Welcome to the sixth European Social Fund (ESF) bulletin for Voluntary and Community Organisations (VCOs) in the Swindon, Wiltshire, Bournemouth & Poole and Dorset. This bulletin summarises current ESF developments, with the intention of connecting regional policy makers with frontline VCOs.
Your feedback and comments are very welcome.
Contact details are available at the end of this newsletter.
Join the ESF Refresh Consultation, and Get Free Entry to South West Forum’s Annual Conference
15 free places are available for the second day of South West Forum Annual Conference on 4th November in Cheltenham. Worth up to £80 to VCOs, this offer is free to those who participate in the workshop ‘ESF Framework Refresh Consultation’ at 9.30-11.45am, 4th November 2009, Thistle Hotel, Cheltenham.
The event runs all day, with speeches from Justin Davis–Smith (Chief Executive of Volunteering England) and Simon Blake (Chair of Compact Voice). The full programme is available at South West Forum Value, Voice and Vision booking form
The ESF workshop is a valuable opportunity to include a strong VCO voice on the re-drafting of the ESF framework for the South West Competitiveness region. The framework is the blueprint for ESF activity through to 2013, and guides the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), Learning and Skills Council (LSC) and the National Offender Management Service (NOMS) in developing their ESF programmes.
Ekos Gen, the lead researchers on the framework refresh, would like to hear your thoughts on:
- Are the ESF regional objectives outlined in the Frameworks still the right ones?
- How has the economic downturn impacted upon delivery and progress towards targets, and how should the refresh respond?
- How should the Frameworks be re-focused to address changing national and regional priorities?
- What are the one or two big things that the refresh needs to do?
The workshop is of relevance to all VCOs engaged in skills, employment and worklessness, infrastructure organisations supporting frontline delivery in these areas, and all VCOs who wish to deliver an ESF project in the future.
To secure your free place, email a completed Booking Form to debra@southwestforum.org.uk quoting ‘Voluntary Value conference place’ in the subject. Free places will be offered on a first come-first served basis.
Wider Refresh Consultations
Additionally, Ekos Gen has arranged three wider consultations on the ESF Regional Framework Refresh to which VCOs, public and private organisations are all invited to participate. The events will be held at the following venues:
- Tuesday 3rd November at Future Inn, Bristol, from 1-4pm (registration from 12:45). location details
- Monday 9th November at the Guildhall, Salisbury, from 1-4pm (registration from 12:45). location details
- Friday 13th Exeter at Ashford's Solicitors, Exeter, from 1-4pm (registration from 12:45). location details
To confirm your attendance at one of the events above, email stephanie.hardy@swrsp.org.uk
Voluntary Value Conference, SCAT, Taunton, 3rd December 2009
The annual Voluntary Value conference will provide advance notice of the 2010 ESF opportunities, examine the relationship between providers and sub-contractors, and champion the added value of involving VCOs in project delivery.
Download the flyer and booking form below:
| Voluntary Value Conference Flyer | download (PDF) |
| Voluntary Value Conference Booking Form | download (MS Word doc) |
How to Influence Regional ESF Policy
On all matters relating to ESF, frontline VCO concerns and recommendations can be taken to the regional policy makers through South West Forum’s Voluntary Value project. ESF can help VCOs to deliver the projects needed in their communities – but only when regional policy is heading in the right direction. The diagram below describes how local information feeds the ESF delivery process:
click for larger image
Case Study: Plymouth YMCA Delivers ESF Success
From being a school leaver trying different jobs with no real sense of what career path to follow, a Plymouth teenager has been crowned the country's top Sports Leader and won an all expenses paid scholarship to continue his studies.
Tony Harris, 18, was one of a number of students who completed the Sports Leadership course, delivered by the YMCA in Plymouth as part of the NewLeaf ESF project.
Tony's success has left him full of excitement and enthusiasm and looking forward to beginning a career in the sport and leisure industry. Tony said: “I've always loved sport but I had no idea when I began the Community Sports Leader course what it would lead to. It's changed my life, given me self-confidence, tolerance and a real sense of direction.”
Since his competition success, Tony has also been offered a full time apprenticeship at the YMCA, which he will start immediately.
A New Profile of Social Exclusion in the South West
The ‘Moving to Inclusion’ report was commissioned by the ESF Team at Government Office for the South West with the aim of providing everyone involved in the implementation, and monitoring and evaluation of the 2007-2013 ESF programme in the South West with ‘as comprehensive picture as possible of current levels of disadvantage amongst the population of the South West’.
The report is part of a set of statistical briefings that individually and collectively present a portrait of economic disadvantage in the South West through the lenses of gender, age, disability and ethnicity. Additionally, the report provides a picture of the situation in each sub-region in the South West.
The full report is available here
Growing your staff and organisation’s potential through Mentoring and Coaching
Research suggests that, on average, people use only 40 per cent of their potential in the workplace.
Just imagine the impact on you and your organisation if it were possible to tap into the remaining 60 per cent. Coaching and mentoring have been shown to be highly effective in releasing people’s potential.
The third sector is continually evolving, in those that have downsized during the recession and that have flatter structures, individuals often have far broader responsibilities and need to be more flexible.
