eNews 6 December 2005

Content

1. Moving on policy
2. Last chance to Make Poverty History
3. Christmas bargains galore
4. Human Rights Week
5. Cheers for volunteers
6. Companies Registry goes online
7. Helping migrant workers
8. Mothers on the edge
9. Dramatising the sector
10. Northern Visions Community Television Training Course
11. The lantern, the witch and the wardrobe
12. The English in Northern Ireland
13. Researching social capital
14. Victims Commissioner seeks personal assistant
15. Pick of the Websites
16. Make Your Move - new jobs this week on communityni.org
17. Community NI Diary
18. Membership
19. Subscribe to eNews
20. Feedback
21. Submit an Article

1. Moving on policy

Government's Positive Steps report recommends that the voluntary and community sector should lead on developing training courses for policy development in the sector. As part of this, NICVA has begun work with OFMDFM on exploring an online interactive policy resource which could be used as a training tool for individuals or groups.

The idea is to develop the package with Belfast Institute of Further and Higher Education (BIFHE) which has experience in the development of interactive online packages and of working with young people to ensure that the programme is open, accessible and easy to understand.

NICVA will be convening a meeting for anyone interested in discussing the content of this policy resource tool on 13 January 2005 at 10.00am in NICVA.

2. Last chance to Make Poverty History

Join the world in the final push of 2005 to make poverty history. The third White Band Day takes place on 10 December, in advance of the World Trade Organisation talks in Hong Kong. Northern Ireland is hosting a number of events on Friday 9 and Saturday 10 December.

Belfast City Hall is the venue for a candlelit vigil from 5.00pm to 8.00pm on Friday, when campaigners and members of the public are invited to take a minute to help make poverty history by lighting a candle, signing a petition on Trade Justice to the UK Minister, Alan Johnson, and hanging a white band on a specially commissioned replica of an African blackwood tree.

More vigils and events will take place across Northern Ireland on Saturday. For details on events in your area, or if you would like to organise one, email John Sharp or Paddy Wallace .

3. Christmas bargains galore

Looking for that last minute Christmas gift? NICVA has a few places left on these Management Development courses:

• Strategic Planning on 10 and 11 January 2006
• Approaches to Quality on 17 and 18 January 2005

At only £63 each, they won't be available for long. Don't miss out, contact Roisin Kelly today on 028 9087 7777 or Roisin Kelly

4. Human Rights Week

Human Rights Week began yesterday and runs until 11 December 2005. Some events taking place later this week are:

5 to 9 December - Refugee exhibition - Human rights without rights: asylum seekers. Venue: Belfast City Hall. Contact Catherine Couvert or Michael Beggs at Law Centre (NI) on 028 9024 4401.

6 December - Challenges and opportunities of teaching human rights in the classroom - seminar. Venue: NI Human Rights Commission at 7.00pm. Contact Bernadette Rooney on 028 9024 3987.

7 and 8 December - Towards a Bill of Rights - conference. Venue: Armagh City Hotel. Contact Bernadette Rooney or 028 9024 3987.

10 December - International Human Rights Day. Venue: The Guildhall, Derry/Londonderry at 10.00am. Contact Bernadette Rooney or 028 9024 3987.

5. Cheers for volunteers

The Northern Ireland Volunteer Development Agency (NIVDA) invites applications for the 2006-2009 round of Community Volunteering Scheme (CVS) grants, funded by the Department for Social Development. The grant scheme launches today and a series of information roadshows has been planned for potential applicants in early December.

Visit www.volunteering-ni.org for the roadshow dates or to download an information leaflet, application form and guidance notes. Further information is also available from NIVDA on 028 9081 8329, cvs@volunteering-ni.org.

The closing date for applications is 20 January 2006.

6. Companies Registry goes online

Companies Registry has launched a new, quick and easy online service to provide company information at the touch of a button. The online service provides access to company information and the facility to request and pay for company documents.

Customers can access the new online service through the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment website www.companiesregistry.detini.gov.uk. For more information please contact Companies Registry on 0845 6048888.

7. Helping migrant workers

Northern Ireland Public Sector Enterprises Ltd (NICO) invites you to a best practice seminar entitled

Trans-national Cooperation for Migrant Workers in Galgorm Manor, Ballymena, on 12 December 2005 from 9.30am to 4.30pm.

The seminar aims to initiate steps towards the development of a coordinated approach to information provision for migrant workers coming to Northern Ireland. It will be attended by representatives from the voluntary and community sector, local and regional government in Northern Ireland and Bulgaria.

Please contact Joanne Smyth or Barbara Neil on 028 9034 7752 or visit www.nico.org.uk for details or to register to attend.

