E-bulletin July 2015
INSIDE:
Articles • Board Director - Volunteer Vacancy • Business Development Manager Organisation: Barrhead Community Sports Hub • Domestic Abuse Protection Goes National • Halfway to Living Wage Target • JSA and ESA Sanctions in Scotland • Power To The People • Progress On Tackling Delayed • Reducing Red Tape
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Spotlight on Seniors Together
Resources • East Renfrewshire Small Grants Trust • Innovate UK • Saltire Summit Award Nominatins Now Open! • Self Management Week Planning Sessions Events • Creating A Fairer Scotland: What Matters To You? Public Contracts & Funding • Scottish Charities Can Apply For Free Google Ads • Supplier Development Programme • Public Contract Notice • Funding
Third Sector Forum The TSF facilitates biannual forum meetings held in June and January each year. Along with these biannual forum meetings we have developed VA Academy to keep you updated and connected. A ‘flexible programme’ of smaller issue based meetings will also be held as required.
VA Academy Volunteer Management: A Free Taster If you’re new to recruiting, training and managing volunteers, or if you already support volunteers and could use a short taster, come along to our next VA Academy. The taster session will provide an overview of areas covered in Volunteer Management Training, from recruiting volunteers to making sure they are supported within your organisation. VA Academy is a monthly bite-size training academy, offering targeted information and update sessions lasting no more than 1 ½ hrs. It’s a unique opportunity to learn new skills whilst networking with other groups and organisations in East Renfrewshire. Date: Wednesday, 26 August 2015 Time: 12.30-2 pm Venue: underCOVER, 56 Kelburn St. Barrhead, G78 1LR
Book your place here Future VA Academy sessions will also cover: ‘Tomorrows Volunteers Today – Youth Volunteering Myth Buster’, ‘Bag of bus tickets – book keeping systems for the terrified’. Full dates will be announced soon.
Board Director - Volunteer Vacancy About Lead Scotland Services A personalised service for disabled people and carers who want to learn. Each learner is supported to develop their own action plan and outcomes, resulting in a tailored and unique service from Lead. We have a helpline and information service and we strive to influence change at a national policy level. Volunteering with Lead enhances our services and, we believe, provides mutual benefits for volunteers. We also support and empower learners to explore how they learn so that they can better articulate what they need particularly during periods of transition. Lead Scotland Board Directors Needed – Can You Help? Would you like to become a non-executive Director of Lead Scotland? The Board normally meets every 6 weeks, usually during the day alternating between Edinburgh and Perth. Directors are also encouraged to participate in sub-committees (e.g. Finance Committee). Strategic planning events – may involve an ‘away day’ approach, sometimes linked to a business meeting. You can claim travel expenses for attending meetings. No experience of being a director is necessary, we only ask that you have an interest in Lead Scotland and the work it does with disabled people and carers. We are at a challenging but exciting time for Lead Scotland with new projects underway which are forward thinking and different in some respects from the projects which Lead is known for. We are asking you to share your skills and experiences of life. To supplement existing skill sets on the Board we would particularly welcome expressions of interest from people with HR or Legal backgrounds. However, we welcome expressions of interest from anyone who believes they have skills and experiences that would be of value to the continued growth and development of the organisation. Please submit Expressions of Interest to Rita Capaldi: Email: recruitment@lead.org.uk or telephone: Rita on 0131 228 9441. Expressions of interest to be received by 5pm on Tuesday 11 August 2015.
