News From VAC
Voluntary Action Camden e-Bulletin 5th December 2014
Highlights: CPPEG Open Meeting; People’s Health Trust Surgeries; National News; help with measuring impact; Dragon Hall Tech Day; British Museum welcome workshops; Volunteer Centre Camden: AGM, Volunteer Coordinators’ Forum and Trustee Speed-Matching; Introduction to Intergenerational Working; Castlehaven Community Association winter events; Desk Space for Hire; New Funding Opportunities; ; plus news, funding, events, jobs, volunteering and more.
NEWS
CPPEG Open Meeting Monday 8th December, 2pm – 4pm, St Pancras Hospital, Conference Hall
Presentation 1: Joint Health & Wellbeing Board Strategy Consultation (How are we planning to address health inequalities in Camden).
Presenter: Baljinder Heer, Senior Public Health Strategist, Camden & Islington Public Health Team
Presentation 2: Last Years of Life Strategy for the people of Camden (how are we planning to co-ordinate and integrate care, deliver quality in a variety of settings and give support for family and carers).
Presenter: Karen Timperley, Joint Strategic Commissioner, London Borough of Camden
Please RSVP Caroline Straker, CPPEG Administrator by email: Caroline.Straker@camdenccg.nhs.uk or Tel: 020 3688 2044.
People’s Health Trust Surgeries
Active Communities in Greater London is a funding programme for local people wanting to create fairer places to grow, live, work and age.
Using money raised by HealthHope through The Health Lottery, People’s Health Trust is looking to invest in projects that support people living in the most disadvantaged neighbourhoods of Camden.
Active Communities is a funding programme for not-for-profit groups with an income of less than £350,000 a year, seeking investment of between £5,000 and £50,000 for projects lasting up to two years. The projects should take place within a small area for a small group of people, such as 20 or 30 streets or a couple of villages.
The closing date for applications is 1pm on 14 January 2015.
A surgery for Camden groups will be held on Friday 12th December 10.30-12.30 at Voluntary Action Camden, 293-299 Kentish Town Road, NW5 2TJ
To book onto the surgery please email sian.pennner@googlemail.com or telephone her on 07973530240. To apply for funding, visit see item in ‘Funding’ below.
National News
Autumn Statement 2014
NCVO have a roundup of budget news for charities. Full details at the NCVO website.
NAVCA says Social Value Act needs strengthening
NAVCA say that although the Act has the potential to be a powerful tool to improve commissioning practice it is being ignored by too many. NAVCA propose a three point plan to make social value more relevant and the Act make a real difference for charities and voluntary organisations. Full statement here.
Pro bono help with measuring and demonstrating your outcomes and impact
CSV is offering charities (with a turnover of £150,000+) the opportunity to have a skilled volunteer to help them identify and develop ways to measure their activities and results. This project seeks to help charities improve their services and communication to funders as well as incentivise staff, volunteers and beneficiaries.
CSV will support charities and volunteers to work together through a structured process which involves 4-5 meetings over the course of 3-4 months. The project will run from December 2014 to March 2015. The charity CEO (or equivalent) needs to dedicate around 12-15 hours for meetings and some additional time for homework (approx. 12-15 hours). Charities can participate at no cost as the project is fully funded.
Deadline for applications is 5th December 2014. If you would like to find out more, please email Carrie Anker: canker@csv.org.uk
Dragon Hall Tech Day
Saturday, December 6, 2014 from 12:00 PM – 5:00 PM
FREE hands-on tech taster session to give all young people equal access to groundbreaking technology
At Dragon Hall Tech Hub, 17 Stukeley Street, London WC2B 5LT
A chance to use the latest, world leading technologies: 3Doodler Pens, 3D Printing, Virtual Reality Headsets, coding with Scratch, Radio Production and more… Book your free place at Eventbrite.
