Email Briefing 25 Oct 04

1. Investing Together at Last!
2. Special Seminar for Networks on Investing Together
3. Oh no not another survey!
4. Help stamp out racism
5. Reform of Domestic Rating Policy
6. The Road to Rights
7. Big Lottery Fund Voluntary and Community Sector Programme
8. Film Gala Night Organised by Save the Children
9. Are You Working on a Peace II Funded Project?
10. ‘Get Heard’ Toolkit
11. Communicate – Lead – Perform
12. Education and Skills: conference papers now online
13. Make Your Move – new jobs this week
14. Highlights from NICVA’s website
15. Membership
16. Subscribe to the email briefing
17. Feedback

1. Investing Together at Last!

The long-awaited report from the Taskforce on Resourcing the Voluntary and Community Sector has just been published and handed over to Minister John Spellar. The report Investing Together makes a series of recommendations after a process lasting almost two years, which involved an initial report and extensive consultation with the sector and beyond. Investing Together focuses its recommendations around the following themes:

Funding Approaches
Community Development
Internal Governance
Management and Accountability
Change Drivers
Next Steps

Recommendations include a new £25 million fund for community development, a longer-term approach to funding and a kitemarking system for voluntary and community sector accounts to ensure good practice without the need for constant auditing.

NICVA welcomes the report as an important signal that the sector is valued at the highest levels and that very pressing practical problems such as audit and short-term funding are recognised as requiring immediate attention.

The Minister will now decide how to proceed and whether all or any of the recommendations will be accepted and implemented. NICVA is urging groups to write to the Minister if they are in support of these recommendations so that a strong voice for adopting them and moving forward is heard.

Download the report in full from http://taskforcevcsni.gov.uk/ . Hard copies are available from the secretariat by telephoning 028 9082 9424.

2. Special Seminar for Networks on Investing Together

To mark the launch of the report from the Taskforce on Resourcing the Voluntary and Community Sector, NICVA is hosting a Networks Seminar on Friday 26 November 2004 from 1.30pm to 4.30pm. Lunch will be served at 1.30pm and the seminar will begin at 2.00pm.

The seminar will explore the opportunities and challenges faced by networks in the light of the Taskforce’s recommendations.

To reserve a place at the seminar, please contact Cathy Breslin on 028 9087 7777 or cathy.breslin@nicva.org .

3. Oh no not another survey!

Yes it is another survey but we cannot overstate the importance of your contribution to State of the Sector IV. For those of you who are not aware of State of the Sector, it has over the years become the main way in which the voluntary and community sector informs government, funders and the media of the scale and impact of the sector in Northern Ireland.

By now your organisation should have received a questionnaire in the post and we would ask you to complete it as fully as possible and return it with a complete set of your last annual accounts (if applicable).

However if you are a voluntary or community organisation and you have not yet received a questionnaire you can download a copy and return it along with your accounts by 5 November 2004.

Groups that complete and return the questionnaire will be included in a prize draw for a PC and a number of free subscriptions to Grant Tracker.

If you require any additional information about this survey or State of the Sector IV in general please contact Gordon McCullough on 028 9087 7777, gordon.mccullough@nicva.org.

4. Help stamp out racism

Racist attacks in Northern Ireland have been on the increase recently. According to PSNI statistics, there were 226 racial incidents in the year to April 2003. There were just five prosecutions and it is not known yet if any of these resulted in convictions. The Anti-Racism Network (ARN) believes this is just the tip of the iceberg, with many, if not most, racial incidents going unreported.

While the majority of the attacks have been in Belfast, they have also occurred in many other parts of Northern Ireland. ARN plans to hold a rally in Belfast city centre on 30 October 2004 so that ordinary people from across Northern Ireland can express their abhorrence and opposition to these attacks. This event, supported and endorsed by the Chinese Welfare Association, will involve a march from the University of Ulster’s Art College at 2.00pm along Royal Avenue to the City Hall. We hope to create a carnival atmosphere and make everyone feel welcome. We would encourage people to bring drums, whistles, musical instruments, banners and costumes.

The purpose of the event is to show the positive effect that ethnic minorities are having here and to send out the message ‘Against Racism and For Diversity’.

NICVA would encourage voluntary and community groups to support the march and if you or your organisation could help in any way with the event it would be much appreciated.

For more information please contact Steven Alexander, ARN Steering Committee on 07768 151 972 or Leish Cox, Chinese Welfare Association, leishcox@cwa-ni.org. Visit the ARN website at http://www.arnni.tk/ .

5. Reform of Domestic Rating Policy

DFPNI’s Domestic Rating Division is holding a themed event on section 75 issues relating to the Reform of Domestic Rating Policy at NICVA, 61 Duncairn Gardens, Belfast on 2 November 2004 from 10.00am -12.30pm

The aim of the Themed Seminar is to gather the views of key stakeholders on Section 75 issues relating to the Domestic Rating Reform, as part of the ongoing consultation process launched on 21 July and ending on 12 November 2004.

If you wish to attend please contact Eva Whyte, Rating Policy Division, Room D12, 028 9127 7658 or eva.whyte@dfpni.gov.uk .

6. The Road to Rights

This participative programme aims to provide young people aged between 16 and 20 with a knowledge of children’s rights and with facilitation skills to enable them to make a difference for other young people.

The programme has been developed by the Children’s Law Centre and is accredited through the Northern Ireland Open College Network at Level 3.

Participants should be committed to attending the full programme (six residentials and an induction evening), enthusiastic to learn and to meet other young people with similar interests and either be involved in a youth group at present or have been involved in one in the past.

