Two ways to thank your volunteers 

Free ‘Thank You’ cards for volunteers taking action on loneliness
As part of 2020’s National Befriending Week (1-7 November), RVA’s Ready Friends project is offering local community groups packs of up to 20 specially-designed Thank You cards for groups to then send to individual volunteers. There is space in each card for you to personalise them with the volunteer's name and the name of your volunteer coordinator or community group.
 
More volunteers than ever before have helped in many, many ways to support people facing loneliness and social isolation – especially during lockdown and beyond, where many people are still shielding and self-isolating.

If your group includes volunteers who have helped with befriending, buddying, community driving or checking-in calls (or in any other ways that reduce loneliness and social isolation) please get in touch with Rhiannon within the next 2 weeks to request a pack, at ready.friends@rva.org.uk

It’s a small way to thank them for being so fabulous.

Social and Celebration Party
On 2 November, we are hosting a Social and Celebration Party for volunteers taking action on loneliness and social isolation, via Zoom. Volunteers are invited to join us to meet other volunteers and join in a variety of activities including:

• A wellbeing session
• A quiz
• Seated Pilates
• Chatty rooms
• A discussion room

If you would like to send invitations to your volunteers, please contact Rhiannon (ready.friends@rva.org.uk) who will email you the e-invite for you to forward on.  Spaces are limited at the event, so please get in touch with Rhiannon to request the e-invite and ask your volunteers to book early!

RVA's Social Action and Volunteer Training Hub
Checkout RVA’s new Social Action and Volunteer Training Hub. We have gathered together a range of resources that may be of interest to those active in their local communities, through both formal and informal volunteering, as well as more general information about opportunities for personal development and employability skills.  RVA is keen to hear from volunteers and VCOs on what other training they would like to see on offer. http://rva.org.uk/social-action-and-volunteer-training-hub/

Befriending Networks
Befriending Networks’ Topical Training covers a range of topics designed to support volunteers and managers in a variety of roles and is available for members and non-members. They are on subjects that are offered online and face-to-face multiple times each year.  Click here for their current programme: 
http://www.befriending.co.uk/training-events/topical 
 

Berkshire Vision - How Lockdown Affected Their Members
Berkshire Vision has produced a short episode of their podcast where members discuss how lockdown affected them. Following the announcement of lockdown due to the coronavirus pandemic on March 23, 2020, face-to-face support from all agencies was indefinitely suspended across Berkshire and social activities and opportunities to meet in person with individuals outside their own households ended overnight.

As most Berkshire Vision members live alone, this left them without anyone they could meet. Key services such as supermarkets and banks changed how they operated almost overnight, which disproportionately affected Berkshire Vision’s members. They included two-meter markers they could not see, signs limiting numbers of purchases they could not read, and staff unable to come close enough to assist.  Find out more from here: https://berkshirevision.org.uk/general/our-members-experience-of-lockdown/

No5 Young Ambassadors report – the impact of Covid-19 on local young people
Following many reports from national organisations about the impact of Covid-19 on young people, No5 wanted to give their Young Ambassadors the opportunity to share their experiences of the pandemic and how the lockdown impacted their lives, relationships and their mental health.  Read the report here:
https://no5.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/The-Impact-of-COVID-19-Report-FINAL.pdf