Micro Volunteering and Partnership Working
How partnership and collaboration with other organisations can build an environment in which volunteers can thrive.
As part of VAST’s commitment to support individuals from marginalised groups whilst also supporting local grass roots projects VAST supported a ‘micro’ volunteering opportunity with individuals from Asha. (Asha actively promotes social inclusion for asylum seekers and refugees), Staffordshire Wildlife and Newcastle Community Transport.
Research (National Library of Medicine) PubMed Central: Therapeutic Nature Activities: A Step Toward the Labor Market for Traumatized Refugees – PMC
In the last decade research has documented that nature contributes positively to our mental state in numerous ways.
Among other things, nature-based therapy and horticultural therapy have been shown to alleviate symptoms associated with PTSD and to help people suffering from anxiety or depression. Nature-based therapy is defined by Corazon et al. as “[a]n intervention initiating a therapeutic process with activities involving natural elements in a specially designed or chosen natural environment, aiming for the recovery for a specific patient group.”
The aim of the day was to help individuals to build skills, increase wellbeing and social networks, support individuals with their mental wellbeing as well as giving a valuable insight into how nature can be a therapeutic tool to aid mental wellbeing.
Eleven individuals from Asha attended The Dudson Centre where we completed a Health & Safety briefing. Goody bags were given to everyone which contained a journal to support the recording of their feelings to help alleviate stress and anxiety, binoculars, a British bird identifying book, pens and suitable snacks.
Newcastle Community Transport supported the event by transporting individuals alongside volunteers from VASTs Projects Team to Westport Lake where we were met by Staffordshire Wildlife.
Together we made bird feeders from vegetable suet and upcycled plastic bottles and made flour ‘worms.’
The group were given a health and safety talk including how to use their binoculars safely and we then began to look for birds at Westport Lake Nature reserve, sharing what we found whilst learning about each bird in more detail.
Staffordshire Wildlife also shared some useful apps for walks and activities, the RSPCA and becoming a Roving Ranger.
