11/6/13
Highlighting our incredible volunteers during national volunteers week
During National Volunteers Week we took the opportunity to highlight the amazing and invaluable work carried out by our organisation’s volunteers. Here are some facts about the enormous contribution they make to The Wallich:

Our amazing volunteers contribute an average of 570 hours a month, that’s the equivalent of over 15 full-time members of staff.

Without volunteers, our weekend Rough Sleepers Intervention Teams and Zac’s Place Café drop-in service in Swansea wouldn't be able to run.

We have hosted 7 interns at our organisation this year – all of whom have made an enormous contribution in specific departments, or have undertaken specific projects which wouldn’t have happened without them.

5 corporate organisations have donated 62 volunteers and over 250 hours of hard work this year.

Our community and RSVP (Resident’s and Services User’s Volunteer Programme) volunteers have contributed over 11,000 hours in the past year! 11,000!

And last, but certainly not least – huge congratulations to the 1 RSVP and 4 community volunteers who have gained employment at The Wallich this year.

Thank You All!

11/6/13
Llanelli residents and staff to benefit from technology course
Residents and staff from The Wallich’s Clos Sant Paul project in Llanelli are to benefit from a course which is funded by Carmarthenshire County Council in partnership with Coleg Sir Gar.

The course, to be held over 12 weeks, will use the latest technology to teach attendees how to film and edit video and make and record music. The attendees will produce a final project incorporating everything they’ve learnt.

Clos Sant Paul provides a temporary home for young homeless people aged 16 – 24, in self-contained flats.

The project was featured last year on the hit Channel 4 series ‘Secret Millionaire’ and received £70,000 to develop a café and recording studio to benefit the residents and the local community. Plans are well underway to make the project a reality and whilst the staff and residents wait for leases to be confirmed and funding bids to staff the development to be approved, the training course will give them a head start on the technology and software they will be using once the project is up and running.

Paul Sheridan, Manager of The Wallich in Carmarthenshire said;

“This is such a great opportunity for the staff and residents of Clos Sant Paul and we are really grateful to Carmarthenshire County Council and Coleg Sir Gar for supporting us. We hope this course will be the start of something very exciting for the people we support, and the community at large, and we can’t wait to get our own studio up and running so we can put everything we’ve learnt to good use.”

11/6/13
Give homelessness a run for its money in the cardiff half marathon
The Lloyds TSB Cardiff Half Marathon has grown into one of the largest road races in the United Kingdom and this year, The Wallich will be part of it.

We have a number of corporate team places available for the event on October 6th and are also encouraging members of the public to run for us by becoming one of the half marathon’s official ‘associated charities’.

http://www.cardiffhalfmarathon.co.uk/list-of-associated-charities/

The event is not only the U.K’s second largest half marathon, it is Wales’ largest road race and Wales’ largest multi-charity fundraising event.

The 2012 event witnessed the introduction of a new course which encompassed Cardiff’s most iconic landmarks. The size of the field has also dramatically expanded during the race’s history; from just under 1,500 runners in 2003 to 18,000 in 2012.

Thousands of runners raise money for charity by getting sponsored, with more than £2.2million raised for 800 charities and good causes. If you would like to be one of them, and help us end homelessness in Wales, please contact Derith Rhisiart, Community Fundraising Co-ordinator on: 02920 660 468 / derith.rhisiart@thewallich.net