Welcome to our first edition…..
Welcome to the first ever edition of the
Volunteer Bureau Newsletter! The newsletter is intended to be a source of
information about volunteering in the Ballymena & Larne Boroughs. We’d like
to make this a resource for every voluntary and community organisation in the
boroughs of Ballymena and Larne to widen their exposure and publicise the work
they do. All too often, the focus on the value of work done in the voluntary
and community sector can be lost in the constant demands for numbers and
outputs. So we’d like to hear about why your work makes a difference to the
local community. We want to give you the chance to say “This is what we do,
this is why we’re proud to be here.”
We also want to hear from individual
volunteers. Everyone has a different reason for getting involved, everyone who
volunteers is rewarded in a different way. We’d like to run a feature on a
different volunteer every issue, just to show how wide a variety of
volunteering activity exists in our area.
If you have any suggestions for what else
could be included in our newsletter, or any feedback on our first issue, please
let us know. We’d be glad to have your input.
All the best for 2003 to all our
readers…….
Let’s “go for a dive”!
The Oxygen Therapy Centre – a different approach! The Oxygen Therapy Centre is
a voluntary organisation which provides a valuable free service for the
local community. Operating from a site on the Shore Road, Magheramorne, the
centre provides a therapy called Hyperbaric Oxygen Treatment. This means
that patients enter a compression chamber and stay there for approximately
one hour, an experience referred to at the centre as “going for a dive”.
Little Demi Lee, age 4, is just one
of the patients who benefits from the treatment available at The Oxygen
Therapy Centre. Some of the volunteers at The Oxygen
Therapy Centre spending time with Demi Lee before starting a “dive”.
An oxygen mask is placed on
the face of the patient so that they can breathe oxygen under pressure.
This type of therapy helps relieve symptoms of various medical conditions
such as: ·
Multiple
Sclerosis (MS) ·
Cerebral
Palsy ·
Stroke ·
Rheumatoid
Arthritis It also assists other
conditions such as leg ulcers; sports injuries; migraines, and chronic
fatigue syndrome (ME).
At present the Centre is looking for
volunteers
to assist in housekeeping duties and also
has opportunities for volunteers to train as a Chamber Operator. No-one is ever
left to operate the equipment on their own, so volunteers work as a team.
Suitable volunteers should be over 18 with a mature outlook and have good
“people skills”.
Other desirable criteria would include a
willingness to train; flexibility; trustworthiness; reliability and the ability
to maintain confidentiality. In-house training will be provided and a new
accredited training programme for volunteers is planned for early in 2003. Any
out of pocket expenses volunteers incur will be reimbursed.
If you are interested in volunteering at The Oxygen Therapy Centre, please contact Andrew or Craig at the Larne office of the Volunteer Bureau, tel. 028 28260460.
LARNE COMMUNITY CARE CENTRE…..is ready for more volunteers!
The Community Care Centre
is located just off the Linn Road in Larne and managed by Liz Ford and
Lucinda McFall. This is a general support group for the local area, based
on Christian principles and operating a cross-community ethos. The Care Centre provides a
range of services catering for all members of the community and all age
groups. Children at the centre getting
some practice on the computer.
These services include
those for children, involving local children in various supervised
activities. This also incorporates a ‘SKOOLS OUT CLUB’, which
enables parents to access employment or training opportunities, in the
knowledge that their children are in a safe and secure environment. Various ADULT
activities are also available, including ‘Alive & Well’ for
senior citizens; craft and computer classes and other social activities
such as dancing. The Centre also arranges home visits, counselling services
and supported accommodation.
Supervised
play in a welcoming environment.
Volunteering roles at the Community Care Centre include: Administration Befriending Home Visitors Supporting Children with play/homework Youth club activities Craft Instructors
Suitable volunteers will have good people
skills,
A caring attitude and a willingness to
learn and
contribute to the work of the Community
Care
Centre. Training and support is available
for all
volunteers at the centre, including:
·
In-house
training (developing skills working with
children & senior citizens)
·
Accredited
training
·
First
Aid training
Volunteers can get support with travelling
expenses
and access a meal allowance, where
appropriate.
Some of the reasons people gave for
volunteering
at the Community Care Centre included:
·
Self-esteem
·
A
sense of achievement
·
Making
a contribution to the local community
If you are interested in any of these voluntary positions within the Larne Community Care Centre, please contact the Volunteer Bureau in Larne, Tel.028 2826 0460.
Shopmobility
Shopmobility Ballymena Ltd
is a registered charity that operates from the Tower Centre, Ballymena.
Opening hours are Monday to Friday 10.30am to 4.00pm. Shopmobility offers FREE
use of powered scooters and wheelchairs to people whose mobility is
impaired by disability, illness, injury or old age. By using the equipment,
members regain their independence and can conduct there own business, i.e.
shopping, banking, visiting the library or simply having coffee or lunch
with friends. To become a member, all you need is two passport size
photographs and two means of identification.
Staff and volunteers at the
Shopmobility unit in the Tower Centre. Full training in the use of the equipment
is given by the staff or volunteers.
Volunteers in the scheme are trained to
use and train others in the use of the scooters and battery powered
wheelchairs. Volunteers also answer the telephone, keep daily records up to
date and sign up new members, training them to use the equipment and pointing
out health and safety guidelines. Sometimes volunteers are also asked to help
out with various fund raising activities.
If you would like to volunteer with Shopmobility, please contact the Volunteer Bureau in Ballymena on 028 2565 6655.
TRAINING BURSARIES – The Volunteer Bureau has a
small training budget available to volunteers registered with us. These funds
are in place to help volunteers with the cost of any training which will help
them to make a more effective contribution to their voluntary work. Bursaries
are allocated on a first-come, first-served basis.
CVS – The Community Volunteering Scheme Small
Grants programme is open for applications from Monday 27th
January until 1pm on Friday 14th March 2003. The scheme
is open to small volunteer-involving-organisations in the Ballymena and Larne
boroughs. It aims to help support volunteers with expenses, training,
equipment, etc. Grants range between £500 and £1000 and application packs are
available from the Volunteer Bureau.
BUSINESS IN THE COMMUNITY – If your voluntary group is
based in the Ballymena area and would like help with a project, Business In The
Community plans to organise a team of 12 people to complete a one-day challenge
in March or April.
For further information on any of the above, please contact the Volunteer Bureau on 028 2826 0460 or 028 2565 6655.