NCVS e-bulletin - Friday 10 January 2025

The Nottingham Community and Voluntary Service (NCVS) e-bulletin will be back in a fortnight. The deadline for contributions and comments is Monday 20 January 2025. Email communications@nottinghamcvs.co.uk

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

Thursday 6 March 2025, 10.30am to 11.30am
Online via Zoom

Join us on Zoom for an exclusive opportunity to meet Gary Beharrell, Regional Manager at Lloyds Bank Foundation, and gain insights into their latest funding programmes.

This session will guide you through the application process, answer your questions, and help you determine if your charity or organisation could benefit. With a focus on supporting small, local charities tackling complex issues, the Foundation offers unrestricted funding, development support, and initiatives to strengthen communities.

Don’t miss your chance to be among the first to hear about their new themed programmes and upcoming strategy changes for 2025.

Please register to ensure you are sent instructions about how to join the session on Zoom.

If you have any questions about this event, please email ncvs@nottinghamcvs.co.uk.

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

Do you thrive on variety, want to experience how a busy charity operates, and value staying organised? This role could be your perfect fit!

You'll be:

• Keeping our work and systems running smoothly by helping our Operations Manager with our contact database.
  
  
• Supporting 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.

Made a New Year’s resolution to take the next step in your career, make a difference, or try something new? Join our team and tick that resolution off your list!

I am really pleased to announce that in December this year NCVS will have been in existence for 150 years! A remarkable achievement by any standard.

Starting out life in December 1875 as the Nottingham Society for Organising Charity, the organisation has evolved and adapted to the changing needs of Nottingham over the many years, achieving notable milestones along the way. Forty-five years ago we hosted Nottingham's first Volunteer Centre and have recently maintained our nationally recognised accreditation. In 1998 Nottingham Council for Voluntary Service became a formally incorporated charitable company, and in the same year moved into the Voluntary Action Centre on Mansfield Road, where we remained for over 20 years. In 2009 we changed our name to the current Nottingham Community and Voluntary Service (NCVS) to better reflect current times. 

Many of you will have been along with us on various parts of this journey, and I welcome you to share your 'NCVS' story that can be featured throughout the year (more on how to do this in our next e-bulletin). Also get in touch if you are a former trustee, volunteer, or colleague so we can invite you to a celebration later in the year.

We will be hosting a series of online and in-person events that you can get involved in. All will be detailed and announced on our website and this new section of our e-bulletin, so do keep an eye out.

I am just about to celebrate my 11th NCVS anniversary, and I couldn't be more proud to be anywhere but here. Working alongside my wonderful colleagues and our amazing trustees and volunteers in the service of Nottingham's dynamic and vibrant voluntary sector has given me not just a job but a vocation.

And speaking of jobs, you still have some time left to apply to become NCVS Central Administrator; more information and apply here. If you have any questions or just want to have a chat, get in touch with juless@nottinghamcvs.co.uk.

National counselling charity Relate has been bought out of administration by national family support charity Family Action. The purchase has saved the jobs of 185 Relate employees, who all transferred into Family Action on Wednesday 1 January 2025.

Relate will continue to trade under its own branding, and the federated network of local counselling services it supports—the Relate Federation—remains separate and financially independent from the entity acquired by Family Action. 

The Nottingham branch of Relate can be found here.

The deadline for applications is Friday 31 January 2025

Grants of between £2,000 and £10,000 are available for grassroots charities registered in the UK that are active in their communities and currently delivering services to the young, vulnerable, elderly, disadvantaged, or the general community.

Funding can be used to cover core costs (including supporting salaries), projects, essential equipment, or building projects. If your application is successful, the pledged grant offer is only valid for 12 months. Please note that the Foundation does not fund feasibility studies.

The deadline for applications is Friday 24 January 2025, 5pm

​​Grants of up to £50,000 are available for one year for BME infrastructure organisations within these five regions. The fund will support core costs only for infrastructure/capacity-building services. We will only fund organisations to deliver infrastructure services, and we will expect applicants to have a track record of building capacity with BME frontline organisations.

The deadline for applications is Sunday 2 February 2025, 11.59pm

The government has announced that further UKSPF funding will be made available to Mayoral and Local Authorities for the 2025-2026 financial year.

Through an open call process, organisations are invited to apply for grant funding to deliver projects that provide:

• Employment support for economically inactive individuals
• Support for local businesses

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

Tuesday 18 February 2025, 11am to 1pm
Middle Street Resource Centre, 74 Middle Street, Beeston, NG9 2AR

We are taking LoVN to Beeston, in partnership with NCVS Group Development Coordinator - Broxtowe, Helen Oparinde.

The meeting is kindly being hosted by Middle Street Resource Centre in Beeston to provide groups in Nottingham City and Broxtowe the opportunity to come together, connect, and network.

Middle Street Resource Centre is just opposite the Middle Street Tram Stop, which also has a bus stop right outside.

This meeting will be co-facilitated by NCVS team members, Dave Thomas (Volunteering Development Officer) and Helen Oparinde (Group Support Coordinator - Broxtowe). Come along to meet your fellow Leaders of Volunteers in person, share good practice and ideas, and celebrate your successes. Tea, coffee, and biscuits will be provided.

Please share your ideas for agenda items and topics for discussion with Dave by emailing davet@nottinghamcvs.co.uk or calling 07564 040 767.

Places are limited, and it's important that you book your place. So if you'd like to attend, please register now. Full details and venue information will be shared with registered attendees in advance of the meeting.

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.

