CORK VOLUNTEER CENTRE

INTERVIEW GRAFFITI THEATRE

INFO DISCOUNT CARD SCHEME

GARDA VETTING CORPORATE VOLUNTEERING

EVENTS VOLUNTEER IRELAND AWARDS

TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES

INTEGRATION VIA FOOTBALL

ISSUE 4

V LEZINE

WELCOME to issue four of Cork Volunteer Centre’s VolEzine. The quarterly magazine bringing you real volunteer stories, advice, and news.

In this issue, we sit down with Graffiti Theatre to talk about the amazing work they have been doing in Cork. We’ve also got lots of information on upcoming events and training, the PPN and a small taste of other opportunities across the county.

If you have any ideas for future pieces, or would like for your organisation to be featured in a future issue, please let us know.

Adam Lacey Editor

adam@volunteercork.ie

CONTENTS

Cork Volunteer Centre An update from Joanna

Interview Graffiti Theatre

Garda Vetting Updates

Discount Card Scheme Updates

Volunteer Ireland Awards 2017 Cork Nominees & Winner

Cork City PPN An update from Martha

Upcoming Events Carrigaline Football AFC SHEP, Reflective Practice for Practitioners Volunteer Leadership Training Train The Trainer QQI - Level 6

Corporate Volunteering

Merry Christmas

FOREWORD

@VolunteerCork

CORK VOLUNTEER CENTRE UPDATE

Tuesday 5th December, Today is the International Volunteer Day. We hope that organisations as well as volunteers mark today and have a great celebration.

December has truly arrived - In this Christmas issue of Cork Volunteer Centre's E-zine to all non for profit organisations in Cork City and County, we wish to share with you an interview with Grafitti Theatre as well as the incredible achievement of Ballyphehane / Togher Community Arts & Crafts Initiative who received the inaugural Outstanding group award at this year’s Volunteer Awards in Sligo.

I would also like to congratulate the other shortlisted nominees from Cork:

Anne Marie Crean, Reclaiming Self, Cork Tricia Lynch Fleming and Mary Crowley, CSPCA, Cork

Suzanne O’Sullivan, St John’s Ambulance, Cork Anne Marie Crean, Reclaiming Self, Cork

Konrad Im, LGBT Cork, Cork Kate Lehane, STEPS, Cork

Also in this issue, you will find information on Garda Vetting, an update from Martha for Cork City PPN, and a spread of various Training opportunities provided by Cork Volunteer Centre, SHEP and Fusion Training, along with information from Carrigaline Football AFC & The Nigeria Communities' Volunteering in Football information meeting in the new year.

We have an update on our Discount Card Scheme , and propose that you may consider Corporate Volunteers for a specific project in the future.

Lastly, Merry Christmas to all, from all Munster Volunteer Centres, who will contribute next year with their news from their areas.

Happy New Year 2018, Joanna Karolini

GRAFFITI THEATRE INTERVIEW

Located on Assumption Road, Cork City Graffiti Theatre works creatively with young people through their creative writing programme “Fighting Words Cork”. The Fighting Words program was developed by Roddy Doyle and Sean Love in 2009 in Dublin, to provide a space for catalysing creative writing among children and young adults, and has since made its way across the country, with Graffiti Theatre Company now hosting Fighting Words Cork.

The first workshops began in Grafitti Theatre in January 2017, hosting 20 creative writing workshops free of charge for predominantly primary school children. Fighting Words Cork also hosted a number of workshops for homeschool and post primary groups as well as a workshop through Irish. Since January, over 500 students between the ages of 6 – 16 have successfully engaged with the programme in Cork.

Fighting Words Cork is completely fuelled by volunteers, who assist the children in developing their stories through creative thinking. Volunteer storytellers help the students to brainstorm their ideas, create original characters and interesting plot points. Volunteer Illustrators draw images of the children’s creations as their story develops, while tech volunteers help to type, scan, compile and print the book for the children by the end of each session.

