Community Parent Volunteers
From The Mayor of Solihull, Councillor Ken Hawkins on 03 July 2012
Volunteers have met with the Mayor of Solihull after a successful start to a new community volunteering project.
Members of two separate volunteering groups have united to form the Community Parent Volunteering project which offers support and advice to the Borough’s parents – and is almost exclusively made up of local parents itself.
Volunteers from CHASE (Community Help and Support for Everyone) and PLUSH (Parents Listening, Understanding and Helping) were brought together for the project by staff from Solihull Council’s Extended Services team.
The pilot programme was launched after consultation with parents, which identified that they sought advice from their peers and not professionals when problems arose.
The volunteers were at the Civic Suite to discuss with the Mayor, Councillor Ken Hawkins, all the community work they had been doing since the start of the year when the project was launched.
Members of the group were awarded a certificate of achievement by the Mayor for completing their first term in a year of volunteering activities.
The Mayor said, “The volunteers have been amazing and have really helped many families in their local community. It’s been great to be able to speak to them and hear about what they’ve been doing. Whether it be arranging food parcels for families who otherwise wouldn’t have them or referring difficult situations to the most appropriate agencies, the project really is one of the best ways to offer frontline support from these community role-models.”
The group meet once a week to decide what would be a good way to help and support others in the community. They also research and promote any activities and opportunities to at least five other parents within the community. This can include parenting courses, Life Long Learning programmes and any other voluntary opportunities that may arise in the area.
Furthermore, they promote and recruit others on to the project for the next year, encourage parents to get involved with local fundraising and community events, and liaise with local agencies that offer professional support.
The volunteers are creating a folder of their experiences and achievements throughout the year and being are offered the appropriate support and training by Extended Services to compliment the work they do in the community.
Any residents who live in Chelmsley Wood or Fordbridge and are interested in next year's project should contact Kay Hart on 07881500139. Likewise, any residents interested and living in Smith's Wood or Kingshurst should contact Deborah Todd on 07917172823.
For enquiries from members of the press and media only, please contact Alex Hemming on 0121 704 6136
Email: alex.hemming@solihull.gov.uk