Welcome Training Workshops London based services and the British Museum;
January 2015 Welcome Training Workshop for Mental Health Services
Workshop theme; Making the museum accessible| working with groups in the museum| Object handling and gallery based activities| Cultural identity and literacy| Leaning Activities & Resources
Workshop dates to choose from are as follows; Friday 16th Jan 5:00pm – 8:00pm OR Thursday 29th Jan 2:30pm – 5:30pm OR Saturday 31st Jan 12:00pm – 3:00pm
March 2015 Welcome Training Workshop for ESOL, migrant and refugee groups
Workshop theme; Making the museum accessible| working with groups in the Museum| Connecting Cultures| Leaning Activities & Resources
Workshop dates to choose from are as follows; Monday 9th Mar 12:00pm – 4:00pm or Friday 13th Mar 4:00pm – 8:00pm or Saturday 14th Mar 12:00pm – 4:00pm
For further information or to book a workshop please contact Danielle Dewsbury DDewsbury@britishmuseum.ac.uk 0207 323 8398
Volunteer Centre Camden: AGM, Volunteer Coordinators’ Forum and Trustee Speed-Matching: Tuesday 27th January 2015
Full details will be announced in the coming weeks.
As always we promise to give you good food, and good networking opportunities.
http://volunteercentrecamden.org.uk/
“An Introduction to Intergenerational Working” – training day Tuesday 3 February 2015
This session run by Camden adult social care will be of particular interest to community workers, youth workers, school teaching staff, early years staff, care staff in sheltered housing, resource centres or residential work, community arts workers and anyone else in Camden who would like to begin to organise intergenerational events or improve their intergenerational practice.
The session is ideal for people who have recently started intergenerational work who would like to organise activities or events for Camden intergenerational week 2015.
The session is free for anyone who works, lives, volunteers or studies in the Borough of Camden.
For further information or to book a place, contact:
Rena Toufexis, Engagement coordinator, Camden adult social care
Email: rena.toufexis@camden.gov.uk / Tel: 020 7974 3265
Castlehaven Community Association have two great winter events coming up:
1) FREE Creative Christmas workshops for people over 18yrs to come along and learn how to make Christmas cards, decorations and gifts.On Thursdays 4th, 11th & 18th December 10.15am till 12.15pm We’ll show you how to make come lovely cards and decorations to adorn your tree and house, or give as beautiful hand made gifts. Clarence TRA Hall, Bradfield Court
2) Our Ageactivity 60+ Winter Warmer event. If your 60+ come along and get FREE advice on how to keep safe and warm throughout the winter. Meet our advisors and workers on our info stalls: CCA Ageactivity 60+ project, Falls Prevention, a Free NHS Health Check, Eyesight Specialists, WISH scheme, Ageactivity 60+ Helping Hands project, CCA Gardening & Environmental projects and lots more. Plus enjoy some lovely free warm festive treats: Mulled Wine, Hot Chocolate, Soup & Mince pies. On Friday 5th December 2014 1pm-4pm Clarence TRA Hall, Bradfield Court (Behind Quinn’s Pub), Hawley Road, Camden Town, London, NW5 Call Jenny or Rosa on 020 7692 2238 www.castlehaven.org.uk email: jenny@castlehaven.org.uk
Desk Space for Hire
The Gorilla Organization currently has desk space available to rent at its offices in Primrose Hill for one to three people working for registered charities or non-profit organisations.
The overall office is the size of a small shop on two floors, with the desk space in question located in the basement. The office has its own kitchen and bathroom facilities. Internet connection can be shared. Rent is negotiable, depending on the number of desks required.
Please call 020 7916 4974 and ask for Jillian.
LFBU have called for further strike action in relation to the national pension dispute.
The strike will take place for 24 hours starting at 9am on Tuesday, 9 December until 9am on Wednesday, 10th December 2014.
The LFB contingency arrangements in place are similar to those that have been in place during the previous strikes. Further details can be found by clicking here: http://www.london-fire.gov.uk/contingency-plan.asp .
The Capacity Building Bulletin is produced monthly, targeting the community and voluntary sector in Camden. It provides up to date/recently live information and news on funding and training. To access the latest information please follow the Link www.camden.gov.uk/cbbulletin
West Hampstead Women’s Centre, LB Camden, Henna Asian Women’s Group, SHAK Community Researchers Project, Queens Crescent Community Association and Camden PA are recruiting. See Jobs and Volunteers section below.
Camden Shares. The website for exchanges in Camden. www.camdenshares.org.uk
You can join in on Facebook. Like us if you like us.
Follow all the Camden Voluntary Sector news on OneCamden on Twitter.
You can read more about all of these stories on our news page at www.vac.org.uk/new
FUNDING NEWS
See the Funding pages on VAC’s website for all the latest information.
