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** Please find below all news releases posted during 2006 ** Endon & Stanley residents urged to have their say Posted 17th November 2006 Residents in Endon and Stanley are reminded to go along to community consultation event at Endon Methodist Church on Saturday 2nd December between the hours of 10 am and 4.00 pm. The event is open for all residents of Endon and Stanley to go along to, to raise and discuss any issues of concern about the local area. Whether it’s a matter of traffic, lack of facilities, policing, anti-social behaviour, or community interest, if there is a particular need in the area which would benefit from being discussed more widely then the Community Consultation team would like to hear from you. The event, being organised by Staffordshire Moorlands Community and Voluntary Services (SMCVS), in partnership with the Parish Council, is an initiative to work together to get an insight into the issues, needs, concerns and aspirations which affect residents within Endon and Stanley. Recently appointed Village Agent June Beardmore said: “I am really looking forward to working with the people of Endon and Stanley in order to produce a plan for the future”. Local community groups will also be manning stalls at the event to raise vital funds for their activities in the run up to Christmas. Further information is available from the SMCVS Community Development Team on 01538 387488 Village Agents Gain Qualifications Posted 15th November 2006 Two Staffordshire Moorlands Community and Voluntary Services Village Agents have been successful in completing a new training regime within their organisation. Colleen Savage and Penny Ward, along with Daniel Yates from the Peak District National Park, have undertaken the NVQ in Community Development Work Level 3. The training and assessment for all three candidates was carried out by Community Development Manager of the SMCVS Lesley Savage. This training ,new to SMCVS, has been implemented into the contracts of the self-employed Village Agents as part of the training policy in partnership with VAST (Voluntary Action Stoke-on-Trent). This National Vocational Qualification enhances the candidate’s ability and confidence in a number of areas - including building relationships within and with communities and organisations to work to identify needs, opportunities, rights and responsibilities. A new set of Village Agents will be starting the same qualification on 22nd November. Other community development workers around the area are welcome to participate in gaining this NVQ at the location of the SMCVS offices at Bank House, Leek. Anyone interested please contact Lesley Savage on 01538 387488 or email: lesleysavage@smcvs.co.uk Biddulph Community Chest rewards local groups Posted 15th November 2006 9 groups from the Biddulph area have been successful in receiving money from The Biddulph Community Chest Grant. Funded by the Market Towns Programme and Staffordshire Moorlands District Council, The Community Chest Grant, is available to assist small-scale projects that aim to improve the local Biddulph community. Grants approved include – £500 to Biddulph in Bloom, to purchase plants for the forthcoming season; £500 to Sign of the Times – a local dance group that uses signing during performances, to purchase a camcorder; and £320 to Rethink – Biddulph Support Centre, to enable the group to offer education on shopping for and the preparation of, nutritional meals on a low budget. Administered by Staffordshire Moorlands Community and Voluntary Services, the fund is still open to all constituted community groups and charities that are committed to making Biddulph and the surrounding area a better place to live. Local groups are being urged to pick up an application form and guidelines to see how the money could benefit them and their activities. Up to £1000 is available for projects that will bring about sustainable environmental, social and economic improvements – such as the refurbishment or redecoration of a building, publicity for community groups or activities, or the purchase of equipment for community use. Grants of up to £250 are also be available for local football clubs. Copies of the application form and guidance notes are available to download from our grants pages or by contacting 01538 381356 or emailing: grants@smcvs.co.uk.The next deadline for applications is Friday 2nd February 2007 The Community Grant launches to offer money to local groups Posted 18th August 2006 Community groups across the Staffordshire Moorlands are being urged to go along to the AGM of Staffordshire Moorlands Community and Voluntary Services on Wed 6th September to be amongst the first to pick up an application form and guidelines for a new grant scheme being launched. The Community Grant fund is being administered by SMCVS on behalf of Staffordshire Moorlands District Council, who want to encourage more people to work together in their communities. Funded activity must contribute to the local community life by making a positive difference to the local area and must do one of the following:
