The Vodafone New Zealand Foundation

Overwhelming generosity.

Published by Lani Evans on July 3, 2009 in Uncategorized. 0 Comments

Newsflash!! Volunteer Otago have now placed more than 500 volunteers this year!! That’s a 240% increase over last year already! Wow! New Zealanders sure are generous with their time!

The students participating in the school volunteering programme continue to astound me (and everyone else) with the great schemes they’re creating. Projects include the construction of a life-size paper-mache polar bear to raise awareness of climate change, a documentary about being different in Dunedin and the girls at Queens High School are creating an army of soft toys for children at the Women’s refuge. We’ve also had lots of students put their hands up to volunteer with the Blind Foundation and Age Concern, and just today a group took time out for a volunteer stint with the Special Olympics.

Youth week was pretty much the best thing ever – a crew of volunteers from Columba College, Otago Boys High school and John McGlashan gave out about 1000 stickers throughout the week to passers by, spreading the love and encouraging adults to rethink their assumptions about youth. There was also the Greatest Show on Earth, a gig organised by a group of young people to celebrate the diverse talents of their peers. It was a huge success, with ten hours of amazing performances by high school bands, some incredible circus performers and a loud, enthusiastic crowd.

And who could forget the photoshoot with Vodafone Foundation! As a youthworker down in Dunedin I am usually covered in paint, dirt, baking flour and at least three layers of clothing, so it was an odd and interesting experience to clean up, head north and get pampered by make-up artists and hairdressers. Watch out for the promotional campaign that’s set to kick off soon – along with applications for the next World of Difference! Apply! Apply!

There have been some exciting new additions to our team this month. Lora Johnston has come on board to job share with our manager, Susie, while a whole new crew of staff volunteers have put their hands up to work with the youth programme, plus we have a new, zippy red electric scooter to get our youth workers from A to B in a super-environmentally friendly manner! Exciting stuff.

July is going to big, big, big as we cram in two weeks of school holiday programmes and 3 new schools join our SCIP programme – Otago Girls, Kings High School and Kaikorai Valley College. That’s not all though – keep your eyes peeled for some more great events with a youth leadership training course (thanks to the generosity of the other World of Difference recipients! Thanks y’all!), a 12 hour diversity dance marathon, the Greatest Show on Earth part II and a conference trip to Wellington all looming large.

Lani

A month of sharing passion and knowledge

Published by Tiffany on June 24, 2009 in Diary Updates. 0 Comments

48 hours of mentoring in this month was only the beginning…May involved a number of really important dates for me!

Youthline hosted 80 new trainees in Basic Youth and Community Counselling skills stage for a Saturday morning orientation. These fresh faced trainees were welcomed to the Youthline Whanau, with Stephen our CEO introducing them to his staff, the Youth development work the wider organization undertakes, and the history of Youhtline’s 40 year contribution to the sector.

I warmed the unsuspecting trainees up with a little laughter yoga, and Stephen reminisced about how this kooky practice is something that would have fit in well at Youthline back in the 80s! This orientation was also a chance to share my personal journey. A testament to where volunteering and embracing the development pathways that Youthline offers can lead. The individual development for volunteers that exist alongside the reward of giving back to the community is an integral part of the philosophy that underpins in this organization.

I was warmed by the connections that are already visible between these new volunteers, their group members and facilitators. The potential each trainee has to offer Youthline is exciting too, their contribution will bring new life to our ever evolving organization.

With the full force of winter upon us Volunteer Manager Cathy and I wrapped up warm and set off south on a Youthline Road Trip. Youthline has 5 centres nationwide all who provide the same volunteer led helpline service but whose training programmes vary. My objective was to research their systems, with a particular focus on mentoring, retention and reward.

We were hosted by the centre coordinators in Dunedin, Christchurch, Wellington and Palmerston North. I felt fortunate to visit the physical offices and the volunteers who have been at the end of a phone, but I’ve never had the opportunity to meet in person. Despite the snow on the hills we were welcomed with the warm smiles and open hearts that epitomize the Youthline spirit. The common passion fed hours of conversation and sharing of practice. I returned to Auckland brimming with excitement about the potential strategies that we can implement into our programme.

