Spotlights on the Voluntary and Community Sector offer  organisations the opportunity to comment on questions about their own organisation, about the environment in which they are working and also feedback on the support offered by SCVO.   If you would like to take part in a Spotlight interview, please contact Leona Bird, Strategic Engagement Officer at SCVO on 0121 525 1127 or e-mail: leona@scvo.info

The Pen Museum

Tell me about what you do?
We started the Birmingham Pen Trade Heritage Association in 1996 as we felt there ought to be a museum to educate people on the history of the pen trade. At one point, Birmingham made up to 75% of the pen nibs in the world which were then exported globally.

As a result, we opened the museum in 2001 in order to educate people on Birmingham’s Steel pen trade and today we have over 5,000 objects which display its fascinating history.

What is your proudest achievement?
The aim of our organisation is to spread the word and educate people on the history of the steel pen. Our proudest achievement is the fact that a large number of people come to visit our museum from all over the world. As well as this, we were recently on TV on the Antiques Road Trip which shows the large amount of interest we have received.  We are becoming worldwide now and this is definitely the best achievement we could have ever wanted to achieve.

Tell me about any experiences you have had with SCVO?
We have not had any experience with SCVO before.

What is the most valuable lesson you have learnt from working with people in Sandwell?
It is surprising how a large number of the local people had no idea Birmingham had anything to do with the pen trade. You find this in a lot of places that the local people aren’t clued up with what their ancestors did. We think it is therefore up to us to bring this out in the open and make people aware of the role Birmingham played in this industry.

What are your plans for the future? Any challenges you face?
In terms of the future, we just want to stay in existence. As we are a charitable trust we don’t charge people to enter the museum and therefore rely on donations.  So the biggest challenge to us is an issue of funding. The cost of electricity and rent is very expensive even with a sponsorship from our landlord.

In addition to this, because we are a small company it is very hard for us to advertise. Even for a small advert it is still expensive for an organisation like us.

How can SCVO help to support your organisation in the future?
SCVO could certainly help us by advertising on their website and elsewhere to make it known that there is a pen museum in Birmingham. At the moment we don’t charge for people to visit but as our costs are due to rise we may have to start asking for a small charge. However, we don’t want to have to do that. So funding is another area in which SCVO can possibly help us as it will allow us to meet these demands and remain in existence.

One last area would be through volunteers, we could certainly do with some for the long-term. Most of our volunteers tend to be short-term which means they are only here for a small period of time.

For more information please contact 0121 236 9834 or visit http://www.penroom.co.uk

Tell us what you do
At REPC we do a number of things. Most importantly, we provide a data wiping service and security facility for large scale IT users. We also refurbish the equipment and upgrade the software as required. We are different from other IT recycling businesses as we put these pieces of hardware back into use. This is key our work as a social enterprise. In addition to this, we also provide high quality equipment to schools, charities, authorities, SMEs, the third sector and students at a low cost. We peovide these to people who cannot afford to buy brand new devices due to their budgets. As an authorised recycler we look to keep these devices in use.

What is your proudest achievement?
One of our proudest achievements is the work we do with young people with disabilities, people who have struggled written mainstream education. We do not discourage any individual and are proud to train and educate these individuals and prepare them for full time employment. In recognition of this, we have won a number of awards including one for greater community cohesion and programmes bridging the digital divide. We are also very proud of our work through connected housing led by 12 London and south based housing associations. This is helping to provide individuals with access to the internet, once again bridging the digital divide.

What is your experience of support received from SCVO?
We have previously trained and gained volunteers through SCVO and have attended conferences and events which they have conducted. This has helped us keep up to date with what is going on in the local area and specifically the third sector.

What is the most valuable lesson you have learnt about working with people in Sandwell?
I have learnt to never right anyone off, give everyone a chance. Lack of qualifications should be a barrier and neither should disabilities or gender. We find that people with disabilities can make the most loyal employees and can carry out very detailed work.  I have also learnt that collaboration with other providers is very important to providing more holistic services. No organisation can do everything so we strive to work with others in order to deliver broader and higher quality services.

What are your plans for the future and some of the challenges you face?
At the moment we are expanding and over the next 12 months we will be looking to double in staff. As a result, we will be looking for new employees and individuals to join and work for our organisation. The digital divide also remains a key issue and as a result we are looking to continue and expand our work towards eradicating this issue. In terms of the challenges, our most immediate challenge is keeping up with demand for our services. It is about having the right staff and training individuals. Therefore, we are looking to share resources with other companies to meet this demand. This is extremely important as this demand will only continue to grow.

How can SCVO help to support your organisation in the future?
SCVO could promote greater levels of recycling and reuse of IT and other resources amonghts its members and the third sector, encouraging them to  spend their money efficiently and use Repc’s  services to help them achieve efficiency saving.  From our experience, no organisation use the full capacity of a brand new computer system so, before you buy new, think about purchasing quality use equipment instead and spend more of your scarce resources on frontline services.

For more information please contact 0121 557 6439 or visit www.repcltd.co.uk

Tell us what you do
We provide tennis for anyone in Wednesbury who wants to play.  We cater to all ages from junior to senior and offer social and competitive tennis. There are 4 all weather courts and coaching is available. We are keen to encourage more people to start playing tennis, regardless of experience or ability, at both junior and adult levels.

What is your proudest achievement?
We were established in 1903 and are still going so that is quite an achievement. Over the years we have had several county champions train here too.

What is your experience of support received from SCVO (if relevant)?
We don’t receive that much support from SCVO. Previously we have had help with applying to grants.

What is the most valuable lesson you have learnt about working with people in Sandwell?
People in Sandwell tend to be very friendly.

What are your plans for the future and some of the challenges you face?
We are hoping to resurface all of the courts so that we have a nice smooth playing surface once again. Getting the money to do this is definitely a challenge. We have applied for a grant and are awaiting the results of the application so fingers crossed.

How can SCVO help to support your organisation in the future?
By offering advice on managing certain aspects of our organisation. For example, guidance on applying to grants would always be welcomed.

If you would like more information, please contact John Burke on 01922 401313

Bethel Christian Fellowship

Tell us What You Do
Bethel Christian Fellowship is a church based in West Bromwich in the West Midlands. It is a people friendly church that looks to serve its local community and offers a range of services and community projects to support the people living in the area.

Bethel Christian Fellowship is a Christian Church with a bible based message of joy, hope and purpose for the people of West Bromwich; where people can find friendships, support and a sense of involvement in the community as they worship God together.

Bethel Christian Fellowship is a Pentecostal church in fellowship with the Assemblies of God and the Evangelical Alliance.

What is your proudest achievement?
The church has a thriving children’s and youth work running on Friday nights with 30-50 attending each week. Many of the children and young people come from around the church and are able to interact with their friends and peers in a fun and interacting environment.

The church also runs a Luncheon club which helps older people engage, find friends and socialise with others each week with supportive staff around who take time to listen and care where need be, offering friendship and a listening ear to any concerns these people may be encountering in their personal lives.

What is your experience of support received from SCVO (if relevant)?
SCVO is a very supportive organisation that has helped to advertise our services to the wider public and can in the future help our organisation to network better locally with others service providers operating in the Sandwell area.

What is the most valuable lesson you have learnt about working with people in Sandwell?
There are some amazing people and groups within the Sandwell area, who are working very hard to bring about collaboration of thinking and working to support some of the most vulnerable people living in the Sandwell borough.

What are your plans for the future and some of the challenges you face?
Bethel Christian Fellowship is looking to expand its service provision to the local community to help families and the elderly, to find a place of welcome, friendship and care and to meet the prevailing needs and aspiration of the local community. It is important at this time to raise the profile of the organisation and to make more people awareness of the services that the church provides and how they can access these.

How can SCVO help to support your organisation in the future?
The church is looking to expand and develop its community outreach to the local community, and SCVO will be able to help support in the areas of networking and sign posting to small grants.

Bethel Christian Fellowship, Gads Lane, West Bromwich, West Midlands, B70 8QL
Telephone: 0121 525 8434  Email:bcfgadslane@gmail.com     Web: www.bcfwestbrom.org.uk

Cares Sandwell

Tell us what you do
CARES offers information, advice, help and support to unpaid family carers and the people they look after within the borough of Sandwell. We strive to improve the quality of life of the carers with whom we work and seek to enable carers to continue to care.

The Charity provides the following services for carers – an Advice, Information and Outreach Service, a Home Visiting Service, Carer Support Drop in Sessions, Carer Cafes & Outings, an Adult Guidance & Lifelong Learning Service and a Carer Consultation Network.

What is your proudest achievement?
Our proudest achievement is the significant impact we have made to the lives of unpaid family carers and the people they care for, for the past 30 years and of our reputation both locally and nationally as an organisation which delivers high quality services for local carers.

