2. 2
Ashford Volunteer Centre was established
in 1978 providing a range of volunteering
and support services to the population of
Ashford Borough.
The Centre runs several projects for the
benefit of the local community as well as
supporting other voluntary organisations to
find and retain volunteers to deliver crucial
services.
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3. 3
Contents
Annual Report
2013 / 2014
4 Chairman’s Report
5 Manager’s Report
6 Vision & Mission
7 The Team & Board
8 Volunteering
9 Youth Volunteering
10 Community Car Scheme
11 Befriending
12 Care Navigator
13 Tenancy Support
14 Personal Budgets
14 DBS checking
15 VOICE
16 Achievements
17 With thanks
18 Looking to the future
19 Treasurer’s Report
“We
are so grateful
for everything,
you gave us both
peace of mind
that we are not
alone anymore”
Care Navigator
service user
4. 4
Welcome to our Annual Report. It has been another busy year for
Ashford Volunteer Centre, and this is our opportunity to report back to
you on our activities and impact against our organisational objectives.
For the coming year we know that the expectations from funders and
service users are going to increase. We will have a key role to play in
helping organisations to attract and retain new volunteers, alongside
delivering our own services.
As volunteering dominates our work, it is important to remember that
the value in volunteering isn't simply about people doing things for
free. Volunteering brings together communities across age, gender,
cultural and socioeconomic boundaries. It is a great way to have fun,
develop skills, learn about one another and contribute to making the
Ashford Borough a great place to live, work and learn.
The work we do is only possible because of the energy,
ideas and commitment of our staff and volunteer team,
and continued support of our members and funders.
I'd like to thank them all for everything they do in
making the Ashford Borough an even better place
to volunteer.
If you would like to find out about our services or
how you could get involved please visit our
website for more information.
Cllr Peter Feacey
Chair
Chairman’s Report
5. 5
Manager’s Report
Staff and trustees have worked hard to ensure that the organisation’s
foundation remains strong and will be able to continue its work in the
years ahead. These are tough times for many and Ashford Volunteer
Centre is working towards being well placed to continue to develop
new creative practices with key organisations across East Kent. It is
essential that this collaborative approach is built upon to ensure that
together we develop resilient individuals and sustainable communities.
We are living in a changing world where the internet and social media
provides opportunities to access information, to keep pace we need to
accept that this is the way of the future. Our new marketing and social
media officer will be working to increase our social media presence,
we also hope to launch a new, more interactive website before the
next AGM.
This year the team will be working on capturing impact more
effectively and a new database system will support this.
We continue to explore opportunites to raise funds and are setting
up a Community Interest Company which will direct it’s profits to the
charity.
The team have worked together to bring us through a difficult funding
year and I would like to thank them for their support. As always
thanks to trustees and volunteers for their continued support.
Sue Sawyer
Manager
6. 6
Vision & Mission
Our Vision
Ashford Volunteer Centre strives to be a proactive,
leading and professional centre of excellence
empowering local communities through volunteering.
This vision is underpinned by the following values:
• Fairness and Equality: Volunteering enhances social
inclusion and good relations. It should be open to
everyone.
• The importance of free will/choice: Volunteering
is a matter of free choice and there should be no
compulsion to take part.
• Mutual Benefit: Volunteering is a shared experience.
It is rewarding and of benefit to the volunteer in building
skills, confidence and extending social networks.
Volunteering is of benefit to society in contributing to the
building of social capital and progressive social change.
