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High Peak CVS believes our members are our strength and that good communication with you will help us deliver a better service. We are inviting you to a special members meeting to update you and provide feedback from your comments at last years AGM and the members’ questionnaire.

A buffet lunch will be provided and every group that attends will be entered into a free £50 prize draw to spend on your group!

There will also be opportunity to network and attend 2 workshops of your choice which are in response to the survey replies:

Volunteering Workshop
How to attract and retain volunteers
Key things to remember when working with volunteers
Where to go for more support; the role of the Volunteer Centres

Funding Workshop
The key ingredients of a good funding application
Building relationships with funders
Summary of key funding sources available to groups in the High Peak

Accessing Support for Your Group Workshop
What’s available from High Peak CVS
Support from staff, Practical services

>> Download Full Information and Booking Form

What is the Local Area Agreement? What does it mean for you?

Date: Thursday 9th July
Time: 9.30 - 12.30 including free lunch and refreshments
Venue: High Peak CVS, Whaley Bridge, SK23 7LY
Cost: Free

Unravel the LAA mystery! We will look at:

How Local Strategic Partnerships and the Local Area Agreement works in Derbyshire
How the voluntary and community sector is involved
National Indicators and your organisation
How the money works

The session will be delivered by Claire Thornber – ‘Voice’ Project Officer.
A presentation will be followed by a practical ‘hands on’ group activity.

To book places: please contact – Louise at High Peak CVS
Telephone: 01663 736431, email: louise@highpeakcvs.org.uk

“…really well presented, covering the topic and delivered for all levels.”
“The clearest explanation of Local Strategic Partnerships/LAAs yet!”
Comments from evaluations of previous Voice for the VCS events.

Derbyshire Coalition for Inclusive Living (DCIL) Vacancies

Partnership Manager
£28,090 pro rata (34hrs per week) - Ripley

To work with infrastructure organizations and frontline groups to develop support networks for groups supporting disabled people and increase the influence of disabled people over local policies and strategies. Applicants must be able to demonstrate understanding of the issues concerning frontline groups supporting disabled people, have experience and skills in partnership working, be skilled in project and staff management and have excellent communication skills.

Project Officer
£23,914 pro rata (22.5hrs per week) - Derby

To work with partner organisations and other frontline groups working with disabled people to share and improve skills and knowledge on group and service development. Applicants should have a good understanding of the issues concerning disabled people and have good communication skills.

Both posts are funded by the Big Lottery Fund until March 2012.
Closing date: 1pm on 12 May
Interview date: 22 or 26 June

For an application pack, please contact DCIL by telephone 01773 740246
or email admin@dcil.org.uk , stating the post you are interested in.

Project Coordinator Vacancy at Hyde Community Action

18 hours per week - £25,134 / year pro rata - fixed term contract for 6 months

Hyde Community Action is an independent charity based at the Asian Healthy Living Centre, Great Norbury Street, Hyde. We require an enthusiastic person to coordinate a research project to establish the needs of local young people. The role will include working closely with the local community, to support the participation of young people and youth organisations.

The successful applicant will be able to demonstrate experience of work with young people and community work, (paid or unpaid), and be committed to working inclusively with communities to bring about positive change and social justice. Knowledge of the local community would be an advantage.

This post is subject to Criminal Records Bureau disclosure.

Closing date: 21 May 2009
Interview date: 28 May 2009
Hyde Community Action, Healthy Living Centre, 20 Great Norbury Street, Hyde

For an application pack contact Lesley on 0161 368 3268 or email: lesley@hydeca.org.uk . Packs can also be downloaded from: www.t3sc.org

National Survey of Third Sector Organisations for Derbyshire

The full results of the National Survey of Third Sector Organisations for Derbyshire have been published - >> Download. There were 573 TSO respondants. The survey covered: types of TSO; categories and areas of work; success and satisfaction rates; funding; support; partnership working.

Headline results can be seen on the NSTSO website.

Analysis and results for the whole country can also be found on the NSTSO website: www.nstso.com

Local Authorities Could Do a Lot More for the Sector

The full results of the National Survey of Third Sector Organisations, based on a survey of nearly 50,000 charities, social enterprises and voluntary organisations, provides the baseline for the key performance target (National Indicator 7) to improve the way that local authorities work with the third sector, and asked organisations whether these public bodies helped them succeed.

As the Office of the Third Sector news item states "When third sector organisations are satisfied with their ability to influence local decisions, and have some current contact with local statutory bodies, they give an NI 7 score of 75% (compared to the overall national score of 16%). When there is dissatisfaction with the ability to influence local decisions and little or no current contact with local statutory bodies, third sector organisations give an NI 7 score of just 3%.” The full analysis is at www.nstso.com/analysis/

Asset Development Programme

Emda has formally launched their Regional Asset Development Programme. The primary focus will be to assist third sector groups/organisations who are seeking to achieve ‘investment readiness’ status for asset transfers in order to develop viable economic service centres for their local communities.

The Asset Transfer Unit, supported by the Government as part of its community empowerment policy, has officially been launched to help local communities take on and maintain local assets, "from post offices to pubs", community centres, theatres and so on. There is an advice line on 0845 345 4564. Government news release at www.communities.gov.uk/news/corporate/1213182 or ATU website at atu.org.uk

How Resilient is Your Organisation?

