Our Team. Our head office is based in Cinderford but everyday you will meet members of the FVAF team out and about supporting the community and building strong partnerships with other local organisations and groups... Chris Brown Chief Executive Officer Nick Penny Head of Operations Deb Cook Head of Development Catherine Best Communications & Fundraising Manager Teresa Allewell Finance Manager Cherry Potter-Irwin Finance & Administration Officer Fliss Simister Youth Team Manager Lisa Robertson Youth Development Officer Katy Virgo Youth Development Officer Courtney Middleton Project Coordinator Jodie Atkins Youth Support Worker Adam Lambert Youth Projects Manager Krissie Carter Neighbourhood Connector Mark Evans Neighbourhood Connector Alex Digby Community Team Manager Melanie Benn Community Builder Teresa Rose Community Connectors' Facilitator Pete Harper Community Connector Flora Croysdale Digital Inclusion Community Builder Piers Cardiff Forest of Dean Climate Action Partnership Coordinator Becky Moorcroft Forest of Dean Climate Action Partnership Coordinator Meet our trustees. We have a highly skilled board of trustees who meet regularly to monitor, challenge and guide what FVAF does now, and in the future. Bob Rhodes Chair of Trustees Josh Bond Vice Chair of Trustees Jonathan Gault Trustee - Treasurer Patricia Le Rolland Trustee Sid Phelps Trustee Diana Martin Trustee Rob Toomer Trustee Roger Deeks Trustee Interested in becoming a FVAF Trustee? Talk to us! Contact Chris is ceo@fvaf.org.uk 01594 822073

Ow Bist Community Kitchen Opportunity! COME & FIND OUT MORE! 2pm-4pm | Monday 14 Sept READ MORE Frequently visited pages: COMMUNITY HUBS VOLUNTEER ADVICE YOUTH SUPPORT Co to jest FVAF? FVAF to skrót od Forest Voluntary Action Forum. Oferujemy wsparcie lokalnym mieszkańcom, grupom społecznym i działaniom w zakresie robienia rzeczy, które są dla nich najważniejsze. Obejmuje to: wsparcie i doradztwo rozwojowe szkolenie Informacja spotkania networkingowe ułatwienie reprezentacji rekrutacja wolontariuszy pośrednictwo i wsparcie wolontariuszy Prowadzimy również wiele projektów zi dla społeczności lokalnej, takich jak Stowarzyszenie Młodzieży Las Dziekana, Kampanie Aktywności Świątecznej, Leśna Sieć Muzyczna Młodzieży, Projekt GEM, Katalog Kompasów Leśnych, Chodzenie na Kołach i wiele innych. Sprawdź naszą stronę Projekty, aby uzyskać szczegółowe informacje. „Budowanie silniejszych społeczności w Las Dziekana” Dowiedz się więcej JOIN OUR MAILING LIST Get the latest community news and check out exciting volunteering opportunity in or around the Forest of Dean... Idź na Facebooka Useful publications: FREE directory of the many volunteering opportunities available locally... DOWNLOAD Nasi partnerzy We work with so many amazing and supportive partners. Find out more here... How to contact us Forest Voluntary Action Forum Ow Bist Forest Community Space Dockham Road Cinderford , Glos. GL14 2AQ Email us: contact@fvaf.org.uk Tel: 01594 822073 Copyright © 2021 Forest Voluntary Action Forum. All Rights Reserved. Forest Voluntary Action Forum is a charity (1141126) and company limited by guarantee (07557852) registered in England and Wales. The registered address is The Belle Vue Centre, Cinderford, Glos, GL14 2AB. Travelling in the Forest of Dean Forest Of Dean Climate Action Partnership has created a handy interactive guide to travelling in the Forest of Dean. DOWNLOAD HERE

Our partners We work with, and are supported by so many fantastic organisations. The projects and services we deliver in partnership with others, and the funding we receive makes it possible for us to support voluntary activity and community action in the Forest of Dean. These are just some of the organisations we currently work closely with:

