Pantomime Project

Another update on one of this years great projects from Alison a member of the project group. 

Following a second year drama module ‘Devising in the Community’ two fellow drama students and I decided to run our own project voluntarily in our final year at university. The knowledge gained through the module along with the support of KUSU Volunteering enabled us to run a very successful project, resulting in the performance of a pantomime at a drop-in centre for mental health service users.

As well as a wonderful end result, the process of weekly workshops in preparation for the pantomime was extremely rewarding and enjoyable. Due to the project being completely ours, we had control over what we did and how we did it which was a really fantastic experience and further enhanced our learning. We decided that no body should be excluded from the project and welcomed and encouraged people joining in on all levels, such as prop making, mask making and scenery making, we even roped in a few members of staff. The idea was to have a non hierarchal group, where we were all valid and as important as one another.

Tegan, Sophia and Alison at the KUSU Volunteering Awards back in May

Budgeting for costumes, props, set and programmes was quite testing but also great experience to have to keep within a tight budget…..which we did!! We were able to apply doing something that we loved and felt passionate about to a real life situation and as a result saw fantastic results with the enjoyment of the people who took part and also the audience. Mental Health is an area that has a lot of negative stigma and the drop- in centre where we ran our workshops and performed the panto is visited by members of our community who are vulnerable, isolated and neglected. For them it was especially meaningful that someone would come in on a regular basis voluntarily and help them to create and explore their artistic creativity. We saw huge improvements in confidence and trust towards us and each other and many positive comments regarding the final performance such us ‘we couldn’t believe that Carol could stand up there and play that character’, when Carol rarely speaks to anyone in everyday life.

The performance in progress!

Personally the project made me realize how important it is for different members of our community to mix and show that we do care about each other. We have seen first hand that this really does make a difference to peoples lives. Following on from the project (which lasted three months) I am currently continuing it independently. The help that we received from KUSU Volunteering and the experience of running the project ourselves gave me the confidence to continue on my own. Additionally I am now in paid employment for Mind and although the drama is still voluntary I am very happy to be working within my field of interest. I would encourage anyone thinking about setting up their own project to go ahead and go for it!!

Knit Hats For Babies Project

KUSU Volunteering offers Kingston student's the opportunity to run their own volunteering projects. Rachael our winner of the Project of the Year Award back in May gave us this update on the project that bagged her the award.   

Hi, I’m Rachael, a second year Biomedical Science student, and I run the volunteering opportunity ‘Knit Hats for Babies’!

Knitters met regularly at the Students' Union

The project was started way back in 2009, by an American student by the name of Lisa Ta. She ran the project to knit hats for babies that are currently in the Neonatal Unit at Kingston Hospital NHS Trust. It was an awe-inspiring project, and when she handed over the reins to me, it allowed me to make this project my own.

Since then we’ve had amazing turnouts, especially during Student Volunteering Week. My own personal goal for the project was to make 100 hats by the end of the summer term. We already have over 150 hats, with more than 50 volunteers showing interest in the project. We also make booties and blankets, and it’s not just knitting; I also teach volunteers how to crochet if they so wish!

Rachael and some of the group at our awards

Running your own project requires a serious amount of organisation and dedication, but it pays off when you see how successful it becomes. Budgeting is definitely not my strongest point (this includes inputting how much you’ve been spending into a spreadsheet), but I do have a very money-savvy head on my shoulders, so I can tell when I see a bargain on wool! I have also created a Facebook page, a mailing address, and a Junction49 page to help organise the project. It is difficult to fit the project in to my weekly routine, but it means I can use my free time doing something productive. Besides, once you see your first completed baby hat, I guarantee you’ll be hooked into making more!

I believe the project not only gives people the chance to volunteer for a good cause, but it also allows them to acquire a new skill and show off their creative sides, to socialise with people of similar interests, and gives them a safe haven once a week where they can take a break from the stress of everyday student life. 

Knitting during Student Volunteering Week

For more information about the charity itself visit their website here. For more information about the project or if you’re interested in joining, please contact me at knittingforbabies@hotmail.co.uk.

 

Orange Rockcorps

KUSU Volunteer Gemma sent us this update on volunteering that she has been getting up to recently... with star studded results!

"2011 was my third year doing Orange Rockcorps. (RockCorps for those not in the know runs yearly and offers those who volunteer on one of their projects a ticket to a gig they organise). This year I managed to persuade four friends who are avid KU volunteers to do the volunteering side - Rachael and Chandy who had never done Rockcorps before and Crystel and Gary who have done a project with me last year. The reasons why more of them didn’t join in was because they were busy either on the day we decided to do the project or the day of the gig, or because the line-up didn’t interest them for the gig. Last year I managed to persuade more of them to do it because the line-up hadn’t been announced yet for the London gig! 

