NCVS is at the heart of Nottingham’s voluntary sector, and prides itself on keeping the voluntary sector connected to issues affecting it.

NCVS is currently leading the GreenSpace Green Social Prescribing Test and Learn Programme in Nottingham and Nottinghamshire. We are seeking an experienced project manager to explore the learning from the GreenSpace programme, creating opportunities to embed the learning into broader social prescribing activity across the Nottingham and Nottinghamshire Integrated Care System (ICS).

This work will support the ICS to deliver its Personalised Care vision to maximise independence, choice, control, good health, and wellbeing throughout people’s lives, focusing on ‘what matters to them’.

Fixed term post for 2 years

Hours 35 hours (fulltime) or 28 hours per week

Salary : £32,000 per annum pro rata

Location : hybrid working-home based and NCVS office at Loxley House NG2 3NG

Closing date: 12pm Tuesday 8 November 2022

For an informal conversation about this post please contact Maria Willis by email maria.willis1@nhs.net or call 07824 012085

Thank you to those who completed our Survey for Local Groups – Financial Crisis and Energy Costs. You have helped to gather compelling evidence which we have shared with our national representative organisations in order to lobby government for more action. A joint statement was released to ask government for immediate financial support to help communities which you can find here.

Headlines from the local survey:

• 87% of respondents report increased energy costs of over 50%, with 33% seeing over 150% rise and at least one organisation experiencing a rise in excess of 400%
• 93% of respondents report this has caused a significant increase in operating costs, which they are not able to recover through new funding streams or by increasing their prices
• 87% of respondents are using reserves to cover costs and for some the increase is having an impact on service delivery

The government’s announcement of energy relief for small business (including charities) is welcome but may not be enough. Without significant, sustained relief, several of our respondents may face closure of their organisations.

On top of increased costs most of you are likely also experiencing increased demand for your services as the cost of living crisis impacts unprecedented numbers of people. There are a number of resources and ways you can get involved. There is a fortnightly cost of living crisis catch up session with the Financial Resilience Partnership, see news item below. 

Please find resources available to help you support people with the cost of living crisis on the Ask Lion money page

You can continue to contribute evidence to a national survey. The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy in the UK government is running a survey on the impact of the cost of energy bills on businesses and organisations. If you would like to contribute on behalf of your charity or voluntary organisation, please complete the UK Government survey by the deadline of Sunday 30 October 2022.

if you would like to share any particular challenges your organisation is facing, please email Jules Sebelin NCVS Chief Executive juless@nottinghamcvs.co.uk 

This is a fortnightly, short get-together, for networking and sharing around what is happening on the ground from the cost of living crisis organised by Emma Bates, lead for Nottingham Financial Resilience Partnership

This networking opportunity, for hearing and gathering what is actually unfolding on the ground/ in experience, is to help ensure we can all respond to the crisis as well as possible within the city.

There is no expectation of attending - it is there as an opportunity due to the fast moving situation.

It does not replace existing meetings such as the NFRP main meeting, or any of it's sub groups. It is for more immediate front line, on the ground issues from this crisis only and listening - as relevant, any issues will be fed in to NFRP/ it's sub-groups.

The dates are fortnightly on a Friday, next one 21 October 2022 up till Christmas and then it will be reviewed. Emma Bates will be logged in every fortnight at 10am. She will log out by 11am.

17-21 October 2022

Every charity, NGO and not-for-profit is susceptible to fraud and cybercrime by criminals exploiting the current global crisis.

Charities need to be aware of the risks and take steps to keep their money, people and data safe.

Wednesday 16 November 2022 from 1pm to 2.30pm

Online via Zoom

Join us via Zoom to meet Gary Beharrell, Lloyds Bank Foundation Regional Manager, and Sue Heyes, Severn Trent Community Fund Officer. Find out how to apply and have your questions answered. 

NCVS is hosting this 'Meet the Funder' event to help you gain an insight into Lloyds Bank Foundation's new funding strategy (2022-2026) and recent changes to Severn Trent Community Fund.

