Southampton's Communities

Nominate a local group for an award

The Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service recognises local volunteer group’s outstanding work done in their own communities. Any group doing volunteer work that provides a social, economic or environmental service to the local community can be nominated. To nominate a group that deserves recognition for their work in supporting the needs of others please visit http://bit.ly/M7NZPJ

The Link – Connecting Local Communities with Local Businesses

Business in the Community, Southampton City Council and Southampton Voluntary Services are pleased to remind you of the new joint initiative The Link – Connecting Local Communities with Local Businesses. The service is free to not for profit organisations in Southampton City Council boundaries.

Community organisations are encouraged to visit the site at http://www.bitc.org.uk/south_east/programmes/community/the_link_.html and register for one or more of the following services.

Manual Based Projects
Are you in need of a garden makeover or reception area makeover? Then register those here!

Skill Based Projects
This allows you to register for more skill orientated support in areas including business support mentoring, marketing and PR support, HR training etc.

Business Cycle

Would you welcome the opportunity to receive second hand office equipment and furniture? Businesses regularly have suitable equipment which could re-used. Register goods you would welcome here!

Link Back

Would you like to offer something in return to business? Free of charge or at cost list any services you feel you could offer.

For further information please contact Mike Toy on 023 9223 0692.

How to engage students in volunteering

Student Volunteering Week’s Oli Gregory says charities must make students feel valued and allow them to develop skills…

Interesting article via The Guardian - full article over at
http://www.guardian.co.uk/voluntary-sector-network/community-action-blog/2012/feb/20/student-volunteering-week-skills

http://catch-22.org.uk/News/Detail/Transforming-neglected-spaces-and-young-lives »

Good story here from Catch22 in Southampton. Nice to hear about these sorts of projects where ever they are based. There has been a Community Space project in Southampton too http://www.communityspacechallenge.org/gallery.asp?m=197&g=187&p=15.

Queen’s Award nomination

Sholing Valleys and International Cookery Exchange have both been nominated for the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service and have been invited by Hampshire County Council to an official reception to celebrate their nomination. Both groups have done, and continue to do, fantastic work for Southampton this recognition is thoroughly deserved. We wish you the best of luck with your nomination!

Real Love: Volunteer, it will change your life. »

theworldaccordingtomandy:

So today, Mandy did something a little bit different… I was offered an opportunity through my school to do some volunteer work with an amazing organization called Habitat for Humanity. If accepted, I would spend a day helping to build a house for a family that could not otherwise afford one. So a…

Red Cross disaster relief volunteer still going strong at 75 »

Seventy-five-year-old Charles Wilson keeps a duffel bag packed and an eye on the news.

Flooding in North Dakota? Better find a heavy coat.

Hurricane in Florida? Get the bug spray.

Wildfires in San Diego? Call mom, 93, in southern California and tell her he’s headed that way.

Such is life for Wilson, the most-traveled disaster relief volunteer for the local chapter of the American Red Cross. In the five years since he joined the organisation, the retired locksmith supervisor at Texas Christian University has crisscrossed the country.

For this full story, visit
http://www.star-telegram.com/2011/03/14/2921254/red-cross-disaster-relief-volunteer.html