January 2010 e-bulletin

Quality Standards - Why do you need them and how can you achieve them?

The CMS / Quality Standards Seminar on Friday morning, 29 January at The Limes, E17. It’s free, and a must for any voluntary sector organisation in Waltham Forest wanting to convince funders that it’s serious about meeting minimum standards, and improving the quality of its services to beneficiaries and customers. See our training section below for details.

NEW - Meeting Room for Hire

Central Location. Reduced rates for Voluntary Sector. For more details please click here.

Organisational support for voluntary sector extended.

VAWF's contract with Waltham Forest Council to provide the Voluntary and Community Sector in Waltham Forest with support services including training, accountancy help, fundraising advice and organisational development, has been extended for one year. For a full list of our services please see our website here or phone us on 0208 521 0377.

2010 Training courses - BOOK NOW! Click Here

Minimum Standards and Quality Marks for Voluntary Sector Organisations
29 January

First Aid at Work
27 January, 3 February and 10th February (three day course).
Accredited by the Health & Safety Executive and valid for 3 years

Funding Strategies & Bid Writing For Voluntary & Community Organisations
24 February, 3 March and 10 March (three day course).
Accredited by the National Open College Network

Computerising your manual or spreadsheet records using Quick books program
8 February

Computerised Accounts using Sage Line 50 Beginners to Intermediate Level
18 and 19 February (two day course)

Introduction to Health and Safety at Work
2 March

Financial Planning for Voluntary and Community Organisations
16, 23 and 30 March (three day course).
Accredited by the National Open College Network at level 2 and 3.

Emergency First Aid at Work
17 March. Accredited course by the Health & Safety Executive and valid for three years.

The Tendering and Commissioning Process
27 April, 4, 11 May (three day course). Accredited by the National Open College Network (level 3).

Qualifications, recruitment & retention and benefits of Olympics

Skills for Care London will be running this FREE workshop on 26th January 2010. The workshop will explore how the 2012 Olympics and its legacy can aid the social care sector. More here

For help with finding funding and filling out applications contact Mutmahim Roaf at VAWF on 020 8521 0377 or mutmahim@voluntaryaction-wf.org.uk

Grass Root Grants - Deadline 29 January

Grants for local community groups in Waltham Forest with a turnover of up to £30k from to O-Regen. Read more

Deadline extended - Youth Offer Easter / Annual Programme 2010 - 2011

Deadline for applications is extended to Monday 18th January (12 noon) due to the adverse weather conditions.  The delivery address has also changed, please send applications to:

London Borough of Waltham Forest
For the attention of Corporate Procurement
Waltham Forest Town Hall Post Room
Forest Road
Walthamstow, E17 4JF

For more information contact: lorraine.adjayekwofie@walthamforest.gov.uk

Community Councils Funding

Residents and voluntary organisations are being encouraged to put forward bids for ward-based projects. More here: http://www.walthamforest.gov.uk/index/council/community-councils/community-councils-annual-fund.htm

Children in Need

Children in Need is offering small grants of up to £10,000 a year for three years for third sector organisations working with children and young people. Grants will be allocated in four tranches, with application deadlines on 15 January, 15 April, 15 July and 15 October. www.bbc.co.uk/pudsey

Youth Sector Development Fund

For third sector organisations who deliver services and activities for young people, particularly the most disadvantaged. Deadline for applications is 4 February. http://ysdf.ecotec.com/

Prince's Foundation for Children & the Arts' Start programme

Funding for cultural organisations to develop and deliver arts enrichment programmes for primary and secondary school students. Deadline: 29 January. http://bit.ly/pfstart or www.childrenandarts.org.uk

Sported

Sported is a one stop shop, providing funding and organisational development support to groups that use sport to improve the lives of young people in disadvantaged communities. www.sported.org.uk

Sport England - Sustainable Facilities Fund

Sport England has launched a new application round for its annual Sustainable Facilities Fund. £10m is available for innovative projects that transform places where sport is played. http://bit.ly/sustfaci or www.sportengland.org

Grants for Bio energy

Community organisations that are considering investing in biomass-fuelled heating and/or combined heat and power projects can apply for grants from the Bio-energy CapitalGrants scheme. www.bioenergycapitalgrants.org.uk

Speaking Out Small Grants Programme http://bit.ly/speakoutsg
Volunteering Fund for Health and Social Care www.volunteeringfund.com
Grundtvig www.grundtvig.org.uk
Faiths in Action - Round 2 www.cdf.org.uk/web/guest/faiths-in-action

For more funding opportunities see our website

Voluntary and community sector commissioning programme - 2010-2011 Notice of tender.

