MK Doughnut Economics – Milton Keynes Donut Day
You are invited to take part in the special event on Monday 13th November – midday until 6pm at the Chrysalis Theatre, Camphill.
People, groups and organisations of Milton Keynes are invited to come and learn how Donuts can help us to sustain people and the planet. Drop-in to our exhibition and help us imagine, reach for and start to design a better future together.
Who are Caudwell Youth?
Caudwell Youth work with at-risk 11–24-year-olds delivering person centred support based on their individual needs. Most young people they see have one or more of the following challenges: mental health, care experienced, at risk of or involved in offending behaviour or at risk of exploitation.
The Volunteer Role
Volunteering your support means working with one young person for 1-2 hours a week, to support them in taking the next steps in their life. This will be a combination of support through messaging/ calling / video calling and meeting up in the community.
The Caudwell Youth team will support you to do this. Each Youth Support Coordinator is responsible for 25-30 volunteers and 25 young people. They also have a Volunteer Coordinator and an Operations Director, so there is always somebody available when you need them.
How can I find out more?
For next steps, more info and online application, click here.
We’re delighted to announce that we’ll be featuring on Givto in September 2023!
Givto is a new way to donate to charity that allows users to give to a different cause each month with one simple Direct Debit. The service was developed by volunteers in Leeds who wanted to support local charities during the pandemic. Following a successful pilot in Yorkshire, Givto is now being rolled out to people nationwide. Givto offers users the chance to support local charities and discover new causes – like ours.
Read more: Support Us on GivtoEach month, Givto users are given three causes to choose from. We’ve been selected to feature in September, and we’re so excited to share our cause with a new audience and hopefully raise funds for Community Action: MK to support our work with the voluntary groups and communities across Milton Keynes.
Givto also feature us in a Directory of all the worthy causes they’ve helped where you can search by cause and location, and you can check our page here.
If you’d like to support us this September, sign up to donate with Givto today.
Sign up to donate with Givto here: https://givto.org/app/donate
Find out more about Givto here: https://givto.org.
Today’s guest blog comes from the NSPCC, read on for how you can help protect MK school children:
Volunteer support is needed for the charity’s Speak out Stay safe (SOSS) safeguarding programme, which is for children aged 5 to 11 years old and available to all primary schools across the county.
It helps children, in an age-appropriate way, to understand:
- abuse in all its forms and how to recognise signs of abuse
- that abuse is never a child’s fault and that they have the right to be safe
- where to get help and the sources of help available to them, including the NSPCC’s Childline service.
Last year, the NSPCC delivered SOSS online programmes to 20,125 children in more than 80 schools in Buckinghamshire, and is looking for volunteers to train to deliver sessions in person when school starts again in September.
Through assemblies and workshops, children can learn about the different types of abuse in a child-friendly way, so they can get help if or when they need it.
NSPCC staff and volunteers help them identify a safe adult they can talk to if they’re ever worried about themselves or a friend. With the help of mascot Buddy, SOSS covers topics like bullying, neglect and abuse – without using any scary words or adult language.
Sarah Smith a SOSS volunteer from the East of England, said: “I would say that my main enjoyment comes from the interaction with the children. I love their earnest responses and fresh ways of looking at the issues we present.”
Laura Franklin, NSPCC Schools Area Coordinator for Buckinghamshire and Milton Keynes, said: “Over the past year counsellors at the NSPCC service Childline delivered almost 200,000 counselling sessions to children, with 23,600 of these sessions estimated to have taken place with young people in the East of England. With the help of the SOSS programme many children may speak out sooner.
SOSS is an effective way to support a school’s safeguarding duties and link directly to the curriculum as well as helping reinforce key messages about abuse and neglect as part of a school’s teaching on relationships.”
For further information about how your school can take part please contact
laura.franklin@nspcc.org.uk
Are you looking for an opportunity to support an MK-based charity? Willen Hospice, a charity which provides specialist end of life care to adult patients and support for their families, are looking to add a new member to their Board. Becoming a trustee can be a great way to enhance your CV, build networks, and make a difference in your community.
Read Willen Hospice’s guest blog for more on their rewarding voluntary role:
Opportunity for a Property trustee to join the Board of Willen Hospice
Willen Hospice is looking for a new trustee to join the board who will bring their skills, enthusiasm, and in particular knowledge of property matters, to the heart of our organisation.
We are a Milton Keynes based charity, highly regarded, and well established in the local community. A new extension to the Hospice has recently opened and we employ 200 staff, manage 14 shops and over 1000 volunteers. The Board currently consists of 11 members who bring a wealth of knowledge and experience of working in the commercial and charity sectors.
