Patron: Rt. Hon. Gavin Williamson MP Winter/Spring 2016

South Staffordshire Community & Voluntary Action

Improving lives and connecting communities across South Staffordshire

This Year South Staffordshire Community & Voluntary Action

celebrates 30 years of support to community groups and the

voluntary sector in South Staffordshire

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Development

Support

Volunteering

Work

Clubs

Community

Support

Community

Connectors

Networking

Partnership

Marketing

Learning &

Skills

Social

Media

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Welcome to the Winter/Spring edition of the BUZZ newsletter.

We were disappointed by the failure of our recent bids to the Big Lottery to build on the support we have been able to provide to local voluntary and community groups, residents and communities. We know from an independent detailed evaluation of our development support that there still remain areas of unmet need in local villages, and a need to test out with partners new models of volunteering support to encourage a wider cross-section of local residents to dip their toe in the volunteering pool. However, we continue to move forward and are actively looking at ways to continue to provide as high a standard of service as possible to the local sector. One new project we have developed as a response is for what we call COMMUNITY CONNECTORS. We are pleased to have been awarded funding from the Goodlife Community Budget to establish this project and test it in action. This work builds upon our successful history of support delivered through the CATALYST and previous Projects. The Community Connectors project is very much focussed on social action. We increasingly recognise that there are individuals living in local communities who have a range of relevant skills and in particular extensive local knowledge and who informally support local voluntary and community organisations in a large variety of ways. This could be by promoting local activities and events, encouraging joint initiatives, helping with draft funding applications, signposting to sources of further help and support, etc. These are very valuable activities in their own right which contribute significantly to helping to sustain local community activity. This pilot begins to harness and co-ordinate this valuable work under a new Community Connectors Network. Connector roles are voluntary and Connectors are trained, managed and supported by SSCVA. We hope they will be particularly valuable in supporting the existing Community Voice Forums in helping to identify local issues of concern, areas of unmet needs and groups that are particularly hard to reach. We are delighted that there has been very considerable interest in and support for this new idea, on which we consulted with attendees at the Community Voice Forums in late 2015. We have already recruited 3 new Connectors to work in localities 1,4 and 5, and would like to talk to anyone potentially interested in taking up one of these roles in localities 2 and 3. If you would like to know more about the Community Connector’s role or how they can support you locally please contact Ros Burton on 01902 851675 or email catalyst@sscva.org.uk Following a number of consultation events, the County Council has now released its full tender documents to select its new capacity building partner to support the voluntary and community sector through to 2020. The successful partner will be announced at the end of April, with the new service scheduled to start on 1

st August.

We will let you know what happens in due course.

S S C V A

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S S C V A

Many thanks to all of you who attended our 29th ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING on

the 10th November at Bilbrook Village Hall, and particularly to Steve Winterflood the

Chief Executive of South Staffordshire Council who kindly agreed to act as our keynote speaker and provided an informative presentation on the Council’s response to an era of “perma-adversity”. SSCVA, and no doubt many other voluntary and community organisations, are grateful to the Council for its continuing support to the sector in an increasingly challenging financial climate.

Many of us in South Staffordshire work with the most vulnerable and isolated residents. We therefore share the concern of NCVO and our member body NAVCA around Government proposals to insert gagging clauses into grant agreements, as this move if implemented is likely to impact negatively upon groups’ ability to speak up for the needs of their beneficiaries. Are you interested in finding out about learning and skills and what is available locally? We facilitate the Locality Working Group, a district partnership of adult learning providers in South Staffordshire, promoting and planning collaborative working and sharing information and best practice. Everyone who has an interest in adult learning is welcome to join. The next meeting takes place on Wednesday 2nd March, 12noon at South Staffordshire Council offices in Codsall. If you would like to attend please email Ros Burton at catalyst@sscva.org.uk or telephone 01902 851675 You will see from the front cover that SSCVA celebrates its 30

th birthday in June 2016.

