Latest News & Newsletters

Keep up to date with the latest news and newsletters from Daventry Volunteer Centre. You can also learn more about our work by following us on Twitter @DaventryVC.

A visit of thanks from Chris Heaton-Harris MP.

Last week we were delighted to welcome our local MP, Chris Heaton-Harris down to our centre to meet a few of our fantastic volunteers. We are all so grateful to him for taking the time to show his support for the emergency help our volunteers have been providing the community. Chris spent some time talking with our volunteers, swapping stories and experiences of the situation so far and underlining how valued their efforts are to everyone.

We were also delighted that the Pharmacy Manager of Spackman & McKenzie’s was able to join for the morning of thanks. Their understanding and openness to involve volunteers to improve patient safety during this crisis has been a great help to our team and it has been a real pleasure to work with them so closely. As well as the Pharmacy Manager and Nicola Toms from DVC’s Happy@Home, Chris met our volunteers Shannon, Dan and Charlie – all pictured. We’ve mentioned how brilliant Dan is before, but Shannon and Charlie have been just as invaluable. Charlie has been a sea of calm, and has probably ‘done it all’ with us to help the local community (with very short notice at times!), while Shannon has been meeting and helping so many of her neighbours with prescription collections and food parcel drops from Daventry Food Bank, volunteering after her busy night shift at work.

No one thing will ever be able to provide enough thanks to all of our volunteers, but we hope the increasing recognition of their efforts is one small step.

More than just shopping…

Amanda from Happy@Home has been coordinating the Volunteer Centre’s Crisis Shoppers, so no one could have said thank you so personally and beautifully…

I am absolutely in awe of the wonderful Volunteers that have come forward in this time of crisis to help with shopping for the most vulnerable in their community. They are from all walks of life and no one is twisting their arms to do it – they give up their time freely and happily (whether furloughed, still working, been made redundant, retired or students). They have stood patiently in long supermarket queues come rain or shine, particularly at the beginning of the crisis, trying to get as many items off the list as possible, even when the shelves were stripped bare.

They don’t consider it a chore for themselves and so they don’t just drop the shopping and go. They are so warm hearted, cheery and caring that they stop to chat (at a safe distance), they check the person’s wellbeing, they ask if there is anything else the vulnerable need and they bring cheer to the frightened and lonely. These lovely Volunteers go out of their way to source scarce items whether that is flour or a particular wash in hair dye (let’s face it most people feel lifted when their hair is done!)

The Volunteers go above and beyond any expectations and over and over again I am amazed at their commitment to making a difference. Some are also telephone befriending the lonely and isolated too. No matter how late in the day a request comes in for an emergency food shop there are always Volunteers ready and willing to help.

The feedback from the vulnerable receiving the shopping service has been an overwhelming positive gratitude for the kindness and thoughtfulness of the Volunteers. Many have called them their lifeline and said that they are so relieved to have Volunteers shop safely for them during this crisis and look forward to seeing them each week.

It is a pleasure to work with these Volunteers who are a dedicated bunch of very special people with hearts of gold and they truly deserve our respect, appreciation and sincere thanks.

Amanda

November 2019 Newsletter

We are pleased to share our latest newsletter for the voluntary sector in Daventry District for download.

Recent issues can be found on the website, but for previous issues or any questions regarding the newsletter please do get in touch with us at the Volunteer Centre.

DVC News November 2019 – [PDF]

September 2019 Newsletter

We are pleased to share our latest newsletter for the voluntary sector in Daventry District for download.

Recent issues can be found on the website, but for previous issues or any questions regarding the newsletter please do get in touch with us at the Volunteer Centre.

DVC News September 2019 – [PDF]

Summer 2019 Newsletter

We are pleased to share our latest newsletter for the voluntary sector in Daventry District for download.

Recent issues can be found on the website, but for previous issues or any questions regarding the newsletter please do get in touch with us at the Volunteer Centre.

DVC News – June 2019 [PDF]

Spring 2019 Newsletter

We are pleased to share our latest newsletter for the voluntary sector in Daventry District for download.

Recent issues can be found on the website, but for previous issues or any questions regarding the newsletter please do get in touch with us at the Volunteer Centre.

DVC News – April 2019 [PDF]

Intern Opportunity – Happy@Home Project

We have a great opportunity for someone to learn about how a charity project works and gain an insight into how social isolation is tackled in Daventry District.

So if you are committed, eager to learn and are confident in talking to others we would love to hear from you.

As with all our roles this is a voluntary opportunity. For more information please do get in touch.