VASA Fortnightly FOCUS 15th July 22

July 15th 2022

VASA Updates – keeping you in the loop Communities Mental Health and Wellbeing Fund – Year 2 We will be including information on the next round of the Health and Wellbeing Funding once we have had clarification on criteria etc. from the Scottish Government as well as an agreed format from the Steering Group for next year’s funding.

Ukrainian Support We are pleased to announce that we have seconded Pauline Johnstone, from VASA, to work with South Ayrshire Council as a welcome host to the many Ukraine’s arriving in South Ayrshire. I am sure that Pauline will be a great asset to the team.

VASA facilitated a discussion with South Ayrshire Council Ukraine responsibility colleagues and Third Sector, sharing knowledge and information on how South Ayrshire can support people from Ukraine.

Staff Development 4 VASA staff will start training in September to become Independent Examiners later next year.

Another service that we will be able to offer to the sector locally.

Training VASA have been working with The Practice Development Team at South Ayrshire Council on delivering further training, including multi-sector training for the Third Sector.

VASA met with The Ayrshire Community Trust (TACT) our counterpart TSI in North Ayrshire on the Ready for Ayrshire Training Calendar, further widening the training opportunities to the Third Sector in both South and North Ayrshire. Keep an eye out for the new Training Calendar for the Third Sector.

Capacity Building/ Representation VASA continue to offer support to the Third Sector around Governance, Volunteering, Representation, Social Enterprise and Funding.

After the hard work in creating the Volunteering Strategy last year, this year the focus around volunteering is to create an action plan to move forward. The development and creation of a dedicated South Ayrshire Volunteering Website is well under way.

VASA have well established themed forums around Mental Health, Food, Children, Young People & Families, Learning Disabilities/ Additional Support needs and Service Providers. A new Trustees Forum and Eco-Friendly Services Forum have also recently been established.

VASA are part of the Community Wealth Building Lead Officer Working Group. One outcome to date is that VASA are leading on the Volunteer Workstream which feeds back into the working group. There will also be representation from South Ayrshire Councils Community Benefit Team at VASA’s Providers Forum (28th Sept – see below).

Building Networks VASA met with the newly appointed Independent Chair of both the South Ayrshire Adult and Child Protection Committees. VASA looks forward to representing the Third Sector alongside a Forum Rep from the Third Sector ‘Stronger Together’ Provider Forum and Third Sector Children, Young People & Family Services Forum.

Save the Date (Contact VASA for more info - 01292 432661 or enquiries@vasa.scot) 27th July - Third Sector ‘Stronger Together’ Provider Forum – meet the South Ayrshire Council Trauma Informed Practice Officer. Moving forward Linda will be representing the Third Sector at the upcoming South Ayrshire Trauma Network.

17th August – Third Sector Mental Health Provider Forum – meet and hear about the Ayrshire Wellbeing Alliance.

September (Date to be confirmed) – Trustee Forum 1st September – Community Food Network.

7th September - Third Sector Learning Disability Provider Forum.

14th September – Third Sector Children, Young People & Family Services Forum.

28th September - Third Sector ‘Stronger Together’ Provider Forum – meet South Ayrshire Council Community Benefits colleagues and a representative from SALUS to tell us more about the Ayrshire Growth Deals’ Occupational Health, Safety & Return to Work Services.

29th September Online information session of the new look Locality Planning with Phil White (Partnership Facilitator)

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Local News Going the distance for Christmas Companions!

As highlighted in last week’s newsletter, VASA’s very own Telephone Befriending co-ordinator Jill Haigh is cycling 500km to raise money for our Christmas Companions, an event on Christmas Day for older people who will be on their own where they all enjoy good food, good company and a visit from Santa.

As of the 13th of July, Jill has completed 245km and is going strong as she pedals around the countryside.

Christmas Companions is a campaign close to VASA’s heart, as we know how lonely it can be to not be with family or friends on Christmas Day. So, help us make it a Christmas they won’t forget and let them know they have not been forgotten.

If you would like to donate, please click here to visit Jill’s JustGiving page.

Lochside Community Café re-opens!

It is good news for local food lovers - Lochside Community Café has re-opened.

The service has been very much missed within the community the last few weeks so we are sure they will be nice and busy with their regulars, and they’re looking forward to welcoming new customers too!

Starter £1:50, Main Course £2:50, Sweet £1:50. Meal Deal Special: 3 courses with tea/coffee for £4!

You can find them at Lochside Community Centre, Lochside Road, Ayr on Wednesdays from 12noon till 2pm. To see their menu, please take a look at their Facebook page here.

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Funding VASA Funding Support VASA can support you to look for funders for projects, capital costs, running costs etc. We have access to over 8000 funders and can create you a bespoke report of potential funds to access for any specific projects or reason. All we need is a quick chat about your organisation and project and we will do the rest.

We can also offer you guidance in completing application forms and look over completed forms prior to submission.

