Email Briefing 11 Oct 04

1. Themes, Priorities and Outcomes for the Big Lottery Fund
2. What do you think of Northern Ireland civil society?
3. Single Equality Bill briefing paper
4. Latest round of Management Training
5. Ageism in Northern Ireland
6. Secure Your Vote
7. Diploma in Community Youth Work
8. Creating Connections: health inequalities on the island of Ireland - an agenda for change
9. Public Appointments – Forthcoming vacancies published
10. World Rural Women’s Day – 15 October 2004
11. DSC Fundraising Conference 2004
12. Make Your Move – new feature on the email briefing
13. Highlights from NICVA’s website
14. Membership
15. Subscribe to the email briefing
16. Feedback

1. Themes, Priorities and Outcomes for the Big Lottery Fund

NICVA would like to thank all the voluntary and community sector representatives who managed to attend the hastily-convened stakeholders meeting on 30 September 2004, in which a range of Themes, Priorities and Outcomes for BLF were put forward. A final submission based on the results of the day’s discussions has been sent to DCAL.

*The three main themes put forward were: Poverty and Disadvantage, Active Citizenship and Community Cohesion and Wellbeing.
*It was argued that these themes should be underpinned by the core values of: Prioritising Disadvantage, Ensuring Equality, Innovation and Risk Taking, Independence, Additionality and Rural-proofing.
*Key outcomes suggested were: Improved psychological and physical health, increased personal independence, increased employability, improved equality and diversity, increased voluntary and community capacity, increased personal resources and improved environment.
*Priority areas and ideas highlighted were an open grants programme, supporting the infrastructure of the voluntary and community sector, volunteering, making community venues accessible and interface areas.

2. What do you think of Northern Ireland civil society?

CIVICUS is a global alliance dedicated to strengthening civil society and citizen action throughout the world. Its members include voluntary organisations, foundations, research institutes and individuals from 106 countries. NICVA is the National Co-ordinating Organisation for the CIVICUS supported research programme - the Civil Society Index (CSI), an innovative project that assesses civil society worldwide so as to create a knowledge base and an impetus for strengthening initiatives.

The Index defines civil society as “the arena between family, government and market, where people voluntarily associate to advance common interests” and looks at four dimensions of civil society: its structure, its external political, legal, socio-economic and socio-cultural environment, the values practised and promoted in it and its overall impact.

Look out for the forthcoming series of regional stakeholder consultations. Participants will be drawn from within the voluntary and community sector and also from government, media, churches and the private sector. Participants will be asked to respond to a short written questionnaire and to meet to discuss findings. The findings from these consultations will play a key part in the final CSI country report.

For more information, please contact JJ McCarron, NICVA Research and Policy Officer on 028 9087 7777, jj.mccarron@nicva.org .

3. Single Equality Bill briefing paper

NICVA has been encouraging voluntary and community sector representatives to attend this month’s consultation meetings on the Single Equality Bill. Some of you who would like to attend are unable to due to other commitments, so NICVA has made its briefing paper on the Single Equality Bill available online.

There is still time to register if you wish to attend one of the events in Newry, Ballymena, Cookstown or Enniskillen. Contact Margaret Thompson for further information on 028 9087 7777, margaret.thompson@nicva.org .

4. Latest round of Management Training

NICVA invites applications for the next round of its hugely successful Management Development Programme. A range of courses suitable for all levels of management from supervisor to senior executive begins in January 2005. From NVQ levels 3 and 4 to management modules in human resources, leadership, finance, strategy and quality, there is something to suit managers at any stage of their career.

Download an application form from website www.nicva.org . Places are limited so please return your application form no later than 29 October 2004.

For further information please contact Sandra or Roisin on 028 9087 7777, sandra.bailie@nicva.org or roisin.kelly@nicva.org .

5. Ageism in Northern Ireland

ARK, a joint social research project between the Queen’s University of Belfast and the University of Ulster is launching its popular seminar series, with a discussion of Ageism in Northern Ireland led by Professor Eileen Evason, Emeritus Professor in Social Policy, University of Ulster, on Wednesday 13 October 2004 at NICVA, 61 Duncairn Gardens, Belfast.

Please register with Gillian Robinson at ARK if you wish to attend on 028 7137 5513, info@ark.ac.uk .

6. Secure Your Vote

The annual campaign to sign up to the electoral register is now well under way, with the Electoral Office for Northern Ireland having arranged for the hand-delivery of an estimated 1.1million electoral registration forms to voters across Northern Ireland.

This is being backed up by an advertising and promotional campaign to ensure that as many people as possible are aware of the legal requirement to register every year and to remind voters that if they are not on the electoral register they will be unable to vote in forthcoming elections.

The Electoral Commission is visiting every home in Northern Ireland twice, first to deliver a form and then to collect it. If no-one is at home at the time of the second visit a pre-paid envelope will be delivered for the return of forms. You can register to vote if you are aged 16 or over (but you cannot vote until your 18th birthday).

Forms can be downloaded from http://www.secureyourvote.com/ or call the helpline on 0800 0323 700 if you need more information.

