Volunteer Hours/Certificates (Updated 14/11/2017)
Several of our volunteers have achieved award certificates for contributing a total time of 50 and 100 hours of voluntary service with Melincryddan Advice Centre!
A big congratulations, and massive thanks for the support to:
Thomas during the month of October 2016 has been successful in getting a part time job (20hours) working in One Stop Stores in Skewen. Below is a link of a film of Thomas sharing his experience on the GET NPT Online project.
A big congratulations, and massive thanks for the support to:
- Michael Holland (50 & 100 Hours)
- Gavin Morgan (50 Hours)
- Liam Mitchell (50 Hours)
- Natasha Goode (50 Hours)
- John-Luc Downer (50 Hours)
- Shaun Phillips (50 & 100 Hours)
- Christopher Charlton (50 & 100 Hours)
- Joshua Constable (50 & 100 Hours)
- Thomas Bawden (50 & 100 Hours)
- Liam Williams (50 & 100 Hours)
- Alexander John (50 & 100 Hours)
- Robert Tomczak (50 & 100 Hours)
- Andrew Mainwaring (50 & 100 Hours)
- Shelby Woods (50 & 100 Hours)
- Danniel Harris (200 Hours)
- Megan Jones (200 Hours)
Michael started volunteering on the GET NPT Online project in February 2017 and has already completed over 100 hours volunteering supporting people in Neath Library gain IT skills. Michael shares his experience on the project.
"I help people to get on line, answer questions, and to do job searches.
The Job centre sent me to improve my communication, and improve my confidence; I now find it easier to talk to people.
Volunteering has improved my confidence and it gets me out of the house and meeting new people I am able to help others which makes their life easier to get on line.
I get a lot of advice and support off the volunteer coordinators too.
Being on the project has given me a big confidence boosts, and helped improve my people skills."
Christopher Charlton Volunteering Experience
Christopher started volunteering in February 2017 and has already completed over 50 hours volunteering on the project and shares his experiences on the project
"I have volunteered since 20th February and registered for millennium award, I volunteer in Ystradgynlais Library, and Pontardawe Library to support people to get on internet, with support from Fiona, Stuart, Gareth, Jon-Luke, and Christine.
I was introduced to Fiona and Stuart by Kirstie from Communities for Work to volunteer because I like to help people.
I feel more confident, volunteering has helped my communication and IT skills and it has helped me realize I am capable of working longer hours, and is something extra to put on my CV.
It has helped improve my confidence and skills.
I have learnt new skills with the support from Fiona and Stuart, using the Learn My Way platform, and the support from the volunteers."
John-Luc Volunteering Experience
"I started volunteering in January 2017 and have registered on the Millennium Volunteer award and I have completed over 50 hours volunteering in Ystradgynlais Library. I volunteer for Melincryddan Community Conference as an IT mentor and have been able to pass on my IT skills to empower beneficiaries to gain basic IT skills.
I was referred by DWP and Communities First team to volunteer to gain work experience to improve my chances of gaining employment.
Working as an IT Mentor has improved my confidence and develop my people skills in supporting the beneficiaries I work with gain IT skills. Working on the project has helped support the library staff meet the IT needs of the community. I have been able to support Syrian families, Local Housing group and job seekers improve their IT skills.
The volunteer Coordinators have been very supportive in helping me improve my confidence and people skills.
The experience I have gained volunteering has helped me answer questions in recent job interviews by helping me share how I am able to pass on my knowledge to beneficiaries effectively who want to gain new IT skills.
Volunteering has been helpful in improving my confidence as a person."
Joshua Constable Volunteering Experience
Joshua started his work placement with Melincryyddan Community Conference (MCC) on the 23rd September 2016 and has worked in Neath YMCA, Neath Library, Cwmafan Library and Melin Technology Centre giving one to one IT support to beneficiaries and supporting new beneficiaries access Cyber Studies. Joshua has recently achieved 50 & 100 hours certificate with Millennium Award from NPTCVS. Joshua has been successful in gaining a apprentice Office Clerk with Willis Legal Services in Neath and will be starting on the 16th February.
Joshua shared that the work placement had built up his confidence working with the public and had improved his people skills which helped him to being successful in gaining employment.
Joshua has been a great support and team member on the GET NPT Online project supporting myself and MCC volunteers in setting up the laptops ready for each IT session in Neath Library. Joshua has developed good people skills and this has been evident with the certain individuals who come in for regular IT support asking Joshua for help.
