The latest edition of the is now available.
Please take the time to read the Acorn to update yourself with what’s going on in the Children’s Trust.
Acorn Edition 13 can found online by clicking: here
Can I particularly draw your attention to the last page of the Acorn which contains a 2 page reader friendly feedback report for parents based on the recent research for the parenting strategy. I would be grateful if you could disseminate this feedback far and wide and try and get it out to as many parents as possible; professionals may be similarly interested. The report also directs people to the full findings should they be interested. Please feel free to reproduce this for your centres for working parents, staff or parent visitors to pick up and take away. For just a copy of the 2 page report, please log onto it by clicking: here
On behalf of the Children’s Trust, I would like to thank everybody who sent in articles for the June 2009 Edition.
If you wish to submit an article to be included in September edition, please email staffordshirechildrenstrust@staffordshire.gov.uk or call 01785 277116
June 30th, 2009 |
June 30th, 2009 |
THIS MESSAGE HAS BEEN SENT ON BEHALF OF SHARON PALMER (RAWM CEO)
Please find attached an invite letter to all Chief Executives to take part in a consultation event to develop a regional Third Sector Leadership Board.
The broad aim of the forum will be to act as a conduit between the sector and policy makers in the West Midlands, facilitating engagement and enabling the sector to influence regional planning and decision making. We are holding an event when we will be consulting the Chief Executives of the generalist Third Sector infrastructure organisations in the region on what the specific aims and objectives of the proposed forum should be.
The first consultation will be taking place on the morning of Tuesday 14th July in Burton–on-Trent.
The second consultation will be taking place on the morning of Wednesday 5th August in Worcester.
To book a place on either one of the events please email Matt Bullock at mattb@rawm.co.uk
June 30th, 2009 |
Have you or one of your colleagues done exceptional work in the past year? If so the Third Sector Excellence Awards’ Employee of the Year award offers a chance for your hard work to be recognised. The awards celebrate the work of the third sector in all its forms and there’s still time to apply for the Employee of the Year award before the application process ends on 30 June. The awards ceremony takes place in central London on 24 September.
The Employee of the Year award recognises a member of staff who has proposed and had adopted an idea that has improved the work of their organisation. For more details or to enter visit http://www.thirdsectorexcellenceawards.com .
June 30th, 2009 |
Third sector organisations with an annual turnover of between £150,000 and £750,000 are invited to apply for a £1,000 bursary from the government’s Modernisation Fund Grants Programme.
The bursaries will allow organisations to buy at least two days of advice and support to explore how they can become more resilient and work more closely with others, including through collaboration or merger. To find out more, visit www.modernisationfund.org.uk before 17 July.
June 30th, 2009 |
Nearly 25,000 people have signed a petition urging the government to see domestic violence from a child’s point of view.
The petition, which calls for the government to take action to address the shortage of refuges and therapy services for child victims of domestic violence, was handed to children’s minister Dawn Primarolo.
A survey published by child protection charity the NSPCC today, found that during nine out of 10 incidents of domestic violence, children are either in the same or next room.
Of the 1,075 11- to 16-year-olds questioned, one in 12 children has been kept awake at night listening to domestic violence.
NSPCC head of policy and public affairs, Diana Sutton said: "The government still treats domestic violence as largely an adult problem when clearly children are victims too."
The petition also urges the government to train police, social services and other professionals to deal with the impact of domestic violence on any children in the family and teach every child in school about domestic violence, how to get help and how to have respectful personal relationships.
June 30th, 2009 |
What was the UK Workforce Hub, providing help and resources for the voluntary sector on employment, work skills and HR issues, is changing. It will be known as Workforce Development, under the NCVO banner, with resources continuing to be available at http://www.ukworkforcehub.org.uk. However, from September a new NCVO web site will take over HR/employment resources, and learning and skills will go to the new Skills - Third Sector body. News item.
June 30th, 2009 |
Staffordshire Third Sector Network
The next meeting of this group will be held;
- on Monday the 27th July, 2009
- 10-12.00 (with lunch)
- at Rising Brook Baptist Church,
- Rising Brook Baptist Church Centre (map)
Burton Square
Stafford ST17 9LT - The agenda for this meeting will include;
- Listening to and advising the SCIO / S3SN Staffordshire Representatives on the following agenda;
- Stronger communities; volunteering and creating an environment for a thriving third sector,
- and Safer; domestic violence, drug and alcohol abuse, anti social behaviour and crime.
- Currently the group have been identifying the partnerships within the safer, stronger and cohesive communities that the third sector is represented at. This meeting will be an opportunity to ask questions and decide if there are points that should be raised by the representatives at the next series of meetings for safer, stronger and cohesive communities.