What is your experience of support received from SCVO (if relevant)
We have received a range of support services from SCVO since its inception. They have provided infrastructure support, information about local and national initiatives, fundraising support and access to organisations and individuals that CARES, on its own, would not have been able to achieve.

What is the most valuable lesson you have learnt about working with people in Sandwell?
The most valuable lesson we have learnt from working with local carers is they are willing to go above and beyond for the people they care for; to ensure they have a good quality of life and they receive good quality services.

What are your plans for the future and some of the challenges you face?
CARES plans for the future are to continue to operate as the main ‘Carers Hub’ in Sandwell and continue to be a sustainable organisation delivering high quality services for local carers and the people they support. The challenges we face are balancing the ever decreasing funding with potentially higher targets, dealing with potential loss of staff – meaning we will have to reduce the level of service but still manage the quality we deliver.

Also, because of our status as a user led organisation, we have identified the charity has too much reliance on specific individuals and funding sources and we need to expand on both. We also need to possibly re-shape and re-badge what we offer to ensure funders want to procure our services.

How can SCVO help to support your organisation in the future?
We don’t require SCVO to do anything different from their current activities. Continued information and support will be beneficial to CARES – should SCVO be able to obtain additional resource then fundraising help and governance support would be our priorities in the future.

For further information, please contact – 0121 558 7003 http://cares-sandwell.org.uk/

Sandwell Financial Services Hub

Tell us what you do
Sandwell Financial Services Hub officers support to Sandwell based tenants– these can be any tenants whether private or social housing to manage their finances better.  The aim of the Programme is to help tenants improve their overall financial confidence and to manage their money better.

What is your proudest achievement?
We have many – since we started in January 2013 over£ 80,000 of charitable funds have been raised to help support tenants with matters such as furniture, writing off energy debts.  We have engaged with over 1,800 tenants since we started although we have had more referrals than that.  We have been able to deliver over 1,200 financial health checks for tenants and also helping over 1,400 people to develop an individual plan to help their budgeting. 

What is your experience of support received from SCVO? 
We receive information through the weekly e-bulletin which helps us know about what is happening locally.  We have also attended including one around the developing West Midlands Combined Authority.   We receive the funding digest and this helps our understanding of what funding is out there.  Knowing what options are available for us and helping us to help our tenants.

What is the most valuable lesson learnt about working with people?
Not to take anything for granted.  When it comes to engaging people, trying to get people to take up a service – even though it is free is a challenge.  The key is that most people will ask what is in it for them.   We need to demonstrate the service is going to help them.  One size doesn’t fit all – everyone has different needs.

What are your plans for the future and some of the challenges you face?
Future funding will be an issue.  Although we are Lottery funded and we are fortunate we have a couple of years of funding left – we need to be clear on what will happen next.  When the project was set up – there was an intention that social housing landlords would incorporate the service. Since the start of the Programme, social landlords have shrunk their service. We need to work on sustaining the service and to be reflective of the needs of our service users.

The tenants themselves will face challenges around the roll out of Universal Credit.

How can SCVO help to support your organisation in the future?
SCVO can help support us around keeping us informed of funding –and also what is happening in the wider Black Country – What key partnerships are available out there that SCVO has links with.  In the future we will need to get closer to SCVO to understand the environment and the impact they could have for us in the future and the needs of our future clients.

For further information please telephone – 0121 289 3933

George Road Community Church

Tell us what you do
We serve the community by delivering activities and projects that support local people – this includes ‘Come Together’ for older people including flower arranging, card making and helping to keep people from becoming socially isolated.  A gentle exercise class for older people, a coffee morning including a full breakfast.  A knit and chat group for people and a club for younger people.

What is your proudest achievement?
We have a really good community feel to our building and we are able to reach out to people.  When people come through the door they always comment on how welcome they feel.  Another achievement is getting the church community hall refurbished and having to be more accessible as a community space.  It took a great deal of time and a lot of fundraising for this to happen.

What is your experience of support received from SCVO (if relevant)
SCVO have been fantastic – I can’t praise them enough for all the support they have given to me.  I have undertaken training which enabled the successful bid writing to help us get the resources to do the refurbishments mentioned above.  At the start of our journey, the staff sat down with us to help with the completion of the applications and were with us throughout the journey offering support.

What is the most valuable lesson you have learnt about working with people in Sandwell?
The providers of other services are always supportive, so that if we can’t offer help, we know who else to turn to.  We have built up really good relationships with people.  People have all been really supportive of what we are achieving and trying to achieve.  We rely heavily on volunteers who are all local people and without whom we wouldn’t be able to operate.

What are your plans for the future and some of the challenges you face?
We are working on converting a disused house which is on the church site – ‘Hope House’ will be completely refurbished to become an extension of the community space we have on offer and to be able to deliver in a cosy and homely space.  We are looking to develop dementia support, bereavement support services, ESOL, a breakfast club and after school club for young people.  There is a lot of scope for new developments and we are always listening to what the local needs are.

How can SCVO help to support your organisation in the future?
Support is a big word to us and we know that we can pick up the telephone and ring SCVO and ask a question.  If they can’t help us then they are able to sign post up on.  I regularly attended the breakfast meetings which are a great way to meet other community groups and to network and promote what we do.  We would not hesitate to recommend SCVO to others.

For further information, please contact George Road Community on 0121 423 3822
June Whitehouse, Projects Co-ordinator – 142 George Road, Oldbury, B68 9LN

Wednesbury 2000

Tell us what you do
We started in 1997 with the vision to support the local community and people of Wednesbury. We cover health, education, arts and supporting the elderly.  We own The Old Post Office in the town centre and a whole spectrum of the community are able to use the building for meetings and running activities.

What is your proudest achievement?
It is probably helping new community groups and young people with businesses to get established. It is wonderful to see them flourish and then move onto pastures new. For example a young man started off here when setting up The Post Office Studio -a film and TV production company. He now has a thriving business and has moved onto bigger things.
Also successfully getting a grant of £185,000 to purchase our building and refurbishing it with a further £50,000 from lottery funding was great as we were able to update and improve the facilities for all of the community groups who use it.

What is your experience of support received from SCVO (if relevant)?
We have been a member of SCVO from the start and have had help with grants in the past. We attend the funding meetings which keep us informed with what sort of help is available and the AGM.

What is the most valuable lesson you have learnt about working with people in Sandwell?
The under 50’s area into their computers so we have learnt that we need to communicate with young people by getting online. Also working in conjunction with other organisations is really important as funding is a numbers game. The more people involved, the more likely you are to get the grant so creating those partnerships is really important.

What are your plans for the future and some of the challenges you face?
We want to continue to improve the building. It was built in the 19th century so needs money to be spent on it. Ideally we want to put a new roof on it. The biggest challenge is getting new memberships from younger people. We really want youngsters to get involved in order to keep Wednesbury 2000 going.

How can SCVO help to support your organisation in the future? We want a closer relationship with SCVO as we will need help with getting funding for building costs as there just isn’t a lot available.
For anybody interested in joining Wednesbury 2000 please contact Mavis Hughes on 0121 5569516 or visit their website at www.wednesbury2000.org.uk

Church On The Rock

Tell us what you do?
Church on the Rock is a community based church and everyone is welcome.  We do all the normal church activities but in addition we run Youth that Rocks on a Tuesday night  for football and sometimes craft and table tennis (every fortnight).  We have a group of about 20 that come along and have a fun time and make friendships.

Moms and toddlers on a Thursday morning – this is over-subscribed  – people from all sorts of backgrounds and ethnicities come along and it helps with language skills and play.

We have an adult group ‘Rock Fellowship’ on a Thursday afternoon and they meet monthly.  This offers friendship and group support and sometimes trips are organised.

There is an over 14 youth group (under 18) that meet on Thursdays every 2 weeks. They do life skills like learning how to cook and to give support to each other.  They play games and have some bible study and thinking through where they are going in their life.

A craft day is held quarterly – on a Saturday morning ‘come and make stuff’ and is well attended by the local community.

There is a coffee morning every month –  and we sell bric a brac to fundraise to support our activities.

What is your proudest achievement?
There are so many – setting up the youth group and building strong links with the kids because they know they can turn to people for help when they need it. The moms and toddlers is such a strong group – 30 toddlers come some days and strong links have been made with the children’s centre and the community.  Some come to toddlers and then come back to the youth group when they are older.

What is your experience of support received from SCVO?
Have found them to be supportive and is a good link for the church.  We know they are there when we need them.  We are hoping to attend the funding network – I’ve liked the contact we’ve had so far.

What is the most valuable lesson you have learned about working with people in Sandwell?
To listen and to take the time to get alongside people.  You often don’t know what’s going on in people’s lives.  It is important to be none judgemental and not to make assumptions.