Joshua dedication to the project has been shown with him successfully achieving the 50 and 100 hours Millennium awards given by NPTCVS. Joshua is always on time to help set up the IT sessions and will always contact let me know if he is unable to attend a IT session.
Robert Tomczak Volunteering Experience
"I started volunteering on the GET NPT Online project in January 2017 and work as an IT mentor supporting beneficiaries gain IT skills. I work four days a week in Neath Library which I am responsible for running the IT sessions and supporting other volunteers. I have been registered on the MV award and have completed over 100 hours volunteering,
I went to Neath Port Talbot voluntary service and found out about the opportunity to volunteer on the GET NPT Online project and was contacted by Stuart Morgan (Volunteer Coordinator),
I have come over to live in this country from Poland and been here for about six months. Being on the project has helped me develop my communications skills. Volunteering on the project and will help me get employment. I have been able to share my knowledge with others to gain IT skills.
My confidence has increased and I have been able to pass my IT knowledge
on to other people to be more confident in using a computer, I have been able to help Neath Library staff deliver IT support to the local community.
Volunteering has given me more confidence and helped me regain my skills in another culture / country. Anytime I have needed help the volunteer centre has supported me."
Andrew Mainwaring Volunteering Experience
Andrew started his eight week DWP work placement with Melincryddan Community Conference in August 2017 and has been supporting customers in Neath Job Centre upskill their IT skills by supporting them go through the Learn My Way programme. Andrew has also been involved in helping MCC deliver information in the group sessions too. Andrew has been working towards achieving 200 hours award of excellent Millennium Volunteer Award and has already achieved the 50 and 100 hours award already. Andrew has been a great help on the GET NPT Online project and is well liked by all the DWP advisors.
Tell me what you do as a volunteer?
“Helping customers with ICT support and signing them to Learn My Way website then going through the modules with them. Also helping the work coaches at job centre with ICT support and spread sheets, power points, and posters.“
How did you first get involved? What were your reasons for doing so?
“I went to careers wales for CV building exercise where Stuart and Fiona were speaking about the MCC and volunteering options. Having worked in a warehouse for 7 years I had no skills in customer services. So Stuart and Fiona helped me to get into job centre where I could gain the skills I needed to branch out into retail and other customer focused jobs.”
What difference has your volunteering made a) to yourself b) to others?
“I am a lot more confident approaching customers and am able to use my new skills not only in a working environment, but outside as well.”
How did your volunteer centre help?
“Because of the volunteer work I feel I have been able to improve and also gain new skills in such a short time such as customer services, problem solving, and most of all my confidence.”
Is there anything else you would like to say?
“Just a huge thank you to MCC Stuart, and Fiona for the opportunity.”
Shelby Woods Volunteering Experience
Shelby started her eight week DWP work placement with Melincryddan Community Conference in August 2017 and has been supporting customers in Neath Job Centre upskill their IT skills by supporting them go through the Learn My Way programme. Shelby has been working towards achieving 200 hours award of excellent Millennium Volunteer Award and has already achieved the 50 and 100 hours award already.
Tell me what you do as a volunteer?
“I help support people in Neath job centre by giving people IT support. I sign them to Learn My Way so they can learn new skill in the online world “
How did you first get involved? What were your reasons for doing so?
“The reason why I volunteer is because I like to help people to get online”.
What difference has your volunteering made a) to yourself b) to others
“It has made me a bit more confident around people. I hope that the people I have helped have gone away with new skills.”
How did your volunteer centre help?
“They were able to supply me with information and paper work so I knew what I was doing.”
Is there anything else you would like to say?
“I am hoping to get job very soon.”
Robert & Michael Receiving their certificates
Further Awards
Congratulations to Liam! Awarded with both 50 & 100 hours Millennium Award from @NPTCVS achieved through @JCPNEAPOT work placement.
Alexander John Volunteering Experience
Alex volunteering on the GET NPT project in January 2016 and has successfully received 50 and 100 hours Millennium Volunteer award. Alex volunteered in Neath Library IT session on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday every week and was a great encouragement to all the beneficiaries that he gave one to one IT support. Alex was very reliable and was a great asset in setting up the laptops for each IT sessions and putting them away once the session was completed. Working on the project helped built up his communications skills and has helped him successfully again employment with a local company called Inter – Tissue.
