All kinds of volunteering can make a difference to society, but opportunities like these have community enrichment at their core.

All | Moira | Sharon | Will | Andy | Ray | EmmaM

Friday Aug 20, 2010

Arts and crafts, lunch club and a simple philosophy

Afternoon, just to say hello again after a short hiatus which has been filled with lots of enjoyable volunteering activities, some new volunteers and some new volunteering opportunities for the interested and free from North London. I hope you will spend a little time to read this and then get yourself active with a volunteer role this summer...especially if you are on summer holidays!

Ok, so since the last time I dropped in we have had another successful event at the New Park Day Centre in Highbury. Thanks to the great staff there who provide us with a wonderful working space and the materials to do something good we have been squeezing this opportunity dry. I recently organised a 'Summer Holiday Special' event with the older people who use this centre. The idea was to try and recreate pictures from summer holidays they have been on and commit them to paper – as stylistically as possible.

Unfortunately, for the older people they have me as an example. I have no artistic talent, eye, fingers or flair for art and my example often looks like I've painted a recently tranquilised bear, such is the lack of grace and effeteness that my examples display.

So, these poor people not only have to see my scribblings, but use it as an example, nevertheless, these are talented folk and I will gladly take the glory for anything that looks half decent. "Ah, Iris, good work, couldn't have done it without my example."

Granted, my skills are lacking, but to put enough people in a room and offer them some direction, some guidance and help when talking to older people is what the jist of my volunteering is. If they can create a wonderful piece of art but do not engage, I am disappointing, if it looks slightly psychopathic and disturbing but they had a nice chat about holidays in Spain, then I am happy. That's as simple as my volunteering philosophy gets.

To go along with these monthly-or-so arts & crafts activities, we are also providing regular opportunities for a lunch club twice a week to volunteers. This has helped introduce new volunteers to older people and improve confidence and ability, a young Italian volunteer has been helping out and this has helped improve her English immeasurably whilst creating valuable relationships with older people. We have introduced several new volunteers to this opportunity.

To go along with the ongoing volunteering roles available I am currently in the process of supporting a local film-maker who wants to make a documentary about older people in the area. I have guided and assisted him through this process and we are aiming to film and edit the film in the next couple of months. Once this is finished we will put on an exhibition for the older people who took part and have a nice final product.

I am also developing a new partnership with the Peel Centre who support older people in the community with lunch clubs and activities. I want to develop a current affairs group – along with some younger volunteers we will discuss the news of the week and see if there are contrasting views between the young and the old in their opinions. To accompany this I am looking to start a music appreciation group also with the Peel Centre. This will be playing music from the 1940s & 1950s to the older people and asking them to put down their thoughts, opinions, memories and feelings about this music.

Once again it has been busy as a full-time volunteer and Young at Heart provides lots of opportunities and access for volunteers and older people in the Camden and Islington area, so if you are around and interested please give me an e-mail at youngatheartlondon@hotmail.co.uk and we can get started!

Posted by Andy ( 11:45 AM )
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Wednesday Aug 04, 2010

Tall ships race - Kristiansand

So here I am at the Tall Ships Race again. I've not joined the ship yet - that's tomorrow.  But I have met some of the ships crew.  So far we have two wheelies and a great mix of age.  But that's the beauty of the Jubilee Sailing Trust (JST).  The ethos of the charity is that anyone can sail. And by anyone they mean anyone.  I think there is a lower age limit but that's about it.

I've already practised my wheelchair driving assistance on the cobbled pedestrian high street in the town and practised my reversing across tram lines so it bodes well for the future!  It's only when you have to assist someone in a wheelchair or someone who can't walk very well that you realise how unfriendly pavements and roads.  Being able bodied I take it for granted but I shouldn't.

Those of us who have arrived early (about 10 in total) have already sat down to an entertaining meal before we headed off to various hotels for some luxury (a shower that doesn't move and with water that comes straight down and not slanting to the side depending on the lean of the ship will be a luxury in a few short days).  But that is part of the charm and is definitely not a complaint!

Tomorrow we're boarding STS Tenacious.  We get to meet the rest of the crew and settle down to ships routine.  No doubt with safety drills first (we can't use the wheelchair lifts in an emergency so have to practice getting people on deck safely and quickly and believe me it needs practice)!

Posted by Emma ( 4:07 PM )
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