CAVOS
Supporting Voluntary and Community Action
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Sally Brice is our new Administration Officer and is very efficient so will be keeping us all on our toes.
Sally formerly worked for a voluntary sector charity called ‘Open Gate’ and so has a good working knowledge of the sector and CAVOS and the work we do.We welcome Sally to CAVOS and our wonderful members and friends.
CAVOS news
CAVOS says hello to the world of social networking
As I’m sure you’re very much aware, the world is constantly changing with technology bringing us new and exciting ways to link together. CAVOS continue to try and keep up with the trends as best we can and so have now entered the realms of social networking by joining Facebook and Twitter.Over the next 6 months we will be developing these opportunities by adding photos, updates, links, local events, group news and anything else relevant that people share with us. So whether you become a friend, follower or simply ’like’ us, lets all network together! Checkout the link to our facebook page below or find us on twitter as cavoscvswww.facebook.com/pages/CAVOS/204167689664776
4 Together Partnership Small Grants Fund Money Available
The 4 Together AAP Small Grants Fund is open for another round and covers the communities of Ferryhill, Chilton, Cornforth and Bishop Middleham. The fund is available to voluntary and community groups and the maximum grant they will award is £1000, or where a project covers the whole AAP area the maximum is £2,000. Application packs can be requested from CAVOS by calling 01388 811 115 or emailingenquiries@cavos.org.uk
A large number of applications are expected and we are unsure at this stage whether there will be a further funding round so you are recommended to submit your application for this round of funding.The closing date for this round of applications is Friday 24th February 2012.
CAVOS CRB service ended
From 2nd December 2011 CAVOS no longer provide a CRB Service to community groups.For any groups looking for specific advice regarding CRB checks, check out the CRB Umbrella Service website or contact them via 01825 761407 or emailadmin@ukcrb.com
www.ukcrb.com
Alternatively, contact Staffvetting.com who specialise in proving CRB checks via 08450 217634, email
stephen.brown@staffvetting.com
or visit their website
www.staffvetting.com.
CAVOS Staff – Comings and Goings
You will see above that we have a new addition to the CAVOS Team. However, we have also had some farewells recently.Michelle Fortune
Michelle has recently left CAVOS to go on to exciting new opportunities.Michelle started with CAVOS as a volunteer in January 2007 and moved on to become our Admin Officer, then our Information and Communications Officer and then our Organisational Development Officer. A great example of where volunteering can lead you.Many of you have linked with Michelle over the past 5 years and I am sure you, along with the staff and Trustees at CAVOS wish her well for the future.
Helen Brown
Helen has only worked with CAVOS for a year but has made a great impact, working part-time on our Community Buildings support work. She recently set up the South Durham Halls Website for CAVOS which is a website to showcase and advertise community buildings in our area. Helen also worked part-time for Durham Rural Community Council and she will now work full-time for them. We wish her well and fortunately we will continue to work with her in her new role.
Stay Healthy this Winter
The County Durham PCT have a useful leaflet with information to help you through the cold winter months ahead. It includes topics on: staying healthy this winter, top tips for keeping warm in the cold weather, being prepared for winter weather, safe winter driving tips to keep you safe on the roads, to knock next door and be a good neighbour, flu jabs and general information, hypothermia information, danger signs and action and useful contacts. Download the pdf below or contact CAVOS to request a hard copy.Winter Booklet 2011.pdf
Launch of the ‘South Durham Halls’ website
At the annual stakeholder event on Monday 21st November, CAVOS launched a new community buildings website that covers the former Sedgefield borough area. The website currently showcases 20 village halls, community centres and church halls and aims to help potential hirers decide on the most suitable venue for their activity or event, and to help local residents find out what is happening in their community. More halls will also be coming on board with the website over the next few weeks. The halls already on the site are encouraged to check their information is correct and for those halls that aren’t on the site, remember, it’s not too late to take part and you can contact Helen at CAVOS who will be managing the website to discuss coming on board. The website was received very positively when it was launched at the event on Monday with one attendee commenting: “Really good website – easy to use and informative. I enjoyed the background information to the buildings.” The website has been funded by CAVOS and the Big Lottery through their Awards for All programme. For more information about the website please contact Helen at CAVOS on 01388 811115, emailhelen@cavos.org.uk
or visit the website
www.southdurhamhalls.org.uk
New name for Sedgefield Borough Homes
One of County Durham’s largest registered housing providers, Sedgefield Borough Homes has revealed a new name and image.Now known as ‘livin’, the recently restructured company plans to diversify into new business areas to benefit people living in its communities. The company will be investing up to £1m in its communities under three new business strands of livin communities, livin homes and livin futures. This bold initiative will enable livin to tackle issues such as unemployment,poor health and the quality of its neighbourhoods. For further information or to arrange interviews / imagery contact Lauren Thompson on 0845 505 5500 ext. 7737 / 07792267738 or e-maillauren.thompson@livin.co.uk
Interested in Access and the Countryside in County Durham?
