r e e t n u l o V
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The European Commission support for the production of this publication does not constitute an endorsement of the contents which reflects the views only of the authors, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.
Registered Charity No: 1065427 Name of Project: Supporting Vulnerable Women and Children in a Residential Setting III
Dear readers, The Haven Volunteer Service is crucial for the running of the organisation. Every year, many volunteers give their time to help raise funds and support the running and delivery of services provided by The Haven. Volunteers are encouraged to contribute to the different departments within the organisation, this allows them to develop different skills and cover a variety of roles, whilst gaining work experience through supporting vulnerable women and children.
s t n e t n o C e g a P g ts runnin n e v E & s Activitie nt at The Haven me o r at the m cross ou a r o b u H Women’s s 6 refuge
This newsletter has been put together to share our volunteers’ experiences and to promote all the activities and events taking place in The Haven. Why not join them and make a difference?
Enjoy!
Activities
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Relaxation Sessions, Haircut Sessions Training & Courses
Events Within this issue… You will be able to find all the activities and events the volunteers have been part of, like theme events, workshops, fundraising events and much more! In fact, it’s been a whirlwind.
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Mental Health Awareness Day , One Million Steps Walk Halloween, Annual Recruitment Fair, Bushtucker Banquet 16 Days of Activism , Decorating refuge for Christmas Christmas Donations, Christmas Events
Case Study
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The European Commission support for the production of this publication does not constitute an endorsement of the contents which reflects the views only of the authors, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.
Case Study Question and Answers
The European Commission support for the production of this publication does not constitute an endorsement of the contents which reflects the views only of the authors, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.
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s e i t i v i t Ac ions
Relaxation Sess
Since September, a couple of our European volunteers are delivering relaxation sessions in refuge. The sessions are delivered once per week and they take place in a quiet room; making it easier for those taking part in the sessions to relax. These activities are very important in terms of women’s well-being. In fact, the women are discovering the power of the little things through these meditation workshops. As a result, women are increasing their level of happiness and satisfaction. Additionally, volunteers who support can build confidence and trust with the women they are working with.
Training & Courses The Haven offers a range of training opportunities for staff, volunteers and external organisations throughout the year. Training ranges from domestic abuse awareness which gives a wide understanding of the issues and challenges faced, as well as signs to look out for and how to make referrals, through to more specific
training courses such as Stalking and Harassment and Rape and Sexual Violence. Volunteers are encouraged to attend as many sessions as they would like to. Training is a great way to learn more about domestic abuse as well as make friends and develop social skills.
Training courses are always organised to include both theory and practical elements, making the lessons more useful and interactive for attendees. Volunteers’ feedback is always positive and we are really lucky to have this educational support in our organisation.
s
Haircut Session
In December, a local hairdresser came to our refuge offering us free hairdressing sessions for the women. This hairdresser usually comes to The Haven twice per year and she delivers the sessions for free. We want to give the women we support as many opportunities to feel happy and confident as possible. It is important to look after ourselves both emotionally and physically and it’s always nice to have a little bit of luxury! Having the chance to have their hair restyled is such a small thing but can increase a woman’s self-confidence and gives her the chance to feel special – which she completely deserves. During the last session, the ladies asked for new hairstyles and they had a very nice talk with the hairdresser while she was cutting their hair. She was very easy-going and open and it made the session very enjoyable. It was a very beautiful experience for them and we would like to say thank you to our volunteer for offering this experience to women at The Haven and for helping to raise awareness of domestic abuse.
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The European Commission support for the production of this publication does not constitute an endorsement of the contents which reflects the views only of the authors, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.
The European Commission support for the production of this publication does not constitute an endorsement of the contents which reflects the views only of the authors, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.
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s t n Eve Mental Health Awareness Day
The Haven support many women who have mental ill-health following the trauma of abuse. 10th October is Mental Health Awareness’ Day and volunteers from The Haven represented our organisation in many different places across the city; helping to raise awareness of mental health and the link it can have with domestic abuse. Some of the places our volunteers helped to
Halloween
It’s good to talk
raise awareness were Wolverhampton Central Library and The Mander Centre. Thank you to our volunteers who went along and supported.
On Wednesday 31st October, our European Volunteers celebrated Halloween in refuge with the children. They decorated the living room putting out pumpkins and ghosts and they projected some scary images on the wall such as bats. In addition, volunteers prepared and organised a very interesting storytelling session. The children listened to them carefully and were very attentive. These Halloween stories made the children in refuge feel the true essence of Halloween and they had a wonderful time thanks to our European Volunteers.
