NCVS e-bulletin - Thursday 15 May 2025

Welcome to this edition of the NCVS e-bulletin - your perfect excuse to put the kettle on and skip that email you’ve been putting off!

We were out of the office last week, enjoying a brilliant Birthday Bimble to celebrate our anniversary. It’s also Mental Health Awareness Week and Learning at Work Week, and we've got plenty to offer for both. Free training, anyone?

In this e-bulletin, you’ll find:

• Watch the highlights from our Birthday Bimble
• Updates to our Big Green Book
• A deep dive into quality standards and partnership working
• Have your say in two new surveys
• Loads of new funding and training opportunities

...and so much more. Happy reading!

Monday 12 to Sunday 18 May is Mental Health Awareness Week, and this year’s theme is all about the power of community in supporting our mental wellbeing.

When we feel connected to others – whether that’s through friendships, shared spaces, local groups or acts of kindness – it can make a huge difference to how we feel. Being part of a community helps us feel valued, supported, and less alone, especially during tough times.

We saw this in action during our recent Birthday Bimble (more on that below!). It was more than just a gentle walk – it was a chance for people to come together, share stories, enjoy some fresh air, and simply be part of something.

Good mental health isn’t about being happy all the time. It’s about knowing we’re not alone, and that we can turn to others when we need to. Community can be a lifeline.

Want to explore more about how community supports mental health? Click the button below for ideas and inspiration.

Or, if you're looking for some extra support, the Hub of Hope is the UK’s largest and most comprehensive mental health support directory. It is provided by the national mental health charity, Chasing the Stigma, and brings local, national, peer, community, charity, private and NHS mental health support and services together in one place.

Thursday 12 June 2025, 10am to 12 noon
Online via Zoom

We've got a full agenda for this quarter's meeting so come along to discuss current work, develop wider partnerships and hear from our guest speakers. 

Please register to ensure you receive the Zoom meeting link. If you have any questions about this event, please contact ncvs@nottinghamcvs.co.uk.

Welcome to the new Team Talk centre, your one-stop shop for all things tips, tricks, and resources. Here you'll find the latest from the team at NCVS.

There are plenty more blogs, think pieces and helpful resources on our website. 

Discover how a small running group in Bulwell grew into Runspire Nottingham, a full-time, city-wide organisation supporting community wellbeing through walking, running and volunteering. From co-producing youth programmes to training walk leaders, Runspire’s journey is a real NCVS150 highlight!

Want to share your story? Visit our website to find out how!

The deadline for applications is Sunday 15 June 2025

Funding is available for local projects that build community unity and tackle hate in Nottingham.

Grants are from MHCLG, via Nottingham City Council, in response to 2024 unrest and rising racism and Islamophobia.

Funding aims:

• Reduce hate incidents
• Build trust and understanding between communities

Grant sizes:

• Up to £1,500 – one-off events
• Up to £7,500 – longer programmes (e.g. training, volunteering)

There is a rolling deadline for applications, the next deadline is Tuesday 1 July 2025

Active Lives make grants of between £5,000 and £30,000 to be spread over one to three years. Organisations must be based in the top 40% of areas of deprivation (Indices of Multiple Deprivation deciles 1-4), with those working in the top 10% most deprived areas (IMD decile 1) as the highest priority.

Funding can be used to cover capital, project, or core funding. Applications must:

• Focus on grassroot involvement rather than elite participation in physical activity
• Focus on skills development and confidence building for individuals
• Incorporate effective strategies for wider impact, perhaps through training, partnerships, and/or dissemination activities
• Demonstrate a high degree of beneficiary involvement across the organisation and those with lived experience 
• Enable life-enhancing opportunities for individuals living with disabilities and/or living in the most deprived areas in the UK

The deadline for applications is Friday 25 July 2025

Open Programme grants are usually between £10,000 and £30,000 per year and are awarded for one to three years. Insofar as possible, they provide unrestricted funding.

Groups can apply for four separate funding streams:

• The Human Rights Framework
• Access to Justice
• The Criminal Legal System and Penal Reform
• Migrants and Refugees

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

Wednesday 4 June 2005, 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.

Please register to ensure you're sent instructions about how to join the meeting on Zoom.

If you have any questions about the LoVN or this meeting, please contact Dave Thomas, Volunteering Development Officer at Nottingham CVS, by emailing davet@nottinghamcvs.co.uk.

Thursday 5 June 2025, 10am to 1pm
In-person at the Dryden Enterprise Centre, Dryden Street, NG1 4FQ

As part of Volunteers’ Week and NCVS’s 150th anniversary, we’re running our first in-person training for Leaders of Volunteers in over five years – and it’s completely free.