What are your plans for the future and some of the challenges you face?
To continue all the good things we’ve started and to keep re-evaluating what is working and what we could do better.  To take on the things we can, when we can.  No new plans as yet.  Always looking for new people to be involved and volunteers to support what we do would be more than welcome.

How can SCVO help to support your organisation in the future?
Same as they are doing at the moment – we get a lot of information from them – we need to use that information.

Church on the Rock is based at 7 Warley Road, Oldbury, B68 9RZ for further information, please Jackie on 07834315726  0121 552 7153

Moose Academy Martial Arts

Tell us what you do
I currently work full time and I also run a Karate club, in West Bromwich at The Moose Family Centre, on Woodward Street. The style of Karate I teach is Wado Ryu. The students that attend range from the age of 4- 6 years of age. It is a mixed ability group from beginners to long standing members. We have a few students with different disabilities and learning difficulties, and a variety of students of different ethnicities.

What is your proudest achievement?
I have different proud moments of all the students that I teach, but I am extremely proud of the support from the students and family to help the club keep running. Also I have had 3 students ages 12, 13 and 15 selected to represent England in Budapest, Hungary in October 2015. I have also been selected for the women’s section.

What is your experience of support received from SCVO (if relevant?)
SCVO has helped us with training events to keep the club running smoothly such as first aid and safeguarding children.

What is the most valuable lesson you have learnt about working with people in Sandwell?
Everyone is so different but fantastic people to work with whatever the age.

What are your plans for the future and some of the challenges you face?
My future aim is to get more students into Karate and also the younger generation of our club to train with the England team and possible future selections. Also if Karate is proposed to be in the Olympics 2020, I hope for some of my students to take part. Challenges I am going to come across is funding within the sport and helping those, who are less likely to be able to fund competitions, training sessions with the England squad and also trips abroad.

How can SCVO help to support your organisation in the future?
SCVO have supported us so far and it would be nice for the same continuation of support to allow us to advertise to get young people, adults different diverse backgrounds and different disabilities into Karate.

For further information please contact Kellyanne Parsons – shannon19912@gmail.com

Beeches Road Community Enterprise

Tell us what you do
We are a not for profit organisation which started in November 1993, hiring out rooms to starting businesses. Our work is aimed at administrative functions with 7 rooms for organisations to hire. Following funding from the local authority we then expanded our work to include an accounting service, doing payrolls for community based organisations and individuals. Currently we still provide these services and have a community hall upstairs which we rent out for events.

What is your proudest achievement?
We are very proud of our 22 year existence in which we have helped and served individuals and organisations within the community.  Providing them with the infrastructure and services to conduct routine activities. In addition to this, we are proud to have played an influential role in a pilot scheme with the council based on care for individuals. This was a way of making disabled individuals responsible for their own care. We helped to set up these individuals as employers and process the payments to those looking after them.

What is your experience of support received from SCVO?
In the past we have been involved with SCVO through funding opportunities. They visited us to help us identify funding options and apply for them. As well as this, I have found their events very useful as it allows us to network with other organisations.

What is the most valuable lesson you have learnt about working with people in Sandwell?
It is important to remain aware of what is going on in the local community and to never get complacent. We try to do our best to help the local community as they are very supportive of the work that we do. In addition to this, the people of Sandwell are very helpful and as a result we look to support events for the local community by providing them with a venue.

What are your plans for the future and some of the challenges you face?
We plan to keep the business moving at 100% capacity whilst getting more organisations and individuals involved in our accountancy services. As well as this, we will continue to provide a venue for community events to provide a new arm of support to local organisations and individuals.  In terms of the challenges, becoming self-sufficient is one we hope to overcome. Funding is becoming a challenge for our organisation and as a result it is important that we aim towards becoming financially self-sufficient.

How can SCVO help to support your organisation in the future?
In the future SCVO could support our organisation through funding opportunities. They could help us to identify and apply for these opportunities as grants are becoming more difficult to acquire. As we are a not for profit organisation, rather than a charity, it seems to make it harder for us to receive financial help.

For more information please contact 0121 553 7064

Wednesbury Retired Men’s Club

Tell us what you do
The purpose of the club is to get retired people to be active, have something to do and socialise. We play snooker on weekday afternoons and everyone has a good laugh. We also do occasional trips to the seaside for a nice day out.

What is your proudest achievement?
Getting people to enjoy themselves is always good to see. It’s important that retired people have something to do and a place where they can go to have fun. Seeing one of our members with osteoarthritis start to play snooker again after he thought he couldn’t anymore was lovely.

What is your experience of support received from SCVO (if relevant)?
We have not had any experience with SCVO before.

What is the most valuable lesson you have learnt about working with people in Sandwell?
People sometimes need a bit of encouragement to get out of the house. The club exists so that retired folk have somewhere to go and everyone is very friendly.

What are your plans for the future and some of the challenges you face?
We just want to keep the club going. If we can help people and give them an enjoyable afternoon then that makes it all worthwhile. We recovered the tables ourselves by watching an instructional DVD so that saves money as obviously you have to keep costs down.  If we don’t save money like that then the club would fold.

How can SCVO help to support your organisation in the future?
By advertising the club so that we get more members. All retired men are welcome!
For more information please ring the Wesley Centre for All on 0121 5560420 and ask for Les Green.

The Animal House Rescue

Tell us about what you do?
We are a small Birmingham based rescue, which takes in unwanted, abused and abandoned animals. All the animals that come into our care are treated for fleas, ticks, mites and worms, they also have a full veterinary ‘m.o.t’, and are neutered, if over 6 months, and inoculated and chipped before going to their new homes.

We do not use kennels, instead we have foster homes, which enable us to see the animals behaviour in a home environment, then any problems can be dealt with and we can re-home them to the most appropriate place. All prospective adopters are home-checked and we do not re-home to all day workers.

We also run a feral cat-neutering program, where feral cats are trapped and the females are spayed and the males are castrated. The cats are then released back to where they came from, as hardly any feral cats become tame. Those that do are re-homed. This helps to cut down on the number of kittens born each year, which will in turn keep the colony going. All our work is done with the aid of donations, and street collections with all money collected going to pay for food and our massive veterinary bills.

What is your proudest achievement?
Our proudest achievement would be becoming a registered charity, enabling us to apply for funding and raise the profile of the rescue, ensuring we continue to help animals in need.

Tell me about any experiences you have had with SCVO?
As far as we are aware we haven’t had support from the SCVO.

What is the most valuable lesson you have learnt from working with people in Sandwell?
We have only had contact in working with Sandwell dog wardens and they are the most dedicated and helpful team we have ever had the pleasure to deal with. The residents we have dealt with in the rescue capacity have always been helpful and friendly.

What are your plans for the future? Any challenges you face?
To carry on the work we do helping animals and raise awareness of good animal ownership in the community. In addition to this, we are also looking to campaign for harsher sentences for animal abusers.

In terms of the challenges, these are the lack of funding available to rescues and the amount of funding available through both main, and local, government to supply even the basic of cover for things such as out of hours dog services where strays are involved. One last issue is the lack of interest from major bodies in trying to find a solution to animal abandonment, abuse and mistreatment, and a lack of understanding in local communities.

How can SCVO help to support your organisation in the future?
The SVCO could support us in the future by bringing our aims and the work we do to the people of Sandwell and advertise our fundraising somehow to help us continue to do more for all animals in the future.

For more information please call 0121 475 8729 or visit http://www.theanimalhouserescue.co.uk

Accord Group

Tell us what you do
The Accord Group is one of the largest housing and social care organisations in the Midlands, providing 13,000 affordable homes and health and social care to 80,000 people and employing nearly 5,000. Our partners are Ashram Moseley, BCHS, Caldmore Accord Housing Association, Direct Health, Fry Housing Trust, Heantun Housing Association and Redditch Co-operative Homes.
Our vision is one in which people have more choice about their homes, the services they receive, and where people can be involved in developing their communities. It is a future where quality is being continuously improved.

What is your proudest achievement?
Too difficult to pick any one thing – now in our 50th year we continue to provide homes and services to those most in need in the neighbourhoods and communities where we work and remain proud of being able to provide choice and opportunities to our customers and their families.

What is your experience of support received from SCVO?
They provide an excellent and responsive service, enabling organisations to reach out to individuals and by providing a central hub for local people to gain experience to meet their individual needs and choices.

What is the most valuable lesson you have learnt about working with people in Sandwell?
From the view point of the Volunteer Service, their desire, passion and commitment in their quest to find a pathway that can support them in either finding paid work, as well as giving back to their local communities.