This session will help you assess if Lloyds Bank Foundation for England and Wales (LBFEW) or Severn Trent Community Fund could support your group / organisation, and how to apply. Join Gary, Sue and Pauline Dorey (NCVS Group Development Officer) to learn how to make the best of these funding opportunities and have your questions answered.

Information about Lloyds Bank Foundation's new strategy is at https://www.lloydsbankfoundation.org.uk/about-us/our-strategy.

More details about Severn Trent Community Fund and what has been supported so far is at https://www.stwater.co.uk/about-us/severn-trent-community-fund/.

Non-profit groups across England will be able to apply for the second round of Comic Relief’s Community Fund administered by Groundwork when it opens on Monday 31 October 2022. Funding is intended to support community-led organisations to deliver change by drawing on the 'lived experiences' of people who have experienced the issues being tackled.

Groundwork are pleased to be managing this new fund on behalf of Comic Relief in England. It will provide grants of up to £10,000, supporting project delivery and organisational capacity building, helping organisations flourish.

The funding is split as follows:

Up to £1,000 for capacity building
Up to £9,000 for project delivery
They will fund applications from grass roots, community led organisations that can demonstrate how people with lived experience of the issues being tackled are involved in the organisation and the project.

Applications must sit within one of the four key themes:

• A Safe Place To Be: Supporting people to rebuild their lives because of homelessness or forced migration.
• Children Survive & Thrive:  Supporting children up to the age of 11 to grow, play and learn
• Gender Justice: Championing those who identify as women and girls, including initiatives tackling domestic violence, abuse or exploitation
• Mental Health Matters: Supporting good mental health in communities and tackling stigma and discrimination.

Funding to address systemic inequity whilst building the power and capacity of people and organisations

Online Information Sessions

31 October, 2.00pm-3.00pm Children and young people’s rights

3 November, 11.00am-12.30pm Racial, Gender and Migrant justice

Localgiving has teamed up with National Grid Electricity Distribution to tackle fuel poverty this winter and they are distributing grants of up to £10,000 to non-profits and local authorities who are working on this theme. There is £2.5million worth of grants available until 31 October 2022 and the application process is very simple.

 Eligibility

• Must be in a National Grid Electricity Distribution area - check here
• Must have a bank account in organisation's name with 2 signatories
• Must have a governing document/constitution
• Can apply for up to £10,000 or 50% of most recent annual income.

 If any organisations have specific questions about a potential project, they are welcome to email amy.kordiak@localgiving.org 

Grants of £500 for small charities and community groups thanks to the players of People's Postcode Lottery. Funding can go towards a variety of projects, including those improving mental wellbeing, and supporting marginalised groups and promoting equality. The application process is administered entirely by Localgiving. For all enquiries, please contact Localgiving via email help@localgiving.org

Deadline Monday 31 October 2022

There are just three weeks left to apply for a grant of up to £7,000 which supports  campaigning and influencing work that enables women and girls to use their voice to achieve change. With the rising cost of living and global pandemic worsening inequalities and threatening to push back women’s and girls’ rights, collective action is needed more than ever.

Closing date 4pm Thursday 3 November 2022 

One-year grants of up to £7,000 are available

 Here are some examples of the type of campaigning and advocacy work they will fund:

• Campaigning for changes in policy and laws
• Influencing community leaders about issues that affect women and girls
• Training women on how to participate in public life and influence social policy
• Hosting workshops, events, and conferences that influence wider society
• Video and media campaigns about specific issues facing women

To apply, please complete the short online application form and send them a three-minute video to grants@rosauk.org via WeTransfer outlining how you will use the funding.

They will be hosting a How to Apply webinar on Tuesday 25 October 2022 to help applicants develop their video applications.

It’s just over a year since NCVS started offering face to face drop-in sessions in a couple of libraries; Bulwell and St Anns. These Volunteer Local events have proved popular with potential volunteers wanting to find out more about your volunteer opportunities. However, in addition, we have been very pleased to welcome drop-ins from community groups and volunteer-involving organisations.