Join us for a practical session tackling one of the sector’s biggest challenges: recruiting volunteers. We’ll explore fresh thinking, share real examples, and work together on solutions that reflect how people want to volunteer today.

Led by Dave Thomas, NCVS Volunteering Development Officer, the session will cover:

• Trends in volunteering
• Recruitment challenges
• Creative strategies and tools
• Action planning

Expect lively discussion, new ideas – and the return of the famous NCVS biscuit tin.

Spaces are limited and this workshop won’t be recorded, so book now to avoid missing out.

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.

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.

Tuesday 20 May 2025,1pm to 2.30pm
Delivered as a webinar via Teams

Join Nada Kankova, Social Worker from the Street Outreach Team at Framework, for an important session on the challenges neurodivergent people face when experiencing homelessness. We’ll explore the specific barriers these individuals encounter in rough sleeping, using council housing services, staying in temporary accommodation, and living in hostels. You’ll also receive practical advice on how workers and services can better support them.

This session is part of the Understanding Neurodivergence and Multiple Disadvantage learning series and is open to anyone working with people impacted by trauma, homelessness, or mental health challenges.

Thursday 22 May 2025, 10.30am to 12 noon
Delivered as a webinar via Teams

Join Carolin Hess, Research Fellow from the University of Nottingham, for an important session on the rising issue of homelessness among women in England. Women now make up over 60% of the population in temporary accommodation, and many face compounded challenges due to their experiences of violence and abuse. This session will explore how these traumatic experiences impact women’s ability to access support services and find stable housing. We’ll also discuss the gaps in current policies and services, despite new laws like the Domestic Abuse Act 2021, and consider ways to improve support for these women.

This session is part of our SMD Learning Series, and is open to anyone interested in understanding the complexities of women’s homelessness and how to better support them.

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 2025/2026. Book now.

Here’s what’s on offer:

• Core training – Now free*!
  Expert-led sessions covering essential skills for your organisation. You've said, we've listened, introducing brand new training to support your funding needs.
  
  
• Meet the... Series
  Join us for this new series where sector leaders share insights on the topics that matter most to Nottingham’s voluntary sector.
  
  
• PDU Training
  Supporting those working with people experiencing Severe and Multiple Disadvantage (SMD) with specialist insights and practical approaches.
  
  
• Social Enterprise Accelerator Programme (with NTU)
  Providing hands-on support for those starting or growing a social enterprise.

Check out upcoming sessions and book your place today!

* Please be aware of our Terms and Conditions and Cancellation Policy.

Monday 19 May 2025, 6pm to 8pm
Online via Zoom

Join us for a helpful trustee session with David Saunders. If you’re already a trustee or board member, this training will give you a useful update on what’s happening in the charity world. You’ll learn how to deal with common challenges, make your board stronger, plan ahead, find funding, and use social media in a simple and smart way.

Wednesday 28 May 2025, 10am to 12 noon
Online via Zoom

Join us for a practical session with Dave Thomas, designed for people who lead volunteers and want to build on what they already know. You’ll talk about real-life issues you face in your role, share ideas with others, and get support. Topics might include training volunteers, working with online or remote teams, and creating flexible volunteer roles. The session is shaped by you, so bring your questions and challenges.

Tuesday 3 June 2025, 10am to 12 noon
Online via Zoom

Join David Saunders to learn the basics of taking clear, effective minutes. Whether you're new to minute-taking or looking to improve, this session will make the process easier and more straightforward. You’ll learn how to capture the right information, work well with the chairperson, and create minutes that truly reflect your organisation’s work.

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.

Friday 13 June 2025, 4pm to 8pm
33a Hungerhill Road, NG3 4NB
Suggested donation of £8

 Refugee Forum are marking the start of Refugee Week (and their 25th anniversary) by hosting a Big Event. Join the team for a fun evening of stalls, activities, music and a BBQ! Turn up on the day or book your ticket now.

Friday 27 June 2025, 12.10pm to 1pm
Bilborough College, College Way, NG8 4DQ

2025's Charity Marketplace provides a fantastic opportunity for organisations to showcase their work to the students at Bilborough College, offer support and advice, and recruit student volunteers.

If you're interested in attending this year's fair and would like to book a table or stall, please complete this form.

If you have any further questions or queries, feel free to email Daniel at daniel.cowlishaw@bilborough.ac.uk or call 0115 851 ext. 5020.

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.