Our vision at Willen Hospice, is to be the lasting and thriving provider of free care to all people affected by life limiting illness in our community of Milton Keynes and surrounding areas. The Willen Hospice Values are important to us and are at the heart of everything we do: Compassion, Ambition, Respect and Excellence.
This is a voluntary role.
About you
If you have a solid background of working at a strategic level in a commercial property environment and feel able to commit to the Willen Hospice vision and values, we would love to talk to you about the trustee role and the work that we do.
Personal Qualities
What we offer
Time Commitment
Term
Trustees serve up to a 10-year term and are eligible for re-appointment for 3 additional years.
The Board of Trustees is responsible for overseeing the leadership, management and administration of the charity working closely with the senior team. On occasion, trustees will need to have the ability to balance their role as a team player with that of critical friend to challenge and scrutinise performance.
Apply now.
If you are interested in playing this important role on our Board of Trustees, please send your application to Margaret Dovies, Margaret.Dovies@willen-hospice.org.uk PA to the CEO with your CV/ summary of your experience. All applicants are subject to an advanced disclosure check before commencing their Trustee role. Interviews will be held with the CEO, Chair and a third member of the board. Candidates will have opportunity to visit the Hospice prior to interview.
We are particularly looking to improve our diversity as a Board and so welcome applicants from a range of different backgrounds but particularly those from an ethnic minority group as Willen is currently underrepresented in this area.
Qualities Required for Trustee Post (Property)
| Essential Qualities | Desirable Qualities |
| Knowledge and Experience | |
| Experience of working with performance and monitoring targets | |
| Sound experience in Commercial Estate Management with particular emphasis on Landlord and Tenant relationships | Knowledge of retail market in relation to acquisitions, lease renewals and rent reviews |
| RICS or equivalent qualification. | Minimum 5 years post qualification experience |
| Experience of general facilities management | Experience of Health and Safety Legislation |
| Experience of Project Management Principles and risk management | Experience of construction projects |
| Personal Qualities and Skills | |
| Reliable Strong sense of Integrity Honest Trustworthy Strong Interpersonal skills Team Player | |
As part of Volunteers’ Week, we’re raising awareness of the King’s Award for Voluntary Service , which celebrates the outstanding work of volunteer groups across the UK.
Created in 2002 to celebrate Queen Elizabeth II’s Golden Jubilee and previously known as The Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service (QAVS), the Award has been shining a light on the fantastic work of voluntary groups from all across the UK for many years.
Equivalent to an MBE, KAVS is the highest Award given to local voluntary groups in the UK, and they are awarded for life.
MK Recipients of the QAVS Award
Wolverton Secret Garden Society MK
Love in Action MK Ltd
MK Food bank
Milton Keynes Islamic Arts & Culture Organisation
Milton Keynes Museum Volunteers
Old Bath House and Community Centre – Wolverton
The Stablemates MK – (Stables Theatre)
Bosom Pals MK
Marshall Milton Keynes Athletic Club
Olney Rugby Football Club MK
MK Snap
Cowper and Newton Museum Volunteers
The Brooklands Centre, Milton Keynes
DREAMSAI
Milton Keynes Centre for Integrated Living
Nominations for the 2024 award opened on the 1st June 2023, with the full timeline of the awards process found here. Nominations close on the 15 September.
If you’d like to nominate any of the fantastic volunteer-involving organisations from across the city, you can find all the details here!
Today is the start of Volunteers Week! Across MK, charities and groups will be celebrating the huge impact volunteers have, and thanking them for their time and dedication.
Why is Volunteering Important?
Volunteering builds stronger, more connected communities. Volunteers can also benefit from forming friendships, gaining skills, and attaining work experience.
Being a volunteer can improve your wellbeing, and can be a source of fulfilment and fun!
I’d like to find a volunteer role, how can I do this?
1. Sign up to Do.It, a free-to-join volunteering platform
Search a wide range of volunteer opportunities, and get in touch directly with volunteer managers and coordinators. Sign up here.
2.Book a virtual 1-2-1 session on volunteering
Talk to our Volunteering Coordinator about finding a volunteer role that’s right for you.
You can do this by emailing volunteering@communityactionmk.org
3.Check out our volunteering map of MK
Click here to start exploring.
4.Join our Facebook Group, Volunteer MK
Click here to join the community and see the latest posts.
I work with volunteers, how can I get involved?
You can start by browsing ideas here.
If you’re sharing a message of thanks to your volunteers or pictures of your awards ceremonies or thank you gatherings on social media, use #VolunteersWeek and #Volunteer MK or tag us @ComActMK, and we’ll share your posts on the 5 and 6 June.
You can also send a Thank You message to be displayed on the 7 June at the Volunteers’ Week Pillar at MK Rose, Campbell Park.
Email over 2 or 3 sentences of thanks to your volunteers: volunteering@communityactionmk.org