The Mayor of Eastleigh, Councillor Roger Smith, has today said farewell to the 18 volunteers taking part in the VSO Global Xchange project. The Mayor was joined by the Mayor of Southampton, Councillor Stephen Barnes-Andrews in a special ceremony, which thanked the volunteers for their contributions to Eastleigh and Southampton.

The young volunteers, 9 from the UK and 9 from the Philippines, arrived in the UK in March and have been working on a variety of projects in the local area over the last three months. Some of the community projects have included; Eastleigh Young Carers, Quilley School of Engineering, QEII Activities Centre, Eastleigh Recycling Centre, Bitterne Park Infant School, Southampton Children’s Play Association, St Anne’s School, Southampton Baseline Project, Southampton Sports Development Unit, Vitalise Centre, Southampton Somali Association, Southampton Sustainability Forum, Southampton Youth Service and K2 Festival, and Great Oaks School. 

The team have also been involved in a number of ‘Community Action Days’, which have included the clearing of a park area in Woodstock Close at Hedge End and also Stoke Road in Shirley, as well as helping at the Southampton Cruelty Free Festival held in the Guildhall in May. In addition, the group held a ‘Filipino Night’ in conjunction with the Filipino Association in Southampton, where local people could experience a taste of the Philippine culture, including traditional dancing, food tasting and games.

Phase 2
The 18 volunteers will now travel to Mindanao in the Southern Philippines to complete a further 3 months volunteering in Davao. The group will be involved with many projects including; researching sustainable livelihoods, natural resource management, and peace building, as well as working in charitable centres, assisting with educational projects, enhancing environmental and economic management, conserving the endangered Philippine Eagle population and helping adolescent street girls. 

The Mayor of Eastleigh, Councillor Roger Smith, commented: “This group of young people have made a huge contribution to our local area. Not only have they improved local facilities and organisations by working with a variety of different projects, but they have brought a wealth of culture and inspired many individuals by showing them how a little volunteering can make the world of difference to the people they are helping. I would like to thank BAA Southampton for supporting this worthy project.“

The Mayor of Southampton, Councillor Stephen Barnes-Andrews, commented: “I would like to offer my sincerest thanks to these amazing young people, who have made the world of difference to local projects over the last 3 months. I look forward to hearing more about the projects that are developed in the Philippines and I wish them the best of luck.”

Jan Halliday, Director of Marketing & Communications at Southampton Airport, said: “The 18 volunteers will have given over 6000 hours of volunteering to Eastleigh and Southampton and have left many lasting legacies for future generations to enjoy. I have no doubt that the group will achieve great things in the Philippines, and will continue to learn from each other, and the varying cultures in which they are living and working.” 

The project, which is run by VSO, the British Council and CSV, has been made possible thanks to sponsorship from the BAA Communities Trust, BAA’s own charity, and V, a new youth volunteering charity launched by the Government last year.

Media enquiries