Bid online celebrity auction for East Side Trust

Bid online in Shoreditch charity celebrity auction

hg.editorial@archant.co.uk
23 February 2010

A range of prizes donated by celebrities including an acting class with BBC actor Adrian Lester have gone up for grabs in a Shoreditch charity auction.

Online bidding for the auction has now opened and all funds raised will go to children's charity Eastside Educational Trust, based in Hackney Road.

Other items that have been donated by the charity's patrons include a backstage tour of the ITV news studio with newscaster Katie Derham, bird watching with actor and director Samuel West and lunch with current affairs broadcaster Martha Kearney at BBC TV Centre.

Adrian Lester, star of BBC One drama series Hustle and patron of Eastside, is offering a two-hour acting masterclass for one to five people.

He said: "The acting class will be fun and inspirational for me, as well as whoever wins, and would be ideal for someone hoping to get in to drama school or for anyone who just enjoys acting."

The auction ends on September 30 when Eastside will host a live auction at Bonhams auction house in New Bond Street, which will give guests the chance to surpass the highest online bid on a few of the key lots.

Eastside Educational Trust works with disadvantaged families by introducing children to the arts and offering a range of creative and cultural experiences to young people throughout the capital.

To bid for an item or to request an invitation to the star-studded charity auction at Bonhams visit www.eastside.org.uk or email online@eastside.org.uk.

Source Hackney Gazette

Wayside Advoccay Project for older people - cannot take referrals currently

     Attention colleagues:  Due to the overwhelming demand for Advocacy Support teamed with the lack of capacity, I would ask that no more referrals be passed over until the new round of volunteers are trained and crb checked. If you have any queries please do not hesitate to contact the Advocacy Manager on: 020 89867531    Many Thanks

Transformation Update from Hackney Council

Message

Hackney Council may exercise its right to intercept any communication, the only exception to this would be confidential survey data, with any employee or agent of the Council using its telephony or data networks. By using these networks you give your consent to Hackney Council monitoring and recording your communication.

If you have received this e-mail in error please delete it immediately and contact the sender.

For further information about Hackney Council policies please contact Hackney Service Centre on: 020 8356 3000

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London Borough of Hackney may exercise its right to intercept any communication on its networks - for more information see

http://www.hackney.gov.uk/email_disclaimer.html

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Free dance lessons on offer in Hackney

hg.editorial@archant.co.uk
25 February 2010

Hackney residents are being invited to take part in free dance sessions next weekend.

Part of Dance4Life campaign called Lets Dance, the salsa and soca lessons will be held at Clissold Leisure Centre on Saturday 6 and Sunday 7 March.

The free sessions are open adults and juniors aged from five years and families in particular are encouraged to take part.

Wind your waist to soca, or soul calypso, at 2.30pm or try street dance at 3.30pm on Saturday March 6.

Those interested in a more Latin twist can take part in a choice of two salsa sessions at 9am and 4pm on Sunday March 7.

Source Hackney Gazette 

Come to a workshop on personalisation run by Janice Wightman at the Reach Conference

Have you booked in for the Reach Conference yet?

its a varied & interesting programme including

•   a workshop co chaired by Janice Wightman - assistant director of adult services & HSCF  on the transformation agenda
  
• a presentation from Caroline Nelson chair of the disability Special Interest Group on the consortia development work the SIG is doing
  

Book here: www.reachevent.eventbrite.com

Why not meet other people before the event? http://reachnetwork.ning.com/

Follow Reach on Twitter: http://twitter.com/hackneycvs

We need your input - come to our away day or put your comments on the forum

We are havingg an away morning nect week - thursday and we would like your views on the future of the forum -what you want us ot be concentrating on over the next couple of years.  The world is changing rapidly around us all and we want to look at how we respond or set te agenda collectively

The awayday is on Thursday  (4th March 9am - 1pm ) with lunch- plesea email to book your place on hscf@hcvs.org.uk

Thanks 

Jackie 

HVA Newsletter

Click here to download

Hackney Family Backup holds annual party

hg.editorial@archant.co.uk Source Hackney Gazette
24 February 2010

Philip Yeboah gets his hand painted

Disabled children had fun face painting and learning circus skills at a party organised by a Hackney charity.

Hackney Family Backup, which has provided short breaks for disabled children and support for their families in Hackney for the past 20 years, put on the annual party at their headquarters in Ashwin Street on February 17.

With plenty of staff including skilled playworkers on hand to entertain the children, parents and carers were given the opportunity to relax.

STUDENTS GIVE SOMETHING BACK TO EDUCATION

College, university students and apprentices are giving up some of their spare time to help younger children in Hackney make the transition from primary to secondary school.

‘Move Up Mentoring’ is a new initiative commissioned by the Learning Trust and Team Hackney, and run by Inspire!, the Education Business Partnership for Hackney. It will provide young mentors, aged 18 - 25, many of them living, working or studying in the borough, to support pupils through their last term at primary school and prepare them for secondary school.

The mentors will meet the children at weekly, after school sessions, to offer help with numeracy, literacy and dealing with the emotional issues involved in moving to secondary school. In addition, they will cover skills such as time management, study techniques and prioritising work loads that will assist the children in their new school environment.

Six primary school schools in the north of the borough have been invited to identify up to five pupils, per school, whom they feel will benefit from the scheme.

Thirty-one mentors have been recruited from various educational establishments, including the University of East London, Hackney Community College, London Metropolitan University and BSix: Brooke House Sixth Form College. They all gathered at the offices of law firm, Slaughter & May, this week (23 February) for a training session.

Gamze Pala (19) from Stoke Newington is one of the volunteers. She is currently studying Health and Social Care at the Skinners’ Academy. “I was lucky enough to have a mentor when I was in Year 6, so I thought, ‘why wouldn’t someone want to mentor a child’?”

Dorothy Hodgson from Inspire!, who manages the ‘Move Up Mentoring’ programme, told the delegates at the training session: “It’s quite rare for a child to get one-on-one time with a teacher in class but you can provide it. Also, a lot of the children don’t get support at home either because are parents are busy or don’t have good English. In addition, it’s important for the child to learn to form relationships with people other than their parents or a sibling.”

Pupils and mentors will meet each other for the first time at a two day ‘get to know you’ event to be held at Gilwell Park Scout Activity Centre, Chingford in April. Two parents’ evenings prior to this will allow parents to find out more about the scheme and ask Inspire! any questions.