Speaking to volunteer co-ordinator Ravnita Joyce, about the Fighting Words volunteers. “I love working with volunteers, their commitment and passion is unreal” she explains. “They are an absolute example for these young children to what they can become. It’s amazing to see how the volunteers validate the kid’s ideas, and imagination”. The no-boundaries approach to Fighting Words Cork’s programme allows students to see from a young age, that their dreams to become writers, illustrators or editors, can all become a reality.

Annie Curran who has been volunteering with Fighting Words since January is on a scholarship in Cork from America, and is currently working on her Thesis. She was eager to find something in Cork where she could immerse herself in the culture while also making a difference.

Annie explains that working with the kids and seeing their reactions and happiness as their stories come to life is very rewarding. “We had one boy who came up to us and said ‘This is the best day of my life’. They feel safe in this environment and you can really see their passion spark”. Speaking about her fellow volunteers Annie shares “It’s also nice to come together with people you wouldn’t normally see in your normal life. It leaves you feeling good.”

John McCarthy has also been volunteering with Fighting Words since January, comes from a background in theatre and teaching. “You make a choice to be here, and because it’s your choice, you give it more conviction than you would if it was a job”. John also praised the work of Graffiti Theatre, and the positive atmosphere created for the young children.

Laura Perrem was the third volunteer Adam met. Laura has been volunteering with fighting words since March, and is now hoping to progress into volunteering as an illustrator. With a background in visual art, Laura shares that she was initially curious about how the programme worked in giving a creative space to kids. Laura shares that her favourite part about volunteering is “When you see that moment of confidence in the kids, when they realise their idea is OK. It’s a foundation of confidence for them. It’s so valuable for the kids to have such an opportunity, it gives them a whole new way of looking at themselves”.

For anyone creative that is interested in working with children, offering encourage and support then there is definitely a place in Fighting Words for you. Fighting Words Cork would especially love some more Illustrators and Storytellers. If you know anyone who may be interested, or if you would like to see what other volunteering opportunities are available, we would greatly encourage you to register online at VolunteerCork.ie and we can arrange a meeting to help you find the perfect volunteer opportunity. You can also find Cork Volunteer Centre on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram: @VolunteerCork where you can keep up to date with all our latest opportunities, events and general happenings here in Cork.

Adam Lacey

GARDA VETTING

Upcoming Training Sessions

The last Garda Vetting Training sessions of 2017 will be held in the following locations:

Mallow - Wednesday 6th December - The Big Blue Cube, Gouldshill, Mallow from 6.30 - 8.30pm.

Cork City - Wednesday 20th December - Cork Volunteer Centre, 13 North Main Street, Cork City from 6.30 - 8.30pm.

To reserve a space on the training session, please email vetting@volunteercork.ie or call Adam / Joanna on 021 4251572.

Retrospective Vetting

Once again we would like to remind organisations to conduct vetting in respect for employees or volunteers who were in employment prior to April 29th 2016, and

who have no been previously subject of vetting application by that organisation.

In that regard it has been directed by the Minister for Justice & Equality that vetting must be sought in respect of

For any further enquiries on Garda Vetting, please email vetting@volunteercork.ie

VOLUNTEER IRELAND AWARDS

From 27 exceptional volunteers and 3 groups, 10 winners have been selected for this year’s Volunteer Ireland Awards including the Ballyphehane/Togher Community Arts & Crafts Initiative from Cork. They took home the inaugural Outstanding Group Award. These national awards to celebrate Ireland’s unsung heroes were held at a special ceremony in Sligo, the 2017 European Volunteering Capital, on 1st December.

The awards aim to celebrate the extraordinary dedication that nominees have shown to help others, often taking time away from family and friends to give back. They give us a chance to say thank you and celebrate their achievements. This group of 20 ladies are voluntary tutors in the community promoting the preservation and passing on of traditional Irish craft skills through the generations. They have been volunteering in the locality for the last 21 years and have widened that reach to include regional, national and international connections.

