Nottingham Community and Voluntary Service (NCVS), Executive Sponsor for the Nottingham City Place-Based Partnership (PBP) Race Health Inequalities workstream, is delighted to announce that the Culturally Competent Maturity Matrix has been shortlisted for this year’s HSJ Awards in the NHS Race Equality Awards category. 

The matrix is a bespoke self-assessment tool used to assess the responsiveness of an organisation, service, or system in delivering or commissioning provision to meet the needs of Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic citizens.

The purpose of the tool is to help to tackle structures and processes that can be exacerbating inequalities experienced by minority communities, and to shift mindsets by providing a platform for curious questions and difficult conversations.

Since its soft launch in December 2022, the matrix has been piloted by four PBP partners, whose feedback was used to improve the tool. The matrix was formally launched at the PBP Race Health Inequalities Summit in May 2023 and now over 30 organisations have signed up to be part of a community of practice to roll out the matrix across the Nottingham and Nottinghamshire Integrated Care System.

View the matrix here.

If you would like to know more about the matrix and how to implement it, further guidance is available, Please contact Jules Sebelin, Chief Executive Officer for NCVS. Email juless@nottinghamcvs.co.uk.

Do you want to find out more about our local Place-Based Partnerships?

You are invited to this special event which will highlight the work of the four PBPs in Nottingham and Nottinghamshire (Nottingham City, South Nottinghamshire, Mid Nottinghamshire and Bassetlaw).

Tuesday 5 September 2023, 10am to 3.30pm
Mansfield Civic Centre, Chesterfield Road South, Mansfield NG19 7BH
Free to attend

The event is aimed at all colleagues working in the Integrated Care System and will explore what Place-Based Partnerships are and how they are promoting integration across organisations. There will be a particular focus on how they work together to empower communities to reduce inequalities and improve lives.

This is a large interactive event with opportunities to connect, learn and collaborate. There will be a mix of short presentations, structured conversations and informal opportunities to network and meet colleagues.

NCVS is a member of the Nottingham City PBP Executive, and Jules Sebelin will be attending. If you have any questions about the event, or would like issues raised if you're unable to attend, please email juless@nottinghamcvs.co.uk.

We're sending our congratulations to NCVS trustee, Will Burchell (pictured above), who has featured in several national voluntary sector publications this week.

Will is in the news as he is leaving his current job as Chief Executive at Nottinghamshire Deaf Society to become the new Chief Executive Officer for the Bone Cancer Research Trust, from 4 September 2023.

The Bone Cancer Research Trust, with a main office in Leeds, is a national charity that aims to improve outcomes for people affected by primary bone cancer through research, information, awareness and support.

Will may be moving on from one Nottingham organisation, but we're very pleased that he is continuing in his trustee role with NCVS. Will brings over 20 years of VCSE sector experience, having started his career as a support worker for adults with learning difficulties. He recently completed a Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree with a dissertation focused on income diversification in the third sector. So, we're honoured to retain his expertise.

Our best wishes and sincere thanks go to Stephen Knott, who has stepped down from the NCVS Board of Trustees after long service, most recently as Vice Chair. Stephen has begun a new paid role with Bassetlaw CVS, as their Head of Business Development. Organisations working in the north of the county may wish to say hello to him, if you haven't already met.

We'll be introducing more NCVS trustees in future e-bulletins, so you can get to know the team better. And we'll soon be opening up a new trustee recruitment drive as we seek to add to and diversify the experience on our Board.

NCVS is looking to revive the Nottingham Communications Group, with the support of Nicola (Nic) Ramsdale, Engagement and Marketing Coordinator at Self Help UK. Nic contacted us as she had benefited from the group in a previous communications role.

Nottingham Communications Group (NCG) first formed in 2017 as a network for people working in the voluntary, community and social enterprise (VCSE) sector in Nottingham who have the responsibility for communications in their organisation. Aimi McCaffery (then working at Nottingham Central Women's Aid) was instrumental in founding and leading the group until 2019, supported by Nicki Hastie within NCVS.

