[WiLT] Fw: Voice4Change England e-alert 29th May

[WiL Admin]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Martin Ball" <Martin at voice4change-england.co.uk>
Subject: Voice4Change England e-alert 29th May


Please forward to others you believe will benefit from receiving the
information.


Dear Partners, Subscribers, and Friends,

I am including below information on events, jobs, and activities that might be
of use or possible interest to your work.

V4CE Partnership news

The V4CE response to the Tackling Race Inequalities consultation is available
online http://www.voice4change-england.co.uk/responses_to_consultations.html

One North West http://www.onenorthwest.org.uk/control.php?_path=/532/533/544,
the BME network for the North West of England, is recruiting for a Regional BME
Co-ordinator, who will be responsible for the establishment, development and
growth of a Regional BME Policy Forum. Application Packs are available from Jane
Stanistreet on 0161-236 6493 or jane at nwnetwork.org.uk  The deadline for
applications is 12th June and the interview date is 22nd June.

CDX http://www.cdx.org.uk/ (Community Development Exchange) have organised a
series of regional events to discuss the importance of community development
methods and values in building the skills and capacity of communities and those
working with them. Discussions will focus on how taking a community development
approach can help implement community engagement policy, such as the new Duty to
Involve, and how community development fits into the community empowerment
agenda. The next events are in Crawley (4th June), London (11th June), Leeds
(18th June), and Nottingham (25th June). More information about booking can be
obtained from Tanwir Rauf on tanwir at cdx.org.uk or 0114-241 2743.

London's regional network MiNET http://www.rota.org.uk/pages/MiNet.aspx are
supporting the London's BAME Third Sector: Managing the Economic Downturn event
being held on 30th June at NCVO. Further event details and registration is
available online http://www.rota.org.uk/pages/MiNet_Activities.aspx%20

Policy News

The Equality Bill has now been published
http://www.equalities.gov.uk/equality_bill.aspx and the Winning the Race
coalition of race and equality organisations will be giving Oral Evidence to the
House of Commons Committee scrutinising the Bill
http://services.parliament.uk/bills/2008-09/equality.html on 2nd June.

Events

In partnership with the National Council for Voluntary Youth Services (NCVYS),
the British Institute of Human Rights is running a one day course on young
people and human rights designed specifically with the voluntary and community
sector in mind. It will take place on 25th June in London. The course aims to
provide those that work with and for young people with a good understanding of
the key features, ideas and principles of human rights and how they are relevant
to young people's issues and the voluntary sector. The course training brochure
http://www.ncvys.org.uk/UserFiles/Events/HumanRightsYoungPeopleTrainingCourse/Open%20Training%20Brochure%20FINAL.pdf
is available online and the closing date for booking
http://www.ncvys.org.uk/blogs.php?act=view_topic&id=117 is 11th June.

The UK Border Agency is working with the Refugee Council and United Nations High
Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) to promote Refugee Week
http://www.refugeeweek.org.uk/, which runs from 15th to 21st June. This UK-wide
programme of arts, cultural and educational events celebrates the contribution
of refugees to the UK and encourages a better understanding between communities.

The Asian Foundation for Philanthropy is holding a number of events in June and
July. They include a Dine in the Dark experience on 22nd of June 2009 where a
unique meal will be served by blind waiters, and an Art for a Global Voice:
Engagement, Empowerment and Education through Mandalas event on 9th July.
Further details from Sheetal.shah at affp.org.uk or 020-7065 0792.

The Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic Women Councillors Taskforce's regional
event for Yorkshire is taking place on 12th June at Bradford Metropolitan
District Council's City Hall. Details of this and other regional events are
available online http://www.livegroup.co.uk/BAME/.

The seminar BME Communities, Voice and Agency: Mapping the Complexity of the
Urban Experience is taking place on 19th June at Aston University, Birmingham.
It is free to attend but spaces are limited, so book fast on 0121-456 7400 or
nisham at brap.org.uk  The seminar is part of a series that aim to facilitate a
space for debate concerning the dynamics of change within BME communities and
their networks, and the attitude of traditional bodies to them, as they attempt
to connect institutionally.

Clinks in partnership with Volunteering England, The Mentoring and Befriending
Foundation, and the Ministry of Justice are hosting two free interactive
consultation events to involve individuals and organisations in their new
'guiding principles' for volunteering and mentoring with offenders. We need the
views of the voluntary, statutory and private sectors to make sure we deliver
the best possible support, advice, and guidance to you and your organisation.
The events can be booked online
http://www.clinks.org/(S(fw2k2h45drzxmpngf2rnabq2))/downloads/events/090518GuideUsBookingForm.pdf
and will be held in Manchester on 25th June and in London on 1st July.

Children from disadvantaged families are 13 times more likely to die from
accidents than children from better off families. 22nd-28th June is Child Safety
Week 2009: 'Safer, Together', which brings communities together to learn about
keeping their children safer.  You or the communities you work with can get a
free resources pack, including a campaign booklet and poster, to help run
educational events for parents, children or the wider community.  All they have
to do is sign up to the Child Safety Week mailing list at
www.childsafetyweek.org.uk where anyone with an interest in protecting children
from serious accidents can access all the information and resources they need to
get involved.