We will be revisiting some of our key work and achievements since 1986 in the build up to June, and planning an appropriate way of celebrating this milestone for members and key stakeholders – look out for more information on this over the next month or two.

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S S C V A

Do you need help with managing your finances?

If you are a small community group in South Staffordshire and need someone to help check your annual accounts or you need a little help and advice on book keeping and petty cash SSCVA can now provide you with this service. A set fee of £60 for annual accounts checking Help and advice on bookkeeping and petty cash

For more information please call Louise on 01902 851675

Email: info@sscva.org.uk

Website & Social Media Services from SSCVA

We now offer the following website creation and social media training packages to local voluntary and community organisations. Help in the set up and maintenance of a basic website (£60 for 2x 2 hour

sessions) Social media training (£30 for 1x 2 hour session) Design of promotional materials (negotiable)

And don’t forget…

If your community group or charity has an upcoming event, some good news you’d like people to know about, or a volunteering position available we would be more than happy to publicise this for you through our website, fortnightly e-bulletin and social media channels. You can find out more about everything we offer in the above packages from our website at the following address:

www.sscva.org.uk/website-social-media-training

If you are interested in any of the above please get in touch with us on

01902 851675 daniel.swift@sscva.org.uk

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Commissioner's People Power Fund

Grants between £100 and £3000

Great ideas for community safety come from local people, which is why Police and Crime Commissioner Matthew Ellis is inviting groups in Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent to bid for money from the Commissioner’s People Power Fund.

The fund empowers local groups to find solutions to community safety problems through smaller grants of between £100 and £3000.

These could range from the provision of positive activities for young people with the aim of reducing inti-social behaviour (ASB) in a local community, mentoring programmes for targeted groups in a community through to funding reassurance activities and respect events in specific areas.

The funding opens on 1st March and closes on the 14th April 2016.

For more information please visit: www.staffordshire-pcc.gov.uk/people-power-fund/

BBC Children in Need

The Main Grants programme is open to charities and not-for-profit organisations applying for grants over £10,000 per year for up to three years. Deadlines for the next round: 15th May 2016 and 15th September 2016. The Small Grants programme is open to charities and not-for-profit organisations applying for any amount up to and including £10,000 for one year only. Deadlines for the next round: 1st June, 1st September and 1st December 2016.

For more information please visit:

www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/3XW7FvN20PD3xr2c1T62Xly/main-grants

Email: pudseygrants@bbc.co.uk or Tel: 0345 609 0015

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Start-up Grants

Grants from £3,000 to £10,000

Start-up grants can support a very broad range of things you might need to do to get started as a new group or get a new heritage project off the ground. They can pay for activities that:

Make a difference to people, heritage and communities in the UK; Have not yet started; and Will last no more than one year. Start-up Grants can help in the early stages of planning your activities. If your group isn’t formally constituted yet, the funding can help you put in place the governance structure that’s right for you. If you are further along in your development, Heritage Lottery can help you explore ways to manage and sustain your heritage in the future. You could research how local people want the heritage to be used, and train group members in relevant skills. You could also use Start-up Grants funding for early scoping work to inform a future application for project funding. Heritage includes many different things from the past that we value and want to pass on to future generations, for example: Archaeological sites Collections of objects, books or documents in museums, libraries or archives Cultural traditions such as stories, festivals, crafts, music, dance and costumes Historic buildings Histories of places and events The heritage of language and dialects Natural and designed landscapes and gardens People’s memories and experiences Places and objects linked to our industrial, maritime and transport history Natural heritage including habitats, species and geology There are no application deadlines.

