5,000 volunteers gathered together at the Hordern Pavilion in Sydney, Australia to see top acts Tinie Tempah and The Script, as the world wide volunteering programme made it's debut down under.
The Sydney gig was sponsored by mobile network Optus and is one of several planned for Australia.
'Drinking From The Bottle' singer Tinie Tempah will be part of the Optus RockCorps concert, replacing Labrinth on the line-up that also includes The Script and Guy Sebastian.
Tinie Tempah loves RockCorps and has performed at our concerts in the UK and France. “I love the organisation, I love what they do, I love that it’s all about getting young people volunteering and giving up their own time,” Tinie Tempah said. “I’ve done a few things for them in the UK as well and even in France so it’s going to be good to do it in Australia.”
No-one can buy tickets to the OPTUS RockCorps concert taking place at Horden Pavillion on 11 April 2013, they have to be earned. If you’re keen to get involved and do something for a good cause then get rewarded by seeing The Script, Tinie Tempah and Guy Sebastian live in concert, start by registering atwww.optusrockcorps.com.au
You can listen to Tinie's interview with NOVA radio here - http://www.novafm.com.au/audio/tinie-tempah-thrilled-join-optus-rockcorps>
Give, Get Given!
On Monday we launched OPTUS RockCorps in Sydney, the first time RockCorps has come to Australia.
To celebrate the launch, renowned anti-graffiti artist, Judd Shoppee spent four hours creating a large mural inspired by the themes of volunteering and music.
In this mural we revealed the music artists who will play at the first OPTUS RockCorps concert - The Script, Labrinth and Guy Sebastian - in Sydney on 11th April 2013
Australian artist, Guy Sebastian invited young people to get involved, saying that said OPTUS RockCorps would introduce volunteering to thousands of young people.
"You have to give back - if you don't, life gets inbalanced and I think something like this gives people the chance to get out of their comfort zone and do a good deed. They get a reward but it's still a good deed."
We're pretty excited about our first partnership in the southern hemisphere. The first step towards year round, non stop RockCorps concerts around the world!
http://www.optusrockcorps.com.au/
Year Here is a six-month programme for young people who are committed to making a difference in society.
Year Here challenges young people to a year of tackling social issues in their own backyard. As a Year Here fellow, you will work on some of the biggest challenges facing British society – including educational disadvantage, ageing and isolation, and homelessness. They give you volunteering experiences at the frontline of Britain’s social sector, a programme of social innovation training and work experience, and an opportunity to flex your entrepreneurial muscles.
The first fellowship kicks off in 2013.
The Year Here experience covers lots of ground – from exploring the worlds of politics and social entrepreneurship to exhibiting your own films and photography in a top London gallery. Exploring all this gives you the chance to work out where your passions lie, and you’ll pick up the experiences and networks you’ll need to move towards your new goals.
Costs and rewards
The Year Here fellowship is unpaid, although successful applicants will receive travel and lunch expenses. You will also need somewhere to stay in London for the duration of the experience, and raise around £1,500 to cover your living expenses throughout the fellowship.
You will benefit from training and support, including top speakers and advisors from across the social innovation world. You’ll also have access to seed funding up to a total of £2,800 to develop social innovation projects. Plus, they’ll cover your travel expenses and lunch expenses.
Worried by the prospect of raising £1,500? If you are concerned that you won’t be able to raise the funds in time, there are different financing options available to you. You will also need somewhere to stay in London for the duration of the experience.
Find out more about the Year Here experience and sign up to meet them at a Year Here event. The application deadline is 12th December – so apply early to avoid disappointment.
Teenage Cancer Trust’s Collection Weekend at Argos stores across the UK!
The teenage cancer charity, Teenage Cancer Trust have a fantastic opportunity for volunteer bucket collectors at Argos stores across the UK on Saturday 26th and Sunday 27th January 2013. This is an amazing chance to raise much needed funds for Teenage Cancer Trust.
Could you sign up to collect and help make the weekend a success?
Where and when?
Give 4 hours of your time on Saturday 26th or Sunday 27th January to go along to your local Argos store to take part. You will be sent Teenage Cancer Trust promotional materials, and the collection bucket will be waiting for you in store, so it's really simple - just sign up, turn up, bucket collect, then get on with your weekend!