Ends

Press contact:

Roberta Pearce

01763 837037/07973 539214(m)

Roberta Pearce

PR Copywriting and Consultancy

01763 837037

Team Hackney Update

Click here for team hackney update

Community, well being and food seminar

Invitation from Social Action for Health

14th April 2010
10am – 2pm

Ment House, 1b Mentmore Terrace, E8 3DQ

Aim of the day
Social Action for Health is hosting a seminar around health and food growing in communities. The aim of the day is to:

•    To draw local activists together
•    To enable them to promote their projects more widely;  
•    To share good practice across East London
•    To find out what is already going on in the local area
•    To explore how to capture and evaluate impact for evidence/funding purposes

The day will consist of talks from people active in running projects and workshops based around community food growing, health and evaluation.
It will also provide an opportunity to meet new people working in similar fields.
Lunch and refreshments will be provided.

Who should attend?
Anyone who represents a community organisation or group with an interest in food growing, healthy eating, gardening, community development.

How to register
Spaces will need to be reserved on a first come first served basis. To book  your place please contact Ross Stonier at Social Action for Health on:
Email: Rosss@safh.org.uk
Telephone: 020 8510 1970

Have your say about volunteering in Hackney.

Volunteering is a vital part of community life in Hackney and we know that it is an essential activity within the voluntary and community sector.  We have been working partners to develop a strategy which will encourage and support volunteering in Hackney over the next three years.   We would like to find out from you whether we have identified the key issues relating to volunteers and volunteering in Hackney, and if we have got it right in terms of the recommendations and how things can be improved. 

We are holding an event on Monday 8th March 2010, 10.30am - 1pm (not the 4th March), specifically for colleagues from Hackney’s Community Empowerment Network who want to share their views on the strategy. 

Bisi Ojuri, Managing Director of Volunteer Centre Hackney and Deputy Chair of the CEN; and Lola Akindoyin from the Council's Community Partnerships team will present the key findings.  The event is taking place at HCVS, 84 Springfield House, Tyssen Street, E8 2LY.  The session will take place between 10.30am and 12.30pm, and will be followed by lunch and networking.  Please confirm your attendance with karen.west-paul@hackney.gov.uk  or by calling 020 8356 4454.  Coffee and tea will be available from 10am.

To dcontribute you views via  e consult please  click here

Volunteer Management Programme - skills development providers selected

Capacitybuilders today announced details of the four successful providers of skills development programmes under Strand C of the Volunteer Management Programme. This follows the assessment of expressions of interest received in January.  The four providers are Skills – Third Sector, Voluntary Action Sheffield, Attend and Project North East.

Dave Conroy, National Programme Manager for Capacitybuilders said:

“Volunteers play a vital part in our society, not least during the current difficult economic times.  It is essential that these dedicated people are properly managed and supported in their roles.

We are confident that those selected, understand the needs of volunteer managers and have the capacity and experience necessary to ensure a legacy of skilled and confident volunteer managers across a wide-range of volunteer-involving organisations.”

Under Strand C of the programme, individuals with volunteer management responsibilities will be able to apply to take part in a bursary funded skills development programme. 

Skills development

Two skills development products will be available: the first will be targeted at those with operational responsibilities; the second will be targeted at those with a strategic role in volunteer management, including those in leadership positions.

Mark Freeman, Learning and Skills Manager from Skills - Third Sector commented:

“Skills Third Sector supports Capacitybuilders in its desire to link the training it is funding for Volunteer Managers to the National Occupational Standards.  These standards were developed by practitioners in the sector and help to define the skills needed to be an effective manager of volunteers.  As such, qualifications based on these will ensure that those on the courses are getting the skills that they need.”

Process

Access to bursary support will be coordinated nationally through a single online entry point, with assessment of suitability and delivery of programmes undertaken regionally under the management of the four approved providers.

Application opens in April

Full details of the bursary application process will be announced in March, ahead of it opening for application in April.  Capacitybuilders is currently working closely with the selected providers to ensure ease of access to the scheme and to develop shared protocols for engaging with potential learners.

Meanwhile, interested parties should not contact providers directly; rather Capacitybuilders strongly advise registering for their regular e-bulletin to receive early notification of the bursary application process: http://capacitybuilders.org.uk/sign-updates

Unite organises day of lobbying on voluntary sectors short-term contract culture

By Paul Jump, Third Sector Online, 17 February 2010

Third sector minister Angela Smith will host round-table discussion with union and address a mass meeting of members

Trade union Unite has organised a day of political lobbying over what it sees as the debilitating effects of the "short-term contract culture" on voluntary sector staff.

Angela Smith, Minister for the Third Sector, has agreed to host a round-table discussion with the union, which has 60,000 members in the voluntary sector, on 9 March. She will also join representatives from umbrella bodies Navca and the NCVO in addressing a mass meeting of Unite members, who will then be encouraged to lobby their own constituency MPs.

Rachael Maskell, Unite's national officer for the not-for-profit sector, said union research, which will be released before  the meetings, shows that short-term public service contracts given to the voluntary sector have increased job insecurity in the sector and contributed to an "excessive and stressful hours culture" among staff struggling to meet tight demands.

She said falling voluntary income and corporate donations had combined with accelerating local authority cuts and increased competition for contracts to put sector workers under severe stress and threaten the quality of services.

"Best value has gone back to meaning the cheapest option, and many contracts are loss-leaders that involve people working extortionate hours," she said. "The sector is seen as a panacea, but you have to get things right for the workforce because it is crumbling under the pressure.

"One reason the third sector has worked in the past is that there has been support for the workforce. But now no one ever talks about the workforce. It is as if it has been airbrushed out."

She said Unite wanted contracts to last at least five years, improved training opportunities and a commitment to making sure terms and conditions were preserved when staff were obliged to transfer between organisations at the end of a contract.

NCVO set out their election manifesto

23/02/10

By Andrew Holt

Five days paid leave for volunteering, more mutuals, co-operatives and credit unions and the right of the voluntary sector to campaign are at the heart of an election manifesto, launched by the National Council for Voluntary Organisations (NCVO) today.

Stuart Etherington, chief executive of NCVO, set out his vision of the “good society” and the roles the voluntary sector and government should play to make this reality to more than 650 delegates at the body’s flagship annual conference in London.

As the UK’s largest umbrella body representing the views of more than 7,500 charities, NCVO’s manifesto is an important document for all political parties.

Etherington said: “I believe our organisations really do make a difference. We can provide a different approach and different solutions to the challenges we all face. But we cannot sit back and wait for politicians and business to come to us for those solutions.

"It simply won’t happen. Instead, it is more important than ever that we define what we want our society to look like and say what role we can play in achieving that.”

