eNews 30 January 2006

CONTENT

(1) Tell us what you think about NICVA and win a laptop
(2) Rabbit on Costello
(3) The last of the management trainees
(4) Ever wanted to be on a public sector board?
(5) What shared futures?
(6) Learning to facilitate
(7) No money, but still need training?
(8) Positive Lives
(9) Community development: everywhere and nowhere?
(10) Calling young entrepreneurs
(11) Training in urban regeneration
(12) Healing Through Remembering database
Pick of the Websites
Make Your Move - new jobs this week on communityni.org
Community NI Diary
Membership
Subscribe to eNews
Feedback
Submit an Article

(1) Tell us what you think about NICVA and win a laptop

As the issues and challenges the voluntary and community sector faces continue to change, NICVA is very aware that the services provided to its members must reflect this ever changing environment. To enable us to do this, we need you to complete this year’s members’ survey so we can determine what we do well, what we do not so well and where we can develop new services in the future.

Members should receive the questionnaire by post this week, and it only takes about ten minutes to complete. It also includes a section which will enable us to monitor your attitudes and opinions to Positive Steps. If you haven’t received the form you may download it at www.nicva.org/index.cfm/section/news/key/270106MemSurvey .

Any forms completed and returned by 15 February 2006 will be entered into a prize draw to win a laptop, a year’s free subscription to Grant Tracker or a year’s free NICVA membership.

If you have any questions relating to the questionnaire or about any aspect of the members’ survey, please contact Gordon McCullough on tel: 028 9087 7777, email: gordon.mccullough@nicva.org .

(2) Rabbit on Costello

NICVA is hosting an event to hear more about and discuss the proposed education reforms. Professor Tony Gallagher, Head of Graduate School of Education at Queen’s University, and a representative from the Department of Education will present their views.

The draft Education Order is out for consultation until 7 March 2006. It draws together the different strands of reform begun by the Burns and Costello Reports. Both suggested replacing the transfer test with a pupil profile, and the government announced that the last transfer tests would be held in 2008. The draft Order is accompanied by a summary of responses to the consultation on new admission arrangements for post primary schools, an explanatory memorandum, a response booklet and a statement from Angela Smith MP, Minister for Education.

If you would like to attend the event at 10.00am on 23 February 2006, please contact Cathy Breslin on tel: 028 9087 7777 or email: cathy.breslin@nicva.org.

(3) The last of the management trainees

NICVA is running its First Line Management programme for the last time beginning 4 May 2006. This excellent course lasts for 10 weeks and only costs £175, including lunches and materials.

There are just a few places left, so if you don’t want to miss this last chance you should email roisin.kelly@nicva.org or call 028 9087 7777 for an application without delay!

(4) Ever wanted to be on a public sector board?

The Belfast Institute is offering Get On Board, an accredited programme designed to break down many of the barriers to public appointments in Northern Ireland. The programme aims to make the public appointments process more accessible to everyone in Northern Ireland and is targeted at individuals who are interested in, or currently hold, public appointments.

If you would like to apply or register your interest, please contact Roisin Shaw on tel: 028 9026 5471, email: rshaw@belfastinstitute.ac.uk. The closing date for completed applications is 3.00pm on Wednesday 22 February 2006.

(5) What shared futures?

The University of Ulster's INCORE research centre is hosting a conference from 23 to 24 March 2006 entitled What Shared Futures? – Local & European challenges in diversity and conflict management, at the Radisson Hotel, Limavady. The conference will look at citizenship, human rights and good relations and will be a meeting point for policy makers, practitioners and politicians. There will be a discussion panel of leaders from Northern Ireland's main political parties, and INCORE will publish papers based on speaker inputs and discussions.

If you are interested in attending, or would like to find out more, contact George Sweeney, email: g.sweeney@ulster.ac.uk or Elsje Fourie on tel: 028 7137 5145, email: e.fourie@ulster.ac.uk. Overnight accommodation will be provided for those attending both days and there is no conference fee.

(6) Learning to facilitate

The Ulster People’s College is offering a two day course in Facilitation Skills on 27 February and 6 March 2006 from 9.30am to 4.00pm. The course will include:

• Understanding facilitation

• A personal skills audit related to facilitation practice

• Preparing a facilitation session

• Facilitating group exercises

• Dealing with challenging situations

The course will be of use to anyone working with groups and would be of particular benefit to individuals who are facilitating or who intend to facilitate discussions within local communities. It is accredited by NOCN at Level 2. There is a limit of 15 places and there is no fee.

For further information, contact Tracey Cunningham on tel: 028 9033 0131 or email: tcunningham@upclearn.org.

(7) No money, but still need training?

WEA might be able to help. The courses below are available at no charge you if you can guarantee 10 people attending -

Conflict Management

Facilitative Leadership

Sustainable Development

Us and Them

Us and Them Too

For more information please contact Diane Greer on tel: 028 7136 9947, email: diane.greer@wea-ni.com.

