Developing a Fundraising Plan Post-Pandemic

June 20, 2022by Libby Mahoney in Blog, VCS Feature tagged , ,

The pandemic has wreaked havoc on most charities’ fundraising plans, and many charities were struggling to maintain stability even before this. Small charity fundraisers have told FSI they feel like they have been in firefighting mode following the pandemic. Now is the time to take a step back, review and develop your fundraising plans for the future.

Here are their tips:

1. Start by reviewing what has happened over the last 18 months.

What worked well for you? What didn’t work – and what could you learn from that, to inform your future fundraising plans? Also think about how your organisation adapted and served its community, and how you can share that with your supporters. A SWOT analysis, which looks at your fundraising strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats can help you to reflect and analyse both internal and external factors that can help or hinder your fundraising.

2. Look outside too.

What have other charities done, what interesting trends or innovations can you adapt for your own organisation? One of our members attended an FSI networking event a few years ago where she heard a speaker from Meningitis Now talking about their virtual fundraising events – something very new at the time! She came back to her charity excited about testing this with their supporters – so when lockdown came along two years later they already had a tried and tested product that continued to provide a vital source of income when all other events were on hold. Be open to new ideas and learning from others.

To read the full article click here.

Fantastic Volunteers and How to Find Them – Five Volunteer Recruitment Tips

June 20, 2022by Libby Mahoney in Blog, Did you know...?, Volunteering tagged ,

The Directory of Social Change explain how you can reach out and find fantastic volunteers throughout the year, even in a post-pandemic world?

1 – Target
A common mistake people make when recruiting volunteers is suggesting that anyone is suitable for the vacant role. This approach is often driven by a fear that nobody will come forward. It’s a technique that can work for certain positions, typically those that require no specific skills or experience, just a warm body. For roles where some kind of existing competence is required, however, we should target, target, target.

Ask these questions:

What do you want the volunteer to do? What exactly will it involve? What does the person need to know or be able to do before they start?
Who would be the ideal volunteer for this role? What skills, experience, abilities etc. do they need? For example, if you want someone to code then say that. Get as a specific as possible.
Where are you likely to find them? Given what you need, where might you find those people in your community? Again, be specific and avoid generalisations.

2 – Ask
Once you’ve got your target group identified, go and ask them! Research consistently shows that people who don’t volunteer feel like they haven’t been asked to give time. Ask, ask, ask. Keeping asking. And when you’re done, ask some more.

3- Sell
More than just asking, however, you need to sell your volunteer opportunities like a business would sell its products – focus on the benefits of someone volunteering with you, not the features. When we buy something we don’t just look at what it can do but how it will help us. For example, all kettles boil water but some do it faster than others, some have built in water filters and some work with apps etc..

It’s the same with volunteering – show people how volunteering with you will meet their needs. Don’t just tell them what they will do or how desperate you are for help. Show them how you’ll boil water in a way that is better suited to their needs than the other kettles on the market.

To read their full article click here.

If you’d like a conversation about how to get your volunteer roles listed on Let’s Go Sandwell then give Kim Fuller a call on 0121 5251127.

Ten Top Tips for Making Your Organisation Attractive to Volunteers

June 20, 2022by Libby Mahoney in Blog, Did you know...?, Volunteering tagged , ,

The Directory of Social Change want to share with you their 10 top tip for making your organsiation attractive to volunteers.

1 – Provide enjoyable volunteering
People volunteer in their discretionary leisure time. With the unrelenting pressures people feel in modern life, they want to spend their precious spare time enjoying themselves.

Making volunteering enjoyable is critical if you want to attract and keep volunteers. You see you’re not competing with other volunteer involving organisations when recruiting volunteers. You’re competing with all the leisure activities that people could spend their spare time doing – going to the cinema, having a meal with friends, watching a sports event etc..

So, make your volunteering rewarding and enjoyable. Really understand what drives your volunteers, their passions and interests. Or, in the words of a famous kids TV show from my childhood, they’ll go and do something less boring instead.

2 – Give great customer service
Do you remember the days where if you bought something mail order you usually had to wait 28 days for delivery? In today’s internet enabled age we now expect next day delivery at a minimum. Expectations have changed.

Read their full article by clicking here.

If you’ve got a volunteer opportunity you’d like to share contact Kim Fuller on 0121 525 1127 to get it listed on Let’s Go Sandwell.

Free Digital Skills Training From Home

June 16, 2022by Libby Mahoney in Blog, Training Support and Resources tagged ,

Free Digital Skills Training from the comfort of your home with the Community Foundation.

