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Volunteer News
January 2010
Dear CCM Volunteers,
As ever, a huge thank you for all the time and effort you put in supporting the work here. Streetwise should give you an idea of how valuable it is.
I'm writing this just before Christmas and anticipate that you are reading it soon after, so I hope all went well with your celebrations and wish you well for the New Year. A thought to share with you: Was Mary a volunteer? I am not planning to answer the question so much as leave you to decide what you think based on Luke 1. 26- 38 and would be fascinated to hear what you think.
Also if you have anything that you would like to share to encourage fellow volunteers, please let me know, and we could publish it in the next Volunteer News.
It is all but certain that The Wild Goose will be relocating to Easton during this year. (As at date contracts have not been exchanged, and we are waiting for vacant possession). This will be a major change and we want to involve our volunteers as much as possible. So as soon as it is feasible I will be arranging for visits to the new premises for volunteers who are interested. Also it would be helpful to have any comments you have about the use of the new premises. Certainly we want to use the opportunity to improve the service we offer, not simply do more of the same.
If there is anything further I can help you with, or you need to talk to someone about your work here (or indeed anything else) please get in touch as follows
- Office 0117 942 3088 (I'm here 22½ hrs each week)
- Mobile 07544 550 248
Thanks again
Steve Smith
Training...
If you would like to attend a basic Food Hygiene Course please let me know. We have someone willing to teach it, but need a group of about ten people to make it worthwhile. If there are enough responses we will suggest a couple of dates and consult as to which will be the most convenient.
This will be an ongoing programme so even if you can't make it immediately, please do register interest. It would be most helpful if you could email your response with the subject "Food Hygiene" to me as then I can contact you easily. Clearly if you have no internet access, a phone call will be as welcome.
CRB and ISA
Thanks to St Mary's members for turning out on a Monday night to complete CRB forms. I still need to do another 50 or so, so will be in touch as necessary...
The situation with ISA (Independent Safeguarding Authority) and the Vetting & Barring Lists remains unclear. Anyone who wants to work regularly with children or vulnerable adults needs to be on the list. You may have seen that the Government has accepted changes recommended by Sir Roger Singleton in his report, so things continue to change. The following is taken from the ISA website:
"Please note: ISA-registration for the Vetting and Barring Scheme does not start for new workers or those moving jobs until July 2010 and ISA-registration does not become mandatory for these workers until November 2010. All other staff will be phased into the scheme from 2011. Further information on how to apply for registration will be provided in due course."
Prayer Opportunity
At 10:00am every day the staff meet to pray for fifteen minutes in the coffee room upstairs or the café and would warmly welcome any volunteers who might be around at the time to join us. (We pray for all volunteers by name on a 10 day cycle. If you would like us to pray for something specific, please call.) Just occasionally we have to miss out because no one is around or something unavoidable crops up, so were you to come in specially, it would be worth ringing in to check it is happening.
Are you aware of LITE?
LITE is a training course in confidence building and basic life/work skills which is free to attend. The next module, LITE 2 Developing Your Potential, started on Mon 4th January 2010 at the Easton Christian Family Centre. Details on the poster in the café. Please encourage any customers you think could benefit to talk to Andy Luxford, who works in the office. Thank you.
Volunteer Events
I would like to celebrate and thank our volunteers in some way but am very concious of the time pressures on people these days. If you warm to the idea and have any suggestions of how we might do it let me know through the usual channels.
Volunteer Jokes are running thin...
A teenager brought home her new boyfriend to meet her parents, and they were appalled by his appearance: leather jacket, motorcycle boots, tattoos and a pierced nose. Later, the parents pulled their daughter aside and said "He doesn't seem very nice."
"Mom," replied the daughter, "if he wasn't so nice, why would he be doing 5000 hours of community service?"
Post email or Hand?
In an effort to make sure this reaches all volunteers we have arranged to post it with a copy of Streetwise. If you would prefer it to be emailed or some other preference please let me know. (For email use subject "Volunteer News") You might like to pass the Streetwise on to alert others to the work which you share in. Thanks.