Up to three volunteers can collect at any one time, so why not organise your friends and family into shifts and see how many hours you can give?
How to sign up
Contact Caroline on 0207 612 0721 or email her at argosvolunteers@teenagecancertrust.org for more information or to join the team!
You need to give…
• …your name and contact details
• …the name of your preferred Argos store
• …the date and times you want to volunteer
Then Caroline will be in touch to confirm the details!
If you can’t make either of these days then click here for other ways to get involved with the charity.
Once you’ve completed your volunteering you can join the RockCorps Collective and earn an amazing music reward.
Give, Get Given.
At RockCorps we know all too well how music inspires people to take action, strengthen communities and give back. That is why we wanted to tell you a bit about a new initiative called, Opera for Change.
Yep, you heard us, Opera for Change! It all started when a group of friends with a love of music and story-telling that decided to make the bold move to take The Magic Flute (an opera) across Africa in an articulated lorry. Again, yes you heard us, an articulated lorry.
The group of performers and musicians are going to take the production of Mozart’s famous opera on the back of a lorry from Nairobi to Cape Town, where they will work with musical organisations, schools, communities and festivals along the route.
Opera for Change will create a travelling festival of stories and songs in collaboration with local partners, from Ghetto Classics in Nairobi to the School of St Jude in Tanzania all the way down to the Keiskamma Music Academy in South Africa.
With a programme of workshops, performances and community-based events the charity will draw on the indigenous music, stories and cultures that they discover along the way. Each collaboration will build links and partnerships that will develop into longer-term community arts schemes, both locally and internationally.
The journey kicks off this weekend, so to follow their musical odyssey across Africa you can get them on Twitter, Facebook or check out their website for updates and news. We wish them the best of luck in their journey; it’s certainly one of the most inventive ways to work with communities we’ve heard of in a long time!
For the third consecutive year, Orange RockCorps France went to Marseille, so that more than 2,000 volunteers could give four hours of their time to one of their charity partners in exchange for their precious ticket to the gig.
So after 31 projects, more than 600 rolls, 255 brushes, 1360 litres of paint, 1450 litres of compost and 12 kgs of nails the long awaited day has arrived!
Thursday, October 4, 2012, it had to be the Dome Marseille for the hottest gig in town to see Inna Modja, Youssoupha, Nas and Ms. Lauryn Hill perform live!
Deezer UK are celebrating their 1st Birthday and we are giving one lucky Collective member the chance to win a pair of tickets to their exclusive party at the swanky Hospital Club, London on Wednesday 10th October and watch The Villagers, Slow Club and The Staves, live! Check them out below…
To enter, all you have to do is answer this question:
Which friend of RockCorps has the number 1 album on Deezer right now?
Email your answer to competitions@rockcorps.co.uk with Deezer Birthday in the subject line, along with your: Name, age and phone number. You must be 18 years or above and a member of the Collective to enter! Winners will be notified on Tuesday 9th October at midday.
If you don’t win a ticket you can tune in at 18:30 on Wednesday October 10 for their 1st Birthday Party live from London, online at http://www.deezer.com/en/ to catch all the action in glorious HD streaming!
We have five pairs of tickets to give away to five lucky Collective members to see indie-popsters Veronica Falls at the 100 Club London as part of the Converse Gig series! Support on the night comes from Frankie and the Heartstrings and Cheatahs!
To win a pair of tickets then all you have to do is send an email to competitions@rockcorps.co.uk with your name, age and telephone number with 'Veronica Falls' in the subject field.
The competition is open to 18+ only and you must be a Collective member to enter! Entries close Monay 15th October at midday.
Not a member of the Collective? Click here to join!
Parkinson’s UK need loads of volunteers to help cheer on their 93 sponsored runners in the Royal Park’s Marathon, London.
Do you think you have what it takes to cheer them on through 13.1 miles of green and leafy running? As a Parkinson’s UK volunteer you will make them feel appreciated for all their hard work and help raise funds for vital research!
They’ll have a cheer point at mile seven of the course (near Lancaster Gate tube station).
When: Sunday 7th October 2012 at 9:30AM – 1:30PM
Where: West Carriage Drive in Hyde Park, near Lancaster Gate Tube Station.
