Down District Volunteer Centre

Welcome to Down District Volunteer Centre

The Downpatrick office is open Monday to Friday if you'd like to learn more about volunteering.  We also run an outreach service from September to June.  You can contact us on Tel: 028 4461 9122

Training for Volunteer Managers A training workshop has been organised to help volunteer managers with recruitment - Be creative in writing your volunteering adverts, working with the media to effectively promote your volunteering opportunities.  The workshop will be held in Downpatrick on March 25 and will run from 9am to 1pm with lunch.  If you would like to book a place contact Antje at the Volunteer Centre or look at the training section for more information.

Like cats and rabbits? Live near Bangor/Newtownards?  Have some free time during the day Wed, Thursday or Friday?  Then we have a volunteer opportunity which might interest you.

Drugs & Alcohol Training - ASCERT is offering a selection of training courses to individuals working with young people, adults or families who might be affected by drug and alcohol misuse. Courses range from Basic Drugs Awareness for practitioners to Community Drug Awareness Training as well as specific training for young people to reduce or prevent invovlement in anti-social behaviour, especially drug/alcohol related.  If you are interested in finding out more contact staff at the Volunteer Centre or ASCERT on 028 92604422 or http://www.ascert.biz/tra_main.htm.

Student Volunteers' Week - DDVC celebrated Student Volunteers' Week by mounting an information stand in the canteen of the South Eastern Regional College, Downpatrick on Tuesday 23 February. Staff members Courtney Campbell and Pamela Grove-White were on hand to answer students' questions about volunteering and were joined by a number of existing student volunteers. 

Pamela Grove-White, Youth Officer in the Volunteer Centre said, “Research published by the Volunteer Development Agency (It’s All About Time, 2007) shows that individuals aged between 16 - 24 are the most likely in our society to volunteer and are more likely to volunteer for organisations that are involved in sports or exercise. They provide an invaluable resource to many local groups and organisations across Down and they are very committed to their volunteer placement organisation.” 

"I have a significant number of students volunteering through our Millennium Volunteering programme and I am always amazed how many achieve the highest certificate awarded for over 200 hours of volunteering. I would encourage any young person to get involved in volunteering and Student Volunteering Week is a great time to find out what is available.  Find out more about opportunities by visiting: www.volunteernow.co.uk”.

Out on the lough for fun and thanks  On Saturday a group of volunteers went out on Strangford Lough for a morning canoeing round the islands.  After saying hello to the seals they stopped off at Salt Island then off to Killyleagh for a sunny picnic lunch and back to Delamont.  The sun shone on a perfect day - except for a few blisters - a perfect opportunity to say thank you for all their hard work.

Gay & Bisexual Men - Personal Development Programme
This programme run by the Rainbow Project will start Thursday 25th February from 6:30pm - 9:30pm and will take place every Thursday evening. There is a scheduled two week break over the Easter period and it will run until May 20th.  It will be held each week in Rainbow's premises in Belfast.
The programme is fun and informal, interactive and will discuss issues that are important to you as a gay or bisexual man, ranging from sexual and mental health, to relationships and intimacy, alcohol and drugs, masculinity, understanding your rights and how to cope with homophobia. There will be a team building exercise midway through, and a paid for celebratory event at the end. 
Should you want any more information or to book a place on the course then please contact Malachai or Martin at t: (028) 9031 9030 or via email (martin@rainbow-project.org) or malachai@rainbow-project.org.

Schools, Youth and Community Awards 2010  - We are holding our annual awards in March of this year, nominations for individual or group volunteers or nominating schools for promoting and supporting volunteers or organisations which are really supportive to volunteers.  Tell us what you have got out of volunteering - fun, friends, experience, skills - or how helpful and supportive groups have been.  For more information or nomination forms contact Courtney or Pamela at the Volunteer Centre.

Down Voluntary Youth Forum  - This is a forum for young volunteers in the District who have an idea for a project, from fundraising to painting murals, helping with conservation projects or promoting volunteers through helping with information stands or organising awards.  You may be intersted in a particular issue eg training and further work on issues around drug and alcohol problems.  It's up to you, if you have an idea and feel it would benefit the community contact Pamela at the volunteer centre for a chat.