All voluntary and community groups in the Staffordshire Moorlands can apply to the grant fund. Money will be available for one-off events and projects or as an annual grant to a project or activity for a maximum of three years. Both capital and revenue costs can be covered. For example, groups can apply for a grant to cover – * The costs of a new project or new community group such as: ongoing running costs of the organisation, small capital items (equipment etc). * Resources required for groups to run a community initiative such as: equipment/materials - publicity materials, training costs - educational trips * Costs related to holding a community event such as: venue hire – publicity, translation and signing costs - registered childcare costs, transport to and from the event A maximum grant of £500 can be paid in any one year (that is a maximum of £1,500 for projects funded for three years). The grant scheme is being launched at the SMCVS Annual General Meeting at 7:30pm, Wed 6th September at The Nash, High Street, Leek. Copies of the application form and guidance notes will be available to pick up on the night and anyone interested will have the opportunity to talk to SMCVS’s Grant Officer, Heather Kent. Alternatively the forms will be available to download from the grants page of this site from 12 noon on Thursday 7th September or by contacting 01538 318356 or emailing: grants@smcvs.co.uk Cllr Podmore Local Member Initiative money to go to Leek groups Posted 18th August 2006 Grants of up to £150 are to be made available to Leek-based not for profit groups this autumn. For the second year running, Staffordshire Moorlands Community & Voluntary Services is applying for money from Cllr Neal Podmore’s Local Member Initiative Fund to award to small groups in Leek. Groups with an annual turnover of £5000 or less, who are looking for a small one-off sum of money are all welcome to apply. All project ideas will be considered. Money to help with outings, venue hire, redecorating, or publicity costs are amongst those previously supported. The approval of grants will be discretionary and all groups will be advised as to their success later in the autumn. The Local Member Initiative money will be advertised at the SMCVS Annual General Meeting at 7:30pm, Wed 6th September at The Nash, High Street, Leek to which all are welcome. Copies of the application form and guidance notes will be available to pick up on the night and anyone interested will have the opportunity to talk to SMCVS’s Grant Officer, Heather Kent. Alternatively the forms for the Fund will be available to download from the SMCVS website from 12 noon on Thursday 7th September www.smcvs.co.uk or by contacting 01538 381356 or emailing: grants@smcvs.co.uk It is expected that the demand for the grant will be higher this year as more and more groups become aware of the scheme. Leek Under 25's get chance for cash Posted 15th August 2006 Voluntary and Community groups in Leek are being urged to pick up an application form and guidelines for a new grant scheme being launched. The New Generation Fund is a brand new grant fund from SMCVS to assist voluntary and community groups in Leek. The aim of the Fund is to provide benefit to children, young people or young parents aged 25 years or under, to increase their experiences and learning opportunities in a variety of innovative ways. If your project first this criteria and your group is fully constituted with an annual income of less than £5,000, you may be able to gain a £150 grant. Decisions on grant applications will be made by a panel of five independent members from the local community of Leek. Jill Norman, Chief Officer of SMCVS says, “The New Generation Fund is something we have been looking to offer for a number of months. There are lots of groups in Leek working with young people and young adults and we urge them to come forward to access this money”. The New Generation Grant Scheme is being launched at the SMCVS Annual General Meeting at 7:30pm, Wed 6th September at The Nash, High Street, Leek. Copies of the application form and guidance notes will be available to pick up on the night and anyone interested will have the opportunity to talk to SMCVS’s Grant Officer, Heather Kent. Alternatively the forms for the Fund will be available to download from the SMCVS grant pages from 12 noon on Thursday 7th September or by contacting 01538 381356 or emailing: grants@smcvs.co.uk Volunteer Centre celebrate DWP climb down Posted 11th August 2006 The Staffordshire Moorlands Volunteer Centre are delighted to pass on the news that the Department for Work and Pensions has signalled a climb-down over the lunch expenses issue for volunteers. The DWP has announced that in the future, volunteers on benefits will no longer be expected to meet the costs of their lunches out of their benefits. The Staffordshire Moorlands Volunteer Centre and Volunteering England have been campaigning hard for this change and welcome the announcement. Justin Davis-Smith, deputy chief executive of Volunteering England, the national development agency for volunteers, said: “This is great news as it lifts a barrier to the two million volunteers on benefits