We are pleased to announce a full list of dates for our Training and Development Programme. Whether you run a voluntary community or social enterprise (VCSE) organisation, are a leader of volunteers, or a safeguarding lead looking to brush up on your knowledge, we have dates to see you all the way into 2025! 

Please note the new names for the following courses: 

• 'How to be a Better Leader of Volunteers' is now called 'Advanced Volunteer Leadership'.
• 'How to be a Better Trustee' is now called 'Trustee Refresher: Being Better'.

Brand new courses for you to join:

• Chairing Meetings
• Assessing the Impact of your Volunteer Programme

Cost per person starts at £10 - the same fee level as back in 2021! We understand the financial strain the voluntary sector faces and and we're keeping our fees for online training at their lowest level to enable as many people as possible to participate.

Earlier last year we engaged with community organisations to understand why some communities (especially those from South Asian backgrounds) were not accessing NHS Talking Therapy services.

Based on the findings of the engagement we are pleased to say that we have partnered with Al-Hurraya to deliver training for community leaders and organisations supporting diverse communities.

'Building Resilience in Ethnically Diverse Communities (Mental Health and Wellbeing)' will be delivered in person at The New Art Exchange, NG7 6BE on Friday 8 March 2024, 10am to 1pm, with two further dates in April to be confirmed.

Join us for this fully-funded (free to attend) training delivered by Al-Hurraya, designed to enhance your skills, and give you the tools to provide culturally appropriate mental health and wellbeing support that celebrates diversity and fosters empowerment for the communities you serve.

Each session is the same so you only need to attend one. Additional training and events will be announced over the coming months.

We'd like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who signed our open letter, so far we've had over 250 signatures - an amazing effort! 

If you haven't had chance to sign the letter, urging Nottingham City Council to stop the cut to VCSE organisations, there's still time. The letter closes today, Thursday 8 February 2024, at midnight.

A partnership of nearly 90 charity umbrella bodies, known as the Civil Society Group (CSG), has urged the government to protect voluntary sector income, particularly if it makes changes to income and inheritance tax (IHT) in the next Budget.

In a letter written by Charity Finance Group (part of CSG) to Jeremy Hunt, Chancellor of the Exchequer, the CSG has asked the government to be mindful of the impact a cut to IHT will have on voluntary sector income, stating that hundreds of millions of pounds are at risk of being lost from the sector. As protection, the CSG has asked for an automatic transitional relief mechanism of at least three years (as has happened previously) if the IHT reductions go ahead to help the sector adjust to changes with as little disruption as possible.

Further, the CSG has asked the Chancellor to keep the tax on legacy donations at zero to preserve the incentive for people to leave a donation in their will. The CSG has also asked that the VAT on products bought by the charity sector be lowered to zero percent. Another way the Chancellor has been asked to aid the sector is by agreeing to an ‘essentials guarantee’, which will ensure those on Universal Credit are not going without the necessary basics, easing the ever-increasing demand on the frontline organisations supporting them.

Hunt is advised by the CSG to act on these requests before the Spring Budget to alleviate the tough financial environment the voluntary sector currently operates in.

CA Plus (Community Accounting Plus) supports community organisations to manage themselves well in all areas of accounting and finance. They can provide support via free advice and budget templates as well as help with figuring out what to do next, whether your organisation can stay afloat and what to do if it can’t.

They have increased their team this year and so have additional capacity to help more groups in Nottingham. Get in touch with the CA Plus team by emailing support@caplus.org.uk or phoning 0115 947 0839. Or visit their website to access free guidance and tools.

Deadline for applications is Monday 19 February 2024, 5.30pm.

The Fund is awarding small grants of up to £5,000 to registered non-profit organisations. They are especially interested in receiving applications from organisations within the East Midlands. 

To be eligible, organisations must:

• have an annual income of less than £1 million.
• have completed at least two years of activity.
• have less than six months of free reserves.
• have a total project cost of less than £200,000.
  

The Fund can not fund organisations that are tackling food waste, food poverty or food insecurity as there is a separate Coronation Food Project grant programme for these organisations.

Deadline for applications is Sunday 31 March 2024. 

After a successful pilot, Women's Aid have partnered with the Home Office to facilitate one-off payments of up to £500 for essential items such as groceries, nappies or clothing to help people escape domestic abuse. Survivors can also apply for a further £2,500 to help secure an independent future, such as putting down a deposit for rental accommodation. 

The fund will be delivered via referrals from a network of local frontline services in England and Wales including organisations, helplines and caseworkers who have a specialist understanding of domestic abuse.