For Youth Week we celebrated with Youthline’s annual Youth Art Competition. The creativity and idealism that shone through the art work was awesome. The launch was a success with the South Auckland Poets Collective performing to a sizable crowd.

As another busy month drew to a close Labour Spokesperson for Youth Affairs and Youth Justice Jacinda Ardern dropped by Youthline House for an afternoon visit. This was a fantastic opportunity to share with Jacinda the work we do at the coal face, and raise some questions of concern with her.

A month of sharing passion and knowledge, inspiring and fulfilling! There is nothing better than that.

Keeping busy!

Published by Bridget Roche on June 23, 2009 in Diary Updates. 0 Comments

“A journey of a thousand miles, must begin with a single step”.

Chinese Proverb

Its hard to believe that four months have passed since that sunny February day when I took the first steps in my WOD year. The seasons outside have certainly changed since then, and the great news is that I am finally starting to tick off some of the items on my ‘to do’ list, which feels like a huge achievement.

I have continued to provide support and training to our various youth work staff and volunteers. This has included assisting our Gap year and Gateway students with their youth work studies. I am really excited about developing a fun and interactive programme for next term.

The programme development side of things is ticking along in the background with collating the information from the staff training questionnaire and a review of our referrals and services. This is going slowly, but hopefully will provide some really helpful information that can be used to help with planning.

This month has seen two Challenge 2000 events take place.

On Wed 20 May we had our annual Quiz night. This was a fantastic evening of mind-bending, brain-teasing, pure IQ FUN!

Our youth week event FamYouFest, took place on what was possibly the coldest Wellington day I have ever experienced (including hail and snow flurries). Fortunately the atmosphere inside the Johnsonville Community Centre was warm and friendly. We had groups of adults, youth and children involved in a variety of activities exploring the topic of ‘what’s great about your family’.

One of my main tasks over the next month will be organising a volunteers night to say ‘thank you’ to all the amazing people that us help out in many different ways. It will be a great opportunity to recognise the skills and talents that people are currently using, and also to invite them to think about other skills and talents they might be able to use to support young people in our community.

See ya

Bridget

Carabiner is on film

Published by Cameron Calkoen on June 23, 2009 in Uncategorized. 0 Comments

Last month saw me identify that the vision for Carabiner had come through my personal experience and a passion for mentoring. However mentoring and youth development are not my areas of expertise and if I want to be confident in Carabiners delivery I need to access this professionalism and someone who could “dot the I’s and cross the T’s” of what has been created thus far. Through sharing my position with my Vodafone Foundation mentor and meetings with people experienced in youth development, mentoring, and disability I found myself calling upon Shona Ballinger. Shona is a consultant and trainer for youth development, program design and support. She has understood my vision for Carabiner, and my goals, and demonstrated the contribution she could make to ensure I am able to achieve these goals. The Carabiner program will link individuals and give young people with disabilities the support and guidance they need to follow their own aspirations, have a sense of belonging and increased independence.

To date we have clarified and re-written Carabiners objectives:

Ø Foster self growth – Increase confidence

Ø Setting goals and achieving milestones

Ø Linking young people’s goals with opportunities to enhance aspirations

Ø To encourage and promote the potential and qualities of young people with disabilities

Ø To provide access to new networks and social opportunities

We are writing the processes and tools needed to help us achieve these objectives. We’re polishing what will become an operations manual, and I have had an intensive introduction to the youth development strategy of Aotearoa including strength based approaches to youth development and youth participation.

I’ve become the program coordinator for Carabiner through a passion to contribute to our society. While I may not have had the traditional skills expected to work in the area of youth development, it has been through the World of Difference program that I’m now growing these skills and developing the substance to live out my dream. The coming months will be exciting as we look to form more matches and prepare for the expansion of Carabiner.

