Whilst the whole of the country is on lockdown foodbanks have been relied upon more than ever and are really struggling with supplies at present. You can make a real impact in your local area by becoming a Street Champion and what better time to collect your donations than during Thursday’s Clap for Carers?

How to organise donations

• Make some space where you can store donations in a cool, dry place
• Print off some of the street collection flyers to encourage your neighbours to support
• You may wish to add a phone number or email address to the flyer, just in case they can’t leave their items on a Thursday at 8 and you need to arrange to collect them
• Distribute these safely through the letterboxes of your neighbours
• Join in your street’s ‘Clap for Carers’ on Thursday at 8pm
• Collect in the donations afterwards
• Drop them off at your local Foodbank Collection Point

We have created a flyer for you to distribute to your neighbours

• BCFB Street Champion Street Collection Flyer

and some useful advice on keeping yourself safe whilst you are volunteering

• BCFB – staying safe whilst helping for volunteers

What donations do they need?

THESE ARE THE FOOD ITEMS YOU CAN DONATE

• Milk (UHT or powder, preferably semi-skimmed)
• Sugar (500g/1kg)
• Breakfast Cereal (preferably non-sugared)
• Fruit Juice (1L carton long life)
• Fruit Squash/Cordial
• Jars Instant Coffee (small)
• Instant Hot Chocolate (preferably to be made with water)
• Pasta Sauce/Cooking Sauces
• Tin/Carton Tomatoes
• Pasta/Rice/Cous Cous 500g/1kg)
• Packets of Instant Noodles
• Tinned Vegetables
• Potato (Instant Mash or tinned)
• Tinned Meat/Fish
• Tinned Pies
• Tinned Fruit (in juice preferably)
• Tin/Carton Rice/Sponge Pudding/Custard
• Biscuits, Crackers, Crispbreads
• Healthy Snacks (Raisins, Apricots etc)

THESE ARE THE NON-FOOD ITEMS YOU CAN DONATE

• Can Opener
• Shower Gel
• Shampoo/Conditioner
• Deodorant
• Anti-Bac Hand Gel
• Tooth Brush/Toothpaste
• Children’s Toothbrush/Paste
• Flannel/Sponge
• Tissues (small packs)
• Nappies (all sizes)
• Baby Wipes
• Baby Lotion
• Baby Wash/Shampoo
• Sanitary Towels/Tampons
• Toilet Roll
• Shaving Gel/Foam (not razors)
• Washing Up Liquid
• Small Boxes of Washing Powder

Shortages

You can see what they are short of here:

https://www.blackcountryfoodbank.org.uk/support/shortages/

Locations

Our collection points across the area are run by volunteers and you can find your nearest collection point by following the link below.  You will find info about where to drop your donations and the times they are open.

https://www.blackcountryfoodbank.org.uk/locations/

Break Away is a new opportunity for older people to meet new friends, enjoy lunch and take part in some social activities. It is a Break Away for people from the social isolation and loneliness that many older people face today.

They are looking for a few good volunteers who are looking to work with older people within a day care setting. Your day would be varied and they would look to offer you a variety of opportunities from assisting to catering or providing companionship to their group. They are especially looking to recruit volunteers who maybe have a particular interest in providing stimulating activities to the group, some of which have physical disabilities or dementia. They are a rapidly expanding service and are looking to provide a service based on quality not quantity.

