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Thursday 29 March 2007 was a day for celebrating at
Maidstone Community Support Centre, Marsham Street. Maidstone
Volunteer Bureau (MVB) hosted an event to celebrate a number of
initiatives that will benefit their local community and other
voluntary organisations.
Sue Towns Okorodudu, Chief Executive Officer of MVB, opened the
event and led the event proceedings.
Launch of MVB's new website
Maidstone Volunteer Bureau's new website was demonstrated for all to view
(this link will open in a new window). It has a wealth of
information about the services provided by MVB, and links to many
other organisations - which will be extremely useful to the local
community and organisations.
The Community Services Directory, produced annually by MVB in
hard copy is also now available on the website.
There are over one hundred and forty guidance notes that can be
downloaded on anything to do with starting and running a voluntary
and community organisation, for example, how to write a
constitution and register as a charity, how to write business plan,
legal and HR issues.
 Inauguration of the Maidstone Brighter Futures
mini-bus
The Brighter Futures Group is a partnership with Kent Adult
Social Services, Health and other voluntary and community sector
organisations. It is funded by the Government's Invest to Save
Budget to support people in their communities aged 75 and over. The
Maidstone Brighter Futures project has recently taken out a lease
on a new mini-bus which will be used to increase the number of
supported group shopping trips for older people. The shopping
trips, which have been running for over a year, have proved really
popular and demand for them is ever increasing - so the ability to
increase the number of trips will be a bonus for the older people
of Maidstone. The mini-bus will also be used to take groups of
older people on days trips to places of their choice such as the
seaside or a stately home.
The Mayor of Maidstone cutting the ribbon on the mini-bus to
signify its official launch.
MVB's Resource Centre
The Mayor of Maidstone officially opened MVB's new Resource
Centre, located upstairs in the Community Support Centre. The
Resource Centre is for the use of voluntary and community groups in
Maidstone. It contains a library of useful books, magazines,
information sheets and leaflets, which can all be borrowed,
alongside a computer (with internet access) and printer.
FunderFinder (a searchable funding database) is also available for
use free of charge.
A 'hot-desk' is available for new and emerging voluntary and
community organisations without an office of their own.
The Centre also hosts Maidstone Borough Council's Funding
Officer who offers free funding advice sessions once a month - a
very popular service.
A range of people attended the event - people who access MVB
services, voluntary and community organisations' representatives,
local Councillors and volunteers. Both the Mayor and Councillor
Eric Hotson, Leader of the Council, expressed their admiration for
MVB and of the importance of all the voluntary and community groups
in Maidstone. Everyone that attended the event enjoyed it and
agreed that it was great success. |