Other happenings in May

· In recruiting new mentors and mentorees, we got a fantastic piece on Attitude T.V that gives a great overview of how the program works and the benefits to both mentors and mentorees

· I have held a stall at a youth transitions expo, I’ve continued to speak to Rotary Clubs, and guided Rotarians from overseas, politicians, and youth around the Yes Ability Achievement Centre – giving them an overview to the array of services we provide to the community and an insight into Carabiner.

· An exciting match between mentor and mentoree for May was between Jackie Lovelock and Emma Freeman. With Jackie’s passion to work within a radio promotions team, and Emma’s position as promotions manager for Newstalk ZB and Radio Sport, the two are sharing dreams and experience to link potential with success.

May saw me launch our News Letter using Mail Chimp. People have subscribed to receiving it and I now know that there are currently 80 people (on top of mentors and mentorees) who want to hear about Carabiner. I’m able to see how many of my subscribers have opened the news letter (72), and can see what the click rate was to links I was promoting, for example 25% of my readers went on to view the Vodafone Foundation website, and 20% went on to view www.yesability.org.nz. If you would like to receive the awesome news letter, please click here and fill in the simple registration.

Volunteer! It’s good for you.

Published by Lani Evans on June 22, 2009 in Diary Updates. 0 Comments

Wow! 2009 is flying by and things in Otago are not slowing down! The numbers of volunteer coming through our centre has skyrocketted – we’ve more than doubled the number of new volunteers and, surprise, surprise, 85% of them are under 30!!

The last two months have been really special for me. I was lucky enough to take a crew of 17 activists from Bayfield High School and Queens High School up to Christchurch to participate in a solidarity rally for Invisible Children. We spent most of the night in Cathedral Square, writing letters to politicians and listening to some inspirational speakers who told us more about the plight of child soldiers in Uganda. The students were amazing – a really onto it, enthusiastic group and it was a great experience for all of us!

And speaking of amazing, the youth week gig group has been powering along and there are only three days to go until the big event!! Nine high school bands and fifteen non-profits are participating in “The Greatest Show on Earth” a ten hour extravaganza of monumental proportions! There’s going to be acrobats, unicyclists, Wii games and a “Take Action Table” that will let young people check out all the different ways that they can get involved in their community.

The National Gathering of New Zealand’s Volunteer Centre’s and the Vodafone Foundation Hui were also highlights – great opportunities to meet up with incredible, inspirational folks and find out about other initiatives going on in Aotearoa.

Participating in the Oxfam Trailwalker was also a brilliant. Walking 100km’s was a real challenge and our team was absolutely ace! I was lucky enough to walk with Josh and Leighton from Evolve, Julian from Youthline and a couple of Candian ring-ins. We finished in a wicked time and I’m stoked with how well we worked as a team.

We’ve also seen the Student Community Involvement Programme start in yet another Dunedin high school, with Columba College now on board. The student volunteer group at Columba is currently working on a climate change project with the non-profit 350.org. Check out their website to find out more about Climate Change and the Copenhagen gathering set for December.

Other highlights of late include the Easter school holiday programme, which was more awesome than ever, thanks to our collaborative efforts with Youthline Otago. Their community education officer worked alongside us to design a range of activities around sustainability and rebellion in addition to our usual work with local non-profits. The Trade Aid Mural has finally been finished, just in time for Fair Trade Fortnight, Healthy Lifestyles Week at Otago University provided lots of opportunities for cycling shenanigans , Wii games and volunteer recruitment, Morman helping hands day went off with a bang as a team of 50 volunteers painted and repaired the Pioneer Community Hall and we had a great night at the Students for Environmental Action Organic Fest, listening to some great tunes and chatting to people about environmental and ethical volunteering.

Stay tuned for more next month! Or join us on Twitter or Facebook for more regular info. J

Fruits of labour

Published by Sally Wood on June 18, 2009 in Uncategorized. 0 Comments

Some of the labour of past 3 months has come to fruition. YAY!

