Published quarterly by the Gloucestershire Association for Voluntary and Community Action (GAVCA) January 2012

This seemed to sum up the views of themany voluntary and communityorganisations that responded to our surveyto find out the impact of public spendingcuts on the VCS in Gloucestershire.

A wide range of organisations responded,giving a view from a good cross-section of thecounty’s VCS, and the consistent message wasone of concern about how cuts were resultingin the loss of the range and level of manyservices. Also, and perhaps more worryingly,possible reductions in the quality of serviceswere reported which could compromise thesafety of vulnerable clients.

73% of the groups that responded to the surveyhave already made budget cuts and 65% havealready reduced or plan to reduce staffinglevels this year, with some reporting plans toreplace some of these lost staff with volunteersor student work placements.

Fortunately, GAVCA is here to help with justthe kind of support that most groups said theyfelt would help them at this difficult time:advice on how to work more collaboratively

with other groupsinformation about funding sourceshelp with finding volunteers and good

practice in how to involve them in your workadvice about diversifying their

organisation’s incomehelp with marketing your organisation.

This edition of PULSE is packed full ofinformation about events and useful resources,as is our website at www.gavca.org.uk, but, ifyou can’t find what you need, please get intouch so that we can discuss how else we canhelp you.

It’s vital that you continue to tell us what yousee happening out there in your communityand how the public spending cuts are affectingyour work and the people with whom youwork. The need for a strong collective voice tomake sure that local and national governmentare aware of the real impact of these cuts isneeded now more than ever.

Through supporting the VCS Assembly, tomake sure you can get your voice heard, andthrough using the feedback we receive fromour members and service users to advocatedirectly on your behalf, GAVCA will beworking hard over the coming year to highlightthe challenges facing the VCS and thecommunities of Gloucestershire and try tomake sure that this information is used toinfluence policy decisions. So please keepsending us your feedback – together we arestronger!

For the full report of GAVCA’s survey: BigSociety: the impact of public spending cuts onthe VCS in Gloucestershire, go towww.gavca.org.uk

We have not seen evidenceyet that the Big Society

means anything in practice

Page 2 Page 2

Many employers believe that volunteering by theiremployees is beneficial not only in reducing employeeturnover, recruitment and training costs, but also forincreasing employee motivation and productivity.Companies have begun to report on theirenvironmental record and their contribution to thecommunity and consumers are choosing to supportbusinesses that are able to demonstrate they are bothenvironmentally and socially responsible.

This trend is creating exciting possibilities to formstrong and equitable partnerships between the VCSand the business community, but voluntary andcommunity organisations need to tap into theseopportunities.

Forging partnerships between the two sectors mayhelp to plug any capacity or skills gaps in voluntaryorganisations, while at the same time providingprivate sector organisations with good qualityvolunteering opportunities for their employees whichwill help them to develop their skills.

Different types of employee volunteeringEmployer supported volunteering is a three-waypartnership between the employer, employee and theVolunteer Involving Organisation. There are severaldifferent types of employee volunteering:

1Team Challenge opportunitiesThese are for defined period of time, usually a

day. Typically they involve a group of volunteersundertaking a particular task or activity which has aclear and identifiable impact and benefit.For example, a group of 10 employees from a localbank could spend a day painting a community centre.

If you are interested in hosting a Team Challenge for abusiness, it is useful to think through the following:

What will the volunteers be doing?How many volunteers do you need?Do they require any particular skillsor experience?Will they be in contact with yourservice users and if so what should theyexpect?Where will they be working?Be precise with start and finish timesWho from your organisation will bethere to meet and/or supervise them?What equipment will be provided?

2Ongoing volunteering opportunitiesThese are longer term in nature and will involve

volunteers attending and working with yourorganisation, often on a regular basis. Typically theseopportunities offer more depth, variety or specialismand may involve the use of particular experience orskill sets.For example, the Communications Director from aFTSE-listed company mentors a VCS MarketingManager once a month for one year.

If you are interested in hosting an employeevolunteer on an ongoing basis, it is useful to thinkthrough the following:What skills do you lack or need in your

organisation?Who in your organisation would most benefit

from volunteer help or support?How long do you need a volunteer for?When do you need the volunteer? Again be

precise with times if possibleHow often would you be able to host a volunteer?What capacity do you have to support a

volunteer?What would the volunteer gain from the

experience?

