Volunteering
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It's that time of year when volunteer coordinators are busy planning for National Volunteers' week.
For those who aren't too familiar it is an annual celebration that takes place each year from the 1-7 June. Volunteers' Week celebrates the fantastic contribution that millions of volunteers make across the UK and helps to get more people involved too.
This year we will be holding our annual 'Shining Stars' event at DEDA in Chapel Street, Derby on Wednesday 5 June from 10:00am to 12:30pm. The aim is to recognise the commitment and contribution made by some of the city's volunteers whilst also setting the scene for some shared learning to see how we can improve volunteering experiences in Derby. The Mayor of Derby will hand out awards to the category winners and every nominee will receive a Volunteers' Week thank you certificate.
Take a look our film of last years event here
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1xNk0V3R8GQ
You can also see a list of the 2012 Shining Stars winners in the archive section of this page.
This year the event will focus on eight separate award categories:
Conquering Star - For the volunteer who has made a big contribution while at the same time overcoming obstacles such as disability, health, poverty, exclusion and for who volunteering has had a major effect on their own personal development.
Superior Star - For the volunteer who has personally made an outstanding impact on the project/organisation they have been volunteering with.
Constellation Award - For teams of volunteers that have worked together to deliver an outstanding project or make a major impact through their work.
Shining Star - For the volunteer who has contributed outstanding long and devoted service to an organisation for over five years.
Rising Star - For the 16-25 year old volunteer who has made an outstanding contribution to volunteering in terms of time, commitment and personal development.
Inspiring Star - For the organisation that has excelled in volunteer management best practice, has created a range of interesting volunteering opportunities and provided positive experiences for volunteers.
Luminous Leadership Star - For the volunteer who has gone the extra mile in their Governance role. This award recognises leadership, innovation and dedication in their trustee role.
Student Star - For the student (primary, college or university) who has made a significant and meaningful contribution to the community by volunteering while developing their employability skills.
Click here for a nomination form.
Please complete and return your nominations to Community Action by Wednesday 17 April (nominations after this date may not be accepted)
Welcome to the Volunteer Centre Derby
We are the Volunteer Centre based at 4 Charnwood Street - DE1 2GT - in Derby. We are here to help and support people from across the city who would like to volunteer. We also support organisations in Derby who involve volunteers on a day-to-day basis by giving support over the phone, by email and sometimes visiting project staff and volunteers in their own environment offering advice and information and getting a feel for how volunteers are involved and services are delivered. To get the team over for a chat contact Simon
What do we do?
Volunteer Centres provide support at a local level for individual volunteers and volunteer-involving organisations. They have six core functions:
1. Brokerage
Our primary function is to match both individuals and groups interested in volunteering with appropriate opportunities in the local community. We hold information on a comprehensive range of opportunities. We offer potential volunteers support and advice, matching their motivation to volunteer with appropriate volunteering opportunities. We run a drop-in service here at the Volunteer Centre on Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays, between 10.00 am and 4.30 pm. Come in and chat with one of our Volunteer Centre Advisers, or call them on 01332 342272 to discuss volunteering opportunities or to make an appointment, or if you have access to email simply drop them a line by following this link email us.
2. Marketing volunteering
We stimulate and encourage local interest in volunteering and community activity. This may include promoting and marketing volunteering through local, regional and national events and campaigns. We manage and promote a national brand for volunteering.
3. Good practice development
We promote good practice in working with volunteers to all volunteer involving organisations. We deliver training and accreditation for potential volunteers, existing volunteers, volunteer managers and the volunteering infrastructure.
4. Develop volunteering opportunities
We work in close partnership with statutory, voluntary and private sector agencies as well as community groups and faith groups to develop local volunteering opportunities. We understand the potential offered by the local communities and work with them to realise this potential. We will target specific groups that face barriers to volunteering. We will work creatively to develop imaginative, non-formal opportunities for potential volunteers.
5. Policy response and campaigning
We identify proposals or legislation that may impact on volunteering. We will lead and/or participate in campaigns on issues that affect volunteers or volunteering. We campaign proactively for a more volunteer-literate and volunteer-friendly climate.
6. Strategic development of volunteering
As the local experts on volunteering we, along with other volunteer centres in Derbyshire, inform strategic thinking and planning at a regional and national level.
Come visit our Facebook fan page and follow us on Twitter
Why not take a look at our facebook page? Simply click on the Olympics 2012 Inspire mark on the left hand side of this page or search for Volunteering in Derby and Derbyshire and you'll find us!
You can also follow us on twitter @VolCentreDerby