that were affected by the guidance. We’re delighted that the DWP has listened to the views of so many in the volunteering movement and reverted to its original position which supports the Government’s aim of opening up access to volunteering to disadvantaged groups.” Staffordshire Moorlands Volunteer Centre were delighted to work with Charlotte Atkins MP who signed the Early Day Motion to support the change in policy. However the Volunteer Centre urges all volunteers and organisations to still be vigilant as local interpretations of national decisions don’t always filter down smoothly. Please keep the Volunteer Centre informed if any volunteers on benefits continue to incur lunch expenses. You can contact the Staffordshire Moorlands Volunteer Centre on 01538 398240, email: volunteering@smcvs.co.uk. This has been a victory for common sense so thank you to all of you who have joined this campaign. New Faces Welcome Posted 1st August 2006 SMCVS is looking for people to join their board of trustees. Chief Officer, Jill Norman is getting ready for the AGM of the CVS on 6th September when elections will take place to fill any vacancies on the board. People have to be nominated by an organization which is a member of CVS or by an existing trustee. Nomination papers have been sent out and need to be returned to Jill by 18th August. As Chief Officer, Jill Norman explains, “The CVS exists to help local voluntary and community groups of all sizes to do what they want to do more effectively while keeping on top of the latest legislation and policy changes. The voluntary and community sector is constantly changing and the CVS changes with it. It’s an exciting time to be in the sector with the Government placing great emphasis on the importance of our work and, locally, with the District and County Councils investing more in the Village Agent Project so that we can facilitate community action in more of the rural communities of the Moorlands.” If you are interested in getting more involved with SMCVS but your organisation is not a member, just give Jill a ring on 01538 381356 and she can discuss it with you The Village Agent Project arrives in Uttoxeter Rural Posted 13th July 2006 In June 2005 the Staffordshire Moorlands Village Agent Project carried out a consultation in Stramshall , Bramshall and Croxden to bring to light local community issues and needs. This was a follow up to the questionnaire produced by East Staffordshire Borough Council. The consultation exercise was so successful that East Staffordshire Borough Council has funded Staffordshire Moorlands Community and Voluntary Services to put a Village Agent in post in Uttoxeter Rural. Colleen Savage, who worked on the original consultation, was appointed on the 1st July 2006. The role of the Village Agent is to help rural parish communities in the Staffordshire Moorlands area to build their capacity to contribute to the sustainable regeneration of their villages. Their primary aim, through capacity building and consultation events, is to develop an Action Group which can act as a catalyst for the development of issues, groups and organisations within the community, the eventual outcome being an action plan. Colleen will be hosting open meetings in both Stramshall and Bramshall in September. These will involve a short presentation about the Village Agent Project, followed by an open, informal discussion on how to take the project further. Stramshall - Village Hall: Thursday 14th September 2006 : 4.00pm – 5.30pm and 5.30pm – 7.00pm 15 minutes presentation followed by an open discussion Bramshall – Village Hall Thursday 21st September 2006 : 2.00pm – 3.30pm and 4.00pm – 5.30pm 15 minutes presentation followed by an open discussion All interested individuals are invited to attend. For further information please contact Colleen Savage at Staffordshire Moorlands Community & Voluntary Services on 01538 387488 or email: colleensavage@smcvs.co.uk SMCVS plan Community Marquee at Leek Show Posted 12th July 2006 Staffordshire Moorlands Community and Voluntary Services (SMCVS) are delighted to once again, be hosting a marquee at this year’s Leek & District Agricultural Show. SMCVS will be running a table top Fun Fair to raise funds for The New Generation Fund - a new grant fund that will be available to local groups working with young people, later in the year. If you want to try your skills at good old fashioned games such as “Hook a Duck” and “Bash the Rat” then please do come along to say hello. There will also be the opportunity to find out about the full range of services that SMCVS has to offer and staff will be available to talk about how they can help and support member organisations as well as how the general public can access and benefit from their services. With everything from gardening and transport services, to information on how you could get involved in your local community and grant information to help support local initiatives, there is a lot of information to find out about. SMCVS will also be joined in the marquee by several of their member organisations, including Beat the Cold, Leek Citizens Advice Bureau, Time Out, All Saints Operatic