He called for all workers to be offered five days paid leave each year to carry out volunteering roles as well as greater use of alternative banking models such as mutuals, co-operatives and credit unions to ensure people have fair and adequate access to financial services.

On campaigning, he said: “Campaigning and advocacy have always been at the heart of our sector. We have driven social change on equalities, child protection and climate change, to name just a few.

"I believe that our willingness and ability to speak out when we see that something is wrong, is more important than ever. How people and communities cope in the coming years is down to us, through our work and through the demands we make of our politicians.”

Other key manifesto asks included:

-For a Robin Hood Tax of 0.05 per cent on banking transactions to raise money to protect public services, fight poverty and tackle climate change.

-Protection of the legal right to protest and campaign, especially in Parliament Square

-A new Community Day bank holiday

-Local assets, such as community centres and town halls, to be transferred to communities where they would otherwise stand empty and neglected.

The manifesto comprises of six basic themes: climate change; strong democracy; good public services; an active society; financial security and fairness for all; and an enabling environment.

The recession will have a dramatic impact on the third sector but couldalso create gaps charities co

A new generation of civil society?

Source Guardian online 24 Feb

Public service cuts will ­create a new kind of outsourcing boom, says Nick Seddon.

The news that the NSPCC is cutting jobs and restructuring needs signify nothing more than prudent financial management and an emphasis on value and ­impact by the children's charity. Still, the recession has exposed vulnerability in parts of the third sector, such as a pensions deficit in the largest fundraising charities so severe that a tenth of ­donations could be used to fund pensions in some cases.

Ben Hall, of actuary Alexander Forbes, has said charities have been hit by a "recession double whammy" – falling donations and the stock market crash. A third – loss of state funding – is around the corner.

Three-quarters of charities take no state funding, either in grants or contracts. Like the NSPCC, they depend on public giving, though the record from the last recession suggests this should remain robust. But as public spending has risen, so spending on the charitable sector has also risen, now up to £12bn a year. As Adam Sampson reflected when he left his post as chief executive of the homelessness charity Shelter, becoming a service deliverer for the state has many consequences. One is the risk that charities' fortunes closely follow those of government.

If things are tough now, they will get a lot worse before they get better. The Treasury estimates that the deficit will amount to around £178bn this financial year, or nearly 13% of national income. Getting back to black is possible. Politicians seem unsure about when to start, but public service cuts will certainly be at the centre of any recovery.

This will have a considerable impact on the third sector, though the opportunities, risks and outcomes are hard to predict. Cuts will ­create a new kind of outsourcing boom. Commissioners will want more bang for their buck, and independent agencies will have a chance to explain how their knowledge and techniques can improve service quality and performance, while cutting costs.

At present, total outsourced services account for about £80bn of government expenditure. Financial adviser Seymour Pierce believes this sum could rise to more than £140bn by 2015. Perhaps we're edging closer to the vision laid out by Lord Ridley, the Thatcherite minister, who once described his perfect council as one that meets once a year to hand out contracts.

Can this work for charities and voluntary organisations? For large players keen to compete in this market, there may be benefits. But competition will be fierce, the pressure on costs relentless.

A collision of values may emerge: state instrumentalism – more for less – and the vibrant independence that has made charities such a cherished part of civil society. As boards guard against charities morphing into clones of the private or public agencies they work with, many will want to go their own way. They may have to: from 2011, at the end of the next spending round, the government could run out of money. In this version of the future, charity will still be needed, but the state will not be able to pay.

Into the space, a new generation of civil society organisations may in time advance. We should not assume that charities will suddenly expand when the state withdraws its chequebook. Yet we do have a strong tradition of ­active citizenship and individual giving. The prevalent view has long been of the state providing welfare, with charity filling the gaps. As the gaps grow, perhaps charity will too.

Lloyds wants to end agreement to pay 1% of its pre-tax profits to foundations

Lloyds accused of 'vandalism' towards Scottish charitable foundation

Lloyds wants to end agreement to pay 1% of its pre-tax profits

• guardian.co.uk, Tuesday 23 February 2010 16.26 GMT
• Article history

The foundations were set up instead of the TSB selling shares to its savers when it floated in 1986. TSB and Lloyds merged in 1995. Photograph: Richard Saker

Lloyds has been accused of "determined vandalism" after the banking group announced that it will sever its links with a charitable foundation that refused to accept a new funding deal.

The bank has told the Lloyds TSB Foundation for Scotland that it will terminate its legally binding covenant with the charity more than 25 years after it, and three other foundations, were set up around Britain when the TSB demutualised.

The decision follows a bitter dispute between the two organisations after Lloyds said it wanted to end the legal requirement to pay all four foundations 1% of its pre-tax profits, which has given them £370m since 1986. The foundations were set up instead of the TSB selling shares to its savers when it floated on the stock market. As a result, the Scottish foundation owns 15.7m limited voting shares that will become ordinary shares when the covenant ends.

Lloyds said the economic climate made the 1% agreement difficult to afford, while the expanded size of the bank, which now includes HBOS, meant that in future the foundations would receive far more income than was intended.

The foundations for England and Wales, Northern Ireland and the Channel Islands agreed the new deal, which will cut their long-term funding by half to 0.5% of pretax profits and will also see Lloyds take greater control of their spending and policies. Lloyds will direct the foundations on where they should spend a "proportion" of their funds, but has refused to say how much that will be.

The Scottish foundation has already suspended its grant-giving because of the dispute and has now been given nine years' notice that its covenant will be cancelled. In a further twist, the foundation claimed Lloyds was also "vindictively" refusing to approve the appointment of a new chair, Christine Lenihan.

Mary Craig, the Scottish foundation's chief executive, said these decisions were "an act of determined vandalism" by a group whose profits were based in part on its merger with the TSB, which had pioneered mutual, community-owned banking for the poor in Scotland. "In breaking the covenant now, Lloyds Banking Group has disowned its heritage and is choosing to ignore the role Scottish communities and their savings played in it being where it is today," she said.

The foundation has had £85m since 1986, but its decision not to accept the new funding deal means its guaranteed income this year will fall to under £40,000, and will now be pegged directly to Lloyds annual profits until 2019. Lloyds had offered to guarantee its income at a much higher pre-recession level, in exchange for a cut to 0.5% of profits in four years.

Shane O'Riordain, Lloyd's group communications director, said: "We have worked very hard to try to reach an agreement with the Scottish foundation. We are fully committed to supporting communities throughout Scotland and our door remains open to the Scottish foundation."

