NCVS e-bulletin - Thursday 12 December 2024

The Nottingham Community and Voluntary Service (NCVS) e-bulletin will be back in a week. The deadline for contributions and comments is Wednesday 18 December 2024. Email communications@nottinghamcvs.co.uk

Did you know we keep an archive of past NCVS e-bulletins? View the archive here.

• Hours: 35 hours per week
  
• Salary:  £23,450 to £25,450 per annum
  
• Closing date: Monday 20 January 2025, 12 noon

Are you someone who loves variety, wants to see how a busy charity operates, and understands the importance of staying organised to build relationships and work efficiently? If so, this role is perfect for you!

You'll be:

• Helping keep our work and systems running smoothly by assisting our Operations Manager with our contact database.
  
  
• Providing support for our training sessions, development programmes, and events.
• Communicating with our team, partners, and the public, including responding to emails and phone calls and guiding people as needed.

Join us and make a real difference!

In case you haven't heard, Christmas is coming up, and this author likes to spend a good chunk of time sitting in front of the TV and eating too much chocolate—those Christmas specials aren't going to watch themselves! 

Because of this, the e-bulletin is going to have a bit of a schedule change over Christmas (Christmas disruptions aren't just for the local binmen). 

There will be a mini e-bulletin sent out next Thursday 19 December 2024; this will have some festive fun and updates for the new year. Spoiler alert: there's a special birthday coming up next year. Please send anything you'd like to include in this e-bulletin to communications@nottinghamcvs.co.uk before Wednesday 18 December 2024.

We will then take a break over the festive period before returning triumphant in the new year, continuing as usual with a fresh e-bulletin in your inbox on Thursday 9 January 2025. Submissions for this e-bulletin should be sent to communications@nottinghamcvs.co.uk by Monday 6 January 2025.

This month, we've said goodbye to two much-loved members of our team, Jess and Mimi. They have found exciting new roles with other organisations, and while we will miss them dearly, we are thrilled for them as they embark on these new adventures.

Jess and Mimi have been integral parts of our team, contributing significantly to our success and bringing joy and enthusiasm to the workplace. We thank them for their hard work, dedication, and the positive impact they have had on all of us.

We wish Jess and Mimi all the best in their new endeavours and are confident that they will continue to excel and inspire in their future roles. Good luck, Jess and Mimi!

Nottingham City Council and its partners offer a range of support for rough sleepers all year round, which is stepped up between October and April with extra safeguards in place when temperatures fall below zero.

Help available this winter includes:

• Beds in specialist accommodation.
• Dozens of daily opportunities for rough sleepers to get a free hot drink, meal, or hot shower.
• Everyone gets an offer of a warm place to stay when the temperature falls to zero degrees Centigrade or below; when this happens, five shared sites across the city will open, offering emergency spaces for anyone in genuine need.
• Hot meals are being delivered to emergency spaces from voluntary organisations, Guru Nanak’s Mission, SAFE, and Food for All.
• A variety of accommodation available, mainly within existing services but based upon the individual and their needs.
• The Emmanuel House winter night shelter is running until April.
• The Street Outreach Teams will be out daily from 5.30am talking to rough sleepers and offering them accommodation.

The deadline for applications is Monday 6 January 2024

Grants of between £1,000 and £5,000 are available to constituted voluntary and community groups, locally registered charities, Charitable Incorporated Organisations (CIOs), Community Interest Companies (CICs), companies limited by guarantee with charitable aims, and social enterprises.

Grants are available to qualifying projects under the following themes:

• Refugees and asylum seekers.
• Homelessness.
• Food poverty.
• Young people’s wellbeing
• Education for young people from disadvantaged backgrounds.

The deadline for applications is Tuesday 7 January 2025, 9am

Funding of between £10,000 and £20,000 is available for registered charities, registered Charitable Incorporated Organisations (CIOs), charitable companies limited by guarantee, Community Interest Companies (CIC), and exempt charities, whose primary purpose is to support those living with or at risk of sight loss.

The grants will focus on two key areas:

1. Collaboration between organisations within the sight loss sector and between the sight loss sector and external organisations.
   
   
2. Small charities and grassroots organisations.

The grant funding could be used as a contribution to core costs, a merger of organisations, or strengthening systems and processes.

The deadline for applications is Friday 17 January 2025

A seven-day online match funding campaign dedicated to helping charities playing a vital role in tackling pressing environmental issues, run in partnership with Environmental Funders Network (EFN).