Society and the Centre Stage Theatre Company. All these groups will also be on hand to provide information to pick up and take away. The SMCVS marquee will be running competitions as well as hosting a second-hand book stall full of adults and children’s books, to compliment the family activities. There will be a lot to learn about from SMCVS and its member organisations, so visit Stand 14 to find out what they can do to help you and your local community. Volunteers' Week celebrations Posted 9th June 2006 Volunteers of all ages joined in Volunteers’ Week celebrations last week. Thanks to the lovely weather and the people of the Moorlands, the Staffordshire Moorlands Volunteer Centre’s promotional market stalls were really well received. The response from current volunteers and potential new ones was fantastic. Volunteers Week is great chance to bring to light the hard work that is going on behind the scenes of so many local organisations, that not many of us really know or think about. Even the Volunteer Centre staff were pleasantly surprised as we heard the stories of many local people, young and old, who are working so hard to help others. As part of the celebrations all current volunteers were invited to enter a free prize draw to win a luxury food hamper. The winner was Mr Palmer from Leek, who volunteers with The Motor Neurone Disease Association and he is delighted with his prize. Thanks to everyone that entered! And to top of the celebrations in style, Biddulph Voluntary Action threw a thank you party for all volunteers in the Biddulph area last Thursday. Volunteers from the British Red Cross Shop, Citizens Advice Bureau, Age Concern and many more local organisations all got together for a good old natter and some lovely food! It really was a nice afternoon. North Staffordshire Funding Fair Posted 12th May 2006 North Staffordshire will be hosting a Funding Fair on 28th June 2006 from 10:00am - 3:00pm at The Potteries Museum and Art Gallery. SMCVS, Newcastle CVS, Voluntary Action Stoke-on-Trent and Stoke City Council have joined forces to give local organisations the opportunity to meet with funders and learn about funding opportunities available to them. Funders who will be present on the day include: The Big Lottery Fund, The Local Network Fund, The Heritage Fund, Lloyds TSB, Staffordshire Environmental Fund, Newcastle Borough Council and Give It Sum Community Chest. This FREE event is open to anyone in North Staffordshire working in either the voluntary and community sector, schools, social and community enterprises or is looking for funding. For further information please contact Colin Williamson at Newcastle CVS on 01782 629269 How your group can gain a firmer footing: Posted 12th May 2006 You may have heard of the term “social enterprise” but be unsure what it means, or how it might be relevant to your group. Why not find out by coming to one of two FREE briefing sessions organised by SMCVS in June? The briefings are funded by the Government’s ChangeUp initiative though the ELVS (Experiential Learning in the Voluntary Sector) programme managed by cbc – the Centre for Excellence for Social Economy Development. Similar briefings will be organized in the Stoke and Newcastle areas by Voluntary Action Stoke-on-Trent and Newcastle Community and Voluntary Support. This briefing is relevant to any group that is interested in generating more income and perhaps becoming less reliant on grants. It may be particularly useful for groups which operate not only with volunteers but also have some paid staff and/ or a significant asset like a building. Exploring the social enterprise approach can bring benefits to your group, for example, by testing out the way you are currently organized, what marketing you do and how you price your services. Even if you decide that the social enterprise model is not one your group would wish to adopt, the process involved in thinking it through will help take you forward. So find out more about social enterprise by coming to either: Leek – Brough Park Leisure Centre – 1900 to 2100 : Monday 12th June Or Cheadle – The Manor Hotel – 1000 to 1200 : Wednesday 14th June There will be no charge for attendance but space is limited so please book a place by phoning Jean Dale at SMCVS on (01538) 381356 or email: leek@smcvs.co.uk Local Compact Event Posted 4th May 2006 Moorlands Together Local Strategic Partnership invites you to Leek Cricket Club on Wednesday 24th May 2006 Our third Compact event will commence with buffet at 6:30pm followed by a welcome from Reverend Matthew Parker, Chairperson of the Moorlands Together Local Strategic Partnership at 7pm. Reverend Parker will launch the Code of Practice on Funding and Procurement. There will be an open question and answer session to follow, with representatives from the District Council and the PCT available to listen and respond. The LSP and Staffordshire Moorlands CVS will be on offer to provide support and guidance on how the new Code of Practise will affect you.Throughout the evening, information and advice will be available on Funding and Grants with the latest news and your questions answered. Come along and ask away! Event to finish at 9pm prompt. RSVP by Monday 15th May 2006 to Mike Smith at SMCVS on 01538 381356 (e-mail mikesmith@smcvs.co.uk)
