Ashford Volunteer Centre

To help raise awareness of its charity objectives the Ashford Volunteer Centre mission/purpose is kept simple – ‘to inspire more people to volunteer so they can enhance their lives, the lives of others and build resilient communities’. We have a holistic approach to volunteering and recognise that in order to be able to successfully volunteer it requires person-centred thinking and support mechanisms.

Ashford Volunteer Centre has values in order create a pathway from which the charity seeks to achieve its mission, these values are:
• Everyone has the right to offer their time to volunteer
• Every volunteer has the right to have a great volunteering experience
• Volunteers must never be a replacement for paid workers
• True volunteering is for the benefit of the social community, the individual, and volunteer involving organisations
• We believe that volunteering enhances organisations

The Ashford Volunteer Centre activities that are undertaken on our pathway to achieve our mission/purpose:
• Inspire and enable people to volunteer e.g. provide opportunities to support wellbeing of volunteers, one-day courses on volunteering (aimed at people who are not in education, employment or training), ‘Can-Do Crew’ (youth volunteering) project, Befriending service, Volunteer Car Scheme, volunteer brokerage, art, photography, entrpreneurship and self employment training and creative workshops etc.
• Advocate that volunteer involving organisations are able to offer an excellent volunteering experience e.g. supporting Repton Community Trust to develop a volunteer-led community centre in Repton Park in Ashford
• Inform, educate and inspire our leaders on the benefits of volunteering e.g. Vice-Chairing the What Matters’ Ashford Youth Providers Forum, championing the involvement of volunteers via our Information, Advice and Guidance services, writing articles on volunteering for local parish newsletters, representing the voluntary sector on the Ashford Borough Council Community Grants panel etc.
• Inspiring the development of volunteering opportunities which brings benefits to the community and enhances social capital e.g. supporting Repton Community Trust to develop a volunteer-led community centre at Repton Park in Ashford, Volunteer Car Scheme, scoping the development of spice credits/time banking in Ashford, being part of the Our Place Wye initiative.
• As an organisation we are effective, are well governed, welcome diversity and a great place to work.

In both monitoring and planning the charitable activities (which includes any fundraising activities) the Ashford Volunteer Centre the trustees/board of Directors have referred to the Charity Commission guidance on the public benefit.

Ashford Volunteer Centre has been selected as Charity of the Year by the Kent Messenger for the local area which means greater publicity and promotion of our projects in the local press.