We have spaces available on two of our brand new courses, running this month.

Mental Health Aware - Mon 19 July, 11am-3.30pm, £40 per participant

Delivered by registered Mental Health First Aid England (MHFA) Instructor Claire Henson, this introductory course will raise awareness of mental health issues and give initial guidance on how to support people who may be experiencing mental ill health. The course is an excellent starting point for anyone who is working in the field of mental health or for an organisation that wants to raise staff and volunteer awareness of mental health issues. Book your place here.

Trustee Refresher Course - Wed 21 July, 5.30pm-7.30pm, £20 per participant

This two-hour online course, delivered by our expert Trainer David Saunders, will help you to further develop your involvement and awareness of trustee duties, so that you can better support your organisation. This session is suitable for trustees (Board Members / Committee Members) of voluntary and community sector organisations as well as directors of Community Interest Companies (CICs), Charitable Incorporated Organisations (CIOs) and social enterprises. Book your place here.

SFiCE Foundation is looking for a new base in Nottingham City to work from, with week-round use required.

The non-profit currently operates from Hill View Community Centre in St Ann's. Ideally, the charity would like to stay in the NG3 area of Nottingham. 

The charity works to support vulnerable adults and families in the city by distributing thousands of free meals through their Social Cafe and Homeless Outreach service. SFiCE also run's free ESOL classes, teaches people how to 'Cook on a Budget', runs a telephone support line service and much more. You can find out more about the charity by visiting their website.

If you know of any suitable buildings in Nottingham that have space to accommodate the charity's needs, please get in touch with Parisa Eliyon, Projects Coordinator, by emailing parisa@sfice.org.

The British Red Cross Mobility Aids Service in Nottingham has extended its opening hours. The service is now open from 10am to 1pm, Monday to Friday.

If you or someone you know would like to reserve a wheelchair or commode, you can call 0115 852 8029 during these hours or 0300 456 1914 (Option 5 if prompted) during normal office hours. More information about hiring a wheelchair from the British Red Cross can be found on this web page.

The service is located at British Red Cross, Humanity House, Colliers Way, Phoenix Park, Nottingham, NG8 6AT.

Round 2 of The Local Connections Fund is now open.

The fund, launched this year, helps charities and community groups in England that are working to reduce loneliness by helping them build connections across their communities.

The National Lottery Community Fund, the largest funder of community activity in the UK, is investing £2 million into this second round of funding. This will be used to fund hundreds of ‘microgrants’ between £300 and £2,500, so small, local organisations (with an annual income of £50,000 or less) can bring people and communities together.

The application deadline for Round 2 is 5pm on Friday 6 August 2021.

The closing date for this fund has been extended until midnight on Sunday 11 July 2021.

Grants of £1,000 will be awarded to 15 successful groups in the East Midlands through the Patient and Public Involvement Fund from East Midlands Academic Health Science Network (EMAHSN).

The funding is aimed at health, social care, voluntary and third-sector organisations and groups who involve patients and citizens in research and healthcare.

Organisations based in the East Midlands have until 5pm on Wednesday 21 July (2021) to apply for a Digital Development Grant of up to £4,000 to connect children and young people with arts and culture.

The Mighty Creatives (TMC) are part of a national network of 10 Bridge organisations funded by Arts Council England to use their experience and expertise to connect children and young people, schools and communities with arts and culture.

One of the most important questions that I ask people who tell me that they want to volunteer is “what do you want to get from your volunteering?” The answer to this question can go a very long way to helping them to choose the opportunity that best suits them from the ones on offer on our 'Search for Opportunities' page.

As Leaders of Volunteers, we know what we would like volunteers to do for us and our organisation. We create our roles to meet those needs, but very often we struggle to identify what the volunteer will get from volunteering. Very often we write, “experience” or “meeting people” or “new skills”. 

Share your experience, give and receive advice and network with people who understand volunteers and volunteering. Nottingham’s Leaders of Volunteers Network (LoVN) is the meeting place for anyone with an interest in volunteering.

Join us on Wednesday 4 August, from 10am-12pm, for our free, online LoVN meeting where we can do all this, and also:

• Catch up on the latest news from NCVS and the wider volunteering world.
  
  
• Find out how you can shape resources to help the Leaders of Volunteers of today and tomorrow.
  
  
• Have your say about how government and national organisations want to re-shape volunteering.

Please register, by clicking on the button below, to ensure you are sent instructions about how to join the session on Zoom.

If you have any questions about the network or this event, please contact Dave Thomas at davet@nottinghamcvs.co.uk.

Tuesday 6 July 2021, 10.30am-1.45pm

An online course giving a basic understanding of roles and responsibilities in the safeguarding of adults and how to respond to concerns. 

