TVA News Bulletin – January 2018

www.tvawales.org.uk Charity Registration No. 1097079

Company No. 4603713

Gofal’s Young Person’s Mental Health Service

Please find attached the referral form for “Young Person’s MH Service” - The Service offers weekly support related to better managing mental health, and supports people to develop their daily living skills with the view of being able to successfully maintain a tenancy (16-25 age range). If you are supporting someone that could benefit then please get in touch, either by emailing or posting the referral to Nathaniel using the attached form. Alternatively, if you would like to have a chat about what kind of support can be offered then please contact Nathaniel on the telephone details below.

Nathaniel Wilson

Young Person’s Mental Health Liaison Officer – TYPSS

The Studio, Oldbury Business Estate,

Oldbury Road,

Old Cwmbran, NP44 3JU.

Nathaniel Wilson - Youth Worker Gofal (TYPSS) nathanielwilson@gofal.org.uk

Tel: 01633 647525

In this bulletin:

Gofal’s Young Person’s Mental Health Service

Campaign for the Protection of Rural Wales

Newport Mediation—Become a Volunteer Mediator

Autism Drop-in Sessions

Torfaen County Borough Council Consultations

St David's Hospice Care—Spring into Song

Volunteering Matters Activ8

St David's Hospice Care—Pontypool 10k Run

Newport Mediations- NEW Service -Time2Talk

Torfaen Summer Playscheme

Volunteers Needed

CAMPAIGN FOR THE PROTECTION OF RURAL WALES

Happy New Year all TVA Members, we hope it’s started well, your services are valued and your projects all succeed this year. 2018 is a milestone for CPRW – for 90 years this charity has been fighting bad planning, unnecessary or inappropriate development, loss of countryside and natural environment, rural services cuts. If you think Welsh Govt and local authorities’ planning policies are anti-environment and anti-community (such as the appalling South Sebastopol site in Cwmbran, and the M4 Diversion across the Gwent Levels) – join the local CPRW branch (Newport & Valleys) and help us celebrate 90 years of campaigning for our wonderful rural Wales. More info? Visit www.cprw.org.uk, facebook.com/CPRWNewportValleys/ , or tel Vic Warren on 01495 755557.

Menai Bridge & Snowdonia ©Visit Wales

Torfaen County Borough Council Consultations

Libraries Survey 2018

Torfaen County Borough Council is in the process of developing a new strategy for its library service that can meet the needs of the communities in Torfaen while providing savings of £200,000. As part of this process the council wants your thoughts, suggestions and ideas about the services it currently offers, how they may be improved and prioritised, and how it can deliver them more efficiently in the future. Please take a few minutes to complete this survey - www.forms.torfaen.gov.uk/librarysurvey2017/survey.html - and have your say on the future of library services in the borough.

Happiness Pulse Survey

Torfaen Public Services Board has launched a Happiness Pulse survey. The simple online survey will give you a happiness score and tips on how to be happier and links to organisations that can help.

The Well- being of Future Generations Act 2016 has led public services in Wales to think long-term, work better with people and communities and each other, look to prevent problems and take a more joined-up approach. Public Service Boards are implementing this with the publication of Well-being Plans in May 2018.

The Happiness Pulse survey will tell us a story about Torfaen, what individuals and communities are doing, how they are feeling and what they need to thrive. The information can then be used to inform the PSB’s Well-being plan.

Take your Happiness Pulse here https://getinvolved.torfaen.gov.uk/pssu/the-torfaen-happiness-pulse/

Volunteering Matters –Activ8

Activ8 Your Potential today!

Are you aged 18 to 24? Do you live within the Gwent area? Are you looking for support personal to you, to help gain experience and skills to move into employment, education or training?

Then let the Activ8 project help unlock your potential today. Activ8 is a tailor-made volunteering and skills development peer programme that will provide support for you all the way. Don’t just take our word for it as we have peer mentors who are inspirational and have moved on from where you are right now. These are young people who have achieved their potential and moved onto their career and development pathway. Activ8 is about raising skills and helping people into work, training, education and volunteering.

Do you need support to travel to a job interview, training course or just need that extra support during your first week at your new job? Activ8 can help with you this and can cover all out of pocket expenses.

This is about you making a positive life choice for yourself – why not find out more today?

Activ8 programme has been supported by the European Social Fund through Welsh Government Active Inclusion fund, provided through WCVA and the Welsh Assembly Government.

Please contact Sianne Morgan – Youth Development Manager Wales: Tele: 0495 750333/ 07946094198 sianne.morgan@volunteeringmatters.org.uk

Newport Mediations- NEW Service -Time2Talk Newport Mediation, a small charity based in Newport providing independent mediation services across Newport /Torfaen/ Monmouthshire/Caerphilly/ Blaenau Gwent, has been successful in obtaining Funding from The Peoples Postcode Lottery to carry out: FREE Intergenerational Mediation to help families (not separating/divorcing) of different generations to communicate, improve understanding and find solutions to make life less stressful and improve family life. Areas covered could include: Parents who have been divorced or separated for some time and

need to review arrangements. A family experiencing difficulties over relationships across

generations. Different preferences, needs and values between parents and

teenagers / young people leaving or staying at home. Choice of relationship; for example, where these relate to

different ethnic or religious backgrounds or same-sex relationships.