While we can’t claim to have the answers to every possible question at our fingertips, we will always be able to find information – or find the right person to answer it. So we’d like to invite you to come along to one of our sessions with your questions about any aspect of volunteer recruitment, support or problem solving – as well as your questions about any aspect of running a group.

After a couple of years of everything being online, it’s really refreshing to have a face to face conversation again.

You’ll find us at Bulwell Library on Friday morning between 10 am and 1 pm and at St Anns Library on Wednesday afternoon from 1:30 – 4:00pm. At present, both these sessions take place every week. You don’t need to book a slot, but you’re welcome to give us a call to let us know you’re coming.

For the future, we are planning to offer a session in Hyson Green as well as investigating whether to continue with the two libraries or whether an alternative venue in Bulwell or St Anns may be better for both groups and potential volunteers.

For more details, talk to Dave Thomas, Volunteering Development Officer,

07564 040767

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.

Closing date 5pm Friday 11 November 2022

Notts Youth Trends, in partnership with our GreenSpace project, has launched a new survey to find out what 11-18 year olds across Nottinghamshire think about outdoor activities, and the benefits these activities might have on their lives now and in the future.

Since 2018, Notts Youth Trends, a project led by Hockley-based independent theatre, creative venue and arts charity, Nonsuch Studios, has been the largest youth-voice survey across the county and has led to amazing change.

Hidden Figures is a new project from Nottingham-based education charity Ignite! that will bring together women who have a background in science (whether that's maths or microbiology, nutrition or neuroscience, psychology or pharmacy or anything else science-related) but are not currently working for reasons including; family/caring commitments and work/immigration status and any other barriers that prevent them practising in their field.

Free

Every Thursday from 3 November 2022 to 26 January 2023 
10am
Venue: City Arts, 11-13 Hockley, Nottingham NG1 1FH

The purpose of the event is:

• To bring the community, policing, youth, community and statutory organisations together to highlight the good work that is being done in Nottinghamshire to fight knife crime and serious youth violence
• To highlight the devastating impact serious youth violence has on young people, their families and the wider community
• Come together to find more solutions and give young people a platform to discuss their concerns

There will be a live DJ, food, stalls, activities, speeches and performances

Saturday 19 November 2022

Location: Park Vale Academy (Top Valley Drive, Nottingham, NG5 9AZ)

Please contact Romel Davis CiPD Youth Outreach Worker if you want to be involved in the event in some way or you know young people who want to perform or have their voice heard.

Following the Violence Reduction Unit's and Police and Crime Commissioner's Request for Information in relation to Detached Youth Intervention they would like to offer prospective providers the opportunity to attend a market engagement event, taking place at 2pm Wednesday 2 November 2022 in Nottingham. BlueLight Commercial is currently supporting the Nottinghamshire Police and Crime Commissioner in this work.

The event will provide an opportunity to give further feedback on the specification and process and also to seek clarification on the requirements and the support offer for writing and submitting bids from Go4Growth.

If you wish to attend, please email andy.brown@bluelight.police.uk to confirm attendance, who will be able to provide you with the location in Nottingham. Spaces will be limited to 2 people per organisation.

Attendance must be confirmed by 5pm Monday 31 October 2022

Free online awareness session with multiple dates available during October and November 2022

This half-hour briefing will provide an overview of the Healthy Start Scheme and the transition to the digital scheme. The purpose of the session is to raise awareness and increase confidence so that practitioners can feel equipped to promote the scheme with families as well as support applications.

The Healthy Start Scheme supports eligible families who are 10 weeks pregnant or have a child under 4 years of age to get help to buy healthy food and milk.

The event will celebrate the great work of the Trust's teams and services over the past year. There will be a number of stands for you to visit from services and projects across the Trust, demonstrating their many achievements.

You can also hear from Chief Executive Anne-Maria Newham MBE and Chair, Paul Devlin about their achievements and plans for the future.

