eNews 11 January 2006

CONTENTS

1. Positive step towards quality
2. Online policy training
3. Change UR Future
4. Small grants for older people
5. Funding to address drug misuse
6. Book your place at public library consultation
7. Physical and sensory disability strategy
8. Mental health and minority ethnic groups
9. Ambassador role for Skills for Justice
10. Young people's awards under the spotlight
11. Stopping Elder Abuse
12. Positive Lives
13. Helping young people kick the habit
14. Sex Wars and Glass Ceilings
15. Out to Lunch
16. Friendship Festival launched
17. Office furniture available from Concern
18. Make Your Move - new jobs this week on communityni.org
19. Community NI Diary
20. Membership
21. Subscribe to eNews
22. Feedback
23. Submit an Article

1. Positive step towards quality

As John Spellar MP states in Positive Steps: Government's response to Investing Together: Report of the Task Force on Resourcing the Voluntary and Community Sector, "Government is looking for evidence of quality standards as a prerequisite to funding support".

So, stay a positive step ahead and sign up to Approaches to Quality, one of NICVA's highly regarded management development courses, for just £63. This is the last opportunity to avail of this subsidised training programme.

Contact Roisin Kelly or Sandra Bailie on 028 9087 7777 or Roisin Kelly for further information and an application form.

2. Online policy training

NICVA is hosting a meeting this Friday, 13 January 2006 at 10.00am, to discuss the development of an online interactive policy resource, which could be used as a training tool for individuals or groups. The development will be in partnership with OFMDFM and Belfast Institute of Further and Higher Education (BIFHE).

The meeting is open to anyone interested in discussing the content of this policy resource tool.

Contact Frances Mccandless for details.

3. Change UR Future

The Big Lottery Fund (BLF) has £10.8 million available in Northern Ireland to support projects that:

• focus on young people up to 25 years old
• last up to five years
• target resources at those young people at greatest risk of exclusion or offending
• involve young people in the design, delivery and evaluation of the project.

There is a two stage application process. First, applicants have to fill in an outline proposal form. At the proposal stage, applicants are asked to set out their project outcomes, describing how their projects will make a difference and improve young people's lives. BLF also wants to know how young people have been involved in planning the project and how they will be involved in running and evaluating it.

The outline proposal deadline is 27 February 2006.

For more information visit the Big Lottery website or 028 9055 1455 or textphone: 028 9055 1431.

4. Small grants for older people

Help the Aged welcomes in the New Year with the launch of its small grants scheme.

To qualify your project must exhibit the following criteria:

• Involve older people in the local community
• Promote self-help and community development
• Include older people in senior citizens forums and other networks
• Older representatives showcased as key stakeholders on the Committee
• Older representatives involved in organising and overseeing project/initiatives.

Closing date for applications is 17 March 2006.

To find out more about the grant scheme or request an application pack, please call Bronagh Cappa on 028 9023 0666 or Bronagh Cappa.

5. Funding to address drug misuse

The Eastern Drug and Alcohol Coordination Team runs an annual Small Grant Scheme with awards of up to £5,000. The funding is for organisations working in the Eastern Health and Social Services Board area that wish to undertake an activity addressing drug and/or alcohol misuse.

An Information Seminar about the scheme is being held on 14 February 2006 from 9.00am to 12.00 noon in Clifton House, North Queen Street, Belfast.

Please contact Marianne Ireland on 028 9043 4248 if you are interested in attending.

6. Book your place at public library consultation

The Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure (DCAL) is holding two public meetings to discuss the future of Northern Ireland's Public Libraries. This is part of the public consultation on the report Northern Ireland's Libraries: A Framework for Change, DCAL's development plan for the public library service over the next 10 to 20 years.

The meetings take place on 18 January 2006 at 10.00am in the Spires Conference Centre, Belfast, and on 19 January 2006 at 7.30pm in the Greenvale Hotel, Cookstown.

The meetings are open to all. For details, visit the libraries section at www.dcalni.gov.uk or contact David Polley on 028 9025 8966, David Polley if you plan to attend.

