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Don’t be an April Fool; be a Local Hero!

Localgiving’s annual Local Hero campaign launches on 1st April and runs until 30th April 2018.

Each year, Local Hero highlights the incredible ideas and feats of local charity fundraisers.

Throughout April, all participants will be ranked on the Local Hero leaderboard according to the number of unique online donors who sponsor their page. At the end of the campaign the winning fundraiser will be awarded a £1,000 donation to their cause. Many more prizes will be announced soon.

Whether you’re a runner, a painter or an abstainer this is an amazing chance to help a local charity or community group near you raise their profile and raise some extra funding. All you have to do is set up a fundraising page and persuade as many people as possible to donate between the 1st and 30th of April.

Click Here for Key facts, Leaderboard info, how to Take part and FAQs

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Alzheimer’s Society Service – Side by Side

The Alzheimer’s Society is launching a new service in Hammersmith and Fulham for people with Dementia called Side By Side. Side By Side seeks to reduce the loneliness and isolation that people with Dementia can often face as a result of their diagnosis with the help of volunteers who ‘befriend’ a person with Dementia and enable them to actively participate in their local community.

Side by Side is an Alzheimer’s Society service which helps people with dementia to keep doing the things they love with the support of a volunteer.

Our free one-to-one support makes it easier for people with dementia, who might sometimes feel isolated or find it difficult to leave their homes, remain active and feel part of their local community.

By doing things like going for a walk, to a football match, or joining a local class together, our volunteers can support people with dementia to take up hobbies and get out and about. Or, they might simply visit them at home for a cup of tea and a chat. What they do together is entirely based on what the person with dementia wants.

How does Side by Side work?

  • Side by Side connects people living with dementia with local volunteers who provide free one-to-one support, in person, or over the phone.
  • What they do together is based on what the person with dementia wants. Volunteers can help people access local groups, such as art or fitness classes. Or they might simply visit them at home for a cup of tea. Volunteers can provide support in the day time, evenings and over the weekend.

Why is Side by Side important?

Our research shows that 40% of people with dementia in England, Northern Ireland and Wales have felt lonely recently. A third of people with dementia in the UK live on their own. Side by Side offers people with dementia opportunities to interact socially and take part in activities. This helps maintain a good quality of life for them and gives carers time for themselves.

Statistics:

  • A third of people with dementia lose friends following a diagnosis and nearly two-thirds (62%) of people with dementia who live on their own feel lonely (Dementia 2013: The hidden voice of loneliness.)
  • Our research (Dementia 2014) shows that 40% of people with dementia in England, Northern Ireland and Wales have felt lonely recently. This is often caused by anxiety and loss of confidence. It can lead to depression, poor health and speed up the progress of dementia.
  • As dementia progresses, relating to the world is more difficult without stimulation. Many people with the condition feel trapped in their own homes, with almost one in 10 only leaving the house once a month (Dementia 2014).

Side by Side will:

  • Help us to reach more people with dementia who live alone.
  • Help reduce loneliness and social isolation amongst people with dementia.
  • Increase the number of people who volunteer for Alzheimer’s Society, providing a network of support for people with dementia.

Side by Side will also:

  • Encourage and support people with dementia to keep up their hobbies and interests, or to take up new ones and get out and about.
  • Establish a free service for people affected by dementia across England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
  • Make it easier for people with dementia to feel part of their community and access places like their local library, park, café or community centre.

For more information please contact:

Danny Branch (Side By Side Co-ordinator)

Tel: 0208 5630001

Or email: sidebysidehammersmith&fulham@alzheimers.org.uk

 

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Interested in Volunteering!

Hammersmith & Fulham Mind are looking for volunteers for various projects. If you are interested or for more details please contact us on 02074710580 or e-mail pathways@hfmind.org.uk

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Project Support Roles – Volunteering Opportunity

The Upper Room is a charity which helps the socially and economically disadvantaged in society, including the homeless (and mobile/hidden homeless) and destitute migrants. Our UR4Job sessions is a key component of a wider offer to these groups, to help them improve their employability/employment chances and achieve sustainable improvement in their circumstances.

We are currently looking for volunteers who are available for 2 to 5 hours between 12 and 5pm on either or both Mondays and Tuesdays. Many of our service users are non-English speakers so we are especially hoping to hear from volunteers who can speak Romanian or Polish. Ideally we want people whose current circumstances will allow for a minimum of 6 months commitment.

