Value in the Vale aims to bring people, charities and businesses together to help improve community connections, health, wellbeing and prosperity across the Vale of Glamorgan. We spoke to Digital Engagement and Volunteering Officer, Lianne Young, to find out more about the organisation.

Can you tell us a bit about what Value in the Vale does?

Connecting people, organisations, and businesses to enhance community bonds, well-being, and prosperity throughout the Vale of Glamorgan, Value in the Vale was launched in October 2022. Our website serves as a comprehensive hub for volunteers, partners, and organisations, offering details on volunteering opportunities, enabling organisations to enlist volunteers, and empowering volunteers to exchange their time for rewards.

Our partners kindly provide rewards ranging from a simple cup of coffee and a slice of cake to beauty treatments or archery sessions.

How does your project help the community as a whole?

Beyond merely rewarding volunteers for their time, we recognise the holistic benefits of volunteering, which can encompass improvements in health, well-being, social connectivity, and skill enhancement. Kim, who shares her volunteering journey on our website, speaks of newfound practical skills, social confidence, and boosted self-esteem she has gained through her experiences-https://drive.google.com/file/d/1u5KGUtlBjveYuJjDWu1V_R4ZkDr7K0QK/view.

By providing volunteer rewards, we’ve taken steps to alleviate the challenges posed by the cost-of-living crisis. This initiative not only helps to mitigate social isolation but can also offer volunteers a welcoming warm space to connect during their service and when they opt to redeem rewards.

Drawing from feedback from our dedicated volunteers, we’ve forged partnerships with outstanding local businesses to offer volunteering opportunities and rewards readily accessible within our community. In keeping volunteer opportunities and rewards within the Vale, we feel we have been successful in achieving a circular economy under the umbrella of Value in the Vale.

What can our readers do to help? How can they get involved?

This inclusive scheme welcomes participation from the public, ensuring everyone has the opportunity to engage.

We would welcome anyone to get in touch if they would like to chat further around volunteering and opportunities that may suit them. If people are already volunteering within the Vale but the organisation they volunteer for are not linked with Value in the Vale, then do let us know and would be happy to reach out to them.

Finally, if any local businesses would like to support us in offering volunteer rewards then please do get in touch at hello@valueinthevale.com.

Why did you decide that this project was so important?

Our vision is to unite individuals, organisations, and businesses and in doing so we aim to enhance community connections, promote health and wellbeing, and foster prosperity throughout the Vale of Glamorgan.

Tell us about some of your most recent achievements/project

In a ‘gift it forward’ campaign, volunteers had the opportunity to contribute unused rewards to a central pool, benefitting Ty lolo Hostel in Barry. These rewards provided struggling families with free activities to enjoy during the Easter holidays and went some way into helping with the cost-of-living crisis.

Gift it forward campaigns have also seen rewards gifted forward to volunteers at the local coast watch institution- https://valueinthevale.com/gifting-it-forward-from-a-local-pcso.

We are also fortunate to have a dedicated team of volunteers actively involved in our Vale Homes sheltered schemes. These volunteers collaborate closely with nearby schools, Vale Plus, and our local Police Community Support Officer (PCSO). We take great pride in the group’s efforts and the intergenerational initiatives they have undertaken, particularly focusing on digital literacy and enhancing the gardens within the schemes.

The webpage also offers a platform for people to share their inspirational journeys. For some, volunteering has formed a crucial part in their back to work journey and for others the role has helped them overcome many barriers day to day life had been presenting them with.

You can read some of our volunteers inspiring stories here- https://valueinthevale.com/volunteer-jobs/