Business Development Manager Organisation: Barrhead Community Sports Hub SCIO Salary: £25,000 pro rata Salary Info: 21 hours per week (£15,000) Job Type: Business development Manager Status: Part Time Closing date: 16th August 2015 Location: Barrhead Website: http://www.barrheadcommunitysportshub.com/ Barrhead Community Sports Hub SCIO is looking for an energetic, dynamic and motivated individual to lead the organisation through a period of change, oversee current work and shape the future of the organisation. This is a challenging but highly rewarding role, providing you with an exciting opportunity to be creative, lead service collaboration, develop the capacity/resilience of the organisation through diversifying income streams and engage in learning and development activities which will inform their own practice and help to inform practice in the wider sector. You will have experience of advising and working with a Management Board of Trustees, working across the sectors with a demonstrable commitment to utilising the social enterprise model. Please submit a covering letter and CV to barrheadsportshub@hotmail.co.uk or post to: Barrhead Community Sports Hub, Helen Aird Arrandale, Gauchalland, Galston KA4 8LF
Domestic Abuse Protection Goes National Women and men across Scotland who suspect their partner has an abusive background may now have that information disclosed to them, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has announced... read more
Halfway to Living Wage Target Scotland is well on track to having 500 Living Wage-accredited Employers by March 2016… read more
JSA and ESA sanctions in Scotland The Scottish Government has just published high level analysis of Jobseekers Allowance (JSA) and Employment Support Allowance (ESA) sanctions in Scotland, looking at current trends and how these sanctions affect different groups in society..read more
Power To The People A new independent energy supply company, the first in the UK operating on a nonprofit distributing basis, plans to be selling heat and power to tenants in 200,000 homes across Scotland by 2020. It expects to save its members up to ten per cent on their household utility bills compared to standard commercial tariffs‌.read more
Progress On Tackling Delayed Discharge Health Secretary Shona Robison praised staff working in the NHS and local authorities for their efforts to reduce the number of patients delayed in hospital, waiting to be discharged‌read more
Reducing Red Tape The vast majority of Brian Pack’s recommendations to reduce red tape in Scottish agriculture have been formally accepted by the Scottish Government...read more
Spotlight on Seniors Together Voluntary Action East Renfrewshire’s Seniors Together Project works with older people who are socially isolated, to improve their lives and help them to become more connected to others and their communities. Funded by the Big Lottery for five years, and now in year 3 it supports adults over the age of 50, with priority given to those aged over 85. Due to demand we are now able to extend our 1:1 service to housebound older people living in sheltered accommodation. Since the Launch of the project we have supported over 200 older people by matching them with a volunteer befriender and enabling them to attend over 50 events across the local authority including outings, friendship groups, other organisations events, groups in the community and our annual Christmas party. None of this good work could happen without the support and time given by volunteers, who in addition to improving the lives of older people, find they themselves are benefitting enormously by learning new skills, making a difference and having a lot of fun being part of the project. As Bruce, one of our volunteer drivers can confirm…
“Volunteering is a great way to do something completely different to normal day-to-day activities which can make a valuable contribution to the local community and enrich the lives of others. I get a lot of enjoyment volunteering for Seniors Together and have found it a good way to meet new and interesting people. This requires only a few hours of my spare time every month, yet I know I am providing a worthwhile service which is really appreciated, and I get good back up support from the helpful Project staff team.” Elizabeth, 92, on a bus trip to the Burrell Collection “this has been wonderful, I could have stayed here all day” Demand for the project is high and as a result always keen to recruit volunteers for 1:1 befrienders, drivers, bus escorts, events coordinators, training support volunteer and journalists. If you know anybody who could benefit from the service or who would be interested in volunteering please contact the Seniors Together Team on 0141 876 9555 or contact reception@va-er.org.uk
East Renfrewshire Small Grants Trust The East Renfrewshire Small Grants Trust is a charitable trust whose objective is to promote health and well-being for all East Renfrewshire’s residents. The latest funding pool opened in April 2015 with an initial deadline of 31st July. The Trust will provide one-off, small scale funding for activities and stand-alone events. Applications are invited from any Scottish or UK registered Charities and unregistered bodies that have charitable purposes; providing the donation is used to benefit the people of East Renfrewshire. Visit website: www.ersgt.co.uk Future application deadlines: 30th November 2015 and 31st March 2016.
Innovate UK You can get an Innovation Voucher worth up to £5,000 to pay for an external expert to help your business grow. You can use this expert to get advice on a novel idea or to use design within your business. You can ask them to help you make the most of intellectual property (IP). You can also use Innovation Vouchers to buy time and support on specialist equipment or facilities. Innovate UK can help you find and choose an expert from one of the following: • universities and further education colleges • research and technology institutes • technical consultancies and Catapult centres • design advisers • intellectual property advisers Visit website: https://vouchers.innovateuk.org/
Saltire Summit Award Nominations Now Open! The ‘Summit’ is the pinnacle of the government endorsed Saltire Awards, achieved only by young people who have made an outstanding contribution to volunteering. It recognises those who have not only completed the Ascent award (200 hours) but also exceeded expectations. The Saltire Summit Award is an extremely prestigious award with only 8 Young People awarded every year in East Renfrewshire. The Summit is not necessarily awarded on the basis of the number of hours volunteering, although it may be used to recognise an exceptional volunteer who achieves well over 500 hours. It may be a young person who has overcome significant personal barriers to achieve success through volunteering. All nominations are peer assessed by a panel of Saltire Ambassador that meets twice a year. This is a highly competitive and prestigious award with a maximum of four Summit Awards will be presented each year. Therefore not all nominations will be successful. The closing date for nominations is THURSDAY 3RD SEPTEMBER. Eligibility Volunteers must be nominated for a Summit award and also meet the following criteria: • • • •
have completed the Saltire Ascent (200 hours) be between the ages of 16 & 25 be resident and volunteering in Scotland be nominated by one of the following the organisation or group they volunteer for, their school, college, or university or the Saltire Development Worker
Deadline for nominations: 3rd of September Nominations must be submitted on The Summit Nomination Form to Voluntary Action East Renfrewshire (VAER). Forms can be downloaded from Voluntary Action’s website; http://www.va-er.org.uk/saltire-awards-organisations Presentation of Award The Panel will contact the nominator and the award recipient to confirm arrangements for the presentation of the Summit award.
