GMCVO NEWS, TRAINING and EVENTS
Vacancy for Director of Services at GMCVO
GMCVO requires a skilled manager to run our existing projects, services and subsidiary companies.
The successful applicant will have excellent project management and team leadership skills. They will be systematic but flexible, making best use of human and other resources whilst maintaining clear processes and lines of accountability.
Full Time (35 hours per week).
Salary: NJC pts 41-44 (starting £34,549) plus 7% pension contribution.
Closing date for applications: 15th April 2013.
Job advert, application form and further details via: .
Generating Financial Success: funding for community renewable energy projects
15th May
Manchester
The aim of this event is to provide an overview of funding options for community renewable energy projects. The day will explore a wider range of possibilities for financing community-owned renewable energy projects. Expert speakers will provide information on putting together community share offers, available grants, how to maximise the chances of a successful application and accessing loan finance. There will be an emphasis on long-term sustainability with the latest news on FIT (Feed in Tariff), RHI (Renewable Heat Incentive) and other ways to generate income.Organised by GMCVO’s Community Hubs team.
Fee: £10.Bursaries are available for this event.
Time: 9.30am to 4.30pm at the St Thomas Centre.
Details: Morag Rose, 0161 277 1039,
Bookings:to book online, click here.
GMCVO Training Programme
● Essential HR
26th April
A half-day workshop outlining the basic elements of HR that will provide employers and managers with all they need to know about engaging their workforce.
● Developing Personal and Team Resilience
15th May
This one-day course will explore resilience factors using a positive psychology approach to increase your ability to manage inchallenging times and decrease the instances of stress, whilst strengthening teams through shared strategies.
● Data Protection
16th May
A 1-day course that will alert you to data protection issues and highlight your responsibilities under the Data Protection Act.
● ILM Level 4 Award in Leadership and Management
17th, 24th & 31st May and 14th 21st June
A 5-day course to develop the management and leadership skills of practising and aspiring middle managers.
● Preparing to Teach in the Lifelong Learning Sector (PTLLS)
20th May, 3rd, 11th & 18th June, and 2nd July
This updated and improved 5-day course is suitable for new and existing trainers who want to develop their skills and gain the nationally-recognised PTLLS qualification.
● Train the Trainer
23rd & 24th May
This 2-day ILM-recognised course is to enable participants to enhance the quality and effectiveness of their training skills and practices.
● Project Management
29th, 30th & 31st July
A 3-day workshop designed for those who manage or are about to be managing projects.
● Creative Research Methods
5th June
The second in a series of three 1-day courses on research.
● Emotional Intelligence
10th June
This one-day course will provide an insight into how to gain the tools to understand yourself and those around you for better working and professional relationships.
● ILM Level 2 Leadership and Team Skills
12th, 19th & 26th June
This 3-day course will enable you to develop as a leader through the application of leadership and team work strategies and better understanding of the role and responsibilities of a team leader.
● Make Monitoring and Evaluation Work for You
17th June
This 1-day course looks at the relevance and value of a structured approach to monitoring and evaluation, and at the skills and techniques that can be used for both new and existing projects.
● Managing a Community Building
20th June
This course is aimed at staff, volunteers and trustees who manage or have responsibility for community centres or buildings or other community facilities.
● Managing Multiple Priorities
4th July
This course will help you establish your priorities and goals, develop good work habits and deal effectively with your workload
● Making Sense of Qualitative Research Data
9th July
The third in a series of three 1-day courses on research.
● Planning Ahead
10th July
This introductory one-day course will give a practical insight into how to plan strategically.
● Train the Trainer
15th & 16th July
This 2-day ILM-recognised course is to enable participants to enhance the quality and effectiveness of their training skills and practices.
● Project Management
29th, 30th & 31st July
A 3-day workshop designed for those who manage or are about to be managing projects.
● Train the Trainer
9th & 10th September
This 2-day ILM-recognised course is to enable participants to enhance the quality and effectiveness of their training skills and practices.
● Project Management
9th, 10th & 11th September
A 3-day workshop designed for those who manage or are about to be managing projects.
● ILM Level 4 Award in Leadership and Management
12th, 19th &26thSeptember and 10th &17th October
A 5-day course to develop the management and leadership skills of practising and aspiring middle managers.
●Introduction to Counselling Skills
24th September & 1st October
A two-day training course to help frontline staff develop a greater awareness of the attributes and boundaries of helping service users through listening.
●ILM Level 3 Award in Leadership and Management
2nd, 9th and 16th October
This new 3-day course is aimed at developing the skills and knowledge of individuals who have management responsibilities.
● Emotional Intelligence
10th October
This one-day course will provide an insight into how to gain the tools to understand yourself and those around you for better working and professional relationships.
All courses to be held at the St Thomas Centre,Ardwick Green North,Manchester M12 6FZ.
For further information, contact Safia Griffin at GMCVO, 0161 277 1007,,or visit .
