Volunteers' Week 2022 - Welcome Friends

Welcome Friends has been running for 9 years throughout Rhondda Cynon Taf and Merthyr Tydfil. The project provides friendship through home visits and telephone calls by volunteers, reducing social isolation and improving well-being. We also encourage attendance at local group activities.

Welcome Friends improves the quality of life for older people by working with them to overcome or accommodate the difficulties faced by those who are not out and about. It has also added more support to those whose lives have been affected by the Covid pandemic.

Volunteering with Welcome Friends is a satisfying and rewarding experience. You need to be able to give an hour a week of your time to visit a lonely, sometimes isolated person in their own home. Your companionship can encourage them to seek interests in a local activity group or just enjoy a cup of tea and a chat with you.

Watch the attached videos to see what a difference volunteering makes not only to the volunteer but also to the person needing that support.

#thankyou #volunteersweek

Volunteer Story here

Beneficiary Story Here

Volunteers' Week 2022 - Cwm Taf Morgannwg Health Board Volunteers

 

Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Health Board

Volunteer Service

The volunteer service would like to take the opportunity during Volunteers Week to give a massive “shout out” to all of their Health Board volunteers.  “Our volunteers continued enthusiasm and dedication in supporting our projects and services during these difficult times has been truly inspirational and no amount of words could express how thankful we are.

This short video kindly produced by Sara Head who joined us as a ward befriender in 2018, showcases some of our volunteers and the projects they are involved in, it also displays their creativity, kindness and captures the spirit of the wonderful people we are fortunate enough to call our volunteers”

#thankyou #volunteersweek

Video here

Volunteers' Week 2022 - Hope Pantry Merthyr Tydfil

                                             

Thank you Hope Pantry Volunteers!!

We are so thankful for all our volunteers, even the ones we don't have photos of!!  

From Tesco and Asda collections to stocking shelves, admin and running our  Pantry sessions, volunteers are the heartbeat of Hope Pantry. Without them, we could not function.

There are many reasons why people volunteer, some of our volunteers stories include:

“I’m retired and wanted to do something during the day. I feel I am useful, and love chatting to the Pantry members”
“My employer gives us a few volunteering days a year, I also volunteer in my own time, it’s great to be part of a community”
“I’ve been able to do food hygiene and first aid training as part of my volunteering role. I’ve learnt new skills and it’s helped my CV”

If anyone would like to volunteer with Hope Pantry we have a variety of opportunities, please contact Heidi for more information.

Tel: 07790 801686
E:hopepantry@hopemerthyr.org.uk
 #thankyou #volunteersweek

RNID and Carers Wales are offering a Webinar covering Hearing Loss and Supporting Carers

                       

In celebration of Carers Week RNID and Carers Wales have once again teamed up to run a webinar covering Hearing Loss and Supporting Carers.

The Webinar will take place on Wednesday 8^th June 12:00-13:30pm via Zoom.

We will cover questions about Caring for someone with Hearing Loss and being a Carer with Hearing Loss. We will also cover support for hearing loss and support for carers. The team will be there to answer any questions that you might have.

This will be very similar to the Webinar we hosted in January, so if you attended that and would like a refresher, please feel free to join.

If this sounds like something you would be interested in please email livewell.cymru@rnid.org.uk to confirm your attendance and let us know if you require any additional accessibility support.

The Zoom link will be emailed to those who confirm their attendance next week.

  

Samaritans Cymru – Resource Launch Finding your way – A guide for anyone who is struggling to cope OUT TODAY!

                             

Following an unprecedented period of disruption and uncertainty, we know that many people have experienced trauma and poor mental health. The pandemic has widened inequalities for many people in Wales and those who were vulnerable at the beginning are now facing higher levels of distress than ever before.

 At this ongoing difficult time, we are proud to launch a new resource for Wales, which is for anyone struggling to cope. This includes those who have noticed a dip in their wellbeing, those feeling lonely or isolated and those feeling suicidal. Finding your way contains some crucial information on self-harm and we are proud to have some brilliant sections from Heads above the Waves (HATW) which have a strong focus on lived experience. The resource also includes self-harm and suicide safety plans which can be lifesaving tools for those struggling to cope.

This resource has been designed as a non-clinical, accessible resource which we hope to see in a number of settings, from GPs surgeries to foodbanks, universities to job centres. Each year, between 300 and 350 people die by suicide in Wales. Many of these people are not in touch with mental health services and therefore, we know that help and signposting needs to be accessible in a wide range of priority places and frontline services. This resource is also focused on prevention and aims to help people identify when they’re struggling to cope early on, to stop them from reaching crisis point.

This bilingual resource is available for free online, where you can download and share copies with your organisation and/or service users or customers. Please visit samaritans.org/FindingYourWay

Carers Week 6-12 June - Carers Wales are offering FREE training sessions to support Carers

                          

  Carers UK are offering free  Me Time sessions to support carers during Carers Week

Please click on link below to register

https://www.carersuk.org/wales/help-and-advice/online-support-sessions

Volunteers' Week - New Pathways

New Pathways is a registered charitable company that provides a range of specialist counselling and advocacy services for women, men, children and young people who have been affected by rape or sexual abuse.  They have many years of experience and are widely regarded throughout the UK as a leading organisation in their field. Their clients come from every walk of life and are of all ages. To date their youngest client has been three years of age and their oldest has been in their nineties.

New Pathways values their volunteers and the work they do with the clients and organisation.  They recruit volunteers regularly across their services and geographical areas.

Volunteer roles have included counselling, administration, public relations and research.

Click here for their Volunteers' Week Video

#volunteersweek #thankyou

Volunteers' Week 2022 - Reconnect Project

RECONNECT, aims to tackle social isolation experienced by anybody age 50+ living within Merthyr Tydfil Borough Wide. The Project has thrived over the years and that is down to the amazing support from volunteers.

Here  Helen McShea, Reconnect 50+ Project Coordinator, thanks the Reconnect project volunteers. 

Thank you video here 

Volunteers' Week 2022 - A Big Thank You from ITV Wales' Andrea Byrne

ITV Wales News Presenter, Andrea Byrne takes time out from her busy schedule to recognise and thank all the volunteers that we have in Merthyr Tydfil

#thankyou #volunteersweek

Thank you video from Andrea Byrne

Volunteers' Week 2022 - Cancer Aid Merthyr Tydfil

 

Cancer Aid Merthyr Tydfil Ltd is a registered charity that provides a free service to those whose lives have been touched by cancer living within the County Borough of Merthyr Tydfil.

Cancer Aid volunteers go over and above to support this service and here is a Volunteers' Week video thanking them for all they do.

Click here