For more information please visit:

www.hlf.org.uk/looking-funding/our-grant-programmes/start-grants

Telephone 020 7591 6000

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I N F O R M A T I O N

Nominations for the Community Inspiration Awards 2016 are now open. Last year hundreds of applications were received from very high achieving individuals from community, public sector organisations and businesses. The judges’ shortlisted 80 nominees from hundreds of high calibre nominations received from across the country. Awards were presented to 3 finalists for each of the 18 award categories by a host of MPs, Council Leaders and Chief Officers from public sector bodies. The Community Inspiration Awards have been organised by the Community Foundation, to recognise outstanding contributions made by staff from public sector organisations and members of the community, whose efforts have made a positive difference in the community and inspired and motivated others. This year’s Community Inspiration Awards will be held on the 28th July 2016 where the panel of esteemed judges will announce the winners. Like previous years, awards will be presented by various dignitaries, including leading businessman and women, chief officers from public sector organisations, senior government officers, and Members of Parliament and European Parliament. With 16 award categories to choose from, you can nominate somebody who you think deserves an award. Individuals can also submit a self-nomination, with the support of an independent verifier, (basically someone who can vouch for your good work!) Nomination is open to all and there is no minimum or maximum age limit. Individuals can be nominated for more than one category where applicable.

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I N F O R M A T I O N

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I N F O R M A T I O N

Exciting new opportunities for the community to join Brunel Court’s

social life

Day club, including lunch and activities Luncheon Club Enriched memory and mental health day club Friends of Brunel - Coffee & activities, Friday’s 10.30am to 12.30pm, £2.00

For more information please call 01902 893315

Brunel Court, Mount Road, Wombourne, WV5 9EU

Sunday 1st May 2016

Staffordshire Day will take place throughout the County and will be celebrating Staffordshire’s greatness with a range of events, special offers and competitions. Groups and organisations are being encouraged to get involved by putting on an event, like a street party, or local music festival. Grants of up to £1000 are available for arts activities in Staffordshire from the Community Arts Fund. These could include: music, visual arts and crafts, combined arts, festival/events, dance, photography, film and new media, performance arts, theatre/drama and literature. Deadline for applications is 1st March 2016.

For more information and downloads please visit: www.enjoystaffordshire.com/staffordshireday.aspx

Your Social Media Needs

Could you spare a few minutes to answer our short survey about the website and social media needs of your community/voluntary group in South Staffordshire?

Please go to the following: www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/SFNKLD2

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I N F O R M A T I O N

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I N F O R M A T I O N

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I N F O R M A T I O N

The Landfill Communities Fund is at risk Background

A landfill tax was introduced in 1996 by the then Government on landfill waste to reduce the amount of land-filled waste and to promote more environmentally sustainable methods of waste management. The LCF is also a way for Landfill Operators (LOs) and EBs to work in partnership on projects that create significant environmental benefits, jobs and which improve the lives of communities living near landfill sites. It has been very successful in reducing the amount of waste we send to landfill and has been a big help in driving more recycling. The tax is paid by the waste companies who have contracts with local authorities and businesses. These Landfill Operators pay £84 per tonne of waste they deposit in the ground. And HM Treasury receives around £1.3 billion in tax revenues. However, Landfill Operators can choose to re-direct part of their tax bill to local communities near landfill sites rather than paying it to the Treasury. In 2016-17 they can divert 90p of every £25 of tax they owe so long as £1 goes to a community project. The local community normally fundraises for the missing 10p in every pound. To date, most Operators have taken up this option and since 1996 local communities near landfill sites have been able to invest over £1.4billion in 51,000 projects. The Funds from the LCF scheme are distributed through Environmental Bodies (such as WREN, Veolia Trust, Viridor Credits etc.) and are able to support the repair and wider community use of historic places of worship. It is also a vital source of match-funding for applicants to the Listed Places of Worship and Heritage Lottery Fund schemes, as well as other grant-giving bodies. To date the scheme has made available over £95 million to places of worship and buildings of historic or architectural interest. The Government has been seeking to reduce the bureaucracy involved in the scheme. As part of the Autumn Statement on 25

