Monday 29 November 2010

Advent Conspiracy

How about looking at Advent in a whole new way... as a conspiracy!

Nice theory shown in this video:

Advent Conspiracy from Morning Star Church on Vimeo.

Thursday 18 November 2010

New Grief/Loss support guidance

Schoolswork.co.uk have a new section offering guidance on supporting young people through grief and loss. Download their useful PDF here.

Training

UK Youth
A wide range of training courses is provided by UK Youth for people who work with young people. Many courses take place in Birmingham. Rates start at about £100 per delegate. Take a look at their training calendar.

Small Grant Fund

GRANTS OF UP TO £1,500 ARE AVAILABLE FOR PROMOTING WELL BEING IN DUDLEY
The Mental Health Promotion Programme is pleased to announce Round 14 of the Small Grant Fund to promote well being in Dudley.

The Small Grant Fund is focused around developing projects to promote mental health and well being to ensure people are well informed to look after their mental health and that of others. This may be in relation to the following key areas:

  • Communities violence and abuse
  • Young People
  • Combating stigma and discrimination
  • Later life
  • Parents and early years

  • Employment

This is non-recurrent funding and is intended to give initial funding or allow for pilot work to take place.

Applications are welcome from voluntary, community and faith groups. Successful applicants will be required to submit their bids in line with guidelines. Please note: Capital resources should not be a major cost within the bid but may be considered in view of the total bid application.

All bids must be submitted by 10th December 2010.

To request an application form please contact:
Kathy De Cicco, Mental Health Promotion Programme, Public Health, NHS Dudley,
St Johns House, Union Street, Dudley, DY2 8PP.
email:
kathy.decicco@dudley.nhs.uk
Tel: 01384 321913.

Free Training Opportunity

Dudley CVS are holding £10,000 from the Children’s Workforce Development Council, via DMBC Children’s Services, to help support the training needs of voluntary, community and faith groups working with children, young people and families. This training could be for paid staff, volunteers or members of the management committee. The training could be used to make your organisation more efficient or to improve the skills and knowledge of your workforce.

We are trying to identify what training you think would help your group.
This might include:

  • dealing with bullying
  • conflict resolution
  • paediatric first aid
  • evaluation with young people
  • children’s development
  • engaging with parents
  • creative arts and young people
  • substance misuse
  • participation
  • sexual health
  • mentoring

These are only examples, to ensure that we are meeting the needs of your group could you please contact Dudley CVS with your ideas on what training would help your group.

We will be putting together a training programme in early 2011, based on your responses. We will be looking to provide a diverse selection of training, across all age ranges.

Arnie is also looking for details on any issues which might prevent anyone from your group accessing training eg transport costs, childcare, etc.

Arnie is also trying to identify potential training providers from the voluntary, community and faith sector who may be able to provide some of the training programme. Please
contact Dudley CVS if you think your group might be able to offer part of the training programme.

Football Competition

Speaking Out Conference - Book Your Free Place Now!

The 2010 annual Children England and NCVYS Speaking Out conference, Under the spotlight – unlocking community potential, is taking place on Thursday 9th December (9.30am – 4.30pm) at The Royal Horticultural Halls, Westminster, 80 Vincent Square, London, SW1P 2PE.

This year’s conference will look at the increased focus on voluntary and community organisations because of the enhanced role they are expected to play in the Big Society. Speakers Include; Helen Stephenson, Deputy Director from the Office for Civil Society, Fay Selvan, CEO of Big Life group and blogger Tim Davies Co-director of Practical Participation.

The day will also include a panel discussion and seminars providing an opportunity for local, regional and national policymakers to network with colleagues in the sector and discuss key issues affecting children and young people in some of the most challenging areas of frontline delivery

If you would like to book a place please email speakingout@ncvys.org.uk

WIN A VIP DAY AT STAMFORD BRIDGE

Enter the Samsung Fives.....

We are delighted to take this opportunity to offer you and your team-mates the opportunity to experience the Samsung Wave as the winners of the Samsung Fives 2010 at Goals Star City.

All you need to do is enter a team of eight in our tournament on the Sunday 5th December 2010. The winning team will represent Goals Star City at the National Final at Goals Birmingham Star City on the 12th December where you will compete for the chance to experience the Samsung Wave mobile phone (one for each member of your team) plus VIP Match Day Hospitality at Stamford Bridge to see the current Premiership Champions, Chelsea, in action.