To chat to someone from our Capacity Building Team, call 0800 432 0510 or email enquiries@vasa.scot

South Ayrshire Funding opportunities

Lots of funding opportunities are available in South Ayrshire. Please click on the image to view.

Funding Scotland update Find funding for your charity, community group or social enterprise using our free online search engine. From small grants to funding for big capital projects, we can help you track down the funding you need to make a difference in your community.

To find out more, click the image.

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South Ayrshire Charitable Trust Please note this fund is only open to groups and residents in Ayr & Coylton.

The South Ayrshire Charitable Trust has been set up to assist and improve the lives of South Ayrshire residents who are in need because of poverty, age, ill-health, disability, financial hardship or another disadvantage.

To find out more, click here.

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Recruitment & Employment Training View all AILN vacancies Click the image to browse all AILN’s latest job vacancies, as well as information about training and upcoming events which we hope you will find useful.

Family Outreach Specialist Vacancy Salary: £25,290 – £28,464 depending on skills and experience.

We are looking for an experienced family support practitioner to join our team.

Location: Lanarkshire/Ayrshire/South West Scotland (hybrid working from home and occasional travel to Edinburgh head office) Click here for further details Recovery Worker Salary: £22,687.00 per annum Are you looking for a rewarding new opportunity that helps improve people's lives? Read on to find out how you can join us as a Recovery Worker.

Location: Ayr Click here for further details

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Volunteering Volunteering Action Plan

“The contribution of volunteers in the recent past has been exceptional; we owe them a debt of gratitude for all that they have done and continue to do.”

- Shona Robison, Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice, Housing and Local Government Please click here to view

South Ayrshire Lifeline

For more volunteering opportunities please click here

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News & Events

National Mission on Drugs: National Collaborative We are committed to reducing drug and alcohol related deaths in Scotland.

The National Collaborative is being set up so that people who’ve been affected can help shape our services.

For more information on how to get involved click here.

National Strategy for Community Justice This revised National Strategy for Community Justice sets the national direction for community justice by building on progress made to date. It is designed to provide a clear roadmap for future improvement work, by highlighting key areas for partners to focus on.

To view the revised strategy, click here.

A new Mental Health and Wellbeing Strategy – consultation We want to hear your views on what a new Mental Health and Wellbeing Strategy for Scotland should look like. We have asked a series of questions, and your answers to these will help us write the final Strategy.

To contribute to the strategy, please click here.

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Delivering on Child Poverty commitments A report from the Scottish Government detailing the investment and actions in key areas targeting Child Poverty.

To read the report, click here.

Scotland’s Census Coverage Survey

National Care Service (Scotland) Bill There will be an opportunity to learn more about the National Care Service (Scotland) Bill and ask questions.

If you would like to attend an engagement session, you can register online for the following dates: Thursday 21 July, 11am to 12pm Tuesday 9 August, 6pm to 7pm Monday 22 August, 10am to 11am (with BSL interpretation)

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Scottish Third Sector Tracker – Spring results Scotland’s third sector organisations continued to face challenges in spring 2022, particularly regarding staffing, volunteer recruitment and management, and finances.

Spring 2022 also saw the cost of operating increase for most organisations. For many, this impacted their ability to deliver core services and activities.

To view the full findings of the Spring wave of research, click here.

New peer-led service from Bipolar Scotland Bipolar Scotland have just launched a new peer-led service 'Beyond Diagnosis' for adults in Scotland who have been recently diagnosed with bipolar.

More information about this service and how individuals can access it can be found by clicking here.

Alternatively, there is also a video to explain the new service here.

Charities Day at The Grain Exchange Come along to The Grain Exchange to meet representatives from many of the local charitable organisations from South Ayrshire.

If you are interested in having a table, please email Joan Elliott.

When: Tuesday September 13th – Thursday September 15th, 12noon until 4pm.

Ayr Arts Guild Diary Visit the beautiful garden at Whitewin House in Girvan, part of Scotland’s Garden Scheme. They are hosting several open weekends as detailed below.

When: Saturdays and Sundays, July 16th – August 14th. Open 2.00 – 5.00pm.

Where: Whitewin House – Golf Course Road, Girvan. For further details click here.

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Disabled Golf Week (Scotland) As Scotland's only golf organisation for those with physical, sensory and intellectual disabilities, The SDGC is launching it's first ever nation-wide week of activity, aimed specifically at introducing new players of any age to the game.

Disabled Golf Week (Scotland) 2022, has been arranged to coincide with the 150th Open in St Andrews and will run from Saturday 23 to Friday 29 July, with daily golf HUBS being arranged at numerous points across the country, including Fife, Edinburgh, Renfrewshire, Isle of Lewis, Dumbartonshire and Falkirk.

An SDGC golf HUB is designed specifically to host all types of people with any type of disability or serious health issue that interferes with the playing of the game, whether they be, boys, girls, men, or women and of any age or golfing ability.