th November 2015, the Government

published proposed changes to LCF. The major change that we are most concerned about is the proposal to remove the Contributing Third Party (CTP) provision of the Regulations and require landfill operators to provide 10% of their contribution to community projects. While this may help local communities in that they will no longer have to find the matching 10%, we are concerned that this will have the unintended effect of closing down the Scheme or at least reducing the funds made available. The scheme is a voluntary one and the cost to a Landfill Operator of having to find the 10% match funding would be significant. One major operator estimates this would amount to it having to find £500,000 of additional money each year. As a result, nearly all the main landfill operators have said they may not be able to find such money and would therefore stop using the system of tax credits. In fact, evidence shows that finding the 10% match funding has never been a barrier for community groups and applications made to the Landfill Communities Fund are oversubscribed at least twofold.

I N F O R M A T I O N

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COMMISSIONER KEEN TO UPDATE SOUTH STAFFORDSHIRE COMMUNITY GROUPS

Staffordshire’s Police and Crime Commissioner Matthew Ellis says 2016 could be a defining year for policing and is keen to update community groups in South Staffordshire as part of his ongoing engagement activities. The Commissioner wants to visit local groups across Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent to speak about the progress made so far and plans for the future to make sure the police respond appropriately to demand and victims are at the centre of the criminal justice system. Mr Ellis said: “Speaking to more than 20,000 people since I started as Police and Crime Commissioner, at supermarket surgeries, Let’s Talk events, community groups and other meetings and events, has been invaluable and allowed people to raise issues on their minds. “2015 saw a lot of changes and developments with work to make policing better, holding it to account and making it more responsive to the communities it serves. “So, even if your community group had a visit from me 12 months ago or less, there’s a lot to update you on now. “2016 will be important, possibly a defining year, for policing across Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent. Police officers are having to deal with crimes that are more and more complex including child sexual exploitation, cybercrime and terrorism but it is also about keeping the balance so that policing keeps a traditional approach to communities, reassuring the public and not forgetting other crimes that may be less complex but still have a real impact on people. ”There’s also been new technology introduced to support frontline policing and ongoing work to increase officer visibility in communities.” Mr Ellis continued: “The public can now hold local police commanders to account and examine and shape the work of policing in their areas through the Safer Neighbourhood Panels, which have been established in Staffordshire, with more set to be introduced in 2016. “People can also be part of the independent Ethics, Transparency and Audit Panel (ETAP) which was set up as part of work by my office to make policing in Staffordshire the most open, transparent and ethical in the country. “Ultimately, however, my office needs your views on crime and safety so that I am able to work with communities and find out what the issues are in your area to make a difference.” Community groups can contact the Police and Crime Commissioner’s office on 01785 232270 or email pcc@staffordshire.pcc.pnn.gov.uk . They can also write to the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner, Staffordshire Police HQ (Block 9), Weston Road, Stafford, ST18 0YY. To read more about the Police and Crime Commissioner's key priorities in his Safer, Fairer, United Communities strategy go to: www.staffordshire-pcc.gov.uk/saferfairerunited/

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G R O U P N E W S

Cheslyn Hay Table Tennis Club

Cheslyn Hay Table Tennis Club welcomes new members. Feel free to pop along on Monday and Tuesdays 7 to 10pm. Wednesday coaching session 6 to 8pm for 11 to 25 year olds by appointment only. The club meet in the basement of Salem Methodist Church, High Street, Cheslyn Hay, WS6 7AB. For enquiries please contact John Quinn on 01922 475551 or 07846 496715 or email: johnquinn491@gmail.com

Friends of Bilbrook Skittles Night

Saturday 12th March 7.30pm

Holy Cross Church Hall, Bilbrook Road, Bilbrook, WV8 1EU

Tickets £8 including a fish & chip supper

Bring own beverages and glasses

Proceeds go towards environmental enhancements in and around the village of Bilbrook

For tickets please telephone 07989 423617

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G R O U P N E W S

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G R O U P N E W S

P.A.C.E. 2000 LADIES FASHION SHOW & POP UP SHOP

Wednesday 11th May 2016,

Doors open 7pm for 7.30pm start. Peace Memorial Hall,

Pinfold Lane, Penkridge, ST19 5AP.

