Darwen academy volunteers launch volunteering project

CHILDREN from Darwen Academy will go out into their communities to carry out vital voluntary work.

As part of the Stand Out In Darwen project, about 280 children from years seven and eight will complete two mornings of work on Tuesday and Wednesday, July 17 and 18.

It is the second project of its kind, after the successful first Stand Out In Darwen days saw 500 pupils carry out tasks including helping the elderly during an IT coffee morning, creating art works and cleaning up at Witton Park, Blackburn, and Sunnyhurst Wood, and handing out Age UK flyers in the town.

And now, organisers are looking for people who know of deserving causes that could be helped by the pupils.

Neighbourhood challenge co-ordinator for the Stand Out In Darwen project Jude Smith, who is based at Darwen Academy, said: “I would like to ask for any assistance you may be able to give in order to allow students from DACA to complete two mornings of volunteering.

“I feel that volunteering is an important trait to instil in our young people to ensure they become well rounded individuals and actively contributing citizens of the local community.

“I am hoping to secure a number of small or large local activities that will benefit the immediate community to break down any barriers that may exist between the youth and older members of the area.

“Also to make improvements to any areas which require updating, clearing of debris or waste, making it safe for local residents or to simply give back some time and effort into their local community.

“Suggested activities may include street clear-ups, reading to the elderly, working in a retirement home or restoration of local park areas.”

Anyone wishing to suggest a project for the students to get involved with should contact Mrs Smith on jude.smith@ daca.uk.com, or call 01254 819500.

Comments(9)

Your ferret stinks says...
11:12am Wed 20 Jun 12

Sounds to me like the exploitation of children getting them to do the jobs nobody else wants to do.............why not get 'payback in the community' to do these dirty tasks..........oh i forgot it's easier to bully kids...............i
f my kids went to daca you can bet your life i would be giving them the day off when these tasks were due to be carried out!

A Local Lad says...
12:06pm Wed 20 Jun 12

Your ferret stinks wrote:
Sounds to me like the exploitation of children getting them to do the jobs nobody else wants to do.............why not get 'payback in the community' to do these dirty tasks..........oh i forgot it's easier to bully kids...............i f my kids went to daca you can bet your life i would be giving them the day off when these tasks were due to be carried out!
miserable.com
Not sure about your ferret stinking but your attitude certainly does !!!
Nothing wrong with community spirit ........ you ask the people who benefited from the last project. Good on em I say !

Stuart Farquar says...
12:07pm Wed 20 Jun 12

280 children from years seven and eight will complete two mornings of work on Tuesday and Wednesday, July 17 and 18 and are being sought to clamber up chimneys to clean out deposits of soot. Some of the chimneys are extremely narrow, perhaps only 18 centimetres (7 inches) square, and you may be reluctant at first to wriggle into them. However, plenty of encouragement is provided - by a lighted straw held beneath your feet or by pins stuck into you. You may suffer some cuts, grazes and bruises at first, but months of suffering will toughen up your skin to a leather-like quality.

Sweeps have other things to look forward to - twisted spines and kneecaps, deformed ankles, eye inflammations and respiratory illnesses. The first known industrial disease - 'chimney sweep's cancer' - appears in the testicles from the constant irritation of the soot on naked skin. Many sweeps are maimed or killed after falling or being badly burned, while others suffocate when they became trapped in the curves of the chimneys.

Although you will officially be apprenticed as a chimney sweep, there really is no work of any value to be had at the end of your years of training - despite your poor diet, you will have grown too large to be of any use.