Waterhouses' Litter Pick & Family Fun Day Posted 28th Feb 2006 If you fancy a fun family day out with the opportunity to help the local environment at the same time, then why not go along to the Manifold Trail on Saturday 25th March? From 10am – 3pm all the family are invited to take part in a Litter Pick along the Trail, with the added benefit of activities free of charge taking place at both ends of the trail. Brown End Cycle Hire at Waterhouses and the Visitors Centre at Hulme End will be hosting activities including swing boats, sand sculpting and the opportunity to meet an array of birds from Majestic Owls. Staffordshire Moorlands Community & Voluntary Services, along with the Peak District National Park and Staffordshire Moorlands District Council are organising the event as part of the Cleaner Greener Partnership. Colleen Savage SMCVS Village Agent for Waterhouses says, “The aim of the day is to engage the community in a fun-filled day whilst raising awareness of the dangers of dropping litter to local wildlife”. Anyone is welcome to turn up to the event throughout the day, although all children should be accompanied by an adult. For further information, please contact the Community Development Team at Staffordshire Moorlands Community & Voluntary Services on 01538 387488 or email: ruraldev@smcvs.co.uk Big Lottery Fund Workshop in the Moorlands Posted 28th Feb 2006 A funding workshop by The Big Lottery Fund will take place in the Moorlands on March 16th. Organised by Staffordshire Moorlands Community & Voluntary Services, the Workshop, a first for the area, will be an ideal opportunity for invited representatives from local voluntary and community groups, to hear about the new and existing funding opportunities available through the Big Lottery Fund. The main speakers for the event will be John Taylor (Head of Region), Stephna Davis-Watts (Regional Development Officer) and Dominga De La Cruz (Marketing and Events Manager) from the Big Lottery Fund for the West Midlands. They will be explaining the criteria and application process for the Reaching Communities Fund, Awards For All and Young People’s Fund. Organiser Heather Kent, Grants Officer at SMCVS says, “This is a great opportunity to gain greater understanding of the criteria for each fund. We are delighted that the Big Lottery Fund has chosen the Moorlands as a venue, for there are a large number of groups who will benefit from talking to their officers first hand about projects for which they require funding.” Further information about the event can be obtained from Heather Kent at SMCVS on 01538 381356 or by emailing: grants@smcvs.co.uk Free Child Protection Training on offer Posted 1st Feb 2006 If you work with children or young people and would like to complete Level 1 of Child Protection Training then SMCVS can help. We are running a one day course on Friday 10th March from 10am - 4pm at Haregate Community Centre in Leek. This training is free to non for profit organisations, and will be funded by the Local Network Fund. A £25 returnable deposit is required to secure your place - this will be returned to you on the training day. The course is limited in numbers but a second date can be arranged if numbers demand it. For further information and to book onto the course please contact Heather Kent at SMCVS on 01538 381356 or email: grants@smcvs.co.uk Free training for Volunteers in the Moorlands Posted 31st Jan 2006 Staffordshire Moorlands Volunteer Centre will be co-hosting a free training course for volunteers during April and May. The four-session course called Introduction to Volunteering is to be run in conjunction with Adult Community Learning and Tamworth Volunteer Centre. The course, a first for the Moorlands, consists of four half-day sessions and covers subjects relevant to all volunteers, regardless of their role or the type of organisation they volunteer with. This will include matters from rights and responsibilities of volunteers and good practice issues, such as confidentiality and health & safety, through to communication skills and customer care. The dates for the course are: 25th April, 9th May, 16th May, 23rd May 2006 Each session will start at 9:30am and run for the morning including light refreshments and a buffet lunch. The course will take place at the Rudyard Lake Field and Activity Centre, Near Leek. If you would like to book your free place on the course please call: Jo / Anna on 01538 398240 or email: volunteering@smcvs.co.uk 5th Prize for SMCVS Posted 31st Jan 2006 A big thank you to everyone who collected The C-Factor tokens from our local evening paper, The Sentinel on our behalf. We sent in a large bundle of tokens at the end of 2005 and today were presented with a cheque for £500 after taking 5th prize in the competition. THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR HELP & SUPPORT! |
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Staffordshire Moorlands Community & Voluntary Services |
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