The Green Match Fund utilises the Multi Model of match funding. Environmental charities apply to Big Give and can select either the 1:1 or Pledge Model of match funding. Their application is assessed by Big Give and its partners, EFN. Successful charities are awarded a sum of match funding which is ring-fenced for their organisation. This match funding is unlocked by public donations given through Big Give’s online fundraising platform during the week of the campaign.

Funding ranges from £10,000 to £100,000.

We're regularly updating the funding news on our website, so click the button below and find the fund for you!

Dave Thomas, Volunteering Development Officer at NCVS, continues his series of articles in support of Leaders of Volunteers.

In her latest blog, my colleague Helen Oparinde, reports on a speech by David Holdsworth, the Charity Commission’s new CEO. He touched on the continuing downward trend in volunteering but didn’t offer any solutions.

By coincidence, the London Vision and Action Plan for Volunteering has just been released for consultation. While I wouldn’t normally draw your attention to a London-centric document, it makes some interesting points that reverberate beyond our capital city.

The report acknowledges that, across the UK, formal volunteering rates are in decline, creating challenges for organisations that depend on this vital support. The report outlines 36 recommendations that could reverse this trend, offering practical strategies to enhance volunteer engagement, infrastructure, and support systems.

I would like to highlight some of their themes that apply equally in Nottingham. I don’t necessarily agree with all of them, so I would welcome your thoughts.

Tuesday 17 December 2024, 10am to 12 noon
Online via Zoom

An online networking meeting for anyone with an interest in managing, supporting or leading volunteers.

Share your experience, give and receive advice, and network with people who understand volunteers and volunteering. This is a great opportunity for you to meet your fellow Leaders of Volunteers, to share good practice, ideas and celebrate your successes.

Please share your ideas for agenda items and topics for discussion with Dave Thomas, Volunteering Development Officer at Nottingham CVS, by emailing davet@nottinghamcvs.co.uk or calling 07564 040 767.

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, was one of seven government Green Social Prescribing Test and Learn sites.

While the National Test and Learn may have ended, NCVS continues to embed green social prescribing into health systems to make nature-based/outdoor activities an intervention of choice to support people to improve and maintain their mental and physical health and wellbeing.

Get ready for a fun run or walk that's way more than just exercise! Runspire is turning up the excitement with a treasure hunt theme and a special Spotify playlist made by young adults, just like you. The music will keep you pumped and having a blast. Get a link to add your own favourite tracks once you sign up!

What to expect:
Take an easy walk or a run, follow the clues, and find hidden surprises along the way! Live music will be blasting out of the speakers; no judgement if you want to throw a few moves on your way around. The Runspire team will be there to cheer you on. Finish up with hot chocolates, biscuits, and cakes. It's the perfect way to chill, meet new friends, and celebrate your success!

Sessions are for young people aged 13 to 19 years. Not sure if it's for you? come along to the taster session at Jubilee Park, Burton Road, Gedling, Nottingham NG4 2QF, on Saturday 11 January 2025, from 1pm to 2pm.

Four weekly sessions will then run every Saturday, from 1pm to 2pm, starting on Saturday 18 January 2025.

• Week 1: Saturday 18 January 2025 - Treasure hunt-themed run or walk.
  
  
• Week 2: Saturday 25 January 2025 - Run Bingo, find nine landmarks on a bingo card, and take selfies with them.
  
  
• Week 3: Saturday 1 February 2025 - Run to the Beat, moving to the music, with a playlist made by the young people themselves.
  
  
• Week 4: Saturday 8 February 2025 - Graduation: Celebrate your achievement with a surprise memento to take away!

To register, please visit the Runspire website, call 0115 9648255, or email hello@runspire-notts.com.

The latest GreenSpace bulletin is available to read.

You can view it in your web browser now. If you would like to receive future issues directly to your inbox, please email greenspace@nottinghamcvs.co.uk with a request to be added to the mailing list.

If you wish to share any events or stories happening in your organisation, or relating to green social prescribing or nature-based activities, please get in touch with the GreenSpace team. The deadline for submissions for the next bulletin is Monday 16 December 2024.

Thursday 16 January 2025
Five Leaves Bookshop, 14a Long Row, Swann's Yard, Nottingham NG1 2DH
Tickets to enter are £4.50

John Page, a long-term campaigner and co-author of 'Changemakers: Radical Strategies for Social Movement Organising', will be at Five Leaves Bookshop to discuss effective strategies for achieving change.