If you are interested in how access to the countryside and public rights of way in County Durham are managed and improved, then there are opportunities for you to get more involved. The County Durham Local Access Forum (LAF) is looking for new members, and if you think you have something to offer they would love to hear from you. They are an independent statutory body which advises the County Council, Natural England and others on matters relating to access, rights of way and recreation. Anyone can apply, but they are particularly looking for people with knowledge or experience in areas such as land management, health, cycling, tourism, motorised recreation and disability. The Forum meets at least four times a year, usually in the evening, at a variety of venues around the County, and members receive travel expenses. If you are interested in joining the Forum please contact Mike Ogden via emailmike.ogden@durham.gov.uk
or on 0191 383 4082 and you will be sent an application pack. The Forum has been in existence since 2003 and has played a key role in a number of projects including the development of the County Councils two Rights of Way Improvement Plans. These are interesting times for access to the countryside in County Durham, with Coastal Access being implemented, new partnerships being formed, and an increasing pressure on local authority budgets. If you want to be involved and to help shape future directions, then this is your chance.
It's all about the money!
Community groups in the Great Aycliffe area came together to say thanks for the thousands of pounds which has been granted thanks to the GAMP small grants fund.
Community Matters Launch Free Membership
With their recent members survey highlighting that members have seen their income drop by an average of 18%, Community Matters are pleased to announce that community organisations with an annual turnover of £15,000 or below can now access their support services by becoming a member FREE OF CHARGE.For further information visit their website
www.communitymatters.org.uk
County Durham Healthy Homes Partnership
The County Durham Healthy Homes Partnership (CDHHP) was set up to tackle the negative effects that the cold can have on health. The partnership includes: NHS County Durham, the Energy Saving Trust, Durham County Council, Durham and Darlington Fire and Rescue, Welfare Rights, Age Concern, and the Durham Dales GP Led Commissioning Consortium. One of the projects that they deliver is a referral mechanism designed to allow health and social care professionals to refer clients to them whose health and wellbeing may be compromised by the cold. Anyone referred to them can receive: a home energy check, referral on to any relevant heating or insulation schemes, a benefit entitlement check, and a fire safety check. This project has already made a massive difference to people’s lives through tackling the cold and improving their health. To find out more about the County Durham Healthy Homes Partnership. For more information visit their websitewww.cdhhp.co.uk
Playground to close over winter months
A play area will be closed on weekends over the winter as staff shortages mean it cannot be manned to prevent vandalism.The Miners’ Welfare Recreation Ground, Chilton, has a play area suitable for children aged five years and under. There is also a pitch and putt course plus two floodlit tennis courts for locals to use at the site. The venue is to be open 9am to 4pm between Monday and Friday throughout the winter months. The decision was taken to close the recreation ground play facilities over weekends from 1st October 2011 - 27th April 2012.
The recreation ground will be open during the summer months on weekends when it is envisaged people will use the facility
A - Z of Social Fundraising
- Is your group keen to fundraise?- Are you looking for new ideas on how to do it?
- Did you miss out on coming to our ‘Combat the Cuts with CAVOS’ event?
Then you won’t have your own copy of the brand new CAVOS A-Z of Social Fundraising!
We have a limited number of this popular booklet left over from our event.
It contains everything you need to know about raising funds the old fashioned way including how to get started and key points to consider to make your fundraising activities a real success.
The booklet also includes an A-Z of fundraising ideas!
This booklet is a must-have for anyone who’d like to raise funds for their organisation or any other cause!
To get your hands on a free copy, simply contact CAVOS!
'Never Do Nothing' Campaign
‘Never Do Nothing’ is a campaign that CAVOS is running in conjunction with our VCS Participation Project. The campaign is supported by Easington and Sedgefield Local Children's Boards (copyright 2011 CAVOS)The Campaign is focussed on encouraging volunteers to be aware of straightforward actions that they can take if they suspect that a child may in danger of harm of if they have any concerns for their welfare.
In the past, we have heard stories about people who failed to act because they weren’t sure of the correct actions to take.
