SCVO News

Category Archives

Get on Board

October 21, 2021by Libby Mahoney in Blog, SCVO News tagged , ,

Are you looking for new Trustees to sit on your organisation’s Board? Maybe it needs a breath of fresh air or a diversity makeover?

SCVO and our volunteering website www.letsgosandwell.info will be specifically promoting such opportunities during Trustees’ Week, November 1-5.

Trustees play an invaluable role in the voluntary sector. They come from all walks of life and share expert advice in skills ranging from finance to food handling, which all helps an organisation be the best it can.

If you would like to call out for new volunteer additions to your team get in touch with kim@scvo.info

#SandwellTrustees
#TrusteesWeek

Significant Funding for Sandwell projects

October 19, 2021by Mazeline Hemmings in Blog, Funding, SCVO News tagged ,

Grants up to £40,000 are available for projects that are aimed at people of all ages who feel lonely or isolated and projects that aim to improve the wellbeing of communities. Applicants can apply for 2 different levels of funding; under £10,000 or £10,001 to £40,000.

In terms of eligibility;

An organisation must have a Board or Management Committee comprising of a minimum of 3 members (ideally unrelated) who give their time in a voluntary (unpaid) capacity. If this Committee is not locally based, the organisation should demonstrate its long-term commitment to Sandwell;

• are actively delivering services in Sandwell or undertaking activities for the benefit of Sandwell Communities;
• principally reinvest any financial surpluses to further social, environmental or cultural objectives that bring a significant community benefit to Sandwell (at least 50% of any financial surpluses need to be reinvested in Sandwell for community benefit).

So whilst the group/organisation doesn’t necessarily have to reside in Sandwell it must be able to evidence the above to be eligible.

Application and assessment dates will be published separately on an ongoing basis, but you can contact SCVO to start a conversation about your project ideas at any time.

You can email: grants@scvo.info or contact Liz on 07923 259821 / liz@scvo.info or Stuart on 07703 823226 / stuart@scvo.info.

 

 

 

Creative Corner Networking Group

October 18, 2021by Libby Mahoney in Blog, SCVO News tagged , ,

SCVO are keen to establish an arts, creativity and community forum that explores ‘How creatives and communities can work together in Sandwell?’

We are looking to hold our first Creative Corner Forum on Wednesday 17th November 2021, 10.30am via an online platform (Zoom or Microsoft Teams).

The forum is open to anyone interested in the arts and creativity including individuals, community organisations, arts practitioner’s charities, community interest companies and businesses, who want to share information, make new connections and develop creative projects within Sandwell.

Creative Black Country’s Arts Advisor Rich Franks will be at hand to share insights and information on what is happening via Creative Black Country.

Guest speakers to be confirmed at a later date.

We’ll be encouraging:

  • both community and creative organisations to share their experiences and / or examples of successful arts projects in the community,
  • information sharing on potential funding opportunities available for creative projects,
  • participants to network with other like-minded attendees and
  • opportunities to collaborate on new projects.

Anyone wishing to attend will need to reserve their FREE place via Eventbrite by clicking here. Once registered SCVO will email the joining instructions nearer the time. So be sure to pencil the date into your diary.

Trustee Chat – Evening Session

October 15, 2021by Libby Mahoney in Blog, SCVO News tagged , ,

Dudley CVS and SCVO (Sandwell) are jointly hosting this informal session for charity trustees. This informal session is for people to learn more about charity trustees and their role, share their experiences and get support. It is being held on Thursday, 4th November 2021, from 7 – 8.30pm (via Zoom).

The agenda will be an open one, allowing participants to ask questions, share their experiences and get support with anything to do with being a charity trustee, whatever their current level of experience is. Staff from Dudley CVS and SCVO will be on hand to share their knowledge and offer encouragement and guidance to help run your charity.

The session is particularly aimed at anyone in Dudley or Sandwell boroughs who:

  • Is interested in learning more about being a charity trustee before they become one
  • Is a new trustee
  • Has experience of being a charity trustee that they’d like to share or would like to improve their knowledge
  • Would like to find out about organisations in their areas that might be looking for charity trustees
  • Represent a charity that has trustee vacancies

This virtual session will be held on Zoom. Please register your place (via Eventbrite) to ensure that you are sent joining instructions.

‘Positive Change’ Celebrated at SCVO AGM

October 15, 2021by Leona in Blog, SCVO News tagged ,

SCVO’s Annual General Meeting took place on the 12th October.  This year, due to continued social distancing measures the AGM took place virtually.  We were joined by just under 100 delegates from a wide range of voluntary and community sector organisations from across Sandwell together with statutory sector partners.

The theme for the morning was around creating positive change and gave time to reflect on the work of the sector as a whole, together with highlights from the support offered by SCVO in the challenging time that the pandemic has presented and to celebrate the fantastic work that has been achieved.

Three trustees (retiring by rotation) – Khatija Patel from Ideal for All, Jon Grant from Krunch and Claire Dale from Black Country Headway – were all re-elected to serve further terms on SCVO’s Board of Trustees.

Following the main AGM business we were joined by Victoria Clare from Ovacome who shared their journey to adapting how they deliver their services to their diverse community in an equitable and inclusive way.  We also heard from Sue Brueton from the National Lottery Community Fund about how organisations can consider becoming more environmentally-minded and consider matters such as climate change.  We also reflected on the importance of the health and wellbeing of ourselves, our staff and volunteers.