In addition every team that enter will receive:

  • FREE Umbro Football for every team that enters
  • A case of soft drink ( for the first 10 teams that enter and pay £10 deposit)
  • A FREE weekend pitch
  • Automatic entry into a Prize draw to win 1 of 8 Samsung Wave Handsets

The winners of each Qualifying Heat will also receive:

  • A Month of FREE Football ( 4 weeks of a league session or a 4 week block booking)

National Champions will receive:

Samsung wave:

  • play movies and HD videos on the Super AMOLED
  • Crates a slideshow and browse the photos just by tilting the phone
  • Flick through your albums and create play lists with the music jukebox
  • Watch the latest TV with the BBC iplayer widget

VIP Match Day Hospitality at Stamford Bridge

  • A Pre-Match 3 course meal
  • Complimentary refreshments
  • VIP seats at Stamford Bridge

There are a limited number of pitches available and it will be first come first served so get dialling.

Kirsty Downey Assistant Manager Goals Birmingham

Star City, Watson Road, Birmingham, B7 5SA

T- 0121 326 6644 Web: www.goalsfootball.co.uk Email: birmingham@goalsfootball.co.uk

Job Vancancies

YSS Job Vacancies

Manager – Full time
Administrator - Full time
Anyone who is interested in these vacancies can download the information from their website.

Closing date:12.00 Noon Friday 26 November 2010

Interviews: Week commencing 6 December 2010

Worcestershire County Council OftSted

A Statement from

Gail Quinton

Director of Children's Services

"An Announced Inspection of the Safeguarding Services and Looked After Children Services provided by Worcester Children's Services and partners took place in October. The findings of this inspection, which was carried out by Ofsted from October 4 to 15, have now been published. Go to www.wcvys.co.uk/news for a copy.

Inspectors have graded our overall effectiveness for safeguarding services as inadequate and capacity for improvement as adequate, with five immediate areas for improvement. In the area of services for looked after children, we have been graded as adequate, with capacity for improvement also being rated adequate.

The publication of these inspection findings follow on from Ofsted's unannounced inspection of our contact, referral and assessment arrangements, which took place on July 6 and 7 this year.

Ensuring our most vulnerable children are protected and remain protected is our highest priority. We recognise the purpose of these inspections to continuously drive improvement and are already working on making the immediate and short-term improvements and working in the right direction towards effectively achieving the long-term actions.

The inspectors recognised that we have taken immediate action since the unannounced inspection in July and that while some of our changes are at an early stage, they are the right steps and that we do have the capacity to improve.

For more information, please contact Siobhan Williams, Head of Safeguarding and Services to Children and Young People."

Wednesday 17 November 2010

First Light Youth Film Fund - Pilot Awards

Financial assistance is available to organisations to make a short film of less than five minutes. The film should be made by young people aged 5-18 years, collaborating with film professionals.

Up to £5,000 is available, covering 80% of total costs.

First Light was set up to provide funding and inspiration for the development, production and exhibition of short films made by young people across the UK - films that represent and embrace the diversity of their lives, stories and dreams.

Organisations can get funding to make a short film of less than five minutes long. The film should be made by the young people themselves, collaborating with film professionals. The intention is to encourage fruitful, creative partnerships between organisations that work with young people, filmmakers and the film industry.
Latest Information

The current deadline is 11 January 2011.

Eligible organisations include:

* Community or amateur groups.
* Colleges or universities.
* Schools.
* Trusts or foundations.
* Local authorities.
* Youth groups.
* Voluntary organisations.

Organisations must have:

* A written constitution.
* A dedicated bank account in the name of the organisation.
* A track record of working with 5-18 year olds.
* Film-making experience.

Applications should be able to demonstrate:

* A creative, innovative, imaginative filmmaking idea.
* How the project will reach young filmmakers who may not have previously had access to filmmaking opportunities.
* How young people will be involved at all stages of the project and what benefits they will gain including:
o Developing team work skills.
o Develop increased skills in filmmaking, information communication technology (ICT), literacy and communication.
o Learn transferable life skills and become more aware of their own learning.
o Gaining fun and enjoyment through working on a filmmaking project.
* Strength of support, including any collaborations or partnerships involved. Evidence should be provided that the project is suitably staffed and the organisation is capable of carrying out the idea.
* A well researched budget that shows value for money.


First Light will fund the following activities:

* Films where young people (aged 5 - 18 years) take a lead role in all aspects of the production process.
* Live action, animated fiction or creative documentaries.
* Films that explore and develop creative filmmaking techniques with people aged 5-18.
* Films that are under 5 minutes long.
* Films made in the UK, primarily involving young people who live in the UK.

The cost of buying equipment is eligible, but up to a limit of 10% of the total project cost.
Match Funding Restrictions

Up to 80% of overall costs will be covered to a maximum of £5,000. Applicants must demonstrate 20% of matched funding.
Restrictions

An organisation cannot have two First Light awards running at the same time.

