January 2014
VolunteerNews Another new year is upon us and we are all looking forward to the warmer weather and spring which we hope is just around the corner. We hope you all had a great Christmas and have started 2014 well. For us we have the Investors in Volunteers assessment coming up in the next few months. This will be a busy time and we will be seeking to understand how our quality has continued or improved in the last three years. Looking back over the last year there have been again a number of changes that we have had to work with. The new Lee Valley VeloPark and Lee Valley Hockey and Tennis Centre are due to open early this year and will bring two more sites into operation. We are already getting a good number of applications for these sites and we expect our volunteer base to grow further this year. Many of our regular activities continue to grow and the Events team were supported with nearly 500 hours of volunteer support last year. Conservation volunteering continues to be strong and the evidence for this is the larger numbers each year at the Christmas meal that is organised for this group of volunteers. Paul Roper Volunteers and Community Engagement Manager
Volunteer Hours 2013 We are awaiting the final volunteer hours for last year to come in but at the moment we are currently standing at nearly 17,000 hours. We know there are still quite a few to come in so if you have not sent in any of your volunteer hours for 2013 please do so as soon as possible.
Lee Valley Park Farms.
Investing in Volunteers reassessment We have now applied for our Investing In Volunteers reassessment which runs out in February this year. An assessor will be allocated to us very soon and they will be conducting a range of interviews with volunteers, staff and customers to assess how well we work with and manage our volunteer teams across the park. This award is very important and is central to our quality assessment which determines how well we work with you all as volunteers. We await details of dates and how the assessor would like to proceed but ask everyone to try and support this award if they possibly can by being able to give interviews and assessments if requested. We thank you all in advance for your support with this important award.
Volunteers Committee The next meeting of the Volunteers Committee will take place on Friday 7 March. If you have any issues or comments you wish to bring to our attention please let your representative know. They are: Fisheries - Colin Short and Bill Draper Conservation - Brian Claxton and Valerie Church Events - Barry Hooper Gardens and Youth & Schools - Jo Gildersleve
Apprentice We are sad to have to inform you that our new apprentice Jordanne Hunt has had to leave the Authority on health grounds. We will be seeking to recruit another apprentice into the post shortly.
Articles What are you doing? Do you have a story you want to tell in Volunteer News? Has anything funny or interesting happened whilst you have been volunteering that would be worth sharing? Send articles and pictures to volunteers@leevalleypark.org.uk
Volunteer Photographer of the Year
Volunteers Party 2014 We will again be looking to bring the Volunteers Party for 2014 a little earlier into the year. We are also considering a new location and pending our discussions we hope to announce the date and location very soon.
Brenda Chanter with 2013 winning photo.
We will be running the Photographer of the Year competition once again so those budding photographers out there can send in their pictures. The closing date for this year’s competition is 31 July, full details and terms and conditions can be found on the website at leevalleypark.org.uk/volunteers
Volunteer of the Year 2014 You can now submit a nomination for the 2014 Lee Valley Regional Park Authority Volunteer of the Year Awards. At present you are one of around 300 active volunteers who give a tremendous amount of time and enthusiasm to help make Lee Valley Regional Park a wonderful venue for nature, sport and discovery activities.
Discovery Volunteer of the Year Volunteers undertaking ANY role at any of the following venues: • Myddelton House Gardens • Lee Valley Marinas • Lee Valley Park Farms • Lee Valley Campsites • Youth and Schools
This year’s nominations will be for the following:
Each Section Winner will receive an award, certificate, badge and prize and will be put forward for the overall Volunteer of the Year Award
• Lee Valley Awards 2014 (Section awards) • Volunteer of the Year Award 2014 • Volunteer Club/Group of the Year Award 2014 • Volunteer Photographer of the Year 2014
Volunteer Club/Group of the Year
Deadline 31 March 2014 see specific webpage for details. In addition this year we will be introducing long service awards at five and 10 years. You can nominate any volunteer as an individual or group of volunteers that you work with. The following are sections that specific volunteer roles will fall under: Sporting Venues Volunteer of the Year Volunteers undertaking ANY role at any of the following venues: • • • • • •
Lee Valley White Water Centre Lee Valley Riding Centre Lee Valley Athletic Centre Lee Valley Ice Centre Lee Valley VeloPark Lee Valley Hockey and Tennis Centre
Nature / Open Spaces Volunteer of the Year Volunteers undertaking ANY of the following roles: • Conservation Volunteer • Volunteer Honorary Warden • Fisheries Task Force/Baliff Volunteer • Bittern Information Point Volunteer • Wildlife Survey Volunteer
Anne and James caption Herts Regional College Inclusive Learning Department 2011.