What are your plans for the future and some of the challenges you face?
We will continue to be committed to promoting volunteering roles within the Accord Group and keep abreast of changes within volunteering that may impact not only the Group, but the wider communities, so that we can work together with our partners to provide best possible solutions to any challenges that may arise.

How can SCVO help to support your organisation in the future?

Information, guidance and supporting  individual and their local communities.  Support organisations with training and by meeting barriers and challenges that may arise within the sector.

For more information please contact 0121 500 2300 or visit http://www.accordhd.org.uk

Friends of Dartmouth Park

Tell me about what you do?
Originally we were set up as a support group in order to put forward a lottery bid to restore Dartmouth Park. This was 6 years ago now and the restoration is nearly complete.
After we supported the council in this project we began to run a variety of events within the park. This was in order to enhance community spirit, promote the aesthetic value of the park and attract new members. Currently, we have over 200 members.  Importantly, we also work up with a number of schools to educate the children on the park and encourage them to look after it.

What is your proudest achievement?
Our proudest achievement to date would be the sensory gardens we have created within the park. It is now in its third year and is sustained by 13 generous volunteers. We meet once a week in order to maintain and finance the gardens which bring a key attraction to the area. Of course we are also very proud of what we have achieved in restoring the park whilst working in partnership with the council.

Tell me about any experiences you have had with SCVO?
I always tell people to join SCVO. They are very helpful and strongly supported our organisation when we were first setting up. SCVO began by helping us with funding opportunities and setting up as an organisation. In addition to this, I really enjoyed the conference they held at The Bethel Centre.

What is the most valuable lesson you have learnt from working with people in Sandwell?
From working with the people of Sandwell we have learn that they are very supportive of what we do. They are very willing to help our and are more than happy to volunteer. A lot of people out there are doing very good work and volunteering.

What are your plans for the future? Any challenges you face?
In the future we aim to continue to provide the community with events which they thoroughly enjoy. At the moment our spring event is on the 16th May and we look forward to a vast number of visitors to Dartmouth Park. The only issue we face is funding, the same as every other small organisation. These events are a lovely way to bring the community together but they are very expensive to achieve.

How can SCVO help to support your organisation in the future?
SCVO could certainly help us by improving their database for funding and organisations. It is very time consuming and can be very confusing for people to use. As a result, I rarely use this anymore as it is very difficult to find what I am looking for.
In addition to this, funding is very difficult at the moment. Therefore, finding these opportunities for us would be another way SCVO could support us at Friends of Dartmouth Park.

For more information please contact 0121 588 4747 or visit http://www.friendsofdartmouthpark.org.uk

Blastbeat

Tell me about what you do?
At BlastBeat we provide experiential learning programmes for young people and families going through social and emotional behavioural difficulties. We believe it is vital that they gain access to knowledge and new opportunities through a proactive approach.  This is achieved by schools/ partner organisations identifying these individuals and then we adjust to their needs. We look to focus on their passions rather than their deficits. Participants can then take part in various activities while learning financial literacy and social enterprise as a way to give back to their community in a sustainable way. Our most popular package is the battle of the bands style programme – students start with no capital; and find artists, find venues and a social cause to support. The programme fits with BTEC Music and BTEC Business courses. We look to fix the parts which schools/ other services can’t reach, going beyond the externalities in order to focus on the intrinsic motivators. Our participants demonstrate their strengths and improve their confidence from within. This leads to enhanced CVs, access to University places and employment.

What is your proudest achievement?
I am proud of the people I work with daily, their attitude and their support for this vision is uplifting – because they have turned their lives around. The large number of individuals we have helped to overcome so many issues is another achievement we are extremely proud of at BlastBeat, enabling individuals to create their own opportunities and demonstrate their strengths. Jermain Jackman winning the BBC “The Voice” 2014 contest is also a proud achievement. BlastBeat have been mentoring Jermaine since 2011 in London, so we look forward to bringing similar success to Sandwell. We even create 3D-CVs for those with sparse qualifications to help them stand out more.

Tell me about any experiences you have had with SCVO?
As we are relatively new to SCVO we have not had much experience with them. However, we have been aware of their vision and this has helped us to access good practice and sustain this throughout our work. SCVO website is a source of a lot of information.

What is the most valuable lesson you have learnt from working with people in Sandwell?
The young people/ adults we work with have the passion and desire to achieve great things. However, they haven’t had the platform to demonstrate their strengths and showcase their talent. As a result, we believe it is important to inspire individuals and provide them with experiential opportunities.

What are your plans for the future? Any challenges you face?
At the moment we are seeking ambassadors that are passionate about young people, education, social enterprise and problem solving. We would like to work with local authorities to co-create and co-design more experiential learning programmes to solve problems (part of our Think-Feel-Do philosophy). Importantly, we can create hands-on learning experiences almost anywhere.
The main challenge to our cause is an issue of infrastructure. There is a lack of access to youth friendly facilities in Sandwell, especially in neutral spaces/ venues (non-faith, non-school) for example, theatre and event spaces.

How can SCVO help to support your organisation in the future?
In the future, SCVO could certainly support BlastBeat by keeping us connected. Helping us to build partnerships within Sandwell and gain access to funding support. We also believe it is important to get MPs and businesses involved by putting their faith in the local community. As a result, we would like to see SCVO help to raise awareness of what we do and get more influential figures involved in our vision.
For more information please visit www.BlastBeat.org

NACRO

Tell us what you do
At Nacro, the crime reduction charity, we are dedicated to reducing crime and reoffending in communities across England and Wales. We design and deliver programmes that equip people with the skills, advice, attitude and support they need to move their lives on and move away from crime. In Sandwell we have been providing young people with the skills they need to get back into education, training or employment for 20 years. We work with 14 schools in the local borough and support young people aged between 14 -19 years of age.

What is your proudest achievement?
In 2014 Nacro’s education centres were rated as “Good” (Grade 2) by Ofsted in recognition of the support and care that learner’s receive at Nacro.  The staff in Sandwell are all very proud each time a young person who they have worked with gets back into education, training or employment.  We are always very proud of our young people, no matter how small the achievement may be, this could be their first step in a positive direction that they have so far achieved in their lives.
Just one example, is a young man who achieved an NVQ2 in Motor Vehicle Maintenance went onto manage his own garage (Shaf’s MOT & Service Centre Oldbury).  He has allowed many of our young people to gain work experience and went onto actually employing three of our young people through the Nacro Apprenticeship programme.

What is your experience of support received from SCVO?
We don’t feel we have linked up enough with SCVO but we are keen to do so more in the future. We understand the importance of working in partnership with local organisations to improve outcomes for the clients we work with.

What is the most valuable lesson you have learnt about working with people in Sandwell?
There are two valuable lessons which stand out. Firstly, never assume anything, and secondly, one size doesn’t fit all. People are very diverse, and as a result it is important to cater for their individual needs. It is important not to assume that one learning strategy will work for everyone. It is also worth noting that employers are very supportive of the work we do. They understand that our work increases the number of young people who have the skills and training they are looking for. We work closely with employers and they help us to provide work experience and employment opportunities to young people.

What are your plans for the future and some of the challenges you face?
Due to budget constraints we have had to stop running many activity sessions, such as go-karting and cycling, but we would like these to start up again as soon as is possible.  These sessions mostly took place out of office hours and were a useful way of reaching some of the most vulnerable groups.  In terms of the challenges, we are judged in the same way as mainstream educational providers.  As a result, we have to work very hard to maintain the quality and diversity of our work.  It is about making sure we keep focused on our aims and vision ensuring that we target the most vulnerable in society.

How can SCVO help to support your organisation in the future?
In the future, SCVO can certainly support our organisation by sending us information about events which will help us form partnerships with other organisations. This could help us to secure work placements and other services for our young people. SCVO could also help us to identify volunteers and to find out about funding opportunities.
For more information please contact 0121 552 9589 or visit www.nacro.org.uk

Sandwell Visually Impaired

Tell us what you do
SVI (Sandwell Visually Impaired) is a truly user led organisation of blind and partially sighted people who live or work in Sandwell. We provide a range of support services to people living with sight loss, their families and carers. Services include gym at Portway, aqua fit, indoor wall climbing and other health and wellbeing programmes.  We offer social support and trips out for visually impaired people aged 50+ and younger people under 30. This, together with members’ meetings, newsletter and campaigning and consultation work with the public and private sectors makes us a group to reckon with.

What is your proudest achievement?
We are proud that in the space of ten years we have grown from only 12 members to 500 and have not lost our user led ethos – a big achievement in these times of cuts. Indeed, in the last 12 months we have not only maintained existing services but have, with Sandwell Talking News, successfully re-launched an audio weekly newspaper delivery to visually impaired Sandwell residents.

