RSVP WEST PROJECT LIST

Almost every project listed here urgently needs more volunteers to sustain and enlarge its activities. We encourage you to lend your time and expertise to any that match your location and your interests. Either discuss opportunities with the listed contact for a project that attracts you or ask for advice from the Regional Coordinator at the CREATE Centre in Bristol. There are also opportunties for volunteer placements outside the formal project structure — the Regional Coordinator will be able to advise you. Or you could always start a project of your own — unlimited possibilities exist for new projects to serve your locality or special interest.

REGIONAL HQ AND REGIONAL PROJECTS

Various regional administrative projects.
Contact: Bob Maggs
E-mail: office@rsvp-west.org.uk

Life Skills, Bristol
Based at the CREATE Centre, this project helps children to understand and prevent dangerous risks in a real-life TV and theatrical ‘set’, complete with sound effects.
Contact: Shirley Stark
E-mail: bristolprojects@rsvp-west.org.uk

Royal & Sun Alliance Pensioners
Social events and welfare support for Royal & Sun Alliance pensioners in the region. Support for RSA pensioners working with charities and voluntary groups.
Contact: Graham Briscoe
E-mail: sunalliance@rsvp-west.org.uk

West Region Knitting Group
Volunteers throughout the region make baby blankets, teddies and other goods for hospitals, emergency services, and overseas charities.
Contact: Shirley Stark
E-mail: bristolprojects@rsvp-west.org.uk

PRIMARY CARE

Backwell Backstops
This scheme provides transport for Backwell residents to get to medical appointments in hospitals and local doctors’ surgeries.
Contact: Tina Andrews
E-mail: office@rsvp-west.org.uk

Clevedon Care
A transport service, which takes local residents to hospitals, health centres, dentists, visiting friends and relatives, and so on.
Contact: John Gay
E-mail: clevedoncare@rsvp-west.org.uk

Nailsea Availables
Providing hospital car transport for Nailsea residents requiring treatment who are patients of the local medical centres of Tower House, Brockway, and Backwell.
Contact: Alan Stacey
E-mail: nailseaavailables@rsvp-west.org.uk

Oldfield Surgery Drivers, Bath
Volunteers take elderly, infirm, and sick people to and from the surgery.
Contact: John Whittingham
E-mail: office@rsvp-west.org.uk

Spence Group Practice, Bristol
Drivers take elderly or housebound local people to and from the surgery.
Contact: Anne Norbury
E-mail: westburypark@rsvp-west.org.uk

Westbury-on-Trym Surgery
The project drivers take elderly or housebound local people to and from the surgery.
Contact: John Kettlewell
E-mail: office@rsvp-west.org.uk

COMMUNITY WORK

Abbeyfield House, Bristol
Visiting residents in a residential home, on occasion relieving the housekeeper and arranging and participating in outings.
Contact: Shirley Stark
E-mail: bristolprojects@rsvp-west.org.uk

Congresbury Carers
A group of volunteers give their time to take elderly residents or residents unable to use public transport to hospital, doctors surgery, shopping or visiting residents in nursing or residential homes.
Contact: Margaret Liemdorfer
E-mail: congresburycarers@rsvp-west.org.uk

Failand Drivers Group
The Group provides transport to doctors, hospitals, dentists and other health providers for residents of Failand and Lower Failand.
Contact: Brian Hale
E-mail: northsomerset@rsvp-west.org.uk

Family Contact Centre, Swindon
The Centre provides a secure environment in which estranged parents and their children can meet and spend time together.
Contact: Angie Angus
E-mail: swindonfcc@rsvp-west.org.uk

Jubilee Day Centre, Portishead
A weekly day centre that provides entertainment and a light lunch for elderly people.
Contact: Vic Rawlings
E-mail: northsomerset@rsvp-west.org.uk

Nailsea and Backwell Community Care
The project provides help and local transport for elderly and housebound people referred by local medical centres and social services.
Contact: Vic Rawlings
E-mail: northsomerset@rsvp-west.org.uk

Portishead Community Care
The project provides help and local transport for elderly and housebound people.
Contact: Vic Rawlings
E-mail: northsomerset@rsvp-west.org.uk

Southside Family Project, Bath
The project provides specialist support services to local families, often with seriously disorganised relationships or affected by the “ghosts” of their childhood, in order to strengthen their independence and self-worth.
Contact: Tony Comer
E-mail: banesprojects@rsvp-west.org.uk

Thornbury Community Garden
A sensory garden created by volunteers that is designed especially for disabled, partially-sighted and blind people.
Contact: Adrian Jones
E-mail: thornburycg@rsvp-west.org.uk

Weston-super-Mare Community Care
Volunteers provide help and local transport for elderly and housebound people who have been referred by local medical centres and social services.
Contact: Vic Rawlings
E-mail: northsomerset@rsvp-west.org.uk

Weston-super-Mare Knitting Group
The group provides clothing and blankets for neonatal units, both locally and for a hospital and orphanage in Romania.
Contact: Jill Gamlin
E-mail: northsomerset@rsvp-west.org.uk

Winford Community Cars
Volunteers make themselves available to take those residents of the parish of Winford without their own transport to local medical facilities.
Contact: Brian Hawkins
E-mail: northsomerset@rsvp-west.org.uk

Wrington Helpline
A group of about 30 local drivers take local residents to and from medical practices, hospitals and the link They also take people to visit patients in hospital or nursing homes.
Contact: Peter Owen
E-mail: northsomerset@rsvp-west.org.uk

SCHOOLS

Bristol schools placements
Volunteers support Bristol schools through help with reading, numeracy, the arts, computing and in other ways agreed between the volunteers and the teachers they support.
Contact: Ian James
E-mail: bristolschools@rsvp-west.org.uk

North Somerset schools placements
Volunteers provide help in primary and junior schools at various locations across North Somerset
Contact: Vic Rawlings
E-mail: northsomerset@rsvp-west.org.uk

Schools placements in Bath, NE Somerset and NW Wiltshire
Volunteers help in primary schools with reading, writing, arts, crafts, libraries and general administration. More schools in the area would like to take part in this programme, so volunteers are always welcome.
Contact: Tony Comer
E-mail: banesprojects@rsvp-west.org.uk

South Gloucestershire schools placements
Volunteers are placed into primary schools to help with reading.
Contact: Rita Boote
E-mail: office@rsvp-west.org.uk

Swindon schools placements
As well as encouraging involvement by volunteers in Swindon schools, RSVP is working in partnership with the local Rotary Club and Swindon Borough Council to promote literacy.
Contact: Dave Brown
E-mail: swindonprojects@rsvp-west.org.uk

ENVIRONMENT

Climate Change and the over-50s
On behalf of RSVP headquarters this project is aiming to reduce confusion about how the over-50s can assist the collective effort to overcome the most important issue facing humanity.
Contact: Dave Brown
E-mail: swindonprojects@rsvp-west.org.uk

MISCELLANEOUS

The Matthew, Bristol
RSVP West volunteers guide visitors around this reconstruction of the ship on which John Cabot sailed to discover Newfoundland in 1497.
Contact: Janine Clarke or Jo Lovell
E-mail: office@rsvp-west.org.uk

Yate Magistrates Court tea bar
Volunteers staff a tea bar Monday to Friday mornings, serving refreshments and light snacks to visitors to the court.
Contact: Violet Luton
E-mail: office@rsvp-west.org.uk

© 2003–08 RSVP West. Page last updated on 23 October 2006.