Case Study - Trevor Nield

Trevor joined the Volunteering into Pathways project in January 2011 because he was tired of not having a daily routine after being unemployed for over 3 years. He chose to volunteer with Springhead Community Centre, where he helped to renovate the old scout hut. For 12 weeks, Trevor was part of a team of 6 who helped to knock down walls, fix floor boards and paint and decorate the hut. The scout hut is now available to hire for the local community.

Trevor feels his confidence has grown significantly since the start of the programme. Both friends and family have commented and recognised his increase in confidence. Part way through the programme, Trevor began an additional volunteer role at Oldham Gateway club where he supports adults with learning difficulties. He has now decided on a career in care and is actively applying for jobs in care work.

‘’The project has built my confidence, I’ve made new friends and everyone has said they will keep in touch. I have really enjoyed the whole project, it has given me the push I needed. I feel I have definitely achieved something. Before I got up in the morning and just mooched around, this was no good. I am really glad I came into the Volunteer Centre’’ Trevor

Since the project has finished, Trevor is still volunteering at Oldham Gateway club. He has also completed a two week intensive course in health and social care at Oldham College and he has enrolled on a computer course with learn direct. He is still applying for care related jobs and we wish him the best of luck!

The Volunteering into Pathways has come to a successful end

Last week, the second group of learners of the Volunteering into Pathways scheme came together for the project round up.

The learners have volunteered and attended a series of training sessions over a 12 week period. During this time, 3 learners have found paid employment, others have enrolled for futher learning courses and all the learners will continue with their volunteer placement.

They have all thoroughly enjoyed the scheme as it has allowed them to gain new skills, work experience and meet new people. Most of all this scheme has given people the motivation and confidence to try new things and to push themselves a little bit further.

You can read more about their remarkable journeys as we will be posting some of their stories very soon...so keep posted!

What's happening up at Greenacres Community Centre?

We have a team of volunteers working with OPAG as part of the Volunteering into Pathways programme.

OPAG, Oldham Play Action Group works throughout the year promoting children’s play. Each year OPAG supports a range of playschemes across the borough. The majority of these playschemes are organised and run by groups of volunteers, who give their time, commitment and lots of energy to put on activity sessions for children in their communities. For more information about OPAG, please visit their website http://www.opag.co.uk/
 

OPAG have recently taken over the management of Greenacres Community Centre and the volunteers are there to help revamp the centre. See Kimberly, Michael and Elvis hard at graft...

What are the volunteers doing at Streetlink?

Three of the Volunteering into Pathways participants are volunteering at Streetlink.

So who are Streetlink?

Streetlink first set up as a community project as part of the New Life church in Failsworth a  few years ago. It's exciting times for Streetlink as they are currently in the process of becoming a registered charity. They have grown over the years and moved from one success to another, so becoming a registered charity is a natural next step for them.

They run a number of different community projects across Failsworth, Limeside and Derker. These include a football academy, youth club, soup kitchen as well as the social action team.

Our volunteers have joined the social action team, where they are meeting the needs of the local community by tidying gardens, decorating and completing other DIY tasks.

Here they are clearing up around the New Life church....

The team building day was a huge success or so the participants say...

Let's see what the participants had to say about the team building day out....

'It feels good to push myself and to leave my comfort zone to gain confidence'

'I thoroughly enjoyed the whole day & learnt things about myself and developed new confidence in my abilities'

'I didn't think I could rock climb but I put trust in myself and team members and I did it'

'A nice day out that managed to bring out people's characters and strengths. It enabled us as a team to now each other better and talk with different people'

'I felt wonderful, especially getting to know everyone and learning new skills, like trying to find different solutions to any problem'

'I was a bit pessimistic about the day but once we got there and began to start activities. I found it very fulfilling & fun as not only were the tasks fun but it allowed me to get to know my team mates and other volunteers'

The participants get to know one another a little bit better...

Throughout this project, we place a big emphasis on team work. In any work place or volunteer project, team building skills are a valuable skill for individuals to have. The participants are volunteering in small teams to give them the opportunity to develop these skills. To help kick start some team spirit, we took the group out on a team building challenge.

The day was a lot of fun and we even managed to avoid the rain.....