It's January, the time for new starts and new year's resolutions to improve our lives, health and wellbeing. One simple thing that you can do is to spend time amongst nature and in green spaces, so make 2025 the year you get outside! Wrap up warm and take a walk or wheel to get your daily dose of Vitamin G - even just a few minutes can make a difference to your mood and increase feelings of wellbeing!

The deadline for content for the next GreenSpace bulletin is Wednesday 22 January 2025. Please let us know about the nature-based activities you are planning. Email greenspace@nottinghamcvs.co.uk.

If you have colleagues and contacts who would like to receive future bulletins, please encourage them to email greenspace@nottinghamcvs.co.uk with a request to subscribe to this mailing list.

Thursday 6 March 2025, 12 noon to 2pm
29 Rutland Street, Leicester, LE1 1RE

Hosted by the Mindera UK Foundation, in partnership with Pilotlight.

This event offers an exciting opportunity to explore how AI can transform fundraising for charities in today’s complex and competitive sector. You’ll learn practical ways to incorporate AI tools into your fundraising efforts, improve donor relationships, and streamline communication. You’ll also explore the ethical and security considerations of integrating AI into your charity’s operations. By the end of the session, you’ll have actionable insights and a better understanding of how to leverage AI to increase your charity’s impact and drive efficiency, all while staying aligned with your mission

Wednesday 22 January 2025, 1pm to 3pm
Westdale Lane Community Centre, Mapperley, NG3 6ES

You are invited to Arrow Health and Synergy Health PCNs Social Prescribing  joint Winter Wellbeing Festival.

Come and meet the teams for advice around fuel costs, finances, mental wellbeing, and enjoy a free lunch!

• Free Soup and muffins
• Cost of living advice and support
• Mental Health Support
• Smoothie bike / healthy eating advice
• Notts Fire and Rescue team
• Dice & Balls Circus Act 
• Music
• Other freebies

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 20 February 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

Tuesday 21 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

Tuesday 25 March 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

Tuesday 4 March 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

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.

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.

Wednesday 19 February 2025, 2pm to 3.15pm
Online via Teams

Rescheduled from Tuesday 3 December 2024. This session will be a discussion of the impact of the SMD specialist practitioner roles on the local system after one year, drawing on insights from a recent evaluation report produced by the Changing Futures Learning and Evaluation team. There will be opportunities to ask questions at the end via an interactive Q&A.

Thursday 27 February 2025, 3pm to 4pm
Online via Teams

This session will discuss existing research to address: How do people who use substances experience accessing and living in homeless hostels? We will discuss themes such as living in fear, the power of human connection, the need for emotional safety, and the use of restrictive practices.

Tuesday 25 March 2025, 10am to 3pm
The Studio, Broadway Cinema, NG1 3AL

This full-day interactive workshop is delivered in person. It will help you to acquire skills, knowledge and strategies to use in your workplace and everyday life to have sensitive conversations around grief and offer effective support, both to people working in your organisation and those accessing your services.

Equation has added new training dates for those supporting domestic abuse and sexual violence survivors in Nottingham City and the wider County. Please make sure to double check your area is eligible for the training you wish to participate in.

Upcoming training includes:

• How perpetrators of domestic abuse use technology
• Technological and economic abuse: 'One of the greatest forms of control'
• Understanding and responding to domestic violence and abuse

Wednesday 22 January 2025, 11am to 12.30pm
Online via Microsoft Teams

Learn about Turn2Us's newly developed tool, the PIP Helper Online Showcase, which supports individuals throughout the PIP process while prioritising their well-being. Attendees will have the chance to hear from collaborative partners, as well as discover how the tool can aid advisers by providing all necessary information in one place, enabling them to support clients at any stage of their PIP application.

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.

Sunday 9 March 2025
Nottingham City Centre

Jane Tomlinson’s Run For All brings the Nottingham 10K back for 2025.

Runners are invited to fundraise for a cause close to their heart, chase a personal best, or take on a brand-new challenge. Regardless of goal or reason for taking part, event organisers are committed to facilitating a way for runners of all types to take part.

The Nottingham 10K once again hopes to generate a tremendous boost for a number of deserving local and national charities.

Thursday 23 January 2025, 5.30pm onwards
Newton Building, Lecture Theatre 4, Goldsmith Street, NG1 4BU

Nottingham Trent University (NTU) is tackling some of the biggest health challenges in society—dementia, cancer, diabetes, obesity, and infections. But they can’t do it alone.

Through their LEAP (Learn, Engage and Analyse with the Public) initiative, they want to hear your thoughts and ideas to guide their research and create real solutions.

• Talk with researchers about the latest projects.
• Share your ideas to help shape research that makes a difference.
• Get involved to ensure our work is clear and accessible to everyone.

The deadline for submissions is Friday 31 January, 11.59pm

The Charity Commission for England and Wales is seeking information from the UK’s voluntary sector and wider civil society to help them identify and understand potential vulnerabilities, trends, and threats in respect of the risk of terrorist financing abuse.

Non-profit organisations (NPOs), which make up the sector, are an integral part of our society. They do vital and important work, and they want to help them do this safely.

As there is no single regulator in the UK for the entire NPO sector, the Commission is leading this work, as it did in 2016-2017, with support from other UK regulators. 

They are keen to receive responses from all NPOs regardless of whether or not they are charities and wherever they operate in the UK.

General VCSE sector resources

• Charity Resilience Index - Between May and June 2024 Charities Aid Foundation surveyed 784 charity leaders, read the findings here.
  
  
• The Fundraisers Guide to Re-engaging Lapsed donors - Bloomerang has compiled this handy guide to bringing back those donors. Looking at why donors walk away and how you can bring them back.

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