We are here to support, promote and develop voluntary and community action in Middlesbrough
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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.
Social Prescribing – What’s strong not wrong
22 June 2017 - 12:14pm
I don’t need convincing of the benefits of social prescribing. I spent 18 months researching it back in 2014 and produced a business case proposing a model for South Tees. My positive views however, were reinforced at a recent Kings Fund conference I attended ‘Social Prescribing – from Rhetoric to Reality’. Allthough it was somewhat preaching to the converted, the conference was attended by over 400 delegates some of which had to be accommodated via a viewing room which streamed the conference live, due to the demand for places.
A reflection on assessments
22 June 2017 - 12:09pm
I’ve recently decided to build ‘reflective’ time into my working week, to take stock of work ticked off the endless to do list, what I’ve learnt, the people I’ve met etc. It’s something that I hope will become a habit as it’s such a useful exercise to put things into perspective, identifying areas for improvement, good things, and the appreciation of others.
‘Human altruism which is not egoism is sterile’ – Marcel Proust
22 June 2017 - 12:05pm
We like to believe that people volunteer purely out of the goodness of their hearts. The reality is that people have a wide range of reasons to want to offer their time and skills to organisations. This can range from gaining experience in a specific role/ sector or utilising skills already obtained, making community connections, desire to feel valued and part of a team, getting involved in something enjoyable outside of work and family commitments, plus many more.
Collegiate Recovery in the UK?
20 June 2017 - 4:26pm
Guest blog by Mark Gilman, former Strategic Lead for NHS England on Substance Abuse
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