SCVO would like to thank all of the attendees in what was a successful event and also thank all of our stakeholders for their continued support

To access a copy of the presentation slides, please view 

To access a copy of SCVO’s Annual Review 2020/21, please view

 

Awareness Seminar – Community Ownership Fund

October 12, 2021by Stuart Ashmore in SCVO News tagged

SCVO is organising a seminar for Voluntary and Community organisations to find out more about the Government’s Community Ownership Fund, which is being made available from the  Department of Housing, Communities and Local Government (DHCLG).

It is part of the ‘levelling up’ agenda in which the government seeks to support areas where social capital and community identity, as well as how people feel about themselves, is threatened and which leads to a lack of cohesion.

The government recognises that many community places, which are a hub of support for communities, are closing, with the loss of benefits to the community.

They are also noticing that such hubs, when threatened in affluent areas, are rescued by the community as they have the means to do so.

For example, a community pub threatened in a rural area populated by affluent people was rescued by the community. Just 8 people in the community got together and raised enough community share capital in an evening with phone calls to each other. They made an offer to the landlord and the pub became a community business with a post office, health centre, taxi hub etc!

This might not have happened in a deprived area where the residents do not have the confidence and means to raise community capital so easily.

The Government is making up to £250K of grant funding available and they require a match contribution, but have not stipulated the amount. In exceptional circumstances (rugby & cricket clubs), they are prepared to go up to £1million.

If this is something that interests you – perhaps you already operate a community ‘place’ that could benefit from broader direct community ‘ownership’ or you may have ideas about places in your local community that might be under threat – why not come and find out more about the opportunities and barriers to accessing this funding.

We’re delivering this seminar on Tuesday, 2nd November 2021 from 2-3pm, via Zoom, and if you’d like to register a place then please register via our Eventbrite page: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/community-ownership-fund-tickets-190985953127 (tickets are FREE, but need to be reserved in advance).

Don’t Miss Out On The Chance To Win A £100 Donation For Your Voluntary Sector Organisation This Month

October 5, 2021by Libby Mahoney in Blog, SCVO News tagged ,

Fundraising platform easyfundraising is offering Sandwell voluntary sector organisations the chance to win a £100 donation simply by setting up a free fundraising page – click here.

Trusted fundraising platform easyfundraising allows organisations like yours to benefit from free donations from over 6,000 leading retailers like Amazon, eBay, Argos, M&S, Iceland, Etsy, John Lewis and Sainsbury’s.

All you need to do to collect free donations from these retailers is set up an easyfundraising page for your organisation then ask your staff, volunteers and other supporters to use it when they do their Christmas shopping online this year. Each time they shop, your organisation will get a free donation and it won’t cost the shopper a penny more so it really is a no-fuss way of earning unrestricted funds from the shopping your supporters will be doing anyway.

To help you with your fundraising easyfundraising is offering Sandwell organisations the chance to win a £100 donation – just set up your new page by 31 October 2021 to be entered into the draw.

Good luck!

Covid-19 Vaccination Grant Funding and the Voluntary Sector

September 27, 2021by Mazeline Hemmings in Funding, SCVO News tagged ,

Congratulations to the many organisations that have received funding to help explain to their communities the benefits of having the Covid-19 vaccination. This has really helped make a difference to the vaccination uptake in Sandwell.

However, there is still lots to be done to make sure everyone who is eligible for a vaccine or booster knows and receives it. In addition, we need to remember good practice around infection control, which will keep us and the ones we care for, safe and well this winter.

If you want to promote this message to the people in your community including staff, volunteers and service users and you are a Sandwell based VCS organisation, then there is some funding to help you with this.

To find out more and see if you are eligible please contact Liz Webster, Liz@scvo.info (mobile 07923 259821), or Barbara Murphy, barbara@scvo.info.  Thank you.

Emotional Wellbeing of Children

September 14, 2021by Mazeline Hemmings in Blog, Funding, SCVO News tagged ,

Are you a Sandwell based organisation delivering mental health and emotional wellbeing services to children and young people? Are you able to scale up capacity to provide additional support over the next 12 months? If so, you may be interested in the Emotional Wellbeing Grant Programme Autumn 2021.

You must be a not-for-profit organisation, delivering services to support residents of Sandwell and your organisation must meet the stated requirements for working safely with children and young people.

If you meet the criteria, then please contact Barbara Murphy on 07859 913363 or barbara@scvo.info to check your eligibility and receive an application form and guidance notes.

The closing date for submission of applications is 9 am on Monday, 4 October 2021.

Youth Mentor Training for Volunteers

September 9, 2021by Mazeline Hemmings in Blog, SCVO News, Training Support and Resources tagged , ,

By popular demand, we’re repeating our ‘Introduction to Youth Mentoring’ short course in October, for volunteers helping out with children and young people.

We have a limited number of spaces available for the free course, taking place on the mornings of October 6 and 7.

Delivered online by Mentoring West Midlands, the course covers a variety of useful, thought-provoking subjects from safeguarding to starting conversations with ‘troubled’ youngsters.

Participants on a previous course said:

• It was great, I learned a lot
• Useful, interesting and very respectful
• Brilliant trainer, very insightful
• Thank you – it was informative and there was a lot to take in. I’ve actually realised how serious mentoring is, and it’s helped joined the dots with the work I do.
• I can totally see now how I use this as a volunteer.
• The topics were very relevant

For more details and to register an interest please contact kim@scvo.info

Page 1 of 8123...Last

Contact Us

Email: support@scvo.info
Tel: 0121 525 1127

SCVO
1st Floor, Landchard House
Victoria Street, West Bromwich
B70 8ER