7. Physical and sensory disability strategy

The Disability and Mental Health Unit of the Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety, is working in partnership with voluntary and statutory organisations to identify the issues affecting both adults and children with a physical and/or sensory disability when accessing health and social care services. It is keen to identify areas of best practice as well as those where improvements are necessary.

As part of this process the Department is hosting a series of workshops where both people who use the services and those who provide them, will have an opportunity to have their say in relation to both current and future service provision. It is important that as many people as possible participate in this process in order to ensure that the feedback from the events properly reflects the situation as it will play a vital role in influencing future service delivery.

The next workshop takes place on 31 January 2006 in Belfast Castle. If you would like to attend please contact Grace Shields on 028 9052 2512, Grace Shields@dhsspsni.gov.uk by Monday 16 January 2006.

8. Mental health and minority ethnic groups

The Health Service Executive invites you to a conference on addressing the mental health needs of minority ethnic groups and asylum seekers in Ireland in the Radisson Hotel, Sligo, on 31 January 2006.

The conference is aimed at mental health practitioners, health promotion practitioners, voluntary and community organisations, health service planners and providers, allied counselling and support services and public sector organisations

For further details please contact Fiona Campbell, HSE North Western Area, fiona.campbell@mailb.hse.ie.

9. Ambassador role for Skills for Justice

Voluntary and community organisations deliver such a range of services that making the connections with and understanding the relevance of specific Sector Skills Councils can be daunting. Whilst voluntary and community organisations are diverse and multi-faceted and work across the fields of care, health, community education, youth work and so forth, many do not consider their work to be associated with 'justice'.

Skills for Justice believes its work is relevant to thousands of voluntary and community organisations. For example, organisations may be involved in supporting drug and alcohol users, promoting community safety or providing learning and development opportunities for people who offended or are at risk of offending, providing services for victims and witnesses.

In 2005, Skills for Justice was successful in a bid to become involved in an Ambassador project, with the aim of promoting Sector Skills Councils to the voluntary and community sector.

Skills for Justice, along with Skills for Health, SkillsActive and Lifelong Learning UK, is holding a workshop to help organisations better understand how it can benefit them on 1 March 2006 at NICVA, Belfast.

To find out more or if you would like to attend, please contact Liz McCrystal at Liz Mccrystal, 028 9025 8028 or visit www.skillsforjustice.com.

10. Young people's awards under the spotlight

The Deutsche Bank Spotlight Awards recognise, encourage and reward young people who have spoken out and taken action to change, create or improve something in their school, club or community. Last year more than 2,500 teenagers were involved. Prizes are awarded to individuals or groups of young people aged between 11 and 18 years based in the UK.

The sorts of entries received are many and varied. Last year's entries included a project to promote environmental awareness in young people, a homelessness scheme and a campaign for a skate park.

Previous winners from Northern Ireland include:

Violet Gourley from Antrim, who formed MADCAP (Making a Difference Catholic and Protestant), a cross-community girls' football team.

Angela from Belfast, who wrote, designed and sourced funding for her young people's information booklets sex, drugs, rock and dough.
Pennyburn Youth Club in Derry, which ran a Youth Against Racism campaign.

Information about this year's Awards and how to apply is available from www.commonpurpose.org.uk/spotlight. All entries receive a Certificate of Recognition and the deadline for entries is 3 February 2006.

11. Stopping Elder Abuse

On 30 January 2006 in Belfast City Hall, Help the Aged will launch its campaign to highlight elder abuse.

Thousands of older people are being abused in Northern Ireland every day. The abuse can be physical, psychological, financial, and sexual or simply neglect. The campaign to stamp out elder abuse will take place across Northern Ireland, with regional events planned in Derry, Armagh, Ballymena, and Omagh.

To attend the Stopping Elder Abuse launch or for more information please contact Joanne McKeirnan on 028 9072 8648.