3Skills-based volunteering opportunitiesThese can be both team-challenge-based or

ongoing, but generally they are the latter. Volunteerseither identify the skills that they would like todevelop themselves through volunteering, or theyidentify the skills that they are willing to share with avoluntary and community organisation.For example, the Financial Director from anengineering company becomes Treasurer on a VCOBoard, or the Assistant Manager at a fast-food chainvolunteers as a Team Leader at a Youth Club todevelop his/her people management andcommunication skills.

If you are interested in hosting a skills-basedvolunteering opportunity, it is useful to think throughthe following:What skills are you lacking or needing in your

organisation?What skills would the volunteer gain by

volunteering with you?What capacity do you have to support a

volunteer?How often would you be able to host a volunteer?

For how long do you need avolunteer?

When will theybe volunteering?Again be precisewith times if possible

How many volunteersdo you need?

What are the benefits toyour organisation?Here are just some of the potentialbenefits:Increase the supply of skilled

volunteersYou can forge links with local business

and together improve community lifeOften companies also have a pot of

money available for communityprojects that you can apply forHighly-skilled professionals to help your

organisation with PR, finance, marketing, etcAccess to excellent candidates for your Board of

TrusteesBusiness can add value to your organisation by

bringing time, expertise and contactsHelp to break down barriers between different

sections of the society

Charities and other voluntary and communityorganisations need to put in their own thinking,energy and time to set up schemes to work withprivate and public sector organisations moreeffectively. It's important to decide how you canbest use employee volunteers' skills and time tomeet your organisation's needs.

Get your creative juices flowing and explore ways tomake these modern trends work for you to tap into ahuge pool of employee volunteers!

More and more companies createpossibilities for their employees totake time out from work tovolunteer.

GAVCA’s Volunteering ServiceManager, Gabi Gogan, and ShelleyBartlett, discuss how yourorganisation can tap into this sourceof volunteers and support.

If you are interested in finding out moreabout this topic then please contact Gabi ongabig@gavca.org.uk or 01452 332424, or

contact Shelley on shelleyb@gavca.org.ukor by ringing 07968 827 308.

Page 3 Page 3

Many employers believe that volunteering by theiremployees is beneficial not only in reducing employeeturnover, recruitment and training costs, but also forincreasing employee motivation and productivity.Companies have begun to report on theirenvironmental record and their contribution to thecommunity and consumers are choosing to supportbusinesses that are able to demonstrate they are bothenvironmentally and socially responsible.

This trend is creating exciting possibilities to formstrong and equitable partnerships between the VCSand the business community, but voluntary andcommunity organisations need to tap into theseopportunities.

Forging partnerships between the two sectors mayhelp to plug any capacity or skills gaps in voluntaryorganisations, while at the same time providingprivate sector organisations with good qualityvolunteering opportunities for their employees whichwill help them to develop their skills.

Different types of employee volunteeringEmployer supported volunteering is a three-waypartnership between the employer, employee and theVolunteer Involving Organisation. There are severaldifferent types of employee volunteering:

1Team Challenge opportunitiesThese are for defined period of time, usually a

day. Typically they involve a group of volunteersundertaking a particular task or activity which has aclear and identifiable impact and benefit.For example, a group of 10 employees from a localbank could spend a day painting a community centre.

If you are interested in hosting a Team Challenge for abusiness, it is useful to think through the following:

What will the volunteers be doing?How many volunteers do you need?Do they require any particular skillsor experience?Will they be in contact with yourservice users and if so what should theyexpect?Where will they be working?Be precise with start and finish timesWho from your organisation will bethere to meet and/or supervise them?What equipment will be provided?

2Ongoing volunteering opportunitiesThese are longer term in nature and will involve

volunteers attending and working with yourorganisation, often on a regular basis. Typically theseopportunities offer more depth, variety or specialismand may involve the use of particular experience orskill sets.For example, the Communications Director from aFTSE-listed company mentors a VCS MarketingManager once a month for one year.

If you are interested in hosting an employeevolunteer on an ongoing basis, it is useful to thinkthrough the following:What skills do you lack or need in your

organisation?Who in your organisation would most benefit

from volunteer help or support?How long do you need a volunteer for?When do you need the volunteer? Again be

precise with times if possibleHow often would you be able to host a volunteer?What capacity do you have to support a

volunteer?What would the volunteer gain from the

experience?