For more information contact Ciara Clarke or Paddy Kelly on 028 9024 5704 or ciaraclarke@childrenslawcentre.org.

7. Big Lottery Fund Voluntary and Community Sector Programme

This scheme, formerly known as the Community Fund’s Large and Medium Grants Programmes, has changed its application distribution process in order to improve its customer support services.

Northern Ireland applicants are now asked to contact the dedicated application advice line on 028 9055 1490 to obtain an application pack.

The advice line is available Monday to Friday from 10.00am to 12.00noon and will also offer general information and/or specific advice on a proposed project.

8. Film Gala Night Organised by Save the Children

Save the Children is hosting Northern Ireland's first screening of Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason starring Renee Zellweger, Hugh Grant and Colin Firth on Friday 12 November 2004 at 7.00pm in the Odyssey Complex, Belfast.

The event kicks off with a celebrity drinks reception, followed by a private film screening with glamorous Bridget Jones goodie bags and spot prizes. The night will be rounded off with an after show cocktail party at Milk Night Club.

To reserve a seat please call Save the Children's 24 hour Credit Card Hotline on 028 9062 6200 or during office hours 028 9062 0000. Ticket prices are:

Film Gala and Cocktail Party, £25
Film Gala only, £15
Cocktail Party, £10.

9. Are You Working on a Peace II Funded Project?

Belfast institute of Further and Higher Education is offering places on its Institute of Administrative Management (Level 4) Diploma in Management Practice to project managers, officers and administrators involved in Peace II funded EU projects.

The programme, which will be completed over 17 days from November to June, is designed to assist in developing the skills, knowledge and understanding essential to your project work and gives you the opportunity to progress to the Advanced Diploma in Administrative Management and on to the BA (Hons) in Strategic Administrative Management.

The programme will be delivered in Belfast and the North West. There is no charge but places are strictly limited.

For further information and application forms please contact Peter McKinney or Grainne Maskey at EU Managers Project, BIFHE, Millennium Community Outreach Centre, 400 Springfield Road, Belfast BT12 7DU, 028 9090 0011, pmckinney@belfastinstitute.ac.ukor gmaskey@belfastinstitute.ac.uk.

10. ‘Get Heard’ Toolkit

Launched by the UK Coalition Against Poverty (UKCAP) to coincide with the UN International Day for the Eradication of Poverty, the ‘Get Heard’ toolkit provides new opportunities for people experiencing poverty to engage with government on shaping national policy. Despite all the opportunities to respond to Government consultations, many groups and organisations still find it difficult to have their voices heard. This is particularly the case for people who experience poverty and social exclusion.

The toolkit is designed to help people with experience of poverty and social exclusion have their voices heard in the development of the next National Action Plan on Social Inclusion, due to be published in 2006. The NAP sets out the Government’s priorities for tackling social exclusion, and draws on the experience of devolved administrations, local government, voluntary and community organisations. As such it has the potential to be a more participatory approach to developing anti-poverty and social inclusion policies which can then be shared in the development of other policies.

For more information contact Cecily Craven at UKCAP on 0161 272 9111 or 07738 237159. Visit the website at www.ukcap.org/toolkit/ .

11. Communicate – Lead – Perform

The Management and Leadership Network (MLN) in partnership with the Centre for Competitiveness has planned this event for employers who want to bring out the best in their people, make the most of customer relationships and maximise their leadership capabilities.

Angela Sinickas, president of Sinickas Communications Inc, an international consultancy helping organisations achieve business results through focused diagnostics and practical solutions, will share a host of practical tips for improving your PR activities. Angela’s clients include some of the world’s best known names like 3M, AT&T, Exon-Mobil, Lockheed Martin, Shell Corporation and World Bank.

‘Communicate – Lead – Perform’ will take place on Thursday 28 October 2004 from 9.00am to 1.00pm at The Innovation Centre, Belfast. The cost is £50 plus VAT (£58.75 including lunch) per delegate.

For further information and to register please contact Pauline Pollock on 028 9073 7950, Pauline.pollock@cforc.org , or visit the websites ln.org.uk/events.asp or www.cforc.org .

12. Education and Skills: conference papers now online

Papers from the 2003 Department for Education and Skills conference are now available online at www.dfes.gov.uk/research/data/general/CR2003.pdf . Papers available include one on The effects of selective education in Northern Ireland.

13. Make Your Move – new jobs this week

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:

Director for Friends of the Earth Ireland
€45,000 - €50,000

‘Journeys’ Support Worker for Ballynafeigh Community Development Association
£15,607 pro rata

IT Mentor for Ligoniel Improvement Association
£19,185

14. Highlights from NICVA’s website

New TSN – The Way Forward

NICVA’s dissatisfaction with the New TSN consultation document is well documented. Our final response has just been submitted to OFMDFM.

State of the Sector IV

NICVA is appealing to voluntary and community groups for help in gathering information for the next State of the Sector report.

NICVA’s AGM and Taskforce report

NICVA launched its latest annual report New Directions at its AGM. Chief Executive Seamus McAleavey also made a presentation on the new Taskforce report as mentioned above. Keep an eye on the site this week for details of the annual report, the AGM and the new executive committee.

Community Diary

Have an event to promote? Enter your upcoming events in NICVA's Online Diary. Click on ‘submit an event’ and enter the details on a simple form. After moderation your event will appear in the diary.

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.orgor visit the website http://www.nicva.org/ .

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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