Helen Oparinde, NCVS Group Support Coordinator (Broxtowe Borough), was invited to deliver a small group training session at Rural Community Action Nottinghamshire's (RCAN) Broxtowe Borough‘s cluster meeting on Tuesday 22 October 2024. The meeting was held at Awsworth Village Hall, which is a versatile and spacious hall, fully licensed for entertainment, and has some wonderful artwork depicting the history of the village. The quarterly cluster meetings provide the opportunity for local village halls to come together to hear about relevant topics. At the same time, networking to share good practice and resolve challenges through a peer-to-peer approach. Here, Helen shares her thoughts and takeaways from the meeting.
At the autumn cluster meeting, a variety of groups attended, from Clifton Village Hall, who are in the process of considering converting to an incorporated structure in order to access social investment, to Cossall Community Hall, who were able to see a demonstration of Awsworth’s PA system to consider the cost, availability, and relevance for their own needs.
A representative from Nottinghamshire County Council came along to update everyone on the latest round of funding opportunities. This included the Local Communities Fund, a discretionary financial contribution to support the delivery of projects that help to deliver the strategic aims of Nottingham County Council's Plan Vision and Ambitions. This latest round of funding closes on Friday 8 November.
Helen’s section of the meeting covered the topic of governance review. Starting with what is governance and discussing the responsibilities of the honorary roles within a committee. Then what to consider when reviewing governance from a board perspective, such as how the voice of service users can be utilised within board decisions. And finally, reviewing governance from a legal structures approach, such as when it might be appropriate to consider converting to an incorporated structure.
Concluding with how groups operating in Broxtowe Borough could receive one-to-one support and access fully funded training on governance and wider support needs.
The event was a fantastic opportunity for Helen, NCVS’s Group Support Coordinator, to get to know some of the local groups operating local village halls and offer support that complements the provision provided by RCAN. Since then, Helen has been in touch with several groups and started to provide support around reviewing whether a hall set up as a trust should consider converting to a type of incorporated charity.
- If you are part of a group offering services to the residents of Broxtowe Borough, do get in touch with Helen to see how she can help your organisation. Helen can be contacted by email at heleno@nottinghamcvs.co.uk. Or by telephone on 07908 357037. Download our flyer to share with your networks or have a sneaky peak at what's on offer.
- If you are an individual looking for volunteer opportunities within the borough of Broxtowe, do take a look at our website. We recently added a Social Media Volunteer opportunity for the Dementia Studio in Beeston that was filled within days! Still looking for volunteer roles in Broxtowe Borough, make sure to check the location to 'outside Nottingham city'. If you have a volunteer role you'd like advertising, get in touch with our Volunteering Development Officer, Dave Thomas, at davet@nottinghamcvs.co.uk.
- Next time you are looking for a venue to hire, consider supporting your local village hall.
