Latest NAVCA news and updates

New podcast: Susanne Rauprich, Chief Executive of NCVYS

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 15:47:00 +0000

New podcast: Susanne Rauprich, Chief Executive of NCVYS:

NCVYS (National Council for Voluntary Youth Services) is an independent national body representing voluntary and community youth organisations in England. It works to help such organisations to build their capacity to deliver quality youth work.

NAVCA and NYCVS are natural partners and work closely together nationally. In this podcast, Katy Wing, NAVCA’s Director of Local Services Partnerships and Susanne Rauprich, Chief Executive of NYCVS, discuss how working together can benefit members of both NAVCA and NYCVS.

Podcast: Susanne Rauprich interviewed by Katy Wing (MP3, 503 KB).

New page: Children and Young People News

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 15:44:49 +0000

New page: Children and Young People News:

General news and updates about working with Children and Young People, as well as updates from NAVCA’s Every Child Matters project.

Updated: NAVCA RSS feeds

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 15:23:00 +0000

Updated: NAVCA RSS feeds:

Keep up to date with NAVCA general news and areas of NAVCA work by subscribing to one of our RSS feeds. The RSS logo is displayed on pages where a feed is available. Currently these are:

NAVCA News
General news items from all areas of NAVCA work.
Follow NAVCANews on Twitter.
Children & Young People News
News and updates from the Every Child Matters project. You can also follow ECM on Twitter.
Commissioning and procurement news
News and updates from the Local Commissioning and Procurement Unit.
Follow LCPU on Twitter.
ICT Champions
For national and regional ICT news from the ICT Champions network and updates to the ICT answers in a box.
Follow the ICT Champions news on Twitter.
Local Partnerships Infobank feed
Updates and resources from the Improving Local Partnerships team.
Follow ILP on Twitter.
Sports News
Updates from the Strategic Sports Partnership Project.
Sports news on Twitter.

Handy Browser Information Statistics

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 13:02:58 +0000

Handy Browser Information Statistics:

This is probably one for website developers, but still for all a handy reference site listing which are the most popular web browsers and which are now on the way out.

Trainers and Consultants Direct: skills for the voluntary, community and not-for-profit enterprises

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 09:12:04 +0000

Trainers and Consultants Direct: skills for the voluntary, community and not-for-profit enterprises:

NAVCA is pleased to announce that Trainers and Consultants Direct has undergone a complete transformation. Trainers and Consultants Direct brings skills to the voluntary, community and not-for-profit enterprises.

Trainers and Consultants Direct is an easy to use service for voluntary and community organisations looking to contract a consultant or trainer.

Bringing in the outside expertise of a consultant can solve problems and help to improve processes, products and profitability. Trainers and Consultants Direct holds profiles of individuals and consultants who have experience of working with voluntary and community groups, charities and third sector organisations.

If you are looking to commission a trainer or consultant, or if you are a trainer or consultant with experience of working with third sector organisations, visit www.trainersandconsultantsdirect.org.uk

NAVCA and WEA announce new plans to work together

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 10:30:52 +0000

NAVCA and WEA announce new plans to work together:

NAVCA and the Workers’ Educational Association (WEA) are pleased to announce plans to build closer links nationally and amongst members locally, specifically working together on three specific projects. This collaboration builds on NAVCA and WEA’s shared interests, values and policy positions.

NAVCA members and the WEA have a proud record of working in the heart of local communities across the country. Much of that work helps to promote more sustainable, confident localities and to improve the quality of life for individuals and their communities. Our shared values mean that working together is a natural step and one we hope will increase the impact of our work.

The three projects that NAVCA and the WEA are collaborating on are:

Take Part Regional Pathfinder Projects
Take Part helps people gain the skills, knowledge and confidence to become empowered, enabling them to make an active contribution to their communities and influence public policies and services.
Take Part Training the Trainers
The Learning Revolution -
This is the government’s White Paper on supporting informal adult learning.

The projects will also draw support from the Government Departments of Communities and Local Government and of Business, Innovation and Skills.