Self Management Week Planning Sessions Just a reminder that Self Management Network Scotland is hosting a planning sessions to help you prepare for any events you want to run during Self Management Week 2015. When: Thursday 6th August 2015 Where: Venlaw Building, 349 Bath Street, Glasgow G2 4AA Refreshments at 5.30pm, session from 6.00pm – 8.30pm To register for a session, or if you have any questions, please contact Lara Murray: E-mail: Lara.Murray@alliance-scotland.org.uk Phone: 0141 404 0231 Mobile: 07701 289 590
Creating A Fairer Scotland: What Matters To You? Voluntary Action East Renfrewshire is inviting you to join the first conversation to help Create A Fairer Scotland on 19th August 2015 1-3 pm. Venue: YES Academy Rouken Glen Park Giffnock G46 7JL Scottish Government believes that we can make Scotland an even better place to live with opportunities for everyone to flourish. Achieving this goal will require a strong, competitive economy and a fairer, more equal society. This is an exciting opportunity for East Ren to Collaborate. By discussing what changes we think are needed to help shape and design a better future for East Renfrewshire, we can contribute to Creating a Fairer Scotland for all. Places are filling up fast so booking via Eventbrite is essential as the event is only open to ticket holders due to venue capacity.
Book your place here
Scottish Charities Can Apply For Free Google Ads
Google has launched ‘Google for Non-profits in Scotland’ giving charities access to a suite of premium Google services for free, to help charities improve their reach and to work more effectively. Once a charity has applied to Google and they have been approved, they will receive free access to Google apps and up to $10 000 (approx. £6500) worth of Google Ads to help promote their cause or acquire more donors. This will also be beneficial to social enterprise based charities who sell products or services as it will give them a new, free method of advertising as part of their marketing. Stuart Mclaughlin, GooglersGive manager recently said “We’re inspired by the
amazing ways non-profits are making the world a better place, and look forward to supporting the work of more non-profits in Scotland.”
Any organisation with a Scottish Charity number can apply. Google Ads can be a very effective method of advertising and operates using a targeting system where organisations can target their audiences using certain keywords and other attributes such as location. Charities can also get access to premium features on Youtube through the new initiative.
Supplier Development Programme New Supplier Development Programme Website Launched Small and Medium-sized Enterprises across Scotland now have access to free quality tender training information at the click of a button. To register for this free service click here
Public Contracts Notice Ref: JUN212593 Notice Type: Contract Notice Title: The Scottish Crime and Justice Survey (SCJS) 2016/17 to 2019/20 Published: 25/06/2015 Published by: Scottish Government Deadline: 12/08/2015 Full Text: Here
Ref: JUN212607 Notice Type: Contract Notice Title: Administration and Management of Third Sector Funding in Early years/Early Intervention Published: 25/06/2015 Published by: Scottish Government Deadline: 28/08/2015 Full Text: Here
Ref: JUN212902 Notice Type: Future Contract Opportunity Title: Commercial Partnership in support of NES digital product Published: 29/06/2015 Published by: NHS Education for Scotland Deadline: Full Text: Here
Ref: JUN213010 Notice Type: Contract Notice Title: Design Team Services (JWC, Learning Commons & Hugh Nisbet) Published: 30/06/2015 Published by: APUC Limited Deadline: 28/08/2015 Full Text: Here
Ref: JUL213142 Notice Type: Contract Notice Title: Provision of Business Support Services Consultancy Framework Published: 01/07/2015 Published by: North Ayrshire Council Deadline: 12/08/2015 Full Text: Here
Ref: JUN213024 Notice Type: Contract Notice Title: Scottish Property Information Service (P16-0019) Published: 30/06/2015 Published by: Scottish Enterprise Deadline: 11/08/2015 Full Text: Here
Ref: JUL213792 Notice Type: Contract Notice Title: Service User and Carer Engagement Services Published: 07/07/2015 Published by: NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde Deadline: 12/08/2015 Full Text: Here
Ref: JUL214177 Notice Type: Contract Notice Title: Early Learning and Childcare Training Published: 10/07/2015 Published by: North Lanarkshire Council Deadline: 07/08/2015 Full Text: Here
Ref: JUL214297 Notice Type: Contract Notice Title: Internal Audit Tender Paragon Housing Association Published: 13/07/2015 Published by: Paragon Housing Association Ltd Deadline: 03/08/2015 Full Text: Here
Ref: JUL214349 Notice Type: Contract Notice Title: Competitive Grant Offer - Equalities Challenge Fund Published: 13/07/2015 Published by: The Skills Development Scotland Co. Limited Deadline: 07/08/2015 Full Text: Here
Ref: JUL214367 Notice Type: Contract Notice Title: Supply and Installation of Solar Photovoltaic Systems on Public Buildings across Edinburgh. Published: 13/07/2015 Published by: Changeworks Deadline: 13/08/2015 Full Text: Here
