There is still time to share our job advert. Please encourage people in your networks to apply for the role of Information and Administration Assistant. The closing date is 12 noon on Monday 19 September 2022.

This is a full-time (35 hours per week) role, offering flexible working arrangements. The postholder can be home-based or office-based, or take a hybrid approach.

We are looking for an organised and skilled person to help us achieve a high level of customer service. If you are keen to understand the operations of a busy charity and you recognise how organised systems help to build relationships and improve efficiency, this role is for you.

We look forward to welcoming a new member of the NCVS team.

This week, national charities have urged the incoming prime minister, Liz Truss, to work with the sector to support communities during the cost of living crisis. The new government must take immediate action and ensure that business support is available to voluntary and community organisations as early as possible.

Charities have joined forces to urge the government to act, using the hashtag #FixThisCrisis. You can see more about this campaign on the Turn2Us website where there is a link to a petition, pushing the new Prime Minister to protect vulnerable households.

Fifty sector infrastructure organisations have signed a joint statement (you can read it on the ACEVO website) calling on government to urgently deliver meaningful financial support to those in greatest need, directly to households and through the benefits systems that already exist to provide that support.

They also call on government to provide targeted financial support for those charities and voluntary organisations that are on the frontline of supporting people through this crisis, and to ensure that charities, voluntary and community organisations are included in any plans to provide support to businesses.

You can find other information from across the sector about the cost of living crisis at https://www.acevo.org.uk/resources/cost-of-living/

NCVS wants to hear the experiences of local organisations so that we can particularly evidence the impact of the crisis locally. Thank you if you have already answered our short survey. We are inviting anonymous responses from Nottingham groups and organisations which rent or own premises and may be experiencing large increases in energy bills.

Our survey will remain open until Friday 30 September 2022.

Just a reminder that the deadline for applications for the final three thematic themes is 12noon on Thursday 15 September 2022.

The final three themes launched via the Nottinghamshire Police and Crime Commissioner's (PCC) Make Notts Safe multi-year thematic grants are:

• Hate crime
• Rural crime
• Community crime.

Third sector organisations and charities are now being invited to apply for a share of £100,000 that is available for each of the three priorities. Organisations can apply for multi-year funding with all funding having to be spent by March 2025 at the latest.

Please read the guidance documents carefully.

Phase 1 of this funding is open for applications until Friday 16 September 2022

In response to the cost-of-living crisis, Independent Age is looking to provide 25 grants of £40,000 (£1million total) to charities and community organisations to get more money into the pockets of older people and help ensure they do not have to choose between buying food to eat and heating their home this winter. Projects must be in addition to or an extension of existing work.

Grants are available to registered and exempt charities, CIOs and CICs, with annual turnovers exceeding £100,000, or partnerships/collaboratives where the lead body meets these criteria.

The Aviva Community Fund has recognised that the rising cost of living is putting extra strain on individuals, communities and the causes that support them. Its Cost of Living Boost programme is a temporary change providing up to £50,000 in match-funding to charities helping people who are struggling financially.

The programme has no closing date for applications but organisations can begin receiving match-funding from Tuesday 4 October 2022, so it is worth acting quickly if you are eligible.

Projects aligned with the Financial Wellbeing funding area will receive match funding from Aviva. These are projects defined as “Helping people take control of their wellbeing by giving them the tools to be more financially independent and ready for anything."

Donations will be matched pound for pound (up to a maximum of £250 per donation) between 4 October and 31 December 2022, or until the entire £2million is allocated.

Organisations with core missions aligned to the Financial Wellbeing funding area can also apply to cover their usual operational costs.

Applications are now open for the 'Explore phase' until 12noon on Tuesday 27 September 2022

The Heritage Innovation Fund is a pilot initiative for experimenters, collaborators and learners from across all parts of heritage, across the UK.

Grants of up to £25,000 are available to cover your time and exploration activities for six months. They want to hear from organisations that are committed to the innovation process, prepared to learn and experiment and willing to share their failures as well as their successes.

The pilot is open to not-for-profit and public sector organisations, local authorities, as well as private owners of heritage.

