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The Voscur Awards 2008 - And the Winner is ....

The ‘Voscurs’ are a new award to celebrate the fantastic and innovative work done by the voluntary, community and social enterprise sector in Bristol. We sent out a call to all our members, and other public and private sector partners to nominate for the Voscurs. Nominations have been coming in thick and fast, and we can now announce the nominees (in no particular order) for each of the five categories. Next to each candidate is an extract from the statement supplied by the person who nominated them.

And the winner is...

The winners of the inaugural Voscur awards were announced at the Voscur Annual Event on Thursday 2 October 2008.


Community Venue of the year

Winner - Wellspring Healthy Living Centre

Runners up - The Pickle Factory, The Vassall Centre, The Withywood Centre


Most innovative or engaging Project

Winner - BCFM Community Radio

Runners up - Clover House, PIPA (Parents in Partnership Advancing Inclusion), Refugee Awareness Project


Most active community activist

Winner - Ricardo Sharry

Runners up - Faaduma Mohammed, Kai Paulden, Marryanne Kempf, Paulette North


The ‘I will survive’ award

Winner - BREAD Youth Project

Runners up - St Werburgh’s Community Centre, St Pauls Afrikan Caribbean Carnival, Trinity Community Arts 


Thanks for supporting the sector

Winner - John Boss (BCC Community Buildings Officer)

Runners up - Sally Oldfield (BCC Local Nature Reserves Officer), Claire Teasdale (BCC Arts & Festivals Officer), BEST (Bristol East Side Traders)

Voscur would like to congratulate everyone who was nominated for the Voscur awards in each catergory. 

The Community Venue of the Year

  • The Vassall Centre
    "The Vassall Centre is a truly accessible building in a way that far exceeds any other place. It is a shining example of how to make places barrier-free in a way that is suitable for people with any form of impairment. Furthermore, the charity that runs this building is led by disabled people and most of its staff and volunteers are disabled people. The Centre accommodates 14 disability organisations whose rents are considerably lower than market-rates. This means service-users can easily access a range of services from one location. Over 30% of the 400 people working in the Centre are disabled people, which is more than 6 times the national average. As well as serving a community of interest the Centre is also available to the public and is increasingly used by a range of people and organisations from the locality and immediate surrounds."

  • Wellspring Healthy Living Centre
    "Wellspring Healthy Living Centre is run by a resident-led Board. The building came about through the New Deal for Communities programme in Barton Hill and was the result of residents’ vision for a high quality community health facility. The building itself is an impressive place to visit and always elicits praise from visitors with its artwork and open, clean design. It offers a range of alternative health activities alongside the traditional GP and dental practice. It is available for use by the whole community with meeting rooms, a crèche, art classes, fitness classes, mental health groups, young people’s health project, men’s health project, Somali Family Worker and more all available at a low-cost. It also has a unique low-cost Complementary Therapy Clinic. It is responsive to the needs of the community and tailors its health services according to demand from residents. Residents lead the Board and make decisions regarding the overall running of the building."

  • The Withywood Centre
    "The Withywood Centre is a good example of a modern, multi-purpose community centre that has quickly become the hub of the local community. We were very pleased with the venue itself and the dedicated team that operate it, when we used it for a community conference recently. Nothing was too much trouble for the staff and the facilities available were excellent!"

  • The Pickle Factory
    This venue was taken over to become a youth club and community centre thanks to entrepreneurial spirit and dedicated fundraising. It was refurbished using voluntary and begged help, and now has excellent facilities; these include a top class cafe, conference and cinema room, tea garden, vegetable garden, activities yard, computer education room, and concert room. It is increasingly popular in the local community, and has huge extra potential".

  • Trinity Community Arts
    "They provide a variety of community resources targeted at some of the hardest to reach grouups in Bristol and tend not to promote there activities as well as they could as most of their resources are focussed on activity and resource provision. They are are a relatively unrecognised full inclusive community centre with no religous or political bias in the middle of 3 of the poorest ward of Bristol and other than its peppercorn rent receive no revenue grant funding from the council or other sponsers. A model of sustainablity in Community resource provision!"