Camden Primary Care Mental Health: Team around the Practice
Camden CCG is seeking a suitably qualified provider to develop a holistic service to patients with mental health needs across our 37 GP practices. This will include:
• psychological interventions
• social prescribing
• care coordination
• education and training.
Camden has a rich tapestry of services for patients with mental health needs and we are looking to develop this local intelligence within a Lead Provider model. The contract value is capped at £4.6m over a four year period and the service is expected to commence in May 2015. This is a new service and TUPE will not apply.
Through a restricted procurement process, the CCG seeks to identify a qualified and experienced provider to deliver a service which supports GPs and other practice staff to improve outcomes of people with mental health needs.
More information can be found at:
http://www.camdenccg.nhs.uk/news-articles/team-around-the-practice.htm
Prequalification questionnaire is available via the Contracts Finder portal here.
Getting Grants for Torriano Meeting House Projects
On Sunday 14th December 4pm David Floyd and Emily Johns will be running a workshop on how to apply for grant funding for projects at Torriano. So if you would like to teach a course, put on an event, have an exhibition, a happening, a meeting, change the world, make pleasure, politics, art, poetry etc come along. The purpose of this session is to share the skills of grant application and to help Torriano and its users get financial support for their creative and social change work. torrianomeetinghouse.wordpress.com/
Support with Writing Your Reaching Communities Grant Application to the Big Lottery
Few spaces left. Are you thinking of putting an application in to the Reaching Communities fund run by the Big Lottery? Then support is available. As long as you have done a first draft of your application you can bring it to the Reaching Communities Bid Writing Advice sessions at VAC. This is one to one support from Jane Sterland who is the Camden Fund Officer for the Big Lottery. Jane will be at VAC on the 8th December 2014. You can book for a one to one advice session of 45 minutes with Jane or for more information contacting Ricky at VAC acharles@VAC.org.uk or by phone 020 72846550.
Ageing Better in Camden seeks Delivery Partners
On 18th November 2014, Ageing Better in Camden: Tackling Isolation and Loneliness among Older People ran a successful event for over 120 people.
Ageing Better in Camden is looking for potential delivery partners for the programme. If you are interested please contact: Julia Shelley – Julia.shelley@ageukcamden.org.uk or Corinna Hyman Corinna.hyman@ageukcamden.org.uk If you missed the event or would like to know more about Ageing Better in Camden please click here.
New funding available for local groups in Camden from People’s Health Trust
Local groups and organisations with great ideas to make their communities an even better place to live are now invited to apply for funding to turn their ideas into reality.
People’s Health Trust has just launched Active Communities in Greater London – a funding programme for local people wanting to create fairer places to grow, live, work and age.
Active Communities is a funding programme for not-for-profit groups with an income of less than £350,000 a year, seeking investment of between £5,000 and £50,000 for projects lasting up to two years. The projects should take place within a small area for a small group of people, such as 20 or 30 streets or a couple of villages.
The closing date for applications is 1pm on 14 January 2014.
To apply for funding, visit www.peopleshealthtrust.org.uk.
The Galaxy Hot Chocolate Fund
The Galaxy hot Chocolate Fund is open for applications again, offering small grants to help small, local community groups and charities across the UK and Ireland.
Now in its fourth year, the Fund will distribute five £300 awards each week, one of which will be for the applicant that attracts the most support on the Fund’s website that week.
The Fund is open for entries until 23 February 2015.
Applications for funds from the Galaxy Hot Chocolate Fund can be made here.
European Funding Opportunities
European Structural and Investment Funds 2014-2020: from policy to practice -how will the Voluntary and Community Sector engage in the new Programme?
Update on the policy developments of the European Structural and Investment Funds 2014-2020 Programme and an opportunity to hear about the main entry routes into the Programme from the Opt-in and Co-financing Organisations. This event is not to be missed if you are from a voluntary sector organisation wishing to apply for the ESIF 2014-2020 programme. Book your free place
Venue: coin street – London
New grant programme to tackle homophobic, biphobic and transphobic bullying
Details of a new grant programme to support projects that tackle homophobic, biphobic and transphobic bullying were announced by the Department for Education in partnership with the Government Equalities Office.
You can find full details of the grant programme here.
Camden Carers Service Urgent Brief Breaks
Every carer knows when things reach a critical pitch and the pressure valve is about to blow.
That’s when you may need an Urgent Brief Break!
