Well Hello, Welcome to My Blog...

Blogging. Blogs. Blogger. Bloggageddon. This is the first ever MKCVO blog entry, and I was lucky enough to be nominated to do it, so ‘Hi’ - I’m Gareth, nice to meet you.

I work at MKCVO and oversee Outreach MK, which is a joint project with other members of MKCLIP (Milton Keynes Community Local Infrastructure Partnership). Along with the Outreach MK Project Workers, I visit lots of different groups throughout the city as well as coordinating networking events and training for all voluntary, community and social enterprise organisations in the area.  

It’s a real privilege to have contact with the wide variety of groups, from wholly voluntary groups such as Bosom Pals, a breast cancer support group, to community organisations such as MK Snap, who offer work and life skills training to adults who have physical and learning difficulties, and exciting Community Interest Companies like Make A Difference which inspires young people to make a difference to their lives and the lives of others.

There is a rich third sector in Milton Keynes filled with people all aiming to make life better, easier and/or more fun for MK residents. Outreach Project Workers visit voluntary, community and social enterprise groups in the city, find out what they’re up to and signpost onto different support and information that’s available to help groups reach their aims. This can be anything from getting funding or finding out about legal issues to learning about volunteer management, getting involved with the strategic direction of the city or ways to make posters prettier. If your group or organisation would like a visit - get in touch! You can call me on 01908 661623 or email gareth.pacitti@mkcvo.co.uk to arrange a visit. 

As mentioned earlier, the project also runs networking events and training sessions, all of which have had great feedback so far. There's some exciting stuff lined up for the rest of the year based on what people have told us they want us to be doing - if you’re signed up to the Gateway you’ll be sure to be notified - you can sign up here if you're not already a member of the site. Our most recent workshops (around using facebook, twitter, etc), booked up within 3 hours so it’s certainly worth it!

Blog off,

Gareth Pacitti, Project Officer: Outreach MK