E-Bulletin

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

Does your organisation work in the Chippenham Community Area? You are invited to attend Chippenham Area Community Lunch on Tuesday 12^th February 2008. 12 noon – 2pm (Buffet Provided), at Biddestone Village Hall. Our Guest Speakers, Jane Clark, Chair of Chippenham Area Community Partnership will talk about the role of the partnership and what’s in the community plan and Ed Deedigan of Kandu Arts for Sustainable Development will talk about “Sustainability, Life, The Universe!”. Organised by CVS North Wiltshire, Community Lunches offer 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). If you would like to book your place on the lunch please call Beth on 01249 654089 or email beth@cvsnw.org.uk.

CVS North Wiltshire will be holding a funding advice surgery on Tuesday 19th February at 3-4 New Road, Chippenham. Come along and meet with our Funding Advice Worker to discuss your funding needs. Call 01249 654089 or email beth@cvsnw.org.uk to reserve your time slot.

The 8^thof March 2008 sees the launch of an exciting new event at the Olympiad in Chippenham. The 1^st Annual World Festival is a dynamic and hands-on celebration and promotion of the wonderfully diverse range of cultures and groups that make North Wiltshire a great place to live and work. Click here to download the event flyer. Festival goers of all ages will have the chance to take part in a wide range of fun and fascinating workshops including African drumming, henna hand painting, storytelling, and Bollywood dance sessions. Community groups will be on-hand to promote and share their activities. A packed world market will be selling authentic and fairly traded art, crafts, and gifts from around the world. And if that isn’t enough, come TASTE the diversity of North Wilts at the food stalls! “Whilst there is already a large number of fabulous activities taking place, there is still an opportunity for community groups or individuals to become involved. If you would like to promote your group and what you do then please get in touch” said Sarah Offord, Neighbourhood Involvement Advisor for Westlea Housing Association. “This exciting event will be an ideal opportunity to showcase your culture or heritage and encourage new people to become involved.” If you would like more information on taking part in the Festival then please contact Sarah Offord on 01249 466062 or email sarah.offord@westlea.co.uk.

NEW: Counselling and Sex Therapy Available at Wellbeing Centre - Introductory Offer

The Wellbeing Centre is being joined by Elena Winch, a qualified counsellor and sex therapist. Elena has returned to the West Country from New Zealand, where she had lived and practiced as a counsellor for five years, and is starting up her counselling practice once again. Over the last 20 years she has worked in a variety of settings, including many years work particularly within the fields of addictions and sexuality. She has also worked in a school as a counsellor for young people. Whilst in NZ, she qualified as a sex therapist, and is keen to continue her work with couples here. She also offers clinical supervision to other counsellors, and has been an external supervisor to many voluntary sector organisations. Click here to find here more from Elena and to find out about her introductory offer and pricing structure.

Last Chance to Book your Place on Public Law Project "Empowering the Voluntary Sector" Training

This is a reminder about our training workshop entitled "Empowering the Voluntary Sector" to be held on March 5th at 3-4 New Road, Chippenham, 9.00 to 4.30 with lunch provided, at £35 per person. Click here to download the flyer with more details and a booking form that should be completed and returned to karen@cvsnw.org.uk no later than February 18th 2008. Please call (01249 654089) or email in the first instance to check availability of places and reserve your place. Places are limited and will be filled on a first come, first served basis. Kevin Curley, chief executive of NAVCA says: “Small organisations often feel helpless when they are informed from on high that their funding is being withdrawn or services are being cut. This project will give them the information and support they need to challenge unjust decisions taken by public bodies. It will help them develop the confidence to engage in a robust dialogue, making litigation an option of last resort to tackle those public bodies that continue to shirk their responsibilities. “Successfully challenging an adverse decision can not only secure vital community services, it can be an empowering experience which helps combat the very roots of social exclusion.”

Could you Offer a Volunteering Opportunity to a Low Risk Offender?

Wiltshire Probation Service is currently looking for organisations that are willing to offer volunteering opportunities as community service to low risk offenders. Community Service was launched over 30 years ago and has been one of the Probation Service’s most successful projects. All offenders are carefully risk assessed before they are put on a community order. If you think that your organisation may be able to help or if you would like more information, please contact Tracy Geiran from Wiltshire Probation Service on 01793 534259 or email tracy.geiran@wiltshire.probation.gsi.gov.uk.

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. This seminar is being advertised in Somerset, North Somerset, Wiltshire, Bath and North East Somerset and Dorset. Places for the seminar are limited to 50 on a first come first served basis. Click here for the flyer with full details and a booking form..