If you provide unpaid care for someone who lives in the London Borough of Camden then you may be eligible
Referrals can be made by a Professional or you can refer yourself
For more information please call Angela 020 7428 8950 or email referrals@camdencarer.org.uk
Edge Fund
The Edge Fund supports grassroots groups aiming at radical social change. Funding decisions are put in the hands of those most affected by inequality and oppression. The fund supports groups that are considered ‘too radical’ by most other funders.
Launched 18 months ago, Edge has funded an eclectic range of organisations, from lesbian migrant support groups and Roma community organisers to those opposing police repression, immigration raids and the arms trade, from anti-capitalists and anarchist groups to people working on disability rights, local community organising and climate change. To find out more and apply go to www.edgefund.org.uk
Don’t forget to sign up to Funding Central for free email funding alerts. Go to www.fundingcentral.org.uk/
VAC EVENTS
VAC has a full programme of courses coming up: Click here to find out more. All courses are £25 for members (unless otherwise stated).
Youth Mental Health First Aid Training, Thursdays 11th and 18th December, 9.30am to 5pm
This internationally recognised course will be of interest to parents, youth workers, teachers, those who support young people, or anyone who wants to learn more about mental health.
The YMHFA course will teach you to:
• Spot the early signs of a mental health problem in a young person
• Feel confident helping a young person experiencing a problem
• Provide help on a first aid basis
• Help protect a young person who might be at risk of harm
• Help prevent a mental illness from getting worse
• Help a young person recover faster
• Guide a young person towards the right support
• Reduce the stigma of mental health problems
The cost of the course is heavily subsidised at only £25 per person for VAC members. This includes the YMHFA manual and certificate on completion of the course. For non-members other charges apply.
To book a place, please complete the VAC training booking form and return it to a member of VAC’s Mental Health Team as soon as possible. Full details here.
New VAC Training Programme
- 10th December: Fundraising Strategy and Income Generation
———————————————————- - 14th January: Business Start Up for Social Enterprise
- 15th January: ILM Leadership qualification
- 22nd January: Project Management Starter
- 29th January: Effective Minute Taking
Dementia Friends Information Sessions
Would you like to improve your understanding of dementia and what it might be like to live with the condition?
People with dementia sometimes need a helping hand to go about their daily lives and feel included in their local community. Dementia Friends is about raising awareness and encouraging people to do the small things that can make a difference to people living with dementia – from helping someone find the right bus to spreading the word about dementia. The initiative, run by the Alzheimer’s Society, aims to create a network of one million Dementia Friends across England by 2015.
Dementia Friends Information Sessions are short, interactive and fun. If you would like VAC to run a session for your organisation or community group, please contact Ann Wolfe on awolfe@vac.org.uk or call 020 7284 6565. For more information see the Dementia Friends website: http://www.dementiafriends.org.uk/
OTHER EVENTS
Camden and Islington NHS Foundation Trust Carols by Candlelight Concert
Wednesday 10 December from 5.15-6.00pm, St Pancras Old Church, Pancras Road, NW1 1UL
More information on these events can be found on pages 7 and 8 of the latest version of our Trust newspaper (click here for a copy). If you would like to attend one or more of these events, please RSVP to membership@candi.nhs.uk
UJAAMA- The Hidden Story of Tanzania’s Socialist Villages
Monday 8th December, 6.30pm, Owl Bookshop, Kentish Town Road
Ralph Ibbott, introduced by Selma James will tell the story of Tanzania’s Ravuma Development Association – 17 self-governing villages created in the 1960s.
Training to work for Relate in London?
Relate London North West will be offering the Diploma in Relationship counselling (level 5) in Harrow starting March 2015.
This course, accredited by the CPCAB (Counselling and Psychotherapy Central Awarding Body) provides training for practitioners wishing to work as relationship counsellors with Relate and other organisations. A Level 4 counselling qualification and previous working experience are required to enroll on the course.
The taught element of the programme consists of 13 days study and students must also complete 50 hours of clinical work with a Relate centre which should be completed within one year.
