Sleep Easy
This is sponsored sleep-out at Vicarage Road Stadium (home to Watford FC and Saracens Rugby) to raise money for Watford & District YMCA, which supports and accommodates homeless people of all ages and degrees of vulnerability. In order to draw attention to the problem of homelessness we are inviting 100+ young people (16-25) to face the challenge of spending a night out The Rookery End concourse, which is not open to the elements but will be COLD, and raise a minimum of £20 each through sponsorship for doing so. Friday 26th February 2010 is the big night! Are you big-hearted enough to take up this challenge? Remember this will all be under cover so we will have only a mere taste of real homelessness!
There will be hot (and cold) drinks) available all night at the bar, but NO alcohol; there will also be snacks and refreshments. The event will be supervised by YMCA CRB-checked staff, aided by volunteer stewards and café assistants, and there will be security and First Aid. All you need to do is fill in the registration form here and we’ll send you more details and an essential kit list; then you just turn up on the 26th with your sleeping bag and cardboard! It’s going to be a lot of fun!
A touch of Hollywood Glamour comes to Hertfordshire, thanks to young volunteers.
Summary
Last night (27th October) 100 young people attend the ‘Night at the Oscars’ Prom of the year, Herts first Prom for young people with disabilities. Held at Bush Hall Hotel in Hatfield, and organized by a team of young volunteers after securing £6000 funding from The Big Spend. The event was a fantastic success, and also celebrated the first anniversary of vinvolved in Herts; vinvolved is the Natiaional Youth volunteering scheme for young people aged 16 - 25. In the past year vinvolved in Herts has helped more than 3400 young people experience volunteering.
What’s the story ?
A group of young people from all over Herts came together, with support from Nicole Connors from
vinvolved team Watford, with a vision of creating a county wide Prom for young people with learning disabilities; developing events of this kind provides social opportunities and enables young people with disabilities to participate in the rites of passage other teenagers may take for granted. The YAT team (youth action team) put in a funding application for the event, chose everything from the venue, theme and decorations and also recruited more volunteers to help out on the night. Nicole says ‘ Youth Action Teams provide amazing opportunities for young people to take the lead in making a difference in their community and acquire valuable skills and experiences, which they are able to use to improve their future prospects’.
vinvoved is the national youth volunteering scheme, we aim to inspire a million new volunteers by 2011, and support young people to challenge perceptions of the hoodie generation and perceptions of volunteering itself. There are many different kinds of volunteering from Taster days to full time opportunities, or YATS which are groups of young people that come together to create their own community projects. The YATS were presented with their nationally recognized v Thank you certificates by the High Sheriff of Hertfordshire Janie Wentworth-Stanley.
The event started with a bang, young people turned up looking fantastic and it continued from there, dancing, singing and the all important announcement of the Prom Queen and King. Prom Queen went to Sophie Constable for her hard work and commitment to fund rising for local charities. Prom King went to James Tetlow for his inspiring personality and party sprit. James said ‘The music was good, the food was good, but we want a bigger dance floor next year’.
We had 40 volunteers that attended the event; they had different jobs on the evening such as prom welcomers, buddies and general support to make sure the party got into full swing. The volunteers had a great evening ‘ Sherilyn (aged 20) said ‘ It was a brilliant night, we all made loads of new friends and are looking forward to the challenge of making the Prom bigger and better next year’.
If you are interested in doing ANY volunteering then please contact your nearest vteam representative, for contact details please see our website.
If you want to make a difference what is stopping you, GET INVOLVED!!
Ricky Rags to Riches
Are you aged between 16 and 25 years old? Would you like to get involved in a project that will teach you how to beat the Credit Crunch and look good on a low income? Why not sign up for Ricky Rags to Riches?
The aim of this project is to demonstrate that anyone can get through the economic recession looking good on a low budget by recycling, re-using, and spending a bit of time, effort and imagination (but not money!)
We will recruit young people to customise second-hand clothes and accessories from charity shops and wherever else they can get them, turn them into funky/punky/glamorous/sporty/sophisticated outfits and model them at a Fashion Show on February 20th 2010 at Watersmeet in Rickmansworth.
We want young people aged 16 – 25 years to form teams and organise themselves to meet regularly, plan their work and themes, manage a small budget, design their ‘look’ and carry out the make-over and alterations necessary.
Other volunteers will work on hairstyles and make-up, stage management, lighting, decoration, marketing and publicity, photography etc.
Older people with relevant skills and experience will be recruited through the Three Rivers Volunteer Centre to help and mentor the young people throughout, and all will be managed by the Vinvolved and Volunteer Centre staff.
CRB checks will be carried out.
The objectives are to develop young people’s skills in team work and team leadership, project management, organisational methods, resourcefulness, design, sewing/making over, modelling, working to (limited) budget, learning about thrift, recycling and re-using, and overcoming economic limitations in the recession while still dressing stylishly.
And last but not least – to have FUN while doing all this! If you would like to make new friends, develop new skills, extend your talents, and have a brilliant time – get in touch!
Contacts:
Mary Green, Youth Volunteering Development Manager, vinvolved team, YMCA, Charter Place, Watford WD17 2RT; tel.: 01923 353631; mob.: 07989 502269. Email: marygreen@watfordymca.com
Kathe Clark, Three Rivers Volunteer Centre Manager, Basing House, 46 High Street, Rickmansworth WD3 1HP; tel. 01923 711174. Email: vcm.trcvs@speedinternet.co.uk
First Aid Course Notes
vinvolved volunteers put their half term to good use and made the world a slightly safer place…
12 volunteers were participants on a vinvolved/Red Cross Emergency Life Support course at the Watford CVS. They can look after a person in an emergency and give the right assistance to save a life, in return they achieved an accredited certificate with the Red Cross, which will look extremely impressive on their CVs. The free lunch was courtesy of the Lunch Box.
Skills gained included: Resuscitation, learning how to treat Bleeding, Burns, Shocks and much more and they learnt this through practical activities, group discussion and role play.
Check out the gallery for your area to see more pictures of the young volunteers in action.
If you’re interested in attending a future training course fill out the registration form for your area and we will inform you of future dates.
Fashion Favours
In September Anum from Broxbourne was lucky to be picked for the London Fashion Favours Workshops at the London Fashion and Textile Museum in Bermondsey Street, London organised by vinvolved the National Youth Volunteering Programme for 16-25 years old.
The aim of the day was to produce a new garment out of unwanted clothes. At the beginning of the session they heard about different volunteering opportunities available with v. The presentation from Junky Styling explained how they use second hand clothing and change them into something new.
They were split into 4 teams with a team leader. Anum’s group had Anni co-founder of Junky Styling and they got to work putting their designs on paper. Each group were given a silhouette of a strapless bodice to adapt into their own design. As a group they selected specific features from each of the designs and incorporated them into one design with the theme of “English Heritage”. The “English Heritage” dress was made out of an old tweed jacket, trousers and even a child’s winter coat. Designer Ben De Lisi was also on hand to spent time with each group diccussing their thoughts and giving advice.
All the designs that were made on the day were sold on EBay to raise money for the HIV Charity called Body & Soul. The group’s finished garment was also one of only six picked to be displayed in Debenhams’ Shop Windows at their new store in the Westfields Shopping Centre in London.
Anum says “It was an amazing day, the fact that it took place in London, a landmark for British Fashion made it even more of an experience. I loved meeting and working with such talented young people who all shared an interest in fashion”.