Get Involved
CSV as volunteering opportunities all over the country. Click on our main website to see if there is something in your area. www.csv.org.uk
Updates
As the project has now finished we will not be sending out any more updates.
Past events listing
GhettoGurlz on the catwalk
Between 23 April 2008 and 23 April 2008, in Swindon
New College Theatre in Swindon was the setting for a catwalk show by GhettoGurlz, a social group for 11- to 19-year-olds in aid of Action for Children in Conflict.
The show featured garments donated by friends, family and charity shops which were remodelled on stage by the young volunteers and sold to raise funds.
Kitty Stewart, Agent4Change in Swindon, set up the show to promote the idea that young people did not have to spend hundreds of pounds on designer outfits but could look good in second-hand clothes.
Posted on 02 July 2008 11:12:55 by David Morris
Facelift for community centre
Between 09 April 2008 and 09 April 2008, in Norwich
Teenagers from across Norwach have been using their artistic skills to give a community centre in Lakenham a facelift
The youngsters were helping to repaint the Jubilee Community Centre main hall. Emma Penfold, community development officers for Norwich City Council, said: 'We wanted to encourage young people to help put the jazz into Jubilee. It's a way of making young people feel that they have a valuable place in their local community and can do something, even small things, whcih can make a difference to a wide range of people for many years to come.'
There were some treats for the volunteers as a reward to their hard work including vouchers and free West Indian food.
Omer, a student from Pakistan, said: 'I had a really good day making new friends and even lerning a new skill.'
Posted on 02 July 2008 10:32:09 by Samantha Butcher
Skateboarding in the snow
Between 05 April 2008 and 05 April 2008, in Truro
Snow, sleet and hail didn't deter competitors at a skateboarding event in Falmouth organised by Agent4Change Zak Stanley. The roads around Tregoniggie Industrial Estate were transformed into a skating paradies on Sunday 6th April into a skating paradise. The Sidetracked Skate Jam was organised in conjunction with Faltown Skateboards. The aim, apart from having a lot of fun, was to teach skateboard safety and to encourage amateur skateboarders. Volunteers were involved in teaching the safety and putting on the event. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NYnNsYrOPHU
Posted on 02 July 2008 11:50:22 by Zak Stanley
Cancer Research UK Window-dressing Challenge
Between 04 April 2008 and 05 April 2008, in Liverpool
Young people from Merseyside and Cheshire have been transforming the image of charity shops and making them more appealing to today’s youth as part of the Agents4Change campaign.
Fifteen volunteers aged between 16 and 25 were given training by design professionals from brand new Cavern Walks boutique Amethyst, before going head to head in an ‘Apprentice’ style challenge to transform the window displays of five different Cancer Research charity shops in Old Swan, Huyton, West Kirby, Moreton and Southport.
Rachel Solomon, Agents4Change volunteer coordinator, says: “Charity shops like Cancer Research UK are a treasure trove of vintage clothes and accessories and the volunteers managed to find some hidden gems that were just perfect for attracting stylish young people.
“The event was hugely successful and it was great to see everyone working hard and enjoying a bit of healthy competition for a really good cause. We hope that the event will inspire more young people to volunteer and make their mark on charities in a creative way.”
The event took place on Saturday 5th and Sunday 6th April and the finished displays have been assessed by young entrepreneurs Kate Derefaka and Jodie Gasteretous, whose new boutique, Amethyst Designer Clothing Store, will be opening later this month. An award will be presented to the team members at the West Kirby shop who were behind the best transformation.
David Vickers from Cancer Research UK says: “It was great to have these young volunteers creating fantastic eye-catching window displays. They've turned heads and received a huge amount of positive feedback from our customers, both old and new. We hope that this Agents4Change project will encourage more young people to volunteer some of their time to Cancer Research UK. It's incredibly worthwhile and good fun!”
Posted on 21 June 2008 14:35:10 by Jon Dean
Star volunteers come out to shine at the homeless charity 'sleep out'
Between 31 March 2008 and 31 March 2008, in Truro
Over 140 people slept the night in Madejski Stadium in April to raise awareness for the Reading Single Homeless Project which was supported by Agents4Change volunteers.
Lorraine Joslin, the corporate fundraiser and organiser of this event for Reading Single Homeless Project said: 'The Agents4Change volunteers really were an integral part of setting up the Sleep Out. The enthusiasm of the volunteers, and their individual creativity, made a great impact on the start-up of the event. Big thanks to the guys who gave up their Friday afternoons to help out.'