Our Mission
To promote the value of volunteers and volunteering in
the Borough of Ashford, and ensure equality of access
to volunteering for all people
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The Team
Sue Sawyer Manager
Caroline Reeves Care Navigator & Community Equipment
Assessor
Deborah Possee Youth Volunteer Co-ordinator, Marketing &
Social Media Officer
Jill Brown Befriending Co-ordinator
Leanne Yetman Volunteer Co-ordinator
Pamela Possee Tenancy Support Co-ordinator & Trainer
Rebecca Clarke Intergrated Personal Health Budgets
Tracy Perry Administrator & Invoice Clerk
The Board
Cllr Peter Feacey Chairperson (from October 2013)
Caroline Hannah Treasurer
Martin Chambers Trustee (until June 2014)
Norma Smyth Trustee
Peter Ananicz Trustee
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Volunteering
Volunteer Brokerage
The Volunteer Brokerage is the core
function of the Volunteer Centre. For the
past few years it has been based inside the
Books for Free Centre in Park Mall, due to a change in our
operating strategy this ceased in May. The service promotes
volunteering, supports the voluntary sector in finding
suitable volunteers and offers a comprehensive brokerage
service, matching prospective volunteers with needs of
organisations.
This year we have seen an increase of the number of individuals
registering an interest in volunteering with over 340 registrations,
partly due to Ashford Job Centre+ referring benefit claimants to
volunteer.
To further increase awareness of the benefits of volunteering and
promote our service to organisations the brokerage will evolve
this year into a more focused outreach service. Through new
outreach strategies we will be able to
improve outcomes to both volunteers
and organisations and improve
accessibility to volunteering.
*AVC Volunteer survey sent out to Borough residents in Jan 2014. 87 responses.
Funded by
63%
of volunteers
surveyed said that
volunteering helped
them gain new skills
and experience*
54%
of volunteers
surveyed said that
volunteering helped
improve their mental
well being*
9. 9
Youth Volunteering
Can Do Crew
The Can Do Crew project is in the 4th
year of funding from Ashford Borough
Council. The project aims to engage 40 young people
aged 16-25 annually in volunteering activity to enrich their
experience, skills, fill CV gaps and improve employability.
Feedback sought throughout the year have
shown that 42% moved into employment,
education, training or an apprenticeship
within an average 6 months of joining the
project. For others their goal was
something different – to achieve a sense
of purpose, just to get out of bed in the
morning or to make friends and reduce their isolation.
This year a high proportion of young people enquiring about
volunteering have had additional needs and require more
support. The project will adapt to provide more support to those
with extra needs to help them achieve their goals. Linking
volunteering to career goals has shown to give invaluable
experience, provide CV content, and strengthen college and job
applications. To develop this further the project co-ordinator is
training in careers guidance, will offer careers interviews and find
suitable career related volunteering roles.
Funded by
In
2013/2014
42 Can Do Crew
volunteers carried
out over 1000 hours of
volunteering (over
half in Books for
Free)
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Community Car Scheme
Ashford's community car scheme continues to grow and has
over 650 active users in the Ashford Borough. The scheme
has between 35-40 volunteer drivers at any time, who between
them carry out on average 95 journeys a week, ensuring local
residents who are unable to use public transport manage to
retain their independence.
Our long standing and loyal office volunteers continue to run
the scheme daily with the support of the transport project team.
Without their friendly voice at the end of the phone and dedication
to matching journeys to volunteer drivers the scheme would not be
able to operate.
To support the ongoing sustainability of the service it has been
identified that a membership scheme would help raise needed funds
to keep the service running. This will be implemented by the end of
the year.
Working alongside our East Kent Volunteer Centre partners, the
scheme has produced new marketing material and is focusing
on raising the profile amoung local residents, care providers, GP
surgeries and other services.
The new computerised database will only make the scheme run
more efficient once it is implemented.
"We wouldn't have been able to get to much needed hospital
appointments without this wonderful service, thank you"
Funded by
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Befriending
Well being at home
The Well-Being at Home Befriending Service
has been running for over 12 years. The project is
supported by a grant from KCC and the agreement is
underpinned by the Putting People First agenda (December
2007) which highlights the alleviation of loneliness and
isolation as a major priority.
The project aims to increase social contact in the home for
people living alone (50yrs+) who are isolated and lonely by
matching them with a volunteer befriender. The Well-Being at
Home service covers Ashford urban and rural north we work
closely with the Care Navigator service, colleagues at CARM
(Caring Altogether on Romney Marsh & Shepway Volunteer
Centre); together with Social Services and a variety of support
groups.
