August 2009 E-News

Welcome to the latest E-Newsletter from Voluntary Action Waltham Forest.
Here's what we have on offer:

VAWF News
Local News
LINk News
Fundraising News
Network News
Members News
National News
Training

Revised membership criteria

Voluntary Action has reviewed its membership criteria that will come into operation from September 2009, there will be 3 levels of membership:

• Standard Membership
• Advanced Membership
• Advanced Plus Membership

For Standard Membership, all organisations need to do is sign a simple form which includes an equal opportunities statement, lett us have their governing document such as constitution and pay any applicable fee (only applies to organisations with an annual income of £10k or more). Advanced members must have in place more robust systems; policies and procedures whilst Advanced Plus must be accredited organisations either through Ofsted, IIP. P'qasso, etc

It is one of our fundamental aims to support groups in their journey in becoming Advanced or Advanced Plus member organisations. If you would like to become a member, please contact sangita@voluntaryaction-wf.org.uk.

Existing members will soon be written to with full details in the changes to the membership criteria.

There are a range of benefits for member organisations so, don't miss out!. Statutory and private bodies can only be associate members which means they do not have voting rights.

We need your success stories...

As part of our annual report for activities in 2008-09 we would like to include some members stories. Would you like to feature your group's activities or a project that you have been able to offer to your beneficiaries with funds raised with our help?

Contact us if you would like someone to call you to obtain details, or send your stories and images to cris@voluntaryaction-wf.org.uk or call the office on 020 8521 0377 and leave a message for Cris who will call you back.

Last chance to participate in Waltham Forest's Culture Strategy

LBWF has been running this consultation all summer, and your group may have already been contacted and submitted it's comments.

If you have not and would like to have a look at the draft strategy, please email cris@voluntaryaction-wf.org.uk ASAP as we will be passing all the comments can to the council Friday 21st August.

IROKO Theatre

The award winning Iroko Theatre Company is staging its London African Story Fun Day at the Vestry Museum.  Funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund.  The project is part of HLF 15th Anniversary and the Story of London Celebrations.

Wednesday 26th August 2009
Vestry House Museum,
Vestry Road
Walthamstow,
London, E17 9NH
1.00pm to 4.00 pm

Traditional African music and movement workshop, IROKO interactive Storytelling Performance incorporating Music and dance Exhibition

For more Information contact:  info@irokotheatre.org.uk

Schools in Partnership - Free Conference

A FREE half day partnership conference for the supplementary and mainstream schools of Enfield and Waltham Forest is being organised in partnership with the London Borough of Enfield and the London Borough Waltham Forest.

This event will be held on 5th November 2009 where you will be able to find out about how partnership building can help you to address attainment levels, ask questions, and learn about funding opportunities.  This can also guide you towards fulfilling the Duty of Schools to Promote Community Cohesion (DCSF, 2007), inspected by Ofsted from September 2008.

This event will be attended by policy makers, local authority members, funding bodies and teachers.  It will be held at Tottenham Hotspurs on 5th November from 9.30 – 12.30pm. Please see attached document with details of the event, a schedule of agenda items, workshop details and the booking form.

Please call Jo Ikhelef on 0208 373 6357 if you have further questions. 

WF LINk Elections

The WF LINk Election process will be in full swing on October this year. If you would like to know more, please call Louise Mitchell on 020 8521 0377, or you can attend one of the information sessions through September to be held around the borough.

Check the website for full details: www.wflink.org.uk

We have collected together news on fundraising and grants, so for the latest information, please check our website.

Please contact us on 020 8521 0377 if you need help with your applications.

Grassroots Grants

The grants are part of the Grassroots Grants programme which O-Regen is managing in Waltham Forest. These grants are for community groups with a turnover of up to £30k.

• Group must have a turnover of less than £20k on average over the past three years.
• Application forms and further details available below
• Closing date for this round 18th September 2009 at 5:00pm

For Application Pack please follow link to: www.o-regen.co.uk/grantforms.asp

The Hardship Fund

The Hardship Fund offers grants between £50,000 and £250,000 to third sector organisations that are suffering financial hardship that is impacting on their ability to deliver front line services in health and social care, housing support, education and training and advice, information and guidance.

To apply, organisations must have a turnover of £200,000 a year or more, see below for more details.

Contact details: The Hardship Fund will be administered by the Community Development Foundation (CDF). More information about how to apply and the guidance notes for applicants can be found on the CDF website via the link below or by calling 0113 246 1561.

The Hardship Fund is currently open for applications, Grants will be paid from October 2009 and need to be spent by September 2010. 

more information

Young Offenders Programme - New
Improving Life Choice and Chances for Young Offenders

The Lloyds TSB Foundation Young Offenders Programme will provide £1 million funding to charities which are improving the life choices and chances of young offenders in England and Wales.

