Community Lunch Calne, 19th July

Bookings are coming in fast for the Community Lunch in Calne, if you are planning on coming along then please let us know as soon as possible. The guest list so far included representatives from NWDC and WCC, as well as Calne Town Councillors and Police Community Support Officers. There will be a presentation from Mark Wilkins, Community Development Officer at Calne Town Council, about the Beversbrook Sports Project and there will be ample time for you to network with other voluntary groups and members of the local community. Click here to download the invitation.

 

Public Service Delivery and Compact Seminar - 11 July 2006

Does your organisation deliver, or want to get involved in delivering, public services? Are you involved in, or responsible for, managing public sector contracts? If so, this seminar will inform you of the latest policy initiatives taking place in public service delivery and how they might impact your organisation. In the morning we have invited HM Treasury to update us on the recently announced Third Sector Review.  In the afternoon the Seminar will look at the practicalities of engaging the public sector, through exploring how the Compact can be used as a tool to enhance the relationship between purchaser and provider.  We will also hear from one of HM Treasury's Pathfinder Councils who have committed to explore ways in which the voluntary and community sector can add value to the delivery of local services. Please click here for the invitation to the Public Service Delivery Network's first seminar - jointly hosted with the Compact Working Group.

 

Your Opportunity to Help More Older People Maintain their Gardens

A workshop for interested organisations is being held by Age Concern Wiltshire to discuss the demand for help by older people to maintain their gardens and how that help can be given. You will hear about a successful gardening project in Warwickshire and how it was set up. The workshop will be held on Friday 7th July at Sarsen Court, Devizes, 9:30am - 2pm (including buffet lunch). Contact Age Concern on 01380 735510 for more details and to book your place.

 

Extra Consultation Meetings

More public consultation meetings have been organised by Kennet and North and West Wiltshire Primary Care Trusts to discuss the future of the health service in the area. Click here for a list of dates and venues (extra dates are at the bottom).

 

Disability Rights Commission Partnerships and Transfer of Expertise Briefing Sheet

Featured this month: * News, information and resources from the Commission’s Practice Development team. * MIND’s Policy Director comments on the Government’s new proposals for mental health law and comments on a missed opportunity. * Myth and Reality Conference - the DDA 2005 and public transport. * Legal Update - The Employer and its sick pay policy – a helpful decision and DDA 2005 – landlords should not unreasonably withhold consent for disabled tenants to make improvements. Click here to download the briefing sheet.

 

Borrowing (and sharing) Vehicles and Drivers – The Legalities for Community Transport Groups

Borrowing vehicles and drivers from other CT groups is an intrinsic part of CT activity as it is sometimes not possible to have both a vehicle and/or a driver available for a particular activity. At first glance, borrowing vehicles and drivers from other CT groups appears simple – and the arrangements that a group makes with you when lending their vehicles/drivers to you should be straightforward – however there are some important legal issues which both parties involved in borrowing and lending vehicles and drivers should be aware of. Community First have produced this simple guide to the legalities of borrowing and sharing vehicles and drivers which should allow you to avoid the potential pitfalls involved. Click here to download the guide.

 

HMRC one stop shop for charities

 

New Job Opportunities Online

Click here to see job opportunities within the Voluntary Sector.

 

FREE Training and Seminars from AbilityNet

Can your website reach all of your audience? Can all potential users find out about your services? Not only do inaccessible websites create barriers to information access, under the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) inaccessible websites are illegal. Does your website comply with UK law? How do you create and maintain an accessible website? Web Accessibility Events for web developers and non-technical managers (click here for the flyer).

Accessible Computing on a Low Budget - Computers can make a world of difference to the learning, employment and leisure opportunities of people with disabilities. However, computers often need to be adapted before individuals can take advantage of their full enabling potential. Click here for the flyer.

 

SCoDP magazine - Latest issue, and you could win a prize!

Click here to download the Swindon Coalition of Disabled People's latest newsletter. Why not check out the article about Laurence Clark. There is an opportunity to win tickets to see his show.

 

EnACT Encourage & Enable Enterprise Activity

Free training currently being offered by Learning Curve, based in Chippenham. The training is designed to help you generate some money – i.e. money to help you keep going, to be less reliant on grants that become harder and harder to get, and money that will help you to run your organisation as you want to run it. Learning Curve are offering free advisory sessions, training sessions, workshops for you and your organisation but only until 31^st August! Some of the things they are offering training on include: * Income Generation, * Market Research & Marketing, * Business Planning, * Finance. If you would like more information, please visit their website - http://www.learningcurve.org.uk/Projects/EnACT.htm or call Call Inge Aben on 01249 464686 or e-mail inge@learningcurve.org.uk.

 

Free ‘New Media Made Cheap and Easy’ Seminars

The Media Trust is holding free seminars throughout England to give small to medium not-for-profit organisations the skills to use a range of new media communication and marketing tools. These seminars will be run by a leading new media consultant, and will feature practical advice and examples of free internet techniques such as blogging, podcasting and wikis. Media Trust is working in partnership with the ICT Hub to deliver these seminars. Click here for a booking form.