Annual Recruitment Fair During November we were invited to attend the Annual Recruitment Fair through the University of Wolverhampton. The fair took place at the Harrison Learning Centre in the library and meeting room. Our volunteering team talked to people who are interested in roles with us and we had the opportunity to talk to lots of attendees about our values and Haven services. Thanks to this event, we had
lots of students and graduates apply for volunteering opportunities available at The Haven; we hope to welcome them onto placements and into roles during 2019. Thank you to Alex who went along to this event to promote The Haven and welcome on board to any students who are joining us as a result in 2019!
It was a very nice way to celebrate Halloween and we really enjoyed seeing the children having fun. One of our volunteers who got involved said “It brought our childhood back to us and helped us remember all of the little things that we enjoyed as children. It was nice to be able to see the children in refuge happy and excited.”
ps Walk
One Million Ste
One Million Steps for The Haven was back during October 2018. A fantastic 80 people joined us for our 5K from the Molineux to West Park, before heading up through the city centre. The group totalled 425,000 steps on the journey; almost half way to our million for the month!
The walk is part of Domestic Violence Awareness Month and encourages as many people as possible to join us as we step out on domestic abuse in Wolverhampton. We’re really grateful to the Wolves Foundation, Signal 107 and ABC cars for supporting and sponsoring the event.
This event wouldn’t be possible without the support of our volunteers who helped to get walkers registered, marshal the event and hand out goody bags. Thank you so much to all of our volunteers who came along to help – get in touch with us if you would like to support the walk in 2019.
quet
Bushtucker Ban
Events at The Haven are always varied and volunteers are always involved in making these events a success. In November, The Haven organised a Bushtucker Banquet. The event consisted of a three-course bonanza complete with Mopane Worms, Mixed Critters and even a Giant Water Bug! Eight people took part in this gruesome challenge, and we had a
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The European Commission support for the production of this publication does not constitute an endorsement of the contents which reflects the views only of the authors, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.
crowd of 50 spectators including some volunteers who came along to cheer on our competitors. Following the 3 courses, 3 of our brave competitors took on the additional challenge of an afterdinner “treat”; a scorpion, tarantula and sago pupae! George from Paycare kindly volunteered to be our on-hand First Aider for the night and our long-standing supporter Scott Lyons volunteered his time to be
our host and presenter; even taking on the challenge of consuming a morsel himself! Thank you so much to volunteers from the community who either took part or supported this event! It was a huge success and we raised over £2,000 to support women and children at The Haven.
The European Commission support for the production of this publication does not constitute an endorsement of the contents which reflects the views only of the authors, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.
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ism
16 Days of Activ
On 26th November, volunteers helped us to officially launch The Haven’s part in the 16 Days of Activism at the Mayor’s Parlour. We hosted a coffee morning which was a great opportunity to network whilst enjoying tea and a slice of homemade cake made by volunteers Sybil and Carl Powell!
Throughout the campaign we encouraged staff, supporters and volunteers to ‘rock a nail transfer’ on 1 in 4 nails to represent the 1 in 4 women who are subjected to domestic abuse in the UK.
The Mayor of Wolverhampton delivered a speech, raising awareness about key issues surrounding domestic abuse across our city. We also heard from our Co-Chairs of the Board, Steph and Andrea, who spoke about why the 16 Days campaign is so important in ending violence against women and girls.
Christmas Donations Thank you so much to everyone who donates gifts to us over the Christmas period. From clothes and toys to chocolates and toiletry sets, we are lucky to have some amazing supporters who donate enough to ensure every single woman and child at The Haven will have something to open on Christmas morning. We are also incredibly grateful to our volunteers who sort and pack donations, sending them over to all of our refuge grottos in time for December 25th. They are our amazing festive Elves and without the, it simply wouldn’t be possible. We would like to say a special thank you to David, Linda, Laura, Harpreet and all the other amazing
ts
Christmas Even Decorating the tmas Refuge for Chris Some local volunteers from both Jaguar Land Rover and Lloyds Pendeford visited our refuges at the beginning of December. They brought some lovely Christmas decorations and transformed our spaces into grottos ready for the festivities throughout the month. The volunteers spoke to some of the women and children in refuge about their upcoming Christmas and why this time of year can be difficult for them. This gave our volunteers a deeper enthusiasm to help make the grotto’s as special as possible so that those supported by The Haven could have a Christmas they deserve.
