Why police officers are protesting 

What people in Walsall have to consider is what it means for our town and police force. Whatever your opinion may be on the subject some of the facts can not be argued with.

In short people are more safer now than they have been for a long time, the types of crime that hit the headlines in newspapers are infrequent in the Borough and the police force that serves us do a good job. Yes there are problems, but nowhere in the world is perfect.

There is clearly a lot of concern around in the Police force at present and dare we say a need to listen to those that are protesting. Possibly the biggest risk in all of this is risking damaging the public opinion of the force. We have some great people doing a job that many others would not like to take on to keep us all safe and they need to be supported for the good work that they do including the back room staff.

Information is freely available about services in our area and the opportunity to engage and communicate with the service is as open as it has ever been. You will find that our local force has tried and succeeded in many new ways of better engaging with local residents. For more information about policing in Walsall please visit the Walsall Local Policing Unit Web Page. From here you can also access other links to information on crime statistics and a wealth of interesting and useful information.  

A group requires the use of a small hall with a waiting/ reception area on Sunday evenings between 5:30pm and 9pm. The ideal venue would be close to Rushall or its surrounding areas and ideally have some space where a limited amount of equipment could be stored by the group.

If you feel that you may be able to fill some or all of these requirements please get in touch with Ian at Walsall Voluntary Action email ianw@walsallva.org.uk or call him on our office number on 01922619840

There is something for everyone, so take a look and support your town and local community by taking part. A good time is assured for both young and old.

We would appreciate it if you could spare five minutes of your time to fill in the questionnaire and return to us as soon as possible.  Finance Service Questionnaire

Thousands of people regularly volunteer every week inWalsall, they don’t do it for self promotion they do it because they want to help and they get a lot out of volunteering. No matter what age they may be or their background and experience, volunteering has something to offer everyone.

In the period January – March 2012 Walsall Voluntary Action who operate Walsall Volunteer Centre dealt with 294 volunteer enquiries of which 188 led to people registering to volunteer in Walsall. WVA also registered a total of 17 new opportunities in the area which is a comparatively high figure.

Volunteering does not always get the support to make things happen that many may assume is the case. Many local organisations and groups work on a purely voluntary basis and the volunteers that run these groups often find it difficult to keep everything running smoothly and raise funding to support their work. More demand gets placed upon voluntary sector services as public sector services get cut in these challenging times which makes a problem for us all as the volunteer groups are receiving no more resources to deliver their highly valued services.

 There is light at the end of the tunnel, WVA is here to help these local groups and has many successes in generating the support needed however they also only have a limited capacity like any organisation. The sooner that support for volunteering gets placed as a higher priority for decision makers locally and nationally, the sooner such local organisations should be able to find it easier to get the support that they need to get on with the important work that they do. In this case actions do speak louder than words.

There may be some good news on the horizon however as Volunteering England has welcomed the passing of the Public Services (Social Value) Bill through Parliament, which will require public authorities to consider economic, social and environmental impact when commissioning and procuring services.

This is a crucial development for the thousands of organisations across the country that involve volunteers. In particular, this could be a game-changer for small organisations that find it difficult to compete with large contractors despite their local knowledge

Volunteering has a huge economic significance. Over 20 million people volunteer every year, giving more than 100 million hours of service every week, and it has been estimated that the economic value of this activity is worth in excess of £40 billion to our GDP, making it one of the largest ‘industries’ in the UK.

Volunteering has an even greater value than simply ensuring our essential community services function. It makes a crucial contribution to binding our communities together, to building social capital and trust between individuals and helping to make our communities better places to live and work.

One reason why volunteering and volunteering support services are facing such a hard time is that they find it difficult to measure their value and prove their worth. We know that volunteering works,that it makes a difference in countless ways, but with funding so tight we need to do more than simply pronounce that volunteering is a good thing. We need to work together to demonstrate the impact that volunteering has on beneficiaries, community and volunteers and the gaps which would be left if it was withdrawn.

Contact us with your thoughts and ideas, if you are an individual, an organisation or if you just have an interest in there being a stronger voluntary sector in Walsall. How can we work together to do more to support volunteering locally? Email your thoughts to ianw@walsallva.org.uk

• Tuesday 22nd March – 3pm and 6pm at Blakenall Village Centre, Walsall
• Friday 20th April at 3pm and 6pm – Avon Business and Leisure Centre, Cannock
• Monday 23rd April at 3pm and 6pm – The Crossing at St Paul’s, Walsall
• Weds 25th April at 3pm and 6pm – Aldridge Masonic Hall
• Weds 9th May at 3pm and 6pm – The Public, West Bromwich

If you are interested in attending you are welcome to turn up on the day. If you have any questions or access requirements please contact  Karen Goldsmith on 01922 618 380 or by emailing karen.goldsmith@walsall.nhs.uk

WSCB Influence and Impact Poster