Case Studies
Find out how other people have used the Volunteer Centre. Click on any of the case studies below to see how volunteers, the organisations we work with, our partners and projects get on. Read about Tracey who has special health needs but found she could volunteer with the A+ Project; Martin who rediscovered his confidence and the value of his skills through the New Deal; how we helped our Primary Care Trust find their ideal staff and be inspired by Earl who is already making a new life for himself before his release with the Resettlement Scheme. See how volunteering can change your life.
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VCKC changed my life!
Allison visited the Volunteer Centre in September 2008 to see how she could get involved in the local community. At the time a series of operations left her unable to work and unsure about her future. Following that visit, her life has completely changed. She currently volunteers for Get Connected, a help line for young people. In the past year she has gained a...
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How we helped Abdullah volunteer
When Abdullah registered with the Stepping Stones Project, he was at a very low ebb in his life. Depression, combined with other health issues had contributed to a sense of worthlessness and feeling he had nothing to offer to others. Since joining the programme and beginning his volunteer placement Abdullah has made lots of positive changes in his life. 'When...
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Tracey's story
Tracey has been volunteering with the Volunteer Centre for over a year. She has been involved with the administration of the Stepping Stones Project and is now supporting another volunteer as their 'buddie'. In the time she has been with the Project she has participated in the Introduction to Volunteering course and has been instrumental in providing mater...
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How we helped Family Friends
Family Friends provides long-term practical help and emotional support to vulnerable families and children in Kensington and Chelsea. Volunteer befrienders visit families in their homes for two hours a week, helping them access local resources, manage personal administration, improve parenting skills and providing a listening ear. Befrienders work with either the pare...
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How we work with the PCT
The Primary Care Trust (PCT) in Kensington and Chelsea has a programme which offers unemployed citizens a chance to gain confidence, new skills and the experience needed to gain a new job. The trust is committed to developing the local community by offering volunteering opportunities. Alongside their high quality volunteering roles they also offer excellent training o...
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See what our partners think
Work Directions has been working in partnership with the New Opportunities Team at the Volunteer Centre for several years. They are one of the leading welfare-to-work providers in the UK, delivering Government-funded employment programmes to over 98,000 clients.Nathalie, Contract Coordinator, Work Directions“We work with five different service providers bu...
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How we helped Martin
Martin Gannon started volunteering through the New Deal. He has been a constant support to the Volunteer Services Team ever since, currently he volunteers two days a week supporting the core services of the volunteer centre.Before I went on the New Deal programme I had been a carer, looking after my elderly mother for over five years. When I referred to New Deal I was...
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Volunteering for A+
John Green had registered with the A+ Project with no clear objective or focus for the future, just a strong feeling he had to 'do' something 'different' from his usual routine. Having worked in a high-pressured environment and dealing with the adverse effect on his health the vigorous routine had caused, John was uncertain what came next.'When I first approached the ...
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Help yourself help others!
Administration Volunteers are essential to the survival of local charities. They give vital back up to the frontline staff so they can directly serve the beneficiaries of your volunteering. Being an administrator allows you to polish up your own office skills as well as helping out a local charity.Click HERE to see our top administration opportunities. Homeshare use ...
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How we helped Meta
Meta dropped into the Volunteer Centre in May and started volunteering at Lancaster Road Activity Project a fortnight later. The Lancaster Road Project runs a drop-in day centre for people who are homeless in the borough of Kensington and Chelsea. Service users can get involved in many creative activities at the centre, Meta is responsible for running the weekly drama...
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Volunteer into work
St. Cuthbert's is an open door, drop-in centre for all vulnerable people in Earl's Court and the surrounding areas. They have a variety of activities and spaces where clients can chill out and socialise.They also work with specialised teams in the borough and are able to refer clients with complex needs to the right services. "We've been working with the Volunteer Ce...
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Getting back on track
One bad decision changed Earl's life. Having had a series of jobs, he ran out of work and luck and into the wrong people. As a result, Earl found himself at the wrong end of a seven year prison sentence. With time to think, he decided to turn the negative into a positive and use the experience to make more of himself. Inspired by the dream of starting his own...