The lead volunteering infrastructure in the North West
## **NWVC Impact 2023/2024 REPORT FROM 1ST APRIL 2023 - 31ST MARCH 2024**
**22 Bishop Street Derry/Londonderry BT48 6PP** & **42 Barrack Street Strabane BT82 8HD**
Promoting Volunteering Across Derry City & Strabane District Council Area
**V O L U N T E E R I N G A C C E S S N I T R A I N I N G**
WWW.NWVC.CO.UK
## **Volunteering Projects & Activities**
VISP - Volunteer Infrastructure Support Programme in Derry City and Strabane District Council Area 654 new volunteers registered Promoting good practice in volunteering across the district
25 New organisations registered 397 volunteer involving organisations registered on NWVC database 6 turn up take part volunteering events
## **Derry City & Strabane District Council Strategic Growth Plan**
**"To Increase & Sustain current levels of volunteers within the Derry City & Strabane District Council Area"**
**"Expand on opportunities to recognise volunteers' contributions to society”**
**1**
**A A total of 538 people have received an EPIC Volunteer Award 210 people received their 50 hour award 194 received their 100 hour award 134 received their 200 hour award**
**56,700 volunteer hours**
## **Volunteers' Week 2023**
During 2023 Our volunteers week campaign provided the platform for volunteers to receive the appreciation and recognition.
Lunch on us: A number of volunteer involving organsations received lunch platters and thank you certificates
Downloadable ‘Thank you’ certificates were made available from our website
Support provided to a number of volunteer recognition events attended by staff across the DCSDC area Foyle Search & Rescue Heart of Foyle First Responders Fountain Street Community Development Assoc Strabane Health Improvement Project Me4Mental
ForSight charity shop St.Columbs Park House Victoria Bridge Community Association Springhil Park Resident & Youth Association Enagh Seniors
## Summer programme 2023
The centre provided administrative support to the 2023 summer programme working with Ardnashee school & College and Foyle Parents & Friends Association
132 children & young people with disabilities participated on the summer programme. On average 44 participants per day
Supporting 130 families in partnership with Foyle Parents & Friends Association & Ardnashee College
2640 hours of respite for parents & carers over the summer period
100% of parents felt that the summer scheme met the needs of their child
64% of parents strongly agreed that building and maintaining friendships has increased for their child
61% of parents strongly agreed that listening and cooperation with others has improved for their child .
21 volunteers were recruited, trained and gained valuable experience working with children and young people with a range of disabilities and challenging behaviour
**My child has loved every minute of the summer scheme, she is happy and content and sleeping through the night which she hasn’t been doing since school broke up. The scheme is brilliant and has allowed me to catch up on housework schedule dental and doctors checkups for myself. It has been great respite all the staff and volunteers have been brilliant - Many thanks (Parent )**
**4**
## North West Volunteer Centre Training
## **Promotion, delivery & evaluation of 48 training courses.**
||Introduction to Emergency First Aid
Level 3 Emergency First Aid at Work (RQF)|**9**
**11**|
|---|---|---|
||Level 2 Safeguarding & Protecting Children & Young
people|**3**|
||Awareness in safeguarding children & young people|**10**|
||Integrated children & adults Safeguarding Courses|**8**|
||Awareness in safeguarding Adults courses|**1**|
||Level 2 Food Safety in Catering Course|**4**|
||Basic life support & AED courses|**1**|
||Level 1 Health & Safety at Work (RQF)|**1**|
|**Total of 48 courses delivered & 518 participants**|||
**5**
Access NI service 23/24
902 access ni applications completed
122 organisations supported
902 people supported through the access ni process
ACCESS NI Certificate of compliance awarded for basic standard & enhanced Applications ACCESS NI Support materials updated and circulated to organisations
**6**
## **The Clear Project**
In September 2023 the centre secured funding from Developing Healthy Communities under Clear Project funding to deliver “Volunteer Connect Empower” project
|Objectives|Targeting year 12 and 13 year groups in post primary schools across
the Derry City and Strabane District council Area - Promote volunteering
as a healthy lifestyle choice for young people.
1.
