Category: Newsletter

‘A Festival of Light’ in Somers Town; Ben Uri Gallery Photo Competition; Local Offer; Debt Advice Service; All Change at West Hampstead; Healthwatch Camden has move; LocalGiving Offer for Camden Groups; Heritage Lottery Young Roots; + funding jobs, volunteers, events, training, offers and resources.

The St. Pancras & Somers Town Living Centre
Featuring workshops from the British Library and others and sharing festivities and tastes of foods from around the world
Announcement of Competition Winners on the day
The Festival of Lights Programme will include Dance/Drama performances
Activities – focusing on Autumn celebrations, such as Diwali, Eid, Halloween, Jewish festivities,Black History, Etc, which will include:
~ Dance/ Drama performances – From Josie Lord’s All Stars Dance group
~ Show & Tell from British Library – Emma Morgan/Community Engagement Manager·
~ Card Making, Rogoli & henna designs and more…From Marcia Gladwin from Working Men’s College/coordinator for Get Into Learning Project
~ Free Festive Food
Somers Town Community Association, 150 Ossulston Street, London NW1

Local Offer
The Local Offer sets out information about support for children and young people (aged 0-25) with special educational needs and disabilities, and their families. During November 2016, we will be seeking your feedback on the Local Offer to see what you think about the Local Offer as a whole, as well as the website. What’s good, what’s not so good and how can it be improved.
If you’re a parent or carer, you can send your feedback online here.
If you’re a young person, you can send your feedback online here.
If you would like a paper version, a version in another format or for more information, you can email localoffer@camden.gov.uk or call 020 7974 6345. Visit www.localoffer.camden.gov.uk to find out more.

Healthwatch Camden has moved
The new address is Healthwatch Camden, 150 Ossulston Street, Somers Town, London, NW1 1EE
Telephone – 020 3771 3930 email info@healthwatchcamden.co.uk

Ben Uri Gallery Photo Competition
Win a photography course worth £285 courtesy of The Mango Lab.
The Ben Uri Gallery & Museum is running a photography competition addressing themes of: DIVISION, INFLUENCE or UNITY inspired by our current exhibition Yalta 1945.
We are inviting you to think, look and photograph the world today, exploring these themes yourself. Winning entries will be of high quality, good composition and contain strong imagery.
Categories: 13-18 year olds and adults (18+) Format: square or cropped to square
To submit: you must email ONE photograph to learning@benuri.org along with your full name, age (if under 18) and the theme you have chosen.
Adult entrants: please donate £5 to our Learning Programme at justgiving.com/benuri.
Entries can be made using any camera, including phones, always using the highest quality setting on your device.
Closing date: Friday 2nd December 2016 The winner and five runners up will have their work displayed in the Ben Uri Gallery and on our website. The winner will receive a complementary photography course at The Mango Lab.
For more information on image formatting email info@themangolab.co.uk For more information on the competition email learning@benuri.org

Debt Advice Service Seeks VCS Partners
Society seems happy to talk about subjects such as politics, sex and religion openly but debt and money (especially money problems) are still very much a taboo topic, and with 17% of London estimated as being indebted (1,500,000+) but only 16% of those seeking help, it is a real issue and one which affects not just the persons financial health but also their physical and mental wellbeing (A picture of Over-Indebtedness: The Money Advice Service (MAS)).
Within Camden the report estimates as many as 39,000 are struggling with money and bills.
Capitalise is a London wide free debt advice network of voluntary organisations which for the last 10 years has been delivering free face-to-face advice which is independent, accredited, non-judgmental.
We have a central Hub which anyone can ring to locate their nearest advice centre – Freephone 0808 164 2480 – and begin their journey to being debt free.
We are eager to work with the voluntary groups in Camden and identify how we can help any of your service users (or staff/volunteers) who may be struggling with money and bills.
To find out more about Capitalise we currently have some pages on the Toynbee Hall website (http://www.toynbeehall.org.uk/our-partners ) whilst our new site is being finalised (www.capitalise.org.uk) – If you would like discuss Capitalise, how we can work together or would like to have some posters sent to you please contact michael.dunlop@toynbeehall.org.uk

Margaret Hepburn 1921-2016: An inspirational woman and mainstay of Age UK Camden
Sadly Age UK Camden Honorary President Margaret Hepburn died on 19 October 2016, aged 95.
Margaret’s involvement with Camden Old People’s Welfare Association began in the 1960s. Following a long period as a trustee, she became Chair from 1982 to 1991 and then Honorary Life President. She was also a former trustee of Hampstead, Wells and Campden Trust.
The funeral is on Friday 4th November, 4pm at Golders Green Crematorium (West Chapel) and the family has kindly said “No flowers, donations to Age UK Camden”

All Change at West Hampstead
Local film maker Anna Bowman has made a couple of short films about the developments happening in West Hampstead. You can view them on Vimeo.

