Latest News and Stories from Volunteer Centre Sutton
Welcome to our blog! Here you'll find a whole range of stories, ideas and resources all about volunteering.
If you'd like to narrow your search, please use the categories panel on this page, or click on a tag after any blog.
We are incredibly happy and immensely proud of how our club has not only grown but flourished. Thank you to Sutton Council for their ongoing support for this project.
03 October 2024
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October marks another Sutton Soup, as Peter Struik had the limelight in July, we’ve asked Jeff Richards, another “serial volunteer” to share his story to help inspire others to try volunteering.
02 October 2024
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St Raphael’s Hospice kindly hosted our September Volunteer Manager gathering and shared their insights into what is involved in gaining the highly regarded Investing in Volunteers Award.
01 October 2024
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We’re pleased to be working in partnership with Community Action Sutton to carry out an important piece of research looking at the state of Sutton's large and diverse VCSE (Voluntary, Community, Social Enterprise, Faith) sector.
23 September 2024
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Volunteer Centre Sutton is delighted to be able to offer a programme of volunteering opportunities to the Hong Kong Community in the London Borough of Sutton. This project is funded by the Greater London Authority via Sutton Council.
12 September 2024
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Our Health Navigators, including some of our youngest volunteers, 16-18 yr olds, were out in force to provide free health and wellness checks at this annual family fun day.
11 September 2024
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Register now for the 2024 Sutton Youth Summit, a drop in space to connect with other young people and celebrate Sutton’s diversity together to reduce violent crime, as part of World Inclusion Day and World Mental Health Day all in Black History month.
11 September 2024
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For this month’s volunteer story, we asked one of our Young Commissioners who you may recognise from our homepage, to share a bit more of her story and how anyone can volunteer and make a difference, even if feeling a little nervous at the start.
04 September 2024
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A huge thank you to Sutton Council for hosting a live stream webinar this week encouraging staff to consider volunteering with MAPS Mentoring.
04 September 2024
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In the run up to Ukraine Day of Independence (24th August), we reflect on the highlights of Volunteer Centre Sutton's Ukraine Support project.
20 August 2024
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Case study: A transformative Mentoring relationship for an 11-Year-Old Ukrainian boy re-settled in the UK
20 August 2024
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One of our Young Commissioners, Aratrika, has made an extremely generous donation to kickstart our fundraising to buy Christmas and birthday gifts for Sutton Befrienders clients.
15 August 2024
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Mentoring transformed Sadie's life, helping her overcome trauma, improve school attendance, and build a more hopeful future free from the cycle of domestic violence. Read Sadie's story.
15 August 2024
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Professionals and young people meet to discuss challenges on safety and solutions.
14 August 2024
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One of our longest-standing teachers from the Ukrainian Saturday morning ‘school’ at Christ Church, shares her experiences.
14 August 2024
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Our specially trained volunteers are supporting patients at Faccini House Surgery to use the NHS App, to access vital health services.
14 August 2024
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Our Bonus August picnic ‘n’ play was a great opportunity for our Volunteer Advisors to get to know organisations looking for volunteers even better, to help our volunteer matching service improve.
13 August 2024
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To celebrate four amazing decades of Home-Start Sutton transforming family lives we hear from a number of their volunteers.
09 August 2024
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Celebrating that our form filling project has now been running for one year. In this time we have supported over 200 residents to navigate the complexities of benefit forms!
06 August 2024
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MAPS Mentoring enjoyed an incredible day at London Zoo, exploring interactive exhibits and discovering unusual species together.
06 August 2024
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Erin wins the 3rd Jack Petchey Award! Young Commissioners celebrate with an escape room adventure, bonding and teamwork. Thanks to the Jack Petchey Foundation for your support!
01 August 2024
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A part of our ongoing programme of introducing our Afghan families to the U.K. we took a trip to London Zoo. The British weather did not deter the children from enjoying themselves!
31 July 2024
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Group members and befriending pairs enjoy a lovely afternoon at YourspaceSutton
31 July 2024
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The Volunteer Coordinators’ Forum is as much about networking and supporting one another as it is about learning new skills and tips from one another. We love meeting together informally and supporting Sutton Soup at the same time, this time with Sutton Befrienders pitching.
31 July 2024
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Are you great at decluttering or organising?
30 July 2024
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Take our survey by Thursday 15th August and help the Young Commissioners learn more about what makes Sutton diverse, how we can help everyone feel better included and and how we can celebrate our diversity.