Good coaching and mentoring increases awareness, personal responsibility, self-belief, learning, skill development, effectiveness and performance.
This applies to the individual, the team and ultimately the bottom line of an organisation.
Ladder4learning believes that people are a crucial resource and an important source of competitive advantage. Developing the potential of the workforce is important both for an organisation and for the individuals within it. Just consider the impact on your organisation of releasing some of that untapped potential.
If you are interested in finding out more about what a mentor and a coach does ladder4learning have produced this briefing sheet:
Coaching and Mentoring Briefing Sheet
Relevant courses can be searched for on the ladder4learning website:
Ladder4learning course search
Sign up for our newsletter to keep up to date with news relating to workforce development in the voluntary sector.
ladder4learning is funded by the Big Lottery Fund and is managed by The Learning Curve (Charity No. 1090735 Company No. 4324686).
Third Sector Transition Support Update
As part of the transition arrangements, the LSC has contracted with the Third Sector National Learning Alliance (TSNLA) to assist voluntary and third sector providers and support organisations through these significant changes. Our sector support programme over the next six months will include the following key actions:
- Preparation & dissemination of a series of key briefing papers - including guides to the Young Peoples Learning Agency (YPLA) and Skills Funding Agency (SFA), as well as thematic briefings on key issues such as commissioning arrangements and quality assurance requirements;
- A skills development programme including written guidance, e-mail/telephone advice and one-to-one support delivered by a team of Support Advisers;
- A toolkit for commissioners to underpin understanding of third sector infrastructure, the Compact and existing good practice, and;
- Two communication events to be held during February 2010.
The TSNLA delivery team comprises highly experienced voluntary/third sector managers from a partnership of organisations including NAVCA, Lancashire Learning Consortium CIC, The Learning Curve and Derbyshire Learning and Development Consortium. We shall also be receiving support from NIACE, ACEVO, Third Sector European Network and Skills Third Sector.
If you wish to contact the TSNLA team, please visit their website and submit a message - a team member will get back to you as soon as they can.
The new post-19 education and skills landscape – frequently asked questions
(BIS, updated 1st September 2009)
This website provides answers to questions about the transition from the LSC to the SFA, as asked at nine regional events on the Machinery of Government changes and the pre- and post-19 landscape.
BIS frequently asked questions document
The Third Sector Website
This site is for anyone working in or with the third sector who wants to know more about training their own people or gaining contracts to train others.
http://thirdsector.lsc.gov.uk/
Community Learning Champions Website
What is a Community Learning Champion?
A community learning champion promotes the value of learning to others - friends, relatives, and workmates - and encourages them to get involved. A community learning champion is often someone for whom learning has made a positive change in their own life.
This is a new website sharing information on the Community Learning Champions support programme, managed by NIACE.
www.communitylearningchampions.org.uk
Review of Trustee Standards
Since 2006, the Standards for Trustees have been very well received – in fact, 5,000 pocket guides have been sold and countless more copies downloaded electronically.
As part of the Standards monitoring process we must now check that the Standards for Trustees are still ‘fit for purpose’ and reflect good practice in Trusteeship across the UK.
We have developed an online questionnaire and would value your thoughts. To find out more and to complete the questionnaire please visit the Skills – Third Sector website:
Skills Third Sector standards for trustees consultation
StepUp - supporting organisations aspiring to devleop and grow
A new team of specialist advisers for voluntary and community organisations in Wiltshire.
Are you an established community group or charity, or thinking of starting one, and based in Wiltshire?
Do you work with volunteers?
Do you need help finding funding?
Do you need help with training and development?
Then the StepUp team wants to help you!
The StepUp project has brought together a team of three specialist advisers, one from each of The Charities Information Bureau South & West, The Learning Curve and the Volunteer Centre Swindon to provide a free support service.
The StepUp team offers information, advice and guidance in the key areas of finance and fundraising; volunteering, developing volunteers and volunteer management; employee development and employment issues service for community and voluntary organisations in Wiltshire.
Any voluntary, community or not-for-profit organisation in Wiltshire could benefit from this support including organisations of varying sizes, from very small informal support groups or those just setting up to larger and/or more established organisations.
If you would like some help with:
| Finance and fundraising
Kirsty Haasjes Tel: 01380 729279 | Email |
| Employee development and employment issues
Sue Jordan Tel:01225 792500 | Email |
| Volunteering, developing volunteers and
volunteer management
Carol Harrison Tel: 01793 420557 | Email |
Funding advisors for Swindon and Wiltshire
Please find below contact details for funding advisors for Swindon and Wiltshire:
Funding Advisors Network (FAN) contact
Julie Allen, CIB Wilts
Subscription to bi-monthly funding news bulletin
Graham Harris, Wiltshire Council
Funding advisors for Bournemouth, Dorset and Poole
Please find below contact details for funding advisors for Bournemouth, Dorset and Poole:
Bournemouth and Poole
Lyn Pullen, Poole CVS
Gary Bentham, Bournemouth Borough Council
Dorset
Chris Carman, Dorset Community Action
Christine Stone, West Dorset District Council