7. Diploma in Community Youth Work

The University of Ulster invites applications for its part-time Diploma of Higher Education in Community Youth Work which commences in January 2005 at the Magee campus. It is validated by the National Youth Agency and recognised by the JNC conditions of professional qualification. Applicants should be over 20 years of age and should be working for at least 16 hours a week for an employer within the Community Youth Work field and have secured support from their employers to have release to undertake the programme.

Further advice can be obtained from Mr Pat Henry, 028 9036 8430 or pj.henry@ulster.ac.uk .

Information and application forms are available from the Registry Office, Faculty of Social Sciences, School of Sociology and Applied Social Studies, University of Ulster, Shore Road, Newtownabbey, Co Antrim, BT36 0QB, tel: 028 9036 6183.

Closing date for receipt of completed applications is 22 October 2004.

8. Creating Connections: health inequalities on the island of Ireland - an agenda for change

Are you an individual, community group, institution or organisation whose work, directly or indirectly, makes a difference to the health and wellbeing of people and communities on this island? Are you interested in driving change and developing stronger networks? Then this two-day conference organised by NIPHA (Northern Ireland Public Health Alliance) and PHAI (Public Health Alliance Ireland) in association with Institute of Public Health in Ireland is for you.

The conference takes place on 24 and 25 November 2004 in Glenroyal Hotel, Maynooth, and will explore and define the key issues in improving people’s lives in Northern Ireland and the Republic, connect people with supporters, funders and knowledge bases, create an agenda for action and provide an inclusive and dynamic environment for discussion.

For more information please contact Aisling O’Connor at 5th Floor Bishop’s Square, Redmond’s Hill, Dublin 2, 00 353 1 478 6300 info@publichealthallianceireland.org .

9. Public Appointments – forthcoming vacancies published

Being a member of the Board of a public body enables people drawn from the wider community to play a role in influencing and shaping the provision of a range of public services. The functions undertaken by public bodies in Northern Ireland embrace every facet of public life. The Office of the First and Deputy First Minister is keen to attract as wide a range of applications as possible, from all sections of the community including women, young people, people from an ethnic minority background and people with disabilities.

The latest six-monthly list of forthcoming public appointment vacancies in the period from 1 January 2005 to 30 June 2005 is available on the web at www.ofmdfmni.gov.uk/publicappointments or from the Central Appointments Unit, 028 9052 8193.

10. World Rural Women’s Day – 15 October 2004

World Rural Women's Day was launched by several international NGOs during the 4th UN World Conference on Women in Beijing in 1995 and a worldwide empowerment and educational campaign has been organised annually since1997 by the Women's World Summit Foundation (WWSF). Celebrations and events take place in more than 100 countries around the world. This year the theme is to empower women to claim their right to decision-making at the legislative level so that their voices are heard both locally and in society at large. Until women are fully represented at senior levels of public, professional and economic leadership, they neither enjoy equal rights nor have an equal voice.

Find out more about the campaign at www.woman.ch/women/2-introduction.asp .

11. DSC Fundraising Conference 2004

The Directory of Social Change is hosting its annual fundraising conference on Thursday 21 October 2004 in The Charity Centre, 24 Stephenson Way, London NW1 2DP. The event is for chief executives, trustees, managers and fundraisers of voluntary organisations. Expert trainers and speakers will contribute to the conference and give valuable tips, practical guidance, case studies and updates. There are six workshops to choose from to bring yourself right up to date in this ever changing field.

Contact DSC on 08450 77 77 07 or training@dsc.org.uk for more information or visit the website www.dsc.org.uk/charityevents.html .

12. Make Your Move – new feature on the email briefing

The emailing brief hopes to whet your appetite each week with a random selection of the latest voluntary and community sector jobs listed on the NICVA website. Check these out for starters:

Volunteer Development Co-ordinator for VSB
£21,867-£24,708

Sports Development Officer for Scoutlink
£17, 000

Fundraising Administrator for Habitat for Humanity
£13,581 - £16,515

Check out all the latest vacancies.

13. Highlights from NICVA’s website

A Yellow Pages for the sector

NICVA has received money from Invest NI to develop a portal website for the voluntary and community sector in Northern Ireland.

Brendan Kane, Outreach Officer for the project, has prepared a mini-site to report on the portal as it develops.

The portal will operate as a yellow pages and shop window for the sector. Monitor the progress of its construction by visiting the mini-site regularly. Reports will include mock-ups of the design, information on functionality and news of consultation and research.

Please monitor and comment on the portal through the mini-site. We welcome your thoughts, suggestions and criticisms.

Membership

Is your organisation a member of NICVA or do you know of another organisation that would benefit from NICVA membership? Membership is open to all voluntary and community organisations in Northern Ireland.

To find out more about the benefits of NICVA membership, or to obtain a membership pack, please contact Frances McAtamney on 028 9087 7777, frances.mcatamney@nicva.org or visit the website www.nicva.org .

Subscribe to the email briefing

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Feedback

This briefing is sent by email to all our members on a weekly basis. We hope this helps you circulate the information within your organisation where appropriate. Your feedback about this service is very welcome. nicvalist@nicva.org

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The information contained in this digest has been provided and collated from numerous accredited sources. NICVA does not take responsibility for any third party content or any of the opinions expressed.

Briefing compiled by John McCormick, Information Officer