The Most Innovative / Engaging Project

  • Lockleaze Voice
    "Lockleaze Voice are a group of local people working together with Planning Aid and city council officers positively, constructively and proactively. They have already achieved a huge amount and have put in hours of time and waded through workshops, presentations and jargon to get to the point where they are nearly ready to produce a neighbourhood plan. The use of subgroups has been key to this, but again, points to the commitment of the local residents present - some attending two subgroups and the Lockleaze Voice meeting! They may not always agree with the council, but they are prepared to keep on working to get the best result for their area."

  • Refugee Action (Refugee Awareness Project)
    "The project has indeed managed to raise awareness about the plight and challenges faced by asylum seekers and refugees in particular here in Bristol. Its strength was the project's focus on both young people and the old and also highlight some of the media misrepresentation."

  • Bristol Community 93.2fm
    "Bristol Community 93.2fm has engaged with more than 350 volunteers in it’s studio in Easton from the diverse community of Bristol. It offers an innovative and exciting way for volunteers to learn new skills, have a voice and meet lots of other people from different parts of Bristol life. Training is the key to the charity’s objectives and offers many accredited and non accredited courses which are all free to volunteers. Programmes are broadcast in many different languages and people are free to talk about important things in their life and also challenge agencies and use the broadcast as a way of promoting events and local music.

  • Trinity Community Arts
    "They provide a variety of community resources targeted at some of the hardest to reach grouups in Bristol and tend not to promote there activities as well as they could as most of their resources are focussed on activity and resource provision. They are are a relatively unrecognised full inclusive community centre with no religous or political bias in the middle of 3 of the poorest ward of Bristol and other than its peppercorn rent receive no revenue grant funding from the council or other sponsers. A model of sustainablity in Community resource provision!"

  • Bedminster Area Housing Committee
    "Bedminster AHC took the steps of putting a vote to the committee on the setting up of a tenants management organisation - we have just got the 20% off support to go on to the next stage of the process. This has been a team effort"..

  • Neighbourhood Renewal Learning Plan (Voscur)
    "We evaluated this project - see Voscur website for full evaluation report. Brilliant stuff that really seemed to work for local people. Hannah Parker - and everyone else involved in making the project happen - definitely deserve an award."

  • Fairbridge West
    "Fairbridge sets out to engage young people who have lost hope in themselves and lost all direction. It starts off by believing that each young person has potential and then helping them to change their lives... Fairbridge wins young people's trust by believing in them, focussing on developing long-term changes in behaviour and attitude, and helping them develop better personal,social and life skills. Fairbridge ensures that the decision to participate rests with the young person and each individual's programme is tailor made to suit their needs and circumstances"

  • Clover House
    "For continued innovation in the provision of complementary therapy for children and young people aged 3-21 suffering from any kind of emotional, behavioural or physical problem."

  • PiPa Steering Group
    "Parents manage the PiPa Project through its Parents Steering Group. The innovation is their involvement in both design and delivery of the initiatives. They use planed activities to engage other volunteers; the real innovation is in the way they engage with other parents to bring them into PiPa, supporting them all the way. Many of the parent volunteers are now trained Learning Mentors for a school transitions project (Strikers Club) from managing/ planning/design& delivery/ recruiting/ fund raising/ promoting their service. These parents are the very best!"

 

'Thanks For Supporting The Sector' Award

  • John Bos – Community Buildings Officer, Bristol City Council
    "John Bos has been a crucial support to St Werburghs Community Association (SWCA) in its successful bid to the Community Assets Fund. In addition his subsequent hands-on support, interest and expertise has enabled SWCA to develop its expertise. John has given us unstinted support."

  • Sally Oldfield – Local Nature Reserves Officer, Bristol City Council
    "Sally Oldfield was very much responsible for the start of the group Friends of Troopers Hill. She has worked closely with community groups supporting local nature reserves across the city providing contacts, support, advice and resources. Without Sally's involvement 3 new nature reserves would not have been created this year nor would Troopers Hill have scored so well in conservation management, one of the factors, including community group involvement, that it has merited a Green Flag award for the last 2 years"......."Her charm, good humour, easy going manner and patience even in the most testing of circumstances have encouraged and inspired us."