This Campaign highlights the important of never doing nothing as there is always a course of action that can be taken. In good old CAVOS style, the campaign is extremely straightforward and outlines 3 key courses of action in the form of traffic lights Red: Report, Amber: Support and Green: Monitor and a straightforward action is assigned to each ‘traffic light’.
This campaign will hopefully raise awareness among voluntary organisations, community groups and volunteers that there is always a simple course of action that can be taken if there are concerns for a child welfare so....’Never Do Nothing’
Contact CAVOS on 01388 811115 to request a free information pack on Never Do Nothing, or email:
enquiries@cavos.org.uk
IMPACT
Social Prescribing for Better Physical and Mental HealthThe IMPACT project grew out of a desire by several GPs in the Sedgefield area to have a means of prescribing social activities for patients as an alternative to prescribing medicines. The ultimate goal of the project is to develop a source of information that will help to improve well-being and mental health and reduce social exclusion. There are now more than 1000 activities on the IMPACT social prescribing website!
Members of the public and professionals can access information on activities that aim to improve people’s health in County Durham and Darlington. Most of the activities are free and most do not require medical referral. The website welcomes organisations to submit activities for inclusion on the site. Activities on IMPACT include physical activity, arts & creativity, learning, volunteering, befriending and self help. Organisations can register to use the site and then once registered they can submit each and every one of their activities.
For more information contact Louise Tanner, Health Improvement Facilitator (Mental Health) by emailing:
louise.tanner@nhs.net
This is an excellent opportunity to increase the number of people that access your service and also allows you to support people who really need it. If you feel that your organisation or group provides an activity that could be added to the IMPACT website but you want to ensure that you have everything you need in place before you register, contact CAVOS. We will support you to complete a group healthcheck and then work with you to get what you need in place before you register your activities on the IMPACT website.
County Durham Police Authority Annual Report 2010-11 and Policing Plan 2011-14
Under the Police Act 1996, County Durham Police Authority in partnership with Durham Constabulary, are required to write an annual report. This report looks back on the year to tell you what they have been doing, how they are performing and what their priorities are for the coming year. They influence the way in which County Durham and Darlington is policed through their local policing plan. This sets out the priorities for policing the area and the targets against which they will measure the success of the Police Force in achieving them.The format of the Annual Report and Policing Plan has been given a radical new makeover and the new style document is sure to engage more people. Durham Constabulary and County Durham Police Authority consulted with CAVOS during the development of the Policing Plan to find out more about how the community may like to see the information presented. The resulting document is eye-catching, informative, easy to follow and relevant. You may actually find it to be a really good read!
Through effective consultation with a range of agencies including CAVOS, the new Policing Plan has been designed to engage effectively with it’s target audience - YOU!
One downside is that full Annual Report and Policing Plan has only been made available electronically. However, CAVOS is happy to provide a printed copy to any community groups or organisations who would like one. Simply contact CAVOS for your copy.
To access the full electronic version of the document, click the shortened link below:
tiny.cc/u9p7b
Social Enterprise - what is it all about?
Does your organisation have a social purpose that benefits the public? Does the main bulk of your work include delivering goods or services for money? Do you then feed your profits back toward achieving your social purpose?If the answer is yes then you’re probably working as a social enterprise! Famous examples of social enterprises include The Big Issue or Jamie Oliver’s Fifteen restaurant. Local examples include Divine & Delicious cafe and catering services and Vegelantes (both based in Spennymoor)
Social Enterprise isn’t a type of organisation, it’s a way of working. CAVOS has had significant interest in recent months, from people who would like to know more about this innovative and modern way of working. If you’re interested and would like to know more then contact Laura at CAVOS
Let CAVOS help you to ‘keep kids safe’
CAVOS has been funded through the Sedgefield Local Children’s Board to provide our ‘Voluntary Sector Participation Project’.This project provides support to Voluntary Sector organisations to help them through the uncertainties of keeping children and young people safe from harm: including what to do, how and when to do it. We can provide a wide range of information, advice, bespoke training and best practice to your group so you’re aware of what you need to know to keep kids safe!
A key part of this project is our ‘Never Do Nothing’ campaign which supports volunteers and groups to clearly identify a course of action if you suspect a child is in danger of harm and so you know that there is always something that you can do.
The principle is that there is always something you can do, so ‘Never Do Nothing’. The campaign is focussed around the CAVOS traffic light system which tells you which course of action to take (report, support or monitor) and also tells you what to do next.
