Jeremy Rees

 by Jeremy Rees

Shout out for Reminiscence and Attic Volunteers

Are you looking for a unique volunteer role that allows you to work closely with older people, learn more about their stories and also allow them to make space and live safely in their own homes?

The Attic Project is currently looking for volunteers from Cardiff, Newport and the Vale to join its team of Reminiscence and Attic Volunteers. The roles entail;

  • Talking to people about their treasured possessions and helping them to decide whether to keep or donate items
  • Listening and learning more about peoples life stories and backgrounds
  • Opportunities to digitally record their stories, take photographs and reminisce about their memories

If you are interested in volunteering and would like to find out more please contact Catherine at [email protected] or alternatively on 07934531001 / 02921322627  

in Community Heritage / Stories/Streaon / Volunteer 0 comments
 by Jeremy Rees

51st Annual General Meeting and Gathering

VCS Cymru – or Voluntary Community Services Cymru Limited to use our full name – held its 51st Annual General Meeting last night in the impressive setting of the newly opened Cornerstone Centre in Charles Street.

A new Management Committee was elected for the coming twelve months, with four new Trustees joining the organisation:- Alan Vaughan Hughes -who is Head of Cardiff University Special Collections & Archives; Joanna Parry – Senior Volunteering Manager at Marie Curie Cancer Care; Rhys Phillips – Science, Technology, Engineering & Maths (STEM) Ambassador and Donna Zammit – Local Businesswoman and longstanding member of the Radio Cardiff management team. They join the four Trustees who return for another term:- Mary Newman MBE (Chair); Andrew Vicker – Cardiff Council (Treasurer); Ken Barker (South Riverside Community Development Centre) and Nasir Adam (Taff Housing). Two new sub groups will be set up this year – Community History and Community Media – and further members with specialist knowledge in these areas will be co-opted to join over the next few weeks.

Following the formal business of the AGM the Management Committee ratified a proposal which will see VCS co-locate with Radio Cardiff at their premises in Butetown from 1st December.

This year’s presentation was from the Chronicle Team, and was given by Klavdija Erzan (Project Co-ordinator); Lara Taffer (Apprentice Archivist) and 2 members of the growing team of Chronicle Volunteers – Eleanor Hill and Mike Hawkins.

Our thanks go to all the Trustees, Volunteers and VCS Staff who made the evening an enjoyable and engaging event; to Vina Patel our Advisor from Social Firms Wales; Daniel Binks – our Mentor from Lloyds Bank, and Laurence Cohen – our Accountant from Gordon Downs & Company for their contributions; and to the team at Cornerstone for their excellent service.

Our Annual Report for the year 2015-16 is available here:

Annual Report 2015-16

VCS will be moving to 5-6 Hayes Building, Curran Road, Cardiff/CF10 5DF from December 1st, with ‘The Release Project’ and our new mental health supported volunteering project ‘Pave The Way’ operating from there, together with our Community Media projects. ‘The Chronicle Project’ has relocated to Glamorgan Archives for a temporary period of six months.

The move to Hayes Buildings will also be temporary as the building is in an area of redevelopment and VCS, together with Radio Cardiff (the community radio station) will be seeking new permanent premises together in 2017, which promises to be an exciting year.

As ever, we want to thank our funders: the Lloyds Bank Foundation; the Heritage Lottery Fund (Wales); the Big Lottery Fund (Wales) and Cardiff Council for their ongoing support.

in Blog / Events 0 comments
 by Jeremy Rees

Ukulele fever at The AWE Group

The AWE Group (the latest project from the collaboration between VCS and Inroads) today welcomed the wonderful ‘Plucking Fourstrings’ for an afternoon of great ukelele music at The Inroads Wellbeing Centre.

The group runs every Wednesday 2:00 – 4:00pm and invites people from the arts & media to share their skills and talents.

Future sessions include a Creative Writing workshop with John Porter on 27th April; and creating a radio science show with Rhys Phillips on 3rd May.

To find out more about The AWE Group contact Jeremy Ress: [email protected]

 

 

 

 

in Blog / Supported Volunteering / The Art of Being Well 0 comments
 by Jeremy Rees

A visit from our founder – Robert Davies

Robert Davies, who founded VCS back in 1964 visited at our new base at the Inroads Wellbeing Institute today with his wife Ingegerd. Robert now lives in Sweden but keeps an active interest on our activities. Robert & Ingegerd had a tour of the building and heard about the collaboration between VCS and Inroads which has already seen the development of 17 volunteering roles. They joined staff & volunteers for a community meal in the Wellbeing Cafe and shared memories of the early days of VCS back in the 1960’s and its many incarnations – and locations – over the past 52 years. Robert said he was impressed at that the Wellbeing Institute was clearly at the heart of the community – which is very much in keeping with the original philosophy of VCS. We look forward the welcoming them back soon.

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 by Jeremy Rees

Student Volunteers making a difference at Stroke Centre

Student Volunteers Week (22 – 28 February) is a national celebration of the positive impact students have on their communities through volunteering.

The Stroke Rehabilitation Centre (SRC) at University Hospital Llandough (UHL) has recently recruited 16 student volunteers to assist as it develops its services to include seven day rehabilitation.

The 45 bed consultant led unit has a multidisciplinary team to offer on-going management and rehabilitation to patients who have had strokes.

The SRC reviewed its resources to enable its patients to receive seven day rehabilitation while they are on the unit. This includes the appointment of new rehabilitation assistants as well as the time of student volunteers to help support activity on the ward.

The volunteers will work in partnership with staff to assist and organise activity sessions for patients at the SRC. Activities include arts and crafts and quizzes, with some activities organised around individual needs.  A key role as a volunteer is befriending, where volunteers can support patients at their bedside by simply reading or speaking to them.

Here three students tell us about their experiences of volunteering at the SRC.

Click to read more

 

in Blog / Get involved / Volunteer 0 comments
 by Jeremy Rees

Reused clothing to keep homeless warm this winter

Homeless people in Cardiff are to benefit from warm clothes collected just before Christmas by the Grangetown Community Action group.

In total over 50 sacks of clothing were passed to the Salvation Army’s Bus Project which is a drop-in centre in a bus, which serves tea, coffee and sandwiches to homeless people every night in the city centre. The clothing collected was also weighed and put towards City of Cardiff Council’s current reuse target.

Cabinet Member for Environment, Cllr Bob Derbyshire said: “I’d like to thank the public-spirited volunteers who collected this clothing for homeless people in our city. I am sure the clothes will be gratefully received and it underlines the importance of allowing others to reuse unwanted items. I’d much rather an old jumper provided warmth for somebody in need rather than lie untouched at the bottom of a drawer.”

Secretary of Grangetown Community Action Group, Ashley Lister said: “During the clothes drive a fantastic 51 bags of clothes ranging from hats and scarves, to jeans and jumpers was collected and donated to The Salvation Army’s Bus Project. I’d like to thank all those who donated clothing to the cause, Father David Morris and local Police Officers who helped to sort and deliver the clothing at the end of the drive. I’d also like to extend my thanks to Cardiff Council’s Neighbourhood Partnership Team, staff at Channel View Leisure Centre, Cardiff Youth Offending Service and The Buzz Information Shop for their support acting as drop-off points.”

 

in Blog / Get involved / Supported Volunteering / Volunteer 0 comments
 by Jeremy Rees

How to Have The Best Vacation

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