What is your experience of support received from SCVO?
SCVO has supported SVI from the outset, with help to create a constitution and business plan, develop policies and identify further funding.

What is the most valuable lesson you have learnt about working with people in Sandwell?
Sandwell people are generous and we have learned that everyone has something to offer given the opportunity to grow. How important that can be to someone who feels their life might be over because of sight loss. SVI has given a lifeline to people who have gone on to flourish in a way that initially seemed impossible – this is not only because of SVI as an organisation but due to its user led strength; unbeatable!
SVI is proud of our Sandwell roots. There have been many changes over the years but generally, we have found Council officers supportive and have established meaningful partnerships and true friends both within and outside the Council.

What are your plans for the future and some of the challenges you face?
Although strong, SVI now faces our biggest challenge so far. We are a small organisation with a large ambition but without a bigger office or space to develop we are like a plant confined by a small pot, unable to grow.

We also need more volunteers, including:

• a Volunteer Co-ordinator to help build our volunteer base – this is an exciting and challenging volunteering role and you will be at the forefront of our developing volunteer services.
• an Activities Co-ordinator to help organise trips, days out and social events to people living with sight loss.

Other volunteering opportunities are available – we welcome sighted friends to join us.

How can SCVO help to support your organisation in the future?
SCVO and fellow VSOs can help by keeping a look out for any spare office space, or better still a resource centre, that can give us scope to develop our much needed services. You can help us find volunteers and continue to provide warm and friendly advice, support and guidance we need as we further develop our services.

If you believe in user led services and want to help, please contact the SVI Office. Call 0121 525 4810, email info@sandwellvisuallyimpaired.org.uk, or visit www.sandwellvisuallyimpaired.org.uk
A warm welcome awaits you.

Smethwick Heritage Centre

Tell us what you do
We are a museum that documents the glorious industrial heritage and social history of Smethwick. At Victoria Park Lodge we display an ever growing number of artefacts, relics and memorabilia concerned with the town. We also organise road shows, events and school visits as well as curating an extensive photographic collection, all of which is free to the public.

What is your proudest achievement?
Still being open is probably our proudest achievement.  We have grown and developed over the past 11 years and there is a great deal of love and support for the Heritage Centre shown by the Smethwick community so that is really nice. We have increased our membership and continue to put Smethwick’s proud heritage in the public eye.

What is your experience of support received from SCVO (if relevant)?
It’s fine. We are very independent though so are able to run the organisation without SCVO’s support.

What is the most valuable lesson you have learnt about working with people in Smethwick?
People are very proud of the history of their town. Our volunteers are here because they want to be and their dedication is motivated by more passionate then you can imagine.

What are your plans for the future and some of the challenges you face?
We have financial plans in place to help us become more self sufficient in the future. The challenge is to get more local people in the Heritage Centre, as both visitors and volunteers. It would be nice if we could engage more with the Asian community as they make up a large proportion of the areas demographic.

How can SCVO help to support your organisation in the future?
We always need more volunteers so helping to advertising our organisation to potential helpers would be great. We are running a coffee morning on the 6th March from 10am-1pm at the Heritage Centre. Anyone is welcome to come along and see what we are all about. People from the local Smethwick area are especially encouraged to get involved.

For more information please contact Chris on 0121 555 7278 or email smethwickhc@btconnect.com

Wednesbury History Society

Tell us what you do
In essence we promote the history of Wednesbury and have done for the past 7 years. We have regular meeting once a month with a speaker and we cover a variety of subjects. We want to get people involved with history in general and currently have 50-60 members.  We also have reunions for the Patent Shaft and FH Lloyd steel works at the museum and art gallery in town.

What is your proudest achievement?
We are proud of everything that we do but membership has been steadily increasing so that for us is a really good sign that we are giving people want they want. We try to promote an atmosphere where everyone knows each other so there’s a social side to the club as well. In the past we have put on exhibitions, published a book about the Patent shaft steel works and last summer had a successful trip to Himley Hall which was greatly enjoyed by the 40 members who came.

What is your experience of support received from SCVO (if relevant)?
Initially they supported us when the society was first starting out. We used to produce a newsletter which SCVO helped with. We also had some funding support when applying for a grant to finance an exhibition.

What is the most valuable lesson you have learnt about working with people in Sandwell?
The local community tend to be very supportive and people are very appreciative of what we do which is lovely.

What are your plans for the future and some of the challenges you face?
The main challenge at the moment is the imminent closure of St James’ church which is where we hold our meetings. The expense of room hire is a big obstacle for a lot of clubs but we have got a few offers from possible new venues so the club will move onto somewhere new soon.

Playhouse After School Club

Tell me about what you do?
At the playhouse after school club we take care of children past school hours until their parents come and collect them. We believe it is important that parents can keep to their work commitments without worrying about their children. As a result, we run this programme during term-time as well as during holiday periods. We pick up the children ourselves from four schools in the catchment area and bring them to Tameside Primary School where they have a variety of activities to engage with. These range from arts and crafts to sports activities and they are always supervised by our members of staff. Importantly, we are Ofsted registered and currently have 40 children whom we look after at the end of every school day.

What is your proudest achievement?
In 2013, we received the Quality in Play Award from Play England. We were one of only two institutions in Sandwell to receive this award at the time. The Quality in Play Award shows the quality assurance that parents and children will receive from being on our register. In order to receive this award we had to demonstrate a number of quality indicators, most importantly the quality of our facilities and safety.

Tell me about any experiences you have had with SCVO?
Our most significant experience with SCVO was when they supported us during the completion of a grant form. It was a very complex process; however the help of SCVO certainly made this more straightforward.

What is the most valuable lesson you have learnt from working with people in Sandwell?
From working with the people of Sandwell we have learnt that families and parents are very supportive of what we do. It is an extremely valuable scheme for parents who have important work commitments. Most importantly, we have learnt that the children reflect upon this supporting character. The children at our after school club are always supporting one another, it is as if they are part of one big family.

What are your plans for the future? Any challenges you face?
In terms of the future, we would certainly look to expand on the amount of children we can cater for. However, this year our contract runs out at Tameside Primary School and this provides one major challenge to our future plans. Although Tameside Primary School will allow us to stay here, there may be less room available for us to conduct our activities in a safe manner. Therefore, this provides a challenge to find the space required in the local area.
One last challenge that we face is an issue of funding. Due to the small amount of funding we have available, it is hard to pay for training courses for our staff and pay for some of the activities we would like to run for the children.

How can SCVO help to support your organisation in the future?
Currently, it is very difficult to transport the children from each school to Tameside. At the moment we pay a taxi service to do this but it is an extremely difficult task. Therefore, SCVO could help us by securing a minibus service that would help us to transport every child safely.
Another way SCVO could further support our organisation would be through funding opportunities. At the moment we do not have the funds to secure training for our staff and most of the time they pay out of their own pocket for certain equipment for the children.  Therefore, funding is a big issue for us at the Playhouse After School Club.

For more information please contact hazeljohnson@blueyonder.co.uk or 0121 531 7407

Lion Farm Action Centre

Tell us what you do
We are a community based adult training centre that is situated at the heart of the Lion Farm Estate in Oldbury, in the ground floor of Harry Price House. Our centre provides a variety of activities for a wide range of groups. These include – Art classes which are delivered by a qualified art tutor from SAFL  Our craft sessions are a chance for people to come together and share their craft skills with the rest of the group.  We also provide online computer training.  Job clubs are another method of support that we provide for the community. These take place four mornings a week, helping unemployed people produce a CV, register with ‘Universal Jobmatch’, set up an email account and apply for jobs.

We also provide a number of activities specifically for children – we run our own After School Club which operates five days a week. Children will attend our club straight from school where they will take part in a range of activities until 5 o’clock. This is supported and funded by BBC Children In Need. Lastly, we also provide our own holiday play scheme during the summer break and this year we also delivered a February Half Term Holiday Play Scheme as well.

What is your proudest achievement?
We are particularly proud of the friendly approach and individual support we have continued to provide for the community. Centre users feel extremely comfortable here and enjoy the activities and support we provide.

What is your experience of support received from SCVO?
The Centre has been a member of SCVO for many years. SCVO has supported the centre through several funding applications and through achievement of PQASSO standards levels 1 and 2. SCVO is currently acting as a Local Trusted Organisation for Lion Farm to Grace Mary Big Local Area (gm2lf).

What is the most valuable lesson you have learnt about working with people in Sandwell?
The most valuable lesson we have learnt is that appearances can be deceptive. The Lion Farm Estate has not always had the best reputation, but having worked with local people we have found that there is a strong community spirit and our users are very supportive of us and each other, they look upon the Centre as ‘one big family’.