NEWS and INFORMATION
Your views on refreshed Greater Manchester Strategy
Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) has refocused its strategy to ensure that the city region’s economy continues to see sustainable growth.
The updated Greater Manchester Strategy, which builds on the original planpublished in 2009, has been adapted in response to the longer and deeper than expected recession as well as reductions in public sector funding.
The underlying vision of the strategy remains the same – that by 2020 Manchester city region will have pioneered a new model for sustainable economic growth and secured reform of the way that public services are delivered across Greater Manchester.
Successful implementation of the strategy will require the efforts of all the GMCA’s partners, so the views of VCS organisations are important. You are invited to read the draft strategy and feed in your comments and opinions.
The deadline for responsesis 17th June 2013.
Goodbye GMPERAS and Bottomline
The final edition of Bottomline was published in March. Produced by the Greater Manchester Pay and Employment Rights Service (GMPERAS), it marks the closure of the organisation and a celebration of its achievements.
After 27 years of providing information and advice to workers across Greater Manchester, GMPERAS has been forced to close due to a severe cut to funding from the Association of Greater Manchester Authorities (AGMA).
The farewell edition of Bottomline reports on GMPERAS’s end-of-project event, the work of its legacy project, and the campaign for advice services. It can be seen via
Budget 2013 highlights
Charity sector leaders have welcomed elements of last month’s Budget, including announcements of a consultation on Gift Aid and digital giving, a new tax relief for social investment and a cut in employers' national insurance contributions.
Among the measures unveiled by the Chancellor is his statement on 20th March, were some that are of particular relevance to charities and the wider third sector.
● National Insurance: The Government will introduce an allowance of £2,000 per year for all businesses and charities to be offset against their employer NICs bill from April 2014. The Treasury reckons this will be worth a total of £45 million to 35,000 charities.
● Social investment tax relief: The Government will consult by summer 2013 on the introduction of a new tax relief to encourage investment in social enterprises. The outcome of the consultation will be confirmed in the Autumn Statement 2013 with a view to introducing legislation in 2014.
● Gift Aid and charitable giving: The Government will consult on proposals to make it easier to claim Gift Aid through a wide range of digital giving channels, including options for enabling donors to complete a single Gift Aid declaration to cover all their donations through a specific channel.
● Community Amateur Sports Clubs: As announced previously, the Government will consult on measures to clarify the eligibility conditions for CASCs.
● VAT and charitable buildings: As announced in last year’s Budget, the Government will withdraw charitable buildings from the scope of the VAT reduced rate for the supply and installation of energy-saving materials, with effect from 1st August 2013.
● Guidance for volunteer events: The Government will encourage volunteers to run events by improving the quality of the guidance and publishing it in a single document on Confusing guidance has previously deterred volunteers and obstructed events which are valuable to local communities.
● Co-operatives legislation: The Government will consult in summer 2013 on options for raising the limit on individual subscriptions for withdrawable share capital in Industrial and Provident Societies (IPSs) and introducing insolvency procedures for IPSs and credit unions.
More detailed accounts of the Budget and its impact on charities and on the Greater Manchester economy can be seen via: .
Volunteering in health and care should focus on quality over savings, says report
A new report by the King's Fund considers the role and value of volunteers in health and social care.
Volunteering in health and care – securing a sustainable future looks at volunteers' contribution to improving patient experience, addressing health inequalities, and building a closer relationship between services and communities. The authors conclude that rather than thinking of volunteering as a means for cutting costs, providers of all kinds should focus on volunteering as a means of improving quality by resourcing volunteer management appropriately.
According to the report, the economic situation is creating a challenging environment for volunteering, including concerns about job substitution. In this context it is particularly important to develop a strategic vision for the role of volunteering within the workforce. Examples of good practice in the NHS and voluntary sector illustrate how these barriers can be overcome.
The People's Millions fund opens
Grants of between £20,000 and £50,000 are available from the 2013 round of the People’s Millions programme for new community-based projects that provide opportunities for all people to enjoy their local area.
Priority will be given to projects that improve the lives of people in the community and inspire them to get involved.Voluntary and community groups, local authorities, schools, and statutory health bodies in the UK are eligible to apply.
The People’s Millions is a partnership between the Big Lottery Fund and ITV, where the public help decide which local community projects receive Lottery funding.
The deadline for applications is 13th May 2013.
Community Budgets can save billions and improve services
A new report describes how an overhaul of the way the public sector provides and pays for services can make things better for the people they serve, while delivering significant savings.
A Guide to Whole Place Community Budgets, published jointly by the Local Government Association and the Government towards the end of March, describes how partnerships between public sector organisations in four areas – Greater Manchester, Essex, West Cheshire, and three London boroughs – piloted a new approach to local public service transformation during 2012.