24 July 2024
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26% of residents who have undergone a free health and wellbeing check have been revealed to have high blood pressure. Anyone showing a high reading is immediately referred for medical attention through a robust follow-up process.
17 July 2024
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Thanks to Ian Williams generosity, MAPS Mentoring pairs embarked on a trip to TeamSport Go Karting in Mitcham for a thrilling day bonding over exciting races, slushies, and waffles!
17 July 2024
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Young Commissioners explored wellbeing through art and nature, learning about Sutton’s "Landscape Artist of the Year" competition and practicing the "5 Ways to Wellbeing" during stressful exam season.
16 July 2024
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Over 70 people attended a community picnic at Hill House on Saturday 22nd June where we warmly welcomed families from the Ukraine, Hong Kong and Afghanistan communities in Sutton.
16 July 2024
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Marking one year of our Volunteer Story of the Month feature, we talk to Peter Struik “serial volunteer” extraordinaire, Chair of Sutton Soup, and active volunteer with EcoLocal, amongst many others!
03 July 2024
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Huge congratulations to our Jack Petchey Award winners - We are grateful to Jack Petchey Foundation for their support and are sad to hear of his passing.
28 June 2024
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MAPS Chocolate Making Workshop strengthens mentor-mentee bonds through hands-on chocolate crafting led by former mentor turned master chocolatier, Derek.
28 June 2024
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The Young Commissioners meeting every fortnight in term-time to help make a difference in Sutton. In their latest session, we arranged for local community artists, Team Imagineers, to do a short workshop so the young people could share some ideas for what to include in the new massive mural being made in Sutton.
18 June 2024
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Young Commissioners toured Oru Space, explored their upcoming community garden, brainstormed ideas for its development, and enjoyed a relaxing community meditation class to de-stress during exam season.
13 June 2024
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Over 130 people came to our Volunteers' Week celebration, to thank volunteers and to learn more about our Impact and our new Vision "Building better lives through volunteering".
06 June 2024
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This May half-term, nine-year-old Martha embarked on a remarkable journey to climb Yr Wyddfa (Snowdon) in Wales, aiming to raise funds for MAPS Mentoring.
04 June 2024
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3rd-9th June is Volunteers' Week, and the 40th anniversary of it. The celebration starts today. It’s a chance to recognise, celebrate and thank the UK’s incredible volunteers for all they contribute to our local communities, the voluntary sector, and society as a whole. We wanted to shine a light on an extraordinary young volunteer in the borough: Dom.
03 June 2024
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From isolation to confidence: how mentoring transformed Aria's life and school attendance.
24 May 2024
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Our Community Volunteer Squad continues to support local residents with one-off "helpful" tasks such as furtniture assembling, garden tidying, etc. There are many local residents who are in circumstances preventing them from making basic repairs or completing various tasks themselves. This is where our volunteers step in, to help a local person to fix a problem
22 May 2024
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"The families had a blast, and the kids were over the moon with excitement."
08 May 2024
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For May, a month bringing awareness to mental health, especially with the 2024 theme being Movement: Moving more for our mental health, we had a quick chat with Sara Lee from Cre8 Football.
02 May 2024
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Following the Volunteer Coordinators’ Forum evening networking event in January, we decided to support every Sutton Soup this year and get to know each other and more local organisations in a more relaxed setting.
30 April 2024
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We are excited to announce the launch of a new initiative aimed at supporting Ukrainian teenagers in Sutton.
25 April 2024
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As Volunteer Centre Sutton is one of the Mayor of Sutton’s two chosen charities for 2023-2024, the Young Commissioners co-created an Easter Egg Hunt on Easter Saturday as a fun fundraising activity.
05 April 2024
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Tackling the challenges faced by young people’s mental health.
04 April 2024
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This month we hear from one of our longest serving MAPS mentors, Anthony French, about his experience over several years mentoring several young people in the borough.
03 April 2024
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It's been a great few years supporting the Hong Konger community arriving and settling in the London Borough of Sutton since 2019. However our funding for this project ends in March 2024 and so it's now time to say farewell!
27 March 2024
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A welcome-to-the UK course from Volunteer Centre Sutton helped Cynthia into volunteering as a Health Navigator.
27 March 2024
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March 2024 was our first official Forum of the year, the day before Spring officially starts. Our topic was "Spring into Action" with Hedley Featherstone MBE, who received his MBE for services to volunteering. We started with a focus on our "spring into action" with strong starts in volunteering.