What are your plans for the future and some of the challenges you face?
We are currently in the process of registration with the Charities Commission. We feel that this is more appropriate to our operations and will open up more funding opportunities. Currently the main challenge we face is finding the resources to help low skilled, long term unemployed people back into employment, this may include people with long term health problems and learning difficulties that have been assessed as fit for work.

How can SCVO help to support your organisation in the future?
We have always been happy with the support we have received from SCVO and would like this close relationship to continue.

For more information please contact 0121 544 3094 or lionfarmactioncentre@yahoo.co.uk

Sandwell African Caribbean Mental Health Foundation

Tell us what you do
We provide a range of mental health services for people from predominately African Caribbean backgrounds and their families and careers in the Sandwell and West Birmingham area.

What is your proudest achievement?
It is probably the range of client outcomes that the service users achieve with some support from us. We are a small organisation with a small staff base but we manage to support many people to move on, recover and eventually no longer need to use our services.

What is your experience of support received from SCVO (if relevant)?
It’s been great. Sporadic in nature but we’ve had more support in the last few years. SCVO always do what they say deliver what they say they will.  In the past we have had help with funding bids as well as strategic support when the organisation was threatened with being decommissioned.

What is the most valuable lesson you have learnt about working with people in Sandwell?
Working with our beneficiaries has taught us to never judge a book my its cover. Never underestimate people as their potential will surprise you.

What are your plans for the future and some of the challenges you face?
The challenges we face impact our plans for the future. We want to tighten up our infrastructure and try to address the imbalance between money from grants and generated income. This has been improving over the last 12 months and we want to see this continue so that our organisation becomes more sustainable and strong.
In August we set up a user led service called Ujima which was initially a quite challenging.  Now though the beneficiaries have taken on roles and responsibilities to help each other so what was a challenge is now a source of support for our organisation moving forwards.

How can SCVO help to support your organisation in the future?
What SCVO offers in terms of support and how they deliver it fits nicely with our needs already. We look through the newsletter to keep up to date with what is happening in the sector and the funding digest is really helpful too.  Just keep providing the range of services that are currently available.

For more information you can visit their website at www.sacmhf.co.uk or ring 0121 525 1629

Bustleholme Football Club

Tell us what you do
Bustleholme Football Club was first established in 1975, keeping young people away from negative behaviour. Currently we have 16 teams which range from 4 years old up to adults. Importantly, our club is open to everyone and we are currently trying to re-establish our girls’ teams which had previously been very successful. Unfortunately this folded as the girls went on to further education. The teams play on the weekend and are managed by qualified individuals. This gives our players excellent training and guidance throughout their time at the Bustleholme Football Club.

What is your proudest achievement?
Our club was predominantly a boys club until 1993. However, we now have a well established adult team and are trying to re-establish our girls’ side. We are extremely proud of the club we have formed and the success of our teams. Our men’s team has remained in the top division now for 20 years, which is a wonderful achievement with a limited budget.

What is your experience of support received from SCVO?
In the past we have been supported by SCVO through a number of their services. Most importantly, they helped to guide us towards the policies we must adhere too as a football club. This includes areas such as fair play, equality, respect and a code of conduct. In addition, we have also been supported through funding opportunities. SCVO helped us to find sponsorships deals and identified grants for us to apply for. As a voluntary club this is an important aspect of the work we do. Lastly, SCVO have previously supported us through the development side. This was by providing us with information on coaching and first aid courses for both our coaches and managers to undertake.

What is the most valuable lesson you have learnt about working with people in Sandwell?
I have learnt that they are very supportive of voluntary organisations as well as each-other. Currently, our club is sponsored by the Red Lion which demonstrates this support. The residents take an interest in our football club and attend the meetings we have with the community.

What are your plans for the future and some of the challenges you face?
Our main aim for the future is to locate our team within West Bromwich. At the moment our Saturday team plays in Tipton but we are a West Bromwich Football Club. As a result, we are looking to build a stadium in partnership with Phoenix Collegiate to provide our teams with high-quality facilities in West Bromwich. In addition to this, we also plan to re-establish the girls’ team. It is an area which is missed within our club and we hope to bring this back.
In terms of the challenges, the financial side seems to get harder every year. It is getting increasingly difficult to raise money and the biggest problem is that we do not have a base. As a result, it is difficult to provide facilities for football, learning and social events.

How can SCVO help to support your organisation in the future?
SCVO could certainly support our organisation through funding opportunities. This could help us gain the infrastructure required to take part in routine activities such as socials and training. As well as this, SCVO could also help us by raising awareness of our girls’ teams and through volunteers. As a voluntary team, these individuals play an important role in the running of the club. Therefore, taking on volunteers is something which greatly interests Bustleholme Football Club.

For more information please visit http://www.bustlehomefc.co.uk

Sandwell Adventure Play Association

Tell us what you do
We are a registered charity and voluntary organisation who specialise in children’s play. We provide quality childcare in some of the neediest areas of Sandwell and operate across 3 main settings.
Firstly we offer neighbourhood-based, open access playcentres which are a bit like youth clubs for younger children as they can drop-in when they want for 3 hours after school. Secondly, we run 4 out of school clubs which focus on providing a safe environment for children to play whilst their parents are able to pursue further training, education or employment. Thirdly SAPA run 2 pre-school playgroups which follow the Early Years Foundation Stage standards.

What is your proudest achievement?
That we are still going! SAPA has been in operation since 1969 and started off with playcentres that were little more than huts or dens. Since then we’ve transformed into a prestigious child-care service. We’ve managed to survive the recession and are proud to still be developing our services.

What is your experience of support received from SCVO (if relevant)?
We’ve received a lot of support from SCVO over the years. This has ranged from financial training, business training and consultation for applications. They also act as a general forum for sharing information amongst voluntary organisations so the networking element is great too.

What is the most valuable lesson you have learnt about working with people in Sandwell?
They are very hard-working. If they have a goal, then they really do strive for it. This is why it’s so important that we can offer the out of school clubs. Parents can undertake training or education in order to better their lives for their families, whilst knowing that their children are being looked after in a safe environment and having fun.

What are your plans for the future and some of the challenges you face?
Our big challenge for the future is funding. Many voluntary organisations are facing issues with financing operations and it has been getting harder and harder. We want to maintain our professional service but at the same time it has to be financially viable.

How can SCVO help to support your organisation in the future?
SCVO can help us in the same way that they have done in the past. They offer us a wide range of expertise and funding advice in particular is something that we greatly appreciate SCVO’s support with.

For more information about Sandwell Adventure Play Association, please visit their website at www.sandwelladventureplayassociation.org.uk or ring 0121 569 5845

Community Transport

Tell us what you do
There are two main elements to the work we do. Firstly, we provide transport for communities in the Black Country. We provide a pickup service in order to transport groups to their desired destination. Importantly, we will also collect them and drop them home if this is necessary. This is in order to support those with mobility issues or those that find it difficult to access other modes of transport.

The second aspect of what we do involves the re-sale of re-usable furniture. At community transport we believe it is important to those from lower income families. As a result, we offer to collect re-useable furniture from people’s houses in order to re-sell these items at a low cost. The money from this will then be redistributed in order to support the transport side of our work. We also have a pick-up truck on Shidas Lane every weekend so people can donate unwanted furniture to our cause rather than dumping it at the nearby skip.

What is your proudest achievement?
We are proud to know that we have been helping families and communities for 50 years, making a difference to their lives by providing them with goods and services. In addition to this, we are proud of the links and contacts we have made with other organisations in the area, helping to support the community together.

What is your experience of support received from SCVO?
SCVO have provided us with excellent support in the past by advertising for volunteers on their website. We rely on volunteers and this method is very helpful for attracting these individuals. In the past, we have also attended events of SCVO and also awareness of a number of training sessions. One last area of support is receiving the weekly e-bulletin. This helps us remain up-to-date with what is going on in the local area.

What is the most valuable lesson you have learnt about working with people in Sandwell?
We’ve learnt that there is a lot of support for old and young people in the Sandwell area. There are a lot of companies and people looking to help all individuals. People are very willing to support others by helping to improve their well-being. In comparison to areas I have worked in before, Sandwell certainly has much more on offer.

What are your plans for the future and some of the challenges you face?
We are currently looking to expand our volunteer base. At Community Transport we have a number of volunteering opportunities including driving our mini-buses and as a result we are looking to secure more of these individuals. We have also recently introduced a volunteer car scheme which we are hoping to raise awareness of in order to get more individuals involved.
In terms of the challenges, one of the most difficult is recruiting   volunteers who are able to drive.

How can SCVO help to support your organisation in the future?
Training for volunteer management is certainly an area that would interest us as an organisation. This could help us to work more effectively and continue the work that we do. Another method of support would certainly be through advertising and helping us to pool volunteers among other organisations in the local area. One last area of support would be by continuing the events they hold on a regular basis. These help us to gain contacts and learn from other organisations.

