A SPECIAL reception was held in Okehampton?s Ockment Centre this week to mark the official renaming of the town?s volunteer bureau. In line with Volunteering England?s decision to have a corporate image for all volunteer bureaux nationally, the organisation is now to be known as the Volunteer Centre Okehampton. The new image was launched on Tuesday by mayor of Okehampton Tony Leech. Sue Bizley, Okehampton Volunteer Centre co-ordinator, said she hoped the new title and logo would make the centre more readily identifiable with the public. Sue said the centre currently had a huge variety of opportunities in which people could take part in rewarding and often career-enhancing work. ?I have got more than 100 opportunities in the area, from working in the Oxfam and Hospiscare shops to working in the Citizens? Advice Bureau,? said Sue. ?Even if people only have an hour a week, I?d have something for them. For example, the National Trust at Castle Drogo want someone just once a month to act as a maid in period costume ? there really are across the board opportunities.? West Devon CAB urgently need volunteers to train as advisors. The Books on Wheels service run by the WRVS needs someone to deliver books to the housebound in the Okehampton area, who would like to expand and carry the service forward. Sue said: ?Moor Trees are an organisation which collects seeds from the moor, which they plant and grow on, then plant back on Dartmoor and maintain them ? they need volunteers in all areas of their work. ?Guide Dogs for the Blind are looking for puppy walkers ? and Proper Job need a general helper in the recycling centre at Chagford.? Sue said many organisations would not be able to continue to provide vital services for the community without the valuable support of volunteers. But volunteering does not just benefit the organisation in question, or the community, said Sue. ?It can actually add to your CV. If you are not in work it looks very good to see that you have done voluntary work ? and it can also lead into paid employment,? said Sue, who said many students and graduates were now realising the benefits of voluntary work. Anyone who would like to find out more about the wide variety of volunteering opportunities in the Okehampton area should call into the Volunteer Centre at the Ockment Centre, or call Sue Bizley on 01837 55047.
