This website is being retired (slowly). We’re building a simpler, fresher website at www.vanel.org.uk/vanel – visit us there. Bear with us whilst information moves between the two websites.
Come to our JINGLE MINGLE event on 5th December 2023 at 82 Grimsby Road.
Voluntary Action
North East Lincolnshire
Welcome
Please scroll down for all the latest news or explore our projects.
Mental health in different ways. Thoughts from a new Young Reporter
What is mental health? Mental health is “a state of well-being in which the individual realizes his or her own abilities, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully, and is able to make a contribution to his or her community”, according to the World Health Organization. Mental health includes […]
Ten years of Young Reporters in North East Lincolnshire
You’ve been reading weekly articles from the Young Reporters in the Grimsby Telegraph and on the VANEL blog for years now. But did you know that the Young Reporters initiative is now ten years old? VANEL has managed the Young Reporters scheme for a good number of years now, led by Jenny Hodson, and you […]
How safe do you feel in your neighbourhood?
The North East Lincolnshire Community Safety Partnership has a duty to consult with local residents on their perception of crime in their neighbourhoods. The results of this survey, combined with local crime data, inform the CSP’s planning process and determine the focus of its projects and priorities. This simple, eight-question short survey is open online from […]
The Power of Community Support. Article by a new Young Reporter
As we go about our busy lives, local heroes are tirelessly giving up their time to make a difference in our world. If we didn’t already know it, the Covid-19 pandemic further emphasised the need for community support. All around us, people continue to go the extra mile to help others. Founded under a different […]
Lincolnshire Community Foundation launches Ukranian Refugee Appeal for refugees arriving in Greater Lincolnshire
Following the recent lifechanging events in Ukraine, Trustees at Lincolnshire Community Foundation felt it only right to launch an appeal to support refugees arriving in Greater Lincolnshire to ensure they receive the support they need, ensuring individuals and families feel welcome and able to re-settle here. The call to action from local communities has been […]
Representations of Learning Disabilities in Winnie the Pooh. A Young Reporter article
Eating Disorders, Generalised Anxiety Disorder (GAD), Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Depression, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) and Dyslexia. Not necessarily the things that people usually think of when it comes to the may Adventures of Winnie the Pooh and his friends. Most, if not all, of us will have been good friends with Winnie the […]
‘My first chapter’ by Young Reporter Tomos to celebrate the 10 years of Young Reporters
Before writing in the Grimsby Telegraph as a Young Reporter, I had no experience whatsoever in community work. Back then, in the first half of 2019, I was just a 14 year old boy who took himself as his main company, stayed as much as possible away from the social scene in my school, and […]
Attacking that anxiety. Latest mini mental-health article from a Young Reporter
Following on from my last article about depression, I wanted to address anxiety and panic attacks. I feel that there’s this stigma that if one has anxiety, it corresponds with being ‘too sensitive’ meaning that their mental illness is often overlooked. Anxiety is easily understood as our brain’s response to fear or nerves and this […]
The future is just below the surface. This week’s story from a Young Reporter
Thousands of people have climbed Mount Everest, 12 men have walked on the surface of the moon but only 3 men have been to the very bottom of the ocean. Despite the fact the ocean is so crucial to the very existence of every species that exists on our planet, according to the National Ocean Service, […]
Parasocial Relationships and their Consequences. From our Young Reporter
We all have celebrities we admire – the Beatles, One Direction, Britney Spears. However, to what extent are these admirations acceptable? Parasocial relationships are endemic in modern society, yet what does the term even mean?. Findapsychologist.org defines this phenomenon as a one-sided relationship whereby one person funnels their time, energy and resources into a second […]
Individuality. This week’s Young Reporters article
Individuality: -. “Something vital to each person. Something that desperately needs to be displayed for ourpopulation to be diverse, interesting and varied” Without individuality we are left with a bland and boring abyss of sameness. A plain world. Allowing our children, friends, family, students etc to show their personality, through clothes, artwork, dance, hair colour […]
The Aftermath of Christmas – Guilt Ridden. Thoughts from a Young Reporter
Christmas is now over. The excitement has died down, and hopefully everyone managed to have an imperfectly perfect Christmas, or at least managed to enjoy it as much as possible. The aftermath of Christmas on the media is awful. The only way it makes us feel is guilty. This relates most to the guilt of […]
The Effects of Male Gaze on the Masculine – 500 Days of Summer . A Young Reporter article
‘500 Days of Summer’ presents us with the effects of male gaze on the man. Often in media we discuss the effects of this phenomenon on the female. Terminology such as the ‘inner camera’ have been popularized which describe the feeling that women always have an imagined spectator they perpetually perform for, even in the […]
The Christmastime Suicide Myth: Where To Focus Your Efforts To Prevent Suicide This Holiday Season. By a Young Reporter
Most people in modern-times seem to subscribe to the idea that suicide rates dramatically increase around Christmas season, which is understandable, as it seems plausible to some that during the holiday period, a mentally ill person may be pushed over the edge by the surrounding jollity of Christmas, which ‘everyone but they’ can partake in. It […]
Safer Streets West Marsh project well underway
VANEL is very actively involved with the delivery of the “Safer Streets 2” project which is tackling acquisitive crime on the West Marsh. We are taking a lead on a number of community aspects of the project, and with the project nearly half-way through its six month programme, here’s a flavour of what is going […]
My Definition Of Grief. A Young Reporter article
As we become accustomed to living with COVID-19, wearing face masks, getting vaccinations – we soon forget to talk about what’s important. Whether that’s our worries for the future, the anxiety we face going back to work or school, or even just being. Every morning, the news highlighted the impact of the new virus on […]
Have cemeteries got one foot in the grave? Thoughts from a Young Reporter
Since their humble beginnings in North Africa and West Asia 10-15,000 years ago, cemeteries have been engrained into the traditions, architecture and daily lives of civilisations all over the world. Graveyards are a staple of many cultures around the globe and have only just recently become unwelcoming, morbid places bound to the stigma of sorrow, […]
MOVE team involved with “Hoods in the Wood” pantomime (oh yes they are)
The MOVE project’s first ever pantomime will be broadcast on HLR Community Radio next week. The pantomime is called Hoods in the Woods and is the product of a collaboration between the Yeller Bellies Writing Group and Virtual Players. It has involved and features many participants, employees and volunteers from across the project including Peter and Liz from […]
First film on VANEL TV from Nostalgic North East Lincolnshire documents the history of Waltham Windmill
The first heritage film created through VANEL’s Community Heritage TV project is now available to view. This film covers the history of Waltham Windmill – a favourite local landmark. Filmed and produced by Hammond House Productions, this is the first film commissioned through the Heritage Lottery funded project started up earlier this year. During the […]
The Pop Industry and its ‘Bounce Back’. A Young Reporter article
Like all things, the Pop Industry suffered during lockdown at the height of the-19 pandemic. But it’s coming back with a bang! And it’s not just current artists coming back, some older artists are wowing us again, like ABBA! All music fans, people of all ages can be prepared for a music come back like […]