New Year Developments - A happy new year to all volunteers and volunteer involving organisations from everyone in the Volunteer Centre.    Janine Connolly, who successfully coordinated our supported volunteers programme, has left to take up new employment. We wish her well and are very grateful for her hard work and endeavour over the last few years.  She will be missed by everyone at the centre, the volunteers and project stakeholders. Courtney Campbell will assume responsibility for supported volunteers in the interim.

Christmas Hampers  - Thank you to everyone who donated to or helped with the Christmas hamper appeal for older people.  Youth Forum and Millennium volunteers spent an afternoon packing and decorating the hampers.  These were then distributed to eight local older who live on their own.

 
It'll be a yellow spring in Downpatrick - Groups of volunteers got together last week to plant over 10,000 daffodil bulbs to make two Marie Curie Fields of Hope.  One is in Marian Park, the other in the new Downe Hospital.  More daffodils were planted by children from St Patrick's boys Primary School and Blackwater Integrated College along with members of Stream Street Residents Group - and a little help from Pamela and Courtney from the Volunteer Centre!  Another five thousand bulbs went in so the bank there should be awash with colour in March or April next year.

Opportunities for Volunteering  Our volunteer opportunities page gives you an idea of the kind of opportunities available across Down District.  Have a look at that, call in and speak to us, email us or download a volunteer registration form.  Whether you like computers or pigs, being outside or inside, railways or football we'll try to find something which suits you.  For something a little different, Tools for Solidarity is looking for someone with experience of using knitting machines.  The group need a bit of help learning about how to use machines so that they can understand how they work.

Lots of oppportunities for volunteers, including sighted guide for people with visual impairments, fundraising, helping with Beacon House - social support for people recovering from mental ill health, helping with bird surveys on farms and helping with special olympics Bocce Club.

Northern Walking Partnership - The Partnership is starting a new walking programme in Down District and are looking for people to help out with the walks - short and long - and help with promoting its activities.

Youth Action Day in Murlough - On a freezing cold December day a group of young volunteers went out to the National Trust; Murlough Nature Reserve in Dundrum.  They went to carry on with some controlled gorse cutting and burning; the gorse grows freely and can take over stopping other native plants - important for the insects and animals who live on the reserve.  A lot of work was completed and the gorse actually burned this time, a great relief to frozen fingers!  If you are interested in taking part in a fun, group action day - a great way to meet other volunteers, both young and older, contact Pamela or Courtney at the volunteer centre, to get an idea of some of the other action days which have taken place click on the link or go to the action days page.

safeTALK Are you interested in basic training around suicide awareness?  The SEH&SCT is offering a 3 hour training course covering the 4 basic steps to recognize persons with thoughts of suicide. Participants will also learn how to connect suicidal individuals with the help that they need.  safeTALK is for eveyone.  The next course will take place in the St Mark's Parish Centre. Church St, Newtownards on Fri. 27 Nov. '09 from 9.15am-1.00pm.  To reserve your place contact: Carol Brown 028 9151 0275 or e-mail: Carol.Brown@setrust.hascni.net

BIG Lottery Clean-up!  Volunteers from the BIG Lottery office in Belfast took part in an Employer Supported Volunteer day in Killough organised by Down District Volunteer Centre.  DDVC staff member Antje Otto said, “I am grateful to the Big Lottery Fund for its support of the Employer Volunteering Scheme and enabling 40 staff members to get their hands dirty in Down. Two local charities, Lecale Conservation and Bike Aid Africa, have been the beneficiary partners. However, the real winners are the community in south Down and the environment as we have been able to recycle over a ton of litter and restore countless scrapped bicycles.”

Volunteers' Week Thanks - see what volunteers did on volunteers' week.

Funding Ideas for Young People's Projects - see the youth page for more details.

Down District Volunteer Centre is a registered company limited by guarantee in Northern Ireland (NI40362) and is registered as a charity for tax purposes with the Inland Revenue.