26 March 2024
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Two of our Young Commissioners were invited to be part of a panel and to discuss how the Council budget is supporting young people's priorities of the cost of living, safety, inequalities and mental health.
14 March 2024
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Our Integrating Sutton project coordinator, Frennie, was recently invited to meet the Sutton Older Hongkongers.
13 March 2024
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This month we hear from two women about the effect befriending has had on their lives, in the lead up to International Women’s Day this month.
05 March 2024
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In partnership with Sutton Council, Volunteer Centre Sutton is supporting an awareness campaign for Child Exploitation Awareness Week 18-22 March 2024.
28 February 2024
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On Saturday 24th February 2024, the Ukrainian community in Sutton came together to mark the two years since the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
27 February 2024
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We are delighted to announce that MAPS Mentoring is a recipient of the Mayor of London’s New Deal For Young People funding. This amazing opportunity, part of Propel, will provide MAPS Mentors for 200 vulnerable young people in Sutton.
27 February 2024
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After being excluded from school, mentoring became a sanctuary for Blake, especially sharing sports activities with his Mentor
22 February 2024
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Sam was isolated when he started at secondary school, making him highly susceptible to exploitation and grooming.
22 February 2024
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Over 2000 people welcomed in the Year of the Dragon thanks to the Lunar New Year event held in Sutton library this weekend.
13 February 2024
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Three amazing volunteers from the Hong Kong Community in Sutton have kindly shared their stories in the run up to Lunar New Year celebrations this month.
07 February 2024
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Ahead of #ChildrensMentalHealthWeek (5-11 February) we hosted a journaling session with our MAPS Mentoring pairs
07 February 2024
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Nine of our amazing Squad volunteers went to Sherwood Park School, to bring their library back to life
06 February 2024
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Instead of a daytime Volunteer Coordinators' Forum in January, we had a drop in evening social at Shinner and Sudtone followed by the main event of Sutton Soup. It enabled those of you who volunteer around a full time job to join us too.
31 January 2024
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We made it! Finishing up our 2024 Joyful January - daily doses of inspiration on our Facebook and Instagram pages to uplift your spirits. See how volunteering in our community helps both individuals and communities feel joyful and maybe a tempted to have a go yourself and get your friends along! Here's the roundup for Week 5.
30 January 2024
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Joyful January is back for 2024 - daily doses of inspiration on our Facebook and Instagram pages to uplift your spirits. See how volunteering in our community helps both individuals and communities feel joyful and maybe a tempted to have a go yourself and get your friends along! Here's the roundup for Week 4.
30 January 2024
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Our Volunteer story of the Month for January is with a "Back to School" themed. It is also International Day of Education on Wednesday 24th January. Duncan from REUK, Refugee Education UK shares his story.
16 January 2024
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Joyful January is back for 2024 - daily doses of inspiration on our Facebook and Instagram pages to uplift your spirits. See how volunteering in our community helps both individuals and communities feel joyful and maybe a tempted to have a go yourself and get your friends along! Here's the roundup for Week 3.
15 January 2024
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Joyful January is back for 2024 - daily doses of inspiration on our Facebook and Instagram pages to uplift your spirits. See how volunteering in our community helps both individuals and communities feel joyful and maybe a tempted to have a go yourself and get your friends along! Here's the roundup for Week 2.
15 January 2024
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Joyful January is back for 2024 - daily doses of inspiration on our Facebook and Instagram pages to uplift your spirits. See how volunteering in our community helps both individuals and communities feel joyful and maybe a tempted to have a go yourself and get your friends along! Here's the roundup for Week 1.
12 January 2024
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December is a time for giving, presents as well as time. Are you buying gifts from charity shops at all? Shining the spotlight on our wonderful volunteers in the charity shops this winter.
19 December 2023
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Held within the beautiful Mallison room at Wallington Library, we learned all about DofE and how organisations can support DofE students with their voluntary section.
18 December 2023
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MAPS Mentoring introduced our young people to using clay in a workshop funded by The Arts Society.
22 November 2023
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The Sutton Youth Summit, held on Thursday 16th November 2023, was a resounding success, drawing over 80 young people and 20 adults from the community.
22 November 2023
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Sutton Council has extended funding for our new project supporting the Afghan community in Sutton.
15 November 2023
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Our Young Commissioners were given the opportunity to speak to Paul Scully, MP for Sutton and Cheam, Parliamentary Minister for London and Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Minister for Tech and the Digital Economy).