The Volunteer Club/Group of the Year Award is open to any club or group that volunteers within the park be it a college, a corporate group or community organisation. In the same vein as the Volunteer of the Year we are looking for a group that has made a difference or shown that extra initiative. Full details are on the website at leevalleypark.org.uk/volunteers We have also attached a copy of the nomination form to the back of this newsletter or if you wish to nominate a volunteer you can ask for a form from the volunteers team by emailing us at volunteers@leevalleypark. org.uk The winners will be announced at the Annual Volunteer Celebration later in the year. All nominations must be received by 31 July 2014.
Corporate Structure As we reported in the last Volunteers News the Authority has a business objective to review its operating model. A range of meetings have been continuing with the management team and Members. Members have agreed to move forward to a new organisational model to limit the rates liability and there’s a commitment to reducing the rates but what has to be decided is how this is achieved. The Member’s recommendation was to move forward towards a New Organisational Model in order to reduce the rates liability and that a final decision would be the subject of a detailed report on all available options to the Authority. In the meantime: • a five year settlement with the relevant boroughs in relation to business rates relief would be pursued; • an Industrial Provident Society vehicle for the purposes of managing the Authority’s operations would be set up; • the Chairman, Vice Chairman and John Bevan were appointed from the Authority to establish the Industrial Provident Society. The options are to invite an existing third party operator to come and run our leisure facilities or to set up a Trust, and then it would be a case of deciding which services go into that Trust.
Chief Executive, Shaun Dawson, is liaising with the Government, to make the case for discretionary rate relief. Members also decided to set up a Trust with three Authority members starting the process. This shell company which takes about six weeks to register and set up will save us time if we persue the Trust. This company, Lee Valley Leisure Trust is being set up as a provisional action and if the Trust does not materialise then it can be easily closed. A group has been set up to work closely with officers over the next two months. It will look into a range of areas such as which services might go into a Trust along with the financial implications of the different options. A paper will be submitted to Members where a number of areas will to be explored such as structures, governance and the implementation plan. In addition a key component of the paper will be staff views on what is being proposed. The Authority meeting on 27 February 2014 is the decision making meeting. If volunteers have any comments or questions we would be pleased to receive them and we will send out further communications through Park life to update everyone.
Dates for the diary Volunteer Corporate Induction dates for 2014. Thursday 20 February
Myddelton House Gardens
Thursday 29 May
WaterWorks Centre
Thursday 28 August
Lee Valley Athletics Centre
Thursday 25 November
Lee Valley White Water Centre
To book your place emaill Karen Wood at kwood@leevalleypark.org.uk or call 01992 709 867.
Lee Valley Regional Park’s Events Team needs you! 2014 events We have an exciting year of events planned and as always we couldn’t do what we do best without the support of our lovely volunteers! If you can spare a few hours to help out at any of the following events please let us know by either emailing: aomalley@leevalleypark.org.uk or calling 01992 709 913. MARCH Sun 23 - Sport Relief Mile (10:00 – 13:00) Lee Valley Athletics Centre. Marshalling, registration, water, goody bags
OCTOBER King Harold Day - Waltham Abbey Gardens – 11 October (10:00 - 16:00)
APRIL Sun 20/ Mon 21 - Easter Country Fair (10:00 – 17:00) Showground, River Lee Country Park. Information
Lee Valley Aquathlon – Lee Valley White Water Centre (18:30 - 20:30) The Aquathlon series will return in 2014, offering two race distances made up of a swim in the centre’s lake followed by a run in River Lee Country Park. If you are interested in helping with marshalling, timing or registration please let us know if you are available on the following dates: • Tue 6 May • Tue 10 June • Tue 1 July • Tue 5 August • Tue 2 September
MAY Wed 28 - Love British Farming (10:00 – 17:00) Lee Valley Park Farms. Wildlife activities JULY Sun 13 - Lee Valley 10k and Fun Run (09:00 – 13:00) Showground, River Lee Country Park. Marshalling, baggage, water, information Tue 29 - Wild about Wetlands (10:00 – 15:30) Waltham Abbey Gardens. Wildlife activities, assisting with guided walks Wed 30 - Peppa Pig (10:00 – 17:00) Lee Valley Park Farms. Marshalling, assisting with entry SEPTEMBER Wed 24/Thur 25 Countryside Live - Schools (09:00 – 15:00) Leyton Marsh. Information, wildlife activities, entry, apple pressing, arena Sat 27/Sun 28 Countryside Live - Public (09:00 – 17:00) Leyton Marsh. Information, wildlife activities, entry, apple pressing, arena
ICF Canoe Slalom World Cup – Lee Valley White Water Centre We are delighted that Lee Valley White Water Centre will be hosting the Canoe Slalom World Cup from Friday 6 to Sunday 8 June. This event will be managed by the British Canoe Union. They will be pulling together a volunteer team. If you are interested in volunteering at this event, please let us know and we can pass on your details. Times indicated are all approximate, full details will be provided prior to each event.
Volunteer Lounge at Lee Valley Athletics Centre
Lee Valley VeloPark handover
The handover of Lee Valley VeloPark from LLDC to the Authority has taken place and as you can see in this picture which shows the floodlit track work is nearing completion at the London 2012 venue. The Volunteers Team have been given details of this event taking place at one of the park’s venus. If you are interested in helping out please contact Volunteer Lounge directly.
