variations to the recipe (all very adventurous!).

So how has the making of biscuits helped my wellbeing?

Through reflecting on this, I have realised that the process ticks many of the boxes of what is called the Five Ways to Wellbeing.

  • Being in the Moment
  • Learning something new
  • Giving to others
  • Social connection
  • Physical exercise

Being in the moment is very much about concentrating on what one is doing. So worries or negative thoughts are replaced by thoughts relating to the activity in hand – such as following the recipe.

For me, making biscuits has been about acquiring a new skill and this has been immensely satisfying.

The creation of something attractive to give to friends or colleagues is also a very satisfying experience and gives pleasure to the soul. In turn, this creates the opportunity for social connection.

Regrettably, there is only a limited amount of physical exercise involved in the process of making the biscuit (although I could replace my electric whisk with a hand whisk). However, it has distracted me from watching the TV, which I think is a good thing.

If you are like me, you may not be an experienced cook, but if you want to experience the joy of a little creative baking, do have a go. Perhaps you could find something that trigger positives memories from your childhood or another memorable moment.”

By Andy Ryland

Please send us your stories and pictures of your bakes, and why the recipe evokes positive memories for you by emailing info@communityfirstyorkshire.org.uk. We’d love to share them on our social media channels.

We have a wide range of resources on our website to help your mental health and wellbeing on our VCSE Wellbeing Hub toolkit.

What does a good volunteer experience for the over 50s look like?

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Earlier this year the Centre for Ageing Better launched their review into the importance of volunteering and community contributions in later life. They have been partnering with NCVO to embed best practise recommendations for organisations supporting people aged over 50 with volunteering.

Why it matters

Ageism is the most common form of discrimination in this country and as we get older we, or someone we know, are increasingly likely to experience discrimination based on our age. Most of us know that one of the main benefits of volunteering is the increased wellbeing of the individuals involved. Unfortunately, due to barriers associated with poor health or low incomes that, although not limited to, can be exacerbated by age, it is those who would most benefit from volunteering who are least able to participate.

However, ask many people what a traditional volunteer looks like and you will often hear the word – retired. Hopefully anyone who is actually involved in supporting volunteers knows that there is no such thing as a traditional or typical volunteer, but organisations wishing to attract and recruit new volunteers have often targeted those of retirement age. The perception is that they have the skills and time to give back to their communities in a meaningful way and can usually be relied upon to get things done.

With an aging population, increased and competing demands on peoples’ time and for all ages a desire to fill their time with experiences that are meaningful to them, the importance of maintaining focus on what makes a good volunteering experience for older volunteers should not be underestimated.

What are the benefits?

From an organisational perspective, older volunteers have life experience. They will have skills, knowledge and a level understanding of life – a richness – that many younger people will not yet have had time to acquire. If they are retired, they also potentially have more free time – however this does not mean that they will or can fill this time with volunteering. The motivation for volunteering for this age group is often the opportunity to be social, and group or people centred volunteer roles and tasks are often very popular.

For older people volunteering has many benefits. Ageing Better’s research found that volunteering can increase feeling of connectedness, gave people a sense of purpose when many feel a bit lost after a life of work, and increased self-esteem. People who volunteer said they felt happier as a result of volunteering and felt valued; this in turn led to decreased risk of depression.

Further information

 

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

“Happiness is made from small moments of joy!” 

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A blog about the impact of employer supported volunteering and the difference it can make to the people you work with.

Earlier this month the Community First Yorkshire team volunteered at the Yorkshire Arboretum. We interviewed our information officer, Stella Antoniou, who in work hours is found behind her computer not out in the wilds of Yorkshire!

Q: Where did you go?
A: We volunteered at the Yorkshire Arboretum, a stunning landscape of parkland, lakes and ponds, with a collection of more than 6,000 trees from around the world.