NCVS always hoped to continue the group, as resources and interest allowed. We were incredibly saddened when Aimi died in tragic circumstances in 2022. Aimi was passionate about communications and the VCSE sector, and we can hopefully build on her legacy by re-introducing the group.

The objectives of NCG were to share learning, gain new skills, network and provide peer to peer support. Some meetings had themes, with invited communications and marketing professionals kindly sharing their expertise. We also had 'round-table' introductions and a 'latest news' section so members were able to promote initiatives and events and gain support from others.

Could you benefit? Would you like to get involved?

NCVS is hosting an online relaunch meeting on Tuesday 10 October 2023, from 2pm to 3pm, where Nic Ramsdale has agreed to facilitate our first meeting agenda to discuss what we'd like from the group.

What do you want from a relaunched group?

You don't need to have communications in your job title (or volunteer role) in order to participate. If communications forms a significant part of your workload or role description, you are welcome to get involved.

Register to attend the relaunch meeting here, and you'll automatically be added to the new Nottingham Communications Group mailing list.

If you can't make this meeting, and would like to be kept informed of future activities, email communications@nottinghamcvs.co.uk to be added to the mailing list.

The Charity Commission has introduced a new ‘My Charity Commission Account’. This is now the only way for trustees and charity contacts to access the Charity Commission’s online services, so it is important that charity contacts and trustees set up new accounts.

Your charity’s primary contact should have received an email from the Charity Commission inviting them to sign up for the new service. If your charity contact has not received it, you are encouraged to contact the Commission.

Trustees of your charity will require a link from your charity’s registered contact to register for the service. It can also be used by other authorised people (such as your charity’s solicitors and accountants).

This is now the only way to submit annual returns. The Commission will launch the 2023 annual return in late August 2023 via My Charity Commission Account.

On 1 August 2023, the government launched the Housing Loss Prevention Advice Service (HLPAS). This service offers free legal advice and representation to individuals who are at risk of losing their home. Help is available from the moment a person receives a written notice for possession (e.g. email/letter from landlord or creditor).

Nottingham Law Centre is delivering this service in Nottingham. If someone is facing the loss of their home for arrears (rent or mortgage ), or any other reason, Nottingham Law Centre can assist them free of charge, even if they are not eligible for legal aid.

Closing date for applications: 4pm on Wednesday 30 August 2023

The Community Engagement Fund (CEF) is a £150,000 grant fund to support grassroots and community groups to engage communities and raise awareness of priority Home Office policy areas and the support available.

It is intended to support grassroots and community groups to engage communities and raise awareness of and address any misinformation about the Windrush Compensation and Windrush Schemes, with a focus on non-Caribbean communities.

Some nationality groups, including Bangladesh, Pakistan, Nigeria, Ghana and India, despite possibly having been impacted, are not coming forward for compensation to the Windrush Compensation Scheme. 

To apply, register an interest in the fund by using the ‘Find a grant’ portal or by email to: CommunityEngagementFundCompetition@homeoffice.gov.uk.

Aviva, in partnership with WWF and the RSPB, is giving £1 million to support community groups across the UK to protect and restore nature in their local area. The Save Our Wild Isles Community Fund aims to make it easier for communities to take action for nature. This is a match funding scheme and eligible organisations need to create a crowdfunding campaign.

From creating community gardens and replanting wildflower meadows, to protecting local wildlife and promoting community connection to nature, the Fund can help communities around the UK bring nature back to life and make our isles wilder.

Groundwork is acting as a point of reference for anyone that needs help with their application in Nottingham and the East Midlands.

For assistance, contact debra.laking@groundworknottingham.org.uk / 07850 503203 or shamli.khanam@groundworknottingham.org.uk / 07771 566893.                         

Leaders of Volunteers will have heard me saying "What’s in it for me?" in training sessions, network meetings and, seemingly at random, in other conversations. It's not that I'm totally self-centred. I'm always asking the question from the volunteer's (or potential volunteer's) point of view.

