Page 18 - link magazine

18 The Link Magazine • June 2005
Time to show you care
A week to celebrate the commitment of people who give up their time
to volunteer and to raise awareness of organisations which need help
takes place between 1 and 7 June.
Now in its twenty-first year, can be an opportunity to gain ex-
Volunteers' Week is a major event perience or learn new skills; alter-
to celebrate the 22 million people natively, it's a chance for experi-
who volunteer across the UK. This enced people to pass skills on.
year is of particular significance as Whatever the motivation, volun-
it has been designated the 'Year of teering brings its own rewards of
the Volunteer 2005.' knowing you have helped some-
Opportunities to volunteeris the one, or made somewhere a better
major theme for 2005 with a par- place."
ticular focus on employee volun- She added that the range of op-
teering, young people and skills portunities is enormous: working
• MOT TESTING AND sharing. in a shop, designing a web site,
Over 150 organisations across conservation work, helping out in
REPAIRS Swindon need help from volun- a children's football club, befriend-
teers. To raise awareness of how ing a new mum, fixing computers
you can help them, staff from the — the list is endless.
n EXHAUST TYRES AND Volunteer Centre Swindon are If you have time to volunteer,
holding a stand in the Brunel Cen- contact the Volunteer Centre Swin-
BATTERIES tre on Thursday 2 June. don on 420557, drop into their of-
fices at 1 John Street, 11am and
Volunteers can be of any age,
says volunteer centre manager 3pm.
• AIR CONDITIONING Alex Mullins. "Giving up your time www.swindonvolunteers.org.uk

SERVICE Hotel big into volunteering
The DeVere Hotel in West Swindon is putting its weight behind
n VALET SERVICE volunteering by giving staff paid time off to undertake work in the
community and will be helping to launch a campaign to promote
volunteer work as a corporate activity in businesses across the town.
Hotel manager Andrew Spink
n CAR HIRE said that employees who stay with
the company for more than 12
months are entitled to five work-
Free collection & delivery ing days a year which they can
commit to good causes. "The com-
Free loan cars (subject to availability) pany always helps groups with
raffle prizes and sponsorship, but
Lift to and volunteering is now another di-
mension to employment and staff
from work retention. It's an important way
for DeVere Hotels to contribute to
Wash and their communities.
vac with all "Staff can give their time in
blocks, for example a team will be
servicing decorating the West Swindon Fam-
ily Project in Freshbrook, or they
can offer their time by the day.
"As a West Swindon resident I Andrew Spink
can see the benefit to groups from help local organisations, and gave
the assistance they receive from businesses the chance to meet some
FISH BROTHERS employees" of the town's voluntary groups.
On 18 May the hotel hosted a
The network is also setting up a
TO BOOK OR FIND OUT MORE PLEASE breakfast conference to launch the skills bank so that the needs of
CONTACT RONI. CHRISTINE OR ANDY ON Swindon Employees in the Com- organisations can be matched with
munity Network. This promoted the talents on offer from different
01793 645510 the idea of paying staff willing to companies.
Keeping up with needs
r---------
Fourteen years after it opened, the DeVere in Swindon is about to
FISH BROTHERS undertake a £750,000 redevelopment.
Six bedrooms are tube converted into conference facilities to compli-
ALL MAKES melt those all ready in place, whilst a meeting room on the ground floor
next to the gym is to be turned into a keep fit studio for dance, aerobics,
SERVICING OFFER yoga and Pilates classes.
• At the same time a new and expanded cardio-vascular area is to be
introduced with updated equipment.
• NAME "This is part of maintaining our premier position in the Swindon
market for conferences and as a leisure venue," said Andrew Spink.
n REG NO "The work will be phased from late summer until the end of the year to
Valid until 30 November 2005 minimise disruption to guests and present users of the facilities. When
complete we will be able to increase our leisure club membership."