YOUNG BARNET FOUNDATION
Whilst many charities have paid staff in order to function, some do not, so that addition of volunteer support is vital in getting the great work done.
Young Barnet Foundation’s work is mostly to provide support to voluntary, community, faith and social enterprise organisations (VCFSE) across Barnet in their work improving the lives of our borough’s children and young people. However, in addition there are a number of activities that we undertake to support our borough’s children that we could not do without volunteers.
Over recent weeks Young Barnet Foundation, in conjunction with Home Start Barnet and with thanks to Russell and Bromley, have been distributing nearly 2,000 new pairs of shoes to our most disadvantaged children and young people across the Borough. We couldn’t have done that without over 40 volunteers giving up their time to help!
Young Barnet Foundation want to take this opportunity to publicly thank each and every one of them and to also thank all of you that volunteer within the community. Special recognition must also go to the wonderful Volunteers on Wheels for supporting this initiative. They are a group of volunteers, with a couple of vans, who dart back and forth across the borough on a daily basis supporting our wonderful charities, especially getting food to/from the centralised surplus food hub to the foodbanks across the borough.
There are all sorts of roles for volunteers, it does not have to be a regular thing, micro volunteering is one off targeted volunteering, for example – sprucing up our office space in the old East Barnet Library, cleaned, painted and ready for action because of our wonderful volunteers, along with donations of paint from local businesses. To use a well-known supermarket phrase, every little helps.
Our CEO Janet Matthewson says “We all have something to give and being a generous does not always mean money/material things, it could easily be about sharing skills through volunteering or sharing information or power or being gracious in recognising the contribution of others”.
If you are interested in finding out more about Volunteering opportunities, then our Barnet Together partner Volunteering Barnet can help you find a variety of volunteering opportunities at www.volunteeringbarnet.org.uk
Whilst thanking generous leaders, we’d also like to thank Becky and this magazine for the continued support of our work.