Your ferret stinks says...
1:05pm Wed 20 Jun 12

A Local Lad wrote:
Your ferret stinks wrote: Sounds to me like the exploitation of children getting them to do the jobs nobody else wants to do.............why not get 'payback in the community' to do these dirty tasks..........oh i forgot it's easier to bully kids...............i f my kids went to daca you can bet your life i would be giving them the day off when these tasks were due to be carried out!
miserable.com Not sure about your ferret stinking but your attitude certainly does !!! Nothing wrong with community spirit ........ you ask the people who benefited from the last project. Good on em I say !
What gives you the right to say my attitude stinks? is it because i've got some balls and will stick up for the very kids you want to do your dirty work for free for you?
I bet you come along at the end of the job and give yourselves a big fat pat on the back and say 'what a good job WE have done.
As for asking people who benefitted from the last project i'm sure they would say it was fantastic but was it any of them who did any sh1t picking......
How many kids will come from tauheedul high school in blackburn and clean up witton park....answer none! and they have got a good community spirit.
Kids should be in school learning so they don't have to do jobs like this when they are older, however whilst there are people like you promoting this there will also be the 'Fagans' of this world.

Your ferret stinks says...
1:29pm Wed 20 Jun 12

Anyone wishing to suggest a project for the students to get involved with should contact Mrs Smith on jude.smith@ daca.uk.com, or call 01254 819500.

I've got one...any pupil who has 100% attendance at the end of the academic year gets a free day pass to blackpool pleasure beach....oh and 'A Local Lads' paying because he has a fantastic community spirit.

sen c bl says...
5:43pm Wed 20 Jun 12

A Local Lad wrote:
Your ferret stinks wrote:
Sounds to me like the exploitation of children getting them to do the jobs nobody else wants to do.............why not get 'payback in the community' to do these dirty tasks..........oh i forgot it's easier to bully kids...............i f my kids went to daca you can bet your life i would be giving them the day off when these tasks were due to be carried out!
miserable.com
Not sure about your ferret stinking but your attitude certainly does !!!
Nothing wrong with community spirit ........ you ask the people who benefited from the last project. Good on em I say !
School children are partiularly vulnerable and soft easy targets, volunteering for community work. Neighbourhood challenge organisers should involve the police and asign criminals with tasks you and I would not consider, as it is they who once again should learn the meaning, 'good citizen'.

Stuart Farquar says...
6:07pm Wed 20 Jun 12

sen c bl wrote:
A Local Lad wrote:
Your ferret stinks wrote: Sounds to me like the exploitation of children getting them to do the jobs nobody else wants to do.............why not get 'payback in the community' to do these dirty tasks..........oh i forgot it's easier to bully kids...............i f my kids went to daca you can bet your life i would be giving them the day off when these tasks were due to be carried out!
miserable.com Not sure about your ferret stinking but your attitude certainly does !!! Nothing wrong with community spirit ........ you ask the people who benefited from the last project. Good on em I say !
School children are partiularly vulnerable and soft easy targets, volunteering for community work. Neighbourhood challenge organisers should involve the police and asign criminals with tasks you and I would not consider, as it is they who once again should learn the meaning, 'good citizen'.
Well said !

dollyfan says...
9:08pm Thu 21 Jun 12

I cant see any problem with this the students are monitored and from speaking to some of the ones who helped in the St Peters Clean up they enjoyed it, believe it or not to the children this is a couple of days out of class wearing jeans sweaters and trainers and doing somethign worthwhile, when we did our clean up last year it was surprising how many children were picking up other peoples litter that said they would now think twice before dropping litter, however they did enjoy it, as for other ideas of volunteering their is always the local charity shops, the community centres, their are lots of other groups in Darwen all the ones who were at the Stand out in Darwen and involovled in the your community your call will have lots of other ideas to help, these projects give the children a sense of pride and achievment.

sen c bl says...
9:18pm Thu 21 Jun 12

dollyfan wrote:
I cant see any problem with this the students are monitored and from speaking to some of the ones who helped in the St Peters Clean up they enjoyed it, believe it or not to the children this is a couple of days out of class wearing jeans sweaters and trainers and doing somethign worthwhile, when we did our clean up last year it was surprising how many children were picking up other peoples litter that said they would now think twice before dropping litter, however they did enjoy it, as for other ideas of volunteering their is always the local charity shops, the community centres, their are lots of other groups in Darwen all the ones who were at the Stand out in Darwen and involovled in the your community your call will have lots of other ideas to help, these projects give the children a sense of pride and achievment.
Wearing jeans, sweaters and trainers, can't be bad! I'd rather see a criminal thinking twice before carrying out his career act!

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