3Skills-based volunteering opportunitiesThese can be both team-challenge-based or

ongoing, but generally they are the latter. Volunteerseither identify the skills that they would like todevelop themselves through volunteering, or theyidentify the skills that they are willing to share with avoluntary and community organisation.For example, the Financial Director from anengineering company becomes Treasurer on a VCOBoard, or the Assistant Manager at a fast-food chainvolunteers as a Team Leader at a Youth Club todevelop his/her people management andcommunication skills.

If you are interested in hosting a skills-basedvolunteering opportunity, it is useful to think throughthe following:What skills are you lacking or needing in your

organisation?What skills would the volunteer gain by

volunteering with you?What capacity do you have to support a

volunteer?How often would you be able to host a volunteer?

For how long do you need avolunteer?

When will theybe volunteering?Again be precisewith times if possible

How many volunteersdo you need?

What are the benefits toyour organisation?Here are just some of the potentialbenefits:Increase the supply of skilled

volunteersYou can forge links with local business

and together improve community lifeOften companies also have a pot of

money available for communityprojects that you can apply forHighly-skilled professionals to help your

organisation with PR, finance, marketing, etcAccess to excellent candidates for your Board of

TrusteesBusiness can add value to your organisation by

bringing time, expertise and contactsHelp to break down barriers between different

sections of the society

Charities and other voluntary and communityorganisations need to put in their own thinking,energy and time to set up schemes to work withprivate and public sector organisations moreeffectively. It's important to decide how you canbest use employee volunteers' skills and time tomeet your organisation's needs.

Get your creative juices flowing and explore ways tomake these modern trends work for you to tap into ahuge pool of employee volunteers!

More and more companies createpossibilities for their employees totake time out from work tovolunteer.

GAVCA’s Volunteering ServiceManager, Gabi Gogan, and ShelleyBartlett, discuss how yourorganisation can tap into this sourceof volunteers and support.

If you are interested in finding out moreabout this topic then please contact Gabi ongabig@gavca.org.uk or 01452 332424, or

contact Shelley on shelleyb@gavca.org.ukor by ringing 07968 827 308.

Page 4 Page 4

In December, GAVCA hosted atraining course for voluntary andcommunity organisations (VCOs)which wanted to develop theirunderstanding of the principles ofpublic law and of the Compact.

The course, which was run by NAVCA,aimed to help groups identify when apublic body has not acted lawfully or hasfailed to comply with the Compact, and tounderstand the actions available to them.

For any organisation which wasn’t able tomake the training day, here are some ofthe key points and tips:

Public law is the set of legal rules towhich bodies carrying out public

functions must comply. The law ensuresthat bodies carrying out public functions:discharge their legal dutiesdo not abuse or exceed their powersdo not breach human rights law

Public law is different to private law inthat in a public law case courts will

only look at how public bodies havebehaved and whether the court shouldintervene to correct this behaviour.

Public bodies can only do what theyare legally allowed to do and their

actions fall into one of two categories:they either have a power to do somethingor a duty. If you are considering what apublic body might have done wrong, tryto determine if it relates to a duty or to apower.

The way public bodies behave isgoverned by guidance.

It is important that youare aware of any thatapplies to the publicfunctions that the publicbody you are dealing withis exercising in relation toyour work.

The Compact is essentially a form ofguidance that is not law. Public

bodies should follow it, taking it intoaccount when they make decisions, andjustifying any departure from them. TheCompact is about equity in relationshipsbetween the public sector and the VCSand there is a Gloucestershire Compact.Visit www.gloshub.org.uk/compact formore information about the localCompact.

When making a challenge, formulatesearching questions using the

relevant guidance and be a critical friendto the public body in question.

Gathering evidence is very importantso keep a record of all

correspondence.

Building open and trustingrelationships takes a long time, but

can be broken very quickly. The bestmethod of starting the resolution processis to open a dialogue with the public bodyand try to identify a way forward.

For more information about NAVCA’sEmpowering the Voluntary SectorProgramme, go to the NAVCA website atwww.navca.org.uk

If you’d like to talk through how youcould use the Gloucestershire Compact tohelp you resolve any issues you arefacing, contact Sally Pickering on 01452509700.

EmpoweringtheVoluntarySector

Shelley Bartlett, consultant at GAVCA,explains how the Down to Business Project

could help your organisation.

Down to Business is a new GAVCA project funded bythe Performance Reward Grant for one year untilNovember 2012 and headed up by me, ShelleyBartlett. The project aims to support thesustainability of the voluntary and community sectorthrough building greater understanding anddeveloping partnerships between it and the privatesector.