The next closing date is Friday 7 October 2022, then every two months

The Boots Charitable Trust is an independent registered charity wholly funded by Boots UK. They fund registered charities and smaller voluntary organisations benefiting people who live in Nottinghamshire.

The Trust's four priorities are:

• Health – Community healthcare or health education and prevention
• Lifelong Learning – Helping people to achieve their educational potential
• Community development – Help for groups to organise and respond to problems and needs of communities or networks
• Social care – Social preventative schemes or community social activities.

Grants must be for projects of no longer than one year and can range from £100 to £10,000.

Green social prescribing is a way of connecting people to nature-based activities and green groups, projects and schemes in their local community for support with health and wellbeing. Often this will be through a referral from a Link Worker based at a GP practice or another primary care professional.

Our scheme in Nottingham and Nottinghamshire, called GreenSpace, is one of seven government Green Social Prescribing Test and Learn sites. It's all about improving people’s mental health. Green providers, social prescribers, voluntary organisations and community initiatives will help connect many more people with nature-based activities, helping everyone to feel better.

Wednesday 12 October 2022, online via Zoom

This event is being held as part of Nottingham's Mental Health Awareness Weeks.
The conference is free and will provide an overview of green social prescribing and the GreenSpace project, news from Social Prescribing Link Workers and providers across the city and county, and updates about the big projects across borders in Nottinghamshire.

There are two sessions available. The afternoon session will be a repeat of the morning session, so you don't need to attend both.

Register for the morning session (9.30am to 12.30pm).

Register for the afternoon session (1pm to 4pm).

You can view the latest GreenSpace bulletin in your web browser now. If you would like to receive future issues of this monthly bulletin directly to your inbox, please email greenspace@nottinghamcvs.co.uk with a request to be added to the mailing list.

VoiceChoice Ltd, a Nottingham-based community arts organisation, is running free weekly singing workshops for vulnerable members of the community, designed to help participants gain confidence through singing and acting.

No previous experience is necessary – just the desire to have a go.

The workshops will run most Wednesdays from 4pm to 6pm at Emmanuel House Support Centre, 53 - 61 Goose Gate, Nottingham NG1 1FE, starting on 7 September 2022.

The workshops will be in blocks of seven sessions. You can join in at any time. There's no need to book but it's advisable to check dates with Tim at VoiceChoice on 07824 041285.

Thursday 22 September 2022, 9.30am to 3.30pm
Institute of Mental Health (rooms A06, A07, A08), Triumph Road, Nottingham NG7 2TU

The event is free for people affected by dementia. A donation of £10 is requested for each professional attending to cover some costs. A light lunch and refreshments will be provided.

Trent Dementia works with people affected by dementia to plan and deliver events and activities. This event is to discuss what has been learned so far and think about next steps.

Members of the craft group started during the pandemic will demonstrate their activities. You can learn about Timeslips, a creative storytelling method being used with people living with dementia. Trent Dementia will also share the results of recent and current research involving people affected by dementia.

Wednesday 12 October 2022, 1pm to 3.15pm

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

Cost: £25 per participant

Tuesday 18 October 2022, 10.30am to 12.45pm

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.

Cost: £25 per participant

Wednesday 23 November 2022, 1pm to 3.15pm

An online course giving a basic understanding of the roles and responsibilities of the Designated Safeguarding Lead Person.

Cost: £25 per participant

Wednesday 9 November 2022, 10.30am to 11.45am

An interactive online session for Trustees (or members of Management Committees) of organisations whose activities put them in contact with vulnerable adults or children.

Cost: £15 per participant

Wednesday 25 January 2023, 10.30am to 12.30pm

This two-hour online session covers the basic information for all trustees, whether you are new to the role or long-established.

Cost: £20 per participant

Wednesday 26 October 2022, 10am to 12.15pm

A new interactive hands-on workshop for organisations and community groups who want to practice their skills and would welcome constructive feedback to further develop their skills in writing successful funding applications.
Cost: £20 per participant

Tuesday 11 October 2022, 10.30am to 12.30pm

Do you manage a space, office or building? This new two-hour online session will take your Fire Wardens and/or Fire Marshal through the basics. As a result, they will be better equipped to carry out these very important roles.