Wednesday 28 May 2025, 9.30am to 12 noon
St George's and LOCO Centre, 91 Victoria Road, NG24 2N

This is an opportunity to learn more about the Community Point scheme and, for Primary Community Points, to learn how to conduct an initial assessment with your service users to enable them to access the victim service efficiently. If you are signing up as a Secondary Community Point only, you will only need to stay for the first hour.

To book on to the training please email the team at support@nottsvictimcare.org.

Civil Society Consulting CIC is offering free support to grassroots organisations and CICs through Nurturing Grassroots, a three-year programme funded by the National Lottery Community Fund.

Groups in the East, North East, North West and Midlands can get one-to-one advice, expert-led workshops, and leadership and wellbeing coaching. The support covers things like fundraising, governance, communications, and measuring impact.

120 organisations will take part over four cohorts—don’t miss your chance to get involved!

Visit the link below or email nurturinggrassroots@civilsocietyconsulting.co.uk to find out more and get involved.

The Toy Library has a selection of safeguarding training sessions available; all courses are quality assured either by the Nottingham City Safeguarding Children Board (NCSCB) or by the Nottingham City Safeguarding Adult Board (NCSAB).

If you have any questions about safeguarding training, please email admin@toy-library.co.uk.

Did you know 49% of adults have the numeracy skills of a primary school child? It’s holding people back from managing money and progressing their careers.

National Numeracy trains Numeracy Champions to support others to get more confident with numbers. Numeracy Champions don’t teach maths – instead, they are given the tools and resources to support other adults to feel more positively about numbers and get on in life.

Places on National Numeracy’s CPD-accredited Numeracy Champion training programme are available fully funded by Experian for Nottingham organisations.

The training is delivered online in two x two hour sessions. There are programmes taking place on:

• Tuesday 3 and 10 June 2025, 1.30pm to 3.30pm
• Monday 7 and 14 July 2025, 1.30pm to 3.30pm
• Wednesday 6 and 13 August 2025, 9.30am to 11.30am

If you have any questions, please email Tamsin (Relationship Manager) at tamsin@nationalnumeracy.org.uk.

Get your application in before Friday 23 May 2025

Design For All are a team of built environment professionals, including architects, structural engineers, planning consultants, quantity surveyors, project managers and mechanical and electrical engineers. Every year we like to do some pro bono work through the Design For All support programme.

They are looking to support two to four small charities each year with brief development, site studies, space and layout analysis, planning advice, cost advice, structure analysis, sketch designs, massing studies, environmental analysis, construction method advice and programme (timescales) advice.

Collaboratory has launched the next stage of its exciting work – the co-creation cycle for 2025/26 PhD and Placement research projects. Community organisations and local experts are being invited to help shape new research ideas that bring universities and communities together.

This part of the programme is very important. It brings together local groups and Nottingham researchers to design projects that look at real challenges facing people in Nottingham and Nottinghamshire.

The aim is to make sure research is shaped by the people who know the issues best – those with real-life experience. Collaboratory wants to support research that listens to communities, works with them, and leads to changes that really make a difference.

Nottingham City Council’s Public Health team is working with Advice Nottingham to better understand what people in the city need when they’re struggling with money.

They want to hear from you—whether you’re a local resident, or someone who gives money advice or support (formally or informally). Your views will help them make sure the right help is available in the future.

You can share your thoughts by chatting with the team or filling out a short survey. 

If you would like to speak to the team directly, please contact bryany.cornish@nottinghamcity.gov.uk or your Public Health Practitioner

Have your say by Friday 4 July 2025

Now in its 34th year, the survey provides essential benchmarking information and analysis of key charity retail trends and performance figures. Participants in this year’s survey will be entered into a prize draw to win a £100 John Lewis voucher.

To take part in the 2025 survey, please download the questionnaire (it will open as an Excel spreadsheet) and return your completed questionnaire to shopssurvey@civilsociety.co.uk.

General VCSE sector resources

• Charity Commission research into trusteeship and the trustee population - The Charity Commission for England and Wales has been working with Pro Bono Economics (PBE), to conduct a new national survey of charity trustees.
  
  
• Time for Good Volunteering Report - This report tries to pull together some of the threads and trends for the current demographic profile of volunteers, as well as analysing recent initiatives, and setting out some hallmarks of good practice for individual charities. You will need to provide your name and email address to access the report.
  
  
• Cyber security breaches survey 2025 - The study explores the policies, processes and approach to cyber security, for businesses, charities and educational institutions. 

The Nottingham Community and Voluntary Service (NCVS) e-bulletin will be back in a fortnight. The deadline for contributions and comments is Monday 26 May 2025. Email communications@nottinghamcvs.co.uk

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

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