E-Bulletin

Welcome to the CVS North Wiltshire e-bulletin. To view this e-bulletin online click here.

New Job Opportunities Online

Click here to see job opportunities within the Voluntary Sector.

Community Lunches - They're back!

The networking and social aspect of the Voluntary Sector Forum has always proved popular, so we are taking this idea and starting a series of Community Lunches throughout North Wiltshire. The first one will take place in Calne on the 19th July, invites will go out soon. A community lunch is aimed at gathering the voluntary sector groups working within that community and other community figures such as doctors, police, community planners etc. To register an interest in attending the first event please email karenm@cvsnw.org.uk.

Voluntary Sector Forum - Update

The Voluntary Sector Forum was held on the 9th May. It was agreed to make future meetings more strategic, looking at the issues and feeding into the Wiltshire & Swindon Forum and the Local Strategic Partnership. The Pathways for Change consultation was also discussed the feedback report to the PCT will be produced soon.

Personal Alarms for Just £5 - Revival Support Services

Small but sturdy alarm giving an ear piercing siren which disorientates attackers, attracts attention and provides extra vital seconds for escape. Batteries supplied. For more information or to buy your alarm contact Fiona on 01225 358 568 or by email: Fiona@revival-support.org.uk

Advocacy Works Closing - No New Referrals for Mental Health Advocacy

We have been given notice that our contract with Wiltshire County Council, Kennet & North Wiltshire PCT and West Wiltshire PCT will end on 30^th September 2006. We regret to inform you that Advocacy Works will close by that date. Click here for full details.

Bridging the Gap: Adult & Community Learning Meets Skills for Life

9am till 1pm, Wednesday 24^th May at University of Bath in Swindon - Click here to download the invitation

This conference will: Bring Adult and Community Learning and Skills for Life practitioners together, Share ideas and good practice, Help us to prepare for and deliver the new Skills for Life strategy, Launch a Swindon Skills for Life Task Group.

News from the Commission for Equality and Human Rights

Click here to download the newsletter from the Commission for Equality and Human Rights. If you would like to receive more information on the CEHR, contact us via the website: www.cehr.org.uk or e-mail info@cehr.org.uk.

Carers Support - Pathways For Change Consultation Event

Are You A Carer For A Relative Or Friend? Are You Concerned About The Proposed Changes To Health Care Within North Wiltshire?

Carers Support North Wilts are hosting an event for local Carers to give their views on the proposals stated in the Kennet, North and West Wilts Primary Care Trust consultation document ‘Pathways For Change’ and by the Mental Health Trust consultation document ‘Mainstreaming Mental Health’

on Thursday 8^th June 10am – 12noon at The Jubilee Rooms, Chippenham. These proposals have implications for Carers and we would like to seek your views, opinions, concerns and suggestions. To book a place please tel: 01249 444110 or E-mail office@carersnw.co.uk

Rooms for Rent - Independent Living Centre, Semington

We are fortunate that we own a large building and already welcome as tenants such organisations as Leonard Cheshire Foundation, Wiltshire and Swindon Users Network and Carers’ Support, West Wilts. We now have two rooms available, these are not adjacent so would probably best suit two separate organizations. The first room is open plan with windows on three sides (could probably be divided into separate rooms if desired) with an area of 743 square feet at an annual rent of £7,913. The second room is slightly smaller at 444 square feet with a rent of £4,729 (service charges are shared pro-rata to area occupied). We have a large car park and are easy to reach from Chippenham, Devizes, Warminster and Trowbridge. If you would like to view the rooms, please ring the centre on 01380 871007 to make arrangements.

Section 64 feedback

The Section 64 scheme is an annual grant round which provides funding awards for up to three years to organisations working in health and social care which support the Department of Health's policy goals. You may have read the articles in the sector press last month which publicised the serious and continuing delays in the announcement of Section 64 grants for 2006/07, as well as the failure of the Department of Health to agree this year's budgets before the end of the financial year for multi-year projects which had already been successful in 2004/05 and 2005/06. An article on this topic is located on the main Directory of Social Change website at: http://www.dsc.org.uk/charityexchange/section64.html which you may be interested to read.

New Funding Available - Community Development Foundation

CDF is administering a new grants scheme for local communities, on behalf of the Home Office, to increase race equality and community cohesion within their own communities. This £1 million fund is aimed at a local level and CDF believes local communities are in an excellent position to work with others to improve their own situations. The grants scheme, Connecting Communities Plus, Community Grants, welcomes applications from small, locally run and managed voluntary and community organisations, often run by volunteers, who want to improve opportunities for people locally and to improve relations between people of different ethnic and/or faith backgrounds. Click here for further information.

PCT Reconfiguration arrangements

Click here to view the letter received from the Department of Health confirming arrangements for PCT reconfiguration in Avon, Gloucestershire and Wiltshire. The Secretary of State’s decision for 7 PCTs is subject to conditions, particularly that PCTs deliver their share of the 15% management cost savings, strengthen commissioning and ensure robust management of financial balance and risk. And, working with local stakeholders, the SHA should consider whether shared management teams would benefit PCTs in meeting these criteria. These conditions are set out in more detail in the attached letter. A map of the new PCT configuration across the South West is also attached. Click here for the PCT press notice.

Workforce Hub conference: Workforce development: Whose job is it anyway?

Everyone has a role to play in recruiting, retaining and developing the staff and volunteers organisations need to deliver their objectives.

Find out how you can develop your organisation's workforce at this conference. The event, to be held on June 6 at NCVO in London, features workshops on employment law, training, building skills and volunteer management. You can also catch up on the latest news from organisations - both large and small - already successfully developing their workforces. And you can network with colleagues from across the sector at our lunchtime knowledge cafe. We're offering bursaries to small organisations. Please email us at workforcehub@ukworkforcehub.org.uk for more details. Visit www.ukworkforcehub.org.uk to book.

Institute of Fundraising - Trustees & Senior Managers' Conference

A new session on National Occupational Standards for Trustees and Management Committee Members has been included in the programme for the event at the National Star College, Cheltenham on 31st May. Other sessions focus on strategic planning, self regulation, the roles and responsibilities of charity trustees, fundraising strategy and great trustees! Please encourage your managers and trustees to attend as this will be an invaluable opportunity for them to learn about the new Fundraising Standards Board, network and understand more about fundraising. Contact Isobel Michael on 01225 831334 or southwest@institute-of-fundraising.org.uk

Using the CRB Disclosure service
Guidance from London Voluntary Service Council on developing a policy for safeguarding children and vulnerable adults. Click here to download.

My Web My Way
Do you need help in making the internet easier to use? This site explains the many ways you can change your browser, computer, keyboard and mouse settings to make the web more accessible for you. http://www.bbc.co.uk/accessibility/

A breath of fresh air - Introducing a smoke-free policy at work

A total ban on smoking in enclosed public spaces and workplaces has been passed by Parliament and will become law soon. If you don’t already have a

smoke-free workplace, it’ll take time to prepare your staff, customers and visitors for the change – so you need to start planning now. Click here for the guide from the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health

Charities Accounts and Reports

To help prepare for SORP 2005, the Charity Commission has now released new accounts packs, new examples and links to charities already successfully using SORP 2005. Click here to visit the website.

BIG E-News - May 2006 edition

Click here for the latest newsletter from the Big Lottery Fund

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