#gwirvol

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Rownd 1 yn cau 16/06/2017 #arian #ifanc #gwynedd #cymru #poblifanc #grant #wcva #gwirvol

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Unless someone like you cares a whole, awful lot. Things aren't going to get better, they're NOT!

 Dr. Seuss, The Lorax 

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Moving out and juggling Volunteering by Becks

Every young person cannot wait to leave home; well that's what I thought! I moved out of my family home back in February and it was a huge change.

Even though it was such a big wakeup call it was the best decision for me.  When moving out I had thought about all the different things I'd have to pay for such as rent, water bills, electricity and food. This was my main priority and responsibility now in my life.

Even though I was well prepared to move out it was still quite a big wake up call, the realisation that no one can do anything for me. I must say the sense of independence is very rewarding, even though it is obviously difficult at times especially as I'm not in the financial working position to make the situation easier.

During the process of moving out I started training for an NVQ Level 2 in Business and Administration, even though the hours are long I have managed to juggle volunteering with GwirForce.

Whilst volunteering with GwirForce there was a lot of meetings to attend due to the upcoming launch, even though it wasn't always fun and a lay in at home would have been much preferred it has definitely proven itself to be worth it. The launch is less than one week away and it feels good and self-rewarding that us as a group has made it this far and that the launch will be a big success and triumph for us. With volunteering with a group such as GwirForce it makes you proud to be a part of something new with a great group of people! Looking back on all the meetings and looking towards the present it makes me proud to know them and to have worked with them.

I do think about people who don't volunteer and can't help but think why not? Yes you are committing time and effort, and yes it is hard at times but it is really rewarding. Not only for yourself but also for the organisation or company that appreciates your hard work. Volunteering with different companies can provide you with different experience, making friends and even a job opportunity or at least a connection into the company, volunteering also helps you develop confidence, self-esteem and skills that could come in very useful later on in life. With today's financial situation all over Wales and the rest of the UK, volunteering would make you stand out from the crowd, as not many people are doing it. As it takes a special person to volunteer and it would definitely look great on any C.V.  

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Inspire by Leah Doherty

Sitting on a short listing panel recently for an Inspirational Young Person Award I suddenly felt very overwhelmed with the task. Who were we to judge who was more inspirational than others and how on earth were we going to make such a decision. Is a person who can overcome personal difficulties to help others more inspirational than someone who has raised thousands of pounds to improve others lives? To the people whose lives they touch they are surely the most inspirational. With each entry so different, in backgrounds, interests, activities and achievements it seemed a near impossible task.

But what they did have in common was that they were all young, enthusiastic, committed and passionate. They had all inspired someone enough to write to us and tell us about them. They were all going against the strong negative stereotypes portrayed in the media.

We did make a decision that day and the winner is truly deserving. All the nominees should be very proud of themselves and I hope that young people out there can realise that what they are doing to help other no matter how small is inspiring someone, somewhere.

[volunteersmatter-blog]

The X Factor of Volunteering by Steve Sellers

Volunteering: a word which means a lot to quite a few people, and yet means very little to some. GwirForce is a Youth Led Panel which basically signposts and drives foward Youth Volunteering in Wales. We work a lot with Youth Volunteering Advisors, Welsh Assembly Government and Young People from across the country. We are the Youth Led Panel which sits on the GwirVol Partnership, which is made up of Organisations from all over Wales who come together and make important decisions on Volunteering in Wales.

I know this is probably going to be the most boring introduction ever written, but words just can't describe what we actually do. (Imagine Friends mixed in with My Family and Amanda and you'll get what we are about).

By joining GwirForce you become a part of a big family, and you do stuff you'd never imagine seeing yourself doing. I'm the newly elected Chairperson of GwirForce and when I joined I was unsure of myself, really not a people person and quite frankly didn't see much point in life. Since then, I have been all over Wales talking to Young People about what makes them volunteer. But it's not all doom and gloom. Whether it be Bushcraft Survival Skills (lighting a fire, water purification, fish gutting), Conflict Management, Orienteering, Rifle Shooting (learning to control your emotions and anger), First Aid Skills and much more to come!

You name it, we'll do it. It's not just about having fun, we do something amazing as well. We have written a Youth Volunteering Charter, which could help safeguard Young Volunteers in Wales.

Our slogan "Young Volunteers, Paid With Respect". It kind of says it all really.

So why not join GwirForce and see what it's all about. I have come a long way now and have gone from being shy to speaking in front of the Welsh Assembly Government, pitching an idea to a group of strangers or just promoting the group in Rhyl. I have come a long way.

I owe a lot to GwirForce and I truly believe that we are making a diference. At the moment in Carmarthenshire there are 12-14 Young People on the Panel which makes up 1/3 of the overall totall.

So why not join today and just see where you end up.

"Volunteers are not paid, not because they are worthless, but because they are priceless."

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It's my life by Steve Sellers

I set out to write a blog on Volunteering. I didn’t really know where to start so I thought I would tell you about my life as a Volunteer.

People ask me all the time why do you volunteer? The simple answer is what I’m doing isn’t volunteering is it my way of life, I enjoy it. I’ve been brought up to never ask for anything, but if you get something then be grateful for it. This is not because I was trying to be taught a lesson but my family has always been misfortunate. Being from a low income family isn’t great. You’re looked upon differently by society. When you’re rich or “wealthy” you get everything. If you’re not you struggle to survive.

You struggle to buy electricity and gas. You struggle to eat. You struggle to be happy. After a while you find joys in the smallest things. I read a lot – I have an advanced reading age and often read to escape from reality just for a little while. You’ll see me reading well into the night, on trains even walking sometimes (occasionally hitting a lamppost). I love my music – both traditional pop but also soundtracks. I love the way that emotions can be evoked just by a piece of music. And of course there is my volunteering. I started volunteering in 2007/2008 when I helped set up my local Youth Club.

I wanted to be involved because for a long time I was fed up of being looked upon by the public as just another young person. They were young too, once. They just forgot, because they had too and this is sad.

And so my volunteering started. I found joy in the fact that I was helping other people, I was getting to see new places, gaining skills and experiences and for a while it didn’t matter. When I volunteer I am that - Steve Sellers: Volunteer.

It is an escape which I really enjoy – there is a saying – Volunteers are not paid not because they are worthless but because they are priceless, and they really are. If someone has nothing but gives everything they have whether it is spare time or experiences in order to help other people then, well they are heroes in my book. I don’t think this of me – like I said it is a way of life. Volunteering helps me put my perspective on life.

Yes I’m not financially stable and yes my family struggle to buy gas, electric and food but I am the richest person in the world! How can I not be? I have amazing, caring, funny and loving friends and family. I have two families. My real family who I would walk a thousand miles for and my volunteering family at GwirForce and GwirVol who have supported, guided and cared for me beyond what I could ever asked for, for that I would give up everything I have. I would go to the ends of the earth for them and to be honest I kind of literally have.

Volunteering is one of those things that you can experience in a day, month, year or lifetime and you get whatever you put into it. If you are passionate, if you are caring. If you just, oh I don’t know like making cakes (Sorry I really want chocolate cake right now... hehe ) then give up a little bit of your time. It is the most rewarding thing you can do. Volunteer has one important letter in it. U.

So why not volunteer today?

Volunteers – Changing the world one random act of kindness at a time!

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We cannot always build the future for our youth, but we can build our youth for the future

Franklin Delano Roosevelt

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We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give

Winston Churchill