  • Bristol East Side Traders (BEST)
    "BEST works tirelessly to support small businesses, many of them social enterprises, in East Bristol and has made a huge difference to the area by so doing. Their new premises will continue to offer even more support and an infrastructure lacking for small businesses elsewhere."

  • Claire Teasdale – Arts & Festivals Officer, Bristol City Council
    "Claire Teasdale has for the past 5 years gone consistently above and beyond her paid remit in supporting events, organisations and individuals in the Arts sector. Often giving up her free time she immerses heself in the culture of Bristol and is both crutch and champion to many organisations and events."

 

The Most Active Community Activist

  • Faaduma Mohammed
    "Faadumo has worked tirelessly for the support of and growth in opportunities for the Somali community in Redcliffe. She has inauguarated a weekend homework club for the children, made links with Windmill Hill City farm so that Somali women in the area can access Computer classes there and, more recently, been a founding member of a British/Somali womens’ conversation group...She is a great example of someone who uses her natural capacity to motivate others and draw a team around her to good use so that by sheer hard work and determination, compassion for her fellow- countrymen and women linked with a belief in working together for community cohesion, something productive is achieved"

  • Shobha Das
    "Dr Shobha Das, soon to commence a MBA degree in Geneva has over the past ten years worked tirelessly, helping to challenge racism and faith based prejudice across the West of England. Her professionalism and determination is admired by all: colleagues at EACH (who are nominating her), Criminal Justice System and Council officers, other statutory sector and voluntary sector colleagues similarly. Ever personable, calm and courteous, Shobha challenged all those she needed to with grace whilst working with service users in her characteristically proficient yet under-stated way. She is an example to us all of a best-practice manager, a rare person of expertise and generosity of spirit. She will be very much missed by all whose lives she has touched both personally and professionally"

  • Rowan Matthiesson
    "Rowan started the Gloucester Road awesome bags campaign drawing together work from a number of community groups and really inspiring people. She gives her time to any community group in need of advice or support and runs herself ragged as a result. Rowan also helps out with permaculture work, local food nights and events in St Pauls, where she cooks up a storm. Rowan does a whole load of stuff that's totally brilliant that I haven't even found out about yet.. She does great stuff and we've all watched her develop and achieve a massive amount, making people happy along the way (including us!)"

  • Jenny Streader Goffman
    "I have known Jenny and the project (Lawrence Weston Youth Inclusion Project) for over two years now and have been impressed by her commitment and forward thinking progress within the community. She is always ready to get involved for the greater good and is an integral part of many commitees in the locality"

  • Richard Curtis
    "Richard Curtis is a resident of Redfield and has been involved in Community at Heart’s work for a number of years. He was concerned about the detrimental effect of graffiti, litter and other environmental problems in the area, so joined Neighbourhood Solutions and has helped the group make a real impact on these issues. He was also concerned about developments in the area and was instrumental in forming Planning Solutions, a forum for residents to discuss planning applications, and he now chairs this group. He is also keen to see Church Road thrive and chairs the Church Road Action Group and is on the Board of Directors for Bristol East Side Traders. Through Richard’s commitment and dedication these groups have had a really positive effect on the environment and business of the area."

  • Alex Milne
    "Alex Milne is a resident of Redfield who took early retirement to dedicate to community activism. He is involved in so many groups in the area that he is a regular face for many organisations. Alex has given so many hours of his time freely to community work that it is hard to know what it would be like without his willingness to help. He has been on the Community at Heart Board since 2007, is on the Board of Barton Hill Settlement, is involved in The People’s Hive volunteering unit, is a volunteer presenter for BCfm, is on St Luke’s Parochial Church Council, serves as a representative on the East Bristol Diocese and helped run community newspaper Grass Roots. He is also always happy to attend meetings and events to bring the community together and works hard to make the area a better place to live and work."