- We will also be discussing the actions that need to take place following the Ni7 conference ‘An environment for a Thriving Third Sector’ held on the 23rd June, 09
- inviting Phil Pusey and Dave Benge to come along to our meeting to start a dialogue between the Children and Young Peoples agenda and this one.
- Government Green Paper “Engaging Communities in Criminal Justice”. A link to the Green Paper and an online consultation facility can be found at here
- Please confirm you attendance so that we cater for numbers
June 30th, 2009 |
Great news for community and voluntary groups across Staffordshire as European Social Funds are now available.
Grants of up to £12,000 are up for grabs for a wide range of community-based schemes and projects and the Community Council of Staffordshire is ready and waiting to help groups get their hands on the cash.
Charities and other not for profit groups and organisations are being urged to apply for the funds, which are only available for a limited period.
Funding is available for community and voluntary groups who want to carry out work that will help people increase their confidence levels, skills and knowledge.
Projects can be stand-alone or part of existing work, with the main aim of improving people’s lives and life chances.
Groups can apply for up to £12,000 to be used for a wide range of activities, including volunteering schemes, confidence building activities, help with basic skills, community engagement events and signposting to other support services.
The Community Council is holding an application workshop on 23 July 2009.
The event will take place at the Brewhouse Art Centre in Burton-upon-Trent between 10.00am and 1.00pm.
Anyone interested in attending this event or learning more about the scheme is advised to contact Charlotte Green at the Community Council of Staffordshire by telephoning 01785 242525 or by e-mail: charlotte.green@staffs.org.uk
June 30th, 2009 |
The government-backed Social Enterprise Investment Fund, which provides loans and grants to social enterprises which improve the quality of health and social care for local communities, has re-opened for applications under the new management of Futurebuilders England. Department of Health news item at http://www.dh.gov.uk/en/News/Recentstories/DH_100661, or see http://www.dh.gov.uk/seif
June 23rd, 2009 |
All registered charities will have received a copy of the Charities Commission’s latest Newsletter, No. 29 (summer 2009).
If you haven’t had their email or received a copy, you can go to http://www.charitycommission.gov.uk/tcc/newslist.asp and find two versions – an online HTML version and a downloadable PDF version.
It’s easy to read and you should read it all, but here are some notable parts:
“Last year, we ran a joint consultation with the Office of the Third Sector on the secondary legislation and model constitutions needed to complete the legal framework for the Charitable Incorporated Organisation. We received an excellent level of response, given the highly technical nature of the consultation.
The Office of the Third Sector is reviewing all the responses in detail, and expects to make a number of changes to the framework as a result.
A summary of consultation responses and next steps will be published later in the Summer, but the CIO is not expected to be an option available for charities until April 2010.”
“Many charities want to take environmental responsibility but either don’t know where to start, are concerned about the cost or are not sure if doing so is within their charitable objects. In December we published a report, Going Green: Charities and environmental responsibility, which looked at the experiences of 21 charities interested in tackling the green challenge.”
The newsletter is also accompanied by a checklist to help trustee boards discuss how they can maximise their sustainability in the recession: The economic downturn- 15 questions trustees need to ask. We strongly encourage the boards of all charities to use it as the basis for exploring risks, challenges and opportunities. http://www.charitycommission.gov.uk/publicbenefit/default.asp
June 23rd, 2009 |
Charity investments lost 7.1 per cent of their value in the first quarter of 2009, according to final figures released by WM Performance Services earlier this month.
The figures show there were negative returns in every asset class except index-linked bonds, which produced a positive return of 2.4 per cent. The steepest drop was in overseas equities, for which the figures show a loss of 10.1 per cent.
Charity investments in bonds, cash and property also showed negative returns.
The quarterly WM Charity Universes figures show that investment returns dropped by slightly more than their initial estimates, released in April this year, which showed a fall of 6.9 per cent.
Charity assets were still held mostly in equities, with 40.5 per cent in UK equities and 23.5 per cent in overseas equities at the end of the quarter. A further 15.4 per cent was held in UK bonds, and 14.4 per cent in cash and near-cash equivalents.
Figures for common investment funds - collective schemes holding several billion pounds of charity investments - show they made losses in every major asset class except cash.
John Kelly, head of client investment at not-for-profit investor CCLA, said the figures for the quarter covered an exceptionally bad period for charity investments. "The next quarter will look much better," he said. "The markets have returned to more or less where they were at the start of the year."
He said the rally in the markets was based on a movement by investors from an extremely pessimistic approach to a more neutral one.
June 23rd, 2009 |
Pressure group Save Our Savings calls for equal treatment for all charities that lost cash in failed banks
The decision to give Manchester charity Christie’s the £6.5m it lost in the collapse of Icelandic banks while other charities still await news of their fate is perverse and unfair, according to the joint chairman of charity pressure group Save Our Savings.
