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

Are You Coming? Community Lunch - Malmesbury

Wednesday 28th March sees the popular Community Lunches roll into Malmesbury, we will be at Charlton Village Hall, from 12noon until 2pm (please arrive promptly at 12). We have guest speaker Ulrika Jonnsson-Swinburne from the Wiltshire & Swindon Infrastructure Consortium to talk about the project. Organised by CVS North Wiltshire, the Community Lunch offers a chance for voluntary organisations, community groups and other representatives from the community to network over a good lunch with other people in the area and share information about their organisation, project or local event. Lunch is £2 per person (payable on the day). Please email Karen: karenm@cvsnw.org.uk if you would like to attend.

Decent Homes Grants are available to help vulnerable households bring their homes up to the decent homes standard set by the Government. A decent home is one that is wind and weather tight, warm and has modern facilities. Eligible works include: Items of serious disrepair including structural failures or repairs that are urgent and may effect the occupation of the dwelling, work that reduces the presence of hazards due to risk from falls, fire or damp. Electrical and gas safety work and much more. The maximum grant payable is £10,000. These are discretionary grants provided by North Wiltshire District Council. These grants are for home owners, or tenants with a lease agreement specifying responsibility for the required works, and are means tested. Click to find out more.

Do you have service users that want to get back into work? Do they need a Stepping stone? RFET are offering a city & Guilds Level 1 I.T & Communications qualification to people who are 25+ unemployed or working less than 16 hours. We provide FREE training programmes to help learn key skills which could people back into work. Course features include: Improve self confidence, Brush up on your people and computer skills, Achieve a City & Guilds Keyskills Certificate and Level 1 in Information Technology & Communications. Training is provided in small friendly groups where you can learn at your own pace and you can start anytime! Training takes place on Fridays in Chippenham, please call Paula Gorry or Catherine White for more details on 01793 433571, travel expenses are provided. Click here to download a flyer.

OOTC is a youth group for Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual (LGB) Young People aged between 14-25 years old based in Swindon. We are currently looking for new Management Committee Members to play a vital role in developing and managing the group. Experience is not essential, enthusiasm and a small commitment of time is required. Please phone Jo on 07748 875435 or email jo_ootc@hotmail.com for more information.

As you may be aware, the Action on Elder Abuse National Conference will take place on 26 and 27 March. The 2007 conference will have particular significance - occurring in the same month as Comic Relief’s bi-annual Red Nose Day (during which elder abuse will be presented as a key domestic issue) and following the release of findings on a two year project into the prevalence of elder abuse. The first day of the conference will examine legislation including the Mental Capacity Act and the Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Bill and the second day will consider the current situation in adult protection. During both days workshops will provide an opportunity for sharing information, analysing loopholes in the current situation and looking for solutions. For more information and a booking form click here.

Offices to Let in Semington

Available now a suite of offices on the first floor of The Independent Living Centre at St. George’s, Semington, Wiltshire. Accommodation comprises of a large open plan office and 3 smaller individual offices, the total floor area being 517 sq. ft. The building is in a pleasant rural area and there is a lift and good kitchen and toilet facilities including disabled facilities. Viewing can be arranged by contacting The Independent Living Centre on 01380 871007. Rent is £10.50 per sq. ft + service charges.

What Does the Future Hold for the Hubs? Have Your Say on Destination 2014

On December 7th 2006, Capacitybuilders' started consulting on their new proposals for delivering the ChangeUp vision for a transformed voluntary and community sector by 2014. Destination 2014: investing in change is the draft strategic framework that they are consulting on until 30 March. The NCVO have produced a short briefing, which sets out their initial reactions to the draft strategic framework and discusses some of the key issues emerging, their possible implications and the issues that you might want to take into account when responding to Capacitybuilders’ proposals. The NCVO want to know what you think and are encouraging responses to their own consultation on the proposals. The consultation is open until 12 March and will inform the NCVO’s response to Capacitybuilders. For more information, visit the workforce hub’s news pages (http://www.ukworkforcehub.org.uk/DisplayPage.asp?pageid=10896) or contact Ann Blackmore by email ann.blackmore@ncvo-vol.org.uk.

Olympics Lottery Funding – NCVO’s Petition

The NCVO has established an online petition to ensure that voluntary and community organisations are not unfairly penalised due to the increased cost of the games. The NCVO petition aims to ensure that further National Lottery funds are not diverted from other good causes to pay for the rising cost of the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. You can sign the petition here: http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/Defend-funding, and read the latest updates on the NCVO’s campaign here: www.ncvo-vol.org.uk/olympicslottery.

Wiltshire Community Web Newsletter

The fourth issue of the Wiltshire Community Web Online Newsletter has now been uploaded. These newsletters provide information on Training Events, Hints and Tips on using WCW and Spotlight on a Wiltshire Community Web Site. Further information and the newsletter can be found here: http://www.northwilts-communityweb.com/site/WCW-Newsletters/index.htm. We would also appreciate if you could spend a few minutes to tell us about your experience of using WCW. A user survey has also been uploaded with the newsletter and can be completed electronically.

ICT Hub - Great ICT Guide for Small Organisations

The ICT Hub has this month focused on small organisations and have produced a great signposting guide covering all aspects of ICT management, advice and support. Click here to download the guide.

Comprehensive Spending Review 2007

As part of the 2007 Comprehensive Spending Review, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Gordon Brown published the Interim Report of the review on 6th December 2006. To build on this we are now inviting the sector to provide more evidence to inform the longer term vision. Thus, the second stage of the review is about addressing the specific questions set out in the interim review report and attempting to define the long-term vision for the sector. This will take place between January and March 2007 and will be heavily informed by the messages that came through in the initial consultation. We would therefore like to inform you of the next stage of the review and the questionnaire that asks for you to send the review team further specific evidence on what you think would assist us in the next phase of the review. Please visit the website. Deadline for completing the questionnaire/further evidence is end February 2007.

Training Course - Getting Children's Voices Heard

Barnardo's South West are running a one-day training course entitled: Make a Position Contribution on the 13th March 2007 at the X Centre, Exeter. Children and young people engage in decision making and support the community and environment. This is a practical “hands on” training day focused on how to ensure that the voices of children and young people are heard by those making plans for them. The trainer for the day is Hilary Horan who has extensive experience of Family Group Conferences, Advocacy and Child Protection and has trained both nationally and internationally. Click here for further details.

Trailblazers South West 2007

CSIP South West is now seeking applications to join this highly acclaimed FREE Programme. Over a 12 month period, 25 participants from the South West Region will explore innovative ways of building capacity in the following three areas: Older People’s services; Improved Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) and the Third Sector. Within the South West the National Trailblazers 2007 programme provides you with an opportunity to: work as part of a pair/trio and learn with like minded people from different organisations, to define and meet your individual, organisational and locality needs, and develop your leadership potential through ongoing support from the SW Trailblazer Network. Click here more more details.

Connecting Communities

Are you applying or thinking of applying to the Connecting Communities fund? If so please download this useful information.

This email has been sent to the members and associates of CVS North Wiltshire. If you feel you have received this in error please email beth@cvsnw.org.uk to unsubscribe.

If you have been forwarded this mail and would like to subscribe please email: beth@cvsnw.org.uk with "Please Subscribe me to the E-Bulletins" in the subject line.

Whilst every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of content, CVSNW cannot be held responsible for any errors which may occur. Opinions voiced in the e-bulletin are not necessarily those of CVSNW.