Telford Together
So thought about 2013 and writing a blow by blow account of what happened in the year just like you read in the papers. Although some good things happened, some dreadful things happened here too and I spent some time thinking of those too. I’m not going to trawl up the past, I’m going to try and do something positive, but I need your help.
After a stint volunteering with Severn Hospice, Telford Foodbank, Telford Community Volunteer Service, and Sanktuary, a meeting with Rob Francis a few months back, some idle chatter with others and some tweet requests from others wanting to lend the occasional hand, I’m moving an ambitious plan from the back burner to the top oven.
Every so often there is a need for people to help out with something. It could be handballing a pallet of food from a lorry for an hour. It could be digging a path through a snowy churchyard so a funeral can take place. It could be putting up a marquee so a music event can take place. It could be finding a posh car and smart driver to take a 15yr old to the Prom because the limo let them down (thanks Nigel!) . It could be shaking a tin outside Tescos for an hour. It could literally be anything.
I’d like to help bring people together who want to help out now and then but maybe don’t want the commitment of regular hours, together with the organisations and groups who just need a bit of help. Bringing Telford Together.
It works like this:
I get a request from a trusted source for physical help.
Depending on the urgency of the assistance required, a call will go out on twitter, using the #telfordtogether hashtag, or Facebook, or by email with all the details to the Telford Together Volunteer Army.
If you are in a position to help and you want to help, you can. No commitment, no obligation.
No commitment, you might help out once a year, once a week, never, it’s all OK. Being part of this just means you don’t mind being asked. You get on the list by filling this in
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Each email sent out will have an unsubscribe link in it, no need to write to me! That’s OK too. Peoples circumstances change. I don’t envisage too many requests & will try to group up requests for help into one email. Urgent stuff might warrant a special email, really urgent might mean Twitter & Facebook only. I’ll use the #telfordtogether hashtag.
So, have you ever been helped by me, had an RT from me or had a bit of banter with me? Maybe you came to #campcocktail or wished you had! Have you lurked on twitter and seen the good people can do and thought ‘I’d like a bit of that’? #TefordTogether. Please share.
Update 23/12/13: Well. I stopped counting after 60 people joined the Volunteer Army. I’ve been blown away by the response, and humbled by the offers of help. I have also got our first mission ready for just after Christmas. This could really be a thing. Thank you all.
Update 04/2/13: Now, 92 people!