The initiative now consists of 9 local Art Groups. In addition they have now expanded to include 5 different craft sessions in the community each week, one after schools in the Primary girls school in Ballyphehane and a range of classes given to other Communities across the City that are taught by tutors from this group. In all, almost 300 women of all ages, discover weekly the joy of craft and traditional skills and experience the enjoyment of the company of their peers by participating in community arts and crafts activities.

They felt it was important to challenge Educational Centres to value the multiple life and practical skills people have and not just their academic ability. With the local primary school they arranged classes for fifth and sixth class girls. They have also worked with a group of girls from the Applied Leaving Certificate class in the local Secondary School thus supporting children and schools to recognise that multiple intelligence and creativity are enormously important. They persuaded the local Further Education College to give them space to run classes within the college, and subsequently to put traditional crafts in the Design Curriculum.

They are also heavily involved in the ‘Amulet Project’ with Cork University Maternity Hospital making amulets for premature babies. The initiative is now deeply involved in a development process that will see this project rolled out nationwide. This year marked an extremely special year for the Volunteer Ireland Awards. Not only were they celebrating their tenth year, they also formed part of the prestigious closing ceremony of Sligo’s designation as European Volunteering Capital.

Commenting on the shortlist for the Volunteer Ireland Awards, Cork Volunteer Centre Manager Joanna Karolini said “Volunteers are the backbone of communities across Ireland. This group of women are a fantastic example of the strong culture of volunteering we have in Cork. Volunteers are often unseen but the contribution they make to Irish society is immense. These awards give us a chance to say thank you and celebrate the difference volunteers make every day.”

CORK CITY PPN PUBLIC PARTICIPATION NETWORK

Drawing to the close of a busy year for Cork City PPN, the network Secretariat and coordinator would like to extend a big 'Thank you' to our members, representatives, partners and stakeholders. This has been an important foundation year for the PPN in Cork City and the support and encouragement from across the board has been invaluable.

In 2017, the network

• gained 30 new member organisations • held held 5 all-network plenary meetings at venues across the city • held a successful re-launch event to outline our plans and

ambitions for the network • held a successful re-launch event to outline our plans and

ambitions for the network • elected new secretariat members and representatives to strategic

policy committees and the Joint Policing Committee • coordinated the election of a representative to the Local

Community Development Committee for a new role of 'Representative of Children and Young People'

• ran a survey of the entire membership, the report of which will be published in December • ran training for representatives in collaboration with UCC • was represented on multiple inter-agency groups • responded to consultations on a national and local level

It's been a busy year but there's no doubt there is a lot more to achieve.

In 2018, the coordinator, Martha, will continue to engage with our newest communities and groups, put in place meaningful and practical training for our community and voluntary sector and build a strong profile for the PPN in City Hall. The profile of our city is set to change significantly in the coming years- our network can be an important contributor to that process!

The network always welcomes new members and wants to hear from all its constituent groups.

Why not come along to our December plenary, which will have a distinctly Christmassy feel! It will be a chance to reflect on what went well in 2017, but also to 'dream big' for 2018. The plenary will be light on lectures, placing an emphasis on talking, networking and peer-to-peer support. Please come and meet your fellow PPN members, and contribute to the discussion (as well as enjoying festive treats!)

The plenary will be held in St Peters, North Main Street on Wednesday, December 13th, at 6:30pm. Hope to see you there!

Still not sure what the PPN is all about? Get in touch! corkcity@ppn.ie or call Martha on 0861422747

VOLUNTEER DISCOUNT CARDS

Volunteer Discount Cards are a great way of rewarding and recognising your volunteers, and already, more than 30 organisations amounting to over 1000 volunteers have received Volunteer Centre Discount cards in Cork. Acknowledging their hard work being done in communities across the county throughout the year.

The traders in North Main Street and surrounding area are welcoming all volunteers, offering 10% discounts.

As Christmas approaches you may find some great deals.

Medicine, food, a haircut, beauty treatment and health are on the self-care agenda, while cycling, jewellery and clothing alternation are popular. With discount cards, volunteers receive 10% on their shopping.