Inform about the health and wellbeing benefits of volunteering using the
5-steps to wellbeing.
2.
Highlight the skills development and benefits of volunteering so that our
young people are better able to realise their potential.
3.
Promote the EPIC (empowering people in communities) Volunteering
Awards to young people.
4.|Targeting year 12 and 13 year groups in post primary schools across
the Derry City and Strabane District council Area - Promote volunteering
as a healthy lifestyle choice for young people.
1.
Inform about the health and wellbeing benefits of volunteering using the
5-steps to wellbeing.
2.
Highlight the skills development and benefits of volunteering so that our
young people are better able to realise their potential.
3.
Promote the EPIC (empowering people in communities) Volunteering
Awards to young people.
4.|
|---|---|---|
|Action 1:
Volunteer
Connect
Empower -
Information
sessions|Deliver 8 Volunteer Connect Empower Information
sessions Participating schools include: St. Brigids
College – Year 12 & Year 13, St. Mary’s College Year 12
& Year 13, Lisneal College year 12 & Year 13, Foyle
College Year 13, Lumen Christi College year 13.|Total number
of participants
760|
|Action 2:
Volunteer
Recruitment &
Engagement
Event|Facilitate a volunteer recruitment and engagement event
with 10-15 community partners who will showcase
opportunities to volunteer. Community organisations will
bring along people who are already volunteering to share
their experiences with prospective volunteers.|total number
of participants
38|
|**Through the Volunteer Connect Empower information sessions 92% of**
**participants are more informed about how to get involved in volunteering locally.**
**92% of participants are more aware of the health and wellbeing benefits from**
**volunteering. 100% are more informed about how to get involved in volunteering**
**locally. 78% of participants stated that they were likely to volunteer in the future.**|||
||||
**Celebrating 40 years On October 26, 2023, the Churches Voluntary Work Bureau marked its 40th anniversary with a special showcase event at the Bishop Gate Hotel. The event welcomed 70 guests who came together to celebrate the centre's achievements over the past four decades.**
Churches
Voluntary
Work Bureau
North West
Volunteer Celebrating 40 years
Centre
YEARS
Churches Voluntary Work Bureau
celebrating 40 years
FROM
1983 the centre's mission:
-Promote and provide volunteerin8
opportunities and activities in the
North Wesl of Ireland for the benefit
of individuals and communities"
ORGANISATIONAL
STRUCTURE
4 Trustees
12 Voluntary Board Members
4 Staff
l Admin volunteer
REACH
The centre provides services
for the Derry City & Strabane
District Council Area
TIME: 40YEARS=
480 Monthg
2.080 w••ki
14.610 d•y$
349.440 hour•
21,024,000 MIn•S
1,261.440.000 seconds
YEARLY
We Register over 600 volunteers
Deliver 50 training courses
Registers 25 new organisations
Support over 300 organisations
Complete 1000 access ni application
North West Volunteer Centre
Churches
Voluntary
Work Bureau
North West
Volunteer Celebrating 40 years
Centre
YEARS
1983- 2023
Celebrating 40 years in the community
hmhhh
Registering 24,000 volunteer
£2 million pounds of small grants
fundin
for volunteerin
Supporting over 300 volunteer
involving organisations
20,000 volunteer opportunities
Delivery of 500 training courses
500 EPIC Volunteer Awards
Connecting local people to local organisations across
the Derry City & Strabane District Council Area
## Website &
## Social Media impact
**10126 total visitors 4402 visitors from Google searches 220 from social networks**
**44,793 page views in total across all users 5832 for homepage 4158 for Opportunities 1181 Expressions of interest**
**Opportunities Viewed 908 views for Children and Young People 703 views for Admin and Office Work 661 views for Animals Befriending / Mentoring - 648 721 views for Shops/Retail 571 Shops & retail 548 views Arts, Drama, Music and Crafts Altnagelvin hospital 529**
2300 followers on Facebook & 1900 likes
684 followers on Twitter/X
641 followers on Instagram
1007 views for content on youtube
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## **Thank you to our funders**
**Department for Communities - VISP Project Inner City Trust Derry City & Strabane District Council The Honourable Irish Society**