Free HR Courses for Camden Organisations
The Communities and Third Sector team at Camden Council are offering Camden voluntary and community groups a series of HR training workshops. See Other Events section below for full details.

Kings Cross Vacancies, Being Human Festival, Living Centre Partnership, Somers Town Job Hub, Simon Community, Age UK Camden and Camden PA are recruiting. See Jobs and Volunteers section below.

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

The Independent Living Fund, one year on
The report, One year on: Evaluating the impact of the closure of the Independent Living Fund, was launched in Parliament with the help of Green Party co-leader Jonathan Bartley and Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell. It looks at what has happened, particularly in the 33 London boroughs, since the Independent Living Fund was closed in 2015.

A Good Society Without Poverty
Creating the world we want to see. A Webb Memorial Trust supplement in this weeks New Statesman. Read the supplement here.

“You Should be More Business-Like!”
The hoariest chestnut in the larder of anti-government conservatives is that government should be run like a business. This assertion is typically just a stalking horse for policies that narrowly benefit conservative patrons — lower taxes on corporations and the wealthy, less regulation, the contraction of social programs … you know the list. President Obama gets it all the time – and here he gently, but firmly sets them straight.

See the Funding pages on VAC’s website for all the latest information.

Localgiving Offering Free Membership and Match Funding
You can join Localgiving and take advantage of;
· One year’s free membership of Localgiving
· £300 ring-fenced Match Funding
· Access to a London development fundraising expert
· Dedicated tech and processing support from the Holborn HQ
· A tailored online fundraising training programme
In addition to the £300 pounds match funding through the London Development Programme, groups are also eligible to take part in the ”Grow Your Tenner” campaign we launched on October 18th. You can join Localgiving here using the promo code ”LONDON75” and there is more information about the Grow Your Tenner campaign here.

Heritage Lottery Young Roots
Grants from £10,000 to £50,000
Apply for a grant of £10,000-£50,000 to help young people aged 11 to 25 to explore their heritage, from green spaces, museums, and historic sites to language, local memories and youth culture. Full details at https://www.hlf.org.uk/looking-funding/our-grant-programmes/young-roots

GALAXY Hot Chocolate Fund opens on 7th November
Through the Fund, Galaxy will be donating seventy awards of £300 to warm hearted community projects and people. The fund is open from 7 November to 26th February. For information go to www.galaxyhotchocolate.com

Comic Relief – Tech for Good Open to Applications – Deadline Soon
Comic Relief, working together with the Paul Hamlyn Foundation, developed the Tech for Good programme to provide the opportunity for not-for-profit organisations that already have some technological capacity to take their digital innovation projects forward to create social change by delivering new ideas or more effective services.
The funding is for projects that use software and digital technology as a part of a solution to addressing any of the Comic Relief’s UK Main Fund themes of Empowering Women and Girls, Investing in Children and Young People, Building Stronger Communities, Improving Health and Wellbeing.
A wide range of digital initiatives that could lead to social change will be considered for the programme, but the aim is to fund projects that:
~ Are focused on specific user needs.
~ Make best use of web, mobile apps or internet based technologies to deliver a service.
~ Scale effectively (have economies of scale).
~ Challenge existing ways of delivering services.
Projects should be able to make a significant digital step forward within four months and be able to demonstrate digital innovation for the benefit of society or the specific service users the organisation is targeting.
Grants of between £15,000 and £46,500 are available over four months, plus an additional £3,500 to enable access to expert support.
The deadline for applications is 1 November 2016 (3pm). Full details here.

Bright Ideas Fund is open
The Community Business Bright Ideas Fund aims to give your community group the support and tools to start setting up your community business. It will also give your group the early stage finance that you need need to carry out consultation with local people and feasibility studies to develop a community business idea the community wants and needs.
A programme of support and grants of up to £20,000 is available to develop your community business idea. See full details at the Locality website.

Food for London
In 2016/17 the Fund will shine a light on the disconnect between the high levels of food poverty that exist in London and the tonnes of surplus food that is thrown away, sent to anaerobic digestion or is fed to animals. Food for London will provide support to groups and charities who are using creative ways to repurpose surplus food or provide solutions to address hunger and food waste in London. Grants of between £1,000 and £20,000 are available to support work where there is clear evidence of benefit to those experiencing food poverty, disadvantage or isolation in London.
Full details and how to apply are available on the London Community Foundation website.

