VOLUNTEER OF THE MONTH—September

After having a break for a few

months, the Volunteer of the

Month awards restarted again in

September with Molly Carter

(Drop-in Centre) receiving the

small gift and certificate.

Congratulations to Molly!!

(L-R Debbie (Student), Molly,

Kim, Janette and Shirley)

VOLUNTEER OF THE MONTH—October

Krystian Solarski (Painting and Decorating,

Gardening etc.) was awarded the October prize.

He is seen here receiving his award from Ann

Maxwell (Administration Assistant-Volunteer

project)

Congratulations to both winners. If you have a

volunteer who you believe deserves credit for

going that extra mile, please drop us a line and

they will be considered for the November/

December prizes.

GARDENING

During the period March to October this

year, we continued on with our

Gardening service (mainly grass-cutting,

strimming etc). We carried this out for

our Core and Cluster Flats (10) in the

Kirkcaldy and Levenmouth areas,

providing invaluable employability skills

for a number of our service users. Such

has been the high standard of service

offered that we have also managed to

pick up a small number of private

gardens to do at a fixed rate. This

project is contributing to a large saving

made on purchasing these services from

an outside contractor.

ALLOTMENTS

In 2013, we decided to concentrate all our efforts on one allotment: Abbeyview,

Dunfermline. We released our second plot in the Ecology Centre, Kinghorn as it was

proving to be quite inaccessible for our volunteers to reach.

This has allowed us to make a few improvements to the Abbeyview allotment,

including the installation of raised beds, the installation of a garden bench, a pergola

and a paved area. This allows for a nice sheltered area when the weather takes a

turn for the worse or becomes too hot (less likely!!) to work in.

PAINTING & DECORATING

After a lull in the summer to ac-

commodate the gardening ser-

vice, we have slowly begun to

take on small painting and deco-

rating jobs. This provides great

employability skills for a number

of our service users and is a low

cost, affordable service for our

customers.

ALLOTMENTS...

Abbeyview Kids Club

This year, Abbeyview Kids Club approached Frontline Fife about working with them on a

project, which would involve the kids in their own local community and create an

awareness about homelessness

amongst the kids and their par-

ents. Jill Kerr has been the lead

volunteer on this project and has

spent Tuesday and

Thursday mornings working with

the kids in the allotment, teaching

them about the different fruit and

veg, how to plant, harvest etc.

A big thank-you to Dobbies,

Halbeath for their very generous

donations of tools, materials etc

so we could undertake this

project.

HOMES4GOOD

We are currently working with Jen O’Neill (Centre Manager-Leven H4G) on organising

an open night for prospective volunteers. Date to be confirmed. It is hoped that we

can recruit 2-3 suitable volunteers who can assist staff with work within the centre on a

regular basis.

ADVICE LINK

Advice Link is a programme that is a partnership between Frontline Fife Homelessness

Services (FLF), Citizens Advice & Rights Fife (CARF), and new partner, The Fife Migrants

Forum (FMF).

We are recruiting volunteers so we can expand our advice services across Fife.

Volunteers will be trained to provide information and advice to people experiencing

housing and/or money issues in order to prevent homelessness.

What does it involve?

As a volunteer you will work in a variety of locations, including the Home4Good Centres

across Fife. You will be offering introductory information and advice and facilitating

referrals into our Prevention First programme and specialist housing (FLF) and money

advice (CARF) services. You will be the crucial link that could help someone find the

support they need to remain in their home!

What experience will I get?

Training in information and advice – Type I

Work placements at Fife Migrants Forum, Home4Good Centres across Fife and other

outreach locations

Experience in promotional activities and events

Voluntary experience for your CV and potential to engage in further training

After completing a placement we will be able to provide a reference to assist you to

find employment.

Sound Interesting?

Please contact Frontline Fife or Fife Migrants Forum for further details.

RELOVE IT – CHARITY SHOP:

Re-Love It would like to say that they are urgently seeking quality donations of winter

clothing, particularly coats & knitwear and also

that they’re always looking for enthusiastic volun-

teers who would like to gain valuable retail skills

to work in the shop with them.

For further information, please contact Laura: 01592 641619 /

retailmanager@upfrontsolutions.org.uk

BEFRIENDING: Footsteps Project

Frontline Fife were chosen to be one of the lead partners with Scottish Churches Hous-

ing Action, to become involved in their Befriending Project for those who have

experienced or who are currently experiencing Homelessness.

Frontline Fife works with people who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless to

help them manage and sustain their tenancy.

The new venture will build on this by finding volunteers to form supportive

relationships with

people who are

experiencing

homelessness.

This approach

works well

elsewhere,

helping to build

people’s social

networks, and

prevent a return

to homelessness.

