Social Media Tools: How Can they Help YOU?

Anyone involved in the voluntary sector in Sheffield is invited to drop-in at a Social Media Workshop to take place after the Volunteering Strategy Launch on 14th January 2010.

If you're like to find out how Twitter, Blogs, Facebook and other Social Media tools can help you with your work, from marketing to fundraising to simply sharing information and keeping up-to-date with the latest developments in your field, then come along!

Whether you know nothing about social media or are already using some of the tools, you will be able to chat to the friendly (and knowledgeable) NAVCA staff and GIST BashMash volunteers (see http://bashmash.org/) over a cup of tea/coffee and get their advice and practical tips. They will help you look at different free websites and services, and discuss with you how it could all fit in with the work you do.

This informal drop-in session is open to anyone who thinks it might be useful - feel free to pop in any time between 5-7pm. It will be taking place directly after the Volunteering Strategy Launch event at The Circle (33 Rockingham Lane, Sheffield, S1 4FW), so if you are coming along to that why not stick around for the Social Media Surgery too?

Let us know you are coming by clicking here: http://sheffieldsms0110.eventbrite.com/

Lighting the Flame for Volunteering

With 2012 fast approaching, Sheffield's sports clubs are gearing up to make the most of Olympic fever to encourage more and more people to participate in sport.  And who do they need to help with all the coaching, stewarding, admin and myriad other tasks that go along with sporting events and activities?  Yes, volunteers of course!

To that end, sports professionals and volunteering groups from across the city are joining forces to acheive 2 objectives: more people entering sports-related volunteering and enabling existing volunteers to follow progression routes.  Chaired by Val Stevenson from Sheffield Hallam University, the Sports Volunteering Group met for the second time last Thursday, and comprised various sports clubs, Activity Sheffield, Wisewood School & Community Sports Centre,  Sheffield Volunteering (University of Sheffield) and me.  Together we are developing an action plan to assist Sport Sheffield to achieve their vision of using "2012 to help inspire and create a strong infrastructure for sport volunteers".  Anyone interested in participating in the group should contact Katy Burnett on 0114 2039540 / Katy.Burnett@sheffield.gov.uk or for more info on Lighting the Flame visit http://www.sheffield-lightingtheflame.com/ .

Volunteering Strategy Launch - Volunteering England CEO and Council Leader to speak!

It is with great excitement that I can announce that The Sheffield Volunteering Strategy will be officially launched on 14th January 2010.

Partners from across Sheffield's voluntary and community sector, public and private sectors will be coming together to see the unveiling of the Sheffield Volunteering Strategy (and associated Action Plan) that they themselves have been involved in developing, and to meet the key delivery partners.   I am also delighted to be able to tell you that we will be joined by Dr Justin Davis-Smith (Chief Executive of Volunteering England) and Cllr Paul Scriven (Leader of Sheffield City Council).

Dr Justin Davis Smith's background includes working as the Director of the Institute for Volunteering Research. He has also advised the UK Government, the World Bank and the United Nations over the development of volunteering policy, is a trustee of the youth volunteering charity v, former chair of the Nationwide Foundation, and was a member of the Commission on the Future of Volunteering (where he assisted the London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games in developing its 2012 volunteering strategy).

Cllr Paul Sciven's history involves senior management with the NHS (where he become one of the youngest hospital managers in the UK), and setting up his own business in the tourism industry for which he was named one of the Top business people in Yorkshire. In 2000 he was elected represent the Broomhill ward on Sheffield City Council and was later elected Leader of the Council, a position he still holds today.

If you would like to join us for this exciting event, please get in touch at c.walsh@vas.org.uk!