Bringing people together
Origin Housing is a charitable housing and care provider, founded in the 1920’s as a slum clearance organisation but with a belief that “housing is not enough”.
Crowdfunder is working with Origin Housing to bring people together and build stronger communities in the north London and Hertfordshire area.
We have £13,500 of extra funding to distribute to projects that make those neighbourhoods a great place to live.
Add your idea to Crowdfunder and gather support to prove its potential impact.
When you hit 25% of your target, you could get up to 50% of your total fundraising target – up to £1,000. And once you hit your target, you can make your idea happen and make a difference.Find out more at http://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/plus/origin/origin-housing

VAC’s Mental Health Training Programme for BMER groups
Are you a BMER group or do you work with BMER communities?
For more information about our any of our courses, please go to https://vac.org.uk/events/category/health-mental-health/. Mental Health First Aid and Youth Mental Health First Aid training courses are only £25 per person. All other mental health workshops are free.
Please note that VAC can only accept bookings from organisations working with BMER communities based in Camden, or which serve Camden BMER residents. Places are limited on each course to a maximum of two people per organisation. Contact mentalhealthteam@vac.org.uk

Roundhouse Invention Bootcamp
Tuesdays, 7-9pm, 1st – 22nd Nov & Saturday 26th Nov, 11am – 3pm
Are you interested in digital and want to use your ideas, experience and skills to go further, helping to hack the obstacles young people face around the issues of mental health? Then follow on and join the Invention Bootcamp, where you’ll work in teams and with experts to create incredible digital and social media projects from scratch, whilst learning new skills.
Mentored by experts at AnalogFolk, a global digital creative agency, you’ll learn how to generate ideas, develop these into digital prototypes, discover more about digital marketing and the media industry as a career, work collaboratively with experts and fellow young creatives, get pitching experience, and more!
For more information, please contact Eve on emundy@mindincamden.org.uk / 020 7241 8978

Camden adult social care is launching a new online marketplace: Camden Care Choices
Provider event Tuesday 29th November. You can attend one of the three sessions being held: 10am-11.30am, 11.30-1pm or 1.30-3pm. Come and find out more
Register for tickets at Eventbrite
If your organisation has not registered on the new Camden Care Choices yet, please kindly do so to ensure you are listed in the directory of services. The marketplace will allow users including resident and professionals to find the care and support services you are offering. You will be required to describe your service, complete some steps and where applicable you will be able to upload images and descriptions of services or products offered i.e. handrails, walking stick etc. This will enable people to find local services they want to help them live independently, with the benefit of a potential increase in the number of people using your service.
Please use the link below to register (and click the word “register” at the top of the tool bar). After registering you will need to validate your email within 7 days.
http://camden.assistdirect.co.uk/
If you have any enquiries please email ccc@camden.gov.uk

Trustees’ Week
This year’s Trustees’ Week is 7-13 November. If you are planning an activity for Trustees’ Week you can list it on the Trustees’ Week website here. If you would like help from VAC or have an idea for a Trustee event in Camden then please get in touch with Kevin; knunan@vac.org.uk.

Mental Health Working: Employment Support Day
Tuesday 15th November 2016
Employment opportunities and speed interviews available on the day!
Hear success stories from people who have got into work and guest speakers from:
Working can have a positive effect on your mental health wellbeing. With the right support in the right job, you can enjoy a fulfilling and lasting career
Free advice, information on training, in work support, volunteering, employment options and benefits.
Guest speakers from; Volunteer Centre Islington; The Recovery College; Welfare Benefit Information and Other support agencies.
Conference Hall, St Pancras Hospital, 4 St Pancras Way, London NW1 0PE 10am to 3pm
Refreshments provided. Contact Details: 0300 456 8206 or mhworking@remploy.co.uk

Do You Need Health and Safety Training?
VAC and London Hazards are planning health and safety training for community groups in Camden. We want to target those who may not have had such training before. Do you have staff, volunteers or users who could benefit from this training? The course could cover areas such as: The main UK health and safety laws; Who is responsible for health and safety at work; Who enforces health and safety; Basic risk assessment; Sources of information and support.
The training is free. To find out more contact Kevin – knunan@vac.org.uk

Camden Air Quality Conference 2016
On Wednesday 2 November (6 – 8.30pm), Camden Council invite local residents, students, businesses, public services and community organisations to come together at our free air quality conference and take action to improve the air we breathe.
Air pollution has a major impact on all of us. Nearly 9,500 people die every year in London as a result of poor air quality and action must be taken to change this. Full details and booking at Eventbrite

House of Memories dementia awareness
Workshops for family carers are being held at The British Museum on Thursday 1 December 2016. Run by National Museums Liverpool and commissioned by the Department of Health, workshops will take place twice-daily from 9:30am – 12:30pm and 1:30pm – 4:30pm.
Free places can be booked by emailing learning@liverpoolmuseums.org.uk or calling 0151 478 4240.

Camden SAPB safeguarding adults conference
Working together towards lives free from abuse – 30 November 2016
This year’s conference will focus on how we can work together more efficiently and share information to keep Camden residents safe.
The conference will be an excellent opportunity for front-facing practitioners working with Camden communities to get together and share their experiences, as well as learn from each other’s practice.
A detailed conference programme will be circulated closer to the date. The event is free to attend for anyone working or volunteering with Camden adults, but we strongly advise booking your place early to avoid missing out.
The details of the event are as follows:
Wednesday, 30th November 2016
Holiday Inn Bloomsbury, Coram Street, London WC1N 1HT
09:00-17:00. Please arrive promptly, registration starts at 9am.
Book your place HERE.