Relate London North West works in eight London boroughs and will be looking for placement students to work in the boroughs of Camden, Islington and Westminster in particular. Other Relate centres may also be able to offer placements and need to be contacted by students directly. For more details of the course including dates, cost and and how to apply:
http://www.relateinstitute.ac.uk/courses/l5_dip_rel_counselling_harrow.aspx
or email info@relatelondonnw.org.uk
New management course starting in the New Year at Mary Ward Centre
Need to boost your performance as a team member and make the transition from working in a team to leading a team? Why not take the first step to qualifying in community and voluntary sector management? Take an internationally recognised Institute of Leadership and Management qualification. This new short Certificate in Team Leading course is delivered in a classroom with a tutor to teach, guide and assist your learning. It may be free or at a subsidised cost but you will need to commit your time. Please follow this link to complete a short assessment form and return it by email. To download the form Click here
Evaluating Activities, Wednesday 17th December, 2014, 9:45am – 12:00midday (followed with lunch)
Age UK London, 1st Floor, 21 St Georges Road, London, SE1 6ES
A workshop for small organisations and groups working with older people.
Applying research practice to measuring impact, this workshop will cover:
• Making the most of evaluation form data collected
• Working with quantitative and qualitative data
• Contextualising results
It may be worth noting that this workshop is set at a level for people who have relatively little research experience. A light lunch and refreshments will be provided and anyone interested should email me direct on bdonovan@ageuklondon.org.uk.
Holy Cross Centre Trust
On Thursday 18th December, in the stunning surroundings of St Giles-in-the-Fields, the Zeitgeist Chamber Orchestra and Choir perform Handel’s enduring masterpiece Messiah in support of Holy Cross Centre Trust.
Tickets (£12, concessions £7) can be reserved by emailing ZCOOX@hotmail.co.uk and will be available on the door.
Camden Council is hosting a Re-energising Camden event on Wednesday 28 January 2015
This event is specifically aimed at supporting groups during green energy project development. The event will combine case studies, knowledgeable speakers and the latest policy developments.
To register your interest in the event, please email greencamden@camden.gov.uk and we’ll keep you updated.
Space and One Housing Group warmly invite you to Open Studios at Arlington, Thursday 11th December 2014 6 – 8pm
Explore the 12 artist studios, meet the Artists and explore the Creative Space
A unique chance to enjoy diverse art practices in the studios. Including work made by Arlington residents in the Creative Space, with Sarah Desmarais, Francesca Cavallo, Anna Sikorska and Frederico Gallo.
On arrival you will be shown to the Creative Space where you can collect a studios map before beginning your tour. Refreshments provided.
Please RSVP through this Eventbrite link
Voice Collective Courses
Research shows that around 8% of young people hear voices or see visions, however few feel able to talk about these experiences openly with youth workers and seek support if/when necessary.
Voice Collective specialises in both supporting young people with these experiences, as well as training and mentoring youth workers (including CAMHS, mentors, educational professionals, substance misuse etc). We develop peer support groups in partnership with youth agencies (currently with SLaM, Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust and Well Centre), provide creative arts workshops and individual/family support. We’re also on hand to offer mentoring/support for anyone already working with vulnerable young people in Greater London.
In December, we are running 3 different opportunities that you (or the young people /families you work with) may find useful:
13 December, 13.30 – 16.30 Write Back – a creative workshop for young people who hear voices/see visions, and a support workshop for parents/informal carers.
To Book: https://write-back.eventbrite.co.uk
10, 15 & 17 December, 10.00 – 16.30 – Voice Collective Peer Support Group Facilitation Training
A 3 day course for people interested in facilitating a peer support group for young people who hear voices/see visions
To Book: https://vc-fac-dec.eventbrite.co.uk
Winter training courses at WRC
Follow this link for more information and to book your place on our November-December trainings. All the trainings take place in the WRC office in North London
VCC Training and Networking Lunch: Wed 10th December, 9.30am-1.30pm
The www.do-it.org.uk website is improving. And the way that we work with it is improving as well. Loads more information on this will follow by post and email.
To prepare for the improvements, we will be co-delivering a training session with Volunteer Centre Islington on ‘How to Write a Good Volunteering Opportunity’ as well as an overview of how the new do-it website will work.
The training is free, and the networking lunch will be £10. Read more here.
Safeguarding adults
There are four levels of training that incorporate all appropriate training for professional groups.
All training is fully subsidised for people working with Camden residents however non-attendance will result in a penalty charge. Further information can be found on our website: www.camden.gov.uk
See full course information and book online – visit TDSOnline www.camdentds.co.uk
Enquiries: Call 020 7974 3701 / 2821 / 4467 or email TDSOnline@camden.gov.uk
TDSLearn is Camden’s online learning environment for Social Care training.
