Nexus August 2018

NEWS FROM THE HAMPSHIRE CVS NETWORK 

Action Hampshire

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I S S U E

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A U G U S T

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Basingstoke Voluntary Action

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New Forest Nightstop

Communities First Wessex

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Community First New Forest

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Gosport Voluntary Action

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Hart Voluntary Action

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One Community

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Rushmoor Voluntary Services

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Unity

New BVA CEO appointed—p2 Gosport Heritage Lottery Fund Info session—p2 An impressive doorway in Andover—page 3 Local business volunteering for Community First— p3 Upgrades to Accessible Minibuses in Rushmoor and Hart—p3 One Community’s Year of Celebration—p4

New Forest Nightstop, a service delivered by Community First New Forest, provides community hosting to people who need emergency, short term accommodation due to homelessness. Community hosting means that the accommodation is provided by volunteers in their own homes. Nightstop staff provide preparation and support to volunteers for this role, as volunteering in your own home is very different to going out to volunteer.

Nightstop has recently been able to prepare a small group of new volunteers. These include those who provide the accommodation, ie hosts, but also volunteers who transport guests, “coffee-mates” who will spend an hour or so meeting up in the day time in a community setting with the guests, and volunteers ambassadors who represent the service at events and assist with Produced by Hampshire Councils for Voluntary Service, who would be delighted to have your feedback. Please contact Julia Allan 023 8090 2457 jallan@1community.org.uk Featured articles represent the views of the contributing CVS

fundraising.

New volunteers in any role are always welcome as the Nightstop service has recently seen an increase in enquiries and referrals. This may have come about following the introduction of the Homelessness Reduction Act 2018, which places a responsibility on local authorities to provide prevention services to people threatened with homelessness.

New Forest Nightstop is an emergency service, which keeps people 16+ safe and helps them avoid rough sleeping or sofa surfing or putting themselves at risk due to their homelessness. Community First New Forest would not be able to provide the service if it wasn’t for the efforts of the local community raising income for them.

So far this year people have completed sponsored cycles (around the New Forest and also between London and Paris), had a sponsored sleep out to highlight homelessness in the New Forest, and even donated money raised from an amateur dramatics production of “Glorious – the Florence Foster Jenkins Story”.

Nightstop is exceedingly grateful for the support to help them provide a “storm shelter” for people experiencing a very difficult situation, which enables them to consider their housing options without being at risk.

Appointment of Permanent CEO for Basingstoke Voluntary Action BVA has announced the appointment of Pat Fitzsimons to the role of permanent CEO for Basingstoke Voluntary Action.

Pat, who joined BVA at the beginning of August, is an experienced CEO from the 3rd sector who is highly experienced in change processes and comes with a strong track record of developing innovative funding sources. She comes from the Thames Estuary Partnership, which is a membership charity providing services to a multisector membership of 5000. Her past record demonstrates that she combines commercial acuity with a “can do” attitude and that she is NEXUS PAGE 2

passionate about building stakeholder partnerships and delivering relevant services to members, customers, and stakeholders.

Pat is a US citizen with permanent leave to remain in the UK.

A Celebration of Volunteering Basingstoke Voluntary Action has recently issued a call to all charities, community and voluntary groups in the borough of Basingstoke and Deane to nominate two volunteers to attend a Celebration of Volunteering Afternoon Tea. There are no set criteria, as all volunteers are special, but anything that makes volunteers outstanding means they can be nominated.

Previous recipients have included school governors, those helping older people, the young, the environment, people with disabilities, and a whole lot more.

The event is designed to celebrate the amazing contributions volunteers make to the community and BVA will invite those selected to a reception hosted by the Mayor of Basingstoke and Deane in October 2018.

Gosport Heritage Lottery Fund Info Session On Thursday 12 July, Gosport Voluntary Action held a free Heritage Lottery Fund information and advice workshop, for those interested in developing heritage-related projects in the Gosport area and making an application to HLF. The event was well attended, and HLF’s Development Officer for the South East, Joe Minden, gave an informative presentation to representatives from eight organisations, including The Provincial Society, Friends of Gosport Museum and 3rd Gosport Sea Scouts. After the presentation, many attendees stayed for a one-toone discussion.

Feedback from the event has been thoroughly positive, and it is to be hoped that new heritage projects come to fruition in Gosport soon through successful applications to HLF grant programmes. Gosport Voluntary Action offers support throughout this process.

An Impressive Doorway

Unity recently unveiled new signage at their Andover office, where the extensive Mobility service is located, which can be seen clearly along Western Avenue towards the Chantry Centre car park. The signage is one of the last elements to be completed on the rebranding from Test Valley Community Services to Unity, which has taken several months to achieve.