There is no deadline for applications.

National Lottery Heritage Grants has raised their funding grants and now provide funding of between £10,000 and £250,000 for heritage projects in the UK. Applicants can be a not-for-profit organisation, private owner of a heritage asset or a partnership. The project must be completed within five years, not have started before a decision is made, and align with Heritage Fund's investment principles:

• Saving Heritage.
• Protecting the environment.
• Inclusion, access and participation.
• Organisational sustainability.

Heritage Fund provide an optional Project Enquiry service to get feedback on an idea within 10 working days.

During the last Leaders of Volunteers Network (LoVN) meeting, the group discussed how language could be improved to better serve their volunteers. 

Language can be a big factor in whether someone engages in volunteering or not. For instance, asking for volunteers with a wide range of skills is a lot more welcoming than asking for physically fit volunteers. In this blog, Dave takes a deep dive into inclusive language and has compiled a list of resources and examples of good (and bad) practice. 

UK Volunteering Forum have announced that the 2024 Volunteers' Week will run from Monday 3 June 2024 until Sunday 9 June 2024 (previously 1 June - 7 June). New brand guidelines will be released soon. 

Thursday 29 February 2024, 7pm to 9pm
The Council House, Old Market Square, Nottingham NG1 2DT
Free to attend; refreshments provided. No need to book.

Nottinghamshire’s Rainbow Heritage and Notts Pride present the 16th annual celebration and awards evening.

This year, the awards (presented by the Sheriff of Nottingham) will go to The Health Shop, Nadia Whittome MP and Badminton Social, with an additional award presented by Nottinghamshire Pride.

For the first hour, visitors can interact with a variety of stallholders and enjoy refreshments. At 8pm, author C.J. DeBarra will speak about their books. They recently published the book “Neuroqueer: a neurodivergent guide to love, sex and everything in between” and will soon publish two books on LGBT+ venues in Nottingham.

The presentation of awards will follow, and the evening ends with a performance by Singing Proud, our local LGBT+ choir.

Wednesday 27 March 2024, 10am to 4.30pm
Nottingham Trent University, Shakespeare Street, Nottingham, NG1 4FQ

Do you work with young people in care? Could you support them to consider, apply to, and thrive in higher education?

Join University of Nottingham and Nottingham Trent University (NTU) for a day of collaboration and sharing best practice. Speakers include Care Leavers Covenant, UCAS, and inspiring university students with lived care experience. This event is free with lunch included.

Please register using the link below or contact Carol Wilby on carol.wilby@ntu.ac.uk for further information.

Thursday 11 April 2024, 10.30am to 1pm

This online training will give you a basic understanding of the roles and responsibilities in safeguarding adults and how to respond to concerns.

Cost: £25 per participant

Wednesday 24 April 2024, 10.30am to 1pm

This online training will give you a basic understanding of the roles and responsibilities in safeguarding children and young people and how to respond to concerns.

Cost: £25 per participant

Wednesday 28 February 2024, 10am to 12.30pm

This online training will give you a basic understanding of the role and responsibilities of a Designated Safeguarding Lead Person for an organisation working with vulnerable children and young people..

Cost: £25 per participant

Tuesday 13 February 2024, 6pm to 7.15pm

This online training explains your safeguarding responsibilities as a trustee for an organisation working with vulnerable adults or children and young people.

Cost: £15 per participant

Wednesday 17 April 2024, 10am to 12 noon

This online training covers the basic information that all trustees should know.

Cost: £20 per participant

Wednesday 15 and 22 May 2024, 10.30am to 12.30pm

This online training, delivered across two (two-hour) sessions, will equip you with the knowledge, skills, and confidence to become the meeting chairperson you want to be. Your booking will automatically register you for both sessions on 15 and 22 May 2024.

Cost: £40 per participant

Thursday 22 February 2024, 10am to 12.30pm

This online training will give you the opportunity to practice your skills and receive supportive and constructive feedback, helping you to develop your ability to write successful funding applications further.

Cost: £20 per participant

Wednesday 19 June 2024, 10.30am to 12.30pm

This online training takes you through the basics of being a Fire Warden/Fire Marshal and will prepare you to carry out this very important role.

Cost: £20 per participant

Tuesday 4 June 2024, 6pm to 8pm

Learn the basics of taking effective minutes in this online training – and make note taking easy.

Cost: £20 per participant

Tuesday 20 February 2024, 6pm to 8pm

This online training will teach you the basics of health and safety, and explain the process of carrying out a risk assessment in your organisation.