08 November 2023
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This month we are celebrating Befriending Week from 1-7th November. Fresh from her Serpentine Swim fundraising for us, Jo Bolton shares her story of being a befriender as part of Sutton Befrienders, along with her other volunteering and fundraising support.
01 November 2023
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Happy Halloween! Our October Volunteer Coordinators' Forum took place on 31st October so an element of seasonal fun was added.
31 October 2023
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Ahead of Trustees’ Week in November, Historic Croydon Airport Trust shares with us the stories of two of their newest trustees. They are still looking for another trustee, read on and it might inspire you.
27 October 2023
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Sutton Vision shares their story, just ahead of Befriending Week, of Adrian who volunteers as a telephone befriender for them.
27 October 2023
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Sam, a 17 year old care leaver, was at risk of becoming homeless but her volunteer Advocate helped her to secure a Care Leavers support package, including a secure home.
26 October 2023
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Volunteering as a Sutton Befriender helped Elisabete recuperate from her own mental health problems, as well as helping Pat to regain her confidence.
25 October 2023
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How a simple blood pressure check led to a potentially life-saving diagnosis.
17 October 2023
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MAPS Practitioner Teresa Martucci shares her thoughts on what Care Leavers need, for National Care Leavers' Week.
17 October 2023
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Ethan has been connected to MAPS Mentoring for over 10 years, firstly as a Child in Care and then as a Care Leaver.
17 October 2023
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Get ready for the Sutton Youth Summit 2023: cost of living, safety, inequalities, mental health.
05 October 2023
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Alongside a MAPS Mentor, Sonny learnt to express himself, overcome his fears and and find more stability in life during a turbulent time.
04 October 2023
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Focus on the MAPS Mentoring Esteem Pathway - supporting young people facing poor mental health, low self-confidence or self-esteem, self-harm and risk of suicide.
04 October 2023
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This month we are celebrating both Volunteer Centre Sutton and St Raphael's Hospice being chosen as the Sutton Mayor's Charities of the year. This October we hear from Richard Ming, a volunteer from St Raphael's Hospice.
04 October 2023
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Our ladies did it! They did swimmingly and raised money for Volunteer Centre Sutton!
03 October 2023
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Our new term of Volunteer Coordinator’s Forums was a great opportunity to welcome back familiar faces and welcome in new faces.
03 October 2023
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Our MAPS Mentoring project has been supporting Ukrainian young people in the London Borough of Sutton, thanks to funding from Sutton Council.
27 September 2023
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Volunteer Centre Sutton has secured funding for part of our MAPS Mentoring programme from the William Wates Memorial Trust.
27 September 2023
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Calling all organisations, we want to hear your thoughts. We're now three quarters through the year and are starting to plan our free organisational support for 2024 and need your input.
13 September 2023
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As they prepare to enter university, we say goodbye and good luck to three of our remarkable Young Commissioners: Sudipta, Ela, and Anusha.
11 September 2023
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Find out more about the exciting array of events happening, raising vital funds for Volunteer Centre Sutton and St Raphael’s Hospice
07 September 2023
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In just over a week away, on 16th September, our wonderful swimmers are once again supporting us by doing the Serpentine Swim at the famous Hyde Park Serpentine lake.
05 September 2023
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Every month we are sharing inspirational volunteer stories, with September being the start of a new term and school year we thought it would be good to hear from one of the younger voices of the volunteering world.
04 September 2023
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We had planned for nothing formal set up in August, however due to popular demand from our successful July Forum, Volunteer Coordinators’ Forum members asked for a casual meet up, picnic and a chance to play some games - so we made it happen!
01 September 2023
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We are delighted to have been chosen as one of the Mayor of Sutton's two chosen charities for 2023-2024
31 August 2023
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The Young Commissioners were delighted to be invited to the Mayor's Parlour for refreshments and cakes.
11 August 2023
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A mentoring pair enjoying a meal, a game and a smile at the end of their year long mentoring relationship:
09 August 2023
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Sutton Befrienders walking tennis group's seven week trial in June and July has proved so successful it will return in September!
09 August 2023
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Volunteer Centre Sutton's newest project: The Community Volunteer Squad is helping vulnerable residents across the borough.
08 August 2023
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Shining the light on a new volunteer story this month to give further insight into those individuals who transform our borough.
02 August 2023
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Community Action Sutton kindly hosted the July Volunteer Coordinators’ Forum at their Hill House and Garden community venue. A friendly space for volunteer coordinators and those who work with volunteers to come together to network, learn and help one another.