Acevo urges Chancellor to give charities wider role in five key service areas

By John Plummer, Third Sector Online, 26 February 2010

Chief executive Stephen Bubb meets Alistair Darling to identify areas in which charities should have an expanded remit

Stephen Bubb, chief executive of Acevo, has urged the Chancellor, Alistair Darling, to let voluntary organisations play a wider role in five key areas of public services.

The meeting was arranged after the chief executives body drafted a letter, signed by more than 250 charity chief executives, that was sent to Darling in December requesting a summit on how charities and the Government could work more closely on reforming public services.

Bubb identified treating long-term health conditions, reducing reoffending, addiction, services for the long-term unemployed and social care and support for the elderly as the five areas suitable for greater charity involvement.

Helen Bailey, director of public services at the Treasury, has agreed to a follow-up meeting with Bubb to discuss what can be done to increase the sector's level of delivery in these areas.

"We need to move this from political discussion to working with officials on how to do this," said Bubb.

Bubb also wants ministers to explore what role the sector could play in Total Place, a government pilot scheme to find ways of saving money by coordinating local services better and avoiding duplication.  

An Acevo delegation will meet shadow chancellor George Osborne and other senior Conservative politicians next month to discuss the Tories' plans for involving charities in public services.

 Source

Researchers look into why we give- looking for a charity partner embarking on fundraising drive

Submitted by howardlake on 26 February, 2010 - 17:22.

Researchers at the University of Essex want to know more about what motivates people to make a donation or support a cause, and they are hoping that local charities in Essex will help them in this research.

Economist, Dr David Reinstein, has already carried out research in this area. He is asking charitable groups and other organisations in Essex who may be planning a fundraising campaign in the near future to take part in an experiment that would help his research.

"In the UK," he said, "we give millions of pounds to a wide range of international, national, regional and local charities and organisations every year, but we don't have a very good understanding about the 'science' behind it.

"The findings from this research could be of interest not just to economists like me, but to charities and fundraising bodies everywhere."

Dr Reinstein is hoping to work with a group, charity or other organisation that is in the process of planning a fundraising campaign. He would then help them set up an experiment to tie in with their campaign so that the results are as realistic as possible.

Contact Dr Reinstein at drein@essex.ac.uk.

Source UK Fundraising 

Are you making best use of fundraising volunteers?

Submitted by simongeorge on 26 February, 2010 - 15:45.

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With volunteer centres reporting an increase in enquiries, an obvious question to ask is whether your charity is making best use of this free resource.

Most charities use volunteers in some capacity, but not all recognise how they can support fundraising. So what are the benefits of volunteer fundraisers and how can they best be used?

The availability of new volunteers may be the silver lining in the recession and they can offer numerous benefits.

Firstly, volunteers offer additional capacity, so you can do more than you otherwise would. They may need some training and basic expenses, but beyond this, they are a profit centre for your fundraising.

Secondly, volunteers have access to people and networks which you may not, so use them to reach out beyond your existing support base.

Thirdly, they often have skills and experience which are not available in your organisation, so use them!

So how can volunteers support your fundraising efforts?

Events – use volunteers to plan and run events for you. This greatly reduces the cost and thereby increases the profit margin;

Public collections- if staffed by volunteers, public collections (e.g. street collections or door to door) are a great way to raise extra cash at very low cost;

Major gifts – using volunteers to network and solicit larger donations is very cost effective. They will need some training, but the return on investment is excellent;

Legacies – with some basic training, you can use volunteers as legacy ambassadors, asking people one-to-one to remember your charity in their will (probably the most effective form of legacy fundraising);

Office support – volunteers can be invaluable in the fundraising office, carrying out research, updating records and even learning the skills of grant applications;

E-bay shop – use a volunteer to run an E-bay site for your charity, selling donated goods online. They will achieve better prices than through a charity shop!

When times are tough, it pays to get the best out of volunteers, so why not contact your local volunteer centre, to see who is waiting to raise funds for your charity? Alternatively, you can advertise for them through your newsletter or website. Clearly, there are issues about motivation and management of volunteers, but if you get it right, volunteers can be a valuable addition to your fundraising team.

Source UK Fundraising 

ACEVO Conference - bursaries available

The Association of Chief Executives of Voluntary Organisations (ACEVO) is running a conference in Gateshead on 4 March 2010.

The conference will look at political, economic and social change, coming through the recession with public sector spending cuts and a General Election, and the changes that third sector leaders will have to make.

You will be able to discuss these issues and hear from third sector leaders and key decision makers on how they are preparing to deal with change.

There are a limited number of bursary places available for organisations with a turnover of under £100,000, and there are discounted places available for organisations with a turnover of under £500,000.  For more information on these bursary places please contact Yemi Adeshiyan email: yemi.adeshiyan@acevo.org.uk or telephone 020 7280 4965.

The price for the conference is £130, or £110 for ACEVO members.

You can book online at www.acevo.org.uk/modernisationconference or email: events@acevo.org.uk or telephone 020 7280 4962.

Source SYFAB

Beacon Awards-Indv win £30k to donate

up to £72,500 over 3 years for young carers projects

Invitation to Tender: Advocating Intelligent Commissioning Publications

We are inviting proposals for two publications about intelligent commissioning. The working title is ‘Principles into Practice - Advocating Intelligent Commissioning’.

1. A report that illustrates and provides insight into the work that LIOs do to influence local commissioning strategies and practices. The report will include advice and recommendations.
2. A set of individual case studies (approximately 6) that provide more in depth illustrations of some of the examples identified in the report.

The case studies and report must link together to form a coherent product and work as individual stand-alone documents. It is essential that each case study can be read individually, and that they collectively illustrate in depth the main points from the main report.

There is a maximum of £10,000 available for this work, including VAT.

• Download the Invitation to Tender document (Word, 115KB)

The deadline for submission of proposals is midday on 19 March 2010.

If you would like to discuss this invitation to tender please contact Pauline Kimantas, Local Commissioning and Procurement Manager.

Source NAVCA

£5000 for young people 16-25 to make short films

IdeasTap is open for applications for the Ideas Fund Shorts programme. £40,000 of funding is available, through eight awards of £5,000, for funding for young people aged 16 - 25 to make short films.

Films can be up to five minutes in duration and can include documentaries, conceptual pieces, trailers for features, music videos, fashion films or animated shorts.

The deadline for applications is 29 March 2010.

For more information visit the IdeasTap website here, however please note you need to register to access the site.

Source SYFAB

Womens Diversionary Funds - not an open application process

Women’s Diversionary Fund

On 1 February 2010, the Corston Independent Funders’ Coalition and the Ministry of Justice announced the creation of a joint £2m fund to divert women from custody.