Cost: £20 per participant

Thursday 21 March 2024, 10am to 11.30am

Learn our top tips for writing funding applications for your organisation or community group in this online training.

Cost: £10 per participant

Tuesday 9 April 2024, 6pm to 8pm

Formerly 'How to be a better Trustee'. This online training will refresh your knowledge as a trustee, update you on current issues, improve your personal skill set and help you develop your role for the benefit of your organisation.

Cost: £20 per participant

Thursday 28 March 2024, 10am to 11am

Identify barriers to volunteering and develop ideas to minimise and remove them during this training, to ensure your organisation isn’t missing out on great volunteers.

Cost: £10 per participant

Wednesday 21 February 2024, 10am to 12 noon

This online training, previously called “How to be a Better Leader of Volunteers”, takes you beyond the basics of managing and supporting volunteers and will explore some of the real-life issues that you’re facing as a Leader of Volunteers.

Cost: £20 per participant

Wednesday 12 June 2024, 10am to 12 noon

This brand new, online training takes you beyond the basics of managing and supporting volunteers and will challenge you to consider the difference that volunteers make to your organisation.

Cost: £20 per participant

Tuesday 23 April 2024, 10am to 12 noon

In any group of volunteers, there’ll be occasional disagreements, personality clashes and conflicts. Although these are hopefully rare events, this updated, online training will prepare you for when they occur.

Cost: £20 per participant

Tuesday 2 July 2024, 10am to 11am

Start your journey into the exciting and rewarding world of volunteer leadership with this online training that explores the volunteer journey from start to finish.

Cost: £10 per participant

Thursday 9 May 2024, 10am to 12 noon

Although the law has little to say about volunteers and volunteering, what it does say is important. This online training will help you develop an understanding of some of the legal requirements that relate to your volunteering programme.

Cost: £20 per participant

Wednesday 10 April 2024, 10am to 11am

Are your volunteer opportunities struggling to attract people, or people with the right interests and skills for your organisation? This online training will teach you how to enhance your volunteer role descriptions and make them stand out.

Cost: £10 per participant

The Practice Development Unit (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 severe and multiple disadvantage (SMD). This is understood as a combination of mental ill-health, substance misuse, homelessness, offending and domestic abuse, among other issues.

Contact Katie Hall, our PDU Programme Manager, for more information: enquiries@pdunottingham.org

Join our free online hub www.pdunottingham.org

Follow us on Twitter @NottinghamCVS #PDUNottingham.

Wednesday 14 February 2024, 10am to 12 noon

An online forum for professionals, volunteers and people with lived experience who are passionate or curious about co-production, to come together to learn and share expertise.

The theme for this session is 'Recruitment of New Experts'.

Thursday 15 February 2024, 10am to 12 noon

An online forum for professionals, volunteers and people with lived experience to consider ways for services to more effectively meet the needs of their neurodiverse clients. While not considered a core tenet of severe multiple disadvantage (SMD), a significant percentage of beneficiaries supported across the Changing Futures programme are neurodivergent.

The theme for this session is 'Understanding the Nexus of Neurodiversity, Addiction and Homelessness'.

A selection of upcoming training which is fully funded and free to attend for Nottingham City workers and volunteers.

Reducing Parental Conflict
Face-to-face
This session is for anyone working with parents and explores how to recognise signs of parental conflict in the early stages, before it’s escalated to domestic abuse. 

• Tuesday 20 February 2024, 9.30am to 12.30pm – register here
• Tuesday 5 March 2024, 9.30am to 12.30pm – register here

Non-Domestic Abuse Stalking Awareness
Online
This session is for anyone who might have contact with someone experiencing stalking (unrelated to domestic abuse) as part of their work.

• Thursday 29 February 2024, 9.30am to 12 noon – register here
• Tuesday 12 March 2024, 9.30am to 12 noon – register here

Technology & Economic Abuse: One of the Greatest Forms of Control
Online
This session is for anyone who has direct contact with survivors or perpetrators of domestic abuse as part of their work.

• Thursday 14 March 2024, 9.30am to 12 noon – register here

The Good Practice Mentor programme shares learning and resources from the national Ageing Better programme, a seven-year project that worked to reduce loneliness for people aged fifty and up.

They offer free support for organisations to reach, involve and connect with older people in their communities. All their support is fully funded and can be tailored to the user.

To see a full list of training, and to book, please visit their Eventbrite page. For more information and an informal chat, email the team at GPM@syha.co.uk or sign up to their mailing list.