It seems that everyone is talking about sustainabilityand the need to be sustainable, whether you are inthe voluntary and community, public or privatesectors. With so much use the term does run the riskof being over used and loosing its potency, for methis is a great shame as the word does grab theessence of the Down to Business Project.

Collaboration is really at the heart of this project.We will support both sectors in understanding andrecognizing the strengths of each other, and use thisunderstanding as the foundation for developingstrong and sustainable partnerships. It is anticipatedthat these partnerships, if developed and brokeredcarefully, can lead to the transfer of needed skills,experience and knowledge, as well greater learningand development opportunities, increasedvolunteering support and of course incomediversification.

The project is still in the early stages of itsdevelopment and creation, so please keep your eyeon the GAVCA website for more information anddetails of our VCS-specific offerings.

If you are interested infinding out more aboutthe project then pleasecontact Shelley onshelleyb@gavca.org.ukor 07968 827 308.

© Shelley Bartlett, 2012

What could an apprentice do for you?Over 80% of employers who employ apprenticeships agree they make theirworkplace more productive and lead to a more motivated and satisfiedworkforce.

Apprenticeships are work-based programmes designed around the employer.Apprentices would be employed by your organisation like any other staff memberbut they usually only earn a minimum wage of £2.50 per hour in exchange forgaining training. This training will be free for any apprentices aged 16-18 andcompetitively priced for anyone aged 19 or over, and they will also gain valuablelearning and experience “on the job” in your organisation.

So, if your organisation is committed to supporting the training and development of staff and volunteers,you may be interested in considering taking on an apprentice. You can even use an apprenticeship for anexisting member or staff or you might want to support one of your volunteer’s development by creating anapprenticeship role for them to move on into.

Sarah Danson, at Gfirst, is available to answer any questions that you might have and help you tounderstand the details of funding, wages, what apprenticeship courses are available that would be suitablefor your organisation and to support you and your apprentice throughout their training programme. Formore information, she can be contacted on 01452 328318 or at sarah.danson@glosfirst.co.uk

©chuckoutrearseats onFlickr.com

Building open and trustingrelationships takes a long

time, but can be broken veryquickly. The best method of

starting the resolution processis to open dialogue with the

public body and try to identifya way forward.

Page 5 Page 5

In December, GAVCA hosted atraining course for voluntary andcommunity organisations (VCOs)which wanted to develop theirunderstanding of the principles ofpublic law and of the Compact.

The course, which was run by NAVCA,aimed to help groups identify when apublic body has not acted lawfully or hasfailed to comply with the Compact, and tounderstand the actions available to them.

For any organisation which wasn’t able tomake the training day, here are some ofthe key points and tips:

Public law is the set of legal rules towhich bodies carrying out public

functions must comply. The law ensuresthat bodies carrying out public functions:discharge their legal dutiesdo not abuse or exceed their powersdo not breach human rights law

Public law is different to private law inthat in a public law case courts will

only look at how public bodies havebehaved and whether the court shouldintervene to correct this behaviour.

Public bodies can only do what theyare legally allowed to do and their

actions fall into one of two categories:they either have a power to do somethingor a duty. If you are considering what apublic body might have done wrong, tryto determine if it relates to a duty or to apower.

The way public bodies behave isgoverned by guidance.

It is important that youare aware of any thatapplies to the publicfunctions that the publicbody you are dealing withis exercising in relation toyour work.

The Compact is essentially a form ofguidance that is not law. Public

bodies should follow it, taking it intoaccount when they make decisions, andjustifying any departure from them. TheCompact is about equity in relationshipsbetween the public sector and the VCSand there is a Gloucestershire Compact.Visit www.gloshub.org.uk/compact formore information about the localCompact.

When making a challenge, formulatesearching questions using the

relevant guidance and be a critical friendto the public body in question.

Gathering evidence is very importantso keep a record of all

correspondence.

Building open and trustingrelationships takes a long time, but

can be broken very quickly. The bestmethod of starting the resolution processis to open a dialogue with the public bodyand try to identify a way forward.

For more information about NAVCA’sEmpowering the Voluntary SectorProgramme, go to the NAVCA website atwww.navca.org.uk

If you’d like to talk through how youcould use the Gloucestershire Compact tohelp you resolve any issues you arefacing, contact Sally Pickering on 01452509700.

