E-Bulletin

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E-Bulletin - 21/08/08

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

People Handling Awareness - New Training From CVS

Tuesday 18th November - 9.30 -12.30, Venue: ILC, Semington, Trainer: Shirley Warren. Cost: £40 Voluntary & Community Sector / £65 others. Details: This training is recommended for anyone who is working or volunteering in a caring role. On completion of the course candidates will have an understanding of the following topics: * Legislation surrounding moving and handling people. * Back care and the spine. *Moving and handling injuries. * Causes of injuries. * Unsafe moves to avoid. *Practical demonstrations of safer moving and handling techniques. To find out more about this and other courses in the CVS Autumn Training Programme click here.

Update on Voluntary Sector Review - Jointly Commissioned by WCC and WPCT

During the autumn of 2007, the consultant attended various voluntary sector workshops to meet with VCS and to gain input into the Review. A draft Report was prepared with 12 recommendations. A consultation period was started with the VCS and ran from April to June 2008. A questionnaire with a pre-paid envelope for replies was sent out. Running alongside the Questionnaire two workshop events were planned to encourage further participation in the consultation. One event was held in Melksham on 16^th April and on in Salisbury on 19^th May. Both events were run by WCC and the PCT in conjunction with the CVSs and Community First. Both events were well attended and Sue Redmond Director of Department of Community Services and Jeff James, Chief Executive of the PCT gave presentations. Feedback from the two workshops and replies to the Questionnaire were analysed and a draft of the Consultation Results was prepared. The Wiltshire Infrastructure Consortium (WIC) and the Compact Board members were invited to a meeting by WCC and PCT on 13^th August to look at the findings from the consultation. Click here to read on including a link to the results & recommendations document.

Funding Advice Surgery

Don't forget about our FREE funding advice surgeries at CVS North Wiltshire. The next surgery is Tuesday 2nd September where Jenny Moss, Funding Advice Worker from Charities Information Bureau South & West, will be happy to support you with all your funding queries. Call Beth on 01249 654089 to book an appointment.

Faiths in Action Fund

Faiths in Action is a £4m grants programme open from 1 August 2008 to faith, inter faith, voluntary and community organisations and groups in England. The Fund will be open for organisations at national, regional or local level in England to apply for funding. However any activities and initiatives that are funded must take place in local communities and have a strong local impact. Partnership applications will be particularly welcome. Administered by the Community Development Foundation (CDF) on behalf of the Department for Communities and Local Government (CLG), Faiths in Action aims to bring communities together, promoting positive relationships and collaborative social action between people of different religions and beliefs. Grants will be distributed in two rounds. Round One, which opened 1 August 2008 will issue grants of up to £12,000 to be spent over two years from March 2009. Click here to find out more.

Wiltshire Drug & Alcohol Training Programme 2008 – 2009
Courses include; Alcohol and Older People, Basic Alcohol Awareness, Basic Drug Awareness, Binge Drinking, Drugs on Premises, Working with Adult Problem Drinkers and Drug Users and many more. Courses are free to Wiltshire workers and are provided by Wiltshire PCT / Wiltshire Pathways. Click here to download the full programme.

Voluntary Sector Jobs

To view latest jobs in the local voluntary sector visit CVS North Wiltshire's Job Opportunities page: http://www.cvsnw.org.uk/jobs/index.htm. If you would like to advertise any vacancies on the site it is free of charge for voluntary groups.

Transport Fund Now Easier to Apply to
Local communities’ charity Community First is making life simpler for small community-based groups to apply to its Community Transport Small Grants Fund. Supported by Wiltshire County Council, Swindon Borough Council and the four District Councils, the fund supports local community projects which help people without access to transport to get around. The types of projects that can apply include new initiatives which help isolated people to access local services, facilities or community activities. An example might be a minibus service for young people in rural areas which requires help with the costs involved in getting the service off of the ground. Recently, lower thresholds have been introduced to encourage new projects to apply to the fund. Projects up to the value of £250 can now apply for 100% of the cost of a project from the fund, as opposed to 75% as previously. The fact that no ‘match funding’ is needed for smaller projects will help community groups without any start-up funding to establish new transport services for the community. Other small adjustments have also been made to the fund criteria to make it more straightforward for applicants. For instance driver wages can now be paid if they are integral to a new service being developed. Existing community transport schemes such as Link schemes and Community Minibuses wanting to reach new passengers are also invited to apply to the fund. Grants of up to £1,000 are available. Click here to find out more information.