Free Training Seminars - Helping Organisations Improve Performance

Series of One Day Interactive Seminars for social enterprises, voluntary & community groups in Wiltshire. Discover how your organisation can monitor and improve it’s performance and become more effective. Explore how to measure and build on your social impact. Choose from one of these dates and venues Fri 22^nd Feb, Dilton Marsh, Westbury. Fri 29^th Feb, Pewsey. Mon 3^rd March, Chippenham or Wed 26^th March, Devizes. All seminars will start promptly at 9.30am until 4pm. FREE to social enterprises, voluntary and community groups in Wiltshire, tea and coffee included. Please bring a packed lunch. Seminar jointly presented by Co-operative Futures and Learning Curve, funded jointly by Wiltshire County Council & the Rural Renaissance Partnership through the Wiltshire Social Enterprise Partnership. To book your place, please complete and return the booking form to info@co-operativefutures.coop or call 0845-4562-506.

The Commission for Social Care Inspection (CSCI) has Published it's Third Report on the State of Social Care in England 2006-07

The main criticism is that there is an increasingly sharp divide between those who have the most substantial needs, who are helped by the formal system, and those with more moderate needs. The latter group are often left to their own devices, or expected to rely on friends and family or voluntary services that are not contracted to provide care. The CSCI website page containing links to the report has the following heading "People not receiving support from councils are struggling with a poor quality of life." Click here to download an executive summary or the full report http://www.csci.org.uk/about_us/publications/state_of_social_care_07.aspx.

Charity Awards 2008: Getting the Recognition You Deserve

The Charity Awards is the pre-eminent awards programme in the UK's vibrant and diverse voluntary sector. The Awards shine a spotlight on exceptional performance in the leadership and management of charities, helping to spread best practice and draw attention to the breadth of talent, commitment and expertise that exists within UK charities. The Charity Awards showcase excellence in management and provide a great opportunity for you to boost morale in your charity. The carefully designed nomination and judging process encourages a clear focus on the stages of a project from inception through to delivery, always keeping a close eye on the end results and the lessons learned along the way. The process is equally applicable to charities of all sizes. Charities can nominate either a specific project or all of the work they undertake. The closing date for entries is Friday 14 March 2008. Visit www.charityawards.co.uk to find out more.

Save Money with a Fantastic New VOSCUR Service

Cupboards full of computers and printers? Thinking it might be time to upgrade? Voscur can now help you halve the cost of recycling old computer equipment. They can also help cover 40% of the costs of replacing it with refurbished machines. For more information on “Give One In! Get One Back!” visit the Voscur webpage at http://www.voscur.org/giveonein.

Office of the Third Sector bulletin: Grassroots Grants

Local third sector funders across the country have been invited by the Community Development Foundation (CDF) to apply to become a local partner in delivering the £130million Grassroots Grants programme in their area. The fund will provide much-needed access to small grants and long-term funding for local community groups and organisations in England who will apply for funds from a local funding provider later this year. The CDF is administering the programme on behalf of the Office of the Third Sector. Local funders interested in applying should go to the CDF website and download a copy of the guidance notes and application form. The closing date for applications for local funders is 30 April 2008.

Punish the Parent! Punish the Child?

3^rd April, Taunton Conference Centre, 10.00-4.00. A one day conference to look at supporting families with a parent in prison in the South West. During the last 18 months Barnardo’s South West has been promoting work in supporting children, young people and families where there is a parent in prison. This conference is designed to: Offer the latest research on the impact on families of a parent in prison. Present work Barnardo’s has begun in South West prisons. Engage partner prisons in discussion and strategic thinking about developing the children and families pathway. Click here to download the flyer and booking form.

Families for our Times Conference - 7th March

National Family Learning Network Conference with help from the BBC Child of Our Time Team. Friday 7th March 2008, The Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre, Westminster, London. The most ambitious Child of Our Time project to date is at the heart of the fourth annual Families for our Times conference. The landmark series films children continuously for 48 hours and analyses the quality of communication between children, their parents and teachers. There are fascinating insights and interesting themes that examine the roles of families in supporting learning. Find out about the new 'Think Families' agenda from the Social Exclusion Task Force and the compelling new research from the Specialist Schools and Academies Trust on the impact on parental engagement on raising children’s achievement. Attend to hear from an exciting line up of guest speakers and a range of interactive forums to inspire your own work with families. To download a programme and booking form or to book online visit www.campaignforlearning.org.uk/cfl/events. If you would like any further information, please contact Julie King on 01675 443270 or email jking@cflearning.org.uk.

WCC Equality Action Plan Consultation - EasyRead

In December 2007 Wiltshire County Council sent an invitation to WCC employees, service users, partners and the people of Wiltshire to comment on our progress in implementing and updating our equality action plans. We have now prepared an EasyRead version of our consultation document and will shortly have a British Sign Language (BSL) version available. Click here to download a copy of the EasyRead document. This is also now available on the WCC website together with an EasyRead version of our on-line questionnaire. If you have not already commented, you can do so by sending us your comments on either version of our consultation document or by completing an on-line questionnaire at http://www.wiltshire.gov.uk/equality-action-plan-consultation.htm by 29 February 2008.