ANNUAL REPORT 2012/2013

DEVELOPMENT TEAM
Small Groups Project
In November, the funding for BASIS Small Groups Development Project led by Carol Britnell came
to an end but she then moved on to start the ‘L&Q Residents’ Moving on’ project in December. This
project, funded for a year by the housing association, was aimed at engagement with L&Q residents
and provided them with training and CV workshops which also included two free places for volunteers
from the small groups. The aim of the project fitted with L&Q’s target of reducing worklessness
amongst their residents. The training focussed on qualifications employers are legally required to
have for their workforce and will therefore would help to make participants more attractive to employers.
The project is advertised to all residents in Bexley four times over the year. The CV workshops
will also assist residents move into employment and participants will be encouraged to volunteer so
Carol will liaise with the Volunteer Drop-In to identify possible opportunities.
Carol has been working with small groups one day each week since December, combining this with
any free time from the ‘Residents Moving On’ project. She has worked with 17 groups since December,
of which 5 were new and 12 returning groups, giving a total of 32 for the year. The work has
involved a number of areas from initial set-up to charity status to funding and other development.
Carol has also continued to support the Big Local and Community First Programmes in Slade Green.
Bexley Small Groups Network
Network membership continued to grow and Carol hosted a total of four meetings with subjects covered
ranging from: the Localism Bill; safeguarding; applying for funding.
Training
In addition to the ‘Residents Moving On’ training: First Aid, Health and Safety, Food Safety and Fire
Marshall, Carol also ran minute-taking, monitoring and evaluation and project budgeting for volunteers
from the small groups.
RUNNING A VOLUNTEER CENTRE
For the London 2012 Olympics, Bexley was selected to be part of the Torch Relay and to host the
flame overnight following an evening celebration in Danson Park. Lynne Regan, Volunteer Centre
Manager, was a member of the Olympic Torch Relay Steering Group set up to plan this event and she
created the bespoke volunteering role ‘Torch Relay Steward’ to enable residents to get involved. This
role involved helping to ensure that the Olympic Flame had a safe passage through the borough and
being a point of contact for the public in respect of general and tourist information to give them a
positive experience. She took the lead in promotion and recruitment for the role, individually interviewing
135 people who lived or worked in Bexley and then helping to deliver training to 120 volunteers
who were then deployed on the route.
One Torch Relay Steward, Colleen Stedman, stationed in Bexley Road, Erith said:
“....I had a fantastic day at Erith, and the crowd in Bexley Road were great. I can’t thank them
enough for all of their support in making my volunteering experience a day to remember!!!”
Another, June Williamson, stationed near Hall Place said:
“Thanks for giving me the opportunity to be part of such a historic event..... I was very proud to be a
Bexley Torch Relay Volunteer”.
Volunteering Drop-In
The Volunteering Drop-In, funded until March 2013 by City Bridge Trust, offered potential volunteers
the option of ‘dropping in’ or pre-booking a half hour session to find out information about current
volunteering opportunities. They acccessed the ‘Do-it’ website or browsed information with the
assistance of the Drop-In Co-ordinator Melanie Shepherd and volunteer advisors.