Also available are: Drug Awareness, Women and Leadership, and Women in the Community. For more information on these courses please contact Deirdre Coughlan on tel: 028 9032 9718 or email: deirdre.coughlan@wea-ni.com.

Visit the WEA website, www.wea-ni.com for the full programme.

(8) Positive Lives

Concern Worldwide and the University of Ulster are bringing the internationally acclaimed Positive Lives exhibition to the University of Ulster, Jordanstown campus from 26 January to 8 February 2006. The exhibition is open daily to the public and there is no charge for admission. The exhibition is supported by a broad outreach and education programme designed to raise awareness and understanding of the social and emotional impact of HIV/AIDS. On 2 February, the BBC’s Wendy Austin will chair a panel of human rights advocates including Monica McWilliams (NI Human Rights Commission), Kevin Ryan (Director of Positive Lives) and Anne Marlborough (Concern Worldwide’s Head of Advocacy).

For more information or to attend the exhibition, please email: positivelives@concern.net, tel: 028 9033 1100, or visit www.concern.net/positivelives.

(9) Community development: everywhere and nowhere?

Has community development become implicit in everything but explicit in nothing? Community Development Exchange is hosting this one day conference in Edinburgh on 9 March 2006 to explore how community development is reflected in policy and practice across the UK, and ask ‘where does real power lie?’

For more details and a booking form visit www.cdx.org.uk, email: beth@cdx.org.uk or telephone: 0114 270 1718.

(10) Calling young entrepreneurs

If you are aged between 16 and 30, and will have been running your own business for between three and 18 months on 31 March 2006, then you could be the next Shell Livewire Young Entrepreneur of the Year.

Thousands just like you have benefited from Livewire Awards, which includes a top prize of £10,000 and national publicity - your business can be of any size and in any sector. There are both regional and national awards available, so visit www.shell-livewire.org/awards/entry and complete the application form.

(11) Training in urban regeneration

BURA, the British Urban Regeneration Association was formed in 1990 to provide a forum for the exchange of ideas, experience and information for the emerging regeneration sector. It has been offering a comprehensive training programme in London and Coventry and is now bringing its training programme in Belfast, beginning with Economic Development and Funding, on 7 March 2006.

For more information about BURA training, contact Sarah Devlin, BURA Events Officer, on tel: 020 7539 4037, email: Sarah@bura.org.uk.

(12) Healing Through Remembering database

Healing Through Remembering (HTR) recently commissioned a report on how best to ‘remember the conflict in and about Northern Ireland, so as to help people individually and collectively contribute to the healing of the wounds of society’, and now wishes to address its recommendations. Each recommendation will require debate and discussion, and HTR has set up a database of researchers and facilitators to assist with the process.

Applications are invited for inclusion on the database. For more information visit the Consultants Database page at www.healingthroughremembering.org or contact Kate Turner, email: consultantsdb@healingthroughremembering.org.

Pick of the Websites

Community NI

New carers' strategy welcomed. CAUSE for Mental Health welcome a strategy to support carers and give them equal opportunities.

www.communityni.org/index.cfm/section/news/key/D89D7FE1-1143-D8AC-6BA59BFC16A00C69/theme/154

eMentor: Computer Virus Alert

Use the McAfee virus alerts on the ICT pages to check for warnings of any viruses you should be aware of if you manage the computers at your organisation.

www.communityni.org/index.cfm/section/article/page/ICT

Breathing fresh air into communities

Do you think you could give up your private car for a shared car community scheme? The charity Carplus wants to encourage us to do just that. Find out more in this article.

www.communityni.org/index.cfm/section/news/key/240106CarPlus

NICVA

Outreach: funding, governance and charity law

Pick the brains of the NICVA outreach team with your fundraising and governance queries. Check out the outreach calendar of events to find out when they will be in your area.

www.nicva.org/index.cfm/section/article/page/NICVAOutreachService

Fill in a survey, win a prize.

Win a laptop by filling in a members' questionnaire. Closing date is 15 Feburary 2006.

http://www.nicva.org/index.cfm/section/news/key/270106MemSurvey

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.

Area Co-ordinator at CRUSE Bereavement Care

£16,000 - £19,428

www.communityni.org/index.cfm/section/jobs/key/260106Coord

Development Officer at Mediation NI (Local Governance)

£24,708 plus a 6% pension contribution

www.communityni.org/index.cfm/section/jobs/key/078AE9E0-1143-D8AC-6BF4AF5970448DD1

Policy and Research Officers (2 posts) at Combat Poverty Agency

£26,448/€38,374

www.communityni.org/index.cfm/section/jobs/key/06B82512-1143-D8AC-6B01E6FBC1788C7E

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 at www.communityni.org/index.cfm/section/events.

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

Membership

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

To find out more contact Frances McAtamney on tel: 028 9087 7777, email: frances.mcatamney@nicva.org or visit the website www.nicva.org/index.cfm/section/article/page/NICVAmembership.

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