In each of the four areas, NHS trusts, the police, Jobcentre Plus, local councils, the voluntary and private sectors and educational establishments worked together, with support from civil servants, to identify and tackle issues ranging from unemployment and asset management to domestic abuse and re-offending. By breaking down organisational and cultural barriers and rethinking the way services are paid for and provided, they have found a way to make those services better, while saving money by stripping out unnecessary duplication.
Business cases drawn up in the four areas will start to be implemented from 1st April 2013.
Greater Manchester identified a problem with the number of young children who were not ready for school at age four and five. Through closer working between public sector partners the pilot aims to identify risks to children's development early, with the launch of preventative services targeted at every child born in Greater Manchester. A new parental contract will enable parents eligible for targeted day care for two-year olds to be on track towards sustainable employment and ‘good enough' parenting. Through investing £38 million the pilot aims to save £215 million over 25 years.
The guide is intended to help other areas which aim to take a similar Community Budget approach to reforming services.
Locality to deliver new £9.5m neighbourhood planning fund
Locality, the community development body, has been appointed by the Government to run a £9.5million neighbourhood planning project.
TheDepartment for Communities and Local Government has awarded the contract for its Neighbourhood Planning programme to Locality, in partnership with the Royal Town Planning Institute, Planning Aid Englandand the Community Development Foundation, amongst others.
The two-year programme, which starts on 1st May, will help people in England to create neighbourhood plans, which allow groups of residents to shape development in their local area, by dictating the location of new housing and businesses.
About £5.5million of the funding will be used to pay Locality and a range of sub-contractors, including RTPI and Planning Aid England, on a payment-by-results basis to provide direct support to residents’ groups.
Direct support will be tailored to the needs of individual groups and can be delivered in a range of ways, including training in skills such as policy writing and legal requirements, and remote and face-to-face advice.
A further 40 per cent of the funding, which will be managed by the Community Development Foundation, will be directly available to residents’ groups to contribute towards the costs of preparing their neighbourhood plan proposals. Groups will be able to bid for funding, worth up to £7,000 per group, through My Community Rights, a website run by Locality.
Full details of the fund and support will be available from 15th April from the My Community Rights website.
[from: Third Sector Online 18.3.13]
Welfare reform guide
A short guide to the most significant reforms to the welfare system has been produced by the Church Urban Fund. Many of the changes come into effect in April 2013.
Since coming to power in 2010, the coalition Government has introduced measures to cut overall welfare expenditure and to change the way particular benefits are structured and administered.
The Guide to Welfare Reforms 2010-2017 deals with these measures, which include the cap on the Local Housing Allowance, penalties for under-occupancy in social housing, Employment Support Allowance, Personal Independence Payments, Tax Credits, Council Tax Support, and Universal Credit.
The paper concludes with a timetable of the reforms.
A similar briefing, April 2013 Welfare Reforms and what they mean for Voluntary Organisations, has also been produced by NCVO.
New Lottery programmes to help vulnerable older peopleThe Big Lottery Fund has announced two initiatives, worth a total £120 million, to improve the lives of vulnerable older people in England.
The BLF will ask 100 selected local authority areas (including all those in Greater Manchester, with the exception of Stockport and Trafford) to put together applications for funding, including projects led by voluntary and community sector organisations, as part of the £70 million Fulfilling Lives: Ageing Better programme.
The areas will apply for funding of between £2 million and £6 million. From these applications, money will awarded in 15 to 20 areas, over a period of up to six years, to pilot projects that tackle the isolation of older people.
The BLF is also putting up to £50 million toward the creation of an independent Centre for Ageing Better, scheduled to open early next year. The centre will aim to provide community-based solutions to the challenges facing older people.
The BLF said the initiatives would be complemented by Research for Impact, a £5 million UK-wide initiative that will launched later this year to research better coping strategies for ageing and major life transitions such as retirement, becoming a carer and dealing with poverty.
[from: Third Sector Online 25.3.13]
Sports coaching courses
Courses on personal development through sports coaching are being offered by FC United.
The courses provide entry level training in sports coaching, paid part-time temporary work as a sports coach, and advice and guidance on using the experience to get a job. The courses, which are open to people of all ages, are held in Moss Side and Harpurhey.
For further details, contact Adam Jones, 0161 273 8950, 07557 407121, .
Surplus goods for local charities
In Kind Direct is a charity which distributes all kinds of consumer products donated by manufacturers and retailers to mainly small, local charities in the UK.
Products range from toiletries, cleaning products, toys, clothes, and stationery etc. Donors include Procter & Gamble, Unilever, Kimberly-Clark, Disney and many others.
Charities can participate in the scheme by registering online with In Kind Direct and agreeing to use the goods they receive to run their charities or to give to the people they support for free. Once they’ve signed up, charities order goods online and pay a handling fee which covers delivery and usually equates to 10-20 per cent of what they would pay in the shops.
In Kind Direct is keen to attract more local charities from Greater Manchester and the North West to the scheme.
Further details can be seen at: .