Community Voluntary Service Notebook February 2017


	CVS Email Update \| 2 February 2017

CVS are planning a 'Meet the Funder' session with BIG Lottery Fund on Friday 24 February 2017 at 43 Bromham Road, Bedford. If you would like to discuss an idea for a project or an application to Reaching Communities, click here for more information on how to book a place.

EVENTS AND COURSES

The Bedfordshire Hate Crime Partnership are hosting a Hate Crime Conference on 28 February, 9.am - 4.30 pm, at Venue 360, Gipsy Lane, Luton. Click here.

The next Bedford Community Network event is on Tuesday 28 March, from 5.30pm, in the Council Suite at Borough Hall. The theme of the event is 'Using Social Media, Avoiding Cyber Crime'. Further details to follow.

The Special Needs Action Panel in Central Bedfordshire are holding a morning workshop for parent carers on the Education Health Care (EHC) plan at Henlow Park Pavilion on 21 February 2017. Click here.

Rural Funding Information Event for South East Midlands LEP, 3 March, 9:30am - 2.30pm. This event will showcase funding that is available in rural areas. This will include the next European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD) calls around business development, food processing and tourism infrastructure as well as the LEADER programme. In addition to providing funding information, and how to apply there will also be the opportunity to discuss project proposals with fund advisors. Click here.

Free Event for People Over 50 and Organisations Supporting People Over 50. - Future East invites you to our free open meeting at King's House, Bedford on 28 March, where they will be looking at Health and Wellbeing and Living at Home. The day will feature presentations and stands by local and national organisations as well as time to network and opportunities to share views on the issues and priorities affecting over 50s and their carers. Lunch is provided. To find out more and register for free to attend and/or hold a stall click here.

FUNDING

WH Smith is distributing the carrier bag levy through grants. The WH Smith Trust will make donations up to £500 to voluntary organisations and schools. Deadline 31 March. Click here.

Grow Wild is awarding £500 to young people aged 12–25 to lead projects that will raise awareness about the importance of UK native wild flowers and plants. There are two funding streams – Transform a Space and Get Creative. Deadline 12pm, 27 February. Click here.

Sport England - Community Asset Fund. This new fund aims to:

improve and protect existing sports facilities that support the needs of local communities

invest in new and different places that meet the needs of local communities, particularly those hard to reach or new to sport

ensure capital investment reaches organisations who have not accessed sports funding before

create a more resilient, sustainable, less grant dependent sport sector

£15 million is available per annum. They expect most grants to be classed as either small (£1,000 - £15,000) or medium (£15,000 - £50,000). Bids for larger amounts will have to demonstrate a considerable impact, or targeting under-represented groups. Football only projects are not eligible, but multi-sport projects including football can apply. Click here.

The Bedfordshire Police and Crime Commissioner's Grant Fund - Applications can be for projects that either help victims of crime cope, recover and move forward, or prevent crime and reoffending. The priority areas for this fund are:

Violence against women and girls – for example; domestic abuse, serious sexual violence, or female genital mutilation.

Youth at risk – for example; trauma reduction, child sexual exploitation, gang-related violence and bullying.

New or innovative projects – for example, work linked to cyber-crime, work with the elderly, human trafficking, modern-day slavery, new crime trends, work with emerging hard-to-reach or hidden victims.

Capacity building to improve strength and resilience in the sector – for example, multi-agency training, partnership development and sustainability.

There are two different application forms (one for bids of under £2,000 and one for those £2,000 and over). Deadline 5pm, 17 February. Click here.

Central Bedfordshire Council is seeking tenders from suitably experienced suppliers with the technical ability to produce up to twenty 2-3 minute videos on a range of social housing related topics. Click here.

Shaw Trust has been shortlisted in five 'Lots' under the DWPs Umbrella Agreement for Employment and Health Related Services and they are looking for locally based providers. Deadline 9am, 10 February. Click here.

Big Issue Invest has launched Impact Loans England, a new £5 million lending scheme aimed at enabling social enterprises to access loan funding of between £20,000 and £150,000. Click here.

OTHER INFORMATION

GrantScape, a charity which specialises in grant management, is seeking applications from suitable people to join the board of the charity. There are currently two vacancies on GrantScape's board and applicants with legal, marketing or IT skills would be particularly welcome. Experience of the Renewable Energy industry would be desirable, but is not essential. Deadline 19 February. Click here.

Approaching local businesses – NCVO's KnowHow NonProfit have produced a very simple guide to how groups should plan to approach businesses for support for their work. Click here.

Locality have produced a guide 'How to Keep it Local: Five step guide for councillors and commissioners'. The guide busts myths around commissioning locally and showcases the benefits of working with community anchor organisations. Click here.

Homelessness on the rise - More than 4,000 people a night have been sleeping rough on England's streets, a 16% increase on last year, according to government statistics. Read more from the BBC here.

Central Bedfordshire Council have a new Youth Support Service Facebook Careers Page, providing an online presence to provide an impartial one stop shop for up to date, useful and reliable information on education, employment and training opportunities. Click here.

Bedford Borough Council has four Overview and Scrutiny' Committees (Children's Services, Environmental Services and Community Safety, Adult Services and Health, and Corporate Services), that review and investigate issues that matter to local people and local communities, as well as reviewing the Council's own decisions and policies. What do you think that the Committees should look at over the next year? Click here.

The National Living Wage and the National Minimum Wage will increase in April 2017. Click here for the rates.

Anyone want an Overhead Projector? – CVS have two traditional OHP's (which use acetate sheets) looking for a good home. Email lindsey@cvsbeds.org.uk if you are interested.

VACANCIES

Deputy Chief Executive, Families First Bedfordshire, full-time, (£36,937pa - £43,387pa). Deadline 9am, 13 February. Click here.

Community Centre Manager, Church Lane Community Centre, Bedford, part-time, 20 hrs per week, NJC scale point (22-25), £20,456 pro-rata, one year fixed term contract with the potential to extend. Deadline 17 February. Click here.

Bedford & District Cerebral Palsy Society (BDCPS), Grant & Event Fundraiser and Co-Ordinator, part-time,15-20 hrs per week. Deadline 19 February. Click here.