12. Positive Lives

Concern Worldwide is bringing the internationally acclaimed Positive Lives exhibition to Belfast from 25 January to 8 February 2006. A growing collection of images and text, Positive Lives documents the impact of the global HIV/AIDS crisis by portraying the personal stories and lives of men, women and children living with or affected by HIV and AIDS, and their varied and positive responses. By sharing these stories we can all face the challenges, myths and prejudices surrounding this disease.

As part of a broad outreach and education programme, Concern will be hosting an event for NGOs to discuss their projects and distinctive contributions in the field of HIV prevention and care, from 3.00pm to 5.00pm on 30 January 2006. The panel will include Concern's HIV/AIDS Advisor and representatives from local and international development NGOs.

For more information on the exhibition and the outreach events, positivelives@concern.net, 028 9033 1100, or visit www.concern.net/positivelives.

13. Helping young people kick the habit

The Health Promotion Agency is holding a half-day seminar to highlight UK-wide research on effective smoking cessation with young people on 15 March 2006 at the Rosspark Hotel, Kells.

This event is aimed at anyone with an interest in the health and wellbeing of young people, including those working in healthcare, formal and informal education, and in a community setting. It is also an opportunity for networking for all those interested in young people's health.

There is no cost to participants. For more information or to book a place, visit the Health Promotion Agency website or contact Claire Hind on 028 9031 1611.

14. Sex Wars and Glass Ceilings

Sex Wars and Glass Ceilings: Gender Competition at the Top of Organisations, is a presentation by Dr Marguerite Cassin from the School of Public Administration, Dalhousie University, Nova Scotia, on 31 January 2006 in The School of Sociology and Social Policy at Queen's University, Belfast.

Dr Cassin has been an advisor, case analyst and expert witness for several women in senior public service positions in Canada. This case work forms the basis of an exploration of gender, position, power and hierarchy in large scale organisations.

Places are limited. Contact Gillian Purdy, g.purdy@qub.ac.uk for details.

15. Out to Lunch

Out to Lunch is a series of theatre, cabaret, music, and literary events celebrating a wide variety of artistic voices from Belfast, the UK and Ireland. Presented by the Cathedral Quarter Arts Festival, the lunchtime events will take place in the Theatre Truck, a customised scenery trailer with stage, backstage area, 40 raked seats, disabled access and full lighting and sound equipment.

For the unbeatable price of just £5 the audience will enjoy soup and a sandwich and sample the very best in performance - all within a lunch hour. The programme ends on 28 January 2006. Find out more at www.cqaf.com.

16. Friendship Festival launched

Belfast City Council has just launched its Friendship Festival which continues until the end of January, with events all over the city, to mark its participation in the UK-wide Friendship Project which has been celebrating and exploring the meaning of friendship.

Events will feature music, theatre, carnival, circus, dance, literature and public art. As part of the Festival, a 'Friend Ship' will tour local primary schools and public venues across Belfast. The Friend Ship is a cultural interactive vehicle with a cargo of 'treasure chests' full of information about all of the cities taking part in the Friendship Project. Children and community groups from every participating city compiled their own treasure chest for the Friend Ship. Every city's treasure chest offers a special interpretation of the meaning and value of friendship, as seen through the eyes of its children.

The Friend Ship will be 'docking' at the Odyssey Pavilion on 14 January, An Droichead on 21 January, Connswater Centre on 25 January and Belfast City Hall on 27 January. Boarding times will be from 10.00am to 4.00pm.

For more information about the Friendship Festival and the Friendship Project, contact Deirdre Robb on 028 9027 0461, robbd@belfastcity.gov.uk or visit www.belfastcity.gov.uk.

17. Office furniture available from Concern

Due to an office refurbishment in early January, Concern has some furniture available for donation including seven desks with pedestals, 18 operator chairs, four large filing cabinets and one small filing cabinet. Office shelving and numerous six feet desk dividers is also available.

Please contact Louise Cardwell at Concern if you are interested on 028 9033 1100. Interested parties would have to arrange collection and delivery themselves.

18. 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. Project Administrator at Equality 2000
2. Field Worker at Glencree Centre for Reconciliation
3. Project Manager at Mothers Hope

19. 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.

20. 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 section of the NICVA website.

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