Monday 7 November 2022

9.30am-12.30pm

Trent Vineyard Easter Park Lenton Lane Nottingham NG7 2PX

OpenData is gaining more momentum within our sector but what is it and how can it enable more people to be active? We’ll be joined by colleagues from the Open Data Institute who will introduce and explain what OpenActive and Open Referral UK (the OpenData initiatives) are and how they can support our work. We’ll also be joined by colleagues from other Active Partnerships to discuss how this is being used elsewhere to share opportunities.

Thursday 10 November 2022 12.30pm-1.30pm

Free Online via Teams 

Contact Katie Crockett katie.crockett@activepartnerstrust.org.uk

The annual all-dayer will kick off at 1pm, led by a packed line up of the best homegrown talent and emerging artists across multiple venues including Rough Trade, The Angel, The Bodega, Jamcafé, Hockley Arts Club and Bar Eleven. 

The event also features a packed street entertainment programme as well as Nottingham Street Food Club bringing a tasty array of food vendors.

Proceeds will go to support a number of local charities carrying out vital work across the city including Imara, Base 51, Emmanuel House, BME Cancer Communities and a Nottingham food bank.

Sunday 23 October to Monday 24 October 2022
Various Nottingham venues - check website for general admission tickets

Join Nottingham’s biggest and loudest annual grassroots protest against male violence against women

The organisers would like you to know

This year the march also stands in solidarity with women in Iran who are protesting for their rights following the death in police custody of Mahsa Amini – a 22-year-old woman who was arrested for allegedly wearing her headscarf too loosely. We will be marching alongside local Iranian women and will hear from Rose Khoshirat - the founder of a newly-formed local Iranian group - at the rally after the march. Other speakers at the rally include Nadia Whittome, MP for Nottingham East, and more.

During the day there are also free workshops to attend, including banner-making and drumming. And after the march there is a free afterparty, where marcher's can wind down with some refreshments, a DJ, live comedy and great company. They would really love to see you there. Hundreds of women pounding the streets together sends a clear message to our leaders and peers that the people of Nottingham care about women’s safety and won’t tolerate misogyny in our city.

You don't need a ticket to attend, but we recommend signing up via Eventbrite so you can receive more information and updates directly to your inbox. You can also follow us on Instagram, Facebook or Twitter to keep up-to-date.

* All women are welcome - we are a trans-inclusive march. We also welcome anyone who has experienced misogynistic oppression – we know that some non-binary and gender non-conforming people have faced similar forms of discrimination and may wish to march with us too. Accompanied children of all genders are welcome to the march.

Saturday 22 October 2022, 6.00pm - 8.00pm

Nottingham City Centre Nottingham NG1 1DW

Thursday 12 January 2023, 10.30am - 12.45pm

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 31 January 2023, 10.30am - 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 - 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 - 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 - 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, 10.00am - 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

Wednesday 15 March 2023 11.00am - 1.00pm

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 - 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

Tuesday 7 February 2023 10.30am - 12.30pm

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

Wednesday 15 February 2023 6.00pm-8.00pm

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

Tuesday 22 November 2022 1:00pm - 2:15pm

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

Monday 24 October 2022, 2.30pm to 3.30pm

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 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.

Nottinghamshire Carers Association are offering free Carer Awareness Training for organisations. Three in five people will have a caring role or be affected by a caring role at some point in their lives and 69% of carers responding to a survey reported poor mental health, while 64% said their physical health had deteriorated. Alongside the awareness training, Nottinghamshire Carers Association can help signpost to resources and support organisations to work towards the ‘Carer Friendly Organisation’ Quality Mark.

10.30 am - 11.30am Thursday 3 November 2022 

Online

The East Midlands Patient and Public Involvement (PPI) Senate is looking for new members to join its Senate from Nottingham and Nottinghamshire. The patient and public involvement Senate is an independent body hosted by East Midlands Academic Health Science Network (EMAHSN),

The PPI works to spread best practice through its member’s networks – extending its reach through the East Midlands health and care community.