The Policy Research Institute on Ageing and Ethnicity
http://www.uclan.ac.uk/iscri/engagement_delivery/priae.php  (PRIAE) has
organised a series of inter-active policy seminars that are aimed specifically
at BME elders and their carers. The first event is on Personalisation:
developing personalised services for BME elders and takes place on 29th June in
London. For more information on PRIAE and information regarding the seminars
contact Khalil Ahmed Patel on KAPatel at uclan.ac.uk

Immigration Advice Service, one of the largest non-profit-making organisation is
holding a major conference on Immigration Law on 21st July 2009 in London. This
will be ideal for people involved in giving general and legal advice to the
migrant and asylum seekers communities as well as those interested in the policy
areas. Normal registration fee is £190 per delegate but for charities it is
reduced to £125 per delegate. Further details from buddhdev.pandya at iasuk.org

Funding opportunities

The first phase of the Capacitybuilders Modernisation Fund Grants Programme is
aimed at helping third sector organisation with a turnover between £150,000 and
£750,000.  From 1st June to 17th July it is possible to apply for a £1,000
bursary to pay for initial advice to explore how to become more resilient and
increase your impact by working more closely with others.  From September,
grants of up to £10,000 will be available to help organisations (that have gone
through the bursary phase of the programme) to take the next steps towards
collaboration or merger. To find out more about the programme and access a range
of useful resources to help visit http://www.modernisationfund.org.uk/

The Funding Central website will be launched on 17th June at 4pm at the Wellcome
Collection Conference Centre in London. The website funded by the OTS and run by
the NCVO and will apart from providing access to funding opportunities also
provide access to tools and resources supporting third sector organisations to
develop sustainable funding strategies. The Minister for the Third Sector Kevin
Brennan MP will launch the website and you are most welcome to attend the event.
If you would like to attend, please contact Leesa.Herbert at ncvo-vol.org.uk

Miscellaneous

This year's Compact Awards are now open for nominations and details are
available from the dedicated website www.compactawards.org.uk The awards are
open to both public and third sector bodies. The closing date is 21st August
2009.

The Clore Social Leadership Programme http://www.cloresocialleadership.org.uk/
is a new Fellowship Programme targeted at aspiring leaders in the third sector.
Fellows will be recruited through an open application process. To be eligible,
potential Fellows must be working in or closely with the wider third sector - as
a member of staff working in a charity, community organisation, social
enterprise or co-operative, or in social housing - and will have demonstrated
their leadership potential in some of the work they have already undertaken.
Applications for the 2010 Fellowships open in the last week of May 2009; the
deadline for completed applications is 30th June 2009.

NCVO's Public Service Delivery Network
http://www.ncvo-vol.org.uk/publicservicedelivery/index.asp?id=2390 facilitates
the exchange of best practice between the voluntary and the public sector around
third sector commissioning. You can sign up online to receive updates and
invites to events.

Over the next 12 to 18 months Capacitybuilders will be conducting a series of
surveys looking at the impact of the economic downturn on the third sector and
those providing it with support. The information provided will enable
Capacitybuilders to build a national picture of how the economic downturn is
affecting the sector and to track its effects over time, informing its delivery
priorities. The data gathered will also be shared to help support providers to
better plan to meet the needs of the organisations they work with. If you
provide support to other third sector organisations and would like to
participate in the survey, please contact Katy Snelgrove.
katy.snelgrove at capacitybuilders.org.uk

Charities can access the free London Poverty Profile website
http://www.londonspovertyprofile.org.uk/ for a comprehensive online library of
research into poverty, inequality and social exclusion in London to help make
funding applications.  The website was launched on 19th May and the research was
funded by City Parochial Foundation http://www.cityparochial.org.uk/.

If you know somebody who works tirelessly for a cause and who enjoys the work
they do because it makes a real difference, then please take the time to
nominate for forum3's 2009 Alternative Rich List
http://www.forum3.co.uk/nominate_new.asp. The closing date for nominations is
5th June and on 30th June a shortlist of the top ten Alternative Richest People
will be voted on by the public to decide three 'winners'. The winners will be
announced at the forum3 event on 10th September at the Business Design Centre in
Islington, London.

Do contact me if you have any problems with accessing any of the links.

The next e-alert will be sent on Friday 12th June.

All best,
Martin

Martin Ball
Head of Campaigns
Voice4Change England
A national body dedicated to strengthening the BME Third Sector as a positive
force for change
c/o BTEG, 2nd Floor, Lancaster House
31-33 Islington High Street
London N1 9LH
Tel:  020-7843 6131
Fax: 020-7833 1723

We have launched a Valuing the BME Third Sector campaign and are asking MPs to
support us by signing Early Day Motion (no 620 Voice4Change) in recognising the
vital contribution being made by the BME Third Sector. Further details of the
EDM and how to lobby MPs can be found at http://www.voice4change-england.co.uk

Voice4Change England (V4CE) is a national policy body dedicated to strengthening
the Black and Minority Ethnic Third Sector as a positive force for change and
building a thriving future. It provides co-ordinated policy advocacy for BME
groups at local, regional, and national levels to all types of policy-makers.

You can learn more about how you can get involved in V4CE by becoming a
Subscriber from www.voice4change-england.co.uk