John offers a range of high-quality training materials, including sessions on 'Defeating Narratives of Division' and 'Transformative Conversations'. He can deliver a 90-minute session or a full afternoon of training. As part of the Ella Baker School of Organising, John recently provided training at the AGM of Oldham, Rochdale, and Thameside Action Together. Don't miss this opportunity to gain valuable insights and skills for social movement organising!

More event listings on our website

Head over to the dedicated 'External Events and Training' page on our website to view more events and training opportunities from Nottingham's Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise (VCSE) sector.

If you would like to submit an event to feature on this page, please fill in our online event submission form. Events will be approved for publication on the NCVS website at our discretion, taking into account our aims and mission.

Our full Training and Development programme is available to view on our website. All courses take place online via Zoom.

We have new sessions and new dates for 2024/2025. Book now.

Thursday 9 January 2025, 10.30am to 1pm

This online training will give you a basic understanding of the roles and responsibilities in safeguarding adults and how to respond to concerns.

Cost: £25 per participant

Thursday 9 January 2025, 10.30am to 1pm

This online training will give you a basic understanding of the roles and responsibilities in safeguarding children and young people and how to respond to concerns.

Cost: £25 per participant

Thursday 27 February 2025, 10.30am to 1pm

This online training will give you a basic understanding of the role and responsibilities of a Designated Safeguarding Lead Person for an organisation working with vulnerable children and young people.

Cost: £25 per participant

Thursday 13 February 2025, 6pm to 7.15pm

This online training explains your safeguarding responsibilities as a trustee for an organisation working with vulnerable adults or children and young people.

Cost: £15 per participant

Monday 3 March 2025, 6pm to 8pm

This online training covers the basic information that all trustees should know.

Cost: £20 per participant

Wednesday 5 February 2025, 10.30am to 12.30pm

This online training takes you through the basics of being a Fire Warden/Fire Marshal and will prepare you to carry out this very important role.

Cost: £20 per participant

Tuesday 25 February 2025, 10.30am to 12.30pm

Learn the basics of taking effective minutes in this online training – and make note taking easy.

Cost: £20 per participant

Tuesday 21 January 2025, 6pm to 8pm

This online training will teach you the basics of health and safety, and explain the process of carrying out a risk assessment in your organisation.

Cost: £20 per participant

Wednesday 12 March 2025, 10.30am to 12.30pm

This online training will refresh your knowledge as a trustee, update you on current issues, improve your personal skill set and help you develop your role for the benefit of your organisation.

Cost: £20 per participant

Wednesday 22 January 2025, 10am to 11am

Identify barriers to volunteering and develop ideas to minimise and remove them during this training, to ensure your organisation isn’t missing out on great volunteers.

Cost: £10 per participant

Wednesday 26 February 2025, 10am to 12 noon

This online training, previously called “How to be a Better Leader of Volunteers”, takes you beyond the basics of managing and supporting volunteers and will explore some of the real-life issues that you’re facing as a Leader of Volunteers.

Cost: £20 per participant

Wednesday 5 March 2025, 10am to 12 noon

This online training takes you beyond the basics of managing and supporting volunteers and will challenge you to consider the difference that volunteers make to your organisation.

Cost: £20 per participant

Thursday 30 January 2025, 10am to 12 noon

In any group of volunteers, there’ll be occasional disagreements, personality clashes and conflicts. Although these are hopefully rare events, this updated, online training will prepare you for when they occur.

Cost: £20 per participant

Thursday 23 January 2025, 10am to 11am

Start your journey into the exciting and rewarding world of volunteer leadership with this online training that explores the volunteer journey from start to finish.

Cost: £10 per participant

Wednesday 12 February 2025, 10am to 12 noon

Although the law has little to say about volunteers and volunteering, what it does say is important. This online training will help you develop an understanding of some of the legal requirements that relate to your volunteering programme.

Cost: £20 per participant

Wednesday 29 January 2025, 10am to 11am

Are your volunteer opportunities struggling to attract people, or people with the right interests and skills for your organisation? This online training will teach you how to enhance your volunteer role descriptions and make them stand out.

Cost: £10 per participant

The Practice Development Unit (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 severe and multiple disadvantage (SMD). This is understood as a combination of mental ill-health, substance misuse, homelessness, offending and domestic abuse, among other issues.

Contact our PDU Team if you need more information: pdu@nottinghamcvs.co.uk

Join our free online hub www.pdunottingham.org

Follow us on Twitter @NottinghamCVS #PDUNottingham.

Did you know the PDU Online Hub hosts a comprehensive e-learning suite? Check out this fortnight's PDU highlight below.