Funding 2015 SURF Awards Open for Applications The 2015 SURF Awards for Best Practice in Community Regeneration have opened to applications. The SURF Awards for Best Practice in Community Regeneration are organised and delivered by SURF in partnership with the Scottish Government with additional support from Architecture + Design Scotland, Creative Scotland, Highlands and Islands Enterprise, PAS, RTPI Scotland, Scotland’s Towns Partnership, and Skills Development Scotland. The purpose of the SURF Awards is: • To recognise and reward best practice and innovation in community regeneration. • To promote and disseminate best practice across Scotland as means of sharing knowledge and experience, and thereby enhancing future policy and practice. • To highlight the role that regeneration projects have in improving the wellbeing of individuals and communities. The deadline for applications is 14 September 2015 (5pm) More details on website
Community Food and Health Scotland The capacity building fund (up to £500) is suitable for groups and agencies running food and health activities in low-income areas wanting to strengthen their organisations. Applicants will need to show that funding will build the knowledge, skills and expertise of volunteers, staff, management committee or Board members, and demonstrate how this will benefit their food and health activities. More details on website
Corporate Social Venturing (CSV) Initiative fund Half a million pound funding opportunity for Scotland’s social businesses Early stage social businesses throughout Scotland can now bid for financial and mentoring support from a new Corporate Social Venturing (CSV) Initiative funding pot of £500,000. The £500,000 is being invested by the Life Changes Trust, a charity that works to improve the lives of young people who have had experience of the care system, and people affected by dementia. Ideas are being sought from any social businesses who have creative ideas for new ventures that would impact positively on one or both of these groups. Each social business can bid for up to £50,000 and will also receive business mentoring support. The initiative is based on an innovative social investment approach, developed by Big Issue Invest in England, called ‘Corporate Social Venturing’ (CSV). It is now being brought to Scotland for the first time in a partnership with the Life Changes Trust. CSV is a pioneering concept for investing in and growing early-stage businesses which are committed to creating powerful social impact. Its main objective is to develop sustainable businesses that tackle some of society’s biggest challenges by providing investment and mentoring for new business ventures. More details on website ERASMUS Apply for youth dialogue funding. Key Action 3 Structured Dialogue projects give young people the opportunity to interact with decision-makers on issues of concern to young people and to influence policy. Projects can last between 3 to 24 months and do not need a partner from another country unless transnational meetings are organised. Young people should lead the activities in all stages of the project from preparation to follow-up. Typical activities include: • meetings, events, seminars, debates and discussions; • meetings and seminars linked to official EU Presidency Youth Conferences; • events and debates linked to the European Youth Week; • consultation, including online opinions polls and surveys. Statutory meetings between organisations or politically influenced events are not eligible for grants under this Action. More details on website
Guardian Charity Awards 2015 The Guardian Charity Awards seek to recognise and encourage UK charities that make an outstanding and valuable contribution to social welfare in the community. The annual Guardian Charity Awards seek to recognise and encourage charities that are improving social wellbeing in its broadest sense by delivering clear benefit to people who are disadvantaged by poverty or disability or are marginalised in some other way. Entries should fulfil the following criteria: • Innovative aims and objectives. • Evidence of having made an impact. • How an award would boost sustainability and growth. • Overall contribution to social welfare. Eligible charities must have been registered in the United Kingdom for more than two years and have an annual income of between £5,000 and £1.5 million. Winners each receive a £3,000 prize fund, an iPad mini, one year’s free NCVO membership and a tailored package of support from Zurich Insurance, the FSI, Media Trust and Bates Wells Braithwaite. The deadline for applications is 5 August 2015 (midnight). More details on website Jeans for Genes Grants are available to UK registered charities and support groups for projects that benefit children (18 years or under) who are affected by genetic disorders. Grants of between £500 and £25,000 are available for UK charities and support groups that support children (18 years or under) and families with genetic disorders. Funding is available for projects that can satisfy the following criteria: • The project must benefit children (18 years or under) affected by genetic disorders. • The proposed project is of one year’s duration or less. • The proposed project will take place in the UK and/or will benefit UK families. • The project’s activities are tangible and identifiable. • The size of the Jeans for Genes grant can make an acknowledgeable impact on the project. • The charity or support group has a child protection policy in place (if applicable). The 2015 deadline for the 2016 Grant Programme is 30 September 2015 (midnight). More details on website