Thomas Bawden Volunteering Experience
Thomas did a work placement in June/ July 2016 with Melincryddan Community Conference and fitted into the GET NPT Online project straight away and worked well as a good team member with the rest of the volunteers on the GET NPT Online project. Thomas has good IT skills and has been able to pass that knowledge onto the beneficiaries that the MCC work with who have been able to gain confidence is using the IT equipment successfully. He is well liked with the beneficiaries that the MCC works with and is always willing to help. He is flexible and is always willing to work where required on the project.
Thomas has been a great help in supporting MCC work in partnership with Coastal Housing deliver a Five Step Programme over a five week period in the Afan Communities First area and helped show the effectiveness of volunteers supporting paid staff deliver basic IT skills.
Thomas has also been involved in supporting the Neath Communities First team launch Cyber Studies to support clients learn basic IT skills.
Thomas has recently completed a two day Digital Champion training course which is accredited.
Due to Thomas being under 25 years old he has received two Millennium Volunteer award (50/100hours) presented by NPTCVS.
Although Thomas finished his Work placement in July he has continued to volunteer on the GET NPT Online project.
Congratulations to Megan for completing a total of 200 hours, and achieving her Millennium Award!
Shaun Phillips Volunteering Experience
Shaun started volunteering for Melincryddan Community Conference (MCC) in August 2017 this year and the opportunity was recommended by a close friend Gavin who was already involved in designing and looking after MCC blog site working as a volunteer. Shaun has already volunteered over 100 hours and has recently achieved 50 & 100 hours Millennium Awards. Shaun has been a great help in looking after all the data that comes in from the GET NPT Online project as well as helping design posters to promote the IT support MCC provide in the Neath Port Talbot community.
This is what Shaun had to share about his volunteering experience on the project.
Tell me what you do as a volunteer (on your work placement) ?
From July:
· I managed and updated the beneficiary database
· Designed and published posters for advertising and administrative purposes
· Received calls as a receptionist at MCC.The calls were mainly beneficiaries asking to be pointed in the right direction, I was able to give them numbers to contact to best help them with their problems; example being citizens advice
· Helped install updated software on machines in the tech centre
· Fixed a networking problem in the tech centre where the machines could not access the Internet
· Created an hours log for volunteers to see how close they are to the millennium volunteers awards
How did you first get involved ? What were your reasons for doing so ?
I first got involved with MCC after my graduation from university where I was in that limbo stage of doing nothing. I was bored and wanted to gain some experience while actively job searching.
I first came into contact with Stuart at a Careers Wales talk set up by the Job Centre. Stuart mentioned what the roles entailed and what I could gain from the position. Another factor in which why I joined was that a close friend, Gavin was also volunteering and had told me about all I could learn and experience at MCC and thought it was a good opportunity for me.
How did your volunteer centre (MCC) help ?
MCC supported me by making me feel like I was part of a team, and didn’t shy to let me know how far my efforts with the design side went.
I gained valuable experience of what it was like to be in an office environment as well as experience as a technician.
I believe I have rekindled my passion for design through the medium of flyer design and document setup. Thanks to Stuart and Fiona for providing me with jobs and tasks to complete and keeping me updated and making sure I was progressing.
Has your volunteering lead to any significant development that you want to highlight (eg if it has lead you to new employment, or a life changing decision)
While I have been volunteering I have been contacted by 3 employers two of which I had to complete technical tests and one proceeded to an interview which I wouldn’t have reached if I wasn’t doing anything with my time. I believe that being a volunteer with MCC has made myself more noticeable to employers.
Can you describe volunteering in one sentence?
Full of IT experiences that have helped me become noticeable by employers.
Is there anything else you would like to say ?
I would like to say thank you to everyone at MCC and Communities First for giving me advice and motivation with my work and for giving me all these tasks to do to make me feel useful to the team
Congratulations to Shaun Phillips for completing a total of 50 & 100 hours, and achieving his Millennium Award!
Other Awards
Congratulations to Gavin Morgan for completing a total of 50 hours, and achieving his Millennium Award!
Congratulations to Liam Mitchell for completing a total of 50 hours, and achieving his Millennium Award!
Congratulations to Natasha Goode for completing a total of 50 hours, and achieving her Millennium Award!
Daniel Harris Volunteering Experience
Brief Introduction :- Daniel is a young person who had been volunteering on the project in the summer of 2014 and this is his story in his words of what he has achieved since being involved with the GET NPT ONLINE project. Daniel is one three young people with the Melincryddan Community Conference who has been successful in achieving 200hrs award of excellence – Millennium Volunteers.
