The new website is an essential hub of information that enables those who want to volunteer to access information about the 600+ volunteering opportunities that are advertised in Edinburgh at any one time while increasing engagement with the public through digital media streaming and interactive features. The website is also filled with good practice guides, case studies and resources that will be of interest to people from all sectors.

The website has been developed by CIVIC, an independent creative digital communications agency with major experience in the public and private sector. Using “creative technology”, CIVIC blends design with cutting edge digital expertise in order to apply strategic branding thinking to websites with technical ability needed to make that thinking come to life.

Greig Tosh, Managing Director of CIVIC says “People are at the heart of Volunteer Centre Edinburgh so we’ve designed a site that brings members together through sharing, social media and the YouTube channel. We also enabled commenting on news stories to facilitate conversation with users”.

In 2009 Volunteer Centre Edinburgh had contact with 11,000 people who were given information and support to get involved in volunteering. There are hundreds of organisations that provide opportunities to volunteer in Edinburgh – including charities, schools, hospitals, the police and grass roots community organisations – and the volunteering sector is estimated to be worth over £90 million to Edinburgh’s economy and is ever increasing.

Paul Wilson, Depute Director of Volunteer Centre Edinburgh, says “People volunteer for a huge variety of reasons and many learn new valuable skills in return for giving their time and energy to volunteering. Since the recession we have see even more people come forward to volunteer, who are keen to develop personally and professionally whilst using their time to help out in their community.

“We’re incredibly pleased with the new website and the excellent work that CIVIC have done. We’ve already received excellent feedback from the public and from our peers. Our new website gives people a chance to become more integrated in the world of volunteering in Edinburgh by engaging in dialogue as well as accessing wide ranging information.

“Organisations that use volunteers now have resources at their fingertips to make it easier for them to develop new ways of involving volunteers in their work and making sure their organisation is a great place to volunteer.

To find out more information visit the new website at www.volunteeredinburgh.org.uk.

Five fearless JCI Edinburgh volunteers are preparing to brave broken glass [this month] to raise over £1200 for the Barnardo’s Caern Project and the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS).

The JCI Edinburgh team will be taking part in this summer’s Glasswalk Challenge at Edinburgh Zoo, where 30 courageous souls will walk barefoot over 20ft of broken glass. Before attempting the glass walk, each individual must raise at least £150 sponsorship and attend an evening of training at the Zoo.

JCI Edinburgh is part of Junior Chamber International, the worldwide personal development organisation for business people in their 20s and 30s. It holds numerous social and fundraising events throughout the year and offers a stimulating range of activities to enable members to develop communication, presentation, leadership, project management, networking and business skills.

Simone Medonos, JCI Edinburgh Communities and Environmental Director, is one of the members who will be taking on the Glasswalk Challenge.

She says: “I’m quite nervous but I’m looking forward to challenging myself and I want to prove that I can do it. I don’t think the 20ft will seem quite so far if there are lots of people to cheer us on so I hope lots of our members will be there on the night to support us. It’s all for two really good causes so we have all been working hard to collect sponsorship.”

In 2009, JCI Edinburgh volunteers conquered the Zoo’s sponsored fire walk to raise over £1000 for the RZSS. This year’s team are hoping to raise at least £1200 with proceeds split equally between Barnardo’s and the RZSS.

The RZSS is a charity devoted to the conservation of animals and their habitats. It owns Edinburgh Zoo and the Highland Wildlife Park, home to over 1000 animals. The charity supports conservation and research project across the globe, runs education initiatives for visitors and schools, and receives no direct government funding.

The Barnardo’s Caern Project is JCI Edinburgh’s nominated charity for 2010 and the organisation has raised over £2000 for the cause through their successful Burns supper and quiz night events. The Caern Project provides short-term residential breaks in Edinburgh and support at home, to children and young people with a profound learning disability and who may also have severe physical and emotional problems.

Kenneth Logan, JCI Edinburgh President, explains why the organisation nominated the charity:

“We are a local organisation so wanted to choose a local charity and the Caern Project is responsible for a lot of valuable work in our community. Charity fundraising is very important to JCI Edinburgh and we believe that we can make a bigger difference overall by focusing all of our efforts on one incredibly worthy cause.”

Funds raised for the Caern Project could be used in a variety of ways including: outings for the 35 children and young people, specialist toys for children with disabilities, specialist sleep counsellors or gardening materials for the sensory garden at Caern House.

For an annual fee of £80, JCI members can access a wide-ranging programme of events, training and social opportunities. A voluntary organisation, JCI also has a long history of charitable work and fundraising. Recent local projects have seen members volunteer at the Grassmarket Mission, a drop-in service, helping to cook meals free of charge for those who need it most, as well as regular blood donor events.

For more information about this and other JCI events, please visit http://www.jciedinburgh.org.uk or email JCI Edinburgh President Kenneth Logan.

Wish For Rwanda is aiming to raise £1m for the survivors of the genocide

If you’ve been following the blog you’ll know that we’ve teamed up with new charity Wish For Rwanda. Set up earlier this year, the charity is aiming to raise £1million for Rwanda and it’s starting this month.

The first event will be a Christmas-themed fashion show and lunch at The Balmoral Hotel on November 28th. Guests will be welcomed with a champagne reception and models will be showing off this season’s must-haves from John Lewis, Retucco and lingerie boutique Booby Trap. For more information on the fashion show or to buy your ticket, please visit www.wishforrwanda.co.uk.

As well as gearing up for the fashion show, we’ve been getting the word about Jackie and her mission out to the media. Thankfully our hard work has paid off and the Edinburgh Evening News and The Daily Record both carried features on Wish For Rwanda this week.

You can read the Edinburgh Evening News story here and the Daily Record piece is online here.

Hopefully you’ll be sharing a glass of fizz with us on the 28th!

The last couple of months have been great for Hot Tin Roof so we’ve decided to pay our good fortune forward. We can now proudly announce that we’ll be donating our PR services to Wish For Rwanda, a new charity set up by Edinburgh’s very own Jackie Calder.

Jackie visited Rwanda in March on a study tour and she was struck by the hope and potential of a country in recovery. On her return to Scotland, Jackie founded Wish For Rwanda with the aim of raising £1million to deliver projects that will bring comfort and aid to the widows, widowers and orphans of the genocide.

The first project will raise money to build a Health Centre in the district of Gasabo, near the capital city of Kigali. Sessions will also be introduced to educate the community about hygiene, child welfare, nutrition, and family-planning. Hopefully, this will be the first of many such projects over the coming years.

Jackie is an events organiser by trade so she’ll be putting her skills to good use at Wish for Rwanda’s first fundraiser in November. Watch this space for more details or visit www.wishforrwanda.co.uk.

The Fringe may be over but there’s no time to relax as we’re getting busy with our work for next week’s EdTwestival Local.

Taking place in cities across the world, global Twestival events bring together Twitter followers to raise money for charity while having fun.

Having worked with organisers of the inaugural EdTwestival in February 2009, we’ll be running the PR campaign and raising awareness of the second event in the press and online.

Twestival Local, the second Twitter festival, is set for Thursday 10 September and hundreds of events, held around the world, will fundraise for charities in their area. EdTwestival will be held at Electric Circus on Market Street in support of local children’s cancer charity, CLIC Sargent, following a vote by Edinburgh Twitter users.

Entertainment on the night will include sets from The Banana Sessions, Cornelius Pierce, Chutes and Calamateur.

Hot Tin Roof’s Chris Welton will also be appearing on Leith FM on Tuesday 8th September to promote the event so tune in to hear more.

To buy tickets for the event visit http://www.amiando.com/edtwestlocal.html.