EmpoweringtheVoluntarySector

Shelley Bartlett, consultant at GAVCA,explains how the Down to Business Project

could help your organisation.

Down to Business is a new GAVCA project funded bythe Performance Reward Grant for one year untilNovember 2012 and headed up by me, ShelleyBartlett. The project aims to support thesustainability of the voluntary and community sectorthrough building greater understanding anddeveloping partnerships between it and the privatesector.

It seems that everyone is talking about sustainabilityand the need to be sustainable, whether you are inthe voluntary and community, public or privatesectors. With so much use the term does run the riskof being over used and loosing its potency, for methis is a great shame as the word does grab theessence of the Down to Business Project.

Collaboration is really at the heart of this project.We will support both sectors in understanding andrecognizing the strengths of each other, and use thisunderstanding as the foundation for developingstrong and sustainable partnerships. It is anticipatedthat these partnerships, if developed and brokeredcarefully, can lead to the transfer of needed skills,experience and knowledge, as well greater learningand development opportunities, increasedvolunteering support and of course incomediversification.

The project is still in the early stages of itsdevelopment and creation, so please keep your eyeon the GAVCA website for more information anddetails of our VCS-specific offerings.

If you are interested infinding out more aboutthe project then pleasecontact Shelley onshelleyb@gavca.org.ukor 07968 827 308.

© Shelley Bartlett, 2012

What could an apprentice do for you?Over 80% of employers who employ apprenticeships agree they make theirworkplace more productive and lead to a more motivated and satisfiedworkforce.

Apprenticeships are work-based programmes designed around the employer.Apprentices would be employed by your organisation like any other staff memberbut they usually only earn a minimum wage of £2.50 per hour in exchange forgaining training. This training will be free for any apprentices aged 16-18 andcompetitively priced for anyone aged 19 or over, and they will also gain valuablelearning and experience “on the job” in your organisation.

So, if your organisation is committed to supporting the training and development of staff and volunteers,you may be interested in considering taking on an apprentice. You can even use an apprenticeship for anexisting member or staff or you might want to support one of your volunteer’s development by creating anapprenticeship role for them to move on into.

Sarah Danson, at Gfirst, is available to answer any questions that you might have and help you tounderstand the details of funding, wages, what apprenticeship courses are available that would be suitablefor your organisation and to support you and your apprentice throughout their training programme. Formore information, she can be contacted on 01452 328318 or at sarah.danson@glosfirst.co.uk

©chuckoutrearseats onFlickr.com

Building open and trustingrelationships takes a long

time, but can be broken veryquickly. The best method of

starting the resolution processis to open dialogue with the

public body and try to identifya way forward.

Page 6 Page 6

Voluntary and Community SectorForumsHave you received notification of a VCS Forumhappening in your area and wondered what it was allabout? Well, they serve several purposes:

To bring together voluntary and community groupswho work in the District, to share information,experience, skills and good practice.To provide one mechanism for the voluntary and

community sector in the District to have a strategicvoice, ensuring that its collective views areconsidered and have an influence on planning andpolicy decisions.To provide one channel of communication into the

voluntary and community sector for the statutoryand business sectors.To strengthen, support and develop the voluntary

and community sector in the District

All VCS groups who work in each Forum District arewelcome to attend and the dates for those Forumsco-ordinated by GAVCA during this quarter are:

Cheltenham: 6 February, 18 AprilGloucester: 13 MarchTewkesbury: 7 March

If you would like further information about theforums contact:Angela Gilbert for the Cheltenham VCS Forum

01242 227737 AngelaG@gavca.org.ukJane Jarman for the Gloucester VCS Forum 01452

509708 JaneJ@gavca.org.ukMary Boucher for the Tewkesbury VCS Forum

01242 227737 MaryB@gavca.org.uk

www.gavca.org.uk/whatson

Put these dates in yourdiaries now, or visit

the GAVCA website atwww.gavca.org.uk/

whatson to keep up-to-date withforthcoming

training, meetings,events and activities.

Your VCS Assembly – Get your voiceheard!At its development day in October, the Voluntary andCommunity Sector (VCS) Assembly Board consideredthe rapidly changing partnership environment andsome potential opportunities and threats to the VCSAssembly’s role as the strategic voice of the county’sVCS.

The VCS Assembly Board proposed that the key areasfor VCS Assembly development going forward, couldbe:The development of different, possibly self

sustaining, routes for influencing decision making;Gathering evidence to influence decision making;Developing the VCS ‘market place’ for

commissioningInformation exchange to and from the VCS and

the public sector.It was agreed that independence should remain atthe core of the VCS Assembly. The VCS AssemblyBoard is inviting views from the VCS and public sectorpartners on this proposal.

