Bulletin Contents - 4 May 2007

HIGH PEAK BOROUGH COUNCIL COMMUNITY FUND 'SMALL GRANTS'

FUNDING UPDATE

VACANCY: DISABILITY SPORT DEVELOPMENT OFFICER, DERBYSHIRE SPORT

HOW? BECOMES KNOWLEDGEBANK

ARTS DERBYSHIRE WEBSITE LAUNCH

TAKE CONTROL OF STRATEGIC PLANNING & APPLY IT TO IT

MAJOR CHANGES FOR CHARITABLE COMPANIES

THE STATUS OF SOCIAL CARE

ASSESSING SOCIAL ENTERPRISE IDEAS

DERBYSHIRE SUPPORTED PEOPLE INVOLVEMENT FORUMS

THE ROLE OF TRUSTEES IN SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

BECOME A COMMUNITY CHAMPION

HIGH PEAK BOROUGH COUNCIL COMMUNITY FUND 'SMALL GRANTS POT' SCHEME

High Peak Borough Council Community Fund “Small grants pot” scheme is now open for applications of up to £500. The grant scheme is available to voluntary organisations and community groups who provide services, facilities and activities to improve the quality of life for residents of the High Peak.

Organisations can apply on line or download and send in a completed application form. All submitted forms will be acknowledged within 14 days, and the cut off date for the first round of applications is 31st May 2007. The assessment of the first round of applicants will take place in June 2007 in time for the Area Forum panels to meet and consider allocations. Applicants will be informed of the panel decision by the end of July 2007.

Full details and application forms can be found at http://www.highpeak.gov.uk/neighbourhood/CommunityFund/

FUNDING UPDATE

Green Church Awards
The Church Times is running an award scheme to celebrate what churches and individuals are doing to further environmental sustainability.  Closing date: 30 June.  www.greenchurchawards.org

Tesco Charity Trust Community Awards (UK)
Community and voluntary groups whose core work is with elderly people and people with disabilities have the opportunity to apply for grants of between £1,000 and £5,000 through the Tesco Charity's Community Awards. Closing date:  30 June.   www.tesco.com/everyLittleHelps/downloads/TescoCAGs.pdf

Awards for All – 2007 Bicentenary of the Abolition of the Slave Trade
Grants between £300 and £10000 available for projects celebrating the Bicentenary and the issues it relates to in your community.  For further details and to apply tel: 0845 600 20 40; textphone: 0845 755 66 56; general.enquiries@awardsforall.org.uk; www.awardsforall.org.uk/england/bicentenary.html.

Comic Relief’s Red Nose Programme (UK)
The next deadline for applications through the main grants programme which makes awards of above £5000 is 8 June 2007. Focus is on supporting community based projects that work with young people, older people, people with mental health problems, refugee and asylum seekers as well as tackling domestic violence and deprivation. http://www.comicrelief.com/apply-for-a-grant/uk/

The Percy Bilton Charitable Trust
Has a particular focus on the needs of disabled people, disadvantaged youth and older people. It makes grants of between £2-10,000. There is no standard application form, though there are clear guidelines on http://www.percybiltoncharity.org.uk/application-organisation.htm.   Applicants are also invited to phone the office on 020 8579 2829.

The Yapp Charitable Trust
Grants of up to £3,000 per year for up to three years are available for work with elderly people, children and young people, people with disabilities or mental health problems. For an application pack tel: Margaret Thompson on 01484 683403; info@yappcharitabletrust.org.uk   Next closing date 26th May.

Tree Council Grants for Community Groups
The Tree Council is offering small grants for projects that actively engage children in the planting of trees during National Tree Week 2007 (21 November - 2 December). The scheme is open to organisations such as a formal group eg cubs, guides or youth clubs or an informal group that has joined together for the purpose of planting trees.

Funding will be considered for tree planting costs between £100 and £700. The Tree Council will fund up to 75% of the costs. Applicants must be able to provide the remaining 25%. Eligible costs include the cost of the trees, labour for planting, and any necessary supports.

Deadline 31 May 2007. Groups are encouraged to submit their applications well in advance of 31 May. Further information and applications may be found at www.treecouncil.org.uk or by contacting the Tree Council directly by telephone (020 74 079 992) or by email (info@treecouncil.org.uk)

VACANCY: DISABILITY SPORT DEVELOPMENT OFFICER, DERBYSHIRE SPORT

£25,437 - £28,221 per annum, Full Time, Fixed Term Contract for 3 years
Based at Derbyshire Sport, Ripley

Derbyshire Sport is the county sports partnership working in Derbyshire and Derby City.