Christmas can be a difficult time for those we support at The Haven whose lives have been torn apart by the trauma of abuse. With people’s help, we try to make Christmas an all-round special experience for women and children, giving them time to rebuild precious bonds and make new happy memories together. Each year, The Haven organise a range of events across December to raise money for the women and children we support. We were
delighted and very grateful to Grand Station who once again chose to support us with their themed events throughout the month. Volunteers were incredible at supporting staff from The Haven to run a raffle at each event, raising vital funds and awareness. We have raised over £4,000 which is just incredible. This would not of been possible without volunteers including our EVS’s, staff from The Haven who volunteered their time, Sam and Megan (our Haven Ambassadors) and even our Co-Chair of the Board Andrea and her friends.
All the children loved the two rooms and they were very happy and excited. It is unbelievable how little things can have a huge and wonderful effect and we are so grateful to both teams for coming in to add a touch of magic to our grotto’s.
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The European Commission support for the production of this publication does not constitute an endorsement of the contents which reflects the views only of the authors, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.
The European Commission support for the production of this publication does not constitute an endorsement of the contents which reflects the views only of the authors, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.
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e s a C y d u t S European Voluntary Service Volunteering your way into employment
What led you to start volunteering at The Haven?
The Haven’s reputation is built upon values that make a difference and to raise awareness of social realities such as domestic abuse and gender equality; passion and commitment to enable women and their children to live safe, healthy, active and fulfilling lives.
EVS1: I came from a scientific background and wanted to get involved in the social field. Volunteering for a charity was a great opportunity for me to feel useful, share my skills and develop new projects.
Two of our Volunteers from Europe came to The Haven as part of the European Voluntary Service (EVS) Programme, funded by the UK National Agency and the European Commission. EVS1 had always been a person that likes to help people and to be involved in youth projects that promote social inclusion, such as foodbank collections. EVS2 has always been questioning where women stand in public life and the role they had through history. They are both young university graduates who have been volunteering at The Haven for 6 months, from March 2018.
EVS2: When I decided to apply to European Voluntary Service I knew that I wanted to do a project in a community/ social organisation. When I saw The Haven Wolverhampton project, I felt that I wanted to be a part of this charity that supports vulnerable women and children. Besides that, it seemed to be an organisation where I could develop important skills, perform different tasks and also where I could give some contribution from my background experience.
During the interview, we asked them to share their experiences with us. This is what they said:
How would you summary your experience at The Haven? EVS1: Volunteering at the Haven has been a very rewarding experience. Not only I have learned a lot with regards to domestic violence but I was able to do activities in refuge for women and children.
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The European Commission support for the production of this publication does not constitute an endorsement of the contents which reflects the views only of the authors, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.
EVS2: My experience at The Haven has been very fulfilling and interesting. I feel that I am making a positive contribution for these women and children’s lives. I am also learning and improving every day thanks to the support that stuff members are providing me.
Where are you now as result of volunteering? EVS1: Very positive. I have met great people, learned a lot and got lucky enough to move into employment after 6 months. EVS2: Being a volunteer at The Haven gave me the possibility to understand how to support emotionally and practically a women victim of domestic violence or homelessness. During my volunteering placement, I had the opportunity to understand how housing and benefits system works, to be aware of how agencies can support vulnerable women and to complete paperwork. As a result, I had confidence enough to apply for a job vacancy at The Haven and actually, I got it. I believe this will be an excellent opportunity to start my career path faraway from my original country.
How do you think that you have contributed to make a difference in the organisation? EVS1: I have organised cooking workshops throughout the summer for women and children in several refuge. They learned how to make simple dishes and desserts. I have also completed a TEFL course to teach English as a second language and since July, I give ESOL classes weekly as a volunteer. I have now 3 groups for a total of 12 women. EVS2: One of the things that amazed me about The Haven is the multiculturalism within the staff members and the service users. I find this particularly interesting because it is an open door to creativity, tolerance and culturalism awareness. I believe that my EVS colleagues and I have contribute for this aspect through some activities with women. We tried to share our cultures by, for example, teaching the women in refuge some basic traditional recipes. My personal experience is a good example that everybody can enjoy a lot volunteering at The Haven.
The European Commission support for the production of this publication does not constitute an endorsement of the contents which reflects the views only of the authors, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.
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k n a h T ! u o Y T: 01902 904 677 | E: info@havenrefuge.org.uk
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