Free HR training workshops for Camden voluntary and community groups
Free and will take place between 9.45 and 1pm at the Town Hall Judd Street.
The workshops are for managers and trustees of voluntary and community groups based in Camden.
Managing Misconduct Wednesday 16th November 2016
This workshop will focus on managing employees who are underperforming due to misconduct
The training will reflect the ACAS Code of Practice on disciplinary and grievance procedures.
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/managing-misconduct-registration-27067000126
Handling Workplace Investigations Wednesday 7th December 2016
There are many occasions when an employer may wish to undertake an internal investigation including as part of the disciplinary and grievance process
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/handling-workplace-investigations-registration-27067050276
Staff Appraisals Thursday 12th January 2017
Appraisal is a two-way process of looking backwards to analyse past job performance, and looking forward into the future with a view to improving future performance.
The overall objective of an effective appraisal scheme should be to help each employee to maximise his or her job performance for the joint benefit of the employee and the organisation.
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/staff-appraisals-registration-27067569830
Managing Sickness Absence Thursday 9th February 2017
The aim of this workshop is to increase managers’ confidence and ability to manage staff absence.
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/managing-sickness-absence-registration-27067617974
Managing Restructure Wednesday 15th March 2017
Many voluntary and community organisations are considering some kind of restructuring in response to the current economic climate. This might include closing a team, amalgamating core functions, general downsizing or some sort of relocation.
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/managing-a-restructure-registration-27067674142
Managing Difficult Conversations at Work Wednesday 12th April 2017
Most of us dislike confrontation; we sometimes avoid it which can often lead to even more difficulty, misunderstandings and possible conflict.
In the current climate of continued economic uncertainty, we may find ourselves working with reduced budgets, constant organisational change and ongoing performance issues, as people try to make sense of all this.
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/managing-difficult-conversations-at-work-registration-27067711253
The workshops will be run by Shirley Briggs. Shirley is an independent HR consultant. Her background is in social housing where she worked as a HR manager for a number of large housing associations. She managed the PEACe (HR) service at LVSC from 2006-2016 supporting many hundreds of voluntary and community organisations with HR and employment law advice, consultancy and training. She is also a trained workplace mediator.

‘Made of Money’ is running a 2 day Facilitator Training in London on 7th & 8th December
We also offer ‘in house’ trainings for any organisation or group of organisations to suit you.
‘Made of Money’ is an award winning financial literacy resource, developed by anti-poverty charity Quaker Social Action. It aims to help groups talk about money and its impact on their lives, as well as learn vital money management skills. It is ideal to help front line workers offer support to those on low income, particularly in the run up to the introduction of Universal Credit, and welfare benefit changes.
The cost per person for the 2-day training, (incl lunch), depending on the size of your organisation (£100 for small organisations).
You will also need a set of workshop resources, charged at a subsidised rate of £115. This gives you everything you need to run Made of with groups and 1:1 sessions. (These can be shared within the organisation or between groups of organisations)
Contact mompartner@qsa.org.uk

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

Vacancies in Kings Cross
Apply online at www.kingscross.co.uk/vacancies
Subscribe to Job Alerts https://kxrecruit.kingscross.co.uk/alerts
Housekeeping/ Cleaning Operative (Permanent)
Retail Team Leader (Permanent) Retail
Bench Security Officer (Permanent) Security
Waiters, Food & Drink Runners (Permanent) Hospitality/catering
Security Officer (Permanent)
Cafe Assistant (Permanent)
Part Time Centre Manager (Permanent) Office/admin/professional
Part Time Employment and Training Adviser (Fixed Term) Human Resources
Night Team Member (Permanent) Retail
Early Morning Retail Team Member (Permanent) Retail
Banqueting Assistant – Event Worker (Permanent)

MacMillan Seeks Lead Volunteer, Practical and Emotional Support Service
North Central London Buddies offer one to one practical and emotional support to people affected by cancer and their carers. Volunteers visit people in their homes or in a public place, providing a listening ear and a helping hand. You’ll be supporting the Macmillan staff with the coordination of support relationships between volunteers and people affected by cancer. This role involves working unsupervised in the community and visiting people in their homes. Support is available from local Macmillan staff and you’ll receive an induction and training, plus access to our lone worker system.
Ideally, you would give at least 5 hours a week between Monday-Friday, 9am-7.30pm lasting for one year or more. Individual times agreed between you and the person you’re supporting.
Contact Rachel 07860950922 or email rmiller@macmillan.org.uk and we’ll discuss the role in more detail, how to apply and answer any questions.