The successful candidate will be responsible for the development and implementation of a disability sport plan for the county, leading to more opportunities for disabled people to regularly participate in sport and physical activity, more opportunities to compete locally and more disabled performance athletes representing the county, the region and the country. This is a diverse role which will involve setting up and supporting district based disability sport networks, developing sporting pathways for disabled people and playing a leading role in Derbyshire Sport’s commitment to the Equality Standard for Sport.

The successful candidate will have a relevant degree, a successful track record in the area of disability sport or sport development and a good understanding of the national and local policies affecting this work. A proven record of achievement in partnership working and excellent communication and project management skills are also essential.

For copies of the job description, person specification, additional information and an application form, please ring the call centre on 08456 058 058 quoting the job reference number. Alternatively you can download this information and apply online at www.derbyshire.gov.uk

Closing date: 20 May 2007. Provisional interview date: 5 June 2007

HOW? BECOMES KNOWLEDGEBANK

KnowledgeBank is the new name for our HOW? Guides - the range of information sheets on a variety of issues and subjects relevant to voluntary and community groups. Our HOW? guides have been a great asset to lots of local groups, presenting important information in a concise and simple to understand way. We are in the process of re-writing, updating and rebranding these as KnowledgeBank, and this process will take place over the next few months.

The first of the re-written guides is “CRB and Screening”

The guides can be downloaded from the High Peak CVS website

…and IT Quick Reference cards
Digital Umbrella, the IT services wing of the CVS, now has a range of quick reference cards available on a range of software applications. Each is only two pages long, and contain all of the keystrokes and keyboard shortcuts displayed in one place. The quick reference cards are ideal to laminate and put beside your PC!

Subjects include all of the Microsoft Office software (word, access, PowerPoint etc, from 97 to 2007); Windows (including Vista). You can download them (all pdf documents, about 300Kb) from http://www.digitalumbrella.co.uk/quickref

ARTS DERBYSHIRE WEBSITE LAUNCH

Arts Derbyshire invite you to join them in celebrating the launch of their new artsderbyshire website and enjoy an interactive demonstration and learn about the exciting opportunities artsderbyshire offers our creative community.  The event is being held on Monday 21st May in The Dome, University of Derby Buxton, Derbyshire SK17 6RY starting at 6.00pm until 7.00pm.  If you would like to attend the event please contact Helen Ashworth, email helena@highpeak.gov.uk or call 0845 129 7777 ext. 2211

TAKE CONTROL OF STRATEGIC PLANNING & APPLY IT TO IT

Digital umbrella, the IT services wing of the CVS,  has announced its first dates to deliver net:gain, a new mentoring and workshop programme designed to help voluntary and community organisations take control and use ICT to improve what they do.

The net:gain programme aims to help voluntary sector managers to understand how ICT can support and help improve what the organisation does: it’s mission, business processes and services to clients or users. The programme is delivered flexibly, through workshops and mentoring, blending existing good practice with flexibility to respond to individual organisations needs. You certainly don’t need to know about how technology works to get something from net:gain!

To access net:gain, organisations sign up to a 12 month membership of the service targeted at individuals (leaders and decision makers) within the organisation; this may include Chief Officers, Trustees or Managers. The membership includes 3 development workshops, to help you devise and implement your strategy. The dates for the start of the programme have now been set, with the first of these workshops taking place on 23rd May at our offices in Whaley Bridge.

The cost of the subscription is dependent on the size of the organisation, with higher subsidy levels provided for smaller organisations – meaning that membership starts at only £40.

As well as a number of national benefits that members receive, if you sign up to net:gain delivered by Digital Umbrella your membership will entitle you to a range of special local discounts on additional services WORTH  UP TO £420 – including a free memory stick and discounts on website services, technical support and training.

For more information, or to book a place, click on http://www.digitalumbrella.co.uk/default.asp?mode=news&submode=view&newsID=9

MAJOR CHANGES FOR CHARITABLE COMPANIES

Charities which are also limited companies need to be aware of the major changes under the Companies Act 2006 being brought in in stages. Expected in October 2007 are changes to company directors' duties (except conflict of interest duties), definition of connected person, derivative claims, term of auditors, general meetings, written resolutions, proxies. (A few aspects around communications came in from January.)