What do you think the VCS Assembly should focus onin the coming months/years? How do you think itshould change? Send your thoughts to Hannah Gorfhannahg@gavca.org.uk or 01452 522 600.

Looking forward to 2012Towards the end of 2011 GAVCA held a couple ofevents to support organisations; one was specificallyto support trustees and the other was around theissue of funding. We are always conscious of trying toprovide the right support at the right time fororganisations and so one of the questions staff weretrying to find answers for related to the needs oforganisations.

The key messages from these events were thatsupport with finding funding and organisationaldevelopment are vital during this challenging time. Akey message which we have been able to pass on tofunders is that organisations are particularlystruggling to have the capacity to make large fundingapplications. Without covering the ‘core’ costs, manysmaller organisations struggle to make the step todevelop and increase their service provision asdemand increases.

Local branches of national organisations also havedifficulty in attracting funding to deliver localprojects – some funders being under the impressionthat these branches are funded nationally, which isnot always the case.

Looking forward to 2012 GAVCA will be providingmany opportunities for you to access support foryour organisation. Look out for events in your districtthroughout the year, some funding training coursesin the spring, our annual trustee event in earlysummer, and a funding fair later on in the year.

Don’t forget to use our ‘support to groups’ team ifyour organisation has specific issues you need helpwith. All contact details are at www.gavca.org.uk

Volunteering andvolunteers were centrestage in this year’sAwards ceremony, held in November. Winners werepresented with their awards by Cheltenham’s MayorBarbara Driver, who gave a very personal account ofhow the work of the voluntary sector and volunteerscan make a difference in people’s lives.

Cheltenham Volunteer of the Year was awarded toJohn Smith who impressed judges with hiscommitment and transformational leadership withThe Friends of Nazareth House, a voluntaryorganisation working to improve the lifestyle ofelderly people at Nazareth House nursing home inCheltenham.

Trustee of the Year was awarded to Peter Cottinghamin recognition of his commitment and hard work astrustee of the National Star College, a charity that is aprovider of specialist education, training and personaldevelopment for young people 16-25 with severe andcomplex disabilities.

Finally the Volunteer Team of the Year went to theeighty nine-strong team of voluntary young leaderswith Cheltenham District Scouts, who help supportadults who run the younger sections of the Scouts(Beaver scouts, Cub scouts and Scouts). All the teamare between 14-18 years old and run games andactivities, teach children new skills and providesupport teams for larger events.

As one of the young leaders, James Kuk, said: “wedon’t often get recognised outside of Scouting for thevolunteering we do. The Scouts are great to volunteerwith and receiving this award gives us a really goodfeeling”.

I guess that’s what the awards are all about,recognising publicly the fantastic contributions andthe huge difference volunteering makes toorganisations within the town. So start thinking nowabout who you would like to nominate for the 2012awards …..it really does give people a good feeling.

Coming soonWe are pleased to announce that we will soon beable to offer discounted insurance to voluntaryorganisations from Tennyson Insurance through anew partnership with them that will be launched thismonth. GAVCA will supply you with a unique discountcode from which will then enable you to qualify for a5% discount on Tennyson’s Insurance policies.

Watch out for more details on our website shortly orcontact Sally Pickering on01452 509700 for moreinformation.

CheltenhamVolunteer of theYear Awards2011

©GAVCA 2011

GAVCA can provide a cost effectiveand efficient solution to organisationsthat do not have the time or theexpertise to manage their ownpayroll. Call 01452 509701 for moreinformation or a quote.

GloucesterCheltenham andTewkesbury Joint Core StrategyThe ‘Developing the Preferred Option’ publicconsultation is considering the possible locations ofnew housing and employment development acrossthese three local authority areas over the next 20years from 2011-2031, as well as considering thoseareas that should be preserved and enhanced.