The Women’s Diversionary Fund will be managed by the Corston Independent Funders Coalition. Selected organisations delivering or capable of delivering services in the community to women offenders or those at risk of offending will be invited to apply; there will not be an open applications process. The Fund will focus on:
• service development or continuation, filling gaps and further developing services;
• building organisational and sector capacity.

Please do not contact individual trusts and foundations about the Women’s Diversionary Fund.

Third sector organisations currently delivering in this or related fields will be invited to apply, so there is no need to contact the Coalition to register an interest.

Press queries should be directed to the Ministry of Justice Press Office on 0203 334 3536 or to Antonia Bance on behalf of the members of the Coalition.

up to £10k for education / training or financial capability - from relunched Santander Foundation

All of our funding must directly help disadvantaged people through one or both of these charitable priorities - education and training, or financial capability.

Education and training

This could be any activity disadvantaged people undertake where they improve their confidence in a skill or their understanding of a subject This does not have to be formal training or lead to a qualification, although those activities would be eligible too. It could be any activity disadvantaged people undertake where they improve their confidence in a skill or their understanding of a subject.

Examples could include independent living skills, anger management, or improving self esteem. Other examples could include reminiscence projects for older people, art and craft sessions as well as IT classes. These are just a few examples and should not be regarded as a definitive list.

Financial capability

 This priority covers activities which help disadvantaged people understand how to manage their money. It could include budgeting skills, accessing affordable credit as well as managing the challenges that arise from being a carer, unemployment, disability or relationship break up.

Examples could be the costs of running a credit union, projects delivering financial advice and helping people to understand their benefit entitlement. Successful applications under this priority have included equipping a training kitchen for homeless people who learnt how to budget effectively for their food and then went on to apply these principals to other parts of their lives.
 

What kind of funding is available from the Foundation?

All funding is for one off donations.

Grants are available to buy tangible items such as equipment or training materials.

Grants are also available to fund project costs such as sessional worker fees, salaries, room hire or other costs incurred in the delivery of the charitable priorities.

Who can apply?

We can only make donations to organisations with charitable status for their work within the UK. This includes registered charities, Friendly Societies, Industrial & Provident Societies registered under charitable not membership rules (an exception to this are credit unions – who we can fund).

We cannot fund Community Interest Companies or not-for-profit organisations unless they are also registered charities.

Enhancing Communities - SITA Trust

£500 bursary for infrastructure orgs for governance

Cracking the Code Bursary Scheme:

The forth round of the Cracking the Code bursary scheme is now accepting applications.

Cracking the Code is a bursary scheme for infrastructure organisations to improve their governance. We can provide up to £500 for small infrastructure organisations to improve their governance based on all or any of the principles of ‘the Code’. Good Governance: a Code for the Voluntary and Community Sector.

To find out more about the scheme, check your eligibility and make an application go to: www.ncvo-vol.org.uk/crackingthecode

Grants help low income families get online

 

Get on in school
Get online at home

Home Access provides grants to low income families across England to buy computer and/or internet packages so they can learn safely, have fun and achieve more at school.

Under the scheme, low-income families who meet set eligibility criteria can apply for a Home Access Grant to buy a computer and internet package from a range of approved suppliers.

The Home Access packages have been designed with a family’s needs in mind. They include one year’s service and support, pre-set parental controls to filter inappropriate content, installed office productivity suite, firewall and an anti-virus package. They also include the award winning e-safety guide Know IT All for Parents, enhanced warranty and reinstatement service in the event of theft, and technical and educational guidance delivered with every package.

All computers come with a dedicated Home Access website set as the home page to help ensure families realise the benefits of Home Access. These Home Access packages will be available for purchase by all.

If you work for an organisation, school, charity or a local authority you can sign up to gain access to the Home Access partner area where you can download posters, leaflets and other marketing materials to help you promote Home Access in your community or place of work.

Find out more at www.homeaccess.org.uk/.

grants up to £10k for projects benefiting older people , disabled people , herbal medicine & more

The Sylvia Waddilove Foundation UK

Olympic Game - looking for large venues to recruit volunteers 450sqm or 800sqm

 Click here

Horticultural Development Officer - Hackney Homes

Hackney Homes :
Horticultural Development Officer
£31,156 - £33,306 p.a. inc.
HH604

Managing the operations of Tree Maintenance, London in Bloom, Greening Hackney, Asset Protection and any other internally or externally funded projects which require direction, you will need to ensure that service delivery is efficient, reliable and meets client and customer needs. You’ll need a sound understanding of arboriculture, local authority ecology, staff management, budget management and value for money. In addition, we’re looking for a detailed knowledge of contract and tender documentation, particularly in arboriculture and tree planting, local biodiversity expertise and experience of managing community based projects and contractors. Equal Opportunity Statement: Hackney Homes welcomes applications from all members of the community regardless of their age, disability, gender/transgender, race/ethnicity, religion/belief/cultural groups or sexual orientation.

Closing Date: Friday, 19 March 2010 (21 days left) E-Mail application Job Description and Person Specification Horticultural Development Officer JD&PS.DOC Chief Exec Letter Applicants letter - Chief Exec 08.pdf

Download an application form:   PDF format   Word format For further information, please call Tribal on 0845 313 3147, quoting the relevant reference or to apply, fill in the attached application form and return to Hackneyhomes@tribalresourcing.com

Gardeners Hackney Homes

Hackney Homes :
Gardeners
GM24 - £24,156 p.a. inc. (pro rata for part-time)
HH602

Managing a Grounds Maintenance Team, you will be responsible for maintaining external areas of estates to high standards, ensuring that goals are met. As well as a good knowledge of grounds maintenance and the of estate cleaners, you should be able to oversee the delivery of all the team’s duties, including pruning, planting, hoeing, mowing, edging and weeding. You will also need the ability to drive Estate Environment vehicles, with trailers where required; this will require the relevant certification including a current full driving licence. Equal Opportunity Statement: Hackney Homes welcomes applications from all members of the community regardless of their age, disability, gender/transgender, race/ethnicity, religion/belief/cultural groups or sexual orientation.