They are a grassroots not for profit organisation who support people in inner-city areas to improve their lives by helping them to change their conditions and creating opportunities for people to reach their full potential.

Community Foundation is now offering free face-face and online digital skills training. You could also get a free Tablet with free data sim card if you are eligible!

Would you like to learn how to:

  • use a computer
  • surf the internet safely or shop online
  • send & receive emails
  • use Microsoft packages
  • meet friends and family on Zoom/Teams

To register, please contact:

Community Foundation-Quayside Tower, 11th Floor, 252-260 Broad Street, Birmingham, B1 2HF

Tel: 0121 643 6490

Email: info@thecommunityfoundation.org.uk

Sandwell Achieves Another Regeneration Milestone: £19m secured for Rowley Regis Towns Fund

June 16, 2022by Libby Mahoney in Blog, News and Events tagged ,

Sandwell’s Towns Fund Programme has taken a leap forward this week, with £19m funding for five regeneration projects in Rowley Regis being approved by the government.

In 2020, Rowley Regis, Smethwick and West Bromwich were among 101 places selected by central government to bid for funding in the national Towns Fund initiative. All three bids were successful.

This week the government has approved the funding for the five individual Rowley Regis projects.

Together, the Rowley Regis Town Fund projects will deliver ambitious projects that will have a positive effect on Rowley Regis residents through improved transport links and community space, and a new skills centre. As it is a five-year programme, projects will come to life at different points during this period.

The five Rowley Regis Town Fund projects are:

• Britannia Park Greenspace and Community Hub (Sandwell Council) – improving the infrastructure, facilities and environmental quality of Britannia Park through the delivery of a new low-carbon community building. This will provide changing rooms, new allotment plots, tree planting, reconstructed skate park, new play and fitness equipment and improve the main entrance and driveway, car park and constructing footpaths within the park.

• Canal Network Connectivity (Canal & River Trust) – improving active travel connectivity within and across Rowley Regis by upgrading the Old Main Line Canal and Dudley No.2 Canal towpath surfaces, and access points onto the canal from surrounding areas.

• Rowley Regis Satellite Education Hub (Sandwell College) – a new, dedicated education and training centre in Cradley Heath, Rowley Regis, to enable the engagement of young people and adults. The Hub will work in conjunction with local community groups to provide access to social, medical and other education advice and services – providing a ‘resource centre’ with Sandwell College as the anchor institution.

• Blackheath Bus Interchange and Public Realm (Sandwell Council) – the creation of a central bus interchange around Blackheath Market Place. This will improve arrangements for pedestrians and cyclists, creating new public realm and a focal point to the town centre, adapting delivery arrangements and excluding through traffic.

• Rowley Regis Connected (Sandwell Council) – a phased set of infrastructure improvements to link transport (rail, bus) and employment hubs in Blackheath, Cradley Heath and Oldbury. Delivering new pedestrian and cycle routes including segregated cycle routes, resurfacing and widening footpaths, upgrading crossing facilities and lighting, introducing traffic calming, improving signage and road markings.

Councillor Kerrie Carmichael, Leader of Sandwell Council, said: “The council, working in partnership with Sandwell College and the Canal & River Trust, has achieved government approval for the £19 million funding for the five Towns Fund projects, which will enable us to drive the town’s economic regeneration.

“As a result, we will deliver long-term economic growth that will benefit Rowley Regis’ residents and businesses, gearing up the skills of our workforce so they can respond to changing business needs and play their part in a growing, resilient economy.”

About the other Towns Fund bids in Sandwell

Sandwell Council has worked in partnership with Sandwell and West Birmingham NHS Trust, Canal & River Trust, Greets Green Community Enterprise Centre and Sandwell College (Sandwell’s Towns Fund Partnership) to help secure £67.5 million Towns Fund investment in total for Sandwell. This is the largest amount for any local authority area under the Towns Fund programme.

To date, 13 out of 16 projects have been approved by the government, securing £46m for the benefit of Sandwell. Sandwell’s Towns Fund Partnership looks forward to receiving a response from the government on the remaining West Bromwich Town Deal projects.

 

Black Country Women’s Aid: Learning and Development Administrator

June 14, 2022by Libby Mahoney in Blog, Vacancies tagged , ,

Black Country Women’s Aid (BCWA) is an established charity working across the Black Country and wider West Midlands providing accommodation and community support services to victims of domestic abuse, sexual abuse and human trafficking. Services range from advocacy, civil remedies, support in court, individual and group support and access to a range of therapeutic interventions. All services are client and needs led.