Volunteer Heroes Crowned! The community turned out in force on Wednesday 7 September to see local volunteers crowned at a glittering awards celebration evening we held at the AccXel Training Centre in Cinderford. We created the Forest Volunteer Awards to recognise and celebrate the amazing efforts of local volunteers in the Forest of Dean. Earlier this Summer, we asked local people to nominate those volunteer heroes who have demonstrated exceptional and outstanding support to the local community over the past 12 months. The response was amazing and we received hundreds of nominations. An expert panel had the tough task of shortlisting the nominations and picking the winners. However, one category - Volunteer of the Year – Peoples’ Champion – was decided by a public vote with almost 900 votes cast. The winners were crowned at a special evening, held at the stunning conference space at the impressive AccXel Training Centre, which was provided for free to FVAF by local construction company the KW Bell Group, who were the main sponsors of the event. Volunteer of the Year went to Les Cockle, volunteer fundraiser at Great Oaks Hospice whilst Forest of Dean Host Ukrainians and Ukraine Community Hub jointly picked up the Community Voluntary Group of the Year. Young volunteers were celebrated with Keira Stone, volunteer at disability group, Together We Can crowed under 16 years old Young Volunteer of the Year, whilst in the 17 – 25 years old category, Chloe Whatley and Jordan Terrel were rewarded for their tireless hard work volunteering at the Sea Cadets in Lydney. Lisa Tootell was crowned Outstanding New Volunteer of the Year for her amazing impact for the Girl Guides in the Forest of Dean and Hips Social were recognised for supporting the local community and investing in improving the local area. The winners were presented with an award, a framed certificate and £100 Amazon voucher, kindly provided by sponsors the KW Bell Group. Deb Cook, Volunteering Manager at FVAF said “So much of what happens within our community is because of people who give their time and energy for free. We think that recognising the amazing efforts of volunteers and organisations is incredibly important which is why we have been so pleased by the reaction of the local people who have supported these awards by nominating and voting.” Deb added, “It has been an incredible evening and we are so lucky and proud of the strength of the amazing voluntary sector we have in the Forest.” Master of Ceremony for the Forest Volunteer Awards was Kate Clark, BBC Radio Gloucestershire presenter who kept the guests entertained with her expert hosting skills. Award winners were announced by guest presenter; Roger Deeks (FVAF Trustee), Nicola Bird and Yvonne Bell (KW Bell and main sponsor), Sue Middleton (Verderer of the Forest of Dean), Andy Lewis MBE (PT2 Para triathlete), Neill Ricketts (Founder of Versarien and chair the Forest of Dean Economic Partnership). The celebration evening was made possible thanks to generous sponsorship for the following local organisations: KW Bell Group and AccXel Training Centre – main sponsors Hot Tubs Rock Versarien The Midcounties Co- Operative FOREST VOLUNTEER AWARD WINNERS: Volunteer of the Year – Peoples’ Champion WINNER: Les Cockle – Great Oaks Hospice Highly Commended: Hannah McGowan (FOD Hosts of Ukrainians Support Group), Martin Elsmore (The Golden Triangle Club), Steve Gregory (FVAF / Walking with Wheels) and Mark Jones (Community First Responder SWASFT) Community Voluntary Group of the Year WINNER: FOD Hosts of Ukrainians Support Group and Ukraine Community Hub Highly Commended: Together We Can, Newnham Archery Club, Dean Radio, The Friends of Longhope Church and The Rewild Project Outstanding New Volunteer WINNER: Lisa Tootell – Girlguiding FOD South Division Highly Commended: Sarah Maxfield – Berry Hill Memorial Institute Young Volunteer of the Year 16yrs & under WINNER: Keira Stone – Together We Can Highly Commended: Toby Niblett – Lydney Youth Hub Young Volunteer of the Year 17 – 25yrs JOINT WINNERS: Jordan Terrell and Chloe Whatley – FOD Sea Cadets Community Impact Award WINNER: HIPs Social Highly Commended: Recycle Shop CIC Newent and Wilde Earth Journeys