While the detail of these won't be totally clear before a consultation ends on 31st May, a Russell-Cooke charity legal update e-bulletin suggests organisations should consider reviewing job descriptions for trustees and whether AGMs, which will no longer be a legal requirement (unless your constitution says so) might be re-formatted and re-timed as they needn't be locked to the accounting timetable in future (again subject to any necessary constitutional niceties).

See Sandy Adirondack's Legal Update for overview of the huge Companies Act (the longest-ever piece of legislation in the UK), at http://www.sandy-a.co.uk/managing.htm#companiesact; Russell-Cooke update at http://www.russell-cooke.co.uk/serv_c&o_charities.htm.

THE STATUS OF SOCIAL CARE

A review on how the status of social care might be raised, undertaken for the Department of Health by Dame Denise Platt, has generally been welcomed by the voluntary sector. The report includes recommendations for a 'Skills Academy for Social Care' to develop skills in leadership, commissioning and management across the whole social care sector, including public, private and voluntary organisations. The wide ranging proposals also cover establishing a Research Centre of Excellence, information dissemination, qualifications and registration. download the report.

ASSESSING SOCIAL ENTERPRISE IDEAS

The Centre for Charity Effectiveness at Cass Business School has produced a guide which will help charities to assess social enterprise ideas and consider whether they are worth further development. 'Is It A Good Idea?' by Jean Barclay can be downloaded as a pdf, 628kb, from
http://www.centreforcharityeffectiveness.org/Newsletter_apr07/socialenterprise.htm.

INVITATION TO THE THE DERBYSHIRE SUPPORTED PEOPLE INVOLVEMENT FORUM’S INCLUSIVE FORUMS

A group led by people who receive Supporting People Services in Derbyshire

• Come and have your voice listened to
• Help make Supporting People services better for you and other people in Derbyshire
• Find out about the Supported People Involvement Forum
• Find out how Service User Involvement works in Bolton – DVD
• Have a look at the DRAFT Supporting People Service User Involvement Strategy
• There will be an opportunity to give your views on these issues
• AND LUNCH!

• Tuesday 12th June                            Gothic Warehouse, Cromford
• Friday 15th June                               Pavillion Gardens, Buxton

All venues are fully accessible and have hearing loop facilities

Programme:

• 10.30 Arrivals - Refreshments
• 11am-1pm Inclusive Forum Event
• 1pm-2pm Lunch

If you use a Support Service, or would like to you are invited, with your support provider, support worker, social worker or health worker, carer, or friend.

If you are a Support Provider, carer, support worker, social worker or health worker, or work for a voluntary or charitable organisation, you are invited to bring one or more people who use your services.

If you know of other groups or organisations who would like to attend one of these meetings – please forward them a copy of this invitation.

To book your place, contact Daniel Mycock Derbyshire Supporting People Team, Social Care, County Hall, Matlock,
Phone: 01629 772073
E email: daniel.mycock@derbyshire.gov.uk

If you require childcare facilities or are a carer requiring support in order to attend this meeting, please telephone the Supporting People Team before 21st May 2007 on 01629 772073.

SECURING YOUR FUTURE: THE ROLE OF TRUSTEES IN SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

Environmental issues have a higher priority now than ever. Understanding and delivering genuine sustainable development is a challenge for every organisation. To be effective, work on sustainable development needs to be integrated into governance and policy programmes. 'Secure your future' will enable attendees to discuss these issues and consider how they can help their organisations engage with them. 11 May, London; 31 May, Derby; or 13 June, Bristol. http://www.navca.org.uk/events/secureyourfuture.htm

BECOME A COMMUNITY CHAMPION

Every Action Counts is looking for over 1,000 local community activists to lead change in their neighbourhoods. Community Champions will help community groups in their area to take stock of their current environmental impact and to create their own sustainable development action plans. A free accredited two-day training course is available to anyone over 18, who is interested in creating a cleaner, greener, fairer and safer community. Closest courses in Derby or Manchester:

• 8 & 15 May, Manchester
• 23 & 30 June, Derby

For more information contact the Community Champions Team on 01302 388841 or email everyactioncounts@btcv.org.uk.