8. Mothers on the edge

Bogside and Brandywell Women's Group invites you to the launch of the research report On the edge: mothers and young people in disadvantaged areas speak at NICVA, 61 Duncairn Gardens, Belfast on 8 December 2005 at 11.00am

Contact Julie McIntyre on 028 7126 932

9. Dramatising the sector

Ballynafeigh Community Development Association is developing a theatre project to explore issues affecting community development work and the voluntary sector. There will be a publication to accompany the project and a performance in the New Year, which will take a fairly light hearted look at some of the key events that have recently affected our work.

Maybe there is an aspect of your work or organisation that you want to celebrate and would enjoy the opportunity of sharing with a broad audience? Maybe you've been caught in a bizarre funding contradiction, or seen your work cut across by agendas or changes which are outside your control... the kind of frustrating or surprising occurrences that we all moan about in the office? BCDA hopes to create an entertaining and informal picture of what it has been like to work with young people and communities across a range of groups and provide a platform for everyone to get a sense of what has been going on.

If this sparks any ideas and you'd like to get involved, contact Karen on 028 9049 1161 or Karen.mcfarlane@bcda.net.

10. Northern Visions Community Television Training Course

Northern Visions offers hands on experience in television production including interviewing, studio production, location filming and post production, on this course aimed at 18 to 25 year olds, beginning 16 January 2006.

For more information on this and a host of other training courses visit www.northernvisions.org or 028 9024 5495.

11. The lantern, the witch and the wardrobe

Join the Narnia Lantern Parade from 7.00pm on 10 December 2005, when characters from 'The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe' will take to the streets accompanied by hundreds of people carrying lanterns to a backdrop of carnival music and drumming, organised by the Beat Initiative, Northern Ireland's carnival company.

The parade will march from Holywood Road to the Bridge End car park, where there will be a spectacular fireworks show. For further information, contact the Beat Initiative on 028 9046 0863 or visit www.belfastcarnival.org.

12. The English in Northern Ireland

This photographic exhibition looks at the role of the English in Northern Ireland including archive images from the Imperial War Museum and newly commissioned portraits of English people living in Northern Ireland. The exhibition opens on 8 December 2005 at 7.00pm in Belfast Exposed Gallery. There will be a special 'English' issue of The Vacuum free monthly newspaper to tie in with the exhibition.

13. Researching social capital

Surveys, social capital and social networks will give an introduction to Economic and Social Data Service (ESDS) surveys for social capital research on 31 January 2006 at NICVA, Belfast.

The morning introductory seminar is aimed at those with little or no experience of ESDS surveys.

The afternoon session will provide an introduction to the use of social network analysis.

View the programme and book a place.

14. Victims Commissioner seeks personal assistant

The Interim Commissioner for Victims and Survivors of the troubles, Bertha McDougall, has been appointed for a period of approximately one year. The terms of reference of the Interim Commissioner are to review current arrangements for service delivery and coordination of services for victims and survivors across Departments and agencies, identifying any gaps in service provision; to review how well the current funding arrangements in relation to services and grants paid to victims and survivors groups and individual victims and survivors are addressing need; and to consider the modalities of establishing the Victims and Survivors Forum envisaged in the Joint Declaration. At the end of her period of office, the Interim Commissioner will present a report to the Secretary of State on her findings.

OFMDFM has an Interchange opportunity for a Personal Assistant to provide a high level of support to the Commissioner in the full range of her business and to be responsible for the day to day operation of the Commissioner's office.

Visit the Interchange website or contact Derek Solomon on 028 9052 8189.

15. Pick of the Websites

www.Communityni.org

One in a Million. We've enjoyed reading the stories you've sent about the moments, partnerships and people of 2005 that have stood out as one in a million in the non profit sector. Read a new story each day on Communityni.org as part of NICVA's celebrations of one million monthly page views on our family of websites.

It's not too late to send a nomination for the 'one in a million' feature. Email it, with the name of your organisation, to NICVA's Web Editor at Miriam Bell.

www.NICVA.org

NICVA's 2004-05 Annual Report has been published and the results of the Executive Committee elections announced.

Make Your Move - new jobs this week on communityni.org
This section contains a random selection of the latest jobs from the Community NI website.

1. Development Officer at Engage with Age. Salary: £22,195.
2. Press, Marketing & Business Development Officer at Cathedral Quarter Arts Festival. Salary: £21,000.
3. Centre Manager at Greenway Women's Group.

16. Community NI Diary

NICVA's successful Community Diary now has a new home on the Community NI web portal.

Submit details of your upcoming events in Community NI's Events Calendar.

Simply follow the Submit an Event link to the right of the page, enter the details, and we'll do the rest.

17. Membership

NICVA membership is open to all voluntary and community organisations in Northern Ireland.

To find out more contact Frances McAtamney or 028 9087 7777.

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