Let's face it, most people who volunteer are passionate about helping people - but for some influencing social change is also important. Volunteering for a campaigning organisation allows volunteers to help make things happen for large charities. Find out what the grass roots activists get up to here.

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Friday Aug 18, 2006

Stewarding at the BIG CHILL

If any of you are reading my blog and asking hasn't BIG CHILL already happened, you are right, it has - im just trying to get up to date with Blogging! Not really being one who is particularly into DJ's i really wasnt to sure what i was going to make of the BIG CHILL - i was pleasently surprised and came across some fantastic bands and (dare i say it) DJ's. As this was a very last minute decision i was unable to convince my boyfriend, who usually stewards with me, to come too as he was busy doing his dissertation for his Masters. Thankfully one of the stewards i had met at WOMAD was also going and offered to give me a lift to the festival so we got to know each other along the way. As many of our shifts clashed however i did find myself spending a lot of time alone during the days, checking out the interesting stalls and poping between stages (its a huge venue, so that took quite a bit of time). Being by myself during the evenings felt a little more awkward when it came to the partying! Thankfully i was stewarding two of the evenings, so this meant not only did i get to watch a lot of the performers on the main stage while taking care of the visibility platform, but i felt that my life had some kind of purpose! Although i felt more alone than usual i found myself chatting to a lot more stewards and it turned out that a larger number than i had expected had come alone, i had fun chilling out with one of them in the Body and Soul Zone one afternoon before visiting a 'make-believe' wedding ceremony! Apart from dealing with the odd drunk punter, stewarding on the visibility platform was fantastic and very rewarding.

Please note: Although the people who organise stewarding at festivals for Oxfam volunteers are ultra nice, its very unlikely that you are able to request where you are stewarding and which shifts you end up with - i was just lucky!

Posted by Helen Bryant ( 1:19 PM )
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Wednesday Aug 16, 2006

BIG CHILL

Just incase i couldnt get enough of smelly portaloos, walkie talkies and drunk festival goers, i offered to volunteer at another festival THE BIG CHILL. Oxfam festival steward organisers were pleading with us lovely people helping out at WOMAD to lend a hand the following weekend at this festival. Im not quite sure if im a sucker or a festival lover, but being unemployed and with not much else to do except job hunting (which i was keen to avoid like the plague) i offered my services. Offering to volunteer at late notice, i explained to the team manager that to keep me happy, i didnt want any 'graveyard' shifts (starting at 12am or later) and to make me ultra willing that i wanted to volunteer on the platform for people with disabilities - a raised area in front of the main stage reserved for people who due to their disability needed to sit down or use a  wheelchair during performances, to make sure they werent knocked as punters danced around to the music and enabling them to see above peoples heads - my main reason being that i was able to enjoy the dj's and bands at the same time. They agreed!

Posted by Helen Bryant ( 4:01 PM )
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Thursday Aug 10, 2006

WOMAD

Ever since i returned from WOMAD people seem to be commenting on my tan and how 'healthy' i look. It wasnt all about sunbathing and enjoying the fantastic world music though, it was about making the festival run smoothly while raising money for Oxfam at the same time.  Stewarding  involves volunteering for three 8 hour shifts over the duration of the weekend (including a night shift of 12-8am!). Volunteers get allocated a section of the arena or campsite to look  after during these sessions, along with a team of other i was designated to the camping area for disabled people and their carers. This area offers suitable toilet and shower facilities for people in wheelchairs and is the nearest camping area to the arena for ease of access. My shifts seemed to vary between persuading people that they didnt need to bring the kitchen sink with them and to camp closer to others, re-charging electric wheelchairs, dealing with an electricity cut, reporting full and smelly porta-loos and keeping punters happy, answering any questions they had. Creating a good relationship with my fellow team members and following my previous experience of stewarding, i seemed to end up supervising the team and keeping them motivated even during the darkest hours! i met lots of fantastic people and made plenty of friends, all resulting in a FANTASTIC weekend!

Posted by Helen Bryant ( 9:20 PM )
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My name in print

Having come across my blog, the Metro (free newspaper) approached me, for assistance  in writing an article on stewarding at festivals. Very keen to have my name in print i got involved and shared with the nation just how great it was.

Posted by Helen Bryant ( 8:55 PM )
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Friday Aug 04, 2006

R U Gettin' It?

We now have an agreed name for the social work training 'R U Gettin It?'

This week was the Graffiti work for our workshop I havent actually done any graffiti but have put a design together.  Havent put in on a board yet because wasnt very well that day   and the other young person is away at the mo anyway so we'll hopefully we'll both be able to get the design we both want at a later date.  I will be working on the workshop for now getting it right, but thats practically there too.  And the idea is to promote the group and to give away tickets for our V Factor show to those participating. 

Oh yeah! Some of the Graffiti work that was done this week too is going to be displayed in the art gallery this week as well. 

 

Posted by Moira ( 5:00 PM )
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The V Factor

The V Factor you ask?

At Barnardos in the NE we are currently looking to set up a fashion show which be around recycling and volunteering.  The idea came from a young person who is on Barnardos Young People's Regional Management Group and also joined our Young Volunteers Group (The PARTY!). 

The recycled fashions will what we hope to be designed by children and young people from service /university/volunteers from outside organisation

Its about involving young people in volunteering and learning more about recycling, It is still in its very early stages but what we hope to do by doing this is enlisting more young volunteers by getting the group noticed more.Apart from the recycled fashion show we hope to have design a poster/t-shirt competition which we would be around volunteering.

We're still deciding on how to do this exactly but idea of where to have are either in 1 of the Civic centres or what seems to be more popular choice of having a roadshow around the North East so we can get more people involved and it maybe better than just a 1 of event so it wont be forgotten about easily.  Another reason for doing is hopefully able to do some fundraising.

But first of all we want schools,universities, volunteer centres and other young people services as well as Barnardo's throughout the North East to get involved if possible (which is why we're thinking of a roadshow)!

Whoa I see a lot of work ahead and we're think of having the event in November So Watch This Space!

Posted by Moira ( 4:30 PM )
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