02 August 2023
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Volunteer Health Navigators providing health checks to the local Ukraine Community at the 'Homes for Ukraine' event at The Salvation Army
01 August 2023
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We want to celebrate the volunteers that make our borough great, you, the individuals who give up your time to help others and make a real difference.
28 July 2023
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Our annual event to celebrate the impact of Volunteer Centre Sutton and celebrate all that has been achieved over the past year took place on the afternoon of Thursday 6th July.
13 July 2023
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On Thursday 29th June, the Local Safeguarding Children Partnership Board in Sutton invited young people to present their findings.
05 July 2023
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A round up of the last 6 months of Volunteer Coordinators Forums with Volunteer Centre Sutton. A fun way we support organisations that have volunteers to recruit, reward and retain volunteers is through getting volunteer coordinators together most months to share their top tips and learn from one another.
05 July 2023
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Easyfundraising is a super easy way to support charities like Volunteer Centre Sutton whilst you do your online shopping now that smile.amazon is no longer around.
04 July 2023
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On Thursday 15th June, the first Sutton Youth Board meeting took place, bringing together a diverse and representative group of young people from Sutton.
20 June 2023
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Music and Movement 6 week programme by Sutton Befrienders proves hugely popular and a hit with locals looking to make friends, move and have some fun.
20 June 2023
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Young people have always been a catalyst for change and progress, and in Sutton, the power of young people is truly making a difference.
05 June 2023
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Previously owned laptops used by LexisNexis Risk Solutions colleagues are being distributed to disadvantaged families, providing them with access to technology they wouldn't otherwise have.
24 May 2023
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Dedicated Community Health Navigator volunteers have been trained to help address health inequalities and promote community well-being
23 May 2023
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Over 150 members of the public came to meet 25+ local volunteering organisations at the Sutton Volunteer Showcase
19 April 2023
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The Joint Sutton School Councils meeting took place on the 29th March and the theme of the meeting was on personal safety.
31 March 2023
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The Young Commissioners were delighted to have been invited to attend the All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) Meeting on Political Literacy.
16 March 2023
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We were delighted to welcome Ellie Simmonds to Sutton to meet some of our activity buddies, filmed for BBC Morning Live in the run up to Comic Relief’s Red Nose Day.
14 March 2023
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Get Involved with The Big Help Out!
14 March 2023
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The Young Commissioners have created a social media campaign to raise awareness of the issues.
08 March 2023
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Sutton’s Race Equality Conference took place on Thursday 9th February, hosted by Community Action Sutton. The Young Commissioners were delighted to have been asked to attend to find out more.
01 March 2023
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Our wonderful colleagues, Hayley and Jenny, have been training hard since November to take part in this half marathon on 26th March.
08 February 2023
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A group of our local Hong Kongers joined the Ukrainian Saturday School at Christ Church Sutton to share how the Lunar New Year is celebrated.
01 February 2023
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At our most recent MAPS social, we set out to create a collaborative piece of art, in recognition of 2023's #ChildrensMentalHealthWeek theme “Let’s Connect”.
01 February 2023
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Our trip to London’s West End, thanks to Ian Williams, Hyde Housing Match My Project and the Rotary Club of Wallington.
31 January 2023
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Navani, one of the Young Commissioners, will be writing regular blogs on what they get up to in their fornightly meetings
24 January 2023
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Sutton is one of three finalists for the "Great British Spring Clean Award"
17 January 2023
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Our Ukraine Coordinator, Nataliya Semchyshyn, tells us about how the Ukrainian Community in Sutton has celebrated Christmas this year.
14 January 2023
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Following November 2022's Sutton Plan Partnership Meeting, our CEO Anita Maullin shares her thoughts and updates
05 January 2023
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White Ribbon Day was on 25th November this year and marked the beginning of 16 Days of Action against gender-based violence.
05 January 2023
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Welcome to #JoyfulJanuary! We’re kickstarting 2023 with a whole month of volunteering opportunities to help you feel uplifted, bring joy to others and to your community.
22 December 2022
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Information about Warm Spaces in the borough of Sutton
13 December 2022
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Our Community Space Co-ordinator Ben Thomas has been working closely with parks, cafes, libraries and other community settings across the whole of Sutton to install a series of litter picking stations at targeted locations.
06 December 2022
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We were delighted to welcome staff from British Airways to learn more about our Activity Buddy programme, funded by Comic Relief.
