News
January/February 2012
Wales Funding Success
RSVP Wales has been awarded £57,675 per year for three years by the Welsh Government to support the delivery of the Strategy for Older People in Wales. The funding will support RSVP’s core services in Wales and allow us to continue supporting around 2,500 volunteers.
Nailsea Availables
Nailsea Availables in the South West is an example of an RSVP activity which is vital in the community. This volunteer service covers two local health centres and provides transport for patients who have difficulty attending appointments because of age or infirmity. Set up in the 1970s, the service has grown and grown and now has 35-40 drivers, whose commitment to the community is exemplary.
Museum of London Docklands
The teaching arm of RSVP knitting goes from strength to strength, and a new knitting group has just been set up for young mothers at the Museum of London Docklands, based in a 200-year-old warehouse. The museum has been keen to provide community activities in this part of London, which suffers from a large degree of isolation, and besides offering imaginative activities for children, it has welcomed the idea of knitting as helping to form a bridge with the community.
Catalyst Award for Stockton-on-Tees
The RSVP team in Stockton-on-Tees have won one of the Catalyst Annual Achievement Awards for 2011. Catalyst provides an effective voice, representation and support for the third sector within the borough. RSVP won their Biggest Health Impact award, and this recognises the work of the volunteer team in Stockton to create opportunities for people to access health-related activities in a relaxed and enjoyable way.
Funding Success for Scotland
Thanks to the strong local profile and sheer tenacity of RSVP Forth Valley volunteers, an application to the local Transition Fund managed by Stirling Council has brought £18,000 to part-fund a staff post in Stirling, while a successful proposal to the Robertson Trust has secured further funding of £15,000 for 2011, also to support a staff post, with a possibility of funding at that level for a further two years if match funding beyond 2011 can be found.
Queen's Award for Stirling
Congratulations to RSVP Stirling who are one of the winners of the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service. This prestigious UK national honour recognises outstanding voluntary contributions and sets the national benchmark for excellence in volunteering, with the work of those awarded being judged to be of the highest standard. RSVP received the award for the work their volunteers do in the local community by helping in schools, hospitals, walking groups, knitting groups making items for other charities and organisations, and the handy persons project.
Coventry Award
Great news for RSVP Coventry whose Mata Sundri Ji knitting group has received a Compact Award from Voluntary Action Coventry, for their work in partnership with several local organisations — the Community Mental Health BME team, and the Coventry and Warwickshire Partnership
Get Active Week 2011
Get Active Week which annually features many many activities across the UK, took place from 19th to 26th June. See here for more information about this event.
Royal Wedding
RSVP certainly got into the swing of things with some wedding-themed events. Dunblane Knitting Group held a special Royal Wedding Coffee Morning with a splendid cake and a knitted wedding party. Brighton Lifelines Knitting Group also knitted a wedding party, which is to be auctioned for a local charity appeal.
Funding in RSVP West
Good funding news from RSVP Regional Coordinator Bob Maggs, who reports that Bristol and North Somerset Councils are maintaining the same level of funding for RSVP in 2011/2012. Also South Gloucestershire have slightly increased their funding for RSVP West's work in schools. This shows that even in the climate of major nationwide funding cuts, a strong connection with local authorities who recognise the value of RSVP activities in the community can ensure a continuation of funding..
RSVP Redditch
A recent project, RSVP Redditch continues to grow and now has 20 volunteers in 10 different local First Schools. They have also been successful in bidding for a Redditch Borough Council Stronger Communities Grant. The RSVP Redditch website can be found 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.
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). 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.
Manchester Funding Success
RSVP has been awarded a total of £251,000 over three years by the Big Lottery Fund to develop older people’s volunteering across the City of Manchester. This will give us an opportunity to establish a firm base in the city and to offer more support to RSVP volunteers in the north west.
Comic Relief Grant
RSVP's application for a grant from Comic Relief has been successful and we have been awarded £77,480 over three years. The money will be used for a patient transport scheme in Yorkshire.
Please visit our News Archive for a selection of past news items.
Museum
of London Docklands