It features e-learning courses and other learning resources in one handy place. It is free to access and open to everyone.
Safeguarding adults awareness – theatre – 8 December 2014
This is a session open to all members of staff. It combines a theoretical approach with practical examples, and engages the audience by presenting them with thought-provoking scenarios.
Safeguarding Adults: the legal context – 12 December 2014
This course is designed to help all staff working with adults at risk understand the legal framework at their disposition to address safeguarding cases.
More courses will be added over the next few months to support staff, managers, personal assistants and other individuals who work in Camden’s Adult Social Care.
Simply visit: http://tdslearn.learningpool.com
Camden Resilience Workshop 12th December 2014
12:00 – 2:00pm at Camden Council, 5 Pancras Square
Do you need support to:
– Develop your service to support more networking between different communities?
– Explore different ways of resourcing a project?
– Look at ways you can encourage your service users to identify small problems before they escalate?
If so, this workshop could help you develop some new ideas.
Feedback from those attending has been overwhelmingly positive:
Several of those attending the workshops used the group work sessions to discuss an issue from their own work, and through support in using the resilience approach, the groups brought in new ideas and perspectives to develop a solution.
To book a place, please e-mail Alison.blackwood@camden.gov.uk, specifying any access or other requirements you have and any areas of your work that you feel it would be helpful to discuss at the workshop.
Living Together with Dementia? A new intervention
Living Together with Dementia is designed to improve communication and promote engagement with everyday activities. Living Together with Dementia is a free service funded by Camden Council, and is carried out by trained therapists and professionals who specialise in dementia care. This service is about having the opportunity to talk and does not involve any medical procedures. Meetings will take place either at your home or
at The Tavistock Centre for Couple Relationships, which is near Warren Street Station in central London.
Contact Us If you are interested in taking part and helping us develop this intervention, or would like more information please call 0207 380 1950 or email hwilliamson@tccr.org.uk
The survival and well-being of the Palestinian people – Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation Trust
In the West Bank, East Jerusalem and Gaza every aspect of life is affected by the Occupation. A number of economic, educational, human rights and public health indicators suggest disturbing downward trends in every domain toward increasing impoverishment, dysfunction and social fragmentation. The eruption of violence in Gaza during the summer, in which 501 children were killed and 3,374 were injured, many with permanent disabilities, can be seen as a violent intensification of a socio-political situation that has lasted for decades.
• How do Palestinians respond to their extraordinary circumstances?
• Does the political situation impact on their mental health, and how does a clinician then understand and respond to their difficulties?
• What can we as mental health workers contribute?
In the aftermath of this summer’s terrible events in Gaza, Dr Jabr will share her personal experience of working as a clinician in Palestine and raise questions about the role and responsibility that we all share to engage with this reality.
11 December 2014, 6:30pm – 8:30pm, £20 (£10 concessions and students, unwaged, Trust staff)
The Tavistock Centre, London. Click here for more information
Don’t forget that Camden TDS run a full programme of course which are subsidised or free for voluntary sector partner organisations. There is a link to a list of partner organisations on the home page.
Find more Training Opportunities at www.vac.org.uk
JOBS AND VOLUNTEERS
Female Volunteer Development Worker
21 hours per week £ 24,880 pro rata (Includes LW)
To run our Volunteer Development Project and to support and train our volunteers.
For an application pack contact West Hampstead Women’s Centre on 020 7328 7389 or email begona@whwc.org.uk
Section 7 of the Sex Discrimination Act applies
Charity number: 3919511
Closing date: 16th January 2015 at 5.00 pm
Camden Council Seeks Principal Carbon Consultant
The Corporate Sustainability Team is recruiting for a Principal Carbon Consultant to lead the development and delivery of the Camden Climate Change Alliance’s paid for services. We’re particularly looking for candidates with energy and environmental auditing experience / accreditation. Please can you help get the word out as widely as possible through your contacts and networks. If you know anyone that fits the bill please let me know as I’d be keen to target them.
For full details click here. The deadline for applications is Tuesday 9th and interviews are on the 15th & 16th of December.
Socially Responsible Recruiting
A new, award-winning skills matching service that connects employers with skilled and experienced people to do one-off or part-time jobs has launched in Camden, with a strong social benefit ethic.
