News
August / September 2010
Generations Together in Plymouth
RSVP has been successful in its partnership bid with
Plymouth Guild and Groundwork Devon and Cornwall
for an intergenerational volunteering project
funded by Plymouth City Council under the national Generations
Together fund. Project Coordinator Rick McDowell is developing
volunteering opportunities in Plymouth and linking up with and supporting
existing projects in Devon.
In March a successful symposium was held on Bridging Cultures and Generations,
which promoted inter-generational community projects across Plymouth.
Attended by over 150 people, this event was a good platform to showcase
some of the work being carried out under the ethos of Generations Together.
Seafarers' Link
RSVP is working with Community Network to set up Seafarers' Link, a new free fortnightly telephone conferencing service to enable retired seafarers to contact each other. The first groups were launched in Hull in June 2009, with further groups launched in Cardiff and Merseyside in August.
Seafarers' Link is being named runner-up in a national charity award. Sponsored by the Ashden Trust, the SupportActionNet Awards received 109 nominations and are for services, projects or examples of support work that have delivered outstanding outcomes for vulnerable people.
If you are interested in participating or in volunteering as an organiser, or if you just want to find out more, please click here.
Clackmannanshire Healthcare Centre
The new Clackmannanshire Community Health Centre, where many RSVP volunteers are based, recently had a prestigious opening. Initially the volunteers will help visitors find their way around the new complex, but once the various departments come on stream their role could change to working more closely with patients and families.
RSVP already have volunteers helping in day clinics at Stirling Royal Infirmary, and Falkirk and District Royal Infirmary, and are looking to expand their involvement in hospitals.
Bridging the Generation
RSVP in Devon have begun a project
where the young teach the not-so-young some basic IT skills. Sixth formers
from Totnes Comprehensive School have been giving one-to-one guidance
to local mature learners. These weekly sessions, the first of their
type in Devon, have been featured in the local press, and Totnes mayor-elect
was quoted as saying
"I think it's brilliant. Last week gave me the confidence to go
out and buy a computer".
Wales Funding Success
RSVP has been awarded two more contracts to provide Engagement Gateway projects in Swansea and on Anglesey. The Swansea contract is valued in total at just over £22,000 with no match funding requirement, while that on Anglesey is almost £43,000 with a certain match funding requirement.
Grandmentors
Funded by the Jecda Trust, and covering two London boroughs, the exciting new Grandmentors project will match RSVP volunteer mentors to young people aged 14-18 who are NEET (not in education, employment or training).
The first mentor training took place in February. In June the project was given a prestigious launch in the House of Lords and given wide publicity in the Times, on BBC Radio 4 and Radio London, and even on Belarus TV. At the launch, Ian Duncan Smith, Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, delivered a supportive and informative speech, stressing the important role that older people have in forging intergenerational links and strengthening communities. Lord Freud, who is part financing the project, noted that there is a huge untapped resource of older and retired people who could transform the lives of youngsters.
Respect project in Manchester
RSVP has also launched the 'Respect ' project, funded by the City of Manchester. Under Project Coordinator Andy Ellison, the aim is to raise awareness of the impact of cold damp homes on health and well being in the city, and give energy efficiency advice to community groups and households living in fuel poverty. The project has completed its first phase of training and we now have six fully qualified RESPECT mentors and over 40 other volunteers. The project also attracted the attention of the Lord Mayor of Manchester who was very impressed with the number and commitment of volunteers.
EVIVA - European Volunteers in Voluntary Action
Following a successful funding bid, EVIVA (European Volunteers in Voluntary Action) is arranging European exchanges of older volunteers. This started in May 2010 when six Italian older volunteers from Savona came to London for three weeks. In late August, six RSVP volunteers will in return be visiting Savona for three weeks to learn about projects there. For further details of the exchanges and the programme, go to www.eviva-exchange.eu.
2010 European Year for Combating Povert and Social Exclusion
RSVP has been awarded European funding to deliver a project targeted at older people in the UK who suffer from poverty or social exclusion. Click here for more information.
Barnet Funding Success
RSVP Outer London North has been awarded £26,000 by Barnet Council in the form of two innovation grants. One is to develop a home share day care pilot scheme for 20 frail older people who need respite day care, and to improve local volunteering opportunities. The other is to promote volunteering in the community, targeting particularly those aged over 75.
East Renfrewshire celebrates
RSVP East Renfrewshire has been
celebrating its 10th Anniversary. They were pleased
to welcome local MP and Minister for Scotland Jim Murphy along to join
in the celebrations of this special landmark, and launch a campaign
for more volunteers. The event was featured prominently on his website
where he said,
“RSVP in East Renfewshire provide a fantastic service for older
residents in the area. Over the last 10 years the work of local organiser
Anne Marie and her team of dedicated volunteers has helped thousands
of local older residents and it is a wonderful achievement to celebrate
10 years. They deserve the praise and thanks of the local community.”
Volunteer numbers up
GREAT NEWS! 1,097 new volunteers joined RSVP in the year to March 2010. We now have a grand total of 14,251 volunteers who during the year gave just under 2.5 million volunteer hours on community projects.
Get Active Week 2010
RSVP celebrated Get Active Week very successfully from 21st to 27th June this year. You can find out more here.
Please visit our News Archive for a selection of past news items.