A new online self-assessment tool is now ‘live’ and accessible on the Modernisation Fund website. This helps determine an organisation’s strengths and weaknesses in eight key areas including governance, finance and people and creates a priority list helping organisations plan and identify where support is needed.

'How To' Guides from Workforce Hub

The UK Workforce Hub has produced three new downloadable 'How to' guides, available at www.ukworkforcehub.org.uk/component/content/article/518

Survive the recession – alternatives to redundancy
360 Degree Feedback
HR software in voluntary and community organisations – a short report

Code of Practice on Criminal Record Checks

From Sandy Adirondack's Legal Update - The Criminal Records Bureau issued on 6th April 2009 a revised code of practice for registered bodies and other recipients of CRB disclosure information.

Download (pdf, 1.06Mb) from www.crb.gov.uk/PDF/Code%20of%20Practice.pdf – copies of the previous code should be discarded.

Supporting the Sector to Improve Home Security

The Home Office is working with the Community Alliance to deliver a 'Safer Homes' fund which aims to secure up to 45,000 homes of people in 90 priority areas. Grants of between £10,000 and £100,000 are available to fund activity including fitting window locks, repairing windows and doors, advising people on using security effectively, and signposting people to further support. Applications by 31 July. Office of Third Sector news item or go direct to www.grantsadmin.co.uk/saferhomes/index.html

Course for Volunteers

The 'Certificate in Interpersonal Skills for Volunteers', run by the University of Wales Lampeter, is a part-time distance learning course with no exams. According to Clinks Light Lunch, by quoting the code LAMP99 when applying online there is no charge for UK and EU residents who do not hold a degree or higher qualification. www.volstudy.ac.uk

NSPCC Toolkit to Protect Children

NSPCC's 'Safe communities: a toolkit to protect children and young people' is available at no charge to voluntary and independent community groups working with children, although an application form has to be completed (the form is available in a number of languages). See NSPCC information. (Source: CommunityNI)

Options for Presentation Software

TrainingZone, the trainers’ web resource, has an article looking at presentation software alternatives to Microsoft PowerPoint, on the desktop and via the web and including some additional resources. www.trainingzone.co.uk/cgi-bin/item.cgi?id=197340

Volunteers' Week is Twenty Five

Volunteers' Week 2009 sees the event reaching 25 years of celebrating and promoting volunteering across the country. It runs from 1 to 7 June, with information and material available from www.volunteersweek.org.uk

NCVO Membership Schemes Conference

How to Grow and Sustain Your Membership
27 May in London

Keeping your members and supporters engaged is essential to the effectiveness of your campaigns, to increase donations and to get advocates for your organisation's work. Come along to this conference and find out how to grow and sustain your membership. Get ideas and inspiration on making your members feel valued, marketing your recruitment campaigns, maximising your subscriptions and managing your data.

Information and booking at www.ncvo-vol.org.uk/membconfmay09 call Matt on 020 7520 3160 or email marketing@ncvo-vol.org.uk

BIG – Awards for All Opens – Now Bigger Better Faster

A BIG new-look Awards for All programme launched its own new version of the highly popular small grants scheme in England and Wales from 1 April.

BIG's Awards for All programme will be the Fund's biggest-ever commitment to a small grant scheme supporting community projects, offering a more easily accessible programme with even quicker decision times.

A total of £45 million is available in England offering Big Lottery Fund grants of between £300 to £10,000 to grassroots groups in the community and voluntary sector, health bodies, schools and parish or town councils. The programme aims to make a difference to communities and the lives of those most in need and will focus on social and environmental projects that benefit local communities. The other Lottery awarding bodies will now operate their own small grants schemes for England and Wales.

The new easy-to-use application form can be downloaded, filled in and emailed direct to the Big Lottery Fund as well as being available in hard copy. Application forms are available from website: www.awardsforall.org.uk or telephone: 0845 4 10 20 30.

Sport England Small Grant Scheme

Sport England’s Small Grants Scheme funds community projects that encourage people to become involved in sport and ensure that they have a quality sporting experience. The scheme also helps people to improve their performance in their chosen sport. The scheme is for not-for-profit sports clubs, voluntary and community organisations, local authorities and education institutions.

Grants of between £300 and £10,000 are available for revenue and small capital projects.

Application is via a single-stage online form. They offer advice and support to applicants, and the whole process, from receipt of application to decision, will take no longer than six weeks. Visit website: www.sportengland.org or call telephone: 08458 508 508 for more details.

Heritage Lottery Fund Small Grants

The Heritage Lottery Fund has two small grants schemes.

Young Roots – This scheme makes grants to involve 13 to 25 year-olds in finding out about their heritage, developing skills, building confidence and promoting community involvement.

Your Heritage – This scheme supports projects that relate to the local, regional or national heritage of the UK and that help people to learn about and look after their heritage.

Young Roots makes grants of between £3,000 and £25,000, and Your Heritage between £3,000 and £50,000.

They offer advice and help before you apply, the application forms are short and simple and they can offer you a mentor to help you run your project. You can apply at any time and will receive a decision on your application within 10 weeks of them receiving your completed application.

Visit website: www.hlf.org.uk or contact telephone: 020 7591 6042 for more information.

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