We Have Solved Freepost Problem, Says Bath Charity

A small charity in Bath has successfully trialled a method of avoiding problems with the Freepost system. The Research Institute for the Care of Older People has started printing envelopes with a message asking supporters to cross out the Freepost line if they are using a stamp. The 39 per cent of respondents to its latest mailing who used a stamp followed the instructions, and the charity thinks it has solved the potential problem of double payment. "We wanted to see if this new approach would help us overcome the stamp issue," said Tricia Mugridge, the charity's fundraiser. "It seems to have worked." It emerged this year that new Freepost equipment at Royal Mail could not recognise whether an envelope carried a stamp or not. The result was that Freepost letters were being charged to charities even if supporters put a stamp on, and Royal Mail was being paid twice. "At first Royal Mail asked us to keep all the Freepost letters that came back to us with a stamp on and produce them when our bill came so we could query it," said Mugridge. "We thought about it a bit and came up with this idea and Royal Mail suggested we should try it." A consultancy firm has urged charities to boycott the Freepost system until Royal Mail came up with a solution. But the Institute of Fundraising advised against this.

South West Region Funding Bulletin

Click here to download the latest funding bulletin from the Central Bidding Unit, it contains information on current funds available to apply to.

Revised version of CC10 - Hallmarks of a Well-Run Charity - Now Published

This revised and updated version of the guidance encourages a positive approach to improvement. It’s a straightforward framework of good practice which includes the relevant regulatory requirements. Any legal requirements are clearly identified, but most of the guidance is concerned with what we, as the charity regulator, have identified as basic good practice principles or Hallmarks. Our aim is to provide a framework within which charities have the confidence to carry out their work, innovate and evolve. The Hallmarks of an Effective Charity is designed to work in a complementary way with - not in place of - other guidance, standards and codes of governance that charities may use. If you are not following another code or standard, Hallmarks is a good place to start. Click here to read the guidance.

Easy Online Fundraising

Did you know that Everyclick now provides a comprehensive range of online fundraising facilities, all from one easy to use website? We’ve just added new products to our range of services that help charities of all sizes to raise more online. Sponsorship – create appeals and collect sponsorship eVouchers – send an online donation as a gift Shop – buy favourite brands from hundreds of retailers Donate – give online Give for free – search the web. There are no upfront or ongoing fees and our charges are lower than our competitors, meaning more of every cash donation goes to you. Donations and sponsorship made through Everyclick are subject to a charge of just 4.8%, inclusive of card fees. Gift Aid automatically collected on all qualifying donations. Even charities without their own website can use Everyclick to raise online funds. Everyclick is an award winning trusted online brand and one of the most visited websites in the charity sector. Everyclick Search has already raised almost £500,000 for charities chosen by its users. Visit the website to find out more: www.everyclick.com.

Music Copyright Exemptions for Charities

The Office of the Third Sector is calling on charities to respond to a consultation on options to change the exemptions that charities have from paying royalties to copyright holders for the public performance of music. For more information please click here.

Autumn/Winter Training Programme with CAB

The CAB in Chippenham run a selection of one day courses on aspects of the benefits and tax credits system, click here to download the new training programme.

Donors Use This Site - Make Sure Your Group is Registered

TheBigGive.org.uk promotes charities to proactive donors who can search quickly and discreetly for charitable projects within their field of interest. It has accumulated over £1.5 billion in funding requests from over 4,500 charities since its launch in October 2007. By spending £1million on promoting to highly wealthy individuals, corporates, trusts and foundations and through providing links to each charity's entry on GuideStar UK, the Big Give encourages intelligent giving. www.thebiggive.org.uk.

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