New Programme of Training Courses

Our Training Worker is currently finalising the 06/07 training programme for CVS North Wiltshire. Courses will include; Food Hygiene, Dealing With Difficult Situations, First Aid and more. The new programme will be sent to all of our newsletter recipients and will be highlighted in a future e-bulletin.

 

Monday Lottery Blues

As the DSC (Directory of Social Change) predicted last month, the ‘monday’ charity lottery seems to be disintegrating because of a lack of sales. This is sad, because the idea of a lottery that would support the general costs of the charities concerned, not just their ‘projects’ was very welcome. However, some of ‘monday’s’ publicity was misleading: the 'monday' website says that 'The National Lottery gives 5.6p per pound to charity.' This is nonsense. The Big Lottery Fund alone gives more than this, and a great deal of the money from the Heritage Lottery Fund, the Arts Councils and the Sports Councils also goes to charities.

 

New Job Opportunities Online

Click here to see job opportunities within the Voluntary Sector.

 

Annual NIACE & NIMHE Conference

Adult Education and Mental Health: Supporting social inclusion through adult learning - Monday 26 June 2006, Nottingham. This is the second annual conference of the LSC, NIACE & NIMHE Partnership Project (LSC - Learning and Skills Council, NIACE - National Institute of Adult Continuing Education, NIMHE - National Institute of Mental Health in England) Partnership Project to promote access to learning and skills for people with mental health problems. Click here for more details.

 

New Chair of the Charity Commission Appointed

The new chair of the Charity Commission will be Dame Suzi Leather, who has been chair of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority since 2002. Third Sector minister Ed Miliband announced that she will take over from Geraldine Peacock on August 1.
For the full story see: www.thirdsector.co.uk/charity_news/full_news.cfm?ID=19100

 

Charities Bill Update

The Charities Bill will be given it's second reading in the House of Commons before the house rises for the summer break on 25th July. Please click here to view a summary of the current draft of the Bill.

 

More Charities Bill - Direcorty of Social Change - Your Vote Will Count

DSC has been campaigning for the public benefit clause in the Charities Bill to be more specific.  Currently it is so woolly as to be almost meaningless.  There is almost no point in having the Bill at all unless this issue is properly resolved.  Basically, under current law there is nothing to preclude any high fee charging organisation becoming a charity (and indeed many already are) who cannot properly demonstrate that they are benefiting the general public or those people who are disadvantaged.  The key issues are outlined in the link below. We are asking you to share your opinion with us by simply selecting the option you prefer.  Your response really COULD influence the outcome of this legislation so please participate. Click here to vote and for further explanation.

 

New Books in the CVS Library

We have a range of new publications on the subject of employment law. The titles include; Handling Redundancies, Dispute Resolution, Family Leave And Flexible Working, Employment Guide 2006, Data Protection, Information And Consultation and Fit For Work. To hire any of these titles please just email beth@cvsnw.org.uk or call 01249 654089. We loan books free of charge to member groups. To view the full library catalogue please click here.

 

Tax-Effective Giving Workshop

Coming to Bournemouth on Tuesday 18th July 2006, the Tax-Effective Giving Workshop is a one-day course that covers everything fundraisers need to know about Gift Aid, Share Giving, Payroll Giving and Legacies. The workshop will show delegates how to take advantage of the tax breaks available to them and increase their income in this way. The course is from 11am to 4pm and costs £40 (including lunch, refreshments and all course materials). The training workshop is co-ordinated by the Institute of Fundraising and is part of their wider tax-effective giving programme offering support services to charities across England. Click here for more information and a booking form.

 

Performance Hub Online Strategy Survey

The Performance Hub is encouraging frontline voluntary, community and social enterprise organisations to take part in its online survey on strategic thinking and planning. The survey aims to find out more about what organisations actually do when they strategise and the results will help to develop new advice and support for the sector. We're particularly keen to hear from small and medium sized organisations and you don't need to have a formal strategic plan in place to take part. The survey only takes 10 minutes to complete and participants have a chance to win one of 10 book tokens. To take part, visit http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.asp?u=418912104200.

 

Funding Advice Surgery Day

The next funding advice day at CVS North Wiltshire will be Tuesday 18th July. Mary Waters, our Funding Advice Worker, can help you by finding potential funders to apply to, and then support you through the application process. Please email beth@cvsnw.org.uk to book an appointment.

 

Practice Based Commissioning Update from PCT

As a result of requests from the Voluntary Sector conference that took place in April 2006, the PCT have provided us with an update on Practice Based Commissioning for the Voluntary Sector. Please click here to download the update.

 

iT4Communities new website goes live - Volunteers Available for Your ICT Project

Check out all the new resources, including making the best of virtual volunteering, at www.it4communities.org.uk. If you think you could make better use of free ICT support (volunteers et al), iT4Communities might have the seminar for you. iT4C are providing trainers and seminars for local infrastructure organisations across England - all you need to do is provide the venue and the local groups! For more information, please contact anne@wcit.org.uk
 

Government Office of the Third Sector

As many of you will be aware the creation of a new Office of the Third Sector, under the leadership of Ed Miliband, Minister for the Third Sector was announced in the recent reshuffle. The creation of the Office of the Third Sector within the Cabinet Office reflects the government’s recognition of the value, influence and importance of the third sector and the impact your work has on society. The Office has been set up to drive forward the government’s role in supporting a thriving sector. We will co-ordinate third sector related policy work across government, reporting to a dedicated minister for the third sector, whose primary responsibilities lie in working with the sector. For further information please click here.