Waltham Forest Council are looking to tender contracts to deliver a range of services to meet specific needs and identified gaps in line with Waltham Forest’s Local Area Agreement (LAA) priority blocks. The following are the services being commissioned to meet the outcomes identified under the LAA blocks. The Arts Services may seek to commission services for up to 3 years

Healthier communities and older people
Sports: Improve the health of the population through sports and fitness outreach programmes targeted at disadvantaged groups, with a focus on reducing anti-social behaviour and/or offending.

Safer and stronger communities
Community safety: Reduce crime and improve community safety.

Development of the voluntary sector:
• Enable local people to have a greater voice, influence and involvement in local decision making through the provision of a volunteer development service.
• To provide support services to individual volunteers and volunteer involving organisations.
• To increase volunteering across the borough.

Children and young people
Extended services: Improve learning and outcomes for children in the foundation stage and key stage 1 by providing a professional support and advice service to new and existing providers to enable them to apply for and achieve the certificate of minimum standards, which will result in improved Ofsted inspection ratings for leadership, management and safeguarding policies.

Education: Study support activities to raise the academic aspirations and achievement of pupils, particularly amongst under-performing groups.

Cross cutting (services contributing to outcomes in all LAA blocks)
Social Inclusion: Work in liaison with the local authority to identify and deliver services that meet the needs of the African-Caribbean community.

Arts: Provide a range of opportunities for local people that support engagement in arts both as participants and audience. 

For a detailed prospectus and application form contact Joanna Edler
email: Joanna.edler@walthamforest.gov.uk or call: 020 8496 4168
The closing date for completed applications is 12noon on Monday 8 February 2010

For more information about the Council's work with the voluntary sector visit http://www.walthamforest.gov.uk/index/community/voluntary-sector-and-volunteering/commissioning-programme-2007-2010.htm

Health Service Users - Have your Say

Waltham Forest LINk is holding its next membership meeting from 6 – 8.30pm on Wednesday 27 January 2010 at Vestry House Museum, Vestry Road, Walthamstow, London E17 9NH. 

Contact the LINk staff on 020 8521 0377 or visit www.wflink.org.uk to find out more

Voluntary Sector Forum to discuss Children and Young People.

7pm on Tuesday 19th January at Waltham Forest Town Hall, Forest Road, Walthamstow E17. Meet Councillors and Council Officers. All Voluntary And Community sector groups are welcome.

For further information please contact barbara@voluntaryaction-wf.org.uk or 0208 521 0377

Shout Out Loud - Children and Young People Forum.

Come to the forum at the Score Centre in Leyton, 4-7pm on 21st January and get involved in a debate about our sector’s input into the Borough’s Children & Young People’s Plan.

For further information please contact barbara@voluntaryaction-wf.org.uk or 0208 521 0377

Health and Social Care Personalisation Workshop - 2 February

The North London CVS Partnership (NLCVSP) and Skills for Care are organising this workshop which will look at how to equip your organisation to meet the demands of the personalisation agenda. The workshop will look at: Further Information

Waltham Forest Council Beacon Event: Promoting Cohesion Through Schools

Wednesday 3rd February 2010 at Kelmscott School, 245 Markhouse Road, E17 8DN.
Places limited, to book contact:jena.mohamed@walthamforest.gov.uk or call 020 8496 4770.

Independent Panel Report and the Voluntary and Community Sector

In December 2009, an Independent Panel Report was published with regard to Waltham Forest Council's record on procurement of contracts and neighbourhood management.