Jim Gales, the Chair of the Charity said, “We are inviting anyone to come along and give it a go, not just the golf or tuition but to come along and enjoy the social aspect of our events and find out how we operate. We want to bring in new members of all ages and abilities. We arrange over 100 games a year and there are all types of games, competitions and fun events to choose from.

Day one of the inaugural Disabled Golf Week will be held on: Saturday 23 July at 10:00 at the Fife Golf Studio KY11 1DR, where tuition and practice time will be provided by PGA Professional Eric Walker (includes lunch) Day 2 is on Sunday 24 July at 13:00 at the Elmwood Golf Course KY15 5RS, where a mixed round of golf and lunch is provided for players Day 3 is on Monday 25 July at 10:00 at the East Renfrewshire Golf Club G77 6RT, where Tuition is by PGA Professional Stewart Russell, plus lunch and a game of golf Day 4 is on Tuesday 26 July at 10:00 & 14:00 at the Prestonfield Golf Club EH16 5HS, with Scott Clark providing tuition and practice (includes lunch) 12

Day 5 is on Wednesday 27 July at 10:00 at the Back Range on the Isle of Lewis HS2 0LS with tuition and practice provided by PGA Professional Bradley Ferguson Day 6 is on Thursday 28 July at 10:30 at the Falkirk Golf Club FK2 7YP, where a game is being played alongside club members (includes lunch) Day 7 is on Friday 29 July at 10:30 & 12:30 at The Carrick on Loch Lomond Golf Club G83 8QZ with tuition provided by PGA Professional Robbie King, plus lunch and a game of golf Thanks to its sponsors from around the UK, the SDGC can provide all aspects of the Disabled Golf Week, free to participants. Membership of the charity is also free and all the 100’s events it arranges throughout the year, are also free or heavily subsidised for members.

For more information on the Disabled Golf Week, or the SDGC, get in touch with us by one of the following contacts: M: 07903 596 552 E: thesdgc@gmail.com W: Scottish Disability Golf & Curling) F: Facebook The SDGC is a Registered Scottish Charity: SC041000 13

Social Enterprise Social Enterprise Awards 2022

Get your organisation recognised for its social or environmental impact by entering one of the six categories available. It's a great opportunity to get recognised for the hard work of your team and the positive role you play in local communities across Scotland.

Enter the #SocEntAwards22 before July 25th. Click the image to view all available information.

GrowBiz Social Enterprise Support Surgery

Drop-In Enterprise Support Surgery Session, Online, Thu, 13:00 – 14:30 For full details on the Enterprise Support Surgery, please click the image.

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Surveys Public Participation at the Scottish Parliament (Short Survey) We want to find out why people in the community are not involved in our work – and what we can do to create opportunities for them to be more involved and share their views on matters that are important to them.

We have created a short, multiple-choice survey which we are hoping will provide some ideas for how we could work differently in future. We are particularly interested to hear from people who may not have been involved in the work of the Parliament before.

To take part in the survey, click here.

Young Carer Survey Thriving Communities and Health and Social Care Partnership have created a Young Carer survey for young people aged between 12 and 18 years who live within South Ayrshire and have caring responsibilities.

We want to hear from you on how we can help young carers access a range of entitlements/discounts/benefits, raise awareness of the role, and support you to easily identify yourself as a carer to a range of businesses and services within South Ayrshire To complete the survey, please click here.

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Carers Service Survey Help us shape the future of carers services in South Ayrshire If you are an adult or young carer, we want to hear from you. Fill in our short survey to tell us what you think.

If you work with or know a carer in South Ayrshire, please share this opportunity to shape the future of our carers service.

Click here to access the survey.

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Newsletters Generations Working Together Book events and training, access funding resources and read the latest Intergenerational Practice news 7 July 2022 To read the latest Newsletter, click here.

Mind at Work Welcome to your June issue of Mind@work!

July 2022 Newsletter Click the image to open.

Scottish Recovery Network Together we can make mental health recovery real Newsletter June/July 2022 Click the image to open.

Scottish Rural Action Newsletter 17

Hello and welcome to Scottish Rural Action's latest round-up of news!

June 2022 Newsletter.

Click the image to open.

2022 Scottish Public Service Awards Celebrate the rich and unique diversity of public life in Scotland The Scottish Public Service Awards celebrate the daily contribution made to Scotland’s civic society from within the civil service, Scottish Government, Scottish Parliament, local government, health and social care sector, broader public sector, and their partners within the Third Sector.

To learn more, please click the image.

IJB Briefing Click the image to read the latest newsletter from the IJB.

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Contact Us

Facebook: @vasaayr Twitter: @VASouthAyrshire Telephone: 01292 432 661 Email: enquiries@vasa.scot

Website: southayrshirelifeline.org Facebook: @SouthAyrshireLifelineSupport Telephone: 0800 432 0510 Email: enquiries@salilfeline.scot

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