What do we do?
 
Helps people who would like to do voluntary work.

We offer an advice and placement service to people who are interested in becoming volunteers and advice, training and support to organisations who seek volunteer help. In this way we try to ensure that volunteers are not discriminated against and that volunteers are supported in their voluntary activity.

Swale Volunteer Centre contact local organisations who involve volunteers and collect information on these organisations and the volunteering opportunities available. Bureaux also work with these organisations to develop new volunteering opportunities.

How we can help you......
 
The centre can put you in touch with many types of community or voluntary organisations which involve volunteers. These include:

Operates as a Local Development Agency…..

All areas in Swale have a variety of voluntary action without which many activities and services would not exist. Over 30 years Swale Volunteer Centre has evolved in order to:

Liaison

Swale CVS develops and maintains links with a wide range of voluntary and community organisations. These include user organisations and those representing the diverse communities that exist within the area.

In addition, the task of Swale CVS is to promote cross-sector relationships including those with the relevant local authority departments, health trusts, other public agencies operating within its locality and the business world.

Enabling representation

As an independent, non-party political organisation, Swale CVS has a particular role in enabling the local

voluntary/community sector to present its views to local authorities and other public agencies. This can be achieved by developing the practical means to communicate

effectively and access to:

Ø various local committees

Ø partnership bodies and working parties

Ø local authority representatives and procedures

To achieve this, Swale CVS endeavours to facilitate effective consultation with the sector through forums, committees, seminars or other consultation mechanisms. We aim to be open in the way we seek, collate and enable representation of the views of the sector.

Services

Swale CVS is a key resource and information point for the local voluntary and community organisations. SV&CDC can make the difference between a community need being identifies and supported, or not. These services can be wide ranging. Key ones may include:

  •  recruitment and placement of volunteer
  •  social car scheme
  •  project management
  •  funding information
  •  employment/financial services and advice
  •  legal/constitutional information
  •  meeting space
  •  office services
  •  regular mailing
  •  facilitating training and/or information about training providers
  •  general advice and guidance
    •

    Our Role as Management Agents

    We have increasingly been asked to perform a management agent role for small community based projects – many of them Single Regeneration Budget or Children’s Fund funded. Most of the projects have multi agency committees, where no one agency has the time or the expertise to

    employ workers or manage the project on a day to day basis. This being the case, Swale CVS have taken on the management agent (MA) role on behalf of these small committees. The MA role will also differ between projects according to the need of the project and also the expertise of the committee.

    Our Core Functions are:

    Development

    Ø identifying local need

    Ø working with others to develop appropriate local action

    Ø working strategically to benefit the local voluntary sector

    Services we can provide include:

    Ø All matters relating to employment of project worker/s to include:

    Ø PAYE, sickness; holidays; hours; pension provision (if applicable) etc.

    Ø Induction package for all new project workers

    Ø Day to day liaison and support of project workers

    Ø Regular supervision sessions and support of project/workers

    Ø Regular reviews and appraisal of project worker/s building in personal development and training.

    Ø Ensure all project paperwork and records are kept and safely stored.

    Financial Management of the project to include:

    Ø Set up systems to track all financial records

    Ø Keep all financial records – both on computer and paper

    Ø Oversee all financial expenditure (in conjunction with project committee)

    Ø Provide financial reports, budgets etc.

    Ø Set systems in place to deal with petty cash, postage etc.

    Ensure all required monitoring and evaluation procedures are put in place and all relevant reports etc., are available for funders e.g.
    SRB monitoring.   Guidance and advice to project worker/s regarding accessing further funding    .

     Social Car Scheme

     This provides transport for those members of the community who are unable to use public transport due to 

    who need to attend hospital, doctor, dental and other appointments or Day Care Centres or other community groups which are for the benefit of the client(s).

    All the drivers are volunteers who give their time to provide this much needed service.  There is a fee of 40 pence per mile (minimum £4.00) which is given to the driver towards their running costs.

    Bookings can be made through the Transport Desk, which is also operated by volunteers, Monday to Friday between 09.30 am and 12.30 pm – Telephone 01795 426647.

    Befriending Scheme

    With funding from Social Services, Swale CVS operates our New Connections Befriending Scheme.

    Volunteers visit clients who are referred to us from social services, relatives or other interested parties.  The clients are usually elderly, living in their own homes who, for whatever reason, do not receive many visitors.  Our befrienders visit once or perhaps twice per week and provide company and friendship.

    Other Projects…….