Volunteers from the first cohort finally got to do their abseil

When the first cohort went on their team building day out back in February, the weather was so severe, we weren't able to complete the abseil. So as promised, we took those who wanted to give it a go, up to Matley quarry in Stalybridge to do an abseil and rock climb.

The second cohort attended their team building day out yesterday....watch this space to see how they get on!

Participants complete their pre-volunteer course

Participants on the second round of the Volunteering into Pathways project, completed their Pre-volunteer course last week.

Here they all are working hard and with their certificates at the end of the session.

The 12 weeks are over and the participants meet for the last time...or do they?

This week the participants came together for the final time as the 12 week Volunteering into Pathways project came to an end.

The group has done extremely well to see the project through and we're all very proud of them for being so reliable, hard working and committed. As a result they have gained so much from the programme, new skills, work experience, new friends and bags of confidence..... 

'This project has built my confidence, I've made new friends and everyone has said they will keep in touch. I have really enjoyed the whole project, it has given me the push I needed. I feel I have definitely achieved something. Before I used to get up in the morning and just mooch around, this was no good. I am really glad I came into the Volunteer Centre.' Trevor, Volunteer at Springhead.

Some of the participants will continue their volunteer role with the organisation they started the programme with. Others have already started new roles or are in the process of finding something else. There was never a guarantee of a job at the end of this programme but the group are certainly more prepared for the labour market and if they continue to volunteer and keep their skills and experience up to date, they will have more chance of finding the right job.

Here they all are, with their portfolios...

We have now started the second cohort of the Volunteering into Pathways programme. 17 brand new participants attended the first pre-volunteer course on Tuesday and they will begin volunteering next week.

Watch this space to see how they get on.... 

It's week 9 for the Springhead volunteers and the end is in sight!

It is week 9 for the volunteers at Springhead Community Centre, they still have a couple of weeks left but they are now starting to complete the final touches to the hut.

Bob Hoath, Community Leader at Springhead is 'delighted to be involved in the Volunteering into Pathways programme. Springhead Community Centre has been operating by a volunteer association since 2007 and refurbishment has been a long hard path. The team of volunteers from Volunteer Centre Oldham are making a valuable contribution to our refurbishment programme. They are committed and hard working and are a credit to themselves and Volunteer Centre Oldham in general’.

Damian below is painting the door frame.

Trevor and Tizita are giving the walls a second coat and finishing the skirting boards and window frames

 Danny is sectioning off an area at the side of the hut where they are going to create a patio area

Volunteers complete their employability techniques training

Over the past 3 weeks, Highways to Opportunities have delivered a series of training sessions around employability techniques. They spent time with the volunteers, looking at how to write a CV, what to include and also what not to include. They also looked at how best to present yourself in an interview, what to wear and how to sell your skills, knowledge and experiences. In the final session, they looked at how to apply for jobs and they spent time looking at the next step scheme https://nextstep.direct.gov.uk/Pages/Home.aspx

Here are some of them with their certificates:

The volunteers are all meeting again at the final session of the Volunteering into Pathways on Thursday 28th April. In the mean time, they are all continuing with their volunteer roles.

Congratulations to Jonny who has a new job!

Big congratulations to Jonny who started a new job yesterday at Esure. Unfortunatley he won't be able to see the project to the end but we are over the moon that he has found employment. The aim of this project is to support individuals to become more employable, so for someone to gain a job half way through the project, is a massive achievement and we are really happy for him.

We wish all the very best of luck to Jonny!

Trevor who volunteers at Springhead has decided to take on an additional volunteer role with Oldham Gateway club, a centre that provides activities for adults with learning difficulties. Trevor has decided to pursue a career in care work, so he's looking to gain some practical work experience in this field first. We are delighted that Trevor has seeked more volunteer work and we are confident he will be an excellent asset to the Gateway team. We're not losing him from Springhead...(thankfully!!) but he'll have a busy few weeks ahead of him! Good luck Trevor!

I also wanted to say a big well done to everyone else on the project . We are now in week 8 and we are coming to an end of the training element of the project, which finishes on Thursday this week. The volunteers have been extremely committed and great to work with.

We received a text message from Akky who is volunteering with Positive Steps on Friday last week to say ''Hey Sian, just thought I’d text to tell you I had a brilliant time yesterday with the young carers, it’s exactly what I wanted. Thank you, Akky’’.