30 November 2022
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In collaboration with Cheam Coterie, Volunteer Centre Sutton hosted a 'Welcome to the UK' course for Hong Kongers who have recently settled in Sutton, as part of our Integrating Sutton project.
17 November 2022
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Our Young Commissioners met ahead of London Voter Registration Week 2022 to brainstorm messages that they want to share with young people
16 November 2022
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Our MAPS Mentoring project supports many Care Leavers with one-to-one mentoring. To mark National Care Leavers Week 2022, we wanted to share the story of Dillon, a 21-year-old Care Leaver, and his experience of mentoring.
18 October 2022
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Join our team of Warm Spaces Volunteers
20 September 2022
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Sutton’s Young Commissioners were delighted to welcome over 50 people (of which 35 were young people) to their Youth Voice Summit on Thursday 22nd September at Sutton Library
27 July 2022
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Volunteer Centre Sutton is one of over 40 national and regional projects being allocated further government funding from the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities to help British National (Overseas) families settle successfully into life in the UK.
27 July 2022
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Volunteer Centre Sutton is delighted to announce that the charity has achieved the London Youth UK Youth Bronze Quality Mark Award for 2022 to 2025.
27 July 2022
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Newly arrived Hong Kongers and local people united over afternoon tea in celebration of the Queen’s Jubilee in Sutton’s Manor Park
14 July 2022
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Flora and her daughter Ariel moved to the UK 10 months ago
14 July 2022
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Bernard moved to Sutton from Hong Kong in August 2021
14 July 2022
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Our MAPS mentoring project supports many young carers with one to one mentoring.
15 March 2022
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The awards were live streamed on Wednesday 23 February across social media, hosted by comedian and actor Tim Vine.
03 March 2022
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Volunteer Centre Sutton is one of 47 national and regional projects being allocated government funding from the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities to help British National (Overseas) families settle successfully into life in the UK.
24 February 2022
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Volunteer Centre Sutton and Sutton Council are joining forces for Sutton Spring Clean 2022 - a huge community effort to get the borough looking its best for summer
10 February 2022
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A huge thank you to all the people in Sutton who generously bought gifts for the vulnerable children and aduts we support
01 February 2022
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Give the gift of time this Christmas by volunteering in Sutton
23 November 2021
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We spoke to Neil Davies, who joined Volunteer Centre Sutton's board in 2021, on why he decided to become a Trustee.
21 October 2021
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We are all so excited to launch our Christmas Appeal to give a gift to the vulnerable children and adults we support. Will you help us light up someone's Christmas?
14 October 2021
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"During my mentoring year I have learnt It can be good to meet new people" Jaz, aged 12
14 October 2021
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Michael arrived in the UK alone and unsure of his future
06 October 2021
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UPDATE: Thank you to EVERYONE who has donated to this appeal. We are now full and are no longer accepting any more physical donations.
27 August 2021
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"You meet so many different people every time you turn up for a shift, whether you're working with them or helping them and every day is another great experience." Read about the experiences of one our Nonsuch Vaccine Site volunteers
22 April 2021
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As the Nonsuch Vaccination site winds down, we reflect on the past four and bit months, and an incredible team of 190 volunteers who have made it all possible
22 April 2021
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Joan and Alice, one of our Sutton Befrienders pairs
09 April 2021
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Rosina and Alex, one of our Sutton Befrienders pairs
09 April 2021
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How Sutton Befrienders helped J, a young man recovering from a stroke
09 April 2021
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Trevor and David, one of our Sutton Befrienders pairs
09 April 2021
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We could not be more proud of Pete Jemson, winner of the "Oustanding Volunteer" award at the 2020 Sutton Community Awards, and now nominated by Sutton Council for BBC Radio London's "Make a Difference Hero" awards
09 April 2021
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Since the start of the pandemic, a staggering 12.4 million adults in the UK have volunteered - with more than a third stepping forward for the first time. Read Katie's story about how lockdown gave her the impetus to volunteer with us
11 March 2021
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Our Volunteering Delivery and Development Manager, Marta Rocco, shares her thoughts on the recent report "The Road Ahead" from the NCVO
09 February 2021
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This is a live Zoom recording of an event which took place on Wednesday 14th October 2020 at 4pm. This event was joined by staff, volunteers and supporters from voluntary and community organisations across Sutton, to thank all volunteers in Sutton for their amazing and ongoing contribution.
02 November 2020
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Sutton's Community Awards 2020 celebrates the people who make Sutton a great place to live, work and bring up a family and who have gone above and beyond in the face of COVID-19.