The scheme will not fund:

* Films that promote an organisation or its activities, campaigning or fund-raising vehicles.
* Music promo videos.
* Training videos.
* Multimedia or web projects.
* 'Making of' documentaries.
* Straightforward recordings of arts (or other) events.
* TV style magazine programmes, video diaries or vox pops.
* Pilots for longer films.
* Films that are over five minutes long.

For further information email

Tuesday 16 November 2010

CPAS Making Mission Possible events

Making Mission Possible events.

This new programme of events will help train, equip and inspire lay and ordained leaders in churches across the country to be more mission-focused in their ministries.

Your mission, should you choose to accept it:


Growing Leaders – Training the Trainers

Date: 5 February 2011, 10am to 4pm

Location: CPAS, Athena Drive, WARWICK CV34 6NG

Cost: £22 (group discounts available)

Mission agents: This event will be led by James Lawrence

Book your place online or call CPAS on 01926 458458.


Thank you for your help. We’ve already sent out invitations to various lay and ordained church leaders in the area, but with your help these Making Mission Possible events can be even more effective in equipping lay and ordained leaders for mission.

Thursday 11 November 2010

Roots Advent resource

WAITING FOR GOD: An Advent calendar for all ages

The ROOTS’ Advent Calendar 2010 helps to remind us of some of the many words, images and names given to Jesus in Scripture. A mixture of active, prayerful and practical suggestions to help us prepare to celebrate Christmas.

Follow this link to download a pdf of the Advent calendar in colour or black and white,

plus more of our free introductory material.


If you would like printed copies of the calendar for mailings, or more information,

email Allison Ward at rootspromo@rootsontheweb.com.

Christmas Activities

Why not take your group Ice Skating this Winter?

Webbs of Hagley will be having a real ice rink installed from 20th November to 9th January 2011. Groups of 10 get the 11th ticket free.

For all group bookings please contact Webbs, West Hagley and ask for Paul Barnard or Sarah Lammas. Ring 01562 700511or email paul@webbsofwychbold.co.uk or cafewh@webbsofwychbold.co.uk

Worcestershire County Council Survey for the Voluntary and Community Sector


WCC will have less money to spend in the future and will need to reduce services. Before the council makes decisions about which services will be reduced in the 'spend less, do less' approach, it wants as much public opinion as possible to inform its decisions. The council carried out some consultation work over the summer, thank you if you helped with this; the results identified a number of medium and high priority services but the council now needs to explore this further and understand which of these priority services are most important to residents. The council are keen to ensure that all sections of the community have an opportunity to respond to this survey and feed in their views on council services so please do feel free to make other people aware of the consultation.

http://www.worcestershire.gov.uk/budgetsurveyB

You can have your say by clicking on the link for an online version of the survey.



Surveys are also available in libraries, customer service centres, children's centres, registry offices and in the local newspapers.


The closing date for responses is Monday 22nd November.

Tuesday 9 November 2010

Funding opportunities

Veolia Environmental Trust:
Apply anyime, no deadlines

Size of grant available: Up to £100,000 for projects costing less than £500,000

Aims and outcomes of funder: Support community/environmental projects such as play areas, skate parks, footpaths, green spaces, natural habitats, community halls, churches

Additional information: Projects need to be within 5 miles of a Veolia operated site and they must meet the criteria under one of the 5 funding categories (see website)

Trusthouse Charitable Foundation:
Large grants, deadline for applications 30th November 2010

Size of grant available: £10,000-£30,000

Aims and outcomes of funder: One of their two overarching themes is tackling urban deprivation through projects dealing with community support, disability/healthcare and art/education/heritage

Additional information: Will only provide funding for capital appeals. In 2008/9 the average large grant was just under £19,000

See Website


Faiths in Action:
Applications can be submitted at any time, however, there’s not much money remaining so organisations should apply as soon as possible

Size of grant available: Up to £6,000

Aims and outcomes of funder: Supports local projects for faith, inter faith, voluntary and community sector organisations providing activities for women and young people

Additional information: Grants must be spent by 31st March 2011 on either new or existing activities

Website

Dulverton Trust:
Minor grants programme, no deadlines, trustees meet 4 times a year
Size of grant available: Up to £3,500

Aims and outcomes of funder: Priority is given to organisations working in areas of severe deprivation with projects around general welfare and youth/education (main focus)

Additional information: Minor grants available for smaller organisations (income up to £400,000 per annum)


Website

Freemasons Grand Charity:
Non-Masonic grants, next deadline 26th November 2010

Size of grant available: £500-£5,000 for core funding to smaller charities

Aims and outcomes of funder: Support vulnerable people e.g. those with disabilities/healthcare needs, the elderly and babies as well as youth opportunities

Additional information: Organisations must apply to the Provincial Grand Lodge of the region in which they operate

Website