The idea of the event was to replicate what it is like to sleep on the streets as much as possible. Each participant was given a cardboard box and survival bag, and there was a cardboard graffiti wall for people to tag.
'Helping out with the sleep over gives you a whole new perspective on what it must be like to sleep like this every night,' said Ant Butler, a student from Reading Boy's School who took part in the Sleep Out.
Posted on 02 July 2008 19:19:48 by Maz Ebtehaj
How green our garden grows...
Between 31 March 2008 and 31 March 2008, in Kent
A group of green fingered students from Homewood School in Tenterden gave their time to help improve the gardens for the elderly and people with Dementia at the West View care centre in Kent.
Over 20 young volunteers took part, cutting back hedges and clearing the gardens for the patients. Gordon Shepherd of Shaw Healthcare said: "This garden is really important for people with Dementia who can often spend a lot of time indoors. Being outside keeps their senses active and gives them some freedom. It is great to see young people from the Agents4Change campaign take an interest in the lives of older people."
The students will also be taking part in a World Challenge, where they will be organising a community project in a local school in South Africa. They need to raise funds to help cover their expenses and enable them renovate some old classrooms, organise and construct an outdoor play area and help and assist in the classrooms with the South African students, many of whom have lost their parents to AIDS.
Hannah Brooks, year 13 Homewood School student said: "We are all excited about going to South Africa and helping people our own age improve their experience at school. Helping those closer to home is also a priority for us and we hope the garden will make a difference to the elderly patients in the hospital."
Posted on 02 July 2008 19:20:37 by Stefanie Foreman
Volunteers of all ages transform community centre... in record time!
Between 31 March 2008 and 31 March 2008, in Truro
On Wednesday 2nd April, members of the local community pulled on overalls and picked up paintbrushes and joined CSV Action Desk and Norwich City Council in giving the Jubilee community centre a facelift.
The CSV Action Desk – a partnership between volunteer and training organisation CSV (community services volunteers) and BBC Radio Norfolk – joined forces with volunteers who manage the centre and the council and challenged young people aged between 16 and 25 years to help redecorate the main hall of the Lakenham community centre.
Emma Penfold, community development officer for Norwich City Council said: “We wanted to encourage young people to help put the jazz into Jubilee. It’s a way of making young people feel that they have a valuable place in their local community and can do something, even small things, which can make a difference to a wide range of people for many years to come.”
Agent4Change Janette Cook said: “We had a really fabulous day and our volunteers worked very hard and their enthusiasm has made it a pleasure to do.
“We’ve been really lucky in Norwich so far, with more than 150 young people taking part in the various volunteering opportunities that we’ve created [for Agents4Change] over the past nine months.”
With 20 volunteers of all ages, the youngest ten-year-old Thomas and the most senior 79-year-old Eileen working alongside students from Notre Dame sixth form college and the UEA, it really was a community event. Omer, a student from Pakistan who is studying for his masters at the UEA said: “I had a really good day making new friends even learning a new skill”.
Ten year-old Thomas said: “It was really fun and good to meet new people, even someone from the other side of the world.” Every volunteer got a delicious free Caribbean lunch freshly cooked by Jan's Roti – a new local business in Lakenham – and an endless supply of drinks and biscuits. One lucky person also won £20 in CD vouchers in a free prize draw.
The centre is currently used by a variety of people of all ages and a diverse range of groups, such as Jubilee Jellies Playgroup and the Funky Feet Dance group. The centre also offers computer classes, dog training, and even gardening tips courtesy of the Dahlia Society. For further information on the Jubilee Community Centre call them on 01603 616957.
Posted on 02 July 2008 19:21:33 by Samantha Butcher
Artistic Graffiti
Between 01 March 2008 and 29 April 2008, in Swindon
Kitty Stewart, Swindon's Agent4Change, ran an ambitious project to engage disadvantaged young people and help them do something positive about their surroundings and express them through a graffiti project.
The graffiti project aimed to motivate young students at the local college and teach them about issues affecting young people.
The project ran every Wednesday at the college raising awareness of issues such as racism, sexual health, teenage pregnancy and drugs and alcohol.
A professional Graffiti artist taught the students how to do graffiti.
Posted on 20 June 2008 20:47:35 by David Morris
