Voluntary Sector News

Family Fun Day - Appeal for Volunteers

Organisers of a community Family Fun Day on Rattray Common on Saturday 3 July are appealing for volunteer helpers to man some of the many activities for children. If you are local and could spare a couple of hours between 11am and 3pm, contact Helen Roach, Area Childcare Coordinator at Perth Grammar Community Wing, on 01738 472362. Please note that volunteers would require to be disclosure checked.  

Voluntary Action Perthshire (VAP) - NEW Community Contact Project
Call for all voluntary groups / organisations in Perth & Kinross to contact VAP

Voluntary Action Perthshire (VAP), the Community Engagement department of PKAVS, is embarking on a Community Contact project to map out voluntary sector involvement and value across the Perthshire area and to offer support and information to local groups.

VAP holds details of 775 local organisations, however previous surveys suggest that there may actually be between 5,000 and 6,000 organisations or groups operating locally. This indicates that we have a very limited understanding of the diversity of work done by voluntary and community groups/organisations, how the sector contributes to employment and volunteering and what the sector is contributing financially to the economy in Perth & Kinross.

With your assistance, VAP hopes to produce a report which defines our sector and the work that we do. This will enable us to develop our support services for your organisations and will also inform statutory agencies of the services you can offer.

VAP is holding a number of drop-ins across Highland and Eastern Perthshire to meet local voluntary workers. You are invited to come along and discuss what you are doing in the community and find out how VAP can support your group. Click here to download drop-in dates and times.

Norrie McPherson of VAP will be carrying out a short survey on the diversity of work undertaken by voluntary and community groups. The survey will take approximately 15 minutes and can be carried out face to face, over the telephone or by e mail, whichever is more convenient for you.

For further information call VAP at PKAVS on Perth 01738 567076 and ask for Norrie, Lidia, Colin, Alasdair or George.

CVS Training Courses

CVS will be running a number of training courses throughout 2010, including both courses of general interest to the voluntary sector and bespoke training for organisations with specific training needs. Contact our team on 01738 567076 for further details including dates or visit the VAP Training and Events section on our website.

PUSH is a charitable organisation, which promotes Person Centred Planning as we work for inclusion for people with learning disabilities. We are a small, dedicated and friendly team of staff and volunteers who work hard to help people with learning difficulties, their families, carers and support staff.

PUSH runs an information and enquiry service for issues relating to learning disabilities in Perth and Kinross and works within the community by linking with other organisations to enable support people with learning difficulties to take up opportunities for employment, social activities and learning.

PUSH offers training and awareness sessions to community groups, schools and organizations. We also provide training to individuals who may be interested in social care but don’t know what to expect and also to professionals who may want to learn more about Person Centred Planning and Employing someone with a disability.

PUSH is looking for:

Volunteers - anyone willing to give up their time to help people with a learning disability or work in our office.

New members - We run several groups and are able to help and offer support with a variety of issues.

Employers - willing to give a person with a learning disability a job, support will be provided.

People – who have an interest in learning difficulties and may have questions.

If you are interested contact stephen@pushinfo.org

DISIP Survey

Indigo Project Solutions has been commissioned by Disability Information Service in Perthshire (DISIP) to conduct research into the needs of people who have recently been diagnosed with a long-term debilitating illness or disability, and into the services required by people who have been living with a long-term illness or disability for a while. To complete the questionnaire, click link on the link above.

Unity Trust Bank

As a specialist bank for charities, voluntary organisations and social enterprises, Unity Trust Bank is dedicated to providing the right banking solution for you, enabling you to concentrate on delivering on your goals. Our strength lies in our understanding of and providing services to meet the needs of our customers in the social economy.

We can provide the full range of banking services from day-to-day banking to specialist loan finance and grant bridging loans. With a commitment to providing market-leading customer service, we work in partnership with a wide variety of organisations in the social economy to help underpin their long term development aims.

Click here to read about Unity Trust Bank's Vision & Mission Statement

Volunteer Mentors Wanted

Link Up supports young people (10-19) to stay safe, healthy, get involved in community activities and to achieve things in their lives. Volunteer mentors are wanted for Dundee, Angus and Perth. Email mark@alcoholtayside.com for further information.