The popular destinations this year have been:

Marirosa (Beauty Salon) Crew Cuts (Barbers) Dalton’s Pharmacy,

Vitamin-Shop, Minehane’s Jewellers,

Tony’s Bistro, Kilgrews (Parts Only),

Supermacs The Zip Yard.

Remember that the following shops/traders are also part of the discount card scheme.

Godsils (Womenswear), E O’Callaghan Alteration Services,

Leader & Co (Menswear), Health And Vitality Shop,

Printibility.ie, Parlour Restaurant,

Red Dragon, De Café (Coffee Only),

The Bigger Picture The Asian Shop (just beside Cork Volunteer Centre).

If your organisation wishes to avail of Volunteer Discount Cards for your Volunteers, please contact Catherine on 021-425 1572, 10-1pm Mon-Fri. Cards needs to be picked up at Cork Volunteer Centre, 13 North Main Street.

CARRIGALINE FOOTBALL AFC &

NIGERIA COMMUNITY

SHEP

VOLUNTEER LEADERSHIP TRAINING

Next Training: Tuesday 17th and 24th April 2018

Volunteer Leadership Training’ (VLT) is a two-day modular certified course run twice per year aimed at non-profit organisations who already involve volunteers in their service. Training is in a group setting.

Topics covered include:

*Advertising for volunteers *Interviewing volunteers *Screening *Induction/Volunteer Agreements *Developing a volunteer policy *Planning for volunteer involvement

Cork Volunteer Centre: Our trainers are FETAC Level 6 accredited and have completed additional training with Volunteer Ireland. They also bring a wealth of practical experience to the training they deliver.

Places are limited, please contact Marie O'Mahony on marie@VolunteerCork.ie to book your space and receive a booking form. Training fee is €100 per person for the two day training course.

In addition we offer bespoke training tailored to the specific needs of individual

organisations. For more information and to talk to us about how we can support your organisation in its work with volunteers email us at info@volunteercork.ie

TRAIN THE TRAINER

Training Delivery & Evaluation (Train the Trainer): QQI Level 6

Cork Volunteer Centre will host Train the Trainer course in April. This training is professional development for practitioners who work with groups and deliver training and presentations to people in the community and voluntary sector.

The training will be in April 2018 over 5 days (10-4.00pm) followed by a written submission of course work to achieve the QQI Level 6 accreditation.

Training will be provided by Fusion Training

Reduced participant cost is €500 if you book via Cork Volunteer Centre.

Please contact info@volunteercork.ie if you wish to reserve a space. Training days and dates will be confirmed in the new year.

Further details about the course and Fusion Training and Development, see www.fusiontraining.ie/

CORPORATE VOLUNTEERING

Corporate volunteering is a relatively new concept here, but companies increasingly recognise that a prosperous and healthy community benefits all who live and work here.

Volunteering locally provides a great opportunity for staff to engage with non-profit organisations in their community, to the benefit of all involved.

Cork-based companies recognise the benefit of their staff supporting local community projects on a volunteer basis for a short period (most usually one day), in place of a traditional team-building day. It’s a chance for them to give something back to their community whilst working together as an effective team in a new environment.

Calling on all non-for profits. If you have a project in mind where you need once of volunteers for a day or two, now is a good time to start discussing what needs to get done for spring.

If your organisation could benefit from a team of Corporate Volunteers then let us know! Simply complete our Volunteering Project Request form and return (signed by the Chairperson of your organisation) either by post or email to info@volunteercork.ie

We cannot promise that your project will be undertaken, however we will try our best to seek to inform and match businesses and corporate groups to your project.

Group from Stryker helping with painting outside walls and railings at Support After Crime Service.

Team from Gilead volunteering with St. Finbarr’s Hospital

MERRY CHRISTMAS ! from the Munster Volunteer Centre Network

Volunteer Centres Ionad d’Obair Dheonach

CLARE CORK KERRY LIMERICK & TIPPERARY