  • Mohammed Elsharif
    "Mohammed Elsharif has been involved with Community at Heart as a Board member for more than two years. He has dedicated a considerable amount of time and energy to promoting community cohesion in the area. As well as his work on the Board he is also a trustee of Wellspring Healthy Living Centre, Chair of Community at Heart’s Tackling Racism Outcome Group, Chair of the Bristol Sudanese Association and a member of several networks supporting the interests of refugees and asylum seekers across Bristol. He also runs his own translating and interpreting service helping to make sure that non-English speakers receive the same services as everyone else and creating employment opportunities for local people. He has worked tirelessly to promote the rights of refugees and asylum seekers and to help make this a tolerant community where people from different cultures live and work together peacefully."

  • Margaret Castle
    "Margaret Castle is so full of energy and puts this to good use working for her community. Despite also having a job and a family she has dedicated herself to improving the community where she lives. In 2001 she got involved in Community at Heart’s parks group and from there has been instrumental in the design, construction and development of the unique Wellspring Healthy Living Centre. It was the residents’ vision that the area should have a top quality health facility and thanks to the hard work of Margaret and others that vision is now a reality. Today Margaret is the resident Chair of Wellspring and is responsible for the running of the centre, she is on the Board of Barton Hill Settlement, is a leader for Ambler’s Walks, on the Community at Heart Appraisal Panel, does gardening at Wellspring and the Settlement and is a GroundForce Guerrilla Gardener - all as a volunteer! She is always ready and willing to help out and is a well-known smiling face in the area."

  • Sally Caseley
    "Sally Caseley represents the Dings community on the Community at Heart Board and has been involved in the partnership for nearly six years. She has always taken a keen interest in providing better services for young people in the Dings and has sat on the youth partnership to make sure that the needs of these young people aren’t forgotten. She has been involved in countless Community at Heart projects over the years and through the various sub-groups has been instrumental in making things happen in the area. As well as the Board she also sits on the Appraisal Panel, Programme Committee and Internal Management Committee – all as a volunteer. She also Chairs the environmental project Neighbourhood Solutions and takes an interest in this as well as the Dings youth project. Outside of Community at Heart projects she is involved in the Dings Residents Association and works at Barton Hill Settlement."

  • Tony Hicks
    "Tony Hicks is resident Chair of Housing Solutions and has been involved in the group for about three years. He works tirelessly to improve services for tenants and to hold the Council to account and make sure they are delivering the best possible service in the area. He is also involved in organising community fun days in the area which aim to bring the community together and encourage families to enjoy the park. He has put in a considerable amount of time and energy organising and promoting a community event in August. He was nominated for Outstanding Individual Contribution at the Tenant Participation awards this year but narrowly missed out on the award and undoubtedly deserves recognition for his achievements."

  • Paulette North
    "I am nominating Paulette North because of her tireless commitment to individuals and families in distress over deportation issues. They have often come from places of conflict, are very vulnerable, impoverished and depressed. She gives much spare time to making a huge difference in their lives. I have seen the friends of families who have been taken to detention centres come in desperation to Paulette and she has immediately worked both behind the scenes with utter determination and focus to get them released and then run campaigns to highlight their cases in the media to help them stay in the UK. She’s had a great input into effectively raising public awareness about these issues through petitions, marches, demonstrations, appearances on TV and radio, speeches and running conferences in Bristol. She has helped to alter attitudes influenced by mainly negative national media to ones that are positive and humane."

  • Ricardo Sharry
    "Ricardo Sharry has come along way since he first got involved with Community at Heart back in 2001 when he was just 13 years old. Ricardo realised that with the £50 million New Deal for Communities investment in Barton Hill it was key that young people had a voice so that they could benefit. He joined the Youth Forum and the Board and became young people’s strongest champion. Today he is a Young Advisor and Youth Worker. Earlier this year he was nominated by DCLG to be part of the REACH programme, which encourages young black men to become role models and advise Government on policy making. Ricardo works tirelessly to help change the perception of young black men in society and met Hazel Blears this month as part of his REACH work. Ricardo really is an inspiration – he has single-handedly paved the way for young people in the area to influence decision-making and have their say and has built up a strong Youth Forum and team of Young Advisors (now a social enterprise) which will continue after the NDC funding ends."