 

Interim Director of Adult & Community Services Appointed

We have received the following letter from Keith Robinson, Chief Executive, WCC:

"As I am sure you know, Ray Jones has left the County Council.  I am writing to let you know that we have appointed an Interim Director, Ian Davey, pending the appointment of a permanent Director. Ian joins us from the London Borough of Sutton, where he is currently undertaking a similar assignment.  He has previously worked for Rochdale Metropolitan Borough Council and Humberside County Council. Ian will join us full-time at the beginning of July and until then is spending one or two days per week in Wiltshire. The permanent appointment will be advertised shortly."

 

Wanted - A Catchphrase for Children & Young People's Services in Wiltshire

 

NWDC Homelessness Strategy Consultation

North Wiltshire District Council would welcome your views on how to target our resources to provide the best possible service for people in housing need in the District. As part of the development of the Homelessness Strategy 2006/2011, a consultation document is now available, please click on this link http://www.northwilts.gov.uk/index/housing/content-hous_homelessness_consultation.htm

 

National Family Learning Network Special Edition Newsletter

Please click here to view the NFLN Special Edition newsletter based on ‘Discovery’ which is the theme for Family Learning Week. This is an annual awareness campaign promoting and supporting family learning events across the country. Organised by the Campaign for Learning, FLW aims to raise awareness of the importance that families can have in supporting each other’s learning.

 

CRB Five Year Strategy

The Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) has published its five-year strategy for service delivery. The Strategy outlines the CRB’s key objectives for building on its successes and meeting the challenges of recruitment vetting in the 21st Century, and the Plan sets out improved performance measures, which will deliver a more rapid and responsive service. Follow this link for more information: http://www.crb.gov.uk/Default.aspx?page=4142

 

Free Consultancy from The Cranfield Trust

The Cranfield Trust is a National Charity providing free consultancy to small and medium sized charities across the UK in a variety of management areas. To do this they hold a register of approximately 500 volunteers from the commercial sector, all of whom hold professional qualifications, such as MBAs (Masters of Business Administration Degrees) or Accountancy qualifications. Visit www.cranfieldtrust.org for more information.

 

Age Discrimination in Volunteering

Volunteering England and VITA have launched a campaign against age discrimination in volunteering. Visit http://digbig.com/4htpe or http://www.volunteering.org.uk

 

CIPFA Certificate in Charity Finance and Accounting

The Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA) is working with London South Bank University (LSBU) to establish a joint award in charity finance. CIPFA’s Certificate in Charity Finance and Accounting has been specifically designed to meet the needs of those working in the finance functions of charities, but who do not yet hold a recognised finance qualification directly relevant to their work. This unique qualification has been influenced by the growing demand from government to improve the financial management of charities. Backed by the Workforce Hub and the Charity Finance Directors Group, the qualification will support people within the charities sector to drive up organisational efficiency, productivity and sustainability. Click here for more information.

 

Tendering For Care - How to Win Tenders Workshops

Recent new legislation means that securing even quite small amounts of public money now requires organisations both large and small to become involved in a tendering process. Does your organisation have the knowledge and skill needed to succeed in the tendering environment? These Workshops can help you to understand the requirements and what needs to be done in order to be successful. Set up in 2005 to help care providers to tender, the TfC workshops have now, by request, been opened to voluntary sector organisations to help them to cope in the increasingly competitive world of tendering and procurement. Click here for more information.

 

Local Exchange Trading System - LETS Swindon

Do you believe that there is a great deal wrong with present monetary systems? Would you like to become a member of new local exchange trading system in Swindon and the surrounding area? If so please feel free to come to our next meeting on the 16 June at 7pm at  48 Churchward Avenue, Swindon SN2 1NH. Tel/Fax 01793 532353. Email: mikethomasfioh@yahoo.co.uk

 

The Open University - Public consultation, 1 May 2006 - 31 July 2006: Are we open to you?

Departments across the University have been checking or ‘screening’ their policies and practices for race equality over the past 12 months. We have now published reports from each of these departments on this website to show what we have found out and the further actions planned by each department. We are seeking your views to help us assess the impact of our policy decisions and services on people of different racial groups. We welcome views from any individual or organisation, regardless of whether you have worked or studied with us or not. Visit the website to have your say. http://www.open.ac.uk/equalopportunities/p6.shtml.

 

Wiltshire and Swindon Voluntary Sector Infrastructure Consortium - Invitation to Tender

This is an exciting opportunity for an experienced consultant to influence the delivery of high quality services to the voluntary sector in Wiltshire and Swindon. The Consultant will advise the Consortium on the delivery of the Investment Plan and prepare funding proposals to secure future sustainability for the Consortium.  To enable the Consortium to meet its objectives the Consultant will take forward the Consortium Communication Plan to facilitate effective engagement with a wide range of stakeholders including the local authorities in Wiltshire and Swindon, Government Office for the South West and the South West Infrastructure Development Partnership. Closing date for expressions of interest in this position Monday 19 June 2006 with presentations of proposals on Monday 3 July 2006. For further information and a copy of the tender brief contact: Philippa Read, Community First on 01380 722475 or pread@communityfirst.org.uk.

 

 

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