Also use SCVO to support the growth of the Sandwell Network Meetings which are held monthly throughout the borough.

For more information please contact 0121 557 5633 or visit http://www.communitytransport.org

Sandwell Crossroads

Sandwell CrossroadsTell us what you do
Our charitable focus is in providing family respite care and support at home.  We also provide a range of advice and guidance to signpost family carers and the people who they are caring for.   The range of services dovetails so is holistic and person centred, with the aim of providing quality innovative care.

What is your proudest achievement?
We offer an inclusive range of services i.e., 24/7 support service, training for family carers in their own home, reducing the risk of injury and unnecessary hospital admissions.  These skills are transferrable when finally their caring role has come to an end that can be used in the work place to build a worthwhile career in care.  We are now providing specialist services throughout Birmingham, Sandwell, Walsall and Wolverhampton.

What is your experience of support received from SCVO (if relevant)?
They are very supportive. They keep us informed with the political and local agenda for health and social care commissioning and changes. They bring people together and facilitate lots of interesting discussions and debates so are very valued by the voluntary sector.

What is the most valuable lesson you have learnt about working with people in Sandwell?
Sandwell is a very different area to the rest of the country, which is diverse and interesting.  It is essential when assessing people who use our services to be respectful and a good listener and understand their daily living needs so these can be implemented and maintained, as a quality outcome.

What are your plans for the future and some of the challenges you face?
We want to make sure that we are sustainable and can continue to deliver our services and respond to what the market needs. The challenge is funding. We would like to continue our bereavement service if funding will allow, as this service helps with the transition of a caring role, enabling people back into work, that also reduces isolation and increases wellbeing.

How can SCVO help to support your organisation in the future?
Their communication and information is vital to our sector and a best friend to us all, helping us survive through difficult times.

For further information 0121 553 6483 or view their website: www.sandwellcrossroads.org

West Bromwich Food Bank

Tell us what you do
We collect and store food, ready to give out to people in crisis. Last year on average we helped 100 people a week and about a third of them were children under the age of 16. People either collect food directly from the church or a support worker will get it for them. We rely on the generosity of donations from individuals, churches, businesses and various other organisations. We partner with front line agencies like the Citizen’s Advice Bureau who support us too.

What is your proudest achievement?
Our best achievement is being able to support people in need which is what we are here for. We help anyone who comes from the door and have always seen them leave with enough food for 3-4 days. There was just one occasion where we very nearly ran out of food on a Friday but luckily it didn’t quite happen.

What is your experience of support received from SCVO (if relevant)?
Excellent. We work with SCVO on the emergency provision network and we are looking at tapping into your expertise for help with funding in the future. It is a brilliant organisation and it is very handy having you right next door!

What is the most valuable lesson you have learnt about working with people in Sandwell?
From our experience of helping support people who cannot afford food, it’s the realisation that this could happen to anyone these days. We sometime use the strapline ‘You are only one pay cheque away from crisis’ which really is true. Even people who are working sometime can’t make ends meet.

What are your plans for the future and some of the challenges you face?
Ultimately we want to close the food bank. This might sound strange at first but if we could get to the stage where no one requires our services any longer than that would obviously be fantastic. This probably won’t happen any time soon though.

In the meantime we would like to continue and expand what we do. We would like to run a dedicated centre, like a one stop shop that people in need could use. Ideally this would be run by trained volunteers or even paid staff who could give advice and sign post people to get help. Getting the funding for this would be a challenge though.

How can SCVO help to support your organisation in the future?
Just by being there. We like knowing that SCVO are just a phone call away and can provide ad-hoc support when we need it.

If you would like to donate food to the bank then please contact Keith Turner on 0121 580 0068

Brushstrokes

Tell us what you do
At Brushstrokes we provide a welcoming centre for newcomers into Sandwell. Over our 15 years existence we have supported refugees, asylum seekers and migrants from 130 different countries. We provide support in three key areas. The first of these is through our practical support for newcomers. Many experience an acute level of poverty. Our response is to give out food, clothes, baby packs and household items on a weekly basis to people facing multiple issues.

The second aspect of our work is offering advice, support, befriending and outreach. This involves visiting individuals and families to offer befriending to overcome isolation and exclusion and offer access to advice surgeries to meet their complex needs.

Our third area of work is offering newcomers the opportunity to learn English (ESOL) through our volunteer teaching programme. We currently have 160 people learning English in the centre.

What is your proudest achievement?
I believe every aspect of our work achieves its goal of enabling people to flourish and become more independent.
Some specific examples include: housing homeless people, helping people into work and gaining qualifications in English. Lastly, we are proud of our recent accreditation through the Mentoring and Befriending Foundation as a quality provider.

What is your experience of support received from SCVO?
We have experienced support from SCVO in a number of ways. Most recently, this was through the managing change programme which enabled us to review our governance status and adopt a local constitution.
Over the years we have benefitted from their fundraising information days as well as their operational business events. I find these events very helpful as they allow organisations to network with each other.
Overall SCVO been very supportive over the years and have helped us with access to a variety of opportunities including the current Creative Black Country programme we are involved in which is supporting our service users in accessing and taking part in a range of creative activities.

What is the most valuable lesson you have learnt about working with people in Sandwell?
Through working with newcomers and people who have been in Sandwell for a long time, I have become inspired by the community spirit and positive aspiration of wanting to become part of Sandwell amongst all its residents.

What are your plans for the future and some of the challenges you face?
Due to the growing need for our work we have outgrown the space in our current building. As a result, we are looking for a way to expand and reconfigure our internal and external space through applying for capital funding.
In terms of other challenges, funding in all sectors is shrinking and growing the organisation is more difficult. Our key goal is to sustain to our core areas of work whilst continuing to respond to the challenges of providing more resources and more services as demand for these services grows.

How can SCVO help to support your organisation in the future?
In the future SCVO could help support Brushstrokes by securing enhanced support for smaller organisations and championing their impact and reach in the public arena.

A key role of SCVO which would help us is to provide capacity building to help smaller organisations to work together collaboratively by developing the networking skills of grassroots workers in local areas.

In addition, assisting organisations like ours with funding bids and promotional activities are also important areas where we hope SCVO will still be bedrock of support in the future.

For more information please contact 0121 565 2234 or visit http://www.brushstrokessandwell.org.uk/

Sandwell Parents for Disabled Children

Tell us what you do
We are a voluntary organisation that provide sporting, social and recreational activities for children and young people with disabilities and their entire families.

What is your proudest achievement?
Last year we enabled a severely disabled young person and all of his family to complete an outdoor climbing course. It was brilliant to see them as a family do something which they never could have imagined being able to do.

What is your experience of support received from SCVO (if relevant)?
SCVO are currently supporting us with strategic monetary advice, helping us decide which funding opportunities we should pursue. We are also looking for assistance in for developing a code of conduct around fundraising.

What is the most valuable lesson you have learnt about working with people in Sandwell?
Never take anything or anybody for granted. Stay focused on the individual and look at things on a case by case basis.

What are your plans for the future and some of the challenges you face?
In the future we want to continue with the activities that we currently provide and also expand the range of experiences that we can offer. For example in the February half term we are using a big rig set up to put on a silks and trapeze workshop which should be great fun. Developments depends on stable and sustainable funding though, so as with most voluntary organisations our biggest challenge will be securing this.

How can SCVO help to support your organisation in the future?
By providing ad hoc support around policy development and strategic financial support as and when needed. Just literally carry on doing what you do! For more information about Sandwell Parents for Disabled Children, please visit their website at www.sp-dc.org or ring 0121 553 2093

North Smethwick Development Trust

Tell us what you do
We are in charge of managing the Brasshouse Community Centre which we have been running since 2007. In 2013 we signed a 99 year lease so that we gained ownership of the site and following a massive redevelopment project we re-opened in 2014.

We focus on creativity, welfare and debt advice; providing services to the local community. An example of our work is the children’s holiday club which we run for 11 weeks of the year from 9.00am till 4.30pm, and dedicated services for older individuals. We have most recently started our own social enterprise through our cafe which is open from 8am till 2pm from Monday to Friday. This serves the general public and provides training places for individuals in the community who are looking to work in the catering industry.

What is your proudest achievement?
At North Smethwick Development Trust we are extremely proud of the asset transfer for the Brasshouse. This is in addition to the funding we achieved for its redevelopment. This gave us the opportunity to redevelop the site and provide the community with a hub. As a result, we have delivered a building that the community are proud of.

What is your experience of support received from SCVO?
Most recently we have been involved in the managing change programme through SCVO. This helped us to conduct market research for the cafe and fund the consultation process.  We have also previously been involved through their events. This is a nice way of meeting other organisations in the area and finding out what is going on.