Our volunteer befrienders have given
over 1,760 hours of friendship over
the past year; a weekly visit may
not necessarily solve everyone’s
issues but certainly goes a long
way to alleviate it.
Ian has been visiting Chuck for the
last year, both avid Arsenal supporters
they look forward to the weekly visits
and have built up a great friendship.
Funded by
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Care Navigator
& Community Equipment Assessor
The Care Navigator and Trusted Assessor Service has had
a seventh successful year and is seen by KCC as the way
forward in delivering preventative services for older people.
This year alone over 700 Ashford Borough residents (age
50+) have benefited from information, advice and equipment
assessing, supporting their right to independence in the
home.
The Care Navigator Service is Kent wide with Ashford being the
most productive due to close working relationships with Social
Services and other community services. The aim of the project
is to empower those over 50 years to access the right support to
remain independent in their own homes and active in their local
community.
In response to the recent weather conditions Ashford VC secured
funding from Kent Community Foundation Surviving Winter Fund
for 10 grants of up to £200 to help local residents who struggle
keeping their homes warm. The fund also enabled distribution of
20 emergency parcels which included gloves, scarves, torches
and non-perishable food items to help vulerable members of the
community be prepared for a harsh winter.
Letter from Paul Carter, CBE. Leader of KCC ‘I really appreciate
your efforts and the assistance you give to members of the pub-
lic…..please accept my sincere gratitude for the superior job you
are doing in our service department.’
Funded by
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Tenancy Support
Tenants Support Project secured
funding from Ashford Borough
Council for a second successful year in which 66 homeless
people benefited from information and support to empower
them to achieve sustainable tenancies.
Working in partnership with ABC housing department the project
co-ordinator delivered monthly Tenancy Induction Workshops to
new tenants with further mentoring support as appropriate.
Due to the economic crisis Ashford Borough has seen an
increase in homelessness among a wide cross section of
society. In response, the housing department’s main focus
for the workshops has been for homeless individuals being
supported in B&B accommodation.
The workshops have delivered important information to
vulnerable people whilst establishing a need for on-going
support, particularly among young people in their first tenancies.
The project has highlighted a lack of understanding about
budgeting and money management by a significant number of
new tenants.
Feedback from workshop attendees: “Engaging was not so
scary” “Not always a negative thing to do, to conform” “It’s nice
not to be judged”
“I am new to the area with no family support. It was helpful to
have the follow up support in the first weeks in my new home”
Funded by
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Personal Budgets
To develop and implement integrated personal budgets.
During 2013/2014 23 people were given an integrated personal
budget The majority of budget holders experienced good
outcomes e.g. increased mobility / dexterity, reduced levels of
anxiety and weight loss.
As well as supporting the implementation of integrated budgets
the co-ordinator is leading on a project exploring the use of formal
qualifications in the training of Personal Assistants (PAs) in Health.
Up to 30 PAs will undertake training in clinical tasks delegated by
Health Professionals. All the training will be within the Qualification
Credit Framework (QCF). By using the QCF budget holders and
health professionals will be assured that PAs have been trained and
assessed to a regulated standard.
DBS checking
Last year we carried out over 270 DBS checks for local
charities and businesses, and trained staff in several local
organisations to enable them to complete DBS forms for staff
and volunteers in line with regulations.
By providing this service we are supporting organisations to meet
their safeguarding obligations and helping reduce risk of harm to
vulnerable members of the community.
Funded by
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VOICE
Since November 2013 the Volunteer
Centres in Ashford, Shepway, Dover
District and Thanet have come
together in partnership with CASE
Kent to form VOICE – Voluntary
Organisations Involved in Community Engagement.
By working together VOICE aims to build social capital, engage
better with hard to reach individuals/groups, and strengthen the voice
and activity of voluntary organisations throughout the community.