Times would be 09:30 to 12:00 or 12:00 to 4:00

Skills:

Empathy
Enthusiasm
Sense of humour
Communication skills

FOR MORE INFO OR TO APPLY PLEASE CONTACT:

Jenny Bates
Email: jennybates1@virginmedia.com

 

1.    Art work project to do some painting to represent what the site would have looked like during the industrial era.

2.    Support to create a child friendly map of the site with volunteers needed who have photography and art skills

3.    Some part of the site is currently not being used, so volunteers are needed to create artwork displaying the site with different people’s perceptions of how they see the site. Artwork will be displayed on a banner outside the site to attract people to visit Saltwells more often

4.    First Sunday of every month site support club including tree planting, clean up and litter picking

FOR MORE INFO ABOUT ANY OF THESE ROLES OR TO APPLY PLEASE CONTACT:

Zahra Khalil
Email: Zahra.khalil@groundwork.org.uk

1.    Social media accounts: volunteers needed to run facebook and Instagram pages

2.    Make a logo design for a banner to be displayed around the park and on all marketing materials

3.    Regular activities to be put on to get the friends group name out there

4.    Community litter picking day, encourage those to work together instead of vandalising parks

5.    Young people to make posters that encourage antisocial behaviour to stop

6.    Help in organising a community focused event to take place in July £500 budget available

FOR MORE INFO ABOUT ANY OF THESE ROLES OR TO APPLY PLEASE CONTACT:

Zahra Khalil
Email: Zahra.khalil@groundwork.org.uk

1. The park will be celebrating being open for 125 years in September 2020 and as part of the celebrations we will be working with the friends of park group to have a few young volunteers lead on a heritage walk where the volunteers will be pointing out the main heritage features of the park. We now need to find volunteers who are interested in history/ heritage and would love to give a guided tour to visitors of the park. It would most likely be on the first weekend of September (dates to be confirmed). This project deadline would be by July as the volunteers would need time to research the parks history, create a mini story about the park and map out the tour.

2. Help in organising a community focused event to take place in July £500 budget available.

3. Help to organise new events suitable for young people to use the park in a positive manner

4. 3rd Friday of every month general park maintenance club

FOR MORE INFO ABOUT ANY OF THESE ROLES OR TO APPLY PLEASE CONTACT:

Zahra Khalil
Email: Zahra.khalil@groundwork.org.uk

We welcome volunteers to help us across our range of activities; from exercise classes to tea dance or lunch clubs. Volunteers can choose which activity/ies they would like to help at. Working with other volunteers and a staff member they will help to provide services and support to our members who are all over 60 years of age. We place a strong emphasis on friendship and enjoyment and try to build a good bond between all participants.

Skills:
The main skills are the ability to join in and contribute. We will provide training for anyone with a specific task. e.g Food safety for those helping in the kitchen. Previous experience of working with people over 60 is welcome but not essential.
An important attribute is to be punctual and reliable, this does not mean attending every week but does mean that we ask you to let us know when you are available and then attend as agreed.

FOR MORE INFO OR TO APPLY please contact:

Peter King
Tel: 0121 561 7941
Email: Blackheath.liveathome@mha.org.uk

Could you offer Support & Friendship to older people in the Blackheath Area? Just a few hours a month could make all the difference Our main service is supporting independence which matches a volunteer visitor with an older person and encourages regular visiting and friendship. Great care is taken to match people, ensuring there are interests or circumstances in common that will encourage the friendship to grow. We are a volunteer-based scheme, offering support and friendship to older people in your community who may be isolated and unable to get out and about as they used to. We encourage them to regain lost confidence and to become part of local life once again. The Live at Home Initiative is a nationwide befriending service provided by local people to meet the needs of older men and women in the area. The initiative encourages older people to regain lost confidence and to feel part of the community again. Many older people are lonely or unable to get out and about. They spend many hours alone and would enjoy the company of a friend: someone to chat to, someone who has time to listen. To make life worth living… To encourage older people to remain living in their own homes. We need volunteers to act as Befrienders, visiting lonely and isolated older people in their own homes in the Blackheath area.

Skills:
A trained volunteer will visit an older person weekly to provide company whilst also helping to monitor their general safety and wellbeing. Aimed at elderly people who are lonely and isolated.

FOR MORE INFO OR TO APPLY please contact:

Peter King
Tel: 0121 561 7941
Email: Blackheath.liveathome@mha.org.uk