Job Title: Learning and Development Administrator
Position available: 1 full-time position (37.5 hours per week), based in Sandwell
Salary: £20,849 – £22,099
Closing date: 4th July 2022

All interviews will be held via Microsoft Teams

Is this you?

We are looking for an organised and efficient Learning and Development Administrator to assist with the day-to-day administration within the team.

This is a great opportunity for someone who has excellent communication skills, a strong attention to detail and the ability to prioritise their workload.

The Role:

You will assist within the administration of the staff intranet, collating and inputting information into news templates, monitoring feedback surveys and reporting functionality issues to the Learning and Development Specialist. The post holder will coordinate internal and external training requests, including booking rooms or scheduling online training links, sourcing trainers and distributing training feedback forms.

Click here for Job Description.

If you are self-driven, conscientious, hardworking with lots of ambition we would love to hear from you. Click here for more information about this role.

Please contact recruitment@blackcountrywomensaid.co.uk if you are interested in applying for this position.

CVs will not be accepted.

Black Country Women’s Aid: IRIS Advocate Educator

June 14, 2022by Libby Mahoney in Blog, Vacancies tagged , ,

Black Country Women’s Aid (BCWA) is an established charity working across the Black Country and wider West Midlands providing accommodation and community support services to victims of domestic abuse, sexual abuse and human trafficking. Services range from advocacy, civil remedies, support in court, individual and group support and access to a range of therapeutic interventions. All services are client and needs led.

Job Title: IRIS Advocate Educator
Position available: 1 full-time position (37.5 hours), based across the Black Country
Salary: £25,590 – £27,671
Closing date: 04 July 2022, however, will close earlier if sufficient suitable applications are received

All interviews will be held via Microsoft Teams

Is this you?

We are looking for a confident, organised and compassionate individual be part of our IRIS service. The post holder will deliver domestic abuse training, work in partnership with health and other agency professionals and provide emotional and practical support, risk assessment and safety planning to standard and medium risk clients.

The Role:

IRIS is a specialist domestic violence and abuse (DVA) training, support and referral programme for general practices. The IRIS Advocate Educator provides in-house domestic abuse training and ongoing consultancy for general practice teams and is an advocate to whom patients can be referred for support. As an Advocate Educator, you will provide tailored practical and emotional support to clients referred by trained GP practices.

You will be part of a national network of IRIS Advocate Educators who deliver training to local GP practices to raise awareness of domestic abuse and improve early identification.

Click here for Job Description.

If you are self-driven, conscientious, hardworking with lots of ambition we would love to hear from you. Click here for more information about this role.

Please contact recruitment@blackcountrywomensaid.co.uk if you are interested in applying for this position.

CVs will not be accepted.

North Smethwick Development Trust Seeks New Trustees

June 13, 2022by Libby Mahoney in Blog, Vacancies, Volunteering tagged ,

Being part of the North Smethwick Development Trust (NSDT) is both exciting and challenging. We are looking for team players with a variety of skills who will help to drive the organisation forward from its current position to one that is stronger, more confident and with increased credibility with our members.

Are you…

  • Passionate about communities and want to make a difference?
  • Do you have experience of the issues faced by our charities caused and want to give something back?
  • A good communicator?
  • Team focused?
  • Flexible and Objective?

If, the answer is yes, then why not become a Trustee?

Our vision is:

“North Smethwick Development Trust (NSDT) will work to achieve the social, economic and environmental regeneration of North Smethwick”. We do this through our 4 ambitions:

  • Improving health and wellbeing
  • Reducing the impacts of poverty
  • Supporting our children and young people
  • Being proud of our community

If you would like to use your skills and experience to become a Trustee/Director to help us shape the activities and services for local people living in North Smethwick, we very much look forward to hearing from you. We are particularly keen to encourage people under the age of 30 to join our Board and women.

Trustees

For information regarding the role of a Trustee, please see www.charitycommission.gov.uk

We are looking for committed individuals to expand the range of Trustee skills as well as to consolidate existing skills with an eye to succession planning. We require dynamic and motivated people who are sympathetic to the aims and objectives of NSDT to fulfil these voluntary duties. Trustees contribute valuably to the Board by giving strategic direction; setting overall policy; defining goals and setting targets; evaluating performance; ensuring the charity’s effective and efficient administration and financial stability.

We want to have a wide range of people on the Board and seek to be representative of the diverse communities of North Smethwick. There is no need to have previous trustee experience to apply as training will be provided. An interest in supporting communities is necessary.

