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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Monday Apr 30, 2007

New Volunteer Opportunity!

Hi

I'm realllllly excited about this!  I'm going to be doing some new volunteering in the Summer which I'm soooo looking forward too.  I'm going to be volunteering with a drama group who will be making a film starting in September.  So for the summer I will be helping out at the drama sessions as volunteer thn will start my training in making thier dvd in September.

Guess your wondering where this all came from?......

Up until last year I was part of Barnardo's UK Advisory Group FRAME which was made up of2/3 young people from each region and nation.  When it ended we said as a group we wanted to celebrate the group's achievements came up with a few ideas then went with the idea of putting it all in film; (We didn't want it to go into a boring report which wouldn't mean anything).  After this meeting and deciding on the best way forward, 'I took the bull by the horns' so to speak and contacted all the participation managers who supported us in tis then...contacted other people within Barnardo's (the Cheif Exec etc) to get the ok on making the dvd. Eventually we got the ok in making the film about the group's achievements; after writing a report on why the DVD should be made.

So I then got the opportunity to see the whole thing through by meeting with the film makers with our regional participation manager to get things started and then they said I could assist them in editing the film after it was recorded and from that I've been offered the chance to do a bit more and learn how it works so I'm well chuffed with myself

It's really different as well something you never think you'll do.  So I have an idea now what my summer will entail and can't wait to get started.

And thanks to FRAME because if we hadn't of made the DVD I probably wouldn't  of had this opportunity

Posted by Moira ( 3:57 PM )
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Monday Apr 16, 2007

B'OSCARS

Barnardo's North East Annual Celebration Event; once again was fab, like the OSCARS we upgraded a little bit, the venue was much bigger and better so we could do more, Easter eggs were raffled off, as well as a fancy certificate, children & young people recieved a limited edition (haha) B'OSCARS mug with sweets.

It was compared by the Regional Volunteer Manager, and certificates were handed out by the Regional Director of Barnardo's North East.  There was also a book so u could read what children and young people had been nominated for.  The volunteers had been given PARTY t-shirts too which have to say looked quite good.

After the ceremony there was many activities which young people took part in that was manned by volunteers.  Including making masks, laterns and badge making including loads of other stuff, there was roving reporters too.  Display boards were put up around the room about 'The PARTY!' and another was put up about YPRAG showing what the groups were about things that they did and well i guess the achievements they've made throughout the year

Feedback was brill from those that were at the first B'OSCAR'S last year at Regional Office and those who had never been to the B'OSCARS before as well so all is good.

Posted by Moira ( 3:10 PM )
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Friday Apr 06, 2007

Cooper Temple Clause...not quite what i expected!

 You never know what you are going to get when you go to a gig to campaign. As we approached the Shepards Bush Empire last night to watch the Cooper Temple Clause, their support acts and to collect lots of signatures for our Make Trade Fair campaign, we began to wonder whether the people waiting outside were really the type who would want to support Oxfam. We soon learnt that you should never judge people by their appearence and people really can surprise you! Not only were people easy to approach, they were allso more than willing to sign our petition and many of them were pleased to tell us that they brought fair trade tea bags - one girl agreed with me that fair trade easter eggs were the best chocolate to be easten tthis weekend (as well as fair trade hot choc!) . We would normally take a team of campaigners to a gig like this, with only an Oxfam staff member and myself - we made the most of the time we had to collect as many signtaures as possible, and went away dedicated to making sure that even more people got involved next time.

Posted by Helen Bryant ( 3:02 PM )
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