In the report there are several references to the relationships between the Council and voluntary and community organisations.

The full report can be found on the council's website here:
http://www1.walthamforest.gov.uk/moderngov/mgConvert2PDF.asp?ID=2235&T=10

Waltham Forest Park wins bid

The council has won a Parks for People Heritage/Big Lottery Bid for £3,483,000 to refurbish Lloyd and Aveling Park. More here on the Big Lottery Fund website

NHS Waltham Forest is looking for two high-calibre individuals to serve as Non-Executive Directors on its Board (a qualified accountant is required for one post).  Details are given in the attached notice – please feel free to pass this on to anyone you know who might be interested in either role.  The closing date is 29 January.

For further details, or to apply, please go to www.appointments.org.uk/vacancies or ring 0870 240 3802 quoting reference L9111C.

How Green Are You?

Free Environmental and Energy Review for community organisations and businesses in Waltham Forest. A few spaces left. Contact Sophie Hutchinson, 0207 193 7341 or sophie.hutchinson@green2020.co.uk

LGBT Forum

Safer Neighbourhood's LGBT Forum, Sat 20 February, 2pm-6pm Unity Hall in Bramley Close, E17 For more details call: 0208 721 2643 or email: williammorris.SNT@met-police.uk

LGBT History Month

February is Lesbian Gay Bisexual Trans History Month. www.lgbthistorymonth.org.uk

Crime and Grime

Waltham Forest Community Safety Board meet on 20 January at 6.30 pm in the Council Chamber at the Town Hall, Forest Road, London E17 4JF. Items for consideration include Crime and Grime.
Contact: davidj.knight@walthamforest.gov.uk or see the website: www.walthamforest.gov.uk/wfcsb

Volunteers Required

ELOP (East London Out Project), East London’s Lesbian & Gay centre is currently recruiting lesbians and gay men as Charity Trustees (unpaid, voluntary position) & General Volunteers (also unpaid, voluntary position). Email: info@elop.org Lesbians and gay men ONLY need apply.

Send Us Your News

Send your news and events to voluntaryviews@voluntaryaction-wf.org.uk Or call Sarah Kinson, Information Officer, on 0208 521 0377 (Monday, Tuesdays and Wednesdays).

The deadline for our next e-bulletin is 12 February.
The deadline for our next printed newsletter ("Voluntary Views") is 22 January.

Advertise in our printed newsletter.

Adverts and inserts from £15. Contact sarah.kinson@voluntaryaction-wf.org.uk by 22 January

Health Checks
www.ces-vol.org.uk/index.cfm?pg=607

OTS third sector regulation pages
For third sector organisations http://bit.ly/tsreg or www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/thirdsector

Keeping it legal
A guide to third sector organisations on public law and equality rights'. www.wrc.org.uk/equality

Charity Incorporation Made Simple
From Charity Finance Directors' Group:http://bit.ly/cisimple or www.cfdg.org.uk

Charity tax and VAT
Legal advice series from Society Guardian and Bates Wells and Braithwaite solicitors. http://bit.ly/chartaxvat or www.guardian.co.uk

Charity Awards 2010.
Closing date 12 March. visit www.charityawards.co.uk for details on how to submit an entry.

Health Issues, Policy and Solutions: A focus on health equality 19th January 2010
9:30am till 12:30pm. This is A FaithAction and Race Equality Foundation event for any organisation working with black and minority ethnic communities.  For further information, please call 0845 094 6350

Whipps Cross Consultation on 'Quality Accounts'

Please contact Frances Hollwey or Cathy Geddes on 8535 6645, internal ext 5304 who will be happy to send you a consultation document. The closing date is Friday 29 January 2010.

Regional Consultations

The Future of Health Services in north east London close on 8 March 2010.
London Assembly Consultations

National Consultations

NHS constitution. (Closes 5 February).
Personal Care at Home (Closes 23 February).
Age Equality in Health and Social Care (Closes 15 February).
Working Together to Safeguard Children consultation (Closes 11 February).
Outdoor Fundraising Events (Closes 19 February).
Simplifying event licensing (Closes on 9 February).