Blog | Middlesbrough Voluntary Development Agency

We're off out

30 June 2017 - 9:21am

"A desk is a dangerous place from which to view the world" – John le Carré

At MVDA, we’ve been exploring what it is to be a social leader. For me, it starts by understanding who it is you are leading.

Those of us working in the local voluntary sector have the privilege to be seen as part of the communities we work to serve. Although this is sometimes a barrier to overcome, people boxing you off as ‘grass-roots’, often hosting your presence at the table as a tick box exercise rather than valued contributor, it is still vital to the success of our mission.

Fit and Fed - Shaping a youth offer for Middlesbrough

1 June 2017 - 4:22pm

Guest blog by John Downes, Head of Network Development at Streetgames

In a time when we are in the run up to a general election many questions are being asked by young people on what the future will look like for them. It was interesting on last night’s leaders debates that Plaid Cymru leader Leanne Wood mentioned the role that youth service and youth workers play in helping shape the future of young peoples’ lives.

Tag, Share or Like

1 June 2017 - 12:47pm

Yes, we have finally taken the plunge and have gone for a double dose as well! Middlesbrough Volunteer Centre has a Facebook page, not just that we also have a South Tees wide volunteering page.

#helpieselfiechallenge accepted!

1 June 2017 - 11:07am

How is it National Volunteers Week already!?

I returned a whole month ago now from maternity leave and it has been lovely coming back to a new, larger volunteer centre team with so much energy and enthusiasm. There is so much going on with new projects up and running providing support to local people to kick start their volunteering journey and lots of exciting opportunities in the pipeline.

Kinship carers: why support matters

14 December 2016 - 11:49am

Every child taken into the care of a family member, when their own parent is no longer able to care, saves the public purse upwards of £35,000 per year. The figure applies to a staggering 200,000 children and young people currently subject to kinship care arrangements in England. That is three times the number of children and young people (70,000) in local authority care. This startling statistic got my attention at the ‘Relative Experience Project’ conference I attended on 29 November 2016.