This interactive course is delivered over one session, but divided into two parts, allowing for a 45 minute break and reflection between part one (10.30am-11.45am) and part two (12.30pm-1.45pm). You are required to complete both parts.

Cost: £25 per participant

Wednesday 21 July 2021, 10.30am-1.45pm

An online course giving a basic understanding of roles and responsibilities in the safeguarding of children and young people and how to respond to concerns. 

This interactive course is delivered over one session, but divided into two parts, allowing for a 45 minute break and reflection between part one (10.30am-11.45am) and part two (12.30pm-1.45pm). You are required to complete both parts.

Cost: £25 per participant

Wednesday 7 July 2021, 10am-11am

This one-hour online session looks at methods that have proved to be effective in volunteer leadership, including the best ways to plan, involve, support and retain volunteers.

This session will be helpful for those who are new to working with volunteers or those who want to improve or gain new ideas for their group's volunteer management processes, making it a useful refresher for more experienced leaders.

Cost: £10 per participant

Wednesday 28 July 2021, 10am-11am

From a language barrier, time commitments and transport through to disability, mental health and age, this session helps to spot the things that prevent volunteers joining us. Together, we will look at ways to overcome those barriers and give the volunteer and the organisation a rewarding, fulfilling and effective volunteering experience.

Cost: £10 per participant

Tuesday 27 July 2021, 10.30am-12.30pm

This new two-hour online session will explain the basics of health and safety, then take you through the process of carrying out a risk assessment in an organisational environment.

This session is suitable for trustees, staff, volunteers, and in fact anyone wanting to develop a basic understanding of health and safety, including risk assessments.

Cost: £20 per participant

The PDU aims to promote and facilitate collaborative learning and the sharing of good practice among professionals and volunteers from all sectors, in Nottingham and neighbouring areas, who work with people experiencing multiple disadvantage (understood as a combination of mental ill-health, substance misuse, homelessness, offending and domestic abuse, among other issues).

Contact our coordinator Filipa Santos for more information by sending an email to enquiries@pdunottingham.org or calling 0115 934 8428 or 07483 354 441.

Join our free online hub www.pdunottingham.org

Follow us on Twitter @NottinghamCVS #PDUNottingham.

The PDU offers a unique opportunity for voluntary and statutory sector workers who support people experiencing multiple disadvantage across Nottingham and neighbouring areas, to connect, learn collaboratively and share good practice and expertise.

By participating in our events, you will have the chance to develop your knowledge and skills and extend your professional network by making links with other local organisations.

Attendance to PDU events is free of charge, but advance booking is essential. Follow the relevant links below to register your place at our upcoming events.

Please note that it is PDU policy that people with lived experience are invited to participate in our events.

Thursday 29 July 2021, 2pm-3pm

Online via Zoom

Join us for a free introductory online briefing exploring the new Domestic Abuse Act, which was signed into law on the 29 April (2021), providing protections to survivors of domestic abuse and strengthening measures to tackle perpetrators.

Delivered by Equation, this briefing will give an overview of some of the key components of the Act and provide an opportunity to start thinking about how it might impact on work, practice and survivors.

Audience: This online briefing is aimed at professionals and volunteers from all sectors who work with people who are survivors of domestic abuse.

A new LGBT+ community choir has set up in Nottingham and is looking for members to join.

Singing Proud Nottingham is open to everyone who identifies as LGBT+ and lives or works in Nottingham or Nottinghamshire. No previous singing experience is required. 

People from all parts of the voluntary and community sector are being encouraged to come together and develop a new long-term Vision for Volunteering.

Lead by voluntary sector infrastructure organisations NCVO, NAVCA, AVM and Volunteering Matters, the intention of the campaign is to fully integrate volunteering into post-Covid recovery, harnessing the skills, experience, and enthusiasm of volunteers. This work sits alongside, and aligns with, the work announced recently by the Shaping the Future with Volunteering group.

You can find out more about the campaign, sign up to receive updates and get involved by visiting the dedicated Vision for Volunteering website.

Vanclaron CIC, has launched a survey to review and assess the mental health support it's currently providing to vulnerable individuals in Nottingham.

The social enteprise works to empower individuals and communities in Nottingham to make positive choices about their lifestyles to improve their mental and physical health and self-esteem.

Endangered animal charity The Frozen Ark, based at The University of Nottingham, is collecting information to help it design a new Citizen Science project.

Citizen Science is scientific research, conducted using public participation. Well-known examples include the RSPB Big Garden Birdwatch and the Great British Beach Clean.

The PAW toolkit (Pain at Work) is an online digital toolkit created by the University of Nottingham in collaboration with Registered Charity Burning Nights to provide supportive information, advice and guidance for people at work who have chronic or persistent pain.

The toolkit has been created from design stage to evaluation in consultation with a wide range of people who have chronic or persistent pain and professionals working across different sectors (including readers of the NCVS e-bulletin).