VolResource Blog

I think it might be useful to add a Taxonomy category to the blog, as a possible way of communicating further on this overlooked subject.

My latest experience - a request for information on 'justice sector' related organisations in the area, at my day job. But we don't have such a grouping in our current database, and the new one beign implemented has 'Domestic Violence' as the nearest. How could such a signiicant area be missing from the categorisation, and how do we fill the gap?

See www.volresource.org.uk for some further links and suggestions on the topic.

Posted by John Howes at 07:50 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Somehow we knew in our bones that the volunteering story line on ITV soap Coronation Street would start on the Bank Holiday. And tuned in just in time for a demonstration of how not to persuade people to volunteer to do a community clean-up.

This 'plot' is set to climax on September 18th. Not being a soap addict I doubt I'll be watching the episodes in between, so do let us know if anything exciting happens!

Posted by John Howes at 09:52 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

As part of the ChangeUp Volunteering Hub activity Volunteering England has secured £100,000 to assist in the replacement of existing shop front and other external signage with new Volunteer Centre branded shop front and other external signage. The money will be allocated on a rolling programme on a first-come first-served basis for any Volunteer Centre that meets the grant criteria and demonstrates value for money when compared with other applicants and Volunteering England's own experience of replacing signage for the pilot Volunteer Centre sites.

The application form and full information are available on the web-site

From xPRESS Digest

Posted by John Howes at 07:38 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

MSNBC Newsweek international edition, Sept 5th issue, has a number of articles on the non-profit sector.

Where the Money Is - The $1.6 trillion non-profit sector behaves (or misbehaves) more and more like big business. Read article

Opinion: Why Think Small? NGOs need to shed ideology to act like real businesses. Read Opinion piece

Posted by John Howes at 06:56 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Redditch Borough Council and Redditch YMCA have agreed to run two local community centres in partnership, which had been duplicating services. Otherwise they could both have ended up closing.

See ourpartnership web page.

Posted by John Howes at 04:32 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

From Risks, TUC's weekly email health and safety newsletter:

A horse sanctuary in East Anglia has been hit with fines and costs topping £45,000 after its 'cavalier attitude' to lethal chemicals led to three of its workers being poisoned and suffering physical and mental injuries that could affect them for life. Redwings Horse Sanctuary - a charity with a yearly income of £6m - could be dealt a further serious financial blow as the victims prepare to launch civil actions against it for what could be six-figure compensation sums. Norwich Magistrates' Court heard this week that the three workers suffered severe symptoms after inhaling fumes from rat poison tablets when they went into a barn to stack hay. No one had told them the poison had been used in the area. They were also left to make their own way to hospital immediately after the incident. All three workers are now on anti-depressants and have faced dire personal as well as health consequences. One was fired without reason, another is having marriage problems because of his violent mood swings and the third faces a repossession order on his home. Along with two of its managers, Redwings was prosecuted in a case brought by the Health and Safety Executive for contravening health and safety regulations on the use of the poison Phostoxin. Sentencing the charity, Deputy District Judge Frazer Morrison criticised its 'slapdash approach' and said 'the company took no steps to safeguard the safety of employees and visitors to the premises. Proper practices could have prevented the consequences.'

Eastern Daily News item

Posted by John Howes at 04:19 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Time to trial a weblog associated with VolResource. More of a personal angle, and not necessarily of any practical use to anyone in the sector.

Posted by John Howes at 03:22 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)