Tickets: £5 includes Tea/Coffee & Biscuits. Charity raffle: Prizes include a £50 & £25 clothing voucher to spend on the night!

For tickets and more information please contact:

Sue Gray 01785713702 / 07853354591 Marie Rowe 01785715445

EX HIGH STREET FASHION AT 50% OR MORE OFF

*Brands subject to availability

CLOTHING AVAILABLE TO TRY ON & BUY! CASH & CARDS ACCEPTED

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Could you be a Volunteer Buddy with the SSCVA Community Support Project?

What does the role of a Volunteer Buddy involve?

As a Volunteer Buddy on the Community Support Project you will be matched with a local resident on a one-to-one basis, meeting with them regularly (for a few hours at least once a month) at a community venue or in their own home. It is a flexible form of volunteering and you will be able to arrange each visit for a time that suits both of you. As a Volunteer Buddy, we wish to match volunteers to residents who are a similar age to themselves, ideally with similar interests and who also live locally to them. Your voluntary role will involve befriending and helping people to access support, services and community activities, where needed attending with them. The role does not involve advocacy or care responsibilities. . The qualities a Community Buddy needs are enthusiasm, good communication skills, friendliness, commitment and, above all, patience. We ask a commitment of a few hours at least once a month, for an allocated time period or until the service is no longer required. Visiting someone over a period of time allows the resident to build up trust and a good befriending relationship. Being a Volunteer Buddy is a supportive, reliable relationship between a volunteer and a person who would otherwise be socially isolated. It helps to reduce feelings of loneliness and increases motivation and confidence.

Regular contact provides a vital link into the community to those who can be socially

isolated because of restricted mobility or because they can’t access public transport.

Our volunteers encourage and support older people to get out and about- even if it's

just to the end of the garden. They promote a holistic approach and will introduce

them (if applicable) to local clubs and activities and signpost them to services that are

available to them in their local community, preventing social isolation and improving

their overall wellbeing. Training and Support Before you begin volunteering, you will attend some informal training, which will provide you with some useful information to help you in your role as a Community Buddy. On-going support is provided by the Project co-ordinator who will be available to help with any issues or concerns that might arise and discuss the progress of your befriending relationship. Expenses We will reimburse reasonable out of pocket travel expenses.

V O L U N T E E R I N G

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South Staffordshire volunteer centre

WANT TO VOLUNTEER?... WE ARE YOUR ONE STOP SHOP!

Ros and Louise are the Volunteer Duty Officers for the South Staffordshire

Volunteer Centre.

Think you would like to volunteer? It’s very simple, all you need do is have a chat

and discuss what opportunities you are interested in doing and go from there.

You can give as much or as little time as you like, many organisations are flexible

with times and dates available.

Featured Volunteering opportunities…

Matching you to many diverse volunteering opportunities in South Staffordshire

POhWER have a variety of volunteering opportunities. You could become a Citizen Advocate, a Peer Advocate or volunteer in Admin, Fundraising, Mystery Shopping, Customer Service Feedback, and more. For more information: www.pohwer.net or call 0300 456 2370.

South Staffordshire Children Centres require Volunteer Group Leaders for the Postnatal Support Group and Premature Baby Support Group. If you are interested in volunteering or would like more information please call 01902 851675.

The British Red Cross are looking for volunteers to work in their Mobility Aids Shop based in Stafford and also looking for volunteer drivers and drivers assistants. If you are interested please call 01902 851675. Staffordshire Fire & Rescue Service is looking to recruit on-call Firefighters. You need to be 18 years of age or over and live within five minutes of the fire station. They are looking to recruit in Stone, Eccleshall, Gnosall, Rising Brook, Rugeley, Cannock, Penkridge, Brewood, Codsall, Wombourne and Kinver. For more information please call: 07528 983190

V O L U N T E E R I N G

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We welcome your comments on the content and format of Buzz.

