Baytree Volunteers help with 20th Anniversary Celebration!

On Thursday 19th May, the Centre held a special 20th Anniversary Celebration, A Taste of Baytree. Guests were entertained by the Baytree Choir singing ‘Stand by Me’ and a performance from ‘The Funketts’ (the Baytree’s Street Dance Team). Throughout the evening guests enjoyed canapés from around the world made by Gareth, our volunteer chef for the day, and some of our adult students. The event was a huge success and Baytree volunteers (both young and adult) ensured the smooth running of the evening - from serving canapés, to pouring drinks, and taking photographs to washing up, their contribution was invaluable.

New Volunteer Group: The Baytree Job Seekers
As is fitting with a month of new beginnings, January saw the creation of a new volunteer group at the Baytree Centre. The Baytree Job Seekers’ Group was founded in early January as an opportunity for volunteers (either currently in employment or looking for work) to get together and provide help and support to each other in a tough job market. The first official meeting featured a presentation on “How and Why to Write a CV” from volunteer Judy Stephenson as well as first-hand accounts from volunteers on experiences either writing or reviewing CVs and offering help to job seekers needing advice. In order to provide high-impact and practical help to job seekers, the group will now offer one-to-one mentoring support and CV reviews by a volunteer for women at Baytree currently looking for work. Please let us know if you would be interested in joining this exciting new group or would like to be matched with a career mentor!

Baytree's Annual Volunteer Christmas Party
On Tuesday 7 December the Volunteer Service held our annual Volunteer Christmas Party. Kicking off with a warm welcome from Volunteer Service Coordinator Una Fahey, the Christmas Party featured an introduction of the new Youth Volunteer Coordinator, Claire Howard, as well as delicious food. After the nibbles and chat, Claire led the volunteers and staff present in a Christmas Quiz which was won by PEACH coordinator Suzanne Mahon and PEACH mentoring volunteer Marie Helene Thiery – what a great team! The event ended with rousing carol singing accompaniment by Una on the keyboard. Thanks to all who came and made our spirits bright!

Baytree's Annual Volunteer Awards Evening

On Wednesday 23 June Baytree staff and volunteers joined the Centre’s Volunteer Team for the Annual Baytree Volunteer Awards Evening. All volunteers were thanked for their hard work over the past 12 months with special awards given to exceptional volunteers from each service and for outstanding achievement from the Management Team. Attendees were also lucky to enjoy a performance by Laura Victoria, a Baytree Volunteer and proficient singer/cellist. The ceremony itself was followed by drinks and canapés as attendees celebrated a wonderful year for the Baytree Volunteer Service.

Baytree Bazaar

On Tuesday 27 April the Baytree Outreach Group of volunteers held a Bazaar to raise funds for the crèche’s annual trip to the seaside. Staff, volunteers and beneficiaries donated goods from clothes to books to cakes, and the Bazaar raised £100 to put towards the seaside trip.

Baytree Celebrates International Women’s Day

This year to celebrate International Women’s Day the Baytree Centre held a number of events to create Peace flags for the ‘Join Me on the Bridge’ Event held on Monday 8 March 2010 at Millennium Bridge.

The Youth Service ran a ‘Knit for Peace’ afternoon during half-term with girls knitting and sewing a flag whilst the after-school Art Club painted their flag. On Friday 5 March the Volunteer and Adult Services held a celebration event at Baytree. Women provided traditional food – the canteen overflowed with various salads, cakes and other delicious snacks – and signed a banner with their messages of Peace.

On 8 March the adult students and volunteers took the Baytree flags to Millennium Bridge to join thousands of other women who were standing in solidarity with women all over the world and celebrating International Women’s day. For more information about International Women’s Day click here or Women for Women’s 'Join Me on the Bridge' event click here.

Baytree’s Outreach Group in the Community

On Wednesday 27 January 15 members of the Outreach Group (made up of Baytree volunteers) visited a local community centre. The group (pictured above) chatted with the elderly people that visit the centre, enjoyed tea and biscuits and played games – including bingo and hoy - with them. For further details of the Outreach Group please contact the Volunteer Service on 020 7733 5283 or volunteering@baytreecentre.co.uk.