Closing Date: Friday, 19 March 2010 (21 days left) Hours: Full and part-time (21 hours per week) E-Mail application Job Description and Person Specification Gardner Job Description and Person Specification Chief Exec Letter Applicants letter - Chief Exec 08.pdf

Download an application form:   PDF format   Word format For further information, please call Tribal on 0845 313 3147, quoting the relevant reference or to apply, fill in the attached application form and return to Hackneyhomes@tribalresourcing.com

Customer Liaison Officer - hackney homes

Hackney Homes :
Customer Liaison Officer
£27,945 - £29,571 p.a. inc.
HH601

You will join our Central Support Team within Estate Environment Services, as the key liaison officer dealing with all aspects of customer service and communication. You will deal with all customer enquiries/complaints and be responsible for ensuring that all relevant and up to date information regarding our services is maintained and updated. You will be required to respond to complaints, monitor, analyse and collate information from customer feedback to identify performance and service delivery themes. You will need excellent communication skills, both written and verbal, along with excellent interpersonal skills, and the ability to manage conflicting priorities and meet tight deadlines. You must also be able to co-ordinate and plan your own workload and be a team player. You will take on a varied workload that includes producing a staff newsletter, assisting with internal communications campaigns and helping to organise events. You will also be involved in making sure all information regarding Estate Environment is up to date on the Hackney Homes website, which will involve liaising with the communications team. You must have the ability to use a range of software packages such as Microsoft Word, Outlook, Access and PowerPoint, and have a knowledge of Saffron and complaints databases. If you think you can help us deliver a high standard of customer service for our service users and show commitment to helping continually make service improvements, then this is the role for you. If you are interested in this role and would like an informal discussion, please contact Colleen Schwarz, Business Development Manager on 020 8356 1918. Equal Opportunity Statement: Hackney Homes welcomes applications from all members of the community regardless of their age, disability, gender/transgender, race/ethnicity, religion/belief/cultural groups or sexual orientation.

Closing Date: Friday, 19 March 2010 (21 days left) E-Mail application Job Description and Person Specification Customer Liaison Officer JD&PS.DOC Chief Exec Letter Applicants letter - Chief Exec 08.pdf

Download an application form:   PDF format   Word format For further information, please call Tribal on 0845 313 3147, quoting the relevant reference or to apply, fill in the attached application form and return to Hackneyhomes@tribalresourcing.com

consultant needed for project in Lambeth

New Project in Age Concern Lambeth

Age Concern Lambeth is running a project which aims to:

• Map current healthy living activities running in the borough for  Older people.
• Consult with a cross section of older people to explore the range of activities they would want to see taking place in Lambeth
• Hold eight “taster” sessions across the borough to test out the findings of the initial consultation
• Explore the role of volunteers leading healthy activity sessions through running a pilot volunteers training group
• Produce a report on this project
• Identify future funding sources for further and ongoing Healthy Ageing Activities

We are looking for an individual or organisation to deliver the project on a consultancy basis by the end of March 2011. The funding available for the project (inclusive of expenses, VAT etc is:
Consultant/trainer fees              £13,000
Cost of volunteer training etc   £1,500
Cost of running 8 sessions         £6,800
Total                                              £21,300

We are seeking proposals from suitable experienced individuals or organisations to carry out this work with the agreed budget. If you would like further information please contact Kim Connell Community Services Manager on 020 7346 6809 or k.connell@aclambeth.org.uk

Proposals for the work should be submitted by 5pm.on Monday 15th March to admin@aclambeth.org.uk or 336 Brixton road, London SW9 7AA

Communications Officer Ref: CO/CE/0210 - LVSC

LVSC brings London voluntary and community sector organisations together to share best practice and create a co-ordinated voice to influence policy makers.

Reporting to the CEO, this is a new post working across the organisation at all levels. With editorial oversight of the website, e-bulletins and branding, you will lead on developing internal and external communications systems that deliver LVSC’s communications strategy.

Working closely with teams, your experience of delivering communications projects for a range of audiences will improve LVSC’s engagement with internal and external stakeholders.

Paid maternity, 27 days leave (exc. BH), flexible working and flexi-time.

Applications welcomed from: disabled, BAMER, LGBT and older people. LVSC operates from an accessible building in central London and strives to be an equal opportunities employer.

Download application pack:

LVSC CO/CE/0210 Covering letter

LVSC CO/CE/0210 Notes on Completing the Application Form 

LVSC CO/CE/0210 Equal Opportunity Policy Statement

LVSC CO/CE/0210 Background information

LVSC CO/CE/0210 Communications officer JD and Person Spec

LVSC CO/CE/0210 Copy of Organisational Structure 

LVSC CO/CE/0210 Application form Communications Officer

Head of Policy and Knowledge Ref: HPK/PK/0210 - LVSC

A key member of our Senior Management Team, you will lead our highly respected Policy Team in advancing LVSC’s position as an influential centre of policy analysis and response. Engaging with statutory bodies, VCS organisations and networks, you will deliver an independent strategic voice for the sector.

You will have experience of analysing policy and managing effective consultations that create change. With excellent knowledge of London government and a proven record of strategic policy development in the public or voluntary sector, you will use your strategic planning and leadership skills to broaden the sector’s influence.

Applications welcomed from: disabled, BAMER, LGBT and older people. LVSC operates from an accessible building in central London and strives to be an equal opportunities employer.

Download application pack:

LVSC HPK PK 0210 Covering letter

LVSC HPK PK 0210 Notes on Completing the Application Form

LVSC HPK PK 0210 Equal Opportunity Policy Statement

LVSC HPK PK 0210 Background information

LVSC HPK PK 0210 Head of Policy and Knowledge JD & person spec

LVSC HPK PK 0210 Application form

LVSC HPK PK 0210 Organisational Structure

Operational Manager

Rooted in the local community, Crossroads is a registered Christian charity, within the voluntary sector, that is passionate about making professional counselling accessible to low income families within Tower Hamlets.

The successful applicant will have 3 + years strategic management experience, preferably in the voluntary sector and will work closely with the Clinical Counselling Manager and Board of Trustees to ensure the best possible provision of service to clients. You will manage and develop the central operations team, and be responsible for financial management and control.

GOR: There is a genuine occupational requirement for the post holder to have an active Christian Faith. 

This role is 24 hours per week (days negotiable)

Apply online and attach CV

West Africa Programme Director

We are seeking an experienced manager to coordinate and develop our programme of work in West Africa, specifically in the Mano River sub-region. Reporting to the Director of Programmes, you will lead a small team based in Sierra Leone and work with partner organizations in pursuing programme goals to strengthen civil society capacities to participate in peacebuildling, conflict transformation, governance processes and community security, to promote best practice in peacebuilding and to develop the programme across the region.

Candidates should have practical conflict resolution experience in the West Africa region, in designing and implementing peacebuilding interventions with a minimum of three years’ experience in programme and personnel management and have experience in both fundraising and financial management.

