Earlier this year a team of 10 people from HM Inland Revenue Livingston undertook a project under the Employer Supported Volunteer Scheme which took place at Crofthead Playgroup, Dedridge. (under this scheme employees  were allowed one paid day to do this volunteer project).

The team enjoyed this project so much that they volunteered in their own time to undertake a make over garden project in Bathgate on 3^rd July.

The venue for the quarterly meeting of Library Outreach Volunteers was West Lothian Library Headquarters.  Volunteers had the opportunity to visit one of the new mobile library vans and hear about the venues and the range of books etc. they carry with Diane Elliot and Peter Wylie who staff the mobile library. This was followed by a very interesting introduction to the Local History Department by Sybil Cavanagh and volunteers were given access to records, books and maps relating to West Lothian which are stored at Library Headquarters.

People Making Waves, a unique and ambitious programme led by Volunteer Development Scotland, is calling on volunteers and volunteer-involving organisations from across Scotland to take part in the creation of a digital storybook - My Volunteering.

Through the storybook volunteers can share their volunteering stories, experiences and learning in a variety of ways including words, photos, video and podcasts.

Funded by Legacy Trust UK and the Scottish Arts Council, this imaginative online record will form a unique legacy of volunteering in Scotland.

But we can’t do it without your help. For our digital record to be a success, we need as many volunteers as possible to take part and tell us their stories. That’s why we’d be very grateful if you could direct your volunteers to www.peoplemakingwaves.org.uk

To help you spread the word, we’ve created a stakeholder toolkit which you can use to promote People Making Waves.  This includes a range of templates and images which can be used for newsletter articles, emails, online ads and link buttons which are designed to encourage volunteers to participate in this exciting project. These can be downloaded from our website at www.peoplemakingwaves.org.uk/pages/toolkit

Thank you for helping us to create a lasting legacy of volunteering in Scotland.

Recently staff from  Voluntary Sector Gateway attended a “Learning at Work Day” within the premises of Her Majesties Inland Revenue Livingston to promote all aspects of volunteering to the company employees.

Other organisations who attended were Lothian & Borders Police, West Lothian College, Forth Valley College, Xcite West Lothian.

We were met with much enthusiasm and everyone enjoyed the day.

The E.On sustainable energy fund offers grants of up to £20,000 to community groups and not-for-profit organisations who want to implement sustainable energy projects in their buildings. The organisation must  benefit at least one of the following groups – education, vulnerable people and /or people in fuel poverty.

The maximum grant is 90% of total costs and there are a number of other requirements which are listed on the website.  Applications are assessed twice a year.  For further information and an application form, have a look at the E.ON website

Voluntary groups across West Lothian are vital to all aspects of community life; however, they sometimes aren’t recognised for the huge difference they make. The Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service celebrates the work of voluntary groups across the UK who, in many cases, have dedicated themselves to improving local people’s lives for many years. If there is a group in your area that makes a significant impact and deserves recognition, get out there and nominate them.

More than 750 groups around the UK have now won the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service, including 85 in Scotland, over the seven years since it was created by Her Majesty to mark the occasion of her Golden Jubilee in 2002. Winners include 3 from West Lothian: Rosebery Centre (2003), The Yellow Teapot Club (2004) and Dedridge Good Neighbourhood Network (2005).

Nominations can be made at any time of the year by members of the public who have been helped personally by a group or witnessed the benefits of its work in their community. Visit www.direct.gov.uk/ thequeensawardforvoluntaryservice to download a nomination form or to find out more about previous winners.

We want to help Bathgate become West Lothian’s next Fairtrade Town. Can you spare a few hours to survey local businesses in Bathgate to ascertain their currentcommitment to Fair Trade? We are looking for a mature individual with good communication skills, who is friendly and approachable, to raise awareness of Fairtrade in Bathgate. If you are this person, contact Jean Michaels at the  Voluntary Sector Gateway in the first instance.

KIDZECO, 11 King Street, Bathgate are now running craft classes and workshops :- contact Tracy on 01506 815534 or e-mail TRACY.MURDOCH@KIDZECO.NET

A team of 11 West Lothian Council staff from Community Planning and Regeneration are the most recent group to undertake an Employer Supported Volunteering task.

The project was undertaken at Our Lady’s RC Primary School in Stoneyburn and involved the design and build of three large timber planters to replace the small makeshift planters that were no longer fit for purpose.

Peter Moir, one of the volunteers said: “It was a great day, good for team building.” Heather Craig, another volunteer, said: “It was good to see something tangible for your efforts”, while Morgan Callachan said that the day had been “challenging and rewarding”.

The Employer Supported Volunteering Policy was approved by West Lothian Council’s Executive in 2009. The policy allows staff to volunteer up to two days per year. Voluntary work is to be undertaken by teams and not on an individual basis. There are to be 10 projects per year.

For further information about Employer Supported Volunteering and Team Challenges contact Anne Cowe, Project Co-ordinator, at vsg@vsgwl.org or telephone 650111.

The European Commission has selected the official logo and slogan for the European Year of Volunteering 2011.Click here to view Logo and Slogan