Responsibilities of this role will include to:

  • Organise and facilitate activities on our job floor on Mondays and/or Tuesdays, helping with building CVs, preparing for interviews, etc.
  • Provide one-on-one assistance to service users, helping with administrative processes necessary to improve their employment chances, such as making appointments for NI numbers, registering for CSCS training etc.
  • Signpost clients to partner organisations such as day centres, night shelters, doctors and dentists.
  • Help with filling in job applications, benefit forms and similar forms.
  • Provide basic IT support, such as help opening email address, sending emails etc.
  • Maintain an up-to-date record of attendees, the support provided and outcomes achieved.

If you have the passion to work the service user group and the time to spare we would love to hear from you! Please send a brief statement of application and your availability to uradmin@theupperroom.org.uk. You may also send us your CV if you have one. For more information please call the office on 020 8740 5688.

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Grants for Young People to Volunteer in Europe

On the 10 July Access Europe Network will be organising a workshop to help organisations apply for Erasmus+ funding. The programme provides opportunities for young people to learn, develop their skills and volunteer in Europe and beyond through:

  • Full-time voluntary service from 2 – 12 months in another country within or outside the European Union
  • Youth exchanges between 5 – 21 days during which young people meet, live and work together on a chosen topic through a mix of workshops, exercises, debates, role-plays, simulations, outdoor activities etc.

Our interactive application workshops will provide you with practical information on how to develop a successful Youth Exchange and EVS project application.

Where?
Europe House, 32 Smith Square, London SW1P 3EU map

When?
10 July 2017, 10:00 – 13:30

The workshops are free to attend and are open to all organisations active in the field of youth.

To register, click here and send the form to info@accesseurope.org.uk. For more information see the agenda which is also available on our website.

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Volunteer with your Local NHS

Hammersmith & Fulham Clinical Commissioning Group is responsible for planning and commissioning health and care services in the borough. They contract a range of providers to offer health services to local people.
They are looking for enthusiastic volunteers to help shape a primary care strategy to improve GP access and patient experience

What will the volunteer role involve?
Attending a focus group at St Pauls Centre, W6 9PJ, on

  • Monday 10th Juy 2017
    2 – 4 pm
  • Thursday 27th July
    6 – 8 pm

For more information click here

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Female Peer Mentor- Voluntary position

Advance’s Minerva service works with women involved in the Criminal Justice System offering safe, targeted support and advocacy to women to help them address their complex needs in relation to the 9 pathways to offending, such as substance misuse and financial difficulties. Minerva aims to reduce re-offending, encourage desistance amongst repeat offenders, divert women from Criminal Justice involvement as early as possible and reduce the number of custodial sentences imposed by Courts.
We have expanded our successful Minerva service as part of a contract funded by London CRC and MOPAC (Mayor’s Office for Policing & Crime) to provide services to women with medium and complex needs who are being supervised by London CRC (Probation).

 

For more information and to apply please click here

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Healthwatch: Three Trustee Opportunities

Three Trustees required to share responsibility for the strategic organisation, ensuring sound local governance, and staying true to the charitable objectives of Healthwatch Central West London. We particularly welcome people with expertise in:

  • HR
  • PR, Media and Communications
  • Performance and Finance
  • Corporate or Charity Law
  • Health and Social Care Policy
  • Business Development
  • Community Development Practice

To find out more about the role, please email tsveta.todorova@healthwatchcentralwestlondon.org

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Extension for Westminster Community Awards’ Nominations

Good news for those who haven’t been able to make the time yet to compose and send in their nominations for this year’s awards. The deadline has now been extended to 11.59pm on Wednesday, 22 March.

So get nominating now to give local heroes the recognition they deserve for their life-changing work. There are no fewer than seven awards, including the City for All Volunteer of the Year award, that recognise both people and organisations. Click here.

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International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination

In recognition of International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination on 21st March, Sobus is highlighting the efforts of the group, Hammersmith and Fulham Refugee Welcome Group (HF RWG).

HF RWG membership comprises a number of local residents that are passionate about supporting the issues and concerns on the plight of refugees in this borough. The group is actively engaged with local and national communities, businesses, groups, organisations and churches. They are actively involved in the resettlement of Syrian refugees into the local community and addressing the issues and concerns of unaccompanied children, especially those currently in Calais. HF RWG main focus is seeking support from the community to aid in the finding homes, domestic goods, furnishing and other general needs. For more information and to find out how you may help click here.

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