Senate House is University of London’s Hub for the Being Human Festival
We’re hosting an exciting and diverse programme of events, exhibitions and performances as part of the national festival of the humanities, so if you’re London based and interested in gaining public engagement experience there couldn’t be a better opportunity to get involved!
We are looking for volunteers for a number of different roles, including:
~ Welcoming visitors and audiences during the festival
~ Helping with the smooth running of events
~ Assisting with social media
~ Assisting with this year’s festival evaluation
The Festival runs from 17-25 November (except Sunday 20 and Tuesday 22) and we need volunteers during the day and early evening on all days.
For exact times, to find out more and to sign up, visit http://beinghumanfestival.org/volunteer/

Christmas Volunteering
Volunteer Centre Camden is looking for Christmas volunteering opportunities so that they can add them to their volunteering advent calendar. This could be anything for individuals or groups from one-off events to seasonal volunteering which can take place over a number of days in December or early January. If yes, contact Operations Manager Sheila with all of the details.

Employment and Training Adviser Somers Town Job Hub
20 hours per week. £29,120 p.a pro rata (£16,640 actual)
The Somers Town Job Hub is a physical centre based in the heart of the community where local people can come to receive employment advice on a one-to-one and group basis, find out about job vacancies, volunteering and benefits; join employability related clubs, activities and training courses; access support for application forms, CVs and interview techniques; find out about other support and advice services linked to their employment situation (e.g. healthcare, childcare, language); and meet and exchange experiences with people in similar circumstances.
Email: kazi@somerstown.org.uk or telephone 0207 388 6088 for an application pack.
Closing date: Midnight 7th November . Interviews week commencing 14th November

Simon Community seeks Volunteer Drivers
The Simon Community is looking for early morning driver volunteers to help drive our tea run van Monday – Friday 0:630-08:30 where serve London street homeless. Can you help?‎
Early morning Tea Runs go out on Monday to Friday 06:30-08:30 People can get some breakfast – a hot tea and coffee, sandwiches and pastries to start the day.
https://www.simoncommunity.org.uk/services.html
Volunteer Applications: https://www.simoncommunity.org.uk/volunteering.html

Volunteers are needed in GP practices!
Voluntary Action Camden (VAC) would like to hear from you! We are training volunteers to become Community Health Advocates in local GP practices.
• Do you live, work or volunteer in Camden?
• Would you like to support people in your community to improve their health and their access to services that will help them to maintain good health and wellbeing?
• Do you want to develop experience and skills in the field of public health?
• Can you commit at least 2 hours per week?
VAC is offering free Royal Society of Public Health (RSPH) Level 1 training to those who want to volunteer their time to become Community Health Advocates. The RSPH Level 1 training is a two days course, with a 20 question multiple choice test at the end of the second day of training. It could provide a useful skill set and experience for people who may be interested in following a health related career path in the future.
After completing the training, VAC will support local teams of volunteers to act as links between community based services and GPs. You may wish to take advantage of additional opportunities to increase your knowledge, for example smoking cessation, cancer awareness, diabetes etc. In return for your commitment to the project for 2 hours a week we offer support, out of pocket expenses and other professional development opportunities.
For more information, please contact:
Mandira Manandhar, Health Advocate Volunteer Co-ordinator (Mon, Tues and Thurs) 020 7284 6550/07930669417 or email: mmanandhar@vac.org.uk
Peter Simonson on 020 7284 6550 or email: projectsupport@vac.org.uk
Please note, we cannot book people on to the course without discussing the project with them first. The RSPH training is provided FREE by on the understanding that participants are available to volunteer for the project and able to attend the regular training and support sessions. After 2 months in placement Health Advocate Volunteers will have access to other VAC training free of charge subject to availability.

Are you looking to employ an assistant to help with your care needs? CamdenPAs can help
CamdenPAs.org.uk is a new service that makes it easy to find a personal assistant (PA) and puts you in control of your care and support.
If you have care needs, you can employ a PA to help you to live as independently as possible.
CamdenPAs features an online ‘marketplace’ for you to browse through a list of profiles of PAs in the borough. Profiles give details about the services they provide, their skills, experience and personal interests.
You can look through the list to find suitable matches and choose someone you like to help support you.
When you find a match you can contact the PA to arrange an interview and see how you get on. If you like them you can then work out contract details such as hours, duties and wages, and hire them.
If you do not find anyone suitable, you can set up your own a profile describing your requirements and interests, for PAs to look through and contact you.
You can employ a PA whether you receive a direct payment or fund your own care. If you receive direct payments you can get support with the employment from Personalised Support In Camden or AgeUK Camden.
Become a PA
If you’re a PA looking for work or are just starting out, CamdenPAs can help you. As well as helping you finding a job, the site features advice on looking for work, becoming a PA and where to get training.
Why not set up your profile today? Find out more, visit: camdenpas.org.uk or phone: 020 7278 4437

Find Jobs and Volunteering opportunities at https://www.vac.org.uk/

VAC has moved to Euston
Don’t forget, our new address is Voluntary Action Camden is 29- 31 Hampstead Rd, London NW1 3JA. Opening hours, email addresses and phone numbers all remain the same.

