Spring 2008 Events
& Training Programme Annouced
You may by now have received our new
programme in the post, if not click here
for the online version. We have planned three Community Lunches for the
first part of this year, and two new training courses: "Empowering the
Voluntary Sector" and "How to Win Tenders". There is limited availability on
some events and in all cases places must be booked in advance so
Click here for more information about our
exciting events!
Wiltshire Voluntary Sector Forum
The third Voluntary
Sector Forum for Wiltshire is in the pipeline so make sure you put it in
your diary today! The event is planned for Thursday 14th February
and as before it will be a lunchtime meeting with the opportunity for
networking over a buffet lunch. This time the Forum will take place in
Devizes, in line with requests to rotate the venue. The ‘hot topic’ is the
future of partnership working in Wiltshire and how we in the Voluntary and
Community Sector would like to see this develop. The Forum will also give
you a flavour of how this works in Bath and North East Somerset. Don’t miss
this opportunity to have your say! For further information and a booking
form please contact Ulrika (WSIC Development Worker) on 01249-654089 or
ulrika@cvsnw.org.uk.
Please note that booking is essential.
Fundraising Disco and Ploughmans
Supper!
Friends of Chippenham and District Women's Refuge are
having a fund raising evening Saturday 9th February. 60's disco and
ploughmans supper from 8pm-midnight at the freemasons lodge behind
iceland, Chippenham. Tickets are £10 contact Caroline 01249 650774 it
would be great to see you!
Is
Community Important for Disadvantaged Children?
The
term ‘community’ is used all the time in our work with vulnerable
and disadvantaged children-but often with little clarity about what
it means and how it impacts on the lives of children and families.
You are invited to a regional seminar to discuss key issues around
‘Children and Community’. The seminar focuses on children aged up to
approximately 13 and their families.
Click here for more information about the seminar.
Charity Commission News
The latest edition (issue 27) of Charity
Commission News, our twice-yearly newsletter to keep trustees and
the public up-to-date with the important issues affecting charities,
has now been published on our website. The newsletter is at
www.charitycommission.gov.uk/tcc/newslist.asp. This link will
take you to a page where you can select which format you wish to
view. These include an easy-to read text (HTML) format and a full
colour .pdf format for printing off. This
edition contains an important update on our public benefit guidance
for charity trustees. We expect the public benefit requirement to
become law from April this year. The newsletter also includes: *
News of the many provisions in the Charities Act 2006 coming up in
2008 * Developments around Charitable Incorporated Organisations and
the Charity Tribunal * Details of our random prize draw for
charities using our online services and much more.
"Challenging Pain" with Arthritis
Care
Arthritis Care is a
national charity with local links. They can offer a new
intervention for any people who have long term pain. It is a
two session workshop delivered over two consecutive weeks.
They have evidence from their research that shows that even
12 months after attending the course people are still
finding what they learnt is helping them. This new course is
called “Challenging Pain”, and Arthritis Care runs these
courses locally. They are free to the people who attend. If
you know someone who you feel might benefit from attending
such a course, or you work with people who might benefit or
if you have long term pain, then please contact the local
organiser, and ask to be put on the waiting list. Ring Veena
on 0117 962 3786 or email:
veenab@arthritiscare.org.uk.
If you want more information or support on
arthritis please log on to
www.arthritiscare.org.uk.
TrusteElearning
This e-learning website, sponsored
by the Governance Hub, has been produced to provide Trustees with
easy access to a self paced training system. In addition to
providing training we hope that you will find this website a useful
source of reference information. Studies have shown that people are
more likely to accomplish a major task in small steps. If you are
not able to complete the course in one sitting, as most of us can't,
you can come back anytime. Hurry and sign up now! You are only a few
clicks away from getting your learning. All you have to do is read
through the course, and if you wish you can test your knowledge at
the end of each module and, if you pass, get a certificate
immediately. It's that simple! Courses include: Trusteeship
Introduction, All about Charities, Leadership, Roles &
Responsibilities, Complying with the Law, and many more. Visit
www.trusteelearning.org
to find out!
Last
Chance to Win Great Prizes!
The Ethical Property Foundation wants to improve its Property Advice
Service for the Community and Voluntary Sector in Bristol and the
South West. We need your help! Please follow the link to complete
our short survey about your office or workplace. All respondents
will be entered into a prize draw with the chance of winning the 1st
prize - an organic hamper from the Better Food Company or 2nd prize
- a
property
healthcheck from the Foundation. Please complete
questionnaires by Friday 25th January. Prize winners will be
notified by Tuesday 29th January.
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=_2buGOOzcWYGSMfINR3BZyfg_3d_3d.
“Words are, great action is better”
A
Practical Guide
to
Promoting Good Practices
with
Volunteers from Socially Excluded Groups
This event is a practical
workshop for workers that want to build their knowledge or confidence in
working with hard to reach volunteers. During the event you will build your
own ‘action work book’ based on good practices from the Gold Star projects
and the work of the Somerset Youth Volunteering Network, and you will finish
the day with your own “little black book” of ideas and action points to take
back to your own organisations.
The event will be
dynamic and interactive. With interactive presentations, work shops, group
planning session, peer reviews of ideas and lots more. So come prepared.
Following on
from the Goldstar Roadshow in Bristol and the feedback we had regarding
training, we are delighted to let you know we have now scheduled a date for
a workshop. It's at this time we start to look at plans and ideas for the
year, so what better time to take advantage of a Free Workshop, offering
practical help and training. It will take place on
the
Tuesday 29th January 2008 at Taunton
Business Centre.