Trustees are expected to:

  • attend up to seven meetings a year including quarterly Board meetings (all currently on Thursday evenings) and an annual planning day;
  • contribute advice and support on charity and trust topic; and
  • attend events.

All travel and out of pocket expenses will be paid.

How to apply: If you would like to express your interest in this position, please do contact our CEO for more information or to receive our Trustee/Director Recruitment and information pack, available on request from our Chief Executive Officer and Company Secretary, Jennifer Harrison BEM at jennifer.harrison@nsdt.org.uk

Communities In Sync: 3 Vacancies for A New Project Supporting Parents With Learning Disabilities

June 13, 2022by Libby Mahoney in Blog, Vacancies tagged ,

Communities In Sync (CIS) is a Sandwell based consortium of frontline Health and Social Care providers. Sandwell Advocacy and Ideal For All are two CIS member organisations who are working in partnership with each other to help support Parents with Learning Disabilities.

We are looking to fill three positions which are detailed below:

Job Title: Independent Advocacy Practitioner (employed by Sandwell Advocacy)
Salary: £24,242 – £25,771 per annum – 3 Year Fixed Term Contract

This post is for an Independent Advocacy Practitioner who will provide support for adults in Sandwell who have a learning disability or autism who are subject to Children’s Social Care or Early Help intervention.

Closing date for applications: 5.00pm on Friday 1st July 2022.

Applications should be submitted on our Application Form as CV’s will not be accepted.

Completed applications should be submitted to sandwelladvocacy@btconnect.com

Interviews will be held week commencing 11th July 2022.

Further details and an application form please click on the links below:

Job Title: Engagement and Marketing Officer (employed by Sandwell Advocacy)
Salary: £19,838 – £20,639 per annum (pro-rata for 17 hours/week) – 12 month fixed term contract in the first instance

This post is for an Engagement and Marketing Officer for the project and key responsibilities include:

  • Coordinating the marketing and promotion of the project to key stakeholders, referral organisations and directly to potential beneficiaries.
  • Supporting the project team in sharing and disseminating learning about the project including attendance at partnership meetings and wider events.
  • Promoting and establishing effective referral pathways into the project.

Closing date for applications: 5.00pm on Friday 1st July 2022

Applications should be submitted on our Application Form as CV’s will not be accepted.

Completed applications should be submitted to sandwelladvocacy@btconnect.com

Interviews will be held week commencing 11th July 2022.

Further details and an application form please click on the links below:

Job Title: Independent Living Skills Officer (employed by Ideal For All)
Salary: £20,600 to £22,440 per annum (dependent on skills & experience) – 3 Year Fixed Term Contract
Hours: 37 Hours per week

This post is for an Independent Living Skills Officer:

  • Do you have a passion for working with people with learning disabilities (LD), helping them to thrive not just survive?
  • Do you have experience in helping parents with LD to navigate through challenges and to access support in their local community?
  • Can you work to tight deadlines and support people proactively?

Please visit the Ideal for All vacancies page for further details by clicking here.

 

Further Early Help Town Events Dates Arranged

June 10, 2022by Mazeline Hemmings in Blog, SCVO News tagged ,

Working or volunteering with children, young people and families in Sandwell? If so, we would like to invite you to our upcoming Early Help Partnership Town Events.

  • Thursday 7 July, 1.00 pm – 2.30 pm.   Tipton Children’s Centre: 24 Ridgeway Road, Glebefields, Tipton DY4 0TB
  • Thursday 22 September, 10.00 am – 11.30 am.  Rowley Children’s Centre: Dudley Road, Rowley Regis B65 8JY
  • Tuesday 11 October, 2.00 pm – 3.30 pm.  Priory Family Centre: Dorsett Rd, Wednesbury WS10 0JG

A great job has been done by all in supporting children and families across the borough, rising to challenges, and being committed to ensuring the needs of children, young people and families are being met as best as possible.

There have been lots of challenges and changes to organisations, groups, and activities over the last couple of years and our events will give you the opportunity to network and link in with local partners; sharing what your offer of support looks like and helping to increase awareness of local activities.  We will also discuss any challenges you face in your role and how we as a Partnership can support one another going forward.

We will be joined by guest speakers from Barnardo’s and the Strengthening Families Teams (Sandwell Children’s Trust) who will share information about their offer of support to children and families and how they can support you in your daily roles.

Booking is essential as numbers are limited.  Click on links below to register.

Tipton Event

Rowley Regis Event

Wednesbury Event

For further information, please call Angel on 07587 136072 or email angel@scvo.info

 

 

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