By being more strategically involved in joint delivery and targeting
support to groups and individuals to meet specific needs, VOICE
has the potential to further improve outcomes for local communities
and significantly influence the ability of the voluntary sector to grow,
develop and do what it does best.
“Working together will enable us to share expertise, develop services
in response to local need and increase efficiencies across the
five organisations” said Mrs Janet Johnson, Manager of Shepway
Volunteer Centre.
All five organisations have long histories of serving their local
communities; with in depth knowledge of the voluntary and community
sector and awareness of the needs of the most vulnerable in society.
As a consequence VOICE enhances social inclusion and citizenship;
has a beneficial impact on the local economy – providing voluntary
organisations with practical support and advice and in addition to
empowering people with life skills and employment opportunities, it
offers choice to service users.
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Achievements
'Skills for Volunteers' Courses
This year we ran 3 'Skills for Volunteers' courses which
were supported by funding from Kent Adult Education. The
courses generated a high level of interest and as such were
oversubscribed. Feedback was very positive and over 50% of
learners went on to secure a volunteer role.
Volunteer Cream Tea
The summer celebration of volunteers
at Eastwell Manor was well attended
and gave an opportunity for our
volunteers to receive something back.
Volunteer New Year Event
Once again our New Year event at the Books For Free Centre in
Park Mall, Ashford proved very popular with our volunteers and
the hot food purchased from local provider, Barry's Kitchen, went
down a treat.
Raising funds for Macmillan
The Can Do Crew put on a Macmillan
coffee morning and raised £62.17 for the
charity by selling home made cakes.
Supported by
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With thanks
Thank you to all who have contributed to the
success of Ashford Volunteer Centre over the past
year.
Firstly, a huge thank you to all our volunteers who assist with the
smooth running of our office services and projects. Without this force
of vibrant, enthusiastic people the efficiency and reach of our services
would be greatly diminished. Moreover, we could not ignore the
contribution of our board of trustees whose valuable time is given to
oversee the continuing strategic development of the organisation and
compliance with our legal procedural obligations.
Acknowledgements:
Age UK
AMJ Computer Support
Ashford Borough Council
Ashford NHS CCG
Ashford & Tenterden Gateway+
CARM
CASE Kent
Centre for Voluntary Organisa-
tions
County & Borough Councillors
Crescent Training
East & Coastal NHS
Healthy Planet
Kent Adult Education
Kent Adult Social Services
Kent Community Foundation
Kent County Council
Kent East Infrastructure Partner-
ship
Kent Housing Group
Members of the public
Mentoring & Befriending Founda-
tion
Park Mall Management
Service Users
Volunteering England
VOICE
What Matters Forum
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Looking to the future
Projects
We continue to create project ideas to support
volunteering and our local community.
Impact
This year we will be overhauling the way we look at
impact and have purchased a database tool specifically
designed for charities to assist us in recording and
measuring our impact.
New website
Our Social Media Officer will be designing a new,
interactive and informative website which we hope to
launch before our next AGM.
The future of
volunteering.
2 members of
the Can Do Crew
Youth Project
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Financial Summary
Ashford Volunteer Centre continues to provide
valuable services to the community and have been
fortunate to secure sufficient funding to support the
projects being undertaken.
This year grants were secured to continue the Care
Navigator Service, Befriending Service, Personal
Budgets, Can Do Crew, Tenancy Support, Transport
and our core functions, which is reflected in the current
financial statements.
It was not possible to increase the contingency fund this
year, which is in place to cover six months of trading if
the Volunteer Centre was unable to secure funding.
Our accounts will be available for anyone to view as
an appendix at our AGM or you can request them by
contacting the office.
Caroline Hannah
Treasurer
20. If you have any questions or
comments please direct them to:
Sue Sawyer (Manager)
Ashford Volunteer Centre
Berwick House
8 Elwick Road
Ashford
Kent
TN23 1PF
01233 665535
www.volunteering-ashford.org
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Designed by: Deborah Possee
