People Making Waves

Scotland’s Centre for Excellence in Volunteering, Volunteer Development Scotland (www.vds.org.uk), has announced the launch of People Making Waves (www.peoplemakingwaves.org.uk): a ground-breaking four year programme that seeks to connect the people of Scotland with the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games through volunteering. The programme aims to create a lasting legacy for Scotland by embracing the Olympic values and by driving waves of voluntary action.

People Making Waves is a key component of The Scottish Project, the Legacy Trust UK’s Scottish regional project, which is also supported by Scottish Arts Council National Lottery Fund. Over the next four years, Volunteer Development Scotland will deliver the programme in partnership with Voluntary Arts Scotland, Gerry Hassan, Demos Associate and Greater London Volunteering.

Along with its partner agencies, Volunteer Development Scotland will drive forward the People Making Waves programme by directly engaging with Scotland’s population, encouraging them to create personal stories about their experiences, friendships and connections established in the run up to, during and after the Games. This will be implemented through four ‘waves’ of Legacy activity which will invite individuals and organisations to get involved; the four waves of activity are: 

An online resource for volunteers enabling them to create and record their volunteering experiences and learning, before, during and after the Games in 2012. It will also have the potential to link to the Commonwealth Games in 2014. By creating an online network of volunteers.  My Volunteering will be a simple way of recording, sharing and building stories of people making waves through volunteering. It will act as a tool for groups to evaluate and share their group
contributions to the legacy of the Games and be used to support all of the People Making Waves projects.

An information and awareness programme supported by small grants to encourage local participation in voluntary arts and cultural groups. The aim of the programme is to involve people in expressing themselves and in doing so create individual stories, new relationships, connections and events that are inspired by the Legacy themes of sport, culture and learning. Recognition and celebration of the achievements of individuals, groups and organisations will be celebrated
at a festival celebratory event.

Will engage people in the democratic development possibilities of the Olympic Movement. It will be based on debates about the future and develop a set of processes by which people can discuss and consider the possibilities and challenges - looking at a range of matters around volunteering participation, engagement in arts, culture, sport,
community activism whilst exploring the link to Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games.

Surfing a Wave of Change?  A National Story Exercise:

A Scottish Wave of Change is opening up a commission for stories from established, emergent and hopeful storywriters across Scotland.  If you think you have a story in you about Scotland we want to hear it.

Find out more...

A volunteer exchange programme between London and Scotland creating new volunteering opportunities and providing an opportunity for volunteers to connect with one another and develop new skills. All will be encouraged to share their
experiences and stories online through My Volunteering.