Children in Need Tea Party

In support of Children in Need this year The Baytree Centre held a Tea Party. Shireen Pompey, a Volunteer, came up with the idea and coordinated the event. The event wasn't just about the Tea Party however as the girls who come to the centre got involved - in Art Club they made badges & coloured in posters whilst in Cookery Club they made cakes for the Tea Party.
Lots of people came to the Tea Party and due to everyone's generous contribution we raised £101! Thank you to everyone who came and especially to Shireen, without whom the event would not have taken place. Children in Need's mission is to make a positive change to the lives of disadvantaged children and young people across the UK. For more details click here.

CSV Make A Difference Day Event

On 3rd & 4th November some Baytree Centre volunteers took part in an event to support the CSV Make a Difference fortnight. The Make a Difference Campaign this year focused on the power of small acts of kindness. One of our wonderful volunteers, Meredith Dubs, suggested putting together military care packages to be sent to our troops overseas. The girls who attend the Comprehension & Literacy after-school club on Wednesday designed cards and poems and a local school wrote letters which all went into the shoebox along with drawings and treats such as chocolate bars and crisps. It was a very special event which will make a real difference to our troops – so thank you to all the volunteers and young people who helped!

Baytree Volunteer Wins V50 Award

The Baytree Volunteer Service would like to say a massive CONGRATULATIONS to our wonderful volunteer Desire Cyprien who was featured in national newspapers The Guardian and The Times this week! Desire has been recognised for all her hard work and achieved the V50 Award, a national award that is given to volunteers who complete 50 hours of volunteering in their community. Desire is a great volunteer who always give 100% to whatever project she is working on. We are so proud of her! To see the advert click here.

If you are interested in the V50 Award please contact Rebecca Heyes, Youth Volunteer Coordinator rheyes@baytreecentre.co.uk.

The Baytree Centre is now on twitter! Follow us at: http://twitter.com/BaytreeCentre. You can also join us on Facebook - search for The Baytree Centre and add us as a friend. (The Baytree Centre is not responsible for the content of external sites.)

Baytree volunteers have proved invaluable once again throughout a busy summer programme of events. During the ‘Nightingale Week of Song’ (27 – 31 July) volunteers helped the Pegasus Opera Company teach 8-13 year olds all about singing and songwriting, culminating in a final performance at the Community Sing Day in Brixton. For further details click here. For the Summer University courses (27 July – 7 August) volunteers assisted with a wide range of activities for girls aged 14-18. Tasks varied from taking the Photography group to London Zoo and the Law group to the Old Bailey, to helping the Journalism group research a news story and coordinating a fashion show for the Dressmaking group to show off their designs. For further details click here. Each volunteer and their contribution are greatly appreciated by both The Baytree Centre and all the girls who attended the courses.

Baytree volunteer Sophie has been blogging her experience at cookery club. To follow Sophie's blog and read all about 'Cooking at the Baytree' click here.

The Baytree Centre have recently achieved the Investing in Volunteers Quality Standard, recognising the excellent work they do with volunteers.

Investing in Volunteers is the UK quality standard for all organisations involving volunteers. Investing in Volunteers aims to improve the quality of the volunteering experience for all volunteers and for organisations to acknowledge the enormous contribution made by volunteers. Investing in Volunteers is managed by the UK Volunteering Forum and delivered by Volunteering England, Volunteer Development Scotland, Volunteer Development Agency in Northern Ireland and Wales Council for Voluntary Action.

Investing in Volunteers is unique in that it is the only standard that focuses on volunteers. It is based on four areas of volunteer management; planning for volunteer involvement, recruiting volunteers, selecting and matching volunteers and supporting and retaining volunteers. Further information about the Standard can be found on www.investinginvolunteers.org.uk. The Standard will enhance volunteer management and is rigorous but designed to be simple to implement and not to generate large amounts of paperwork. It is the only quality standard that has independent external validation with a UK Quality Assurance Panel that makes recommendations to the UK Volunteering Forum, the awarding body.