About GoldStar 
Better Practice - Better
Service
Date: Thursday 26th February 2009
Time:10am - 4pm
CSV (Community Service Volunteers) is the UK’s largest volunteering organisation. Volunteer Centre Newcastle is one of a range of volunteering and training projects that CSV delivers in the City. The Centre which is accredited by Volunteering England, offers a brokerage service to enable people of all ages to access volunteering opportunities and provides information, advice and guidance for volunteer involving organisations to ensure best practice and widen participation.
Newcastle CVS held a one day event about mental health awareness and volunteering. In the morning, they had a number of speakers from different organisations speaking about their own experiences.
In the afternoon we were placed in workshops and the one I attended was brilliant. They tried to show how you can’t judge a book by its cover. It aimed to show that many people you may come into contact with could have a mental health needs but you wouldn’t know about it. Also, that sometimes these people are pigeon holed without asking what they need or want from a volunteer placement.
We were given four case studies; each had a mental health illness, and were asked to match them to four different volunteering roles. We then were able to interview one of the facilitators and try and match them to the volunteering role. At the end of the session it was revealed that the case studies we were reading matched to one of the facilitators.
For more details please visit
www.volunteercentrenewcastle.org.uk