 

GlaxoSmithKline Community Health IMPACT Awards

The King's Fund is an independent grant giving foundation that focuses on improving health. The IMPACT awards are now in their tenth year and provide funding for charities in the UK who are doing excellent work to improve people's health. For more details visit: www.kingsfund.org.uk/gskimpactawards

 

Free Introductory Online Learning - no travel, no cost, no stress, no pollution

Local Livelihoods has developed a set of new introductory training sessions that use online interactive videoconferencing. The training sessions run over 1.5 hours and all you need is broadband connection, a microphone and speakers, or a headset.  If you have a webcam you can also use it, but it is not essential. We will send you a small piece of software, and prior to the online session we will provide technical support to make the connection and use the simple software. The introductory sessions include: Introduction to Sustainable Communities, Introduction to Social Enterprise, Introduction to Project Cycle Management, Introduction to Social Auditing. To book go to: http://www.locallivelihoods.com/TrainingRegistration.htm

 

Know your blogs from your wikis?

The Media Trust is running free new media courses across England from the end of June. New Media made cheap and easy is being held in Bristol on 13th July 2006 at 14:00 and is FREE for Voluntary Organisations. These free seminars aim to give small to medium sized not-for-profit organisations a view of new media communication and marketing tools. The seminars will be held by a new media consultant and focus on techniques available on the internet such as; blogging, podcasting, and wikis, with real life examples and practical advice. The Media Trust is working in partnership with the ICT Hub to deliver these seminars. For further information please email Lucinda Mason at the Media Trust newmediaict@mediatrust.org or call 020 7874 7620.

 

Guardian Society - Local VCS Stories

As part of an effort by NAVCA (National Association for Voluntary & Community Action) to get more stories in the national press about the local VCS and the work of LIO's, Annie Kelly, who writes for both Guardian Society and Third Sector, is looking for your stories. Annie gives as an example the story on the front page of this week's Guardian Society. It features Lillian Taylor - 'a well-loved grandmother and a respected community figure.... who was also a drug dealer and addict'. http://society.guardian.co.uk/drugsandalcohol/story/0,,1801821,00.html. Right now Annie is researching a story about the unmet needs of boys over 12 years of age who are often refused admission to refuges for women fleeing domestic violence. Where do they end up? Does this split mothers from their children? Does it deter women from leaving violent homes? Has any local group dealt well with this issue? If you have any leads who could talk to Annie about this please email her (see below). Another story Annie is writing concerns a boy in a detention centre who has got through to the finals of a poetry competition but has to use a web cam as he is not allowed out of the centre. She wants stories about excluded groups, whose needs have been neglected by service providers. Real life stories that shed light on an intractable social problem. Stories of triumph from tragedy - or the reverse. Stories about successes local groups have achieved against the odds. Happy endings are welcome but so are stories of failure/disenchantment in the face of an obstructive or insensitive state body, private company or charity. If you have ideas please email them to Annie Kelly Mailto:anniejkelly@gmail.com

 

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.

 

Legal Updates

New fire safety duties from October 1st - Detailed fire safety guidance published for offices and shops, factories and warehouses, sleeping accommodation, educational premises, small and large places of assembly (including community centres, village halls etc, and large places of assembly. Guidance on residential care premises and on theatres and cinemas is being prepared. www.sandy-a.co.uk/employment.htm#firesafety

 

Guidance on reporting people to the Protection of Vulnerable Adults (PoVA) list: www.sandy-a.co.uk/employment.htm#adultprotection or go direct to www.scie.org.uk/publications/details.asp?pubID=82.

 

Court of Appeal says dismissal of BNP member is not race discrimination (overturning employment appeal tribunal decision)

www.sandy-a.co.uk/employment.htm#bnp-discrimination

 

Communicating with Deaf and Deafblind Customers and Service Users - New CACDP Qualifications

CACDP is a UK awarding body offering a wide range of qualifications, accredited by the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA) to the National Qualifications Framework. Click here for details of our new Level 1 Certificate in Developing Awareness and Communication with Deaf and Deafblind People. This two-unit award is aimed at front line staff in contact with the public, who will meet, as customers or clients, some of the 9 million deaf and hard of hearing people in the UK on a daily basis. Nationally accredited awards are also a very positive demonstration of how an organisation is seeking to comply with duties under the Disability Discrimination Act.

 

New Fundraising Programme from the Institute of Fundraising and the DSC

The Fundraising Programme brings together the strengths of two of fundraising’s leading training providers: the Directory of Social Change and the Institute of Fundraising. The purpose of this partnership is to bring you the highest standards of fundraising training and as wide a choice as possible. Follow this link: http://www.dsc.org.uk/charitytraining/fundraising-intro.html for further details and to find out about the courses currently on offer.

 

Invitation to bid for Connexions Engagement Activities Programmes 2006/07

Connexions Wiltshire & Swindon are pleased to give you the opportunity of submitting proposals to support a number of engagement programmes we are involved in. Click here to view the programmes and here for the application form.

 

 

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