How to get involved: Contact Sarah Collard at scollard@parkinsons.org.uk or call 02079639305 to register your place as a volunteer!
They need you to come to the cheer point for 9:30am to meet the staff who will be able to give you a t-shirt and cheering equipment (AWESOME). You just need to bring your voice! They’ll also provide reasonable travel expenses within London and refreshments. Volunteers must be over 16
All applications to be received by Tuesday 2nd October!
RockCorps brought 50 people to the Isobel Centre on the Isle of Wight to barter their way into Bestival 2012, and it was amazing!
Fifty volunteers came from all over the UK to all Give 4 hours of their time to Get Given a ticket to Bestival by working together to build wheelchair accessible sustainable vegetable planters for Pan Together, or sand, clean and paint a huge seating area, all the way to clearing tonnes of weeds from all over the area.
In the spirit of Rob Da Bank’s ethos of using all local Isle of Wight suppliers, we sourced all of our project supplies on the island through local suppliers and small firms! A massive thanks to the Isle of Wight Council also for giving us a tonne of top soil for the planters, how nice.
In total the volunteers completed over 200 hours of work cumulatively to transform the site into a lovely, clean and useable space for the whole of the Pan community to enjoy and use for years to come. The each earned a weekend ticket to Bestival 2012 for their effort, something which they will never forget.
The Bestival ticket was the icing on the cake for them, as was meeting organiser and general all round lovely bloke, Rob Da Bank. They all throughly enjoyed their time on the island and are still glowing from the beautiful Bestival vibes.
Check out our photos from the event and Pan Together’s photos , plus, don’t forget to like our Facebook page too!
Here’s some highlights to Bestival 2012:
Give, Get Given
RockCorps have partnered with, Deezer, one of the world’s premier music streaming services! The Deezer partnership will offer the best music streaming service to all RockCorps volunteers and fans.
The partnership reflects what we're all about, ‘Give, Get Given’. Deezer will offer 3-month gift accounts to the very deserving RockCorps Collective competition winners who give 4 hours of their time volunteering for a charity or non-profit, as well as the ability for all to try unlimited music, anytime, anywhere for 15 days.
Mark Foster, Deezer UK and Ireland MD said: “RockCorps uses the power of music to inspire people to volunteer and give to their community so we could not think of a better youth initiative to partner with. We’re thrilled to be able to reward these inspirational young people with the unifying gift of music”.
Let us know what you think about this exciting news by tweeting us @orangerockcorps or head to our Facebook Page and leave a comment!
Maroon 5 join Buchanan’s Tiempo para Compartir volunteers in Mexico City to help paint a local school, and then play an incredible, VIP concert for 2,000 volunteers at Plaza Condessa!
The atmosphere at the Plaza Condessa, was electric, having the buzz of 2,000 people that had given their time to help others and rewarded with a concert devoted to their effort.
The DJ kicked things off whilst Buchanan’s flowed to get everyone jumping inside this stunning venue. Suddenly the lights go down and the presenters for the night take to the stage to welcome the opening act Javier, winner of "The Voice" competition. The crowd goes crazy.
Next up, the main event, the internationally renowned, Maroon 5! They burst onto the stage with incredible energy, blasting straight into their latest single 'Payphone', sending the audience into a frenzy. The show keeps building with a mix of songs from their latest album and their older stuff. An amazing rendition of 'This Love' had everyone singing along and as they closed with 'Moves Like Jagger', there wasn’t a single person not dancing along.
Recognising the volunteers, lead singer, Adam Levine said: 'I know what you have all done to be here and thank you' and so do we.'
Tiempo para Compartir!
Fatboy Slim is bringing his biggest and best Big Beach Boutique production to cinema screens around the world for one night only on August 31st.
Hundreds of cinemas across the UK, Europe, USA, South America, Russia, Japan, Australia, New Zealand and many more will be hosting screenings. To celebrate the world’s biggest dance party Picturehouse Cinemas and Fatboy Slim are hosting themed events at eight cinemas around the UK.
We are offering ONE lucky Collective member the chance to win a pair of tickets to a screening of their choice!
To enter, you need to send an email with Fatboy Slim in the subject with your name, age and phone number to competitions@rockcorps.co.uk with the answer to this question:
What is Norman Cook's hometown?