Camden Consultations
You can find all Camden consultation on the Wearecamden consultation hub.

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 on the online form here.

Addressing health inequalities; Free IT help for charities; Camden adult social care online marketplace: Camden Care Choices; Halloween Wild Bunch Club; Roundhouse Invention Bootcamp; CAB AGM ‘Making a Difference in Camden’; Trustees’ Week; Heritage Lottery Young Roots + funding jobs, volunteers, events, training, offers and resources.

22 November 2016, 10.30am -1pm
Arlington House, 220 Arlington Road, Camden NW1 7HE
Local NHS organisations need to work with local communities and voluntary organisations to ensure they address equality in health services. Specifically, to ensure that everyone has improved health outcomes, better access to services, and have better patient experience.
This workshop will:
· provide an overview of how your local NHS is doing this
· explore how voluntary organisations and individuals can be empowered to better engage with local health to improve access to services, and patient experience for people from diverse communities
· hear your suggestions of what works in better engagement with local communities to improve their health
Register on line at https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/how-can-you-help-to-address-health-inequalities-tickets-28757667959

More Free IT help for charities
CITA provides a range of FREE services to help charities be more effective through their use of technology. We work with charities with an income up to £5m, but have helped lots of small to medium sized charities with a range of income.
As a charity you can apply for one of the following free services, which are all delivered by volunteer IT experts:
· Tech Surgery – Don’t know where to start with your IT issues? Our free 2 hour Tech Surgery is designed to help you understand how IT can help support your charity what options might be available.
· IT Consultancy – Do you need help to define and scope an IT related project?
If you have identified a requirement for a specific IT project our service can match you with an independent volunteer who can help you define and scope your project.
· IT Project Delivery – Do you need some hands-on help to implement an IT related project?
Our free IT Project Delivery service helps charities find the right technical skills for an IT project.
If you are unsure where to start on your IT issues then sign up as a charity here https://members.charityithelp.org.uk/sign-up and apply for a Tech Surgery.

Camden adult social care is launching a new online marketplace: Camden Care Choices
Provider event Tuesday 29th November. You can attend one of the three sessions being held: 10am-11.30am, 11.30-1pm or 1.30-3pm. Come and find out more
Register for tickets at Eventbrite
If your organisation has not registered on the new Camden Care Choices yet, please kindly do so to ensure you are listed in the directory of services. The marketplace will allow users including resident and professionals to find the care and support services you are offering. You will be required to describe your service, complete some steps and where applicable you will be able to upload images and descriptions of services or products offered i.e. handrails, walking stick etc. This will enable people to find local services they want to help them live independently, with the benefit of a potential increase in the number of people using your service.
Please use the link below to register (and click the word “register” at the top of the tool bar). After registering you will need to validate your email within 7 days.
http://camden.assistdirect.co.uk/
If you have any enquiries please email ccc@camden.gov.uk

Halloween Wild Bunch Club
Wednesday 26th October at Electrowerkz in Angel
For further info contact siren@elfrida.com or ring the Elfrida Society on 020 7359 7443

Roundhouse Invention Bootcamp
Tuesdays, 7-9pm, 1st – 22nd Nov & Saturday 26th Nov, 11am – 3pm
Are you interested in digital and want to use your ideas, experience and skills to go further, helping to hack the obstacles young people face around the issues of mental health? Then follow on and join the Invention Bootcamp, where you’ll work in teams and with experts to create incredible digital and social media projects from scratch, whilst learning new skills.
Mentored by experts at AnalogFolk, a global digital creative agency, you’ll learn how to generate ideas, develop these into digital prototypes, discover more about digital marketing and the media industry as a career, work collaboratively with experts and fellow young creatives, get pitching experience, and more!
For more information, please contact Eve on emundy@mindincamden.org.uk / 020 7241 8978

CAB AGM ‘Making a Difference in Camden’
Tuesday 25 October 6pm-7.30pm
Camden Centre, Bidborough Street Entrance, WC1H 9AU.

Trustees’ Week
This year’s Trustees’ Week is 7-13 November. If you are planning an activity for Trustees’ Week you can list it on the Trustees’ Week website here. If you would like help from VAC or have an idea for a Trustee event in Camden then please get in touch with Kevin; knunan@vac.org.uk.

Free HR Courses for Camden Organisations
The Communities and Third Sector team at Camden Council are offering Camden voluntary and community groups a series of HR training workshops. See Other Events section below for full details.