Zgłaszanie się na ochotnika Jako Centrum Wolontariatu dla Forest of Dean jesteśmy tutaj, aby pomóc Ci w rekrutacji i zarządzaniu wolontariuszami Nasz nowy Wolontariat broszura wypełniona szczegółami lokalnego wolontariatu możliwości są teraz wyczerpane KLIKNIJ, ABY POBRAĆ Jako Centrum Wolontariatu dla Las Deana często jesteśmy pierwszym punktem kontaktu dla wszystkich zainteresowanych wolontariatem. W zeszłym roku z dumą wspieraliśmy ponad 100 000 godzin wolontariatu w okolicy! FVAF promuje i reklamuje szeroką gamę możliwości wolontariatu od organizacji, które podzielają nasz etos wspierania wolontariuszy i rozpoznają szeroki wachlarz powodów, dla których ludzie decydują się na wolontariat. Dlaczego warto być wolontariuszem? Wolontariat niesie ze sobą szereg ogromnych korzyści, nie tylko dla Ciebie indywidualnie, ale także dla Twojej społeczności i świata, w którym żyjemy. Jeśli chcesz ulepszyć swoje CV, poznać nowych ludzi, dobrze wykorzystać swoje umiejętności, nauczyć się czegoś nowego, zainteresować się, zaoferować doświadczenie lub po prostu coś zmienić, mamy gwarancję, że mamy dla Ciebie okazję! Możesz dowiedzieć się o tych możliwościach w następujący sposób: Szukaj możliwości w Do-it.org Zadzwoń do nas pod numer 01594 822073 Skontaktuj się przez e-mail Odwiedź nas w FVAF od poniedziałku do piątku w godzinach 9:00 - 1:00 ( kierunek ) Jeśli szukasz wolontariatu w ramach dużej grupy, na przykład w ramach wolontariatu pracowniczego, mamy również szeroki wachlarz możliwości do wyboru. Get the latest volunteer opportunities - direct to your mailbox! Sign up to receive our regular email Volunteer Newsletter: SIGN UP HELP FOR GROUPS - recruiting & managing volunteers As a one-stop-shop for all things volunteering, we can help you find, and keep, the perfect volunteer: Jako punkt kompleksowej obsługi we wszystkich sprawach związanych z wolontariatem, stosujemy wielopłaszczyznową metodologię, aby dać Ci najlepszą możliwą szansę na rekrutację i zatrzymanie wartościowych wolontariuszy. Obejmuje to: Reklamuj swoje możliwości na Do-it.org Promowanie swoich możliwości wśród osób, które do nas poleciły lub za pośrednictwem naszej funkcji drop-in. Reklamuj swoje możliwości na naszych stronach na Facebooku i Twitterze Promowanie swoich możliwości lokalnym służbom, które wspierają wolontariat, np. Job Centre, LearnDirect i 2GetherTrust Reklamuj swoje możliwości na ponad 30 wydarzeniach rocznie Wysyłanie możliwości do lokalnych firm oferujących wolontariat wspierany przez pracodawcę Promowanie odpowiednich możliwości dla szkół, kolegiów i uniwersytetów Dystrybucja Twoich możliwości do naszej bazy wolontariuszy liczącej ponad 1000 osób Promowanie swoich możliwości w różnych sieciach, w tym Know Your Patch Get in touch - call us on 01594 822073, via email or visit us at FVAF, Ow Bist - Forest Community Space, Dockham Road, Cinderford GL14 2AN (Mon - Fri 9am - 4pm)

Our publications Forest Compass Edition 3 Volunteering in the Forest of Dean FVAF Annual Report 2024/25 FVAF Annual Accounts 2024/25 FVAF Annual Report 2023/24 FVAF Annual Report 2022/23 FVAF Annual Report 2021/22 Insights into the Experience of commissioning for small VCSE organisations in the Forest of Dean By Chris Brown My Networks publications My Networks Scoping Project Report, Oct 2022 by Simon Price Supporting documents: Mental Health Scoping Project – Survey Results Co-production – How we facilitated My Networks Scoping Report The Forest of Dean Mycelium Mental Health Project A report from the Undergrowth by Simon Price, Anwen Jenkins, Pete Harper, Miranda Thomason and Teresa Rose Useful community publications The Digital Divides Report and Recommendations By Digital Divides Steering Group Learnings from the Forest By Forest of Dean Climate Action Partnership (FODCAP), Holding The Space, Thirty Percy, and CCRI.