The participating Picturehouse venues and show times are as follows. All Picturehouse venues are licensed.
Tickets are on sale HERE get in QUICK!
BRIGHTON, Duke Of Yorks 11pm
LONDON, Brixton, The Ritzy 11pm
LONDON, Hackney Picturehouse 11pm
LIVERPOOL, Picturehouse at FACT 9pm
GREENWICH, Picturehouse 8.30pm
LONDON, Stratford PIcturehouse 8.30pm
SOUTHAMPTON, Harbour lights Picturehouse 11pm
EXETER, Picturehouse 11pm
The selected cinemas – listed below - will be decorated with Fatboy Slims signature smiley face and cross bones visuals and cinemagoers will be greeted with a pre show mix tape specially compiled by Norman for these screenings.
They’re also invited to come clad in their finest Big Beach Bootique attire – check the trailer for inspiration! - with the best-dressed winning a hand signed and framed God Bless This Acid House picture and the chance to win tickets to Fatboy Slim concerts. Runners up prizes will include Big Beach Bootique merchandise.
Visit www.cinemalive.co.uk for full list of participating cinemas.
Competition rules: You and your guest must be over 18-years-old! No travel or accommodation will be paid.
Win a pair of tickets to see Lonsdale Boys Club at the o2 Islington Academy Tuesday 14th August AND meet the band!
Amazing right? SO how do I win these tickets I hear you ask, well it's simple, all you have to do is answer this question...
Which ex Made In Chelsea star features in the video below?
Email competitions@rockcorps.co.uk with 'LBC' in the subject line with your:
Name / Age / Phone Number
Competition closes Wednesday 8th August 2012 at midday. Competition open to everyone over 16-years-of-age. No travel expenses paid.
Like it or not, Britain is the centre of the world stage for the next month thanks to a little sporting event called, the Olympics. It’s been a long time coming but now that it’s here it still feels like some crazy dream in which all tubes grind to a halt, we have missiles on every rooftop and oh wait…
In all seriousness though, we have all of the world’s top athletes, media and leaders in London. It’s a good feeling. Why not be proud of the being the centre of attention?
As Shakespeare wrote in The Tempest, "Be not afeard; the isle is full of noises."
Danny Boyle based the opening ceremony on the above quote and what came from it was a genuine spectacle that has sparked global debates around free health care with our NHS, Britain’s part in the birth of the World Wide Web (Tim Berners-Lee, we salute you!) and even featured Lord Voldemort. We are genuinely an impressive little island for all our many and varied achievements, but it isn’t this that has taken the millions of foreign visitors by surprise it the phalanx of volunteers; or to give them their official title ‘Games Makers’; helping people navigate one of the world’s oldest cities, with...a smile!
The global food giant, McDonald’s have taken a brave step in supporting the Games Makers with the aim of ‘leaving an enduring training and volunteering legacy for years to come’ in the UK psyche. There are around 70,000 Games Makers taking part throughout the Olympics and they are all unpaid volunteers of various ages, giving their time for free. It really is an amazing feat of civic pride bringing the best out in people, whatever reason they have for volunteering: free tickets, snazzy uniform or just a love of volunteering, they are still the backbone of the London 2012 Olympics.
The question next is how to sustain this wave of volunteer activity without such a huge event to tie it all together? Every year after the Orange RockCorps's volunteer concert we are faced by that question, how do you keep the passion for volunteering alive? Well we’ve found that once people have had that all-important introduction to the volunteering that they realise it’s not some stuffy boring activity that only old people do, in fact it’s a vibrant, social and open world full of people of all ages and cultures, the question answers itself.
We all like to be part of something bigger than ourselves and volunteering is exactly that opportunity. It's a pathway to a fuller and more exciting life that can often lead on to much bigger things, like a job with the organisation you've volunteered with, or meeting someone new and awesome. To paraphrase the comedian, Russell Brand on serving your community: "We are our community. Service is an honour. I'll be happy to do it."
So after all the medals are handed out, the Union Flags are taken down and TFL breathes a huge sigh of relief, let the volunteers be the enduring image of the London 2012 Olympic Games, the selfless representatives of the face of us all in modern Britain.