The Senate membership comprises patients and carers with strategic experience in patient involvement and the co-production of health and care services. The Senate provides expert input and advice to EMAHSN programmes ensuring that patient involvement and co-production are at the heart of the organisation.

If you would like an informal chat before applying, please email shahnaz.aziz@nottingham.ac.uk

Closing date for applications Thursday 3 November 2022

Nottingham-based charity RideWise has issued an urgent plea for donations of unwanted bicycles. All donations are greatly appreciated - even those that aren’t road-worthy can be stripped down and the parts used for projects or repairs. It’s a second chance for bikes that would otherwise be scrapped or left to rust in the back of the shed.

The bicycles are collected, checked and serviced and given to people that really need the chance to gain travel independence.

Over the last couple of years, the charity has donated 100’s of refurbished bicycles to people in need, including local people with homelife issues and refugees from all over the world that have come to our region and need a little help to settle in our community.

Helen Hemstock, Chief Executive of RideWise said, "People have already been really generous and we’ve been so fortunate to receive loads of donated bikes over the last year – which have been refurbished by our mechanics and are now transforming people’s lives. But our stocks are depleting, and we now have a waiting list of people who need our help. By donating a bike you could be helping someone to get around safely, to settle in the community, or even learn how to build their own bike from spare parts!  It’s a great way to recycle something that you’re not using yourself and it leaves you with a lovely feeling knowing that you’ve helped someone in need”.

 “A bike is never ‘just’ a bike – it can change lives”

 If you’ve got a bike that you’d like to donate, email customerservices@ridewise.org.uk or phone RideWise on 0115 955 2288.

Nottingham Playhouse are currently looking for more participants for their Rootz Programme – a theatre group for young people with experience of the care system. Currently this encompasses care leavers, refugees, those in kinship care, and adopted or looked after children. The programme is completely free at the point of access, and they can also provide transport to those who may struggle to get to the theatre.

Fortnightly sessions

13 – 16 year olds Thursdays 6-7.15pm
16 – 21 year olds Thursdays 7.30-9pm

A new Citizens’ Panel, aimed at engaging members of the public in the future of local health and care services, has been launched by NHS Nottingham and Nottinghamshire. Initially recruiting from people living within the Nottingham City area, the Panel will be an important opportunity for people to have their say on a wide range of health and care topics, helping NHS Nottingham and Nottinghamshire plan for future services.

The Citizens’ Panel will primarily be online, and will consist of a number of surveys, polls and questionnaires throughout the year. It will complement other existing public engagement activity run by NHS Nottingham and Nottinghamshire, such as events, focus groups and social media.

GoGreen Managed Services Limited (GGMS) provides sustainable and innovative workplace solutions for large multi-sited organisations across the country. Fundamental to their service offering is a successful furniture, fittings, and equipment (FF&E) re-use programme. They support charities, social organisations, schools and other not-for-profit organisations through the placement of surplus high-quality office furniture.  

GGMS is currently holding donated items on behalf of a client within the Nottingham postcode, which will become available from 31 October 2022.

Please review this list of items  and contact Fiona Bennett, Re-Use Assistant at GGMS, if there are any items that you can make use of. You will need to reserve the items as early as possible, and before the end of Friday 21 October. Call Fiona on 0844 335 6320 or email fbennett@ggmsteam.com

If you would like to receive updates from GGMS regarding future donated items in the Nottingham area, please ask to be added to their contact list

Neighbourly is a free to use giving platform, currently used by over 20,000 good causes across the UK and Ireland ranging from registered charities to schools, local community groups and community interest companies.

Closing date 5pm Friday 11 November 2022

Notts Youth Trends, in partnership with our GreenSpace project, has launched a new survey to find out what 11-18 year olds across Nottinghamshire think about outdoor activities, and the benefits these activities might have on their lives now and in the future.

Since 2018, Notts Youth Trends, a project led by Hockley-based independent theatre, creative venue and arts charity, Nonsuch Studios, has been the largest youth-voice survey across the county and has led to amazing change.

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 Sunday 30 October 2022.