The Programme is open to registered charities with a proven track record of working with young offenders in areas including:

* accommodation
* skills training
* employment mentoring
* drugs and alcohol
* mental health
* restorative justice
* family support and relationships

Grants will be available for new and innovative work, as well as those extending a proven model of successful work or enabling the development of joined up projects. Deadline for submitting applications is 25th September.

full details

SAVE THE DATE - CY&P Forum September 29th

You are invited to an open forum on 29th September from 6pm – 9.pm at the
Forest YMCA Function Hall, Forest Road, E 17 This Forum will about issues for young people on this occasion and will include presentations from;

• The Drug Action Team
• Teenage Pregnancy Team
• A Workshop on the Children & Young People’s Plan
• Items on The new Youth Engagement Strategy and the new Vetting & Barring scheme.

more information

Carefree Kids Annual Conference

Saturday 5th September 2009
9.30am for 10am – 4pm at the Welcome Centre, Church End, Walthamstow E17 9RJ

Speakers
Sue Palmer
Author of ‘Toxic Childhood’, ‘Detoxifying Childhood’ and ‘21st Century Boys’
‘Why children need real play, not junk play’

Tim Gill
Local writer & consultant on children’s play & free time & the changing nature of childhood
‘No Fear: ‘Growing up in a risk-averse society’

Chris Dodd
Churches Network for Non-Violence, representing the ‘Children are Unbeatable! Alliance’
‘Growing up without violence: Ending legalised violence against children’

Admission
£20 fully-highly-waged / £5 low-waged / free unwaged and CFK volunteers
Please book in advance if you can, so that we can plan. Otherwise just turn up on the day
(but crèche must be booked in advance).

full details

Forest YMCA - Summer 2009 Programme

A range of FUN FILLED activities for young people between the ages of 13-21 to keep them entertained and learning new SKILLS during the 6 weeks holiday

Read more

New Minibus Driving School

Waltham Forest Community Transport has set up its own community driving school to combat a shortage of qualified minibus drivers for local groups.

More on minibus driving school

Family Learning Festival 2009

Can you help families get together and discover more? If so, the Campaign for Learning is inviting you to take part in this year’s national Family Learning Festival. The Festival, which takes place from 17 – 31 October is dedicated to offering families different and exciting activities that inspire learning all year round.

Futurebuilders cuts interest rates
Third Sector Online, 12 August 2009

Government-backed social lender Futurebuilders England has cut its interest rates for third sector organisations looking for immediate investment.
Click here to find out more!

The new rates will be available for borrowers from all Futurebuilders funds and the Social Enterprise Investment Fund.

Futurebuilders will offer either a floating interest rate of two percentage points higher than the Bank of England base rate, an interest-free loan for two years, or a fixed interest rate of 2 per cent for five years, rising to 6 per cent thereafter.

The new rates cover investments agreed by 30 November 2009. Funds must be drawn down by 31 March 2010.

"In hard times, Futurebuilders is doing its very best to help third sector organisations access affordable capital," said Sue Peters, managing director of investments at Futurebuilders. "We're seeing historic lows in UK interest rates and this is our response to the current economic climate."

Children in Need hands out second round of grants

By John Plummer, Third Sector Online, 4 August 2009

BBC Children in Need has awarded grants worth more than £12m to 333 projects across the UK, it announced yesterday.

The grants, which are for initiatives that help disadvantaged children and young people, were made possible by the charity's November 2008 appeal, which has so far generated more than £37m.
This is the second of three funding rounds from the 2008 appeal. The winners of the third round will be announced in October.

Big Lottery Fund defends itself against claims that it does not do enough for the poor

By Kaye Wiggins, Third Sector Online, 3 August 2009

Report by think tank Theos has led to 'inaccurate and ill-informed' press coverage, says Peter Wanless

A row has broken out between the Big Lottery Fund and think tank Theos over claims that National Lottery funds are not being distributed effectively enough.
Click here to find out more!

The National Lottery: Is It Progressive? a report published last week by the think tank, said "the good cause funding created by lottery play is disproportionately drawn from the less affluent, yet it is not spent for their benefit".

But in a strongly-worded letter to Paul Bickley, the senior researcher at Theos who wrote the report, BLF chief executive Peter Wanless said it contained incorrect data and misrepresented the grants awarded by the BLF. He said this had led to "inaccurate and ill-informed" press coverage.

full story

VAWF Training:
Financial Planning in Voluntary Sector Organisations

26th August 2009, 10 am to 3.pm
Venue Prior Court Community Centre
South Countess Road
London
E17 5NB

The course will look at setting Budgets, Preparing Cash flow Statements and comparing Actuals with Budgets And understanding & interpreting variances from Budget.

Criteria The course will be of use to Treasurers and Committee members and Finance staff
Basic understanding of accounts is useful but not essential

The course will be of use to Treasurers and Committee members Ability to Use Excel spreadsheet is essential.
Basic understanding of accounts is useful but not essential

Local Safeguarding Children Board Training
LSCB First Friday Seminars are taking place in September, October, November 2009.

Friday 4th September
Faith Communities and Safeguarding Children & Young People

Friday 2nd October
Managing Allegations Against Professionals

Friday 6th November
Child Death Overview Panel

If you are interested in attending, please contact Eartha Eloi on safeguardingboardtraining@walthamforest.gov.uk

Further details of all LSCB training can be found on www.walthamforest.gov.uk/lscb.

London Community Sports Network Training

If you work with the community, using sport as a social intervention, here are training courses to change the way you think... and work...

1. Certificate in Community Sports Work
2. Certificate in Managing Community Sports
3. Fundraising for community sports projects
4. Planning and assessing community sports projects

ELOP - East London’s Lesbian and Gay Centre
Professional Training and Development Programme
August—October 2009

Download programme here

LGB Awareness Training £95
Friday 4th September 9am-2pm

LGB Youth Awareness Training £95
Friday 21st August 9am-2pm
Friday 18th September 9am-2pm

Homophobia Awareness £115
Wednesday 19th August 9am-4.30pm
Monday 19th October 9am-4.30pm

Make Your Service Lesbian and Gay Friendly £115
Wednesday 23rd September 9am-4.30pm

020 8509 3898 
Email:   info@elop.org