“There is a very large number of people in Camden who are fantastically skilled and work-ready but are off the radar to employers because they’re not looking for full-time work and aren’t constantly scouring the job ads,” says Jonathan Collie, founder of Trading Times.
These people are highly skilled over 50s, and family carers. Trading Times brings them to you. It’s free to candidates. It costs you only £35, and only when you are connected to the perfect candidates.
Paul Fordham of Abbey Community Centre in Camden said: “”We posted our occasional job opportunity on Trading Times because we at the Abbey Community Centre recognise the value of the flexibility that can come with age. Trading Times offers a tailored means to directly target opportunities at an older group that the vast majority of other job sites simply do not seem to tap.”
Register at https://tradingtimes.org.uk/ and let Trading Times match you with the right local people for your needs.
Henna Asian Women’s Group Befriending Service 2015
Henna Asian Women’s Group is opening their Befriending service to all individuals that are in need for extra help to improve their social circle in the new year. We will reach out to the most vulnerable individuals that live in any Borough of London. Henna volunteers will pay regular weekly visits to clients and support them into taking steps to come out of the home and access different services.
We are recruiting both Male and Female volunteers to become Befrienders on this project. If you have a few hours to spare each week, would like to gain experience in the health and social care sector or simply just want to give something back to the community then please contact us.
Contact Ammarah Ahmad, ammarah_hennaorg@yahoo.co.uk, Telephone: 020 7372 9860, Volunteer Coordinator, Henna Asian Women’s Group, www.hennaorg.co.uk
Community Researchers Wanted by SHAK
Train as a community researcher, learn new skills, open up fresh career paths and get involved in your community.
· We are looking for motivated, dedicated people to take part in this free training course.
· No qualifications necessary but you do need to enjoy working with people.
· You will gain new skills, experience, a completion certificate and a chance to learn more about the local community.
· Progression to further training opportunities, community involvement or paid employment as a researcher.
· Childcare can be arranged if needed
If you are interested contact John: 07986897629 johnboyle@shakonline.co.uk
South Hampstead & Kilburn Community Partnership (SHAK)
We are a local charity based on the Alexandra and Ainsworth estate in Kilburn ward of Camden. Our mission is to increase local community confidence and support people in reaching their full potential. We do this by identifying and meeting local needs with a range of opportunities in areas of lifelong learning, youth activities, community involvement, employment support, advice and guidance, volunteering etc. Find out more www.shakonline.co.uk
Queen’s Crescent Community Centre, Gospel Oak seek Volunteers
Currently looking for volunteers for both the befriending and Lunch club services. If you know of anyone who would like to volunteer for either one of these services I would be very happy to hear from them.
Contact larraine@qcca.org.uk or phone 0207 267 6635 Ext 226.
New work opportunities for over 50s
According to the UK Office for National Statistics, there are more than 22 million over 50s in the UK, many of whom have skills and experience to offer to local businesses.
Trading Times is a skills-matching service that is on a mission to change the way society views older people. They match people’s skills, experience, and qualifications with local employers for paid work opportunities.
Employers benefit as much as those looking for work – by gaining experienced, skilled and reliable people, who can work on a flexible basis.
What’s more, it’s entirely free for candidates to sign up.
Find out more web: tradingtimes.org.uk twitter: @TradingTimesUK Facebook: TradingTimesUK
SkillShare
Skillshare is an easy way to find skilled people to support your organisation. What sort of skills are on your wish list? Current skills on offer include: furniture restoration, photography, Nia technique instructor and food and textiles teacher, plus many more. Thirty local organisations are already signed up and accessing our database of skilled volunteers. The last volunteer we placed was a photographer who is going to be taking photographs of Camden for two local organisations.
For more information contact SkillShare, skillshare@volunteercentrecamden.org.uk or 020 7424 9990.
CamdenPAs – personal assistants in health and social care
A new website www.camdenpas.org.uk has been created in partnership with HCCT, Camden Council, DISC and Age UK Camden to boost the market of health and social care personal assistant and provide more choice for the employers of PAs.
CamdenPAs is new way for those wanting to employ a personal assistant to find a PA who meets their interests and needs. Employers can look through PA profiles or post their own advertisement to specify what they are looking for.