2016 Camden Volunteer Awards – nominations invited – Last Chance
Volunteer Centre Camden are hosting the 2016 Camden Volunteer Awards at the Camden Centre in King’s Cross on Thursday 24 November.
The evening will be a celebration of the achievements of Camden’s volunteers. Camden organisations can nominate one or two individual volunteers or one group of volunteers. The closing date for nominations is 5pm on Thursday 27 October. Volunteers can be nominated online. If you need a paper form, please email Sheila Norris at sheila@volunteercentrecamden.org.uk or call 020 7424 9990.

VAC has moved to Euston
Don’t forget, our new address is Voluntary Action Camden is 29- 31 Hampstead Rd, London NW1 3JA. Opening hours, email addresses and phone numbers all remain the same.

Camden Community Radio
Listen to online radio about all things Camden. Camden Community Radio.

Being Human Festival, Living Centre Partnership, Somers Town Job Hub, Cultural Cooperation, Refugee Therapy Centre, Simon Community, Age UK Camden and Camden PA are recruiting. See Jobs and Volunteers section below.

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

More than £1bn for troubled families ‘has had little impact’
Study of flagship social policy suggests small number of positive or negative results in tackling addiction and truancy, Full story in the Guardian.
Statistical expert and researcher Jonathan Portes is less forgiving in his blog: “with the publication of the evaluation of the Troubled Families Programme (TFP), we have a perfect case study of how the manipulation and misrepresentation of statistics by politicians and civil servants – from the Prime Minister downwards – led directly to bad policy and, frankly, to the wasting of hundreds of millions of pounds of taxpayers’ money.” Read the blog here.

See the Funding pages on VAC’s website for all the latest information.

Heritage Lottery Young Roots
Grants from £10,000 to £50,000
Apply for a grant of £10,000-£50,000 to help young people aged 11 to 25 to explore their heritage, from green spaces, museums, and historic sites to language, local memories and youth culture. Full details at https://www.hlf.org.uk/looking-funding/our-grant-programmes/young-roots

GALAXY Hot Chocolate Fund opens on 7th November
Through the Fund, Galaxy will be donating seventy awards of £300 to warm hearted community projects and people. The fund is open from 7 November to 26th February. For information go to www.galaxyhotchocolate.com

Comic Relief – Tech for Good Open to Applications
Comic Relief, working together with the Paul Hamlyn Foundation, developed the Tech for Good programme to provide the opportunity for not-for-profit organisations that already have some technological capacity to take their digital innovation projects forward to create social change by delivering new ideas or more effective services.
The funding is for projects that use software and digital technology as a part of a solution to addressing any of the Comic Relief’s UK Main Fund themes of Empowering Women and Girls, Investing in Children and Young People, Building Stronger Communities, Improving Health and Wellbeing.
A wide range of digital initiatives that could lead to social change will be considered for the programme, but the aim is to fund projects that:
~ Are focused on specific user needs.
~ Make best use of web, mobile apps or internet based technologies to deliver a service.
~ Scale effectively (have economies of scale).
~ Challenge existing ways of delivering services.
Projects should be able to make a significant digital step forward within four months and be able to demonstrate digital innovation for the benefit of society or the specific service users the organisation is targeting.
Grants of between £15,000 and £46,500 are available over four months, plus an additional £3,500 to enable access to expert support.
The deadline for applications is 1 November 2016 (3pm). Full details here.

Bright Ideas Fund is open
The Community Business Bright Ideas Fund aims to give your community group the support and tools to start setting up your community business. It will also give your group the early stage finance that you need need to carry out consultation with local people and feasibility studies to develop a community business idea the community wants and needs.
A programme of support and grants of up to £20,000 is available to develop your community business idea. See full details at the Locality website.

Food for London
In 2016/17 the Fund will shine a light on the disconnect between the high levels of food poverty that exist in London and the tonnes of surplus food that is thrown away, sent to anaerobic digestion or is fed to animals. Food for London will provide support to groups and charities who are using creative ways to repurpose surplus food or provide solutions to address hunger and food waste in London. Grants of between £1,000 and £20,000 are available to support work where there is clear evidence of benefit to those experiencing food poverty, disadvantage or isolation in London.
Full details and how to apply are available on the London Community Foundation website.

Bringing people together
Origin Housing is a charitable housing and care provider, founded in the 1920’s as a slum clearance organisation but with a belief that “housing is not enough”.
Crowdfunder is working with Origin Housing to bring people together and build stronger communities in the north London and Hertfordshire area.
We have £13,500 of extra funding to distribute to projects that make those neighbourhoods a great place to live.
Add your idea to Crowdfunder and gather support to prove its potential impact.
When you hit 25% of your target, you could get up to 50% of your total fundraising target – up to £1,000. And once you hit your target, you can make your idea happen and make a difference.Find out more at http://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/plus/origin/origin-housing