You may have seen or heard about the campaign through our Safeguarding Support Packs which are available to organisations to work in line with best practice to keep children and young people safe.
The Safeguarding Support Pack is FREE and contains a wealth of valuable information to keep you on track with safeguarding children. It contains a wide range of factsheets on topics such as the Vetting and Barring Scheme and Every Child Matters. It also contains a fantastic Child Protection policy template and a range of our brilliant new ‘How To’ Guides. Contact CAVOS for your FREE support pack
CAVOS owns the copyright to ‘Never Do Nothing’ and we have plans to take it a long way! It’s a great idea after all. The campaign was launched at our big event on Friday 27th May 2011 ’Combat the Cuts with CAVOS’.
If you’d like to know more about this brilliant campaign and how you can use itin your own organisation contact CAVOS for a Safeguarding Support Pack which contains some basic information on the traffic light system.
New Benefit and Pension Rates 2011 and 2012
New rates for benefits (including pensions) for 2011–2012 have been published. The rates include an increase in the state pension alongside benefit increases for people who are of working age. Other key increases include:The new benefit rates will apply from the week beginning 11th April 2011.
You can access the full details of new benefit rates via the ‘Online Resources’ page of this website
Charity Registration & the Law - What you need to know
Is your organisation registered with the charity commission? Should it be?CAVOS is aware that there are many groups and organisations who are doing some incredible work out there! However, sometimes we’re all so focussed on the work that we’re doing that we forget about other things that we need to do by law - like registering with the charity commission.
If your organisation meets certain criteria, then legally you must register with the charity commission to become.....a registered charity! There are 3 simple criteria that, if you meet them, mean you need to register as a charity:
1) Your organisation has charitable aims (is ‘not-for-profit’)
2) The main purpose of your organisation is to benefit the public
3) If your annual turnover is £5,000 or more
The vast majority of voluntary organisations and community groups meet points one and two but they don’t realise that they need to register as a charity once their income exceeds over £5,000. Many don’t realise that this is a legal requirement and that they’re breaking the law by not registering. Many more think it simply doesn’t apply because they aren't aware of the criteria.
However, if all three criteria apply to your organisation then contact CAVOS for support to register with the charity commission. The process is straightforward and CAVOS are experts at helping you through the simple process. If you’d like more information on registering as charity or to have a chat with a member of our Team about the criteria and what they mean, ring us on 01388 811115
BIG SOCIETY – the simple guide
In previous newsletters, CAVOS has reported on key topics that have emerged as part of the new Government's Big Society agenda. Many of you have told us that Big Society still doesn't make much sense to you and have requested that we publish a simple breakdown of what this Big Society malarkey is all about!Well you asked.......we’ve answered! We now have a simple guide to the Big Society available to download from our ‘Online Resources’ page. This guide has been produced by the wonderful guys at Urban Forum, offers a simple breakdown on what Big Society is all about. We hope this clears a few things up for you!
Attracting & Keeping Volunteers
CAVOS has a brilliant support service available for our Voluntary and Community sector groups that helps them to attract and keep volunteers! Sounds amazing doesn’t it? Many groups have tried everything that they can think of to attract new volunteers and then encourage them to stay, but for many groups even their best efforts aren’t enough. Well that is what this service is all about. We can come out to see your group or organisation and help you to develop new and innovative ways to ‘attract and keep’ volunteers. We can provide you with new tools, tips and techniques as well as support to set up the right systems and find new people within your community to assist you with your activities.This service has been running across the County and has met with great success.
Our innovative methods and new tools are tried and tested and guess what....they work!
This is not about getting people on your committee but about helping you to identify other needs you have, and finding ways of involving people to help out. You may think you have tried many things, to no avail, but we think we have the answers and we would like to help you achieve your aim in ‘attracting and keeping’ volunteers.
This service is funded by the Big Lottery Fund and can give you exciting and interesting tips and tools to get you on your way.
Do you promote your group in the right way to the right people? Are you offering what people want? Many people are afraid to volunteer because they may get roped into to other things. Many people leave volunteering because things are not well organised. We often WANT more people to help but aren’t sure of exactly WHAT we want them to do.
Let us help – you have nothing to lose and much to gain.
We even have a ‘How To’ Guide available titled ‘Attracting & Keeping Volunteers’ so if you just want to know the basics and give your committee some food for thought, ring CAVOS and request your free copy of this guide.
Why not contact Sharon at CAVOS on 01388 811115 for an informal chat about how we can help you to attract and keep volunteers? Go on.....we know you want to!