Trustee Report 2023-2024
OBJECTIVES AND ACTIVITIES
Charitable Objectives
The objectives of Craigavon & Banbridge Volunteer Bureau as set out in
our Articles are to advance community development by promoting and
providing volunteering opportunities and activities for the benefit of
individuals and communities throughout the Craigavon and Banbridge
area and by supporting and developing the work of community and
voluntary groups and organisations in charitable activities which seeks
to improve the quality of life of the inhabitants of Craigavon and
Banbridge.
Craigavon & Banbridge Volunteer Bureau aims to advance education and
training for the publics benefit by delivering training and mentoring to
volunteers, staff and directors/management and committee members
of volunteering -involved organisations i n the area of benefit.
Craigavon & Banbridge aims to promote personal development with a
view to enabling the community to enhance their social and personal
skills and participate in valued roles in the community.
Public Benefit Statement
In setting our objectives and planning our activities for the year, the
trustees have given careful consideration to the Charity Commission for
Northern Irelands, guidance on public benefit to ensure activities have
helped to achieve the charity's purpose and provide a benefit to the
beneficiaries.
Summary of Main Activities
The Volunteer Centre has developed and evolved over the years to
make sure we provide the right service provision specific to the
individual or the group. For those who wish to volunteer, we offer a
one to one person centred approach which enable us to assess each
individual's needs. We advise the individual in choosing the most
suitable placement for both volunteer and organisation.

In closely liaising with placement organisations, volunteer roles are
identified and developed in order to match suitable volunteers with
suitable volunteer roles. In turn, any support needs are recognised and
addressed. We are vigilant to aLI new services and initiatives, and when
appropriate we inform them of who we are and how we can help.
Craigavon & Banbridge Volunteer Centre is a registered umbrella Body
with Access Nl, providing a discreet, professional vetting service for
volunteers involving organisations within the Craigavon and Banbridge
area. We have been providing this service since the inception of Access
Nl in April 2008. The centre has dedicated and knowledgeable staff
who are on hand to provide organisations with the necessary guidance.
We are committed to helping volunteers access opportunities, helping
to reduce barriers to participation.
Overview of Activities 2023-2024
VISP Pro
ramme
This programme has continued to go from strength to strength and
volunteers have continued to register on a regular basis. Our ever
increasing building of partnerships and networks within the community
has ensured ongoing available volunteer opportunities. There has been
a marked increase in volunteers wishing to support those most
vulnerable in the community by getting involved with volunteer
opportunites such as supporting food banks and providing telephone
support and befriending roles. The Bureau has worked hard to ensure
we meet the needs of all the community. The success of this project is
ref Lected in the increase of 291 new volunteers registering, 81 new
volunteer opportunities created and the development of 15 new
community placements over the past year.
The Brid e Pro
ect
This Project has continued to work with volunteers who have severe
disabilities such as learning difficulties, poor mental health, sensory or
visual difficulties and physical disabiLities. The participants on this
Project are usually very isolated and lonely and their volunteer role

gives them a much needed structure to their day. Each new volunteer
is offered an identfied training action plan, prior to taking up a
theraputic placement. This training is essential to their own
development and helps them feel confident in their placement.
The Project is very successful and has around 172 volunteers registered.
Several of the volunteers who are involved in this project have recently
registered to become volunteer mentors on the Bridge Project as they
wanted to support other people with a disability to ensure they had as
positive an experience as they had.
Good Mornin
Scheme
The Bureau continued to operate the Good Morning Scheme on behaLf of
the Trust until the end of October. over the past year 168 people
received a phone call from their matched volunteer. 13,00 calls were
made up until the end of October this year.
Accessni
Over the past year the Bureau has continued to support over 97 groups
by carrying out accessni checks for over 400 individuals throughout the
Craigavon and Banbridge Locality. An audit was carried out by the
accessni justice department and we were delighted to receive our
certificate of compliance in June 2023.
Social Interaction Volunteer Pro
CBVB has continued to operate a social media programme through
facebook which reaches over 3,000 individuals and around 200
Community groups. This connects us from opportunity through to
placement. This also allows us to reach a very diverse range of groups
enabling us to place volunteers within the wider community. Whether
it's sports, volunteering with the elderly/children, charity shop, youth
work, we find the groups connecting with us are providing more and
more opportunities given the success of our page to date. This
invaluable service provides meaning and purpose to people's lives. In
measuring the impact of creating more public awareness this has
changed the lives of those people, who would otherwise not have
ramme

known about the volunteer opportunities available had they not used
this type of media. Social Media (facebook) has created a vehicle to
increase the already existing partnership work with organisations
across the Craigavon and Banbridge locality.
Partnersi
and Collaboritive workin
As Manager I have invested a lot of time on appropriate partnerships
raising the profile of the Bureau and creating links with decision
makers I sit on the Following partnerships.
Vice Chair of Community Voluntary Sector Panel
Vice Chair for the Leadership and Engagement theme on
Strategic Partnership for Community planning.
Loneliness Network
Peaceplus partnership
Age Friendly Alliance Group
VCNI Network for Volunteer Centres.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank the Management
Committee, Staff and volunteers for all their support without which I
could not do my job.
I would also like the our funders DFC, SHSCT, ABC Council, and the
National Lottery Community Fund.
Donna Stewart
Manager