Q: What did you do?
A: The first half of the day we separated into two teams and our task included gathering yellow rattle seeds – believe me they truly seem like pop-corn! To tell you the truth, I have no idea which group gathered the most rattle seeds and I hope nobody tried to eat them! The second half of the day was focused on weeding and clearing growth from around young trees. I was Lizzie’s chopping master assistant in removing grass around the trees. As far as I know I didn’t uproot any tree and Lizzie can confirm this. The day rounded off with delicious coffee and cake at the Tree Health Centre.

Q: What did you enjoy most about the day?
A: That’s so hard to answer! I simply loved the whole day. Everything was amazing, from enjoying the lovely weather to being among trees and lovely people, looking at the blue sky, and enjoying the smell of nature. And how can I forget the cakes we had at the end of the day? In a nutshell, it was a brilliant day outdoors, enjoying nature and having fun with colleagues. How rejuvenating! I also worked on my gardening skills, which are very close to zero!

Q: How does what you did, positively impact the charity?
A: Aesop’s saying will summarise this: “No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted”.

Volunteering has positive impact both for individuals and for the organisational culture as a whole. What we did at the volunteering day helped with acquiring and practicing new skills, reaching more beneficiaries, raising awareness about the organisation’s profile, contributing to supporting others in the community, improving our health and wellbeing, raising awareness of volunteering, enhancing the recognition of the value that volunteers bring to the community, and setting the example of being environmental friendly.

So what we did at Yorkshire Arboretum was a breath of fresh air for Community First Yorkshire and a breath for nature as well! Even helping out with the smallest tasks can make a real difference to the community and the environment we live in!

Q: Why do you think it is a good idea to volunteer as a group or staff team?
A: There are so many benefits to think about when it comes to volunteering as group or staff team. It improves employees’ health and wellbeing by decreasing their stress levels, it pulls together colleagues enabling them to bond and support each other, it gives the opportunity to practice important skills used in the workplace, such as teamwork and communication, and also helps the staff team to connect with the community and make it a better place.

Plus, happiness is made from small moments of joy we experience each day and it is those happy moments that we all remember. Next week or next year we might not remember a day working on our computers, but we will definitely remember the fun we had at the volunteering day.

Special thanks to Ben, Tim, John and everyone involved in organising and supporting us on the day from Yorkshire Arboretum. They gave us such a brilliant team volunteering day – Thank you!

Further information
The Chartered Institute of Personal Development have developed a guide to employer supported volunteering.
For support with everything volunteering please visit our website or contact info@communityfirstyorkshire.org.uk.

They’re small but beautifully formed!

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It’s Small Charities Week – time to shine a spotlight on all the fabulous small charities in our region and the vital work they do to support our communities. And this week we’re BIGGING up the SMALL!

Small charities are specialists, working on a niche project like homelessness, which means they are usually experts. Because they often work locally, they are able to react quickly – take the local response to the pandemic, for example. Because of their expertise and local focus, they are able to build strong relationships in a community and help those hardest to reach.

Think of all the amazing things that go on in your community – your local library, community transport, your food bank. Litter picks, Jubilee celebrations, meals on wheels – all of this support is provided by small charities.

Just because a charity is small, doesn’t mean it doesn’t make a big difference.

Often small charities are limited by their small income – they have big dreams and big ambitions, but the pennies can often make it difficult for them to fulfil them. That’s where we can help.

We want small charities to flourish and continue to provide the vital services that are essential to thriving communities.

How can we help?

We offer free, bespoke advice to small charities in North Yorkshire. Whether you want to find new sources of funding, attract new volunteers, or become a Charitable Incorporate Organisation (CIO) or community interest company (CIC) and access new funding, we’re here to help.

You may want to join one of our networks to share peer learning or help aspiring leaders within your organisation to grow.

Our training programme will inspire you to become a better trustee, get to grips with social media, complete a winning funding application and help you manage your trustees.

Find out more on our website or get in touch. You can email us on info@communityfirstyorkshire.org.uk, call us on 01904 704177 or fill in our online enquiry form.