The site is also an opportunity for those with an interest/experience in health and social care roles to promote themselves in this expanding market. The site is an exciting, flexible opportunity to gain entry into employment since more and more people have personal budgets and direct payments and are becoming employers. It
is also an opportunity for trainees or those who have worked as unpaid carers.
The site matches Personal Assistants with potential employers. It allows PAs to add ‘profiles’ promoting their skills, experience and interests. They can also view and respond to the ‘ads’ of those wanting to employ a PA.
Access CamdenPAs at: www.camdenpas.org.uk
If you have any questions do get in touch via the email below, or contact DISC and Age UK Camden who can assist potential employers interested in recruiting PAs or creating their ad. contact@camdenpas.org.uk
Find Jobs and Volunteering opportunities at https://www.vac.org.uk/vacancies/
OFFERS, RESOURCES and ANNOUNCEMENTS
Office to rent
Camden Cypriot Women’s Centre have a room available at their building in Kentish Town.
The first floor room is a little over 4.5m x 4.5m (approx 21 square meters), and so can easily accommodate four desks.
The room is well decorated, has its own lockable door, has good natural light and inbuilt floor to ceiling shelving on one wall. Some other furniture may be available. There is another similar sized room on the third floor which can be hired on an hourly basis for meetings, training or workshops.
The building has full disabled access and is located five minutes from Kentish Town Tube and Thameslink station. Buses 134, 214, C2 and 393 stop nearby
Rent is £600 per calendar month and includes heating, lighting, hot water and full access to kitchen facilities.
For more information contact Koula Ioannou on 020 7267 7194 or koula@ccwo.org.uk
Camden Health & Well-being Consultation
The Camden Health and Well-being Board have developed a draft strategy for 2014 to 2017. This strategy sets out three high-level priority areas, using evidence from the Joint Strategic Needs Assessment, as well as conversations with the public and others. Whilst we have identified three priority areas, we are now consulting on our draft strategy because we want to hear what members of the public and others think and identify where the focus should lie. These views that we collect, are vital in helping us develop our areas of focus for the 2014 to 2017 strategy and we will publish our final approach in late January 2015.
You can complete the attached form or access our online consultation here: https://consultations.wearecamden.org/culture-environment/camden-joint-health-and-wellbeing-strategy-2014-17
The North Locality Alliance of PPGs is a small network of patients in Camden. We want to develop an online interactive forum for all patients in Camden.
The aim is to create a local patient and carer community which shares knowledge and has a voice on local healthcare issues. Many patients are unable to attend meetings, while others prefer to communicate online. The interactive forum provides a means of giving everyone in the community a voice. We want all patients and carers in Camden to have a choice over the local healthcare support they receive, and get involved in the decisions that will shape the future healthcare they receive.
The forum would be an independent initiative run by patients for patients in Camden.
We want to get your views on developing an interactive forum for patients and carers in Camden. This is your opportunity to tell us what type of discussion forums you would like, if you would use them, and whether you would like to be involved in developing the forum. This information will be stored securely and will be kept confidential. Click here to take the survey.
Desk Space at Latin American House
The Latin American House (LAH) offers a space and support for Latin Americans, Spanish and Portuguese speakers and other communities in London. The Association, which has been in existence for over 30 years, runs a community centre with a range of services.
LAH has a room to hire at the moment with space for four or more desks.
£433 per month (utility bills included) contact: admin@casalatina.org.uk
OneCamden is the website to help you access Voluntary and Community Sector support in Camden. Find support to help you volunteer, or find volunteers; support for your voluntary organisation (from charity registration to Community Accountancy); or get advice on starting a Social Enterprise. There are links and resources on this site and links to the partner’s sites. If you would like to request support use the ‘Get Help’ button on the top right to let us know what support you need and we will be in touch.
This is a new initiative for Camden so do let us know what you think, or if you have any suggestions to make OneCamden better.
FREE VAC Membership for Unfunded Groups: Voluntary Action Camden Small organisations with no paid staff and a turnover of less than £1,500 can now join for FREE. To take advantage of this offer just fill in the membership form which can be downloaded from the VAC website or you can enter your details via our sector survey here.
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To get discounts on training, room hire and many more benefits click here to join Voluntary Action Camden
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If you have an item for the e-bulletin, please email it to Kevin Nunan, knunan@vac.org.uk with a note of which section you would like it to appear under.
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