Archive for the ‘Volunteers’ Category
The Charities Aid Foundation have just launched a new web service that enables site visitors to map and explore the activities of over 160,000 charities.
This free web resource lets you filter your search requirements by any of 17 variables, you can create lists and download them and see historical change in the UK charitable sector over time.
CAF also make available on the Charity Trends web site a variety of research publications, both free and by subscription.
There is a blog and you can contact CAF with questions and queries from the site.
This is an invaluable resource, both for researching other charities in your geographical area for example, but also providing data for the contextual analysis of your own charity – ideal for funder or boards of management reporting.
Have a look at Charity Trends from CAF and let us know what you think.
BT have just launched MyDonate, a new service which will enable charities to more efficiently collect donations.
Online giving is not new, but the difference is that BT will, at the moment, make no charge for its service, with the giver only paying the card charges for his or her transfer to the charity. (BT says absorbing the cost of the scheme is part of its existing commitment to charitable support).
This new service is designed for registered UK charities and BT has collaborated with major charities in the UK, such as Cancer Research and the NSPCC to develop its offer.
This scheme compares favourably with JustGiving for example. This popular online service for charities charges the charity £15 a month and take 5% of your money in administration charges. The BT scheme means that all your donation goes to the charity.
If your charity has another online service for donations we think this new scheme from BT is worthy of your attention.
If you are a newly registered charity looking to explore the issues of online donations, then check out the MyDonate page from British Telecom.
Is change happening in our sector?
You can now find WinterComfort for the Homeless on Facebook.
Why not connect with our parent charity and keep up to date with all the current news, as well as helping our charity celebrate twenty years of supporting the homeless in Cambridge.
Our successful garden obelisks are selling well on into the summer months.
The design team have produced a new heavy duty, larger bean obelisk to support the growing of climbing vegetables and larger spreading plants.
You can see the new design on the bean obelisk page here.
Woven with 6 – 9 uprights of six or seven feet in length, the bean obelisk is securely bound at the top, with additional horizontal weave at the base to ensure stability and strength during the growing season.
You can use our contact us page to request details and prices ahead of our catalogue reprint.
We are happy to help at WinterWillow.
Roger and the willow design team have been busy during the summer heatwave, adding some new woven willow products to our catalogue of items for sale.
The design and craft team have completed work on a new garden light.
This is a woven basket, mounted on a pole, which has a glass container and t-light included in the securely woven basket.
The items can be manufactured to any length – making ideal ground lights for a garden corner – or as a secure and effective ‘standard’ for parades or ceremonies as dusk falls.
We are working to update our downloadable catalogue, but you can see the garden light page here.
Use our contact us page if you would like more information and prices immediately.
Craft skills shining on willow at WinterWillow – part of WinterComfort.
WinterComfort are attending the Hope Street Yard Urban Larder fair on the first Saturday of every month.
Supporting the Cambridge Link-Up presence at the market you can find WinterWillow woven baskets, garden ornaments and other willow goodness on sale.
Why not drop by and see us on the first Saturday in the month, particularly while the weather is good – perfect for that garden obelisk or hanging basket.
As the nights begin to darken you can also find your perfect seasonal gift on the stall too – helping to support Cambridge Link-Up , a homeless led community group.
This news item comes to you from The Willow Way – our blog about social enterprise and willow.
Image: A member of the WinterComfort team checks the stall display…
Roger Fowle, our weaving tutor at WinterWillow, has written a short account of his journey in willow.
Describing how he got started, what captured his imagination and those who gave him help along the way.
Roger is working both to support the weaving team at WinterWillow and to help encourage the take-up of weaving skills by the users of our Centre at WinterComfort for the Homeless.
Roger says that ‘…willow weaving is a great way to acquire useful new skills, to get back into work or to create objects which can be sold to support the work of our charity’.
The weaving team at WinterWillow are always happy to show visitors their work and to encourage others to take up the craft.
From small baskets, woven eco-coffins can grow.
In The Guardian today Ian Tucker writes about the collaboration between the Eden Project and Homeless Link that will create the biggest garden ever built at the Chelsea Flower Show.
The garden and its accompanying displays will have been created by the energy and creativity of at least 400 people with experience of homelessness. A 100 people from prisons across the UK will also have added their input to the project.
The garden, Places of Change, is financially supported by the government-funded Homes and Communities Agency, the Department of Communities and Local Government, and the London Employer Accord.
WinterWillow will be displaying a woven willow eco-coffin at the garden, as part of our work for WinterComfort for the Homeless.
Maybe we’ll see you at the Chelsea Flower Show next week?
You can see Ian Tucker’s article here. There is also a video about the creativity and involvement of people in the garden who have experienced homelessness here.
We are delighted to announce that WinterWillow, part of the charity WinterComfort for the Homeless, will be presenting a willow woven eco-coffin at the Chelsea Flower Show this year.
Running from May 25th to May 29th 2010, Chelsea offer visitors an amazing array of floral displays, trade stands and visitor attractions. We are proud to be a part of the horticultural festivities this year.
We use only the best English willow in the making and craft of our eco-coffins and wider basketry items. The cultivation and sustainable cropping of willow is an abiding theme with the WinterWillow team.
Using no nails, metal fastenings or chemical based adhesives – our woven eco-coffins are a perfect piece of English craft for Chelsea – fully in sympathy with the ethos of the show, the care of living things and their sustainable use.
WinterWillow will be sharing a space on the Places of Change stand, along with other social enterprise and Spark Challenge organisations.
If you visit the show you will be able to see an example of one of our woven willow eco-coffins throughout the show week. The WinterWillow team will be in attendance on Wednesday 26th May 2010.
Do visit us at the show if you are attending. Every item we take orders for goes directly to support the work of our charity team at WinterComfort for the Homeless. We look forward to seeing you there.
WinterWillow has introduced a new item in its woven willow range of garden oranaments and accessories for 2010.
We are able to offer our customers a WinterWillow designed hanging basket – a conical shape, with woven hanging loop. We are offering the basket as a plain item, or with liner and flowers complete.
Each basket is individually made by our craft team. Each basket is therefore unique and offers you a delightful addition to our regular obelisks and other woven baskets.
You can download a basketry brochure from our woven basket page on the WinterWillow website.