Often. I'll broaden this question to ask "What's in it for you?" - as a Leader of Volunteers, for your staff colleagues, and for your organisation.

When we create volunteer opportunities, we have to consider all of these "stakeholders".

A meaningful volunteer role is going to produce some kind of benefit for your organisation. It will "add value" to (but not replace) other staff and volunteers, and it will provide some kind of benefit to the individual who is volunteering.

Exercising the skills that we use in creating a volunteer role profile that meets all of these needs is one of the most enjoyable, yet challenging, parts of being a Leader of Volunteers.

So how do we assess each of these needs?...

Green social prescribing is a way of connecting people to nature-based activities and green groups, projects and schemes in their local community for support with health and wellbeing. Often this will be through a referral from a Link Worker based at a GP practice or another primary care professional.

Our scheme in Nottingham and Nottinghamshire, called GreenSpace, is one of seven government Green Social Prescribing Test and Learn sites. It's all about improving people’s mental health. Green providers, social prescribers, voluntary organisations and community initiatives will help connect many more people with nature-based activities, helping everyone to feel better.

We're planning content for the autumn editions of the GreenSpace bulletin, and we know this is a busy time for nature-based providers.

Please think ahead for events and programme updates you'd like us to promote.

• The August edition is likely to be an early September bulletin (due to staff holidays). Our deadline for content is Tuesday 29 August.
  
  
• The (end of) September edition is a good time to tell us about your October/November programmes. Our deadline for content is Thursday 21 September.

Please email greenspace@nottinghamcvs.co.uk with your updates. We look forward to hearing your news.

Sunday 20 August 2023, 12 noon to 8pm
Victoria Embankment, Nottingham
Parade is free to watch
Access to Carnival site: £6 per person; free for children under 12

The Nottingham Carnival is a superb multi-cultural event held every summer. Numerous troupes from Nottingham and around the country will be taking part in the colourful Carnival Parade which starts at 2pm and is free to watch.

On the Carnival site this year, there will be four music zones featuring live bands. There will also be trade stalls, world food stalls, licensed bars and fairground rides, as well as a kids zone with activities for little ones.

Saturday 19 August 2023, 10am to 5pm, Free entry
You can find Windmill Community Gardens at the end of Ascot Road, Aspley Lane NG8 5HD

The gardens will be bursting with artwork made by Growing Forward participants. There will also be live music, workshops, fun family activities, plant sales, and refreshments.

Text 07816 899978 if you need directions.

There are three Open Days planned, all at Windmill Community Gardens, end of Ascot Road, Aspley Lane NG8 5HD.

Wednesday 30 August 2023, 10.30am to 3.30pm
Wednesday 11 and 18 October 2023, 1.30pm to 5.30pm

Growing Forward supports people to improve their mental and physical wellbeing through gardening in small groups and one-to-one counselling.

Everyone is welcome to attend - potential participants, link workers, friends, family, colleagues. it's a great chance to find out about the project and anyone interested can sign up for sessions.

Text Carley 07832 211323 or email hello@growingforward.org.uk if you have any questions. Feel free to just turn up.

Nottingham city providers and partners can join Nottingham City Council Early Years Team for a short online information session to share essential updates on funded childcare and early education provision in the City following the 2023 Spring Budget announcement to expand the early years entitlements for our youngest children.

This session will provide a refresh and update on:

• The current and expanded early years entitlements, including age ranges of eligible children
• Funding
• Key dates for implementation.
  

Sessions are repeated, so you only need to book onto one of these dates:

• Tuesday 12 September 2023, 8am to 9am
• Tuesday 12 September 2023, 5.30pm to 6.30pm
• Wednesday 13 September 2023, 8am to 9am

Thursday 19 October 2023, 10am to 11.15am
Online via Zoom, free to attend

Fossil fuel divestment is a practical way for charities to help tackle climate change. Join NCVO at this online event to learn more about fossil fuel divestment and why your organisation should consider divesting. 

This event is part of their Fuelling Positive Change campaign event series.