What is the most valuable lesson you have learnt about working with people in Sandwell?
I find that the individuals in Sandwell are very open and willing to work with you. This is in addition to the willingness of the Council to work and support third sector organisations. They want to achieve great things in Sandwell and as a result they want to work alongside the third sector in order to shape their approach.

What are your plans for the future and some of the challenges you face?
Funding is a key future ambition of ours, securing funding to expand the work we do and to make sure the cafe is a success. We also previously did some work on fuel poverty which provided insulation to properties and gathered huge savings. From this scheme 68 properties saved a combined £18,000. As a result, we are looking to continue this work into the future.

The support we receive from the local authority is hugely valuable. Currently the partnership continues for another year and we hope that the Council will continue with this support. Another challenge is our recent social enterprise, the cafe. It is important that this is a success and that we can make this more sustainable in the future.

How can SCVO help to support your organisation in the future?
In the future SCVO can support our organisation by providing up to date national policy agenda information across welfare, poverty and the support for the third sector, making sure people are aware of this. Lastly, opportunities for funding are crucial and advertisement for the cafe would also be great.

For more information please call 0121 555 5672 or visit their website

Black Country Living Museum

Tell us what you do
We are a unique, open air museum which celebrates 300 years of black country history and industry.

What is your proudest achievement?
The organisation has raised its profile and professionalism with regards to volunteering and we now have more than 200 volunteers.

What is your experience of support received from SCVO (if relevant)?
The networking opportunities with professionals in the third sector are great for getting advice and support.  SCVO have also been instrumental in helping increase our volunteer uptake.

What is the most valuable lesson you have learnt about working with people in Sandwell?
The pride that people have for their history and heritage is very strong, along with a real sense of identity and community in the Sandwell area.

What are your plans for the future and some of the challenges you face?
The museum continues to go from strength to strength. We have good relationships with schools and our educational offering is strong.  We also want to partner more closely with the local community to offer more volunteering opportunities for them. Our challenge is to build up our network of volunteers in order to enhance what we can offer to our visitors.

How can SCVO help to support your organisation in the future?
Continue to offer valuable training when possible. The network support and opportunities to share best practice with people in the same field is brilliant. Sometimes it is easy to feel isolated as an organisation, but when you meet with other people in the sector you see that they face the same challenges and together we can help each other to overcome common issues.

Age UK Sandwell

Tell us what you do?
Age UK Sandwell provides support services based around information and advice, care services and community work.  Currently, we support over 6,000 elderly people every year through the wide array of services we provide. These include a day care service, information and advice drop in centres, benefits advice, telephone information and enquiry line, a handyman service, gardening support, domestic help, visiting and befriending service and healthy living opportunities.

What is your proudest achievement?
There are too many to mention, but when our Day Centre was subjected to the termination of block contracts, we restructured our service.  Staff and volunteers really stepped up to the plate and now – three years later – our Day Care is more vibrant and more active than ever. We have transformed the way we deliver support to older people and we now have over 90 members attending the centre on a regular basis.

What is your experience of support received from SCVO (if relevant)?
SCVO support Sandwell voluntary and community groups with facilitating a number of forums.

What is the most valuable lesson you have learnt from working with people in Sandwell?
It’s essential that we understand the varying needs of our residents and vulnerable people to ensure that everyone, whatever their level of independence, can access good quality care and support in the way they want and need to.

What are your plans for the future? Any challenges you face?
Securing funding for our services is proving ever more difficult in the current financial climate. We have introduced new services to create even more ways of supporting older people across Sandwell. We can offer simple regular maintenance of gardens including mowing lawns, trimming hedges and weeding borders. We can also take on bigger jobs where gardens require a full clearance due to neglect. The organisation also offers help and assistance with small maintenance jobs around the home. We can offer support with tasks such as securing doors and windows with chains and locks, fixing leaky taps and unblocking sinks, hanging curtain rails and fixing blinds, assembling flat pack furniture and other small jobs. We can also help with things like moving furniture or fixing cupboard doors and handles. We can help with painting and decorating too. Our Home Maintenance team attends homes to carry out general decorating work such as ceiling and wall painting, paper hanging, woodwork and exterior door painting. Our team of domestic helpers can give support with daily household chores like vacuuming, dusting, laundry and window cleaning. We also provide shopping services.

How can SCVO help to support your organisation in the future?
By continuing to support the sector in opening up dialogue with the local authority and CCG’s.

For more information please contact 0121 500 1860 or visit

POhWER Advocacy

Tell us what you do
We are a national advocacy charity who support people to speak up for themselves. We deliver a variety of services ranging from generic support to help people who feel that professional’s in their lives aren’t listening to them or feel that they’re not being heard. We then have a direct payments advisor service for people who receive income for their care. We help them recruit, manage their money and become an employer. We also support people through the process of making complaints against the NHS.

What is your proudest achievement?
Getting the charitable status in the first place which allowed POhWER to go from 6 people who got together to try and do something about the poor service that they were receiving from the same organisations  to expanding into a national organisation which delivery statutory services.

What is your experience of support received from SCVO (if relevant)?
We attend the forum meetings and sometimes the briefings that SCVO hold, especially when it concerns new legislation. The website also provides a wealth of information. It is not the easiest site to look through but it contains a lot of good information.  My contact at SCVO is also readily available if ever I need support.

What is the most valuable lesson you have learnt about working with people in Sandwell?
Anyone can be vulnerable at any stage. However, I have learnt that people in Sandwell, both the public and professionals, are steadfast. In our field we have found it easy to build up a relationship with commissioners, professionals and the community to work with them.  There seems to be a lot of collaboration between all the stakeholders which is great.

What are your plans for the future and some of the challenges you face?
For the volunteers and for POhWER in Sandwell we are trying to link in with the community offer. This means that we create a network between us all and can offer peer advocacy support which we haven’t done before. We are also looking into offering a befriending service because we know that it is lacking currently within Sandwell, so that will be an exciting project for us.  We are also looking to work with other organisations that are specialists in their field, such as BUDS for dementia, so that we can combine our knowledge and create those contacts for our volunteers too.

How can SCVO help to support your organisation in the future?
There does not seem to be as many link-up meetings with other organisations as there were before so it’s more difficult to know what help there is and stay up to date with different organisations. Perhaps a quarterly meeting would be good so that all the organisations can share what services they provide so the sector is better informed of what help we can offer each other and tap into if necessary.

For more information about POhWER advocacy, please ring 0300 456 2370 or visit their website at www.pohwer.net

Sandwell Diabetes Support Group

Tell us what you do
We are a group of people with an interest in diabetes promoting and supporting the cause of better care for diabetes patients and their carers in Sandwell. We are a local voluntary group of the national diabetes charity, Diabetes UK. Membership of our group is free and a warm welcome is extended to all. Meetings on topics of interest to patients, carers and clinicians are held bi-monthly at Sandwell General Hospital. Our members carry out Diabetes UK charity collections and give out diabetes information at local supermarkets in addition to giving talks and distributing Diabetes UK publications at GP surgeries, religious establishments, libraries and community venues.
We aim to support, and have supported, G.P.’s and Sandwell Hospital in the purchase of specialist equipment which may not be available through NHS funding.

What is your proudest achievement?
Sandwell Diabetes Support Group’s proudest achievement is to have completed 31 years since its foundation by Janet Kinson, a pioneering nurse in diabetes care, who realised that education of the patient with diabetes was all important to a successful strategy in coping with this chronic condition. This year Sandwell and West Birmingham NHS Trust has recognised her achievement by naming the Diabetes Centre at Sandwell Hospital, “The Janet Kinson Diabetes Centre”.  Our work as a Group continues to reflect her ideals.

What is your experience of support received from SCVO?
SCVO have always been available as a back up to our work where the Group has been able to seek information and help if necessary.

What is the most valuable lesson you have learnt about working with people in Sandwell?
Our experience with the multi-cultural population of Sandwell has been varied. Our aim is to reach everyone who requires support or information about diabetes by giving talks and information to a diverse range of ethnic minorities which have been well received.

What are your plans for the future and some of the challenges you face?
Our aim is to continue and extend the current promotional and educational work we undertake in the community, but also to continue to work with Sandwell’s various medical professional bodies to give diabetes care in Sandwell the highest profile possible when Sandwell’s medical trust’s are working within an ever tightening budget.

How can SCVO help to support your organisation in the future?
SCVO can help us in the future by continuing to provide advice and information via their office staff and informative e-bulletins.

Further information is available on 0121 553 2253 or by email: sdsg@blueyonder.co.uk

Home School

Tell us what you do
Home school  is an inclusive mainstream school for