Recognition of Sherborne Voluntary & Community Organisation
On Friday evening 18 January a large number of representatives from 36 local Voluntary Organisations from the Sherborne area braved the elements and joined the friends from Sherborne Douzelage to celebrate the success of the VolunTEAMing project. This project was set up and run by Sherborne Douzelage with a £65,000 (€ 81,078) grant from the EU Europe for Citizens Programme in 2011 (EU volunteering year). With the support of the Volunteer Centre Dorset, the Gryphon School, and Sherborne Area Partnership 3 events were staged during 2011/12, where volunteering ideas where shared. These events were also attended by 7 Douzelage partner towns in Europe.
January presentation to VCS
The Deputy Lieutenant of Dorset, Mrs Anthony Jaggard, Major of Sherborne Cllr Peter Rhodes and Kevin Waterfall, Chairman of Sherborne Douzelage presented cheques totalling approximately £10,000. The cheques were in recognition of their involvement to make this project a success.
Cllr Peter Rhodes remarked on the success of the “Litter picking” project, now adopted in Romania. This as result of the pester power of a youth representative from Siret who took part in this activity in Sherborne. The Douzelage and European Conservation Action Network joined forces which resulted in clothing being sent to Siret in Romania.
The VolunTEAMing project made a significant difference to the lives of people in the participating towns, including creation of a volunteer Centre in Prienai, Lithuania: one could say from the Baltic to the Mediterranean Sea and on a local level it brought many volunteers together for the benefit of us all.
Norman Crabb and Gillian Gunner from Sherborne & Bradford Abbas Camera Club were responsible for the pictures in the local press and the VolunTEAMing website. The Rendezvous provided musical interludes by Adam Weeks and Stuart Moore on the night. The Rendezvous and the Camera Club were among the 36 organisations that picked up the awards to further support their volunteering activities. The Gryphon School and other organisation representatives unable to attend will be presented with or sent their cheques.
EACEA Grant fully paid
We have just received the second and final payment from EACEA for the project. This brings us up to nearly the full amount orignally awarded, less a small amount for some reduced numbers of international participants.
We look forward to being able to send reimbursements to our partner towns shortly, Kevin
EACEA Report submission
All signed sheets received, report written, products copied, cover letter to write and then on Monday the final report will be sent to Brussels.
The report has been sent and confirmed receipt in Brussels on October 10th . There are 90 day for EACEA to review and pay the remaining 50% of the grant, or request additional information.
We hope that all towns are making progress with implementing their action plans and that we can review them together next year,
Kevin