Want to have your say about this post? Let us know your thoughts on Facebook or Twitter! For more information on how to get involved in your area click here and once you’ve completed your volunteering we will reward your achievement through the Orange RockCorps’ Collective.
In the imortal words of Bill & Ted Be excellent to each other and as we always say…
Give, Get Given!
Here's a little sneak peek of some of the work the 50 lucky volunteers for Barter for Bestival will be doing...
There's a path under all that! We'll be clearing it all back and making it look bang tidy...
Are you getting your five-a-day? We'll be building some amazing sustainable planters for the Isobel Centre to grow loads of veg in to use in their on-site cafe!
Excited?! We are! You can sign up to register your interest here!
Give, Get Given.
Watch highlights from the Orange RockCorps France gig at Le Zénith, Paris, featuring 1995, The Ting Tings, Shy'M and Sean Paul!
Tu Donnes, Tu Reçois!
George House Trust has a very clear mission - to support people living with or affected by HIV in the North West and to ensure the best quality of life for all people living with HIV. Over the years GHT has been able to grow substantially and earned a reputation regionally and nationally for developing ground-breaking, life-enhancing services.
Manchester Pride is an important fund-raiser for LGBT and HIV groups, it's the only Pride event in the UK that's been a consistant success in that role. Pride events have been taking place in Manchester for over 21 years and they're hoping this year's Pride will make a great 'coming-out' party for GHT's bold and beautiful new look. They want you to join them for that big day!
Sign-up here to volunteer in the Pride Parade on 25th of August, or help Pride with fundraising throughout the big weekend!
Give, Get Given.
Do you want a ticket to Bestival – Britain’s most amazing, original and exciting festival? Well, being the splendid folks that we are, we are offering, 50… (yup, 50!) of you lovely people just that!
“How, for the love of all things fancy dress, can that be possible?!” we hear you cry. Well, this is how:
How
Give, Get Given. That’s our thing. Do something brilliant for someone else and we’ll give you a big pat on the back, well, more specifically, a full Bestival weekend camping ticket, as a great big thank you.
It’s a huge reward for an amazing charity doing great work in their community, so we need to make sure you’re committed to travelling to the Isle Of Wight on the Wednesday 5th September 2012 to do the work and then, in return, having the time of your life at Bestival.
What you’ll be expected to do on the day:
Give, Get Given. That’s our motto, so for you to get given your ticket to Bestival they’re going to expect you to give and get your hands dirty first. You will volunteer to give four hours of work to help create a sustainable allotment for the Isobel Centre set in the heart of the Isle of Wight and just down the road from the Bestival site. You will also have to bring something very special to barter your way in. Oh and you’ve got to do it all in British Wildlife fancy dress. If that sounds like fun to you then register now!
How to enter:
1 – Email barterforbestival@rockcorps.co.uk with your NAME, AGE, ADDRESS & TELEPHONE NUMBER with ‘Barter for Bestival’ in the subject line.
2 – You will then receive an auto-reply with instructions on how to enter in full. One of the instructions will be buying your travel in advance and proving that you will be attending the volunteering on Wednesday 5th September.
Stephen Greene, CEO of RockCorps says: “We just straight up love Bestival – and when they asked us to join up, it was obvious we would do so! RockCorps is known for shaking up the volunteering world by creating innovative and exciting ways for people to give back to their community and get rewarded for it. Bestival, apart from being one of the most inventive festivals around, has an incredible social conscience, really caring about the community on the Isle of Wight and creating a sustainable festival legacy.”
“So we’re joining forces to produce the very best volunteering experience possible with one hell of a reward. We’ll run a fully immersive RockCorps project with the good folks at Isobel Centre and to get a ticket to Bestival, you’ve got to barter your way in bringing the equipment you need to do the 4 hours volunteering on to the island with you! Let’s do this. Give, Get Given."
Rob da Bank added: “Ever since we first crossed the water to the Isle of Wight and fell in love with the place we’ve tried to give as much back to the community as possible. We also know money is tight for many on the island, as it is across the UK, so Barter For Bestival will give some of those people the chance to come in for free… well kinda!"
"I have a massive amount of respect for what RockCorps have achieved in the world of volunteering and putting on some pretty spectacular gigs so when I had this idea about us helping people on the island it was a bit of a no-brainer. I can’t wait to see the results.”
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