The consultation is open until Sunday 12 February2012, and full details of consultation meetings andhow to have you say are at www.gct-jcs.org

©istockphoto.com/inspireme

Try GAVCA’s Payroll Service

Page 7 Page 7

Voluntary and Community SectorForumsHave you received notification of a VCS Forumhappening in your area and wondered what it was allabout? Well, they serve several purposes:

To bring together voluntary and community groupswho work in the District, to share information,experience, skills and good practice.To provide one mechanism for the voluntary and

community sector in the District to have a strategicvoice, ensuring that its collective views areconsidered and have an influence on planning andpolicy decisions.To provide one channel of communication into the

voluntary and community sector for the statutoryand business sectors.To strengthen, support and develop the voluntary

and community sector in the District

All VCS groups who work in each Forum District arewelcome to attend and the dates for those Forumsco-ordinated by GAVCA during this quarter are:

Cheltenham: 6 February, 18 AprilGloucester: 13 MarchTewkesbury: 7 March

If you would like further information about theforums contact:Angela Gilbert for the Cheltenham VCS Forum

01242 227737 AngelaG@gavca.org.ukJane Jarman for the Gloucester VCS Forum 01452

509708 JaneJ@gavca.org.ukMary Boucher for the Tewkesbury VCS Forum

01242 227737 MaryB@gavca.org.uk

www.gavca.org.uk/whatson

Put these dates in yourdiaries now, or visit

the GAVCA website atwww.gavca.org.uk/

whatson to keep up-to-date withforthcoming

training, meetings,events and activities.

Your VCS Assembly – Get your voiceheard!At its development day in October, the Voluntary andCommunity Sector (VCS) Assembly Board consideredthe rapidly changing partnership environment andsome potential opportunities and threats to the VCSAssembly’s role as the strategic voice of the county’sVCS.

The VCS Assembly Board proposed that the key areasfor VCS Assembly development going forward, couldbe:The development of different, possibly self

sustaining, routes for influencing decision making;Gathering evidence to influence decision making;Developing the VCS ‘market place’ for

commissioningInformation exchange to and from the VCS and

the public sector.It was agreed that independence should remain atthe core of the VCS Assembly. The VCS AssemblyBoard is inviting views from the VCS and public sectorpartners on this proposal.

What do you think the VCS Assembly should focus onin the coming months/years? How do you think itshould change? Send your thoughts to Hannah Gorfhannahg@gavca.org.uk or 01452 522 600.

Looking forward to 2012Towards the end of 2011 GAVCA held a couple ofevents to support organisations; one was specificallyto support trustees and the other was around theissue of funding. We are always conscious of trying toprovide the right support at the right time fororganisations and so one of the questions staff weretrying to find answers for related to the needs oforganisations.

The key messages from these events were thatsupport with finding funding and organisationaldevelopment are vital during this challenging time. Akey message which we have been able to pass on tofunders is that organisations are particularlystruggling to have the capacity to make large fundingapplications. Without covering the ‘core’ costs, manysmaller organisations struggle to make the step todevelop and increase their service provision asdemand increases.

Local branches of national organisations also havedifficulty in attracting funding to deliver localprojects – some funders being under the impressionthat these branches are funded nationally, which isnot always the case.

Looking forward to 2012 GAVCA will be providingmany opportunities for you to access support foryour organisation. Look out for events in your districtthroughout the year, some funding training coursesin the spring, our annual trustee event in earlysummer, and a funding fair later on in the year.

Don’t forget to use our ‘support to groups’ team ifyour organisation has specific issues you need helpwith. All contact details are at www.gavca.org.uk

Volunteering andvolunteers were centrestage in this year’sAwards ceremony, held in November. Winners werepresented with their awards by Cheltenham’s MayorBarbara Driver, who gave a very personal account ofhow the work of the voluntary sector and volunteerscan make a difference in people’s lives.

Cheltenham Volunteer of the Year was awarded toJohn Smith who impressed judges with hiscommitment and transformational leadership withThe Friends of Nazareth House, a voluntaryorganisation working to improve the lifestyle ofelderly people at Nazareth House nursing home inCheltenham.

Trustee of the Year was awarded to Peter Cottinghamin recognition of his commitment and hard work astrustee of the National Star College, a charity that is aprovider of specialist education, training and personaldevelopment for young people 16-25 with severe andcomplex disabilities.

Finally the Volunteer Team of the Year went to theeighty nine-strong team of voluntary young leaderswith Cheltenham District Scouts, who help supportadults who run the younger sections of the Scouts(Beaver scouts, Cub scouts and Scouts). All the teamare between 14-18 years old and run games andactivities, teach children new skills and providesupport teams for larger events.

As one of the young leaders, James Kuk, said: “wedon’t often get recognised outside of Scouting for thevolunteering we do. The Scouts are great to volunteerwith and receiving this award gives us a really goodfeeling”.

