What is volunteering?
Volunteering is an opportunity to get involved. This could be with your local community or even overseas! It's an opportunity to meet new people, make lifelong friends and have fun. It's about helping others and giving back but that doesn't mean you won't get anything in return. As a part of your volunteering you can learn new skills, gain recognition and qualifications.
There are many types of Volunteer roles such as: fundraising; first aid; campaigning; computers and design; sports coaching; youth leadership.
There are 3,500 voluntary and community groups in Powys, which are a real A-Z, such as: arts - drama, dance to music; health and social care; charity shops; amateur sports, environment and conservation.
You may already be volunteering, for example: fundraising for Young Farmers, Children in Need or Comic Relief; as a young leader in scouts, guides or cadets; coaching juniors.
Where to find out about volunteering
Powys Volunteer Centre works with 12 local volunteer bureaux/community supports based throughout Powys, whose job it is to help you to find places to volunteer.
Find your nearest contact at Powys Volunteer Centres.
Volunteering Wales Website
This website has hundreds of opportunities in Powys. Just enter your postcode and select from the 40 categories of opportunities. the Gwirvol logo show which ones are suitable for 16-25 year olds.
Click on the Volunteering Website link to visit the website.
ACCREDITATION
If you are 14+ getting recognised for the volunteering that you do is more important than ever!
It is really easy to get Certificates for your hours which can be used on your CV and for college, university and work applications.
PAWS for 14-16 year olds
Powys awards scheme, run by PAVO, gives certificates for 20, 50, 100 hours of volunteering in the community.
Just complete and return the Profile form to your nearest volunteer bureau or the organisation/group you are volunteering for.
Once signed up all volunteers need to do is keep track of what they have done, when they did it and how long it took on the Record of Volunteering form.
Once completed your hours, fill in the completion form here.
Information for Organisations
Delivery Partners
PAWS 14-16 year olds - PAVO is seeking delivery partners from groupsand organisations that work with young people in this age group to enable them to gain their certificates. It's simple and easy to become a delivery partner, just complete and submit the Registration form or contact PAVO Helpdesk tel: 0845 009 3288 or email: info@pavo.org.uk
Millennium Volunteers for 16-25 year olds
Is a nationally recognised certificate scheme with certificates for 50, 100 and 200 hours of volunteering.
You can include:
- Volunteering with more than one organisation
- Include up to 50 hours for the 3 months before your Start Date
- Include travel, planning and training time for you volunteering.
- NB Welsh Baccalaureate hours cannot be included.
Just complete and return a Start Form to your nearest volunteer bureau.
Millennium Volunteers now open to 14-15 year olds
From 1st April 2012 14-15 year olds are able to gain Millennium Volunteers Certificates for their volunteering in the community. 16,000 young people in Wales have been awarded the Certificates for 50, 100 and 200 hours of volunteering. Gaining a Certificate shows initiative and social responsibility which is so important for college, university and job applications in this competitive economic environment. The pilot year to lower the age range aims to get youngster volunteering earlier. Volunteering includes fundraising, being a young leader or coaching and mentoring and can be with more than one group, club or charity.
MV50 Sport is the new Olympic branded Certificate for 50 hours of sports or activity related volunteering.
MV50 Sport
The new MV50 Sport is for 50 hours of Sport or activity related volunteering and bears the Olympic 2012 logo.
Just complete a Start Form and state that you would like this special Certificate.
Information for Organisations
Delivery Partners
Millennium Volunteers - organisations have larger numbers of volunteers that are 16-25 year olds may want to consider becoming delivery partners and carrying out their own administration and issuing of certificates. Ther can be funding available to support volunteers expenses see Get involved with MV
You Give You Get
There are other forms of accreditation for Youth Volunteering - see Gwirvol's guide to recognition and accreditation of volunteering for young people at you give you get
GRANT FUNDING
Youth Led Grants 14-25 years
Small grants (in the region of £250) are available form PAVO to run a project that provides volunteering opportunities for young people aged 14-25 years. The young people can be from an existing group or just young people coming together to run a project of their own choosing. The application must be written by a young person. Past projects have included organising fundraising events to support local charities, local environmental schemes, and improving facilities for older people. There will be a young person's panel to award the grants.
Gwirvol Youth Led Grant Scheme 2012 - 2013
There is still money available! Apply Now!
Grants in the region of £250 are available for projects that provide volunteering opportunities for young people aged 14-25 to help their communities. Previous successful applications secured funds to:
- create a community garden
- hold a fund-raising event to raise money for a village hall
- open up a footpath for local people and making it accessible for people with mobility disabilities
- run a peer-led first aid course
- train young volunteers.
The applications have to be written by young people. A panel of young people from Powys will assess the applications.
Funding is still available, monies must be spent by the beginning of March 2013.
To download the application form click on the link here.
Gwirvol
Gwirvol is a uniquely diverse partnership in Wales, for promoting, supporting and driving forward youth volunteering, led by the views of young people through our youth-led partner Gwirforce.
The aim of the Gwirvol Youth Volunteering Grants scheme is to support the delivery of a wide range of new volunteering opportunities in Wales and overseas that will support the step change in access to volunteering for young people aged 16-25 and especially for disadvantaged young people. The Gwirvol grant scheme offers four different strands of funding:-
- Creating Opportunities
- Promotions
- International - Please note that the International grants are currently unavailable
- Millennium Volunteers
For more information about Gwirvol Grants click on the link http://www.gwirvol.org/en/grants/
join PAVO
All voluntary organisations and community groups in Powys are invited to become members of PAVO. Membership is Free ... find out more
Training
PAVO provides training courses on all aspects of running community groups and voluntary organisations ... find out more
Powys Transport Training Agency provides transport related training courses and information ... find out more
Powys Agency for Mental Health
Powys Agency for Mental Health provides information, support, representation networks, advice and training to the Third Sector on any aspect of mental health services in Powys ... find out more
Children and Young People
A network for organisations and groups who support, help, play and work with children, young people and their families, helping them to share good practice, work together and link to the CYP Partnership ... find out more
Health, Social Care & Wellbeing
Have your say and keep informed about how the Third Sector contributes to Health and Social Care services in Powys ... find out more
Community Transport
Community Transport meets the transport needs of communities where these needs are not or cannot be adequately met by public and/or commercial transport ... find out more
Community Development
PAVO's team of Development Officers can provide you with practical support to help develop your community group or voluntary group and its activities ... find out more