This year they merged both the Manchester and London gigs, which are normally two months apart. They also moved the London venue from Earls Court to Wembley Arena as it holds a greater capacity, which was rather amusing as the tube from Wembley Park closes at 00:30 and the gig overran by an hour, so 11,000 people running to the station making sure they wouldn't get left behind is kind of hilarious - looking back on it of course, at the time it was sheer panic!

Modelling ponchos to keep the rain off at the project!

The project, which was in Finsbury park, was fun. Unfortunately it was raining on the day so we couldn’t do painting as planned but we managed to do lots of weeding instead. It was nice to see the before and after shots. They gave us lunch as well – the standard sandwich, crisps & drink - which is always nice after hard work! 

For the gig itself, Rachael and Gary couldn’t attend so two of my other friends, Hana and Husna, who also volunteer with KU, were able to go.  The line-up for the gig was originally Eliza Doolitttle, Jessie J and Primal Scream when we signed up. Unfortunately Jessie J was advised to pull out by her doctors due to her leg injury, much to my disappointment as I was really looking forward to seeing her but Kelis and Diddy Dirty Money were announced which softened the blow! A special surprise guest which Diddy brought on was Chipmunk which I thoroughly enjoyed. A “to be confirmed” guest was also on the bill which turned out to be Wretch 32 – which most of the crowd seemed to enjoy.

It was such an amazing gig! All the artists put on a great show. Alexa Chung and Nick Grimshaw did a great job of presenting. The DJ between sets knew exactly what songs to play to get the crowd hyped up! There’s something so empowering about knowing that everyone around you earned their ticket and didn’t buy it - such a great atmosphere! It’s been four days and my voice is still sore from all the screaming!

Wembley Arena

For those of you who have heard about Rockcorps and been tempted – once again I’d say go for it! If you’re not able to wait a year then look into the Collective – if you enjoy volunteering or volunteer regularly then seriously, it’s worth it!

Impact Conference 2011

Volunteering is a great way to give something back and gain skills whist doing so, and it can also lead to some unique opportunities. Back in March we offered KUSU Volunteers the opportunity to attend IMPACT 2011. This is a brand new national conference on student volunteering and social action organised by student volunteers for student volunteers which took place in Cambridge. KUSU Volunteer Noha agreed to attend and here’s how she got on.

Noha presents to her group

 Who I am -

I am Noha. I come from Egypt and I am a second year economics student at Kingston University. I volunteer part time mainly at weekends (doing One-Off Projects) and find it great to help others whatever the task is.

What I’ve been doing lately -

On 5^th and 6^th March I attended the IMPACT 2011 conference. It was a conference run by students who volunteer and graduates who made their way to work as volunteers, most of them work as Volunteer Coordinators.

What it involved -

There were seminars to promote different types of skills a volunteer needs to have, and on different types of topics for example ‘volunteering and development’. There were 3 choices for each session and each session had a different topic, led by a student or a graduate who dealt with that  field as a volunteer. They asked us questions on what we thought. We as students and graduate volunteers were split into groups. In each session we had to brain storm and find different solutions for different problems, which was very good. We had to identify solutions, and present the question and show how we dealt with it as a group. This really influenced me as a person. We brainstormed and found new solutions for every problem identified and proposed by different groups.

The best thing about it -

It really made a change for me. I got to know new people who were from different universities around the UK (including Nottingham University, Oxford University, Cambridge University). It really made me see the real world and how volunteering can influence every aspect of life, it also influenced my main skills needed for any aspect of life- for example it really got me to be more confident and it also influenced my team working skills and leadership skills and these as I said are skills needed in every aspect of life. 

How it’s influenced me -

Because I am from Egypt and because 11% of the GDP comes from tourism, I have found it a big issue that the number of tourists declined drastically after the current protests. It has encouraged me to make a campaign for tourism in Egypt  to raise awareness that Egypt is still secure, and show foreigners other places to go other than Cairo and Alexandria because Egypt has many places for tourism that a foreigner may not know about and these places are a 100% secure. I also found support when I discussed the issue with other students and graduates there, which encourages  me to try my best to implement the idea I have.

Selsey Beach Clean and BBQ!

“It’s going to rain!” We looked gloomily at the weather forecast- it certainly did look as if it was going to rain. This was bad news, because we had a coach booked to head for Selsey, West Sussex to clean a 3 mile stretch of West Beach. For days we worried over every little change in the weather forecast, and they all said different things. Should we cancel?

Our volunteers are briefed and collect thier epuipment

Gazebo 1 - Wind 0

Luckily we took the gamble. We didn’t cancel and were rewarded with amazing weather! Whilst it was raining in Kingston the sky In Selsey was blue and cloudless. Sun cream even had to be passed out; although it was so incredibly windy our gazebo nearly blew away!

Twenty-four volunteers collected an incredible 73.5kg (11.5 stones!) of rubbish from the beach, including rusty metal, cotton buds, crisp packets, clothing and lots of plastic. The Manhood WildlifeTrust, who conduct conservation projects in the area, were thrilled with our efforts.