  • Ben Barker
    "Ben has been involved in the Southville and Bedminster community for many years. For more than 10 years he has been Chair of the Southville Community Development Association (SCDA) and is now Chair of the Greater Bedminster Community Partnership. His great skill is in starting new projects and nurturing them into fully fledged, sustainable groups of people who find ways of using their skills and interests to greatly improve the areas in which they live and the relationships within the community. Ben is determind, an excellent 'connector' of people and imaginative in his initiatives to build something lasting on the events and activities that people like doing together anyway - he's a catalyst for change for the better and I'd like to acknowledge his impact as an individual on this part of Bristol. Further, that impact will continue to benefit the community for generations in the form of - for a small example - well-used parks, encouragement of students and other volunteers, all sorts of 'green' initiatives and work with older people."

  • Claire Stern
    "I work with teenagers, who have 'strong' opinions about and refugees with little or no actual understanding or knowledge, I work to help young people understanding these issues and inform them of actual facts. I contacted Claire, who has become a tremendous help, resource above and beyond her role by provided training sessions, which increased my knowledge as well teaching us practical activities I could use in sessions with young people. We have had the opportunity to take a group to the Banner theatre event. This setting provided a safe and understanding space to explore the young peoples own feelings, beliefs and provide understanding about the reality of the situation people face. Following for this event I have been able to feel more confident to challenge negative views and have resources to back my work up. The team have also provided advice for young refugees who have applied for training with us."

  • Maryanne Kempf
    “Maryanne is quite simply the best! Mas has worked tirelessly as a resident of St Pauls for over 10 years. In 2004 she was elected chair of St Pauls Unlimited (SPU). Maryanne gives time generously; puts her own interests and views to one side in the interests of the majority; will say the things that are hard to say to get the best for the people of St Pauls; manages meetings skillfully; supports and trusts her colleagues and has worked hard to facilitate a genuine partnership. Maryanne works full time and gives one day of her 'weekend' every week to SPU. She is an inspirational, thoughtful, intelligent,leader. We have all benefited from her insight and her care. Above all, she makes us all laugh and has an amazing collection of handbags. RESPECT. Maryanne is quite simply the best! She has worked tirelessly as part of the St Pauls community for many years as Chair of the St Pauls & St Agnes Residents Association and then in 2004 she was elected as chair of St Pauls Unlimited"

  • Kai Paulden
    "Kai has been involved in community activities since I first met him several years ago. He was actively involved in Streets Alive organising street parties and has worked in a number of travel and cycle orientated community initiatives. It was only when he volunteered his help with organising a community event at The Pickle Factory in Easton, that I began to realise the depth and extent of his knowledge and understanding of the local communities. His help introduced many key people who have been influential in developing local community activities and events such as the response to early plans to replace the Chocolate Factory in Greenbank with a housing development. What perhaps singles Kai out for an award at this moment in time is his response to a violent attack that knocked him from his bicycle and put him in hospital. He recognised that his experience related to a series of attacks and muggings in the Easton area - particularly affecting people's safety when using the Bristol - Bath cycle path as it runs through Easton. He helped coordinate a community response that flagged up the extent of the problem, organised 'reclaim the cycle path' walks, organised a public meeting with the police and BCC Community Safety resulting in a 'telephone tree' to provide fast response to anyone in difficulty on the cycle path along with resources committed to clear undergrowth along the cycle route and improve lighting"

  • Tony Lewis
    "Tony was the founder of Manor Farm Action Group, introduced City of Bristol Federation to Bristol, and brought Tenant Management Organisations to several areas of Bristol serves on several scrutiny boards, and stands up for the rights of local people. He does this whilst not being in the best of health and suffers from heart disease. Not to forget he has brought over £200,000 of funding to the Manor Farm area and through his leadership MAG were awarded best community group 2008 in the recent Tenant Participation Awards. Also instrumental in bringing the ""No Cold Calling Zones "" to parts of Bristol. In our Committee's opinion there is no more an active community activist than Tony Lewis and feel he should be recognised for all the hard work he puts in for everyone."