Give yourself an MOT this Men’s Health Week

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We’ve been through a lot these last couple of years. COVID has not gone away, not at all, but we are beginning to live with it. To do this we need to be at the top of our game, physically and mentally.  So for this years Men’s Health week, 13-19 June, it’s time for men everywhere to give yourselves an MOT. Macmillan estimates that across the UK there are around 50,000 ‘missing’ cancer diagnosis’, meaning that compared to a similar timeframe last year, 50,000 fewer people have been diagnosed with cancer making your MOT all the more important. Find out how to do this here.

Humber and North Yorkshire Health and Care Partnership’s health and wellbeing page also contains lots of resources on Men’s health including recorded webinars with the fantastic Gareth Thomas CBE, famous A&E doctor Dr Alex George and some great local support groups for men. We also have lots of self help guides, resources and signposting.

Please also remember we have lots of fantastic health and wellbeing workshops which you can find details for and book at our booking page on everything from sleep, stress, burnout and financial wellbeing support. Our Sleep Platform holds the recorded webinar from our Sleep Essentials for Men workshop and you can access log in details for this via our booking page.

If you have any questions or want to know about any support available to you please email us at hny.wellbeing@nhs.net

Help us in supporting our male colleagues, family and friends by sharing these resources within your teams and at home.

Resources to help raise awareness

There are plenty of resources from the Men’s Health Forum to help you raise awareness of Men’s Health during this week. Feel free to download, print and share:

 

by Jade Jenkins, Project Manager- Workforce- Health and Wellbeing

Humber and North Yorkshire Health and Care Partnership

Power of Youth Day – 6 June

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On 6 June we will be joining with others to celebrate the power of young people for #PowerOfYouthDay22.

This is an annual celebration of the contributions children and young people make to society through their volunteering. This year it takes place during Volunteers’ Week (1-7 June) offering a great opportunity to say THANK YOU to all young people who are working to make positive change in their communities and to:

Prioritise supporting youth to take social action

Offer leadership opportunities

Work together

Evidence the impact of youth social action

Recognise and celebrate young people

Thanks to the #iwill campaign for the power-ful thoughts.

To celebrate #PowerofYouthDay22, why not:

  • Share a video on TikTok, Instagram or YouTube.
  • Post on your website.
  • Make a pledge to sign up to the #iwill Power of Youth Charter available here.
  • Nominate a young person to become an #iwill Ambassador.
  • Pop along to one of our forthcoming events and find out all about the potential and power of young people (more on these below).
  • Let us know what you are planning to do. We’d love to share your stories and celebrations across our social media. Facebook: @Comm1stYorks and offer our thanks for some of the amazing things young people do.

If you haven’t already caught up with the #iwill campaign it offers loads of information and resources showcasing how taking part in volunteering can empower and upskill young people; improving outcomes for communities and diversifying and sustaining organisations. Further details here.

Young Trustees movement also highlight just some of the benefits of involving young trustees for young people, boards and employers.

Research from 2017 certainly shows that organisations offering volunteering opportunities to young people, particularly those under 18, offers the potential for them to develop a habit for life, creating socially responsible and community focused generations of young people. You can read the report here.

We also have a guide for involving young volunteers available along with other resources on our website.

The Centre for Youth Impact also continue to develop their project Maximising Young People’s Voice and Power which aims to generate insight into existing youth voice activity across the UK.

Whatever you are up to on #PowerOfYouthDay22 we hope you enjoy celebrating the power of youth, and don’t forget to share with us on Facebook.

To Trustee or not to Trustee?

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Written by Shahida Iqbal, the Director of Manar Associates Ltd

“Come on, you will only have to attend meetings a few times a year!”

Sound familiar?

The above is one of the most common ways that an individual is persuaded to join as a volunteer on a charity board or committee. Arms are gently twisted and people feel a sense of obligation to support their local playgroup, village hall, or ‘friends of…” society.

Becoming a trustee is truly rewarding; you get an opportunity to give something back, meet new people, learn new skills, as well as utilising your existing strengths and knowledge. Research suggests that there are hundreds of thousands of people serving as trustees across the UK, all of whom are playing an incredibly important part in the running of charities.