I guess that’s what the awards are all about,recognising publicly the fantastic contributions andthe huge difference volunteering makes toorganisations within the town. So start thinking nowabout who you would like to nominate for the 2012awards …..it really does give people a good feeling.

Coming soonWe are pleased to announce that we will soon beable to offer discounted insurance to voluntaryorganisations from Tennyson Insurance through anew partnership with them that will be launched thismonth. GAVCA will supply you with a unique discountcode from which will then enable you to qualify for a5% discount on Tennyson’s Insurance policies.

Watch out for more details on our website shortly orcontact Sally Pickering on01452 509700 for moreinformation.

CheltenhamVolunteer of theYear Awards2011

©GAVCA 2011

GAVCA can provide a cost effectiveand efficient solution to organisationsthat do not have the time or theexpertise to manage their ownpayroll. Call 01452 509701 for moreinformation or a quote.

GloucesterCheltenham andTewkesbury Joint Core StrategyThe ‘Developing the Preferred Option’ publicconsultation is considering the possible locations ofnew housing and employment development acrossthese three local authority areas over the next 20years from 2011-2031, as well as considering thoseareas that should be preserved and enhanced.

The consultation is open until Sunday 12 February2012, and full details of consultation meetings andhow to have you say are at www.gct-jcs.org

©istockphoto.com/inspireme

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GAVCA Training provides specialist training for theVoluntary and Community Sector in the county. Weare continually developing and updating ourprogramme to ensure we are providing relevant,professional and high quality training and learningand development opportunities.

Want to learn more about making your organisationmore sustainable?Why not take part in the Action Learning Set whichGAVCA is offering in partnership with GloucestershireSocial Enterprise Centre in Stroud (SEC)?Action Learning Sets are an opportunity for

participants to discuss, explore and develop newideas.

Each participant will go away with an action planspecific to their work to build upon and develop.

The Action Learning Set is made up of fivesessions and will be held at SEC in Stroud. Thecost of all five sessions is £150 per participant.

Get accreditation!We have recently transferred our Open CollegeNetwork (OCN) provider and are now an accreditedcentre registered with OCNSWR.This means that we are now able to offer national

qualifications!Our Volunteer Managers Best Practice series and

Making Change programme already offeredaccredited options, and more courses will follow.

Are you an organisation offering training to staff,volunteers, trustees or clients?As an OCNSWR registered centre, GAVCA are able tosupport organisations in the county to develop theirtraining into accredited programmes. If you wouldlike more information or would just like to discussyour options, call 01452 332424 or emailtraining@gavca.org.uk.

Coming up this SpringLook out for our new learning and developmentprogramme in March. We will have courses for youthworkers, volunteer managers, trustees, staff andvolunteers. Whether you need training andinformation on outcomes, funding or how you cancut costs for your organisation, we will havesomething to suit all organisations, large or small!

REMEMBER! Free place for new GAVCA MembersIn order to welcome those organisations becomingnew members of GAVCA we are delighted to offer a‘buy one, get one free’ deal for places on our trainingcourses. Why not use your free place to recognisethe contribution of a member of staff, a volunteer ora Trustee?

Find out more about this offer, and about all ourtraining courses, from theGAVCA website atwww.gavca.org.uk/trainingAlternatively, emailtraining@gavca.org.ukor ring 01452 332424.

New learning and developmentopportunities from GAVCA Training

Pulse is published by GAVCA. Please address any comments or queries to Honey Lucas, Information Officer at GAVCA, by emailing honeyl@gavca.org.uk or by ringing 01452 332424.

GAVCA: Registered Charity No. 1068715, Company Limited by Guarantee, Registered in England & Wales No.: 3501904.

GAVCA is a local development and support organisation that works to strengthen the voluntary and communitysector (VCS) in Gloucestershire through training, information and representation.

GAVCABeatrice Webb House, 75-81 Eastgate Street, Gloucester GL1 1PN

01452 332424 | admin@gavca.org.uk | www.gavca.org.uk | Twitter: @GAVCAGlos

GAVCA in CheltenhamCommunity Resource Centre, Grove Street, Cheltenham GL50 3LZ

01242 227737 | cheltadmin@gavca.org.uk

GAVCA Partnerships Team is a service of GAVCABeatrice Webb House, 75-81 Eastgate Street, Gloucester GL1 1PN

01452 522600 | hannahg@gavca.org.uk

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