Paul Hamlyn Foundation Announces New Grants Strategy for UK The Paul Hamlyn Foundation has reopened after nearly eight months with a new grantmaking strategy which will run from 2015 to 2021. After a period of consultation, the Paul Hamlyn Foundation, one of the UK’s largest independent grant-making foundations, has launched a new strategy which focuses on six new priorities relating to the changes it wishes to see in the UK. To support its new strategy, the Foundation will be making £25 million a year available in grant funding to not-for-profit organisations in the UK who have great ideas that will support the new priorities. The priorities are: • Supporting imaginative people to nurture exciting ideas. • Widening access and participation in the arts. • Improving people’s education and learning through the arts. • Showing that the arts make a difference to people’s lives. • Supporting the development and growth of organisations investing in young people and positive change. • Improving support for young people who migrate, and strengthen integration so that communities can live well together. The Foundation has created new grant funds that will support the priorities, some of which are opening now and others which will open later in the year. These include: • Shared Ground Fund • Ideas and Pioneers Fund • Youth Fund • Arts-based Learning Fund • Access and Participation Fund • Teacher Development Fund More details on website Scottish Power Energy Trust The Scottish Power Energy People Trust funds registered charities that help people whose lives are affected by fuel poverty. Grants available in the following areas: • Income Maximisation • Fuel Debt Assistance • Energy Efficiency More details on website
The Henry Smith Charitable Trust The purpose of this scheme is to provide children with a recreational holiday or outing they would not otherwise have the opportunity to access. This means that we will not fund trips where the primary purpose is education. You must make a clear case for the financial need of the individuals attending as well as the organisation applying. Applications can be made for grants towards a single trip, which could be residential or a day trip, within the UK for children aged 13 and under who are from areas of high deprivation*, are experiencing disadvantage, or who have a disability. We will consider trips for children who live in deprived circumstances within an otherwise affluent area, according to the National Indices for Deprivation, but the case for support must be clearly explained. Schools, youth groups, not for profit organisations and charities are all eligible to apply. Trips can be to countryside or city locations, but must be outside the children’s immediate locality. We are able to fund day-trips as well as longer residential trips, but are less likely to fund trips to high cost attractions (e.g. theme parks). More details on website The Weir Charitable Trust The Trust support services/projects, run by Scottish-based community groups and small charities, in the following qualifying categories that address any aspect of the following purposes (in the Application Form, these are the headings referred to as the Qualifying Category): • Sport: encouraging and increasing public participation in sport (activities which involve physical skill and exertion) • Recreational facilities: the provision or organisation of recreational facilities (buildings, pitches or similar) with the aim of improving the conditions of life for the people for whom the facilities are primarily intended. This is only in relation to facilities which are primarily intended for people who need them due to age, ill-health, disability, financial hardship or other disadvantage. • Animal welfare: for the advancement of animal welfare • Health: the advancement of health, including prevention or relief of sickness, disease or human suffering • Culture: supporting the heritage - tangible or otherwise - of Scotland, through projects that encourage participation in and preservation of Scotland’s distinctive culture. More details on website
Next TSF Bulletin The next edition of TSF Bulletin will be out on Monday 31st August 2015. To submit any news items or community events, contact us no later than Monday 24th August 2015 for submission into the next bulletin. For more information about any of the above or if you would like to include anything in the next TSF Bulletin email Linda. To unsubscribe, click here.
Voluntary Action East Renfrewshire Registered Address: underCOVER, 56 Kelburn Street, Barrhead, G78 1LR Scottish Charity: SC028103 Company Registered in Scotland: 187421 Tel: 0141 876 9555 Email: reception@va-er.org.uk Web: www.va-er.org.uk