Last Friday our Homelessness Service in Basingstoke received some visitors taking part in Business in the Community’s Give and Gain Day. Over 12,000 business volunteers from 300 companies gave up their usual work day to take part in community projects benefiting hundreds of people across the UK. Our roving reporter, Victoria Cummins, lets us know how some of these volunteers helped YOU…

“Eight property managers from the national company, OM Property Management, aided by 2 volunteers from the grounds maintenance company, ProGround, all took time out of their busy schedules to redecorate the two bedroom property in Basingstoke on Friday 17th May.

YOU were thrilled to have the residents’ lounge repainted and refurnished, alongside a full overhaul of the front and back gardens.

 “It was an excellent day”, said Ingrid Wright, Homelessness Services Manager, “we had ten volunteers completely transform the house, creating a really homely environment for the clients who live there”.

OM Property Management volunteered to give the house a makeover as part of Business in the Community’s national day of employee volunteering, Give and Gain Day.

 “As property managers, it’s very rewarding to be able to use our expertise in looking after people’s homes to help others …

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Our young peoples’ service in Basingstoke, Penn House, provides a home and support for young people aged between 16 and 25 at risk of homelessness. Offering support with daily living skills, emotional well being and any other needs the service users may have, the service is a valuable resource and a positive portrayal of the way we work. When local school boy, Eddie Cooper (10), was issued by his school with a challenge to support a local community project, we were thrilled that he chose Penn House to be the recipient of his efforts!

Eddie, who attends North Waltham School in Basingstoke, was taking part in the school’s Community Challenge. Tasks compiled by the school were aimed at encouraging the achievement of personal goals and involvement in community projects with each pupil is encouraged  explore their own approaches to the challenge.Through fundraising at school and home, Eddie secured donations of toiletries and tinned food which he then gifted to the young people living in the service.

Manager of the service, Natasha Blyth, says  ‘support like Eddie’s is really encouraging; it’s wonderful to see young people interacting with their local community’.

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Our friends at My Learning Cloud have been on tour recently, attending trade shows in Bournemouth, Newcastle, York, Birmingham and Manchester where a celebrity visitor was so taken with the courses on offer she completed one herself!

Julie Hesmondheigh who plays Hayley in Coronation Street, pictured below with Chief Cloud Steven, was thrilled to pass My Learning Cloud’s Food Hygiene course.

A subsidiary company of YOU, My Learning Cloud is a new and innovative company offering fun new e-Learning solutions to those who work in the housing, support, health and care sectors.

The trade shows have been a great opportunity for Steven and the Cloud Makers to prove that e-Learning doesn’t have to be dull or a chore, but can be engaging, fun AND educational.

So far, the response to My Learning Cloud has been incredible. People love the friendly style, appealing content and quality of courses on offer. Don’t take our word for it though, visit them at  http://mylearningcloud.org.uk/ and see what you could learn!…

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