13 October 2020
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Volunteers living in Sutton helped deliver more than 5000 food packages to Suttons' vulnerable and severely ill. Marta Rocco, Volunteer Centre Sutton's Volunteer Delivery and Development Manager, explains their role in coordinating volunteers to provide essential support to the shielded community
09 September 2020
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With lockdown easing and shielding guidance changing, you may have concerns about the kind of support you'll be able to access in the next few months. We wanted to assure you that there will continue to be support available for you, no matter what your circumstances.
25 June 2020
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From managing 150 volunteers to managing 733 volunteers during Covid-19: #SmallCharityBigImpactDay 19th June 2020
17 June 2020
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What to donate and where to donate it
21 April 2020
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Today we are launching a Covid-19 appeal to support the ongoing work of Sutton's Voluntary and Community Sector in response to the impact of the COVID-19 Coronavirus outbreak.
21 April 2020
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Joint Statement from Alison Navarro, CEO Community Action Sutton, Anita Maullin CEO, Volunteer Centre Sutton, and Nicola Upton, CEO Age UK Sutton
27 March 2020
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Between the 1st and 24th December, we're bringing you a new volunteering opportunity from organisations in Sutton and beyond
28 November 2019
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We are fundraising to give young care leavers in Sutton a Christmas to remember
01 November 2019
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Congratulations to one of our longest standing MAPS Mentors, Derek Terrell, who was awarded Outstanding Volunteer at the 2019 Sutton Community Awards
18 October 2019
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We celebrated the impact of volunteering in Sutton with a public event at the Sutton Central Library
18 October 2019
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Find out who was shortlisted for this year's Sutton Community Awards
27 September 2019
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Read Edina's story about her volunteering journey into full time employment
12 September 2019
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Do you know an individual or group that deserves special recognition? Nominate now for Sutton's Community Awards
26 July 2019
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Pat Stanley, Volunteering Development Manager, shares the key take-aways from our July Volunteering Forum
24 July 2019
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One of our long-standing MAPS mentors shares her experiences
19 July 2019
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For Refugee Week 2019, our Community Engagement Coordinator, Marta Rocco, reflects on her own volunteering experiences supporting refugees
19 June 2019
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Throughout Volunteers' Week we're sharing 'thank you' messages to volunteers from organisations in Sutton. Sutton Carers Centre would like to thank Jean Sharpington.
31 May 2019
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Throughout Volunteers' Week we're sharing 'thank you' messages to volunteers from organisations in Sutton. The Royal Marsden Cancer Charity would like to thank Valerie Allsopp.
31 May 2019
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Throughout Volunteers' Week we're sharing 'thank you' messages to volunteers from organisations in Sutton. The Dreaming Tree Project would like to thank Bambina.
29 May 2019
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Throughout Volunteers' Week we're sharing 'thank you' messages to volunteers from organisations in Sutton. The Royal Marsden Cancer Charity would like to thank Denise Clarke.
29 May 2019
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Throughout Volunteers' Week we're sharing 'thank you' messages to volunteers from organisations in Sutton. Sutton Community Works would like to thank Vicki.
21 May 2019
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Throughout Volunteers' Week we're sharing 'thank you' messages to volunteers from organisations in Sutton. Age UK Sutton would like to thank Rob Campion.
21 May 2019
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Throughout Volunteers' Week we're sharing 'thank you' messages to volunteers from organisations in Sutton. Home-Start Sutton would like to thank Diana Broad.
21 May 2019
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Throughout Volunteers' Week we're sharing 'thank you' messages to volunteers from organisations in Sutton. Home-Start Sutton would like to thank Sue Elson
21 May 2019
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Throughout Volunteers' Week we're sharing 'thank you' messages to volunteers from organisations in Sutton and beyond. Jigsaw4u would like to thank Jacqui O'Connor
21 May 2019
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Throughout Volunteers' Week we're sharing 'thank you' messages to volunteers from organisations in Sutton. Age UK Sutton would like to thank Sue
21 May 2019
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Throughout Volunteers' Week we're sharing 'thank you' messages to volunteers from organisations in Sutton. Our MAPS team would like to thank Caroline Magin
21 May 2019
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Throughout Volunteers' Week we're sharing 'thank you messages to volunteers from organisations in Sutton, starting with a thank you to one of our own volunteers
21 May 2019
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"I have volunteered forever" read Mary's inspiring story
21 May 2019
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Throughout Volunteers' Week we're sharing 'thank you' messages to volunteers from organisations in Sutton. St Raphael's Hospice would like to thank Jenny Watkins
14 May 2019
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There are currently around 850,000 people in the UK with dementia. Dementia Friends is a programme led by the Alzheimer's Society to change people's perceptions of dementia and to create dementia-friendly communities.