Duration: one year, full-time, renewable contract (subject to funding) 
Download  full job description and an application form.

Office Manager Ref: OM/CE/0210 - LVSC

LVSC brings London voluntary and community sector organisations together to share best practice and create a co-ordinated voice to influence policy makers.

You will provide high quality administrative support to the Chief Executive and to management meetings. With responsibility for engaging suppliers, ordering consumables within organisational budgets and managing Health and Safety, you will ensure the smooth running of LVSC’s offices.

You will have excellent administrative and organisational skills, with an ability to manage conflicting priorities and meet deadlines.

Paid maternity, 27 days leave (exc. BH), flexible working and flexi-time.

Applications welcomed from: disabled, BAMER, LGBT and older people. LVSC operates from an accessible building in central London and strives to be an equal opportunities employer.

Download application pack:

LVSC OM/CE/0210 Covering letter

LVSC OM/CE/0210 Notes on Completing the Application Form

LVSC OM/CE/0210 Equal Opportunity Policy Statement

LVSC OM/CE/0210 Background information

LVSC OM/CE/0210 Office Manager JD & Person Spec

LVSC OM/CE/0210 Office Manager Application form

LVSC OM/CE/0210 Organisational Structure

Health & Wellbeing Counsellor - City & Hackney PCT

Job Reference:

 524-LJ676-HEALTH-WELLBEING

Job Title:

 Health & Wellbeing Counsellor

Area of Work:

 Children and Families

Employer:

 City & Hackney Teaching PCT NHS

Department:

 Health and Wellbeing

Location:

 London

Salary:

 £35,747 to £45,353pro-rata

Job Type:

Permanent  

Staff Group:

Additional Clinical Services  

Pay Scheme:

Agenda for change  

Pay Band:

7  

Working pattern:

10 Hours/Week 

Closing Date:

5/03/2010 

Add this vacancy to my job basket

Description

Are you looking for rewarding work in a major local organisation that really makes a difference? NHS City & Hackney could be the answer.

Join us and you can help improve the health of local people. We are committed to providing high quality services to our 250,000 residents.

City and Hackney NHS Community Sexual Health Department is currently recruiting for a Health and Wellbeing Counsellor for ten hours per week.

We are seeking a highly motivated counsellor to join our counselling team offering individual and group work. The counselling post sits within the Health and Wellbeing service. This service is focused on the health and wellbeing of the over 40’s, however counselling is offered to anyone over 25. This requires the counsellor to have a breadth of experience working with both men and women of varied ages. The post holder will be required to have experience of conducting assessments and short term individual work and an interest in facilitating groups. There may also be opportunities to conduct supervision for volunteer counsellors or other staff groups such as nurses. The counselling service is committed to evaluating outcomes and uses CORE (Clinical Outcomes Routine Evaluation) and would require that the post holder is either familiar with this system or is prepared to train and have a general involvement in evaluating the service.

It is desirable that the post holder has a minimum of two years post qualification experience and has a proven track record in various counselling settings.

Hackney has an expanding, highly mobile and culturally diverse population from a rich variety of ethnic, religious and linguistic backgrounds.

We are committed to supporting our staff, and offer;

• Clinical, Management and Child Protection Supervision,
• Ongoing professional education and development linked to City University.
• Numerous opportunities to participate in various service initiatives.
• Flexible working arrangements

In addition, Hackney is within easy access of the West End and the City with good transport links.

Have you got what it takes to join us? If so please consider this post.

For more information and an informal discussion about the role, please contact Sally Parkin-Doyle 0207 683 4501(available Wednesdays and Thursdays)

Closing date: 5th March 2010

Interviews: 25th March 2010

The closing date given is a guide only. There may be some occasions where we have to close a vacancy once a sufficient amount of applications have been received. It is therefore advisable that you submit your application as early as possible.

We will also be hosting Olympic sports in 2012, and as a result, the area is benefiting from significant regeneration and redevelopment in the years leading up to these events.

Come and join us to be part of the positive changes taking place!

Please note that all shortlisted applicants will be contacted by email via NHS Jobs.

Applicants are advised to check their email accounts regularly. If you have not been contacted within 4 weeks of the closing date you should assume you have not been shortlisted.

Jump to Apply Now 

More information

You can view more information about this employer and this vacancy by clicking on any of the Job Pack Documents or Further Links below. Clicking a link will open a pop-up window containing the relevant details. You may view, print or download the details from there.

Documents

• Job Description (84 KB)
• Accomodation leaflet (359 KB)
• Information for Job Applicants (48 KB)
• Positively Diverse document (Pdf) (190 KB)
• Staff Benefits at City & Hackney (402 KB)

Further Links

• City & Hackney Teaching PCT Homepage

Contact details

If you would like to talk to somebody about this vacancy then please contact:

Contact Name

Sally Parkin-Doyle

Email Address

sally.parkin-doyle@chpct.nhs.uk

Telephone

020 7683 4501

CRB Check

Arts Therapies Support Workers x 3

Job Reference:

 363-NH-4102

Job Title:

 Arts Therapies Support Workers x 3

Area of Work:

 Newham Centre for Mental Health

Employer:

 East London NHS Foundation Trust

Location:

 Newham

Salary:

 £18,529 - £21,496 incl.

Job Type:

Permanent  

Staff Group:

Additional Professional Scientific & Technical  

Pay Scheme:

Agenda for change  

Pay Band:

3  

Working pattern:

37.5 hours per week 

Closing Date:

10/03/2010 

Add this vacancy to my job basket

Description

East London NHS Foundation Trust is a mental health trust which provides services to the City of London, the London Boroughs of Hackney, Tower Hamlets and Newham. The Trust also provides forensic services to the London Boroughs of Barking and Dagenham, Havering, Redbridge and Waltham Forest, and provides some specialist mental health services to North London, Hertfordshire and Essex.

We provide a range of community, outpatient and inpatient services for children and young people, adults and older people.

The Trust's Headquarters are located in Tower Hamlets. We operate from 47 community sites, four main inpatient sites and have 660 inpatient beds. The Trust has an income of £184.7 million and most of this comes from our local Primary Care Trusts.

The Trust is linked with the University of London, City University and South Bank University.

Due to service developments an exciting opportunity has arisen at the Newham Centre for Mental health for 3 enthusiastic persons to provide Arts Therapies support to acute Mental Health Service users.

Preferably you will have a degree in one of the Arts. You will work closely with Arts therapists and Nursing staff within Multi Disciplinary teams in a ward setting helping to promote creative arts approaches in the delivery of individualised care to Service users. The post will offer valuable working experience to those thinking of pursuing a career in mental health work, particularly for candidates wishing to go on to further training.