Please send any feedback to:

Louise Baker, South Staffordshire Community & Voluntary Action, C/o South

Staffordshire District Council, Wolverhampton Rd, Codsall, South Staffordshire,

WV8 1PX. Telephone 01902 851675 or email: info@sscva.org.uk

V O L U N T E E R I N G

Living Springs are based in Stourton near Kinver and provide care, support and hope to vulnerable children and families through a range of services. They are looking for general volunteers in a variety of roles. For more information please contact Louise on 01902 851675 The Shaw Trust is a charity based in Stafford and help people facing disadvantage into work, to gain skills and take control of their futures by providing expert advice and practical support. They are looking for general volunteers in a variety of roles. For more information please contact Louise on 01902 851675 Independent Monitoring Board Volunteering Opportunities at HMYOI Brinsford Brinsford Young Offenders Institution are looking to recruit volunteers from all walks of life within a radius of about 30 miles of the prison. You need to be over 18 and can dedicate around 6 days a month. They are looking for good listeners, who are enthusiastic and non-judgemental, good communicators, computer literate and able to work in a team and relate to prisoners, prison officers and civilian staff. For more information please visit www.imb.org.uk or telephone 020 3334 3265 Cats Protection Stafford and District Branch are looking for volunteers to help the good work the volunteer branch does in the area. There are opportunities for Cat Fosterers, Home Visitors, Transport Volunteers, Funding Events Organiser, Fundraisers, Trap & Neuter and Return Volunteer and Shop Assistant Volunteers. For more information please visit: www.stafford.cats.org.uk. Email: bsusnwe@cats.org.uk or telephone 080800 191919

How to contact us

If you are interested in any of the above opportunities or would like to find out about becoming a volunteer then please call Ros or Louise on: 01902 851675 or email: vols@sscva.org.uk You can now also come along to our drop-in session which is held every Wednesday from 12 noon to 2pm at South Staffordshire Council Offices in Codsall, just ask at reception for Ros or Louise

Contributions to BUZZ

Do you have an event you would like to publicise to the voluntary and community sector in South Staffordshire? Look no further - BUZZ is the ideal place.

We also welcome relevant features and articles.

Please complete this section and send it with your article to South Staffordshire Community & Voluntary Action, c/o South Staffordshire District Council, Wolverhampton Road, Codsall, South Staffs, WV8 1PX

The deadline for the Summer 2016 Issue is Friday 22nd April 2016.

Name

Organisatio

Telephone

*Must be in Summer 2016 Newsletter

PLEASE HELP KEEP OUR RECORDS UP TO DATE

Please let us know of any changes in contact details for your organisation by completing the section

below and returning it to South Staffordshire Community & Voluntary Action

Support for South Staffordshire Community & Voluntary Action

includes:

South Staffordshire Council;

Local Parish Councils; South Staffordshire Partnership

Organisation Changes

Organisation

New Contact Name

New Address

Email Address

New Telephone No

Any Other Changes

……………………….………………………………...

Please note:

The Information given in this publication is given in good faith but South Staffordshire Community & Voluntary Action cannot accept responsibility or liability for any errors that may occur.

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South Staffordshire Community & Voluntary Action

STAFF & VOLUNTEERS

David Leese Chief Officer

Louise Baker Admin/Finance & Volunteer Officer

Ros Burton Development & Volunteer Officer

Daniel Swift Social Media/ Promotions Officer

Anne Ross Community Support Officer

Rolf Levesley Chair (Volunteer)

Carol Hurley Vice Chair (Volunteer)

Margaret Winwood Volunteer

Sue Jones Volunteer

Registered Office:

C/o South Staffordshire District Council Wolverhampton Rd, Codsall, Staffs, WV8 1PX

Tel: 01902 851675

Email : info@sscva.org.uk

Website: www.sscva.org.uk

Registered Charity No: 1093899

@ SouthStaffsCVA