We have started working out with Tasman District Council how HYPE-GS and other service providers can meet the needs of young people in Richmond and Wakefield. This is in light of the youth consultation, submission, presentations, follow up meetings and funding applications I initiated under my Vodafone hours.

We have also secured enough funding so HYPE-GS are able to replace me as Service Coordinator to enable me to fully focus on achieving my Vodafone Objectives. We still don’t have any project costs to run the Vodafone objectives but my awesome board believed in me when I said we can make this happen VERY CHEAPLY!!!

The priority objective identified via community meetings is the YOUTHTRAIN 20 10 project. We are undertaking this project in partnership with the regional youth workers collective and aim to recruit, train and accredit young people in the Certificate in Youth Work (Youth Leadership). We hope to attract a diverse group of young people from the Nelson/ Tasman region who are already involved in youth leadership activities (e.g. HYPE-GS work) or have potential to contribute to the communities in which they live. We have been busy spreading the word about YOUTHTRAIN 20 10 and initial interest seems high

I have also met with our regional SADD (Students Against Drink Driving) Coordinator who was very keen to explore how the CHOICES Safer Partying Project could tie in with the SADD programmes. He was made aware of CHOICES through our ALAC conference presentation last month. I will be working with the youth actors to develop some training for SADD Youth Leaders next month.

The month ended with HYPE-GS work at the regional ROCKQUEST final. This is one of my favourite events we work at as it’s such a positive vibe and young people are the stars of the show.

Catch you next month,

Sally

Hold on to your hats!

Published by Bridget Roche on May 19, 2009 in Diary Updates. 0 Comments

Wow, winter is certainly upon us now. Even for a hardy Wellingtonian, the wind over the past few weeks has been impressive!

We are now well into Term 2 and our school and various programmes are almost full to capacity. Each week however, we continue to receive a number of referrals for our various services. This is a constant reminder of the level of need that exists within our community, and as a result we are always seeking creative ways to assist young people and their families to access the support they need.

This month, as part of my role I have started a review of our current mentoring service. I have spoken with a few mentoring service providers, and I will be looking at how we can develop our service to fit with the other services provided in Wellington. I certainly have a lot to learn from those who have gone before me (both at Challenge and in other agencies), so it will be interesting to see how things progress in the next few months.

During our April staff training, several former staff and clients of Challenge 2000 visited and shared some of their experiences. It was such a privilege to hear their stories, and to be challenged to continue the amazing work that has been taking place at Challenge for the past 21 years. It was also a timely reminder to many of the staff, that the work we are doing does make a difference!

The WOD Hui at the end of April, was a great way to get fired up and enthusiastic again. It was an amazing two days of networking, information sharing, group activities and a whole lot of laughs! It is so good to know some of the incredible people and the amazing programmes taking place in the youth sector in New Zealand. The challenge now is to stay in touch with the rest of the crew for encouragement and support.

Next week (23-31 May) is Youth Week. Fam You Fest, Challenge 2000’s official Youth Week event, will be taking place on Sunday 31 May. In addition to this, we will be looking for unique ways to celebrate our young people through our various programmes taking place during the week.

Until next time, take care out there

Bridget

In the Hub of it Already!

Published by Tiffany on May 18, 2009 in Diary Updates. 0 Comments

My first WOD day I set up in the Youthline Hub the central nervous system of our volunteer led helpline. The Hub is always a buzz with volunteer counsellors, trainees and facilitators coming and going, the 0800211211 referral service phones ringing off the hook, and the constant ting ting of incoming texts on 234 our FREE counselling number.

Item number one on my agenda was to email the trainees who are transitioning from groups into the phone room and who are “desperately seeking buddies”. It was such a privilege to let them know that thanks to the Vodafone Foundation I am available as a full time buddy to mentor them through this essential stage of training. We currently have 47 volunteers in this stage. Their goal is to gain enough phone room experience before July so they can be assessed to be a solo phone counsellor! It was fantastic to see how excited they were that after months of hard work their target was in sight.