  • Axmed Ciise Cawaale
    "Mr. Axmed Ciise Cawaale..has been working voluntarily for the Somali Community in Bristol to help them overcome the impact of the extreme exclusion and isolation felt by most of the community members. He is a burn out volunteer and has shown an extra-ordinary commitment, courage and creativity in dealing with difficult cases. He has never been discouraged by difficult challange or the multiple discrimination and racism he personally experienced as Disabled Person from Somali ethnic origin. Mr. Cawaale as a volunteer offers not only his time but also his knowledge, skills, experience and personal qualities as an Artist and Teacher. Hence he has recently composed a special, cross-cultural Drama to deal with racism and discrimination. More over Mr. Cawaale would like to extend his service to other communities and has recently established IFTiiNN an organisation for the Disabled Somali and other Black & Minority Ethnic communities. Finally most of the Somali community members are amazed by his talent and conviction for positive change.

  • Angela Piccini
    "Tireless work in getting one of the city's first Community Action Plans finished - whilst also chairing the local Community Partnership and steering it to becoming a Neighbourhood Partnership."

  • Steave Pearce
    "I sometimes think Steve has cloned himself. As well as being instrumental in the creation of the Brislington Community Action Plan, Steve fits in roles in a number of the area's burgeoning community organisations and get's involved with the Neighbourhood Planning Network too."

  • Peter Bullard
    "because of his dedicatation to his community and neighbourhood and his committment and resilience to pursuing issues of importance to his community."

  • Farooq Siddique
    “ Farooq Siddique is well known throughout Bristol and the South west as a tireless activist working both as a campaigner for the Muslim community as well as an advocate for greater understanding, respect and tolerance between different communities, which has in recent years been given a name of ‘community cohesion’. He works the longest hours of anyone I know in the voluntary sector. Each year Bristol Muslim Cultural Society carries out cultural awareness training to over 8,000 people in Bristol and the south west. The majority is delivered personally by Farooq. He was a driving force behind the UK and Europe’s first Jewish and Muslim radio station based in Bristol, helping to put Bristol on the map. He has steered the local Muslim community through a number of difficult patches since 2001 through his generous appearances in the media and his calm and well reasoned views. He is also now a regular weekly columnist for the Bristol Evening Post.”

The 'I Will Survive' Award

  • St Werburghs Community Centre
    "The staff and trustees have worked hard despite setbacks which they have overcome to secure funding to develop this well used but under resourced community centre"

  • BREAD Youth Project
    "Over the years, BREAD has managed and delivered innovative and engaging projects for young people from 11-25yrs. Hit by end of funding in 2007 and faced with impending closure BREAD, under the expert leadership of Jo Stallard, have managed to raise a massive £765,000 through funding bids! A real shining example of how voluntary sector organisations can work effectively to secure their own future. Jo and the BREAD team thoroughly deserve recognition and congratulations for this sterling effort. Their success encourages us all to keep fighting when all seems lost."

  • Serenity House, Recovery Dynamics
    "Despite the lack of outside funding they have continued their amazing hard work with addicts form the margins of society over the last year. Their survival has been through the commitment of volunteers who have been through the course and the financial commitment of staff who, because they believe in the work, have taken large pay cuts to ensure the community treatment program goes on, enabling alcoholics and addicts to get the effective help they need to move into recovery."

  • Trinity Community Arts
    "They provide a variety of community resources targeted at some of the hardest to reach grouups in Bristol and tend not to promote there activities as well as they could as most of their resources are focussed on activity and resource provision. They are are a relatively unrecognised full inclusive community centre with no religous or political bias in the middle of 3 of the poorest ward of Bristol and other than its peppercorn rent receive no revenue grant funding from the council or other sponsers. A model of sustainablity in Community resource provision!"

  • St Vincents Housing, Learning & Guidance
    "In spite of funding difficulties, this organisation performs a vital role in helping people adjust to a life after drugs/alcohol/prison. It makes a genuine contribution to the lifes of those it touches and the community as a whole"

  • St Pauls Afrikan & Caribbean Carnival Committee
    "Despite being squeezed for funds as prices rise; working in an area beset on one hand with indifference and on the other a highly critical audience; faced with difficulties applying for and securing a bank account, let alone any funding; this Committee of volunters managed to attract new board members, engage with the Community and help produce another fantastic event in the streets of St Pauls."

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