eNews 10 October 2005

1. Know your Ps from your Qs
2. Reaching out to Enniskillen
3. Tackling Violence at Home
4. Arts Council's Five Year Strategic Plan under review
5. Healing Through Remembering report launch
6. Gender, Conflict and Development
7. Get some ProHelp
8. Women's imprisonment in Northern Ireland: Reflections and futures
9. European Partners wanted
10. BBC wants to hear about your volunteering event
11. CLIC Sargent seeking volunteer receptionists
12. Office space to rent one minute from City Hall
13. Web Highlights
14. Make Your Move - new jobs this week on communityni.org
15. Community NI Diary
16. Membership
17. Subscribe to eNews
18. Feedback

1. Know your Ps from your Qs

If you want to have your voice heard on issues that concern you, or you want to effect change but you're not sure how to go about it, then this course is for you. NICVA is offering a second series of lobbying courses in conjunction with the Rural Community Network and the North-West Community Network.

Participants will:

• gain an understanding of government structures, with an emphasis on Stormont and Westminster
• learn useful tips on who to lobby
• get insight into tools including parliamentary questions (PQs)
• have an opportunity to start working on lobbying
• develop strategies with advice from a politician or experienced lobbyist.

The content will appeal to anyone involved in campaigning, strategy development, public affairs and communications. The day-long courses are free, including lunch, but as there is a limit of 20 places on each day, we would ask you book in advance by contacting your preferred venue.

Dates and venues are:

Tuesday 25 October
Rural Community Network from 10.00am to 3.00pm
Contact: Linda Rogers at Rural Community Network NI 028 8676 6670

Tuesday 8 November
NICVA from 10.00 to 3.00pm
Contact: Cathy Breslin at NICVA 028 9087 7777

Tuesday 6 December
The Junction, Derry from 10.00 to 3.00pm
Contact: Mary Harkin at North-West Community Network on 028 7127 9090

2. Reaching out to Enniskillen

There are still some places left on NICVA's Outreach Training sessions at the Clinton Centre in Enniskillen this Wednesday 12 October 2005.

The following training is available:

Fundraising from Companies, beginning at 10.30am gives guidance on corporate giving from Northern Ireland companies and outlines the different ways in which large and small businesses can support voluntary and community activity.

Setting up a Company Limited by Guarantee, beginning at 2.00pm, explains both the process of change from an association to a company structure and the duties and responsibilities of directors.

Please contact Georgie Finlay at NICVA to book your place on 028 9087 7777 or outreach@nicva.org

3. Tackling Violence at Home

In a press release, Women's Aid welcomed Tackling Violence at Home, the new government strategy to address domestic violence and abuse. Women's Aid believes that one of the strategy's strengths lies in the recognition that domestic violence is much more than physical abuse and also acknowledges the impact of emotional, verbal, financial and sexual violence.

The understanding that domestic violence cannot be tackled by any single agency is reflected in the emphasis placed on inter-agency co-operation. Furthermore, training has been identified as a goal to ensure that all professionals have a greater understanding of domestic violence and its impact.

However, Women's Aid believes there is still some cause for concern and says that although the strategy has positive aims, there are no long term identified resources and a disappointingly vague implementation plan.

For further information please contact Stephanie Mallon at Women's Aid Federation Northern Ireland on 028 9024 9041, info@womensaidni.org or visit www.womensaidni.org.

4. Arts Council's Five Year Strategic Plan under Review

The Arts Council of Northern Ireland is currently undertaking a review of its five year plan - The Arts: Inspiring the Imagination, Building the Future. As part of this review the Council is seeking views on its key impacts and achievements over the period of the plan (2001 to 2005) with a view to measuring how well it has delivered against the strategic objectives set out in the plan.

The findings from this review will then be used to inform the future strategic policy and direction of the Council.

Written responses would be welcomed from anyone with a general interest in the arts or from those who have been working in the sector over the period of the plan. In order to facilitate comments from as many interested parties as possible a comment form has been prepared. This form, along with a copy of the strategic plan, is available on the Arts Council's website www.artscouncil-ni.org or by telephoning 028 9053 1074.

5. Healing Through Remembering Report Launch

The report, Storytelling Audit: An audit of personal story, narrative and testimony initiatives related to the conflict in and about Northern Ireland, was compiled by Gráinne Kelly who was commissioned by Healing Through Remembering's storytelling sub group to prepare an audit of current storytelling initiatives relating to the conflict in and about Northern Ireland.

Gráinne Kelly will give a brief presentation on the audit and its contents and the vice chair of the storytelling sub group, Claire Hackett, and a Healing Through Remembering board member will also make some comments and observations on the report and its recommendations. The presentation will be followed by a buffet lunch.

Healing Through Remembering is a cross-community project focusing on how to deal with the past in relation to the conflict in Northern Ireland.

The launch takes place on 18 October 2005 at 11.00am at the Healing Through Remembering Offices on Ormeau Avenue, Belfast.

If you are interested in attending please contact Elaine Hamilton by Thursday 13 October at rsvp@healingthroughremembering.org or 028 9023 8844.

If you cannot attend but would like a copy of the report contact Healing Through Remembering or visit www.healingthroughremembering.org after 19 October 2005.