Volunteers have fun at the beach

It wasn’t all hard work though, there was time for a barbeque (Rhiannon and Lynsey proved to be expert chefs), games and paddling, and two brave souls even went for a swim!

George who took part in the trip said “It was a fun and rewarding day where working in a team really paid off to help the environment. Everyone got stuck in to finding, collecting and recording the rubbish on the neglected beach. Once we had worked up an appetite the BBQ was really worthwhile. Overall it was a great day out at the beach in the sunshine and making it cleaner from a few hours work was very satisfying."

Weighing the rubbish that was collected

Kingston University’s Biodiversity Officer Lynsey Stafford was on hand to provide some environmental know how. Here she explains why the efforts of our volunteers are so important…

As well as making this popular beach safer for the young families which use it, the efforts of the volunteers will also have a positive impact on the marine environment.

The extent to which humans rely on plastic was made very clear to us as we trundled along the beach, picking items up that ranged from bottles to bags, fishing net to food wrappers and cotton buds to cigarette lighters. Most of the litter we collected was plastic, including small fragments that had become indistinguishable. 

The effect plastic has on sea creatures

And that is the big problem with plastic –plastics are non bio-degradable meaning that whilst they break down into smaller and smaller pieces, they will never disappear completely. The MCS (Marine ConservationSociety) say that in some parts of the world, there are more fragments of plastic in the sea than plankton. Plastics can entangle wild animals, or they can swallow it believing it to be food.

The MCS, for whom we recorded all of our litter pick data, have two main campaigns which aim to reduce the litter found on our beaches – read about them here so that you can do your bit for our marine environment!

Rhiannon and Lynsey cook up a feast

You can find all the photos's from the day on our Facebook page here. 

News from Hersham Hounds

Back in February as part of Student Volunteering Week our regular volunteer Marketa updated on the work she does at retired greyhound rescue centre Hersham Hounds. She has kindly provided us with another update on her work...

Princess

Hersham Hounds kennels care for over eighty dogs, with some leaving and new coming every week. It is difficult to have any favourites, because the majority of the dogs are friendly and thankful for your attention. However, my personal sweetheart is a dog lady called Princess, a twelve year old resident of the sanctuary.   

It was the first dog I have ever walked at Hersham Hounds; I remember she was shy, but affectionate and we had a great walk together. Princess was abused in the past and when she came to the kennels she was very aggressive, biting both the staff and other dogs. Thankfully, the staff recognized her angry behaviour is caused by fear. It took her a long time to rebuild trust in people and both staff and the volunteers had to show extreme patience and loving care. They were successful in the end – Princess now shares a kennel with another dog and is friendly towards people. I still enjoy walking her, because it makes me realize that volunteering is worthwhile and does make a difference to people, or animals, living around us. 

With so many animals living there the kennels need care and maintainence, so in February and March each year teams of volunteers go in to help paint the buildings. Alex took a group of KUSU Volunteers down in March. Here’s how they got on.

Rachael, Stephanie and Crystal

On 22nd March, a group of KUSU Volunteers and staff headed over to Hersham in their oldest clothes, armed with brushes and huge tubs of green and white paint.  Amazingly, we had incredibly warm weather, and got loads of painting done- Crystal, Stephanie, Rhiannon and I did the indoor exercise yard where the dogs can go during the day, whilst Rachael and Alex (one of the centre’s regular volunteers), sanded down the mural outside the centre’s entrance for another very artistic volunteer to repaint.

Rhiannon and Crystal walk the dogs

                                                                                                    A                                       After a break for lunch in Hersham village we returned to start on the kennels- loads of 

white emulsion paint everywhere: by the time we left everything was so gleaming white, the dogs probably needed sunglasses! 

There was also time for walking the dogs before we headed back to uni, which everyone enjoyed- the volunteers perhaps even more than the dogs!

KUSU Volunteers making the news!

After our recent award ceremony on May 11^th KUSU Volunteers got a write up in the local press. Here is the clipping from the Surrey Comet. You can read it online here. The online version is accompanied by a picture of volunteers who contributed time to the Knit for Babies project. 

As well as local media coverage for our awards KUSU volunteers also featured in Saints Alive which is the local news letter for All Saints Church. The article resulted from our Student Volunteering Week link up with Cathedral Camps. 

Finally you can check out the hard work of three KUSU Volunteers Leo, Maheen and Paula who all took part in local museum Dorich House’s Cultural Olympiad (that’s the arty bit of London 2012 in-case you didn’t know) project. The project documented how our homes reflect our personalities and our interests, and Dorich House is the perfect museum for this because it’s a home turned into a museum- the house used to belong to sculptor Dora Gordine and her husband Richard Hare, also an art collector. Each volunteer involved chose an object from the museum to investigate. The chosen objects are now on display at the Geffreye Eye Museum in London. You can read all about it here.