Tag: volunteer

Darlington Businesses Volunteer Thousands of Hours to Rejuvenate the Town’s Parks

By on 11th December 2018in charity
Darlington Volunteers

Four Darlington parks have been given a new lease of life after local employees volunteered thousands of hours to improve the green areas.

At the Darlington Cares’ Great Park Auction, which took place in April in partnership with Darlington Borough Council, companies were invited to bid the number of volunteering hours their staff were prepared to commit to one of four parks in Darlington. The highest bidder won the right to work in that particular park.

The four parks auctioned were Eastbourne Park, The Denes, Green Park and North Lodge Park.

In a celebration event at the Theatre Hullabaloo, it was revealed that employees from Darlington Cares’ members Cummins, EE, Darlington Building Society and Capita had delivered over 3,400 volunteering hours.

Representatives from each of the companies attended the volunteering organisation’s event, which commemorated the hard work of the employees.

Darlington Cares’ Director Seth Pearson said: “We were thrilled to see that the original pledge of 2,135.5 employee volunteering hours the firms had committed to has been smashed!

“We can’t thank the companies and the employees enough for all of their hard work and dedication to the parks. We’ve had some fantastic feedback from the community and all four areas lookastonishing.”

The businesses worked alongside their respective park’s Friends groups to develop a project that benefitted the local community. Darlington Borough Council Parks, Allotments and Countryside Ranger, Pippa Smaling and Assistant Parks and Countryside Ranger, Warren Bearpark were also on hand to advise the volunteers.

The volunteers worked on their park throughout the Summer months and an advisory inspection by Northumbria in Bloom Judge Allannah Robinson and Chairman Andrew Jackson also took place.

Andrew said: “These four projects have been coordinated and have improved the network of parks across the whole of Darlington, so it’s made a significant difference to the quality of the parks within the town.

“I’ve noticed a big difference in the parks since our inspection and the local residents have seen what the volunteers have been doing and this has encouraged them to get involved as well, which is brilliant.”

To find out more about Darlington Cares, its projects and volunteering opportunities, visit www.darlingtoncares.co.uk.

Twitter: @darlingtoncares

2016 Big Spring Clean Calls For Volunteers

By on 27th January 2016in In & Around

Litter legends are being called upon once again to help spruce up their communities as part of this year’s Big Spring Clean…

 

LitterFree Durham, Durham County Council and Darlington Borough Council are teaming up for the sixth time to stage the annual campaign.

The Big Spring Clean brings communities together to ‘clean up and green up’ their towns and villages.

Over the last six years, thousands of volunteers have rolled up their sleeves and armed themselves with litter picks to rid their streets and open spaces of dumped rubbish.

This year’s campaign will be held from Monday 29th February until Sunday 17th April, and calls are being issued now for people to sign up and get involved.

Cllr Brian Stephens, Durham County Council’s Cabinet member for neighbourhoods and local partnerships, said: “We are delighted to support this excellent campaign. It is always fantastic to see residents come together and do something rewarding in their community.

“This is a great opportunity to make a real difference to where you live, and we would urge everyone to give up some of your time, whatever you can spare, and take part.

“Although most people get rid of their rubbish properly, we work hard to educate the minority who leave their litter lying around.

“Campaigns like the Big Spring Clean make a huge difference to the environment, and help us achieve our aim of making County Durham a safer, cleaner and greener place to live, work and visit.”

Gerald Lee, Chair of LitterFree Durham, added: “Every year more and more people in County Durham and Darlington pledge their time to this extremely worthwhile cause.

“We could not achieve the levels of success that we have without the support of groups, schools, partners and local residents, and we thank everyone for their continued support, including bus company Arriva and the Environment Agency.”

Anyone wishing to take part in the campaign will be supplied with equipment and support, and arrangements will be made to collect all bagged rubbish following litter picks.

Last year’s campaign saw 1,490 volunteers turn out in County Durham, with 147 litter picks carried out. Nearly 3,000 hours were dedicated to collecting a total of 1,458 bags of rubbish.

The Environment Agency also used specialist equipment to remove trees and debris from the River Wear in Chester-le-Street.

In Darlington, 489 volunteers gave up 529 hours of their time to carry out 28 litter picks and collect over four tonnes of bulky waste from rivers using specialist equipment provided by the Environment Agency.

It means that across County Durham and Darlington last year, nearly 2,000 volunteers dedicated more than 3,500 hours to collecting 2,013 bags of rubbish in total.