You are advised that as a result of the high level of response we receive for some of our vacancies, we may expire any of them prior to the advertised closing date. As a consequence you are urged to submit your application as soon as possible.

Interviews will be held week beginning 22 March 2010.

*PLEASE NOTE – IF YOU ARE SHORTLISTED FOR THIS POST YOU WILL BE CONTACTED BY THE HUMAN RESOURCES DEPARTMENT VIA E-MAIL, PLEASE ENSURE THEREFORE THAT YOU CHECK YOUR E-MAIL ACCOUNT REGULARLY. ALL SUCCESSIVE CORRESPONDENCE WILL ALSO BE SENT VIA E-MAIL.

IF YOU DO NOT HEAR FROM US WITHIN FOUR WEEKS OF THE CLOSING DATE, PLEASE CONSIDER THAT YOU HAVE NOT BEEN SHORTLISTED ON THIS OCCASION.*

We reserve the right to bring forward the closing date should we have an overwhelming response to this advert.

As part of our commitment to improving working lives, we have a range of innovative work-life balance policies and applications are welcome from people interested in working flexibly. Single Living accommodation may be available. Committed to equal opportunities we welcome applications from people who reflect the diversity of our service users including those with mental health problems.

For further information about our Trust please click on the link to East London NHS Foundation Trust website.

In line with the jobcentreplus two ticks symbol, all applicants who have declared that they have a disability and who meet the essential criteria for a post will be shortlisted.

All posts that involve regularly caring for, supervising, training or being in sole charge of children and/or vulnerable adults will be subject to an enhanced CRB check.

Jump to Apply Now 

More information

You can view more information about this employer and this vacancy by clicking on any of the Job Pack Documents or Further Links below. Clicking a link will open a pop-up window containing the relevant details. You may view, print or download the details from there.

Documents

• Job Description (225 KB)
• Person Specification (184 KB)
• Occupational & Art Therapies Services (256 KB)
• Policy Statement on the Recruitment of Ex-Offenders (176 KB)
• Recruitment Information on Foundation Trust (181 KB)
• Routes 2 Employment - Positive Statement (178 KB)

Further Links

• NHS Accommodation
• This is East London NHS Foundation Trust Home Page
• Trust Brochure

Jobs at Church Urban Fund - director of development, fundraisning initiaitive coord &admin manager

Are you passionate about tackling poverty in England?

Church Urban Fund is looking to recruit a Director of Development (salary £50-55K), a Head of Individual Fundraising (salary £30-35K), a Fundraising Initiatives Coordinator (salary 30-32K) and an Administration Manager (salary £28-32K).  These are full-time posts based at our office in Westminster.


Recruitment is being coordinated for us by Action Planning.  For further information please download application details from www.actionplanning.co.uk/jobs. For any other queries, contact Hayley Eggleton at Action Planning on 020 8661 8067 or heggleton@actionplanning.co.uk. 

Closing date: 16th March 2010, 5pm.

London 2012 - BP Young Leaders Programme

London 2012 sponsors BP have just launched the Young Leaders' programme which aims to recruit 100 young people from the ages of 16-25 from disadvantaged backgrounds to an intensive 18 month leadership programme.

The selected Young Leaders who complete the programme will get the chance to put their leadership skills into action and play an important role as a volunteer in the London 2012 volunteer programme.  Read more...

To get involved, please visit the London 2012 website.

Enter charity awards & win a leadership course

The Charity Awards 2010 are now open for entries

The Charity Awards recognise excellence in the leadership and management of charities. They provide a wonderful opportunity for you to propel your charity’s work into the spotlight, to influence policy makers and funders and to boost the morale of your staff and stakeholders.

The closing date for entries is Friday 12 March 2010.

Charity Awards 2010 winners will get a residential leadership training course from the Leadership Trust worth £3,700 - http://bit.ly/b4L4uB

How to enter

Fresh Thinking needed to support women and girls invlved in serious violence

Guide topuwers & barriers of councillors and how to work more closely with them

Trust in Democracy

London Councils has published a new guide to empowering Londoners in local decision-making and strengthening public confidence in local democracy. The guide, 'Trust in Democracy', features leading practice case studies from boroughs across London and explores the range of barriers facing councillors, council officers and voluntary and community groups in bringing communities and councillors closer together to tackle local issues.

Download Trust in Democracy

 Source LVSC

Trial and error: Children and young people in trouble with the law, a guide for charities and funder

Matthew van Poortvliet, Iona Joy, and Camilla Nevill

February 2010, 88 pages

Young offenders don’t often generate much sympathy. With stories in the media everyday of teenage stabbings and gang warfare, many members of the public see youth offending as spiralling out of control.

But in reality it is only a small number of young people who are responsible for a disproportionate amount of crime. What many young people need, instead of custody, are opportunities and support to get back on the straight and narrow.

NPC’s report, Trial and error, explores the issue of youth offending and highlights some of the innovative and promising ways that charities are helping young people to stay out of trouble. The report, aimed at charities and funders, examines strengths and weaknesses within the youth justice sector, outlines the role government plays, and highlights areas where investment could create greatest impact.

• Read Breaking the cycle, NPC's report on adult prisoners and ex-offenders.

‘We came across a number of charities running innovative schemes, such as dance, boxing and vehicle maintenance, that are effective at engaging young people and diverting them from crime. When we spoke to 16-year-old Michael (on a community sentence for drug offences), he pointed out that the conventional punishments that he had received actually made him worse—they simply helped him mix with other offenders and return to a life of crime. To his surprise, what worked was an intensive dance course run by the charity Dance United—it provided structure, support and a route out of offending.’
Matthew van Poortvliet, Research analyst

Source New Philantrophy Capital 

Have you say on the Premises Strategy

We are aware that premises for many groups in Hackney  is a major problem with a large number of the VCS sector renting privately and very few groups owning buildings (that could help with sustainability) . 

The council has conducted a review of all the buildings it owns and rents to the voluntary sectorand is consulting on:

 
 The introduction of a VCS lettings policy will ensure that:
• we have a fair and transparent application and allocation process for VCS lettings which is understood by the Council and VCS partners
• all premises are properly managed
• we manage rental income and address late payments early and in a supportive and effective manner
• outstanding repairs are addressed and planned maintenance is carried out to proper standards.

VCS organisations and interested groups are invited to comment and shape this policy.  To have your say, click here.

Hospital services in North London consultation extended 2 weeks - make your views known!!