NAVCA and the WEA are committed to build on this collaboration nationally and are encouraging the same at local level through increasing partnership and joint activity between NAVCA members and WEA Regions and branches.

To find details of your local NAVCA member, go to NAVCA’s directory of members
To find your WEA region or branch, go to WEA’s national directory of Regions, Branches and Groups

5 November 2009

The future for local voluntary action - what we want from government and what we can do for ourselves

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 15:07:40 +0000

The future for local voluntary action - what we want from government and what we can do for ourselves:

NAVCA Chief Executive Kevin Curley’s speech to York CVS’ 70^th anniversary conference.

The future for local voluntary action - what we want from government and what we can do for ourselves (Word, 160 KB).

New event: Equality Impact Assessment

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 14:53:28 +0000

New event: Equality Impact Assessment:

7 December 2009

Manchester

An interactive NAVCA seminar in collaboration with VSNW

Do you…

work for a local infrastructure organisation (LIO) or organisation that provides support to other organisations in the North West region?
want to influence the decision-making processes in relation to equality and diversity in your Local Area Agreement (LAA) and LSP?
Work with your local strategic partnership (LSP), local authority and other public sector bodies e.g. primary care trust?
Support local organisations involved in work around equalities and diversity?

Then this practical, interactive seminar may be for you.

Local authorities are required to conduct Equalities Impact Assessments (EIAs) as part of the Local Area Agreement. The local third sector can help the willing do it better and encourage the reluctant to comply. This seminar will explore how public law principles can be applied to EIAs, and discuss how to involve third sector organisations and communities to make sure EIAs address their concerns”

Bursaries

Bursaries are available to cover travel and fees.

Price & booking information

Places cost just £40, including VAT.
Availability is limited, so book early to avoid disappointment.

Event flyer (PDF, 1MB)
Booking form (Word, 110KB)

To discuss contact Pam Grant on 0114 289 3959 or pam.grant@navca.org.uk

To book your place contact Sam Hill 0114 278 6636 or events@navca.org.uk

New event: Whose voice is it anyway? ILP Conference 2010

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 14:51:27 +0000

New event: Whose voice is it anyway? ILP Conference 2010:

11 March 2010

City of Birmingham Symphony Hall, Birmingham

The Improving Local Partnerships annual conference will be held on 11 March 2010 at the City of Birmingham Symphony Hall. Keynote speakers will include Stuart Etherington, Chief Executive of NCVO.

This is your conference, however, and we’d like to hear what would make it a useful and positive event for you. We’ve opened a discussion on navcaboodle, NAVCA’s social networking site, where you can share and discuss ideas with colleagues and the ILP team.

Join in the navcaboodle discussion (registration required)

Booking information and programme will be released in due course.

NAVCA vacancy: Learning Programme Manager

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 14:20:02 +0000

NAVCA vacancy: Learning Programme Manager:

Learning Programme Manager , Development Team
£32,766 - £37,109 + benefits, 35 hours per week
Closing date: 20 November 2009

New publication - Pathways through the maze: a guide to procurement law

Mon, 02 Nov 2009 12:18:00 +0000

New publication - Pathways through the maze: a guide to procurement law:

NAVCA and NCVO have jointly published Pathways Through the Maze, the first comprehensive guide to procurement regulations written for voluntary organisations and community groups.

The Guide answers the most common questions voluntary and community organisations have about procurement processes and explains the legal requirements applying to public bodies’ procurement exercises

Pathways Through the Maze is essential reading for:

Anyone in an infrastructure organisation who works with commissioning, procurement and public services.
All voluntary organisations, community groups and social enterprises interest or involved in delivering public services.
Public Sector commissioners wanting to improve their engagement with third sector organisations.

All NAVCA members will be sent a free hard copy and you can download an electronic copy below.

