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Full Time Volunteering
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2008: Another great year for CSV Full Time Volunteering!
February April Tim told us: “I have enjoyed my time at Cherry Trees. It’s been great fun, and there’s always something different happening so it’s never dull. I’ve met a huge variety of people here and I’ve learnt more about people with disabilities. I’ve also learnt how to cook, clean and change nappies. Overall, this placement has been hugely beneficial to me.” June July
With 2008 drawing to a close we take the opportunity to look back at a year in the life of CSV Full Time Volunteering. We look at a selection of activities that have taken place over the year and we talk to some of the volunteers who have helped to make a difference, improve communities and change lives in 2008.
January
We start the year with some new Full Time Volunteers including Rosalind from Gwynedd. She gets the year off to a great start by travelling to Leicester to volunteer at a project encouraging and enabling people with learning disabilities to become volunteers themselves.
Reflecting on her placement Rosalind said "I have gained so much its been very inspiring and rewarding. I have enjoyed everyday and there have been so many times when I've finished work and my face hurt from laughing so much!"
Alvin, one of our international volunteers from Colombia, starts volunteering at Colchester Night Shelter in Essex and meets a fellow CSV volunteer, Ruben.
CSV volunteers have helped at the Nightshelter over the last 17 years providing emergency, temporary bed and breakfast accommodation for homeless people.
Pernille, the Nightshelter Manager says "We have had a great number of CSV volunteers and they have contributed with ideas, project development proposals and inter-cultural understanding. A big thank you to CSV and all the individuals who have shaped the work of the shelter and helped our homeless residents.”
Alvin says: “If you like to help people and you want a great experience, you have to do volunteering with CSV. This could change your life forever!”
March
We say goodbye to Athena, from Cambridgeshire, as she finishes her placement at West London Day Centre, a drop in centre for homeless people in London.
Athena told us "I've gained a lot of confidence dealing with different people and mix of emotions I've not come across before. Its been so good, such a positive thing, so thank you!"
We develop an exciting new Full Time Volunteering opportunity in Northamptonshire with TACT, a charity working with young people in care. Volunteers provide companionship and practical support to children in foster care including helping with school work, engaging children in sport and local community activities and delivering life skills training.
May
Tim, from Shropshire, finishes his 7 month placement at Cherry Trees, a respite home in Surrey where he provided short term care in a home style environment for children and young people with learning difficulties and physical disabilities.
Joseph returns home to the USA after 9 months as a CSV volunteer, supporting a student with disabilities to live an active student lifestyle at the University of Surrey. He tells us "I would do it again if I could as it's been an invaluable experience!"
Katharina, from Germany, completes her one year placement at Ravenswood in Berkshire, a supported housing project for people with learning disabilities. Katharina volunteered through the European Voluntary Service (EVS) programme which we'll tell you more about in a future newsletter.
She says "I didn't expect to volunteer with people from so many cultures and that this year would pass so fast! I didn't expect as well that I would become so much more self confident and happy!"
August/September
It's one of the busiest time of the year for CSV Full Time Volunteering as we welcome 177 new volunteers from the UK and other countries, many of them taking a gap year with CSV to gain experience before starting a job or university course.
October - Make a Difference Day
Annie, a Full Time Volunteer at the Agents4Change project in Sheffield keeps a blog and tells us about her involvement with Make a Difference Day, the UK's largest single day of volunteering:
"Today is the Big Day! We started by collecting 100 pumpkins and my volunteers arrived about 10am. Despite being nervous the day was a huge success with over 60 hedgehog boxes being made, over 200 attendees, 30 volunteers and many many burgers being eaten. The local kids came suitably dressed in their halloween outfits, with the day culminating in a suitably spooky walk. A great day for local community spirit!"
November
Rosanna moves into full time employment having completed her placement as an Agent4Change volunteer in Norwich this month. She talks about what she learnt about herself while volunteering.
"I've learnt that I don't have to do everything myself, and it's always good to collaborate with others. I have definitely grown in confidence after having proved that I can move somewhere completely new where I know no one and nothing about my surroundings and quickly make a life for myself and succeed in my volunteering role".
Rosanna adds "Volunteering opens so many doors for people today and I can certainly say it has for me. It's an opportunity to put yourself in a range of situations that you might not otherwise find yourself in, to gain skills and experience for future employment. It also gives you time to identify your strengths and work out what kind of work you would enjoy doing."
December
Many CSV Full Time Volunteers prepare to give their time to help others over the Christmas period. 
Alison, a CSV Full Time Volunteer at Nightsafe, a homeless shelter in Bradford says “I can celebrate Christmas day with my family on any day of the year, but the people we help at the Nightsafe shelter don’t get that opportunity. Many don’t have friends or family to turn to, so it means a lot to show you care by volunteering."
Alison has been volunteering full time through CSV since May and is planning to use the experience to retrain in youth work. She said: “This experience is priceless, as volunteering has been a great way for me to get a feel for things and get some experience; it has also helped me decide which area to go into. Volunteering has given me a whole different perspective; I can be with my family anytime but I want to help people who don’t have the privilege of a supportive family.”
CSV Full Time Volunteering would like to take this opportunity to say thank you to all the Full Time Volunteers, partner organisations and individuals we have worked with in 2008 and to wish you all a merry Christmas and prosperous new year.
Looking forward to 2009...
If you would like to be part of the CSV story in 2009 and are interested in becoming a Full Time Volunteer please click here to apply. Alternatively if you know someone who might be interested please forward this email to them.
Could you host CSV volunteers?
If you are an organisation that is interested in hosting CSV Full Time Volunteers please contact us here for more information.
How to contact us:
If you have any queries about CSV Full Time Volunteering please contact us:
Call:
Email: volunteer@csv.org.uk
Web: www.csv.org.uk/volunteeruk
Please quote reference "BTNDEC".
Produced by CSV Full Time Volunteering Team
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