My Communities 2.0 Journey
“In the summer of 2014 at the end of July, I had a lot of spare time on my hands and had nothing to fill it up with. I wished to use my time productively and not waste my summer holidays doing nothing. I wanted to do something that would benefit my community as well as improve my CV, at that time I had never had a proper Job. I am a full time student so I had not had the chance, or the time to work on par with my studies. Fortunately for me I had the whole summer to change that.
I contacted CVS, informing them that I was looking to gain some work experience in order to develop my CV. They suggested that I part take in voluntary work, they told me that it would be a great stepping stone to take before going into the world of work, they said it would give me the confidence, requirements and the skills to higher the possibility of getting employed. In the meeting I was asked to write down my hobbies and interests in order for them to find voluntary work that would suit my interests and strengths, in hope to make the experience more enjoyable and appropriate benefitting me personally. I have always had a great passion for ICT, ever since I had my first computer at 7 years old I have continuously had an obsession with technology and digital/ social media. Taking note from my hobbies and interests, CVS told me about the, “Get NPT Online,” program held within the Neath Port Talbot area. They said that they were eager for volunteers to help them out with the project and would get back to me quickly. As it mentions in the title, the program involved helping the members of the public use technology to get themselves online, opening their eyes to the digital world. As soon as CVS told me about this opportunity, I did not hesitate. I knew that I could do this program, and straight away felt that I could be of great benefit to my community, helping them develop their ICT skills and get them more digital.
A day later, Stuart the Volunteer Coordinator of the MCC contacted me, asking if I could attend one of the drop-in workshops to discuss about the project and the roles of being a volunteer. There and then I had a good feeling about the program and felt that this would be a step in the right direction for me. After I had filled in the paperwork, I instantly got the chance to help people out with their technology difficulties; I had taken to the program like a duck to water and straight away asked if I could volunteer in more Sessions.
From that point on, more and more opportunities were coming up, I wanted to get to know the program inside and out so I felt that it would be a good idea to volunteer in all the sessions I could manage in order for me to have a deeper understanding of the program. The first two weeks had passed, I found myself volunteering five days a week. I enjoyed it so much I didn’t realise how much time I was dedicating to the program. Before I started the program CVS told me about the Millennium Awards, there are three certificates to achieve, the bronze, silver and gold. In order to achieve the awards you need to part take and dedicate your time to achieving the first 50 hours, that would get you a Bronze certificate, then the silver, which is 100 hours and finally the gold award which is 200 hours! I felt that I could get 200 hours before Christmas. It got me excited. It is now the 7th of November and I have achieved my Bronze, Sliver and am on course in achieving my Gold certificate.
After the summer holidays had ended and university started back, I did not want to give up what I was doing. I knew that if I could manage my time, it would most certainly be possible for me to juggle my university course while still volunteer with the project. Within the first few weeks of University, I had a call from the MCC informing me that communities 2.0 wanted to do a case study on me, a photographer took photographs of me in action and a journalist did a write up of my story, helping members of the public with technology. Shortly after, I was told that ITV wanted to interview myself, and the members of the community I help out in. It was get online week (An international weeklong event dedicated to getting the UK more Digital and up to date with technology). To my amazement I could not believe what I was hearing, I was over the moon! It gave me a chance to express the benefits of this project to the whole of Wales and let them know what we are doing as a community to help members of the public keep up with technology and to keep up with modern day times. The interview was an amazing experience; it was great meeting new people from communities 2.0 and members of the ITV crew. After the ITV interview had wrapped up, that evening I then had a call asking if I would be interested in doing an interview with the BBC for the following day. That was just the icing on the cake form me, ITV and the BBC had both interviewed me within two days, it was amazing!
Soon after, I was offered a Digital Inclusion Tutoring job with the MCC. It is brilliant, I get to do what I enjoy and have done in the past as a volunteer and get paid for it, while still studying at University “
Also, congratulations to our volunteers with @MelincryddanCc who were awarded their certificates #volunteersweek for helping people get online.
Congratulations to our volunteers on the recognition of their outstanding contribution from @NPTCVS Well deserved!
Here they are getting their certificates through their great work with the 'Get NPT Online' project from @NPTCVS
Great to see Peter Pearce receiving a certificate for course work he did volunteering on the GET NPT Online project.
Good to see MCC volunteers receiving awards for their continued commitment to volunteering in their community.
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