Cost: £20 per participant

Wednesday 18 January 2023, 10.30am to 12.30pm

This two-hour online session is intended for trustees who have completed our 'Being a Trustee' course, who want to further develop their involvement and awareness of trustee duties and improve their personal skill set.

Cost: £20 per participant

Wednesday 14 September 2022, 6pm to 8pm

Are you acting as secretary or note taker, or do you need to record meetings? Learn how to take effective minutes and make your task easier. This two-hour online session replaces our previous face-to-face three-hour course and will take you through the process of producing a 'minute'.

Cost: £20 per participant

Tuesday 11 October 2022, 6pm to 8pm

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.

Cost: £20 per participant

Wednesday 21 September 2022, 10am to 11.15am

For organisations and community groups who are new to applying for funding, or for those in need of a refresher. Relevant for groups applying for COVID-19 funding and recovery support as well as other general funding.

Cost: £10 per participant

Thursday 13 October 2022, 6pm to 7pm

In this one-hour online session, we will identify some of the barriers that potential volunteers face to becoming involved in your organisation and share ideas to remove these barriers.

Cost: £10 per participant

Tuesday 15 November 2022, 10am to 11am

This one-hour online session aims to share some ideas about how best to deal with the inevitable disagreements, personality clashes and conflicts that arise from time to time among a team of volunteers.

Cost: £10 per participant

Wednesday 5 October 2022, 10am to 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.

Cost: £10 per participant

Wednesday 8 February 2023, 10am to 12 noon

For some time, we’ve been asked about training that goes beyond the basics of managing and supporting volunteers. In this new two-hour online session, we’ll explore some of the real-life issues that you are facing.

Cost: £20 per participant

Thursday 24 November 2022, 10am to 12pm

A two-hour online course for Leaders of Volunteers to start to develop an understanding of some of the legal requirements that relate to your volunteering programme.

Cost: £20 per participant

Thursday 26 January 2023, 6pm to 7pm

A one-hour online session to help your volunteer role descriptions stand out, ensuring you attract enthusiastic volunteers.

Cost: £10 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 for more information: enquiries@pdunottingham.org

Join our free online hub www.pdunottingham.org

Follow us on Twitter @NottinghamCVS #PDUNottingham.

Look out for new PDU events coming soon.

Thanks to National Lottery funding, Communities Inc can now offer their most popular flagship training, for free, to all Nottingham City organisations, groups, and individuals.

If you are able to get a group of 8 - 25 workers, volunteers, or service-users together, Communities Inc can come to your premises and deliver the training. If you don't have a suitable venue, they may be able to help you find one and contribute towards the costs. Training sessions last 2.5 to 3 hours.

This training helps you to build the knowledge and skills to help others in your neighbourhood or workplace when they are targeted by hateful behaviour.

Stand by Me sessions empower people to assist victims of bullying, harassment or hate through safe bystander intervention.

Stand by Her sessions address misogyny in the earliest stages, empowering men to become allies to women and challenge harmful behaviour they see in their environment.

Contact training@communitiesinc.org.uk to find out more.

The risks of carbon monoxide poisoning increase as we move towards autumn and winter. The Gas Safe Charity continues to offer more of their popular and free carbon monoxide awareness workshops.

Aimed at front line staff and volunteers, they help people who work in the homes of vulnerable people to be more aware of the risks and to help prevent poisoning taking place. The online (via Zoom) interactive workshop lasts an hour.

There are multiple dates during September, October and November.

Places are still available on the following sessions, which are free for Nottingham City workers.

Improving skills for supporting survivors
Monday 12 September 2022, 1.30pm to 5pm
Online session
This training session will explore additional skills for supporting survivors of domestic abuse including space for action, considerations for language use in reports and needs identification.
Register via Eventbrite

Domestic abuse and technology
Tuesday 13 September 2022, 1pm to 3.30pm
Online session
Equation’s newest training session focusing on the use of technology as part of domestic abuse. This briefing will look at what is technology facilitated abuse and how it has advanced in the past decades from the use of smart phones to the use of IoT/smart devices such as Google, Alexa, video doorbells, spyware technology and other gadgets and apps.
Register via Eventbrite

Additional risk considerations for LGBT+ people experiencing domestic abuse
Tuesday 27 September 2022, 9.30am to 12noon
Online session
It is recommended practice for Nottingham City practitioners to utilise additional risk considerations when risk assessing LGBT+ survivors.
Register via Eventbrite

Sherwood Community Centre has two office spaces available for rent. Both rooms are on the first floor (no lift), overlooking the garden. They can be rented separately or together as there is an interconnecting door.