Our mediators All are trained and accredited volunteers working in pairs All have been DBS checked All adhere to a strict code of confidentially How it works We operate a referral system. What to know more For further details about the service and to make referrals, contact us via email with your details newport_mediation@yahoo.co.uk or get in touch with us on 01633 858441 and we will talk you thorough the process.

Torfaen Summer Playscheme

The Play Service is currently looking for volunteers aged 16+ to support our summer playschemes. Your role will entail working as part of a team to provide play opportunities.

The Benefits of Volunteering

Volunteering has a meaningful, positive impact on the

community

Volunteering can develop new interests and hobbies

Volunteering is a brilliant way to get life experience

Volunteering brings together a diverse range of people

from all backgrounds and walks of life

Volunteering is ultimately about helping others and

having an impact on people’s wellbeing

Dedicating your time as a volunteer helps you make

new friends, expand your network, and boost your

social skills

Volunteering can provide a healthy boost to your self-

confidence, self-esteem, and life satisfaction.

Volunteering gives you the opportunity to practice

important skills used in the workplace, such as

teamwork, communication, problem solving, project

planning, task management, and organisation skills.

Volunteering is great to put on your CV or university or college application.

All volunteers are entitled to claim expenses £10 per day towards their food and travel.

All volunteers will receive an accredited qualification

All volunteers will be eligible to sign up to Millennium Volunteers.

You must be available to volunteer from Monday

23rd July until Friday 24th August.

The closing date for applications is Friday 30th

March.

For an application form please contact

andrea.sysum@torfaen.gov.uk

For more information phone – 01495 742951

British Heart Foundation Retail—Retail

Customer Service Assistant

Are you a chatterbox? Can you talk about

anything and everything? If this sounds like

you we have a fantastic opportunity to let

your chitchatting dreams run wild! In our

stores we’re always looking for outgoing and

enthusiastic volunteers to meet and greet our

customers. We talk to our customers, make

them feel welcome, help them find the things

they’re looking for and inform them of the

BHF’s life saving heart research. We keep

the sales floor looking fresh and inspiring and

thank everyone who brings in their donations

and custom. Come and be a part of your local

team and learn about customer service skills

and gain experience. Don’t worry if you’re not

a confident speaker, with this role all you

need is a welcoming and helpful attitude.

British Heart Foundation Retail—

Telephonist/Admin Volunteer

Are you always on the phone? Are you calm,

collected and chatty? We’re always looking for

friendly, confident and helpful people to join our

team and become the voice of your local store.

You will be the first point of contact for our

customers helping them with any enquiries and

arranging collections for donations and

deliveries. Come and be a part of your local

team and learn customer service skills and gain

experience. If you have good communication

skills and able to follow administration

processes accurately then come and be a part

of our team and laugh and chat with other

volunteers over a cup of tea and a biscuit.

Perfect for enhancing your CV and skills set.

Deafblind UK—Home Befriending

Our member is a lady in her 90's who is originally

from Germany but has been living in Wales for

some time now. She was a Red Cross Nurse and

she loves gardening. She would really appreciate

a volunteer to visit her once a week and someone

who shares similar interests such as gardening

and nature and they could help out as little or as

much as they wished to with her garden. She

would like to go to the shops, the garden centre or

for a coffee now and again. Our member really

enjoys music and speaking with new people and

is a dab hand with an IPad. Although she is very

hard of hearing she communicates with clear

speech. English is her second language so some

patience will be required.

Newport Mind—Changing Minds Peer

Mentor Torfaen

Supporting young people aged 14-25 with

their mental health transitions. Activities

include: Becoming a Write With You pen pal

volunteer to a young person who would like

to connect with someone by writing letters.

Developing, delivering and monitoring Peer-

to-Peer Support Groups at the Blaenau

Gwent Learning Zone for young people with

support and supervision from the Changing

Minds Project Worker for Blaenau Gwent.

VOLUNTEERS

WANTED!

For more information on any of these opportunities, please contact the

Volunteering Team on 01495 742420.

British Red Cross - Community Connector

Support Volunteer

It starts with Hello. From new mums to empty

nesters, it's often surprising who is affected by

loneliness. That's why we're teaming up with The

Cooperative. Together we want to reach out and

reconnect thousands of lonely people with their

communities, and tackle a problem that is

shortening lives and eroding wellbeing. The aim

of the Community Connecter is to support people

affected by social isolation and loneliness and to

help them gain confidence and to reconnect to

their community in partnership with existing and

new partner organisations.