Download Pathways through the maze: A Guide to Procurement Law (PDF, 1.24MB)

NAVCA vacancy: Improving Local Partnerships Development Officer

Mon, 02 Nov 2009 12:16:40 +0000

NAVCA vacancy: Improving Local Partnerships Development Officer:

Improving Local Partnerships Unit Development Officer (four month secondment). Closing Date 4 November.

Skilling Up for Stronger Voices direct delivery course

Mon, 02 Nov 2009 12:15:38 +0000

Skilling Up for Stronger Voices direct delivery course:

Third sector participation in local decision making has never been higher on the political agenda, and is now embedded within a wide range of policies relating to local government. This places high expectations upon local authorities to show how they are supporting improved and effective third sector engagement in local strategic partnerships. Local infrastructure organisations (LIOs) play a vital part in making this happen.

The Skilling Up for Stronger Voices resources are a portfolio of materials and learning resources to support and develop the skills and knowledge of local third sector representatives in effective partnership working. They have been piloted with a number of LIOs and representatives. Feedback from these pilots has informed the final contents and layout.

We can now provide you with an experienced trainer in this field, who will develop and deliver a programme for your reps using the Skilling Up for Stronger Voices resources. This will be tailored to your local context and can form part of your training offer to your local sector. Bursaries of up to £1,500 are available to help you put this training on.

Booking

If you are interested in asking NAVCA to come and train your reps please download and complete form SU1 and return to helen.oparinde@navca.org.uk. Returning the form does not constitute a booking at this stage. For more information or to make a booking please contact Helen Oparinde, Learning and Development Officer at helen.oparinde@navca.org.uk or 0114 289 3966.

If you would prefer to deliver these resources yourself, please visit our Skilling Up for Stronger Voices resources orientation course page.

Gift Aid: umbrella charities

Mon, 02 Nov 2009 12:15:00 +0000

Gift Aid: umbrella charities:

Gift Aid and umbrella charities

NAVCA is encouraging its members to use neglected Government guidance that could help community groups claim an estimated £6m in Gift Aid on donations.

The Office of the Third Sector (OTS) published guidelines in March 2008 that said small community groups without charitable status could funnel donations through local umbrella bodies such as CVS, which could claim Gift Aid on their behalf and pass on the money. (See Gift Aid: Umbrella Charities factsheet on the OTS website.

‘Umbrella charities’ may take an agreed small percentage of the donation that they process as an admin fee, rather than having a separate billing element.

The organisation having the Gift Aid claimed for them would need to take this into account when drawing up their accounts/financial reports. They would need to put the total donation in their report (the full value of donation including Gift Aid) and then in the expenses column, they should put the amounts taken by the umbrella charity as an admin charge.

NAVCA welcomes new constitution for small charities

Thu, 29 Oct 2009 14:45:14 +0000

NAVCA welcomes new constitution for small charities:

NAVCA welcomes the new, simplified constitution for very small charities launched today by the Charity Commission. This was developed in conjunction with nine sector umbrella bodies including NAVCA.

The new constitution is designed to provide a concise, practical framework for charities with an income of under £5,000. It uses clear, direct language that is easy to understand, is only 700 words long and covers all the requirements for a very small charity which does not own land or employ staff.

Kevin Curley, Chief Executive of NAVCA says “Small charities are the bedrock of local voluntary and community action. Our members play a key role in supporting these organisations and we are pleased to have been able to work with the Charity Commission to develop the small charities constitution. Even though small charities don’t usually need to register with the Commission, they are still subject to charity law and still need support and guidance. I am pleased that the Commission has realised the importance of these small charities having a simple but legally compliant constitution and we congratulate them for this bold move. We will encourage our members to use this constitution when working with small charities that it is appropriate for.”

28 October 2009

NAVCA launches new model mem and arts for LIOs

Thu, 29 Oct 2009 12:33:08 +0000

NAVCA launches new model mem and arts for LIOs:

NAVCA has launched a new model memorandum and articles (mem and arts) for use by local infrastructure organisations (LIOs). This is fully compliant with the Charities Act 2006 and the Companies Act 2006, and approved as a charitable model by the Charity Commission. This can be used by existing or newly forming LIOs who wish to have an up to date and legally compliant governing document.