Room 8 is partially furnished and measures 201.49 square feet (18.72 square metres).
Rental cost: £3,127.77 per annum.

Room 7 is partially furnished and measures 210.8 square feet (19.58 square metres).
Rental cost: £3,272.29 per annum.

To make an enquiry, please email sherwoodcommunitycentre@hotmail.com or call 0115 962 1153.

Sherwood Community Centre is located at Woodthorpe House, Mansfield Road, Nottingham NG5 3FN.

Earlier this year, POhWER launched a public petition to raise concerns about the proposed scrapping of the Human Rights Act, and the proposed introduction of the Bill of Rights.

The Human Rights Act commits public authorities to comply with the European Convention of Human Rights in their policies, procedures and decision making. Independent Advocates working across hundreds of charities see the positive impact that the Human Rights Act has had on the people they support each year.

If you are an advocate, community organiser, campaigner, charity or any other organisation impacted by proposed changes to the Human Rights Act who would like be added to the mailing list for future activity or for other queries relating to this petition, please contact POhWER Chief Executive, Helen Moulinos at helen.moulinos@pohwer.net.

This is an in-person consultation event taking place on Wednesday 14 September 2022 from 9.30am to 2pm at University of Nottingham, University Park, Nottingham. There will be no availability to join this event online.

The event has been organised by Nottingham City Council and the University of Nottingham. It will focus on whether housing in Nottingham is meeting the needs of our diverse ethnic minority communities.

The event welcomes individuals and community leaders from any ethnic minority community within Nottingham to hear diverse perspectives on what works well with housing, the challenges faced and discuss opportunities for innovation and change.

Your feedback and comments will help to increase understanding of the challenges faced by ethnic minority communities in Nottingham and help develop the city’s next Housing Strategy, which sets the vision for housing in the city, across all tenures.

Your input will also assist in identifying and prioritising interventions that can support the delivery of meaningful change, in partnership with key stakeholders and communities.

Register using the link below. Email housing.network@nottinghamcity.gov.uk if you require more information.

Local mental health leads would like to understand the current experiences and feedback of people with lived experience, carers, and professionals, with regards to accessing information on adult mental health services in Nottingham and Nottinghamshire.

The NottAlone website has already been launched for young people, providing the relevant information and signposting for this age group. They are now looking to expand the site, so that people of all ages can see the mental health services available across Nottingham and Nottinghamshire, in one place, and identify whether other avenues for providing this information may also need to be considered.

There are a number of ways to give your feedback, in a safe way:

• Participate in an online survey here or request a hard copy to complete at your leisure.
• Share your views by phone.
• Express your interest in joining a virtual focus group.
• Request the Engagement Team attend one of your community group meetings.
• Express your interest in joining a coproduction group to support this work on a more ongoing basis.

To get involved, please contact the Nottingham & Nottinghamshire Integrated Care Board (ICB) Engagement Team via nnicb-nn.engagement@nhs.net or call or text 07818 580719.

This engagement initiative must be completed by Friday 21 October 2022.

Nottingham City Council is seeking your views on its Community Assets Policy which is currently in draft form.

There are a number of definitions to community assets but in the context of the city council they are:

"land and buildings owned or used by the council or leased or managed by community organisations for the benefit of residents and communities and include community centres, sports facilities, recreational facilities and other buildings."

In many cases, the voluntary sector is best placed to host community facilities as their management and use can be more responsive to the needs and opportunities of communities. Assets held in this way can also play an important role in supporting and sustaining the third sector with facilities being managed by the people who regularly use them.

Download and view the draft policy (clicking the link will automatically download a Word document).

Respond to the survey here.