The venue is due to open to the public in March and will host the Revolution cycling event on 14 -15 March.
21 March 2014, 08:00 onwards at Lee Valley Athletics Centre Enfield Important information • Thursday 20 March, 16:00 – 20:00 (set up) • Friday 21 March, 08:00 – 17:00 (running event) • Friday 21 March, 17:00 – 19:00 (take down – if people can stay all day that’s fantastic but if we can get some fresh legs in at 17:00 to take everything apart that would be great) We will be able to provide shuttle buses from Tottenham Hale station to the centre on the day of the event (21 March). All volunteers will receive a t-shirt, breakfast and lunch. It’s a fantastic day out for volunteers, there is a lot of excitement, noise and very energetic activity and we’d really like to get you involved. About London Youth Rowing is a ground-breaking charity which aims to increase access to the sport of rowing to all young people in the London regardless of background or ability. Every March we host the National Junior Indoor Rowing Championships (NJIRC) which attracts young people, aged between 11 & 18 from all over the country, although the majority of the rowers are London based. This year we had nearly 3000 competitors and in 2014 we aim to hit the 3000 mark For more information call 020 8223 7231 or email info@volunteer-lounge.co.uk www.volunteer-lounge.co.uk
Volunteer at Lee Valley Marina, Stanstead Abbotts saves the boats Dave Hearnden is a volunteer at Lee Valley Marina, Stanstead Abbotts and has become an invaluable asset in assisting the staff there. Most recently Dave assisted the Marina manager and other boaters in dealing with the flooding at the Marina. They laboured long into the night ensuring boats did not get stranded as the River Lee rose and breached the bank and much of the marina went under water. Dave is also WRGie (Waterway Recovery Group volunteer) of almost 20 years. He was the IWA (Inland Waterways Association) volunteer of the month in October 2013.
The RELEAF London i-Tree Eco Tree and Woodland Survey 2014
Do you want to be involved in the world’s largest urban forest survey? Can you spare five days this Summer?
Then register your interest in the London i-tree survey 2014 The RELEAF London Partnership is undertaking a survey of London’s trees and woodlands, to establish the benefits they provide and put a value on them. We need 200 volunteers for one day’s training and about four days surveying actually out in the field looking at and measuring trees across Greater London.
The RELEAF London Partnership are:
You will:
- The London Tree Officers Association
Receive training in the use of the US Forest Service’s i-tree methodology
Be accredited as an i-Tree Eco London 2014 surveyor
Help protect London’s trees and woodlands for future generations
Place a value on the benefits London’s trees and woodlands deliver
Get the chance to meet others
- The Greater London Authority - The Tree Council
- Trees for Cities - Treeconomics - Forestry Commission England with support from Natural England.
Get in touch today to find out more! For more information and to register as a volunteer contact: Jim Smith at the Forestry Commission’s London office at: jim.c.smith@forestry.gsi.gov.uk You can also join the i-Tree Eco London Project Facebook here (or see the Twitter page) to be kept informed about what you’ll be doing and when you will be needed.
Volunteer of the Year Nomination Form
The nominations are made in confidence and no information will be shared with third parties outside the judging panel without the consent of the nominee. Name of Volunteer or Volunteer Group you are nominating Role/Section (please tick applicable)
Sports venues
Nature/ Open Spaces
Discover
Lee Valley Riding Centre
Conservation
Myddelton House Gardens
Lee Valley White Water Centre
Bittern Information Point
Campsites
Lee Valley Ice Centre
Wildlife Survey
Lee Valley Marinas
Lee Valley Athletics Centre
Fisheries
Youth & Schools Lee Valley Park Farms
Other
Other
Other
Criteria
Tick the box that you feel appropriate to score your volunteer
Regular Attendance - how often has this volunteer helped out?
One hour a week
More than one hour but only one day a week
Up to three days a week
Reliability - how would you rate this volunteer with regards to reliability, 1 being low 5 being high
1
2
3
4
5
Punctuality - how would you rate the punctuality of this volunteer 1 being low 5 being high
1
2
3
4
5
How would you rate the difference to your function or venue this volunteer has made this year - 1 being low and 5 being high
1
2
3
4
5
How would you rate the activity of this volunteer under innovation in their volunteering for this year - 1 being low 5 being high
1
2
3
4
4
Now say why you think this volunteer deserves to be Volunteer of the Year for the Lee Valley Park please use as many words as you wish. You may want to highlight here how a volunteer has helped you through their own adversity or what they might have done to go the extra mile. You may also wish to write about any innovative solutions they may have come up with to make things better or how they have worked with other volunteers in a team.
Your name and contact number
Please complete the form and return to: Volunteers, Freepost PO Box 88, NW4169, Enfield, Middx EN2 9BR
More than three days a week but not weekends
More than three days a week including weekends