However, do you really understand what your role involves when you join a board? Many people will get involved thinking that they will simply only have to attend meetings and that is that. As trustees, you have overall control of how the charity is run. You are responsible for making sure that the organisation is run well, does what it has been set up to do, manage risk and finances, as well as working on strategic future development.

Trustees provide foresight, oversight and insight, you don’t do ‘the doing’ – remember “noses in, fingers out”! After all, responsibility for the charity rests with the Board – the buck stops with you – and as such trustees should be focused on their statutory duty of care and ensuring the charity acts in a manner consistent with its purpose(s) laid out in its constitution or rulebook. It is therefore important to access support and training to help you develop a real understanding of your role.

Community First Yorkshire (the regional body that works with voluntary and community organisations, social enterprises and rural communities across North, South and West Yorkshire) has worked hard to develop a support package to help trustees do just that. Linked to the Charity Commission’s “The Essential Trustee Guide”, and the Charity Governance Code, the “Trustee Essentials” training bundle includes:

  • A refresher for new and established trustees covering the fundamental elements of trusteeship.
  • Smaller bite-size learning sessions that explore in further depth effective money management; safeguarding essentials; strategies to predict and mitigate risk; successful recruitment of new trustees and building an inclusive board.

Previous delegates have found the training sessions helpful. Philip Richardson MBE, a Trustee at Ryedale Community Transport CIO said ‘This is the first charity that I have been involved with. The things I have learnt in this workshop course have already started to bear fruit. For example, I have now read in fine detail our constitution and found that we have not been implementing it as we should. I am so impressed with this course that I have had an agreement that all our new trustees will attend it.’

Trustee training is a great way to encourage more discussion and debate within boardrooms. Now more than ever we need boards with a diversity of perspectives that enables them to better navigate uncertainty and reflect the communities they serve. A strong board with trustees understanding their legal responsibilities makes all the difference to an organisation and its future.

So, if you’ve just joined a board and are not sure where to start or you’re an existing trustee looking to develop skills and knowledge, get in touch with Community First Yorkshire today.

Five reasons to join a CEO peer group

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Chief executive officers (CEOs) and leaders in the voluntary, community and social enterprise (VCSE) sector face unique challenges, so having access to a safe and constructive space, such as a peer group network, can be particularly helpful.

Here are five reasons why you should join a peer group:

1. A great way to become a better leader

By networking with your peers, you open yourself up to gain valuable knowledge that will help you and your organisation tackle challenges and see opportunities with a fresher perspective.

2. Support

Being the CEO of an organisation of any size can be a difficult and lonely job. A peer group can be a place to get the emotional support you need from people who understand what you are going through.

3. Learning

One great benefit of being part of a CEO peer group is that you can learn from others in the group and benefit from their experiences – and even their mistakes!

4. A safe zone

As a CEO there are often times when you need a sounding board away from your senior management team or trustees. A peer group provides a safe space to talk through any issues your organisation might be facing in a safe space, without judgement.

5. Strengthen collaborative working

There is incredible value created when similar organisations can work collaboratively. An advantage of a peer group is that you can find out what other organisations are doing and planning, and identify ways in which you might be able to work together to make a stronger offer.

 

If you are a leader or CEO of a VCSE organisation in North Yorkshire and you feel that you might benefit from joining a peer group, find out how you can begin connecting with peers and building relationships here.

A time to say thanks

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It’s hard to believe that Volunteers’ Week 2022 is nearly here!

Volunteers’ Week takes place between 1 – 7 June every year and is a great opportunity to recognise volunteers and thank them for everything they do to support the work of charities and community groups not only across North Yorkshire but across the country too.

This year’s ‘time to say thanks’ coincides with events for the Queens Platinum Jubilee. June is also the #MonthOfCommunity with celebrations and events focussing on the importance and contributions of communities.

Of course, Volunteers Week is not the only time to acknowledge and thank volunteers for the difference they make. Sometimes in the busyness of our everyday lives it is easy to forget the power of a simple thank you and the way it can make someone feel; without expectation of recognition or reward.