The trainees I’ve been working with are AWESOME! They bring energy, enthusiasm and humour to their development. Working with them is such a buzz; it doesn’t even feel like work! For me the reward is knowing these trainees will bring passion and heart to their work. This is what will make the World of Difference to the young people seeking support from our service.

By the end of April I had done 57 hours mentoring, on 46 trainee shifts working with 16 individuals. Phew!

Orientation was also on the agenda. After 3 years at Youthline as an after hours volunteer I was now being welcomed onto the Youthline Staff, a whole new and exciting species J. Youthline house never sleeps, by day it‘s a fast paced environment with 54 staff, by night the volunteers fill the building attending groups, doing shifts and training.

I was lucky to be able to attend the staff day at Goat Island, getting to know more about the mahi of the Youthline whanau. In true Youthline spirit this was done through good kai and good waiata around the Camp fire.

April was a month of learning for me too. Youthline’s txt counselling service is sky rocketing, in December 2008 we received 8000 texts this increased to with over 15000 in March 2009. The mode of technology through which they connect is literally in the hands of young people. Trying to decipher da H0le N3W tXt lngwgae_ dat Yng Ppl u53 has been challenging and fun as I see individual personalities revealed through txt lingo.

The month flew by with so much buddying buddying buddying, I was starting to wonder when I would fit in my planning planning planning…?! Just in the nick of time was the Vodafone WOD Hui where I could reconnect with Annette and my fellow WODers. I feel proud to be amongst such inspirational people! So with lots of learning and much fun under my belt I was revitalised and ready to tackle the programme logic model, thanks Hecktor. My challenge is to ensure that the system can fulfil the needs of all volunteer trainees without a full time buddy. Therein lies the key to a sustainable project. So I am off to buy myself a large planner- and some quiet time to nut it all out….
Arohanui Vodafone Foundation this is going to be a spectacular year!

FUN in the HUB!

Thanks all round

Published by Sally Wood on May 15, 2009 in Diary Updates. 0 Comments

Despite the temperatures cooling down the WOD year is hotting up in Nelson.

The last month has been spent doing further planning for the year ahead and ensuring we have wider community buy in for our WOD objectives. The first meeting of the project advisory group was held and the wider community showed great support for the objectives HYPE-GS hopes to achieve via the WOD year. As Nelson/Tasman is a relatively small region it is important to share resources and work in partnership. At this meeting pledges were made to work with and support HYPE-GS in achieving the objectives for better outcomes for young people. Thanks to those individuals and organisations (Health Action, Volunteer Nelson, YMCA, The New Hub, Public Health, DHB, N/T Youth Workers Collective, Nelson City and Tasman District Council) that sent representatives.

I have been further disseminating and presenting the Tasman Youth Consultation report and DVD and gaining commitment from the local council to address the issues that came out of the consultation. The Tasman youth counsellors and I have been preparing to present the report to the Mayor and counsellors next week….Yikes!!!

I have finally had time to develop promotional material (DVD and power point presentation) from the CHOICES Safer Partying project and as I type one of the youth actors and a representative from a partner organisation are presenting this material at the national ALAC conference in Wellington. Thanks you guys!

Today I get to break out of the office and do some “vox pops” with young people in preparation for a radio show on air during youth week. Today we will be asking young people what they like about living in this region and also getting them to give feedback on HYPE-GS services. Thanks to Katie, Daniel and Jasmine for volunteering to carrying out this project and letting me tag along to get my young people fix

Finally big thanks to Annette, the speakers, supporters and the other WOD recipients for an awesome time sharing practice, research, knowledge and fun times at Long Bay this month. It was an inspirational 2 days that I enjoyed immensely and a great reminder how lucky I am to be funded by the Vodafone Foundation to do what I love. Thanks Vodafone!

Catch you next month,

Sally X

World of Difference recipients - 2008

Published by Annette Culpan on May 11, 2009 in multimedia. 0 Comments

Introducing the Vodafone World of Difference recipients for 2008