- Registration at 9.30 starting at 10am
with lunch and refreshments provided.
Scott, from
Somerset Youth Volunteering Network who spoke at the roadshow will be
running the workshop with his team. Please click
on this link for more information
http://www.goldstar.org.uk/documents/Press_Release__000.doc.
If you wish to
attend, please book your space by clicking on
http://www.goldstar.org.uk/goldstar_events.html.
Housing Benefit Course from the CAB
The course is for people with a basic knowledge of Housing Benefit who wish
to expand that knowledge and understand the more complex issues connected
with this benefit. 5th March 2008,
9:45am - 4:15pm at Borough Lands in Chippenham. Please contact the CAB on
01249
443054 for more information.
Children's Plan & New Network
I am pleased to announce the creation of a new e-mail
network for third sector workers with an interest in supporting children and
young people. Called CYPNet, the network is free to join and open to anyone
who works directly with children or supports others who do. For more
information and to find out how to join, visit
www.navca.org.uk/services/networking/networks/cypnet. The
network is open to non-members of NAVCA, so do feel free to pass this
information on. Following the publication of the Children's Plan shortly
before Christmas, we have now produced a short briefing paper which outlines
the key initiatives and implications for the third sector. See
http://www.navca.org.uk/stratwork/children/cwdc/briefings/.
In the same location, you will also shortly find a simplified version which
may be useful for your own newsletter or bulletin.
Business & Management Courses FREE
from the Learning Curve & Co-operative Futures
Managing your Organisation like a Business - The government has once
again confirmed it wants to support voluntary and community
organisations to combine social aims with making profit… But do you have
what it takes to develop this? All courses are at 3-4 New Road,
Chippenham SN15 1EJ between 9.30am and
4.30pm. Market
Research and Marketing – what is it really, why bother and how to get
started on your own marketing plan? 29/01/08. Customer Care – we all
care a lot, but can we use our good customer care to improve our
business? 04/03/08. Financial management – about profit, loss, cash and
credit 14/02/08. Risk Assessment - a requirement for every organisation
11/03/08. Project Management - to help you implement new ideas, new
approaches, new services and products 25/3/08.
For a FREE place,
book through Co-operative Futures using
this booking form and send it to: info@co-operativefutures.coop
Invitation
to the Wiltshire launch of the Common Assessment Framework
Thursday 7th February, 1:330pm - 4:30pm,
Devizes Sports Club. An
excellent opportunity to:
Meet with the Information
Sharing and Assessment Co-ordinators,
Find out about the
Common Assessment Framework (CAF), Information Sharing, ContactPoint, Lead
Professional and Wiltshire Pathways,
and Network with other
practitioners working with children and young people.
Please contact Andi
Foster by e-mail;
andifoster@wiltshire.gov.uk
or by calling 01225 757506 to confirm your attendance.
Criminal
Check
Prices
Frozen
Again
The cost of Criminal
Records Bureau checks has been frozen for the second year running.
The checks,
which provide criminal record information so that organisations can decide
whether candidates are suitable for work involving children and vulnerable
adults, are free for volunteers, but standard checks cost up to £36 for paid
staff.
The CRB said it was
able to hold the prices at last year’s level because it had made efficiency
savings by improving its database management and customer services.
A spokesman
for children’s charity NSPCC welcomed the news. He said: “About two-thirds
of our 2,500 staff need CRB checks, so this has a significant impact on our
organisation; we also empathise with smaller charities, for which it would
be even more of a burden.”
He added
this was even more welcome since it wasn’t known yet whether charities would
have to pay for the checks carried out by the Independent Safeguarding
Authority, the new scheme that will work with the Criminal Records Bureau
from the autumn.
The CRB has
dealt with more than 15 million checks since it started in 2002.
ICT Hub
Conference for Organisations Working with Rural
Groups
5 March 2008, Lackham Countryside Centre,
Lacock, Chippenham, Wiltshire, SN15 2NY.
Event topic:
Communicating with ICT. A conference which aims to
address the ICT needs of voluntary and community
sector organisations working with rural groups with
the aim of helping them to better deliver their
services.
To find out more click here.
Leading
Health and Safety at Work - Leadership Actions for
Directors and Board Members
Health and Safety: New Guidelines written ‘by
directors, for directors’, launched by the Health
and Safety Commission (HSC). “Health and Safety is
integral to success. Board members who do not show
leadership in this area are failing in their duty as
directors and their moral duty, and are damaging
their organisation”. A quote from “Leading Health
and Safety at Work”, new guidelines written ‘by
directors, for directors’, launched by the Health
and Safety Commission (HSC) and the Institute of
Directors. The aim of these guidelines is to remind
directors across all sectors that they must take the
lead on health and safety matters, regardless of the
size of their organisation. Too often health and
safety requirements are overlooked by business
organisations who view compliance as a hindrance to
productivity. Judith Hackitt, new chair of HSC
explains the necessity of the new guidelines: “It is
visible leadership from the top of an organisation
which truly makes for an effective health and safety
culture which in turn delivers good health and
safety performance…I am still confounded by the
number of people who see ‘health and safety’ as a
barrier to doing things, as experience and evidence
shows that the reverse is true”. She goes on to say,
“the challenge before us is changing behaviour. This
guidance makes it clear what directors need to do
but it is their action and delivery which will
really count”. It also provides a summary of legal
liabilities, a checklist of key questions for
leaders and a list of resources and references for
implementing the guidance in detail. Download the
full text:
http://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/indg417.pdf.