We are now recruiting volunteers for the second round of the project. If you are interested come along to our information session, next week Thursday 7th April 1.30pm at Volunteer Centre Oldham. Alternatively contact me on 0161 633 6222 or email sian.smith@vaoldham.org.uk

Springhead receive a visit from Pakistan!

Last week the Springhead volunteers received a visit from a group of volunteers from Pakistan who are part of the British Council's Active Citizens project. You can read more about the Active Citizens programme by following the link http://www.britishcouncil.org/bih-projects-active-citizens.htm.

The group from Pakistan were in Oldham for a week, so they came to see Springhead to see what type of community projects exist in Oldham. This was a great opportunity for us, as we were able to show off all the hard work that has gone on over the past few weeks.  

See below Trevor, Damian and Danny with 2 members from the Active Citizens programme.

They are still making great progress at Springhead and the end is nearly in sight. Have a look at the pictures below, it's amazing what new windows and few licks of paint can do!

How is Scout hut coming along?

The volunteers at Springhead are making tremendous progress, they have been putting up new walls, plastering, painting the external wood work. Check out the pictures below....

Volunteers braved the great outdoors on our team building day out!

(left to right - Kyle, Damian, Danny, Tizita, Akkey, Candice, David, Naim, Alishia, Lucy, Liz, Innes (Mountain Monkeys), Sian and Ryan

Here we all are, waiting to set off on team challenge at Dove Stones, Greenfield! We were very excited (and apprehensive) about what lay ahead, albeit a little bit cold.  

The day was jam packed with lots of different team building challenges. We were split into 2 teams and set off up the hill, with our harness and hard hats in hand.  

Our team spirit was stretched to the limits once we'd climbed to the top as the weather was very severe, so much so we had to cancel our abseil and rock climb. The weather didn't defeat us however, as we continued on with the rest of the day with more team games on lower ground with easier terrain.

The volunteers all said they really enjoyed themselves and we got a text later in the day from Akkey who said 'I had a great time, I enjoyed every minute of it!'

See how we got on....

The volunteers had a boost of confidence at Volunteer Centre Oldham today

Francis and Biddy from Oldham Community Health Services came along to talk about how we can build confidence and self esteem. The volunteers had a full day session, looking at how healthy eating, physical exercise and a positive attitude helps us to feel happier and confident in ourselves.  They also looked at different ways to deal with and manage stress. These are all really useful tips when we're in the work place and in everyday life in general!

Mark from Mountain Monkeys popped in at the end of the session, just to give the guys an update on what to expect next week, when we go on the team challenge day out at Dove Stones Greenfield. They will be rock climbing, abseiling, gorge walking and much more. Everyone is very excited and a little anxious...including me!
  

Half term is over and it's straight back into the swing of things for the DofE group.....

This week, Liz, Naim and Jonny were back at DofE, all freshed faced and eager to get on after their week off. They were tasked with sorting the equipment out, from tents to the walking gear ready for the next expedition. Here they all are waiting to get stuck in....

Put a spring in your step and try volunteering!

We are now recruiting volunteers for the second round of the Volunteering into Pathways project. The project will start in April and we are holding an information session on 7th April at Volunteer Centre Oldham. Contact Sian for more details 0161 633 6222.  

It's half term, so some of our volunteers get a week off - lucky them!

The Duke of Edinburgh group aren't volunteering this week as it is half term so they are getting a week off - lucky them! They will be straight back in there next week with lots to do and I'll be going along to make sure there is no slacking... :)  

The positive steps crew are attending individual interviews for their roles at Positive Steps. As they are working alongside young people there are lots of procedures and precautions they need to take. It will all be worth while once they start their volunteer role. 

All the volunteers are having their personal development meetings with me this week (see earlier post) and next week they'll be attending the Self Care training with the Health Improvement Team from the NHS. They are going to look at how to manage stress, build confidence and how healthy eating and physical exercise contribute to how he we feel. 

Keep posted to see how they get on....

How are the springhead group getting along?

The Springhead group are doing a great job up at the scout hut, each week there are massive improvements and you can really see the progress they are making.  

See Trevor and Tizita below who are making a pathway around the side of the buidling.

Damian and Danny have been busy filling the skip all day, getting rid of all the debris. Danny even found an old 10 pence coin from 1976.

Finally, Gary was very busy replacing the rotten floor boards with new ones....can't wait to see what they're up to next week.