Countdown to Grow...

Janice Fortune (Chief Officer, Develop) & Margaret West (Chief Officer, Voluntary Action Kennet) unveiled the new Wiltshire Voluntary Sector Support Service GROW at this week's Wiltshire Voluntary Sector Assembly. Grow will start from Apr 1! Each week we'll be telling you about some of the services we will be providing, this week it volunteering; Grow will be employing two Volunteering workers to provide the new volunteer service throughout Wiltshire, one worker will concentrate on supporting the organisations across the area, finding out what volunteering opportunities you have, providing best practice guidance and supporting you in the recruitment of your volunteers, the other worker will be focussed on promoting volunteering and your volunteering opportunities to the public, increasing the number of potential volunteers throughout Wiltshire. Find out more about the new service and see some photos here.

 

Full Cost Recovery Training - New Date Added

Due to popular demand we have added a further date for our Full Cost Recovery Training. Historically, third sector organisations have struggled to secure funding for their overhead costs, making themselves and their services unsustainable. Using full cost recovery, organisations can ensure that the contracts and grants they secure reflect the full costs of delivery, including overhead costs. The course aims to guide participants through the process of full cost recovery and provide a practical toolkit and spreadsheet which should be acceptable by any funder. Topics covered include the benefits of using the FCR model, the different sort of costs to consider, how to rationally divide costs, the ARAF process, cost drivers and how to allocate the costs. Thursday 10th June, AM session, the cost is £25 to members of Develop or VAK and £45 for non members. Click here to book a place.

 

Merger Resources
This new NAVCA webpage gives links to a wealth of information on mergers available on the internet and within publications from third sector agencies. Click here to visit the page.

 

Data Protection Act Training

 

B&Q One Planet Living Awards
The B&Q One Planet Living (OPL) Grant offers between £50 and £250 of B&Q materials to schools, community groups and charitable organisations for long-term sustainable projects. Projects must support at least one of the following themes: save energy, conserve nature, support local culture & heritage, grow your own. Projects can apply for funding until 30 September. Find out more.

 

Are They Safe?
This Safe Network resource pack will help community and voluntary groups to help managers, staff and volunteers feel confident about what they need to do to safeguard children effectively. Read on.

 

Working with Public Sector to Protect Funding
Another briefing has been published by Compact Voice for voluntary groups in England concerned at the possible effect of changes to funding from local councils. 'How to safeguard Sector stability - using your Compact' suggests a number of steps to take to achieve the best local outcomes. Download pdf, 72KB.

 

The Third Sector and Personalisation of Services
The government's Cabinet Office has an advisor looking at the third sector's role in the design and delivery of more personalised public services. She published the first set of recommendations, 'The Role of Third Sector Innovation: Personalisation of health and social care and services to reduce reoffending' last week. This is split into three sections (Working Towards Real Choice, Exercising Real Choice and How can the Third Sector and Government Discuss Personalisation) and can be downloaded here. Her report on personalisation of education and learning services is due this month.

 

Support & Information for Trustees

NCVO has some useful pages all about Charity Trustees with guidance all many different areas of being a Trustee, take a look here.

 

Plumbing & Gas Work Volunteer

I've been approached by a man wishing to do some volunteering to support a local cause, for his day job he specialises in plumbing and wondered if there's any groups out there that might benefit from his skills? If your group is interested please contact me: beth@developecs.org.uk. It would be beneficial if you're already registered on our volunteering database.

 

South West Regional Funding Bulletin

Click here to download the latest South West funding bulletin.

 

Cash 4 Clubs
Cash 4 Clubs is a sports grants scheme which provides funding to support grassroots UK sports clubs. It gives clubs a chance to win grants ranging from £250 to £1000. Grants can be to improve facilities, purchase new equipment, gain coaching qualifications, or generally invest in the sustainability of the club. www.cash-4-clubs.com.

 

 

FREE Financial Management Training - 15 March, Bristol

Understanding of finances, budgets and accounts is a key management skill. The ability to understand what the figures tell you cannot be delegated. All organisations need to have budgets and forecasts and to understand the cost of their operations. You will gain good understanding of how to build  a budget and how it fits with planning process. You will also gain an understanding of understanding what the figures tell you and how you can use the to control performance. one day training will equip participants with information and understanding to develop sustainable and alternative income generating models. Find out more here.

 

Parents as Partners training: Engaging Hard to Reach Families
March 17th – Bath or June 22nd – Exeter. Designed to support Early Years Foundation Stage standards, this course provides practical ideas to engage parents in your setting. Participants will be equipped with techniques to encourage parents to share in their child’s learning and development in the setting and at home. Over the course you will: * Identify the principles of effective parent partnership. * Recognise barriers which may exist for some parents. * Audit your provision to identify strengths and weaknesses. * Use assessment methods which help parents become more involved in their child’s learning and development in your setting. * Use strategies that encourage parents to share children’s learning and development at home. * Write a parent charter in consultation with parents in your setting.  The course will also support practitioners to meet Children’s Centre Guidance for working with parents, CWDC Induction Standards and requirements from Every Parent Matters and The Children’s Plan. Who should attend: All those working with children and families, particularly in Early Years settings and community groups, who wish to support parental involvement in their child’s learning and development. COST: £65 + VAT for the one day training course including lunch and refreshments. To book a place on this course now: Email: tlcinfosouthwest@barnardos.org.uk or Call Jacqui Cuthbert on 0117 937 5500.