The signage shows the separately coloured logos denoting the range of services provided, from Transport to Volunteering.

Terry Bishop, Chief Executive, said, “We are delighted with this signage which is really eye catching and the modern logo really promotes the services well, whilst maintaining the kind and caring ‘feel’ of the organisation as a whole.”

Plans are underway to launch a new website followed by a Community Open Day on 25 September, when local people can drop in to find out about the organisation and to ask any questions they may have, not only about the services Unity provides but also information on other local groups and activities.

Upgrades to Accessible Minibuses in Rushmoor and Hart

community use and two with financial support from Hampshire County Council to replace vehicles on the Dial-a-Ride and Fleet Link passenger services.

The updated vehicles will help to keep passengers and users on the move and hopefully reduce maintenance costs.

The buses provide vital mobility to groups and individuals. Many groups use the buses to get their members to and from meetings and social events. The vast majority of trips for community transport are driven by volunteers – all of whom have been MiDAS trained and give great service to Rushmoor Voluntary Services.

RVS also operates Rushmoor Dial-a-Ride and Fleet Link transport under a contract with Hampshire County Council. These services provide door to door accessible transport for people who need it. Funding support to operate the services comes from Hampshire County Council, Rushmoor Borough Council, Fleet Town Council, Church Crookham Parish Council and Crookham Village Parish Council.

Greg Alexander, CEO of RVS said, “We are committed to providing community transport in Rushmoor and Hart.

The latest vehicles we have will make a significant contribution to helping those that need it to get out and about and join in with others in the community. We are grateful to our volunteer drivers and to our funders who are supporting our work.”

Local Business Volunteering: New Health for Old Benches

In recent months Rushmoor Voluntary Services (RVS) has replaced four accessible minibuses.

Two were purchased using RVS funds for

The beautiful setting of The Old Parsonage was the destination for a group of nine volunteers from Simplyhealth, Winchester, for a day in July.

Brendoncare welcomed the volunteers to clean, sand and paint a large number of benches situated around one of their care homes.

The Old Parsonage, a care home situated in NEXUS PAGE 3

Otterbourne near Winchester, is owned by Brendoncare and provides a warm and friendly environment. A close care complex adjoins the home providing the independence and security of home ownership, with access to many caring and communal facilities.

The Old Parsonage aims to enable older people to live independent, happy and fulfilling lives. The pretty grounds have several benches for residents to use, but were looking tired and in need of a little TLC. Simplyhealth worked hard to return them to their former glory. Residents were delighted to see them restored and looking like new.

Simplyhealth is taking part in a rolling programme of volunteer events organised by Community First including conservation, befriending and decorating, and are striving to ensure its employees get fully involved with their local community.

Linda, a volunteer from Simplyhealth said: “For people that normally spend most of their time at a desk, it is important for our own health and wellbeing to do something physical, outdoors and community minded.”

Claire was very keen to volunteer her time: “23 years ago my Nan was a resident at The Old Parsonage and spent the last few years of her life being very well looked after there. It has been particularly poignant for me to return today as it would have been her birthday, so I am especially pleased to help.”

One Community’s Year of Celebration One Community has been celebrating its 40th anniversary throughout 2018 with a series of events, celebrations and challenges, which will culminate with a celebratory AGM on Tuesday 18 September at The Point and an exhibition at Eastleigh Museum, 15 September-10 November, called One Community – The First 40 Years.

On Friday 27 July Eastleigh Borough Council held a 40th anniversary tea party for One Community senior staff, trustees and long serving NEXUS PAGE 4

volunteers at The Point in Eastleigh (pictured left).

One Community celebrated with its Eastleigh volunteers in May and its Fareham volunteers in July, with 40th anniversary tea parties at Netley Waterside House and at the One Community Information Centre (pictured below) in Fareham respectively.

These events provided the opportunity for Managers and Trustees to say thank you for the vital contribution made by volunteers to service delivery. Work which was recognised by the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service on 2 June this year.

At the beginning of the year One Community set 40 challenges to local people to assist with fundraising and support for the charity’s various services.

The Eastleigh Locomotive Engineers Club fulfilled one of these by hosting a tea party for the One Community Visiting Scheme – volunteers and clients – on Wednesday 18 July. As did the Rotary Club of Eastleigh, who donated £2,000 in April to One Community’s Young Carers service. Home Care staff at One Community organised a quiz night on 20 June, which raised nearly £500. Prior to the tea party hosted by Eastleigh Borough Council, council staff had a dress down Friday in the offices and raised £100.

A certificate is awarded for every one of the challenges successfully completed. The children pictured donated 40 second hand books for One Community’s fundraising activities.