By the end of the event, you’ll:

• learn how fossil fuel divestment offers practical actions which have environmental impacts
• hear about Charity Commission guidance regarding ethical investments
• understand the considerations required when beginning your divestment journey.

Wednesday 11 October 2023, 10am to 12.30pm

An online course giving a basic understanding of roles and responsibilities in the safeguarding of adults and how to respond to concerns.

Cost: £25 per participant

Tuesday 24 October 2023, 10.30am to 1pm

An online course giving a basic understanding of roles and responsibilities in the safeguarding of children and young people and how to respond to concerns.

Cost: £25 per participant

Wednesday 30 August 2023, 10am to 12.30pm

An online course giving a basic understanding of the roles and responsibilities of the Designated Safeguarding Lead Person.

Cost: £25 per participant

Wednesday 15 November 2023, 10.30am to 12 noon

An interactive online session for Trustees (or members of Management Committees) of organisations whose activities put them in contact with vulnerable adults or children.

Cost: £15 per participant

Monday 9 October 2023, 11am to 1pm

This two-hour online session covers the basic information for all trustees, whether you are new to the role or long-established.

Cost: £20 per participant

Thursday 19 October 2023, 10am to 12.15pm

A new interactive hands-on workshop for organisations and community groups who want to practice their skills and would welcome constructive feedback to further develop their skills in writing successful funding applications.
Cost: £20 per participant

Tuesday 10 October 2023, 10.30am to 12.30pm

Do you manage a space, office or building? This new two-hour online session will take your Fire Wardens and/or Fire Marshal through the basics. As a result, they will be better equipped to carry out these very important roles.

Cost: £20 per participant

Tuesday 7 November 2023, 6.30pm to 8.30pm

This two-hour online session is intended for trustees who have completed our 'Being a Trustee' course, who want to further develop their involvement and awareness of trustee duties and improve their personal skill set.

Cost: £20 per participant

Tuesday 16 January 2024, 10.30am to 12.30pm

Are you acting as secretary or note taker, or do you need to record meetings? Learn how to take effective minutes and make your task easier. This two-hour online session replaces our previous face-to-face three-hour course and will take you through the process of producing a 'minute'.

Cost: £20 per participant

Wednesday 11 October 2023, 6pm to 8pm

This new two-hour online session will explain the basics of health and safety, then take you through the process of carrying out a risk assessment in an organisational environment.

Cost: £20 per participant

Monday 8 January 2024, 10.30am to 12.30pm

What is the right structure for your organisation? This two-hour online session will explain your options and provide you with some useful tips to help you through the process of registration and beyond.

Cost: £20 per participant

Tuesday 19 September 2023, 10am to 11.15am

For organisations and community groups who are new to applying for funding, or for those in need of a refresher. Relevant for groups applying for cost of living funding and recovery support as well as other general funding.

Cost: £10 per participant

Wednesday 22 November 2023, 10am to 11am

In this one-hour online session, we will identify some of the barriers that potential volunteers face to becoming involved in your organisation and share ideas to remove these barriers.

Cost: £10 per participant

Thursday 9 November 2023, 10am to 11am

This one-hour online session aims to share some ideas about how best to deal with the inevitable disagreements, personality clashes and conflicts that arise from time to time among a team of volunteers.

Cost: £10 per participant

Thursday 5 October 2023, 10am to 11am

This one-hour online session looks at methods that have proved to be effective in volunteer leadership, including the best ways to plan, involve, support and retain volunteers.

Cost: £10 per participant

Thursday 21 September 2023, 10am to 12 noon

For some time, we’ve been asked about training that goes beyond the basics of managing and supporting volunteers. In this new two-hour online session, we’ll explore some of the real-life issues that you are facing.

Cost: £20 per participant

Tuesday 5 September 2023, 10am to 12 noon

A two-hour online course for Leaders of Volunteers to start to develop an understanding of some of the legal requirements that relate to your volunteering programme.