Thursday 19 December 2024, 1pm to 2.30pm
Online via Microsoft Teams

Led by Kavita Bhikha & Jess Renton, Clinical Lead Speech & Language Therapists in Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust. This session is designed to support knowledge, understanding and confidence around holding in mind possible communication differences amongst autistic adults.

Wednesday 15 January 2025, 10am to 12 noon
Online via Zoom

An online forum for professionals, volunteers and people with lived experience of severe and multiple disadvantage (SMD) who are passionate about employability, skills led recovery and resettlement, or new to this area and curious to learn more.

The theme for this session is 'Trauma-informed employability'

Wednesday 22 January 2025, 1pm to 2.30pm
Online via Microsoft Teams

Led by Allison Woodhead, Neurodiversity Clinical Lead, Offender Health Nottinghamshire Healthcare Foundation Trust. Ally will be speaking about the development of the neurodiversity pathway, working systemically to create a supportive, adjusted prison environment and the many improvements that have already been seen through high quality joined up thinking and working, between prisons and community providers/services.

Fearless Youth Association is excited to announce its Knife Crime Training Course, designed to equip individuals and communities with the knowledge and tools to address and prevent knife crime effectively. 

Why this training matters:

• Learn how to identify risk factors and intervene early
• Gain practical tools for fostering safer environments
• Empower others with education and awareness

The course will last eight hours and be held in-person at Unit 11, Clarendon Chambers, 32 Clarendon street, NG1 5LN.

For more information, please contact the team by email at info@fyaonline.com, or by phone at 07563 197748. 

Wednesday 15 January 2025, 9.30am to 12 noon
Online

This training session will equip you to support someone experiencing stalking that isn’t happening as part of domestic abuse. The session is for anyone who might have contact with someone experiencing it as part of their work.

The Equipped2Succeed programme, provided by Second Chance Learning Academy (SCLA), will be back in 2025!

Courses are aimed at individuals aged 16 and over who are not in employment and include Wellbeing and Employability, Parenting with Purpose, and Getting into Volunteering.

If you are a VCSE organisation in Nottingham City or a VCSE organisation recruiting to a job role which covers the Nottingham City area, you can submit a job advert for our website. Adverts remain on our website until the closing date. We feature new adverts once in the e-bulletin, where possible, depending on the volume of new adverts received.

There are lots more job listings on our website. You can view all the job vacancies available by clicking on the 'More Vacancies' button at the bottom of this section.

The Peer Coordinator's Forum, run by the Peer Partnership, is a free, online forum for organisations that are involved in delivering or considering starting up peer support programmes. It is an opportunity to meet with others running peer support services, hear updates relevant to peer support, share best practices, discover opportunities for the development of peer mentoring and partnership working, and see what information and resources may be available to help us in our roles.

The forum meets four times a year and offers opportunities for you to network, highlight the important work you are doing, and learn from your peers.

Visit their Eventbrite page to see the dates available for attending; forums will be held in February, May, September, and November 2025.

If you have any questions, please contact the team at info@peerpartnership.org or call them at 0117 955 5038.

The deadline for nominations is Wednesday 26 February 2025

The Charity Awards is Civil Society Media’s annual awards programme that identifies, recognises, and rewards organisations doing exceptional work in all areas of charitable activity.

Now in its 25th year, the Charity Awards continues to recognise innovative charitable organisations—regardless of their size, location, or cause—that exemplify best practices and deliver sustainable benefits to communities and society.

'Celebrating your stories' is the theme for the 2025 Awards, which is sponsored by their overall awards partner, CCLA.

Awards are given out in 10 categories, and an overall winner is chosen from the winners in each category.

Shortlisted organisations will be invited as guests to attend the gala presentation ceremony on Thursday 3 July 2025 in London.

The deadline for submissions is Wednesday 18 December 2024

As part of the new Procurement Strategy for Nottingham City Council they are conducting this survey to gather your views before the final version is made available.

The data gathered will be used solely for the purpose of being incorporated into the final strategy.

You can read a pdf of the draft strategy here.

General VCSE sector resources

• Forces for good: Vision for a new partnership - Leading charity CEOs have published a series of essays calling for a fundamental reset in how charities work with government and business to tackle urgent social challenges.
  
  
• Local insight map - Coalfields Regeneration Trust has created this interactive data map that let's you see how prevalent certain issues are across the UK. Click the data button down the left panel to filter issues.
  
  
• How to prepare for winter: guidance for VCSE organisations - NAVCA has partnered with Ladbrook Insurance to provide this helpful guide to see your charity through England's unpredictable winter.

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