Kevin Curley, Chief Executive of NAVCA, said “I am really pleased to announce that NAVCA’s updated model mem and arts is now available for our members to use. Many of our members find it really useful to have a model governing document that they can use and it is good to be able to provide this service.”

For more information, to download the model and to read and hear guidance on how to use it visit our mem and arts pages.

29 October 2009

NAVCA welcomes Big Care Debate clarification

Fri, 23 Oct 2009 14:18:00 +0100

NAVCA welcomes Big Care Debate clarification:

As part of the Big Care Debate, The Secretary of State for Health has made it clear that Disability Living Allowance for the Under 65s will not be affected by Government plans to create a National Care Service.

NAVCA welcomes this clarification and encourages organisations to get involved with this important debate which is described on the social care and health section of navcaboodle, our social networking site (Registration required).

The detail of the clarification can be found on the big care debate website. NAVCA will be responding to the Big Care Debate so if you would like to contribute to our response please use navcaboodle to tell us what you think about these very important issues.

Recession Case Studies

Wed, 21 Oct 2009 15:33:02 +0100

Recession Case Studies:

All case studies are in PDF format. If you would like an alternative format (e.g. Word), please contact Sophie Ballinger.

Also see: Crunch Time: how the recession is affecting third sector organisations, and the planning activities being carried out to build resilience.

Families of Rotherham East (F.O.R.E) (43KB)
“The recession is impacting on us just as much as, maybe more than, the bigger organisations; but we seem to be getting left behind.” September 2009
SCOOP Aid Ltd. (42KB)
“The kind of help we need is longer-term funding.” September 2009
Sharrow Citizens Advice Bureau (68KB)
“The biggest fear for us is that we don’t know what’s going to happen next” September 2009
Sheffield Alcohol Advisory Service (78KB)
“If funding was cut then an important part of the service would not continue, at a time where it is needed even more.” September 2009
Voluntary Action Sheffield (49KB)
“If people have more time to try volunteering, and to think about what they really want to do, then that could be something good to come out of all this.” September 2009

Event: Advocating Intelligent Commissioning

Tue, 20 Oct 2009 17:35:33 +0100

Event: Advocating Intelligent Commissioning:

1 December 2009 10:00am - 3:30pm

Taunton

An interactive NAVCA seminar for local infrastructure workers

Do you…

work for a local infrastructure organisation (LIO) or organisation that provides support to other organisations in the South West region?
support local organisations involved in service delivery?
work with your local authority or primary care trust on commissioning?
want to advocate intelligent commissioning in order to achieve better services?

What the day covers

Good practice in commissioning processes
Sharing local experience and knowledge
A chance to network and find out what other LIOs in the region are involved with

Participants will hear from The Institute of Public Care about the public sector perspective of commissioning, learn from other LIOs about their experience of advocating intelligent commissioning and discuss how they can better advocate good practice in commissioning public services.

Cost & booking information

Book your place now for only £30
Event flyer and booking form (PDF, 706KB)

NAVCA’s Local Commissioning and Procurement Unit

Kevin Curley's thoughts on the party conferences

Tue, 20 Oct 2009 10:19:10 +0100

Kevin Curley's thoughts on the party conferences:

NAVCA Chief Executive Kevin Curley recently attended the Liberal Democrat, Labour and Conservative Conferences, speaking at fringe events organised by the Charity Commission.

We have posted a vodcast of Kevin’s thoughts about the conferences

and the political challenges to local voluntary and community groups in the run up to a general election on YouTube.

You can read the text of the speech Kevin made at the Charity Commission fringe events: The recession and local charities (Word, 112 KB).

You can also read Kevin’s ideas about how NAVCA and our members can influence the Conservative Party’s views on local charities and voluntary groups:

Conservative Party commitment to local voluntary action (Word, 102 KB)
Invest in charities to save: Local government funding for local voluntary organisations (Word, 102 KB).