Cost: £20 per participant

Tuesday 17 October 2023, 10am to 11am

A one-hour online session to help your volunteer role descriptions stand out, ensuring you attract enthusiastic volunteers.

Cost: £10 per participant

The PDU aims to promote and facilitate collaborative learning and the sharing of good practice among professionals and volunteers from all sectors, in Nottingham and neighbouring areas, who work with people experiencing multiple disadvantage (understood as a combination of mental ill-health, substance misuse, homelessness, offending and domestic abuse, among other issues).

Contact Katie Hall, our PDU Programme Manager, for more information: enquiries@pdunottingham.org

Join our free online hub www.pdunottingham.org

Follow us on Twitter @NottinghamCVS #PDUNottingham.

Tuesday 22 August 2023, 10am to 12 noon, online via Zoom

This is a supportive peer led space for us to better understand and address the barriers that people face in accessing work and training opportunities whilst in supported housing, to try and improve outcomes for people and challenge how the system operates. 

We are keen to involve a wide range of services including supported housing providers, employers, employment support services, DWP and people with lived experience.

Please email enquiries@pdunottingham.org if you are interested in being involved in this group.

These sessions are part of a series of interactive webinars to develop understanding and best practice around gambling related harms

Gambling Related Harm and its impact on Women and Affected Others
Wednesday 6 September 2023, 10am to 11am
A person’s gambling behaviours can have social, physical, financial and mental health implications for those who are close to them. For every person who has a problem with gambling, it is estimated that another five to ten people are also negatively affected. In this session we will explore the topic of affected others, in addition to how gambling related harm more broadly impacts women and why a gender responsive approach is needed.
Register here

Gambling Related Harm and Cultural Responsivity
Wednesday 4 October 2023, 10am to 11am
In this session we will explore the topic of gambling related harm in relation to it’s impact on Black, Asian, Minority Ethnic and Refugee/Asylum Seeker (BAMER) communities. We will discuss why a culturally responsive approach is needed to tackling problem gambling and addiction, what support is available and how to develop cultural responsiveness within your practice.
Register here

Whether you work with survivors, deliver services to vulnerable people or you're an employer wanting to support your colleagues, Equation's skilled training team can equip you with the tools to understand and respond to domestic abuse.

There is a range of free courses for Nottingham City workers.

Free online training in the current programme is available on Tuesday 5 September and Wednesday 20 September 2023, both from 10am to 12 noon.

Register via Eventbrite

Some changes are planned to GamCare's future offering. Sarah Franklin has moved from the Women’s Programme within GamCare to take up the role of East Midlands Service Manager. Congratulations to Sarah.

This means that Sarah will no longer be delivering the training package, and her colleague, Georgia Hunt-Vogel, will be taking on the training element on a purely online basis.

To find out about future online training, email georgia.huntvogel@gamcare.org.uk.

The engagement team is still available to attend events.

A reminder that Nottingham City Council, Nottinghamshire County Council and NHS Nottingham and Nottinghamshire ICB have commissioned Harmless to deliver a range of Mental Health, Self Harm Awareness and Suicide Prevention courses, including Suicide Bereavement.

The sessions are delivered by passionate and experienced trainers who offer an interactive online experience, as well as an opportunity to meet others in the field. If you’re working with any at risk groups in Nottingham or Nottinghamshire, you can join the CPD accredited courses.

Do you want to learn how to tackle prejudice and discrimination in workplaces, communities and places of education?

There are three sessions at different venues. When you click through to 'Get tickets' from the Eventbrite link, you will be able to view all dates. Please ensure you select the ticket for your chosen venue.

• Thursday 7 September 2023, 9.30am to 12.30pm at Mary Potter Centre
• Tuesday 19 September 2023, 1.30pm to 4.30pm at Bulwell Riverside
• 19 October 2023, 9.30am to 12.30pm at St Ann's Valley Centre

Tuesday 5 September, 6pm to 8pm
OR Saturday 9 September 2023,10am to 12 noon
Nottinghamshire Deaf Society, 22 Forest Road West, Nottingham, NG7 4EQ
Cost: £25 per person

These Taster sessions are fun, informal and a great way to ‘try before you buy’. Find out what to expect if you were to enrol on the BSL Level 1 course and learn some basic BSL Signs, taught by experienced tutors.