Whatever your plans for #VolunteersWeek itself or the weeks around it, we hope you enjoy:

  • sharing volunteer stories on social media pages
  • making and sharing thank you videos and blogs from staff and service users
  • hosting virtual and in person celebration events and volunteer fairs
  • sharing e-cards and/or physical thank you cards
  • sending out certificates
  • giving out star or heart shaped pin badges
  • using a Volunteers Week zoom background
  • sharing your impact report
  • creating and sharing volunteer and community photo walls

Why not let us know what you are planning to do. We’d love to share your stories and celebrations on Facebook: @Comm1stYorks and offer our thanks for all you do. If you’re still looking for inspiration, please get in touch, we have lots of ideas to share.

Information on key dates and activities for #VolunteersWeek and #MonthOfCommunity can be found in our new monthly Volunteer Co-ordinators newsletter – you can read the first issue here. And if you would like a copy sent directly to your inbox each month you can sign up to receive it here. There are also lots of volunteer related resources you can download from our website too.

Happy days.

Resources to help support you this stress-awareness month

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“We know that to improve the health of our population it’s incredibly important our staff are looked after too, we are committed to helping staff improve their health and wellbeing.”

-Jade Jenkins, Health and Wellbeing Project Manager at Humber and North Yorkshire Health and Care Partnership.

The month of April is already upon us and brings with it the very topical Stress Awareness Month. Millions around the UK are experiencing high levels of stress and it is damaging our health in more ways than one. Did you know that stress is a significant contributing factor to a wide range of physical and mental health problems? Some of these problems include heart disease, problems with our immune system, insomnia and digestive problems and depression and anxiety to name a few.

Health and care workers particularly have been under extraordinary pressure facing unprecedented challenges: working in unfamiliar environments, with reduced staffing levels, and learning new skills, not to mention the added worry of their own family’s health and wellbeing.  Alongside this, we know people are facing increasing levels of stress outside of the workplace for a number of reasons such as increased living costs, fear and worry about the devastating conflict in Ukraine and a whole range of other factors.

The good news is there are things you can do to alleviate your stress. As well as your line manager there are fantastic teams in the workplace who can help including Occupational Health, Health and Wellbeing Teams, Wellbeing Champions and much more. We understand it can sometimes be difficult to know where to look for support so here are some examples of what’s available to all health, care and emergency service staff living and working in Humber and North Yorkshire:

  • Sleep focused webinars delivered by The Sleep School cover everything from techniques to help you wind down/ fall asleep and wake up refreshed to psychological flexibility sessions providing you with evidence-based tips to effectively manage stress.
  • Stress/ Trauma Recovery workshops, facilitated by trauma-integrated therapists and experts in their fields of mental health recovery. A number of sessions on a variety of different topics will be running until June.
  • A financial wellbeing workshop is taking place in May- the session will discuss budgeting, saving, preparing for retirement, and where to get help with your finances.
  • Menopause workshops where participants will gain confidence in having supportive conversations around menopause and how to get the right support together including the important role a partner, team or family member can play in supporting someone through menopause.
  • Looking after you too (for Primary Care and CCG colleagues)- We recognise that our frontline primary care colleagues, both clinical and non-clinical, are continuing to work hard caring for their patients. Individual coaching is available with a skilled and experienced coach who will work with you to discuss any area of your wellbeing that you would like to address. They will listen, ask questions and support you to develop practical strategies to cope with your situation and stay well. Click here for more information.

There are also some great self-help tips on the Stress Management Society website. You can book on to the workshops listed above by visiting www.bookwhen.com/hcv.

For 1-to-1 support with your mental health and any emotional difficulties you may be experiencing and which you feel you need some help with, whether they are work-related or not- please contact the Resilience Hub by emailing tewv.hcv-resiliencehub@nhs.net or by calling 03300 022 044.

For anything else please contact your organisational health and wellbeing team or hcv.wellbeing@nhs.net, we would like to hear what works for you and any tips you might want to share with others.