O FVAF O FVAF Nasza historia Jesteśmy Radą Wolontariatu i Centrum Wolontariatu dla Lasu Dziekańskiego. Pomagamy wielu z setek organizacji wolontariackich i społecznych w dystrykcie, które z kolei są w stanie lepiej wykonywać swoją pracę w społeczności lokalnej i dla niej. Od momentu powstania w 1994 roku zdobyliśmy reputację zachęcania, przyjmowania i wzmacniania działań społeczności w całym Forest of Dean. Wierzymy, że dzięki podejściom opartym na społeczności umożliwiamy obywatelom rozwijanie umiejętności, odporności i kapitału społecznego, aby żyć szczęśliwszym, lepiej połączonym życiem. Usługi biurowe Personel i Powiernicy Zasady Dostępność i zrównoważony rozwój

Lydney Link up soundbite Lydney Link Up 00:00 / 04:01 Lydney Link Up Julie at the Lydney Habour 00:00 / 01:17 Conversation with Vilnis Lydney Link Up 00:00 / 02:17 Lydney Link Up Mia's experience 00:00 / 01:49

The Digital Hubs Project Tackling digital exclusion across Gloucestershire The Digital Hubs Project is a new innovative approach, developed by Forest Voluntary Action Forum and GCC Adult Transformation Team, to tackle digital exclusion across Gloucestershire by offering free, accessible, tailored support to individuals. Starting out in October 2021, we have played the as role as county wide facilitator of the project in partnership with GCC’s Adult Transformation Team. Whilst being facilitator’s, we act as the Forest of Dean lead district provider, offering FREE 1:1 digital support across safe and trusted Community Drop-in Hubs. Coleford – Sixteen Community Cafe Sedbury – Sedbury Space Cinderford - Ow Bist - Forest Community Space Staunton – The Swan Community Hub Newent – The Chill Out Zone What does Digital Hubs aim to address? Motivation Not everyone sees why using the internet could be relevant and helpful A Digital Hub can demonstrate the huge benefits Confidence Some people fear online crime, lack trust or don’t know where to start online A Digital Hub can increase confidence via trusted relationships  Skills Not everyone has the ability to use the internet and online services A digital Hub can provide 1:1 training Access Not everyone has the ability to connect to the internet and go online A Digital Hub can provide access to free equipment and internet Since starting the journey of Gloucestershire Digital Hubs Project, awareness and recognition of the project has grown and is now recognised as essential community-based approach to tackling digital exclusion across Gloucestershire. Notability, the project was highlighted in the Report of the Director of Public health 2022/23 - No Person is an island: Social connections in Gloucestershire, which also included video cased study of the project. You can also  download the PDF version (PDF, 5.2 MB)  of Director of Public health 2022/23 For more information about the project visit the Digital Hub website HERE To find out more, dates, times and locations for upcoming FVAF Community Digital Drop-in Hubs, contact Alex on community@fvaf.org.uk  or 01594 822073.

Our team transforms Local Spaces during Volunteers Week 2025 We rolled up our sleeves this week and got stuck in with some fantastic Employer Supported Volunteering (ESV) as part of Volunteers Week 2025! We got out about in the local community to two fantastic local community groups: Team Paint Squad grabbed their brushes and got stuck in with smiles on their faces (and paint on their clothes!) to transform the Forest Fighting Fit studio with a fresh coat of paint - brightening up their space, recovery room, and bathrooms. Team Green Fingers headed down to Steam Mills to work their magic at the community garden for Cinderford Grows. Armed with gloves, tools, and plenty of enthusiasm, our team tackled overgrown areas, cleared stubborn weeds, and gave the pathway a beautiful fresh layer of wood chippings. Deb Cook, FVAF's Volunteering Manager said: "We all had a blast and were reminded that volunteering can be both rewarding and great fun!" A huge thank you to Forest Fighting Fit and Cinderford Grows for welcoming us with open arms.

Resource Hub/Library Leaflets & literature on wellness, recovery, self-help & coping with mental distress. The group office, based above the Library at The Main Place in Coleford, is available for members to use as a safe and confidential space. We keep material that may be of use to members – and we are happy for people to provide us with leaflets that they would like shared. To read the My Networks Scoping Project Report please visit: www.fvaf.org.uk/publications

KEEPING PEOPLE SAFE Young people who are moving towards adulthood have the right to make informed choices about how they connect to their local community. This can involve risk, for guidance read: Building Connections: One minute guide to Risk Assessment