BSL Level 1 courses are priced at £515 per person.

This course is aimed at those who would like to begin learning how to communicate with Deaf people. It is divided into three units: Introduction to BSL, Conversational BSL and Communicate in BSL about Every Day Life. By the end of the course, learners will be able to demonstrate basic competence in both productive and receptive skills. They will have enough knowledge and understanding to engage in simple conversations, and will be able to use simple everyday language and finger spelling.

The course is taught over 30 weeks, including assessments, with a 2-hour lesson once a week. The next course starts week commencing 6 November 2023 and will be completed by week commencing 8 July 2024. All classes are taught face to face.

Contact Nottinghamshire Deaf Society with any questions.
Email training@nottsdeaf.org.uk or call 0115 970 0516.

Wednesday 13 September 2023, 10am to 4pm in-person at NTU City Campus
OR online starting on Wednesday 20 September 2023
Free (fully funded) places

This course is only available to employees of small and medium businesses that are based in Nottinghamshire or Derbyshire. It is aimed at anyone who wants to make recruitment more inclusive – whether you are currently involved in or aspiring to be part of the recruitment process.

Speak up for Sanctuary is a new (national) programme offered by City of Sanctuary UK. It is designed to support people who may have little or no previous campaigning experience to recognise their power in making change, to speak up for refugee rights and to supercharge efforts to build welcoming and compassionate communities.

The course is perfect for people involved in City of Sanctuary groups and awarded organisations or anyone else hoping to turn their compassion into action.

This programme consists of a 1.5 hour webinar and a handbook packed with information, resources and exercises. The webinar will include breakout rooms in order for people to share ideas and plan with other organisers and campaigners.

The next online session is Monday 25 September 2023 from 6pm to 7.30pm.

NCVS is aware that a number of teams and departments within Nottingham City Council are keen to develop and expand their relationships with voluntary and community organisations. Recently, a variety of survey requests have been circulating to collect contact and service data.

We're always happy to see the sector being valued and acknowledged for its essential contribution. However, we recognise it can be time-consuming, and confusing, to be repeatedly asked for similar information about your organisation's activities.

NCVS has been invited to comment on some recent data collection initiatives, and we believe there is more that could be done to co-ordinate they way information reaches our sector from local authority colleagues. We'll be offering our guidance where we can.

If you have feedback on communications you've received from Nottingham City Council, are unsure which surveys or questionnaires to prioritise, or why you are being asked for certain details, get in touch. We'd like to hear your experiences so we can help to improve things. One of the roles of NCVS is to highlight, filter and interpret requests so you can concentrate on your best service delivery.

Email communications@nottinghamcvs.co.uk. All comments will be treated confidentially.

Some organisations may have received a direct request about the engagement activity below. We encourage you to respond, if relevant to you.

Nottingham City Council's Commissioning Team is asking groups or individuals who provide adult social care services in Nottingham to join a focus group and/or complete a questionnaire about their draft Market Position Statement (MPS) and draft Engagement Strategy.

Focus groups will be held to explore topics related to the Market Position Statement (MPS) and gather your valuable input. They will shortly be sending out invites for events in September.

Relevant documents can be downloaded at the 'Read more' link below.

There is also a link to a questionnaire that you can complete now.

Survey closes at 12 noon on Friday 1 September 2023.

NCVO is working with partners to understand the impact of inflation on charities delivering public services. They are particularly keen to find out the impact of a lack of contract uplifts on organisations and service delivery.

Income from government and public bodies through grants and contracts to deliver public services makes up 26% of the voluntary sector’s income. Underfunding of these services is a longstanding problem for the sector, and it is now being exacerbated by the cost of living crisis.

This survey is about services funded by contracts and grants from government (both central and local) and public bodies. It is not about funding from trusts and foundations, public giving or enterprise.