6. Gender, Conflict and Development

The Centre for Global Education invites you to its annual lecture on Wednesday 19 October 2005 entitled Gender, Conflict and Development, delivered by Nan Charm Tong, a member of the Shan ethnic community in Burma who was forced into exile in Thailand. Charm is a frontline activist and advocate for human rights who has helped to found the Shan Women's Action Network (SWAN) and a School for Shan Youth. She has brought international attention to the human rights abuses experienced by the Shan at the hands of the Burmese military. At just 23 years old, Charm was the recipient of the 2005 Reebok Human Rights Award.

The lecture has been organised in partnership with Queen's University and Trócaire and takes place at 1.00pm in Room 209, Peter Froggatt Centre, Queen's University, Belfast. Everyone is welcome to attend.

7. Get some ProHelp

ProHelp is a programme delivered by Belfast City Council in partnership with Business in the Community to assist the social and economic regeneration of communities throughout the City of Belfast.

There are six ways that community organisations can benefit from ProHelp.

• Project Support - professional advice from a range of business representatives including strategic planning, project development, sustainability and ideas generation.
• Professional Firms - expert guidance on a range of issues including legal, financial, architectural, IT, marketing.
• Nominations - opportunity for a private sector representative to be nominated to a local board of management.
• Management Skills Training - opportunity for local community leaders to access six days of management training delivered by private sector companies.
• Management Twinning - a personal mentoring initiative matching local community leaders with private sector representatives for at least six one hour sessions.
• Seeing is Believing Visits - an opportunity to establish additional links with the private sector by showcasing the work and facilities of community-based organisations.

To apply you must be a legally constituted community-based, not-for-profit organisation working towards the social and economic regeneration of your local area and based within Belfast City Council boundaries and have no funding or paid staff to undertake the professional work.

Applications must be received by 14 October 2005 and are available from Bob Northey on 028 9046 0606, Bob Northey

8. Women's imprisonment in Northern Ireland: Reflections and futures

This Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission (NIHRC) seminar takes place at the Waterfront Hall, Belfast on 12 October 2005. Keynote speakers include Anne Owers, Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Prisons for England and Wales; Deborah Coles, Co-Director INQUEST; Prof Phil Scraton, Queens University Belfast; Robin Masefield, Director of the Prison Service of Northern Ireland and Kit Chivers, Chief Inspector of Criminal Justice.

For more details please contact the NIHRC on 028 90243 987 Information or visit www.nihrc.org

9. European Partners wanted Flemish Partner Search

A Belgian group from Flanders that works with disadvantaged young people is looking for partners for cooperation. It wishes to organise a contact making event for organisations working with similar groups and who want to start international projects for their target groups. The group has no experience of international work and would like to set up a support network.

For more information contact Wim Vanhoutte on 00 32 2 242 8543 or Wim Vanhoutte.groepintro@skynet.be.

Diversity Ahead Contact Making Seminar. The Dutch national agency for the YOUTH programme is organising a contact-making seminar called Diversity Ahead, which aims to bring potential project partners, of `minority´ and `majority´ backgrounds, together and establish new and active partnerships for setting up international activities within the framework of the YOUTH Programme.

The seminar takes place from 7 to 11 December 2005 in Doorwerth, Netherlands. For more information contact Yvor Broeder Yvor Broeder

10. BBC wants to hear about your volunteering event

Volunteer Development Agency has commissioned some billboard and bus advertising for the Year of the Volunteer which will be going out across Northern Ireland over two weeks from 10 October 2005. To maximise this promotion, BBC Northern Ireland is hoping to run with at least one volunteering story per day during this time.

If you think you have a potential story on volunteering, volunteer projects or an event involving volunteers some time between 10 and 23 October 2005, please contact Martina Chapman at the BBC or Fidelma

11. CLIC Sargent seeking volunteer receptionists

Can you spare one morning or afternoon per week? CLIC Sargent Cancer Care for Children is seeking volunteer receptionists to answer the telephone at its friendly city centre office. Office experience is preferred. Full induction and training will be given and expenses paid.

Contact Heather Cardosi for details on 028 9072 5780.

12. Office space to rent one minute from City Hall

The Centre for Contemporary Christianity in Ireland has two offices (139 ft2 and 194 ft2) to let on short term agreements on a space only or with use of furniture and facilities basis. Rates include all service charges.

For more information or to view please contact Jonathan Patton at the Centre on 028 9032 5258.

13. Web Highlights

Community NI (www.communityni.org)

Tackling Violence at Home strategy. Today Womens' Aid Federation has welcomed the government strategy to tackle domestic violence, but is worried that the implementation plan is vague.

Easier to Gift Aid your phone donation. The Chancellor has lifted the administrative burden of gift aiding a phone donation following lessons learned from the Tsunami appeal.

NICVA (www.nicva.org)

Chuggers - cause for concern? 57.7% of respondents to our survey said they find chuggers a convenient way to donate to charity. Do you agree? Comment on NICVA's latest research.

14. Make Your Move - new jobs this week (www.communityni.org)

Administrative Assistant, The Bytes Project
£11,127 - £14,106

Project Worker, NI Association for Mental Health
£13, 500 - £17, 714

Support Officer (Branches), The Multiple Sclerosis Society, NI

15. Community NI Diary

NICVA's successful Community Diary now has a new home on the Community NI Web Portal.

It's free to submit details of your upcoming events to the Events Calendar.

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

16. Membership

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

To find out more contact Frances McAtamney on 028 9087 7777 Frances Mcatamney or visit the Membership oages on our website.

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The information in eNews 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.