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SCVO and Sandwell Council have a simple way for people to support two national initiatives: the Big Help Out and Volunteers’ Week. They’re asking everyone to take a tin of food to their local library – it’s as easy as that!

The Big Help Out and Volunteers’ Week, in early June, are great opportunities to support our community, boost team morale, and enhance your company’s reputation.

How you can participate

This year, SCVO (Sandwell Council of Voluntary Organisations) has set you a straightforward challenge to celebrate both events. Between Monday 3 June and Friday 7 June, take a tin of food to your nearest library! All donations will directly benefit local food banks, which are currently experiencing high demand.

Better still, encourage your team to coordinate a collective food donation effort. This will not only foster team spirit but also create a nice photo opportunity.

Drop-off dates for tins

• Monday 3 June to Friday 7 June, at any Sandwell library during opening hours (here are the locations and opening details).
• Saturday 8 June, 10am – 12 noon, Haden Hill House
• Sunday 9 June, 10am – 12 noon, West Smethwick Park (at the pavilion).

Photo opportunities

Capture your team with their donations and share the moment on social media – you can tag SCVO, Let’s Go Sandwell, Sandwell Business Growth and Sandwell Business Ambassadors and each organisation will share wherever appropriate. Use the hashtag #BringATin!

If you’d like to coordinate a photo opportunity with SCVO, contact Kim Fuller via kim@scvo.info to find out which library she will be in on which day. Kim will also be at the park events on both days with a wheely bin for your donations.

Volunteering information events

During Volunteers’ Week, Sandwell libraries will be holding events to highlight local volunteering opportunities:

• Monday 3 June: Hamstead Library, 10am – 12 noon
• Monday 3 June: Tipton Library, 1.30pm – 3.30pm
• Tuesday 4 June: Cradley Heath Library, 11am – 1pm
• Wednesday 5 June: Wednesbury Library, 9.30am – 11.30am
• Wednesday 5 June: Oldbury Library, 3pm – 5pm
• Friday 7 June: Thimblemill Library, 12 noon – 2pm

Litter picks

Sandwell is also hosting litter picks for the Big Help Out weekend:

• Saturday 8 June, 10am – 12 noon: Haden Hill Park (meet in front of the House)
• Sunday 9 June, 10am-12 noon: West Smethwick Park (meet at the pavilion).

All litter-picking equipment will be provided. You can drop off tins during those events, too. If you’re planning to attend a litter pick as a corporate team, please tell Kim Fuller via kim@scvo.info so she knows to expect you.

Let’s unite to make Sandwell proud!

About the Big Help Out and Volunteers’ Week

The Big Help Out raises awareness of volunteering throughout the UK. It provides opportunities for people to experience volunteering and make a difference in their communities.

In 2024, the Big Help Out is taking place from 7-9 June to coincide with Volunteers’ Week (3-9 June). In its 40th anniversary year, Volunteers’ Week celebrates the amazing contributions that volunteers make to communities across the UK.

For National Apprenticeship Week 2024, we share two stories about successful apprentices in Sandwell: Callum in carpentry and Paige in plastering!

National Apprenticeship Week 2024 takes place between Monday 5 and Sunday 11 February. It’s a chance to celebrate apprentices, their achievements, and the positive impact they make on communities, businesses and the wider economy.

Sandwell Council recommends apprenticeships to local businesses as a way of investing in the future. You can train an employee to have the skills that are exactly right for your industry, in a cost-effective way. In the meantime, you are fostering a culture of development and learning in your workplace.

A social value commitment

So we also recognise apprenticeships as a social value commitment: a way to give back to Sandwell and its people.

Therefore, we have been very glad to hear about the progress of local resident Callum Farmer. Callum started with a trainee multi-trade position with building contractors E Manton, which led to an apprenticeship with Sandwell Council.

E Manton was the principal contractor working to expand the Ron Davis Centre in Smethwick. This is a learning hub run by Sandwell Adult and Family Learning Service (SAFL).

Funded by the Towns Fund, the £360k development added two new specialised digital classrooms to the Ron Davis Centre. It boosted the range of services that SAFL can offer.

The work enabled Callum to invest in tools and start saving for a car. Its varied nature – and further work with E. Manton – also allowed him to decide which area of the building trade suited him best.

Now Callum has gone on to do a carpentry apprenticeship with Sandwell Council’s Neighbourhoods Team. We hear that he is doing very well.

“I wanted to know how to get into a trade”

We’re also glad to hear about Paige, who is doing a three-year plastering apprenticeship.

Paige’s original plan was to work in the beauty industry. She had done a training course in beauty. She was also having one-to-one sessions with a mentor, who was helping her to find courses and look for suitable vacancies. The mentor was from Think Sandwell. This is Sandwell Council’s Employment and Skills Team, which helps local people into work and supports local employers to fill job and skills gaps in their workforce.

Paige’s career path took a change in direction, however, when her mum was having building work done on her home and struggling to find people to carry out work.

 “I realised that there was lots of work available and wanted to know how to get into a trade”, said Paige.

Responding to Paige’s change of heart, the Think Sandwell mentor arranged for Paige to do a construction overview course. This included training for a Construction Skills Certification Scheme (CSCS) card. Carrying this card gives proof that an individual working on a construction site has the required training and qualifications for the type of work they carry out.

Paige got her CSCS card, and along the way, learned that she enjoyed plastering the most.

With support from Think Sandwell, Paige applied for relevant work experience placements. Soon, drywalling specialists DCL offered her an opportunity to work with them on the Windsor Olympus Academy site in Smethwick.

As a result of her strong work experience performance, DCL offered Paige a three-year plastering apprenticeship. She started it in April 2023.

Learning a skilled trade

Scott Joynes is a project manager at DCL. He said: “It’s nice to see younger age groups having an interest in learning a skilled trade. Having Paige on site has been a breath of fresh air, she certainly keeps us all on our toes. I started as an apprentice myself when I was sixteen and it’s great to see the support networks that are in place to support apprentices now.”

John Jacznik, director at DCL, said: “It’s refreshing to have someone with that enthusiasm on site. Her character and spirit will make her into a great asset. The support from Think Sandwell in finding an apprentice and setting up the apprenticeship has been a great example of partnership working”.

Learn more about apprenticeships in Sandwell – and read more social value stories.