To take part in a litter pick in County Durham, email litterfreedurham@durham.gov.uk or call 03000 261 000 – in Darlington email litterfreedurham@darlington.gov.uk or call 01325 406 648.

Visit www.durham.gov.uk/bigspringclean for more information.

Litter problems can be reported at www.durham.gov.uk/litter or call 03000 261 000.

Lumiere Festival Volunteers To Be Honoured For Their Efforts

By on 22nd November 2015in In & Around

Around 170 Festival Makers who helped some 200,000 people enjoy the UK’s largest light festival earlier this month are to be honoured for their efforts…

 

A formal thank you to the volunteers who supported Lumiere will take place this week at Durham Town Hall, and all invited have been contacted. The special event will be attended by Cllr Jan Blakey, Chairman of Durham County Council, as well as representatives from Lumiere producers, Artichoke, and the sponsors of this year’s Festival Makers, Northumbrian Water.

Lumiere, which ran November 12th to 15th, is an Artichoke production and was commissioned by the county council for the fourth time in 2015. Its 29 fabulous artworks attracted record crowds and were spread across the city. They included a colossal whale in the Wear, a ghostly fog below the Cathedral and a fantastic tale of myth and fable combined with local history, projected onto the Castle.

Ensuring a better experience for visitors was one of the main tasks of the army of Festival Makers, supported by Northumbrian Water, who provided a welcoming face and great knowledge of the city for the audience.

Chairman of the council, Cllr Jan Blakey, said: “Lumiere is spectacular but it was all the better for the wonderful work of the volunteer Festival Makers, who maintained their enthusiasm despite some pretty inclement weather.

“I would like to take this opportunity to thank them publicly and I look forward to meeting them all in person at our special event.”

Louise Hunter, Director of Corporate Affairs at Northumbrian Water, said: “The Lumiere festival has gone from strength to strength and with the help of the Festival Makers, 2015 has been a record-breaking, best year ever.

“We’re proud to have played a part by supporting the Festival Makers, who braved the elements to help with the smooth running of the event.”

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Durham Police Looking For Restorative Justice Volunteers

By on 17th November 2015in Local Biz, What's New?

Ron Hogg, Durham Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC), is looking for volunteers to help reduce crime and support victims…

The Restorative Hub, launched in 2016, will train volunteers from across County Durham and Darlington to support victims, by offering them the chance to meet and communicate with their offender.

120 volunteers are already trained following a successful pilot scheme in Darlington. Mr Hogg is now seeking a further 120 volunteers from across County Durham.

He said: “Restorative Justice is highly valued by victims as it gives them a voice and a chance to get the answers and explanation they deserve. This often helps them to recover and restores their peace of mind.

“For offenders, the process helps them understand and take responsibility for the harm they’ve caused. Evidence shows that offenders who meet their victims in a restorative justice process are less likely to reoffend.”

Volunteers will work alongside colleagues from the Police, Courts, Prisons and Probation, and will also handle cases on their behalf. They will work with a variety of issues, from neighbourly disputes and anti-social behaviour, to low-level crime like shoplifting and criminal damage, to more serious crimes, as their experience grows.

Andrew Hancock, one of the scheme’s coordinators, said: “We’re looking for fair-minded people who want to make a positive contribution to their community. No experience is necessary as full training will be given. Successful applicants will be awarded funding worth £625, to allow them to complete the accredited training programme.”

The training, which will run in various locations from February to June 2016, equips trainees with the knowledge and skills to effectively facilitate restorative justice processes, and leads to a recognised level 3 qualification. In return for the investment made in them, volunteers are asked to donate around 3 hours a week to working with victims and offenders for the first 18 months after qualifying.

Former volunteer facilitator Hayley Morrison commented: “It’s been extremely satisfying to see the difference you can make. I’ve helped traumatised victims regain their confidence and find closure, while also helping offenders turn their lives around and make a fresh start. It’s given me experience I could never have gained elsewhere, and made me a much more rounded person in the process. It even opened the door to my current career in the Police.”

An information pack with an application form and full details of the role can be obtained by contacting the Restorative Hub on 0300 003 1818, or by emailing kevin.thompson@darlington.gov.uk.

There will also be a chance to meet Hub staff and volunteers at a special Criminal Justice Volunteers Fair to be held at Police Headquarters in Durham, on Wednesday 5th January from 6pm-8pm.

Further information is available on the Durham PCC website.

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