Volunteering at Havering Nature Reserves

Thursday 26th August
Four Members of the Changemakers team which included Gavin, Demore, Danni & Rachael took part in a volunteering activity which took place in Havering Nature Reserves located in Upminster. Our roles included clearing & tidying up the pond to make it a better area for visitors. A lot of hard work & effort was put into this to make it look as good & healthy as possible. When working on the pond our tasks included: cutting down trees around the pond which was blocking sun getting to the pond as light is beneficial as it cleans the water & also building up a walkway for visitors to sit, relax or stand up on.
As much as hardwork was put into this task of making the pond a better place for visitors we found it really fun & exciting. We had the opportunity to get our hands on different raw materials such as a wood saw, planks of wood etc... We also gained skills & experience from other experienced workers on how to use the equipment in the right & best way. The best part & fun we had while on this volunteering activity was cutting down the trees it was really exciting & was a great experience. If we got offered to volunteer for Havering Nature Reserves we’ll definitely go again.

(Gavin Genius Youth Volunteering Assistant)

Frenford's Summer Jam

The power of volunteering and young people was on show at Frenford Clubs on Sunday 8th August. 75 young people from the borough helped make the event a runaway success. To celebrate the achievements of 80 years of Frenford's Youth Club, Frenford's Youth Committee joined forces with the vinvolved's Redbridge Youth Action Team to host Summer JAM, the ultimate youth event this summer! This was the first time that the two teams of young people have collaborated and worked together. They organised Frenford's Summer Jam to put on an event for the whole community; young and old. Rebecca Awan from the Youth Action Team said "it was initially a little nerve wracking working with a new team, but as time progressed and we got to know each other we learnt to work together. It was great to work with the Youth Committee and witness how passionate they are about the club. We managed to pull of a really successful event together! The two teams also managed to engage an additional 55 young people as volunteers on the day." Alex Hinds, a Youth Action Team member who compered the event added "after months of planning it was fantastic to see everything come together on day. And we all played a part in that." The young people had organised and arranged a range of activities for locals to get involved in on the day, including; street dance, graffiti, face painting, football, cricket, Wii and Playstation tournaments to name a few. There was also information stalls from vinvolved East London, Frenford Clubs, St Johns Ambulance and PCSO Safer Neighbourhoods. Frenford's Club is moving to new premises at the end of the year, the event was a thank you to everyone who has made Frenford's an outstanding success! Irfan Shah of Frenford Clubs commented; "To witness 'young people' plan and execute an event with over 50 plus young volunteers, has to be one of the most satisfying highlights of my time as a youth worker. The Frenford's Youth committee and the Redbridge Youth Action Team supported by Frenford, vinvolved East London, Changemakers and BTCV have made this event possible but notably a success. People approached me at the event and were extremely complimentary towards the young people who were volunteering at the event. This gives Frenford great hype as we approach a much anticipated move to the drive in October. I only hope that this event will be highlighted as much as the negatives surrounding young people usually are. Young people must be supported more now than ever as they face a steep rise in unemployment and I see volunteering as a tool to bridge the gap to employment."

Newham Youth Action Team host Shanti International Fundraising Day

Saturday saw Newham’s Youth Action Team dangling above the streets of Newham in the sunshine – all for a good cause, naturally. The Newham Action Fun Day was run by the young people of the Newham Youth Action Team run by vinvolved East London in Outdoors in the City, which brings extreme sports and activities to the local community. Sponsored zip wire leaps, bungee jumps, tug of war battles and sumo challenges were undertaken to raise money for Shanti International. There was a barbeque and even live acoustic music.

Over Eighty people came along, keen to take on physical challenges and raise money, and over £1,500 was collected for Shanti International to help build wells in India and also to help this local community venue in Canning Town- Outdoors in the City.

“It was a brilliant day, and I’ve never done anything like that before, it was nice that it was so close and that we did it for charity” says local resident and  Youth Action Team member Jennifer Mallari (featured in the photo) who celebrated her 18^th birthday on the day with a jump.  “The young people did a fantastic job of organizing it, everyone was really happy with it and we had such a good time.” Says Emma Holtz who works for Changemakers with Bryan Precious from the British Trust for Conservation Volunteers to support the Youth Action Team to carry out local projects in Newham.

August's Volunteer of the Month: Rebecca Awan

1. YOU THE VOLUNTEER

What inspired you to take part in this volunteering activity?

I thought that it would be a great way to see how other organisations are working and to see how we can engage other young people to be part of our team.


What did you enjoy about this volunteering activity?

The thing i enjoyed the most is seeing everyone working collaboratively and having an input for our end goal, however big or small there contribution was.


Has it helped you improve your job prospects and if so, how?

I was made events manager for this event so it has definitely improved many of my managerial and social skills throughout this project. 


How has this project helped you develop personally and in ways that might help you at work? 

I have learnt various different and new skills and also improved on the ones i already had but it has also given me insight on my own leadership skills and how I come across to people, I’ve learnt to take criticism and to improve myself when and where needed. 


2. THE PROJECT


What sort of things did you get up to on the project?

As I was events manager I had to make sure that everyone knew what they were doing and how they were going to do it. I also took a step back in the meetings that were held so that i could see the potential in other members and see what they were going to be doing and where there strengths lied. As the event got closer I did a lot of ordering around to get tasks done and also took on many for myself.

Was the project everything you expected?

Yes and so much more. My first conception of the project was that everyone would pitch in and work hard, i saw this as a time to see where people would take the lead and to take advantage of situations to improve and better themselves.


Will you continue to be involved? Why?

Yes, I love the Youth Action Team and what they do. The goals that the YAT have, which are to create volunteering opportunities for young people is something that all young people want to do. There’s always something new and exciting that we are able to deliver. 

3. THE LOCAL COMMUNITY


What impact do you think this project has had on your local community?

I think that the local communtiy are aware that we are around and that we are able to help and facilitate them in projects and volunteering opportunities that they will have. 


What feedback have you had from your local community?

That they enjoyed the event and that they thought it was great to see young people taking part in such projects.