We have just

recently

completed a

6-week training course in Dunfermline for a group of 10 potential volunteers. It is

hoped to roll out our first Befriending relationships in Dunfermline before Christmas. It

is a 6-month pilot project initially, with funding coming from the Fife Health and

Well-being Alliance and topped up by the Carnegie Trust. Scottish Churches

Housing Action have also agreed to fund the project, which will be made available in

July 2014. If the pilot is successful, it is hoped to roll out the project to other

areas of Fife including Kirkcaldy and Levenmouth.

VOLUNTEER FORUM

The latest Volunteer Forum took place on Weds 13th November at 11am at the Head

Office. All current volunteers were invited to attend to discuss the ongoing activities

and forthcoming events.

ACITIVITY/EMPLOYABILITY 6 WEEK COURSE

We held our annual employability course in June/July at Lochore Meadows. We had

eight participants/clients of Frontline fife who participated in a range of outdoor

activities including hill-walking, canoeing, mountain biking and a range of employability

workshops including goal-setting, volunteering and life-coaching. Of the 8 participants

who had all experienced

homelessness;

2 moved into paid

Employment

5 decided to get involved in

ongoing volunteering within

Frontline Fife

1 moved on to complete the

Positive Steps training pro-

gramme and also become a

Volunteer Befriender for Front-

line fife.

A big thank-you to Dalgety Parish Church for sponsoring these activities yet again.

Every participant gained a huge amount from the course and it greatly contributed to

helping them move on with their lives.

DONATIONS-THANK YOU

A huge thank-you to the all the individuals, groups, schools and businesses who

have supported Frontlinefife throughout 2013.

(Pictured) The children from Thornton P.S are seen here handing the food from

their Harvest Thanksgiving over to Jim Hunter (Caseworker: FLF).

ENVIRONMENTAL AWARD FOR CHARITY & UNIVERSITY

Frontlinefife have received an environmental award alongside St Andrews University.

Frontline Fife, who work to prevent homelessness through education, advice ,

advocacy, support and delivery of services, were presented with the Green Apple

Award, which is given by The Green Organisation to recognise environmental best

practice around the world. The Awards are now in the 18th year and recognised as one

of the major environmental recognition schemes.

Frontline Fife, in the second year that they have carried out such activity, received the

award for the mammoth effort put in during the summer to collect and recycle tonnes

of unwanted household items, clothing, electrical items etc from Halls of Residence at

St Andrews University.

The items were then circulated to the charity’s service users, all of whom are either

homeless or at risk of homelessness.

Fife has the third largest

number of homeless pres-

entations in Scotland, after

Glasgow and Edinburgh

and Frontline Fife was the

product merger in 2007

between

Levenmouth Homeless

Trust and Open Door Fife.

They currently employ 60

members of staff and have

a turnover of

approximately £1.4

million.

ST ANDREWS Volunteers Raymie, Alex and Mikey hard at work sorting through some of the tonnes of donations from St.Andrews University.

DUNFERMLINE DROP-IN CENTRE

Due to the recently commenced refurbishment work taking place in the Gillespie

Centre, the Drop-in has moved a few yards and into the Church building adjacent. The work is

estimated to finish in January 2014, at which point we will move back to our original base. The

newly refurbished centre will enhance the activities which we can run for our clients, as it will

contain new meeting rooms as well as improved disabled access.

Lunches continue to be served in the Church Hall from 12-1.30pm. Customers can

expect a 3-course lunch for £1. For those who are really struggling, we can provide hot soup

and a roll for free. As we don’t have the same facilities for keeping food hot in our new prem-

ises, we would ask customers to arrive promptly at 12noon where possible.

Recently, two of our key volunteers (husband and wife team) Julie and Danny retired from the

Drop-in Centre. We would like to thank them for the huge contribution they made to the run-

ning of the Drop-in Centre and other volunteering activities in the

Dunfermline area. Julie continues to help out in Segal House.

Christmas Lunch

The Annual Christmas lunch in the Drop-in Centre will take place this year on Friday 20th De-

cember. We have received some very generous funding this year from Amazon and we would

like to thank them very much for this.

We will only be having one sitting this year at 12:30 and we would ask everyone to arrive sharp.

KIRKCALDY DROP-IN CENTRE

We are currently in discussion with the Fife Migrants Forum (Kirkcaldy) about the

possibility of re-opening a Drop-in Centre in Kirkcaldy Town Centre. The centre would be a

partnership between the two organisations, to build upon strong links forged through the Ad-

vice Link Project. We are currently looking at a couple of possible sites. Watch this space for

further details.

Pat McAllister Volunteer Development Co-ordinator

pat.mcallister@frontlinefife.co.uk 07738 489872

Ann Maxwell

Volunteer Development Admin Assistant ann.maxwell@frontlinefife.co.uk

Volunteer Development Project Frontline Fife

57-59 Viewforth Street Kirkcaldy

Fife KY1 3DJ

01592 800430