Peter Hepburn, chief executive of animal welfare charity Cats Protection and a leading light of SOS, a group of 30 charities that lost £50m in failed banks, said he feared the decision "could signal unfairness ahead".
The Treasury is due to announce this week what action it will take to compensate the 30 charities.
But last week NHS North West gave £6.5m to Christie’s, which raises £13m a year for cancer hospital The Christie after a strong campaign by the Manchester Evening News.
Hepburn said it would be "perverse and unfair" if Christie’s were favoured over the rest of the SOS group and called for a consistent approach to all charities that have been lobbying the Treasury for full compensation.
"We should not be lulled into thinking the money for Christie’s was pre-existing NHS money," he said. "It’s all government money and the implication is that it was convenient for the Government to compensate Christie’s because the hospital was already receiving public funding, so that channel was open."
He said the Cash Back for Christie’s campaign had strengthened Christie’s case, but said he suspected the charity had also benefited from further conversations with the Government. He said he was concerned that other SOS charities would lose out because they were not providing public services.
Hepburn said SOS would continue its campaign if the Treasury response was negative, but it would be "an appalling waste of donors’ money" if the group was forced to take legal action.
Christie’s dropped plans to seek a judicial review after recovering the money and withdrew from SOS.
Louise Hadley, head of Christie’s, said: "Our priority is and always will be our patients, and that’s where our focus needs to be.
"We feel for the other charities still awaiting the return of their funds and hope they receive compensation as soon as possible."
NHS North West said its support for Christie’s was not at the expense of other NHS services.
June 23rd, 2009 |
essays on the independence of the voluntary sector
The Baring Foundation has published a large (140 pages) but very useful and illuminating set of essays on voluntary action.
They include the excellent “The independence of the voluntary sector from government in England” by Ben Cairns, Director of the Institute for Voluntary Action Research.
It’s an academic paper but readable and may be useful in our work with local (and other) Government, and as reference material when we are trying to prove how voluntary action works.
Some interesting comparisons with other places, including Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland, Canada, Germany and the US.
Find it here http://www.baringfoundation.org.uk/FirstPrincipleofVA.pdf
June 23rd, 2009 |
A DATE FOR YOUR DIARY:
30th June 2009
S3SN Children & Young People’s Reference Group Meeting
Pakistani Community Centre, Burton upon Trent
10.00 am - 1.00 pm
June 23rd, 2009 |
Cash 4 Clubs is a sports grants scheme which provides funding to support grassroots UK sports clubs. Cash 4 Clubs gives clubs a chance to win grants ranging from £250 to £1000, whether it be to improve facilities, purchase new equipment, gain coaching qualifications, or generally invest in the sustainability of their club.
There are 3 tiers of grants at £250, £500 and £1,000 which are awarded on a discretionary basis. Any sports club can apply as long as they are registered with their sport’s National Governing Body or local authority. Funding can be requested for anything that will add to the sustainability and effectiveness of the sports club.
Application forms are available on their website from mid June 2009.
Contact Email: cash4clubs@betfair.com Website: http://www.cash-4-clubs.com
is a sports grants scheme which provides funding to support grassroots UK sports clubs. Cash 4 Clubs gives clubs a chance to win grants ranging from £250 to £1000, whether it be to improve facilities, purchase new equipment, gain coaching qualifications, or generally invest in the sustainability of their club.
There are 3 tiers of grants at £250, £500 and £1,000 which are awarded on a discretionary basis. Any sports club can apply as long as they are registered with their sport’s National Governing Body or local authority. Funding can be requested for anything that will add to the sustainability and effectiveness of the sports club.
Application forms are available on their website from mid June 2009.
Contact Email: cash4clubs@betfair.com Website: http://www.cash-4-clubs.com
June 23rd, 2009 |
The DCSF is funding Parentline Plus to run a marketing campaign to make families affected by the recession more aware how Parentline Plus can support them. Parentline Plus offers parents emotional support and signposting to specialist advice on any issue from difficult toddlers to challenging teens and family rows.
Parents find its 24-hour, free and confidential helpline 0808 800 2222 and website invaluable.
This Message raises awareness that Parentline Plus is running a radio campaign for three weeks from 8 June and it will be distributing leaflets to the places parents go with handy tips for families. If you want to know more contact Zarqa Taraq at Parentline Plus on 020 7284 5500.
Parent Know How
This implementation handbook supports local authority delivery of the Parent Know How Directory (PKHD).
It outlines the recommended key steps to set up and integrate a local Enhanced Childcare Directory and Family Service Directory.
The handbook will support local authorities during the critical summer period as they prepare for the live release of the PKHD in September and the shutting down of the current iChIS system, including the childcarelink website.
Please visit the new website.
The support website for Parent Know How Directory (PKHD) is now live; the link address is as follows:
June 23rd, 2009 |