14 May 2019
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Volunteers' Week is a chance to celebrate and say thank you for the fantastic contribution millions of volunteers make across the UK.
26 April 2019
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Spending time in green space or bringing nature into your everyday life can benefit both your mental and physical wellbeing. And doing these things as a volunteer will benefit you even more!
12 March 2019
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For the fourth year running, Volunteer Centre Sutton is delighted to support ShareTheMiracle, a community initiative collecting chocolate eggs to donate to those less fortunate at Easter.
08 March 2019
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Our Young Commissioners help shape Healthwatch Sutton's recent survey into young people and mental health
05 March 2019
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Andrew and Sue met volunteering in 1971 and have just celebrated their 45th wedding anniversary!
06 February 2019
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With this funding, our two organisations will work together to deliver a programme across Sutton's voluntary, community, faith and social enterprise sector. We will build and develop the capacity, skills, knowledge and experience of the sector, helping to transform Sutton's communities.
01 February 2019
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Between the 1st and 24th December, we're bringing you a new volunteering opportunity from organisations in Sutton and beyond
22 January 2019
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Tuesday 27th November is #GivingTuesday and to celebrate we want to share with you some very festive volunteering opportunities in Sutton this Christmas as well as ways you can support local giving initiatives.
22 January 2019
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Your free online volunteer recruitment platform just got better!
22 January 2019
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Afraid of leaving the house and struggled to cope with the demands of school life, he turned to MAPS for support
02 December 2018
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But a love of fast cars and a mentor helped him find a way forward
02 December 2018
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She needed help to process her abusive childhood experiences
02 December 2018
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Unable to see a future, she turned to MAPS for help
02 December 2018
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Guest blogger Sorrel Parsons of Superhighways shares her top 5 free and easy-to-use apps to help small charities better demonstrate their impact. Part of our new Digital resources blog series!
18 December 2017
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Our volunteer management system, Volunteer Connect, has recently had some useful updates - find out how these changes benefit your charity or group!
11 December 2017
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A brief summary of some of the findings from our recent research pilot looking into the effects of volunteering on health and wellbeing
06 December 2017
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Pat, our Volunteering Development Manager, relates the story of Myra, one of the participants in our prescribed volunteering project, who said that volunteering helped her health recovery.
06 December 2017
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Pat, our Volunteering Development Manager, relates the story of Patrick, one of the participants in our prescribed volunteering project, who said that volunteering is the connection between his old world and his new world.
06 December 2017
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This Trustees Week, many organisations will be celebrating their trustees who volunteer their time and skills in governance. Trustees make a huge impact - why not look into becoming one yourself?
09 November 2017
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We asked Judith Smith, Pastor of Horizon Church Sutton to write a guest blog about the positive experiences her church has had hosting Employer-Supported Volunteer teams at her church building, from which several community projects are run. She shares about the impact of ESV, some of the challenges and her top tips for any organisation thinking of hosting an ESV team.
08 November 2017
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Employer Supported Volunteering (ESV) has great potential for growth. Volunteer Centre Sutton hosted its most recent Volunteering Forum around the topic, hearing from the experiences of a charity who has accessed ESV support and a business who has empowered its staff to provide it, and discussing the way forward for ESV in the London Borough of Sutton.
07 September 2017
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Matt (Digital Inclusion Coordinator) interviews Helen Gasparelli (Mentoring & Advocacy Manager) about her recent Employee Volunteering (EV) experience.
20 June 2017
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VCS's Volunteering Development Manager, Pat Stanley, has 15 years' experience training in the voluntary sector and advising organisations in developing Good Practice in Volunteer Management, Here, she asks some important questions of those managing volunteers.
01 April 2016
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Priya volunteers at the Refugee and Migrant Network in Sutton, where she teaches English as a Second language to adults
17 March 2016
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Petrica is a mum of 2 teenage boys who has lived in the area the whole of her life. After thinking about volunteering for years, she took the plunge on New Year's Day, 2010
17 March 2016
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69-year old Noreen has lived in Sutton for almost 5 decades and spent 3 years at Volunteer Centre Sutton helping people find volunteering roles that match their skills and passions. She told us how this gave her a new purpose in life
17 March 2016
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