VAC’s Mental Health Training Programme for BMER groups
Are you a BMER group or do you work with BMER communities?
For more information about our any of our courses, please go to https://vac.org.uk/events/category/health-mental-health/. Click on the course you are interested in and follow the instructions to book your place and pay by card (if applicable). The charge for our Mental Health First Aid and Youth Mental Health First Aid training courses is heavily subsidised at only £25 per person. All other mental health workshops are free.
Please note that VAC can only accept bookings from organisations working with BMER communities based in Camden, or which serve Camden BMER residents. Places are limited on each course to a maximum of two people per organisation. Contact mentalhealthteam@vac.org.uk

Mental Health Working: Employment Support Day
Tuesday 15th November 2016
Employment opportunities and speed interviews available on the day!
Hear success stories from people who have got into work and guest speakers from:
Working can have a positive effect on your mental health wellbeing. With the right support in the right job, you can enjoy a fulfilling and lasting career
Free advice, information on training, in work support, volunteering, employment options and benefits.
Guest speakers from; Volunteer Centre Islington; The Recovery College; Welfare Benefit Information and Other support agencies.
Conference Hall, St Pancras Hospital, 4 St Pancras Way, London NW1 0PE 10am to 3pm
Refreshments provided. Contact Details: 0300 456 8206 or mhworking@remploy.co.uk

Do You Need Health and Safety Training?
VAC and London Hazards are planning health and safety training for community groups in Camden. We want to target those who may not have had such training before. Do you have staff, volunteers or users who could benefit from this training? The course could cover areas such as: The main UK health and safety laws; Who is responsible for health and safety at work; Who enforces health and safety; Basic risk assessment; Sources of information and support.
The training is free. To find out more contact Kevin – knunan@vac.org.uk

Discover Camden Carers services at their New Premises
An informal drop in to meet our staff and discover the range of services on offer. You’ll also be able to see our new premises, enjoy light refreshments and have a chance to ask any questions.
Wednesday 26th October 2016, 2­6pm
At our new premises: Charlie Ratchford Resource Centre, Belmont St, London, NW1 8HF
CCS is a partnership of carer organisations in Camden, funded by London Borough of Camden and NHS Camden. www.camdencs.org.uk // 020 7428 8950

New Camden Society Course
The Camden Society has teamed up with The Regency Training Foundation to deliver a course aimed for helping people with learning disabilities to:
Improve communication skills Raise Confidence; Achieve Personal Goals; Learn How to Manage Stress; Build Better Relationships; Sleep better; Feel Better
The course runs for six weeks Starting on Monday 31st October 11am – 3pm At The Camden Society, 60 Holmes Road, Kentish Town
If you are interested and would like to book a place on the course you will need to complete a referral form by 24th October
Please contact Laura Murphy On 020 7485 8177 Laura.murphy@thecamdensociety.co.uk

Camden Air Quality Conference 2016
On Wednesday 2 November (6 – 8.30pm), Camden Council invite local residents, students, businesses, public services and community organisations to come together at our free air quality conference and take action to improve the air we breathe.
Air pollution has a major impact on all of us. Nearly 9,500 people die every year in London as a result of poor air quality and action must be taken to change this. Full details and booking at Eventbrite

House of Memories dementia awareness
Workshops for family carers are being held at The British Museum on Thursday 1 December 2016. Run by National Museums Liverpool and commissioned by the Department of Health, workshops will take place twice-daily from 9:30am – 12:30pm and 1:30pm – 4:30pm.
Free places can be booked by emailing learning@liverpoolmuseums.org.uk or calling 0151 478 4240.

Citizens Advice Camden ‘Making a Difference in Camden’ Launch of Annual Review & AGM
Tuesday 25 October, 6pm-7.30pm
Camden Centre, Bidborough Street Entrance, WC1H 9AU.
(Opposite Dolphin Pub) Refreshments available
RSVP to Paul.cottrell@camdencabservice.org.uk

Camden Safer Neighbourhoods Board Volunteers Fair and AGM
Wednesday 26 October, 6.30 pm, in the Council Chamber, Camden Town Hall, Judd Street, London WC1H 9JE. Come and find out what volunteering opportunities there are available in your area to help reduce crime and antisocial behaviour.
If you are a member of a voluntary/community organisation involved with crime prevention or crime reduction and you would like to recruit new volunteers, please email Peter Ward .

Camden SAPB safeguarding adults conference
Working together towards lives free from abuse – 30 November 2016
This year’s conference will focus on how we can work together more efficiently and share information to keep Camden residents safe.
The conference will be an excellent opportunity for front-facing practitioners working with Camden communities to get together and share their experiences, as well as learn from each other’s practice.
A detailed conference programme will be circulated closer to the date. The event is free to attend for anyone working or volunteering with Camden adults, but we strongly advise booking your place early to avoid missing out.
The details of the event are as follows:
Wednesday, 30th November 2016
Holiday Inn Bloomsbury, Coram Street, London WC1N 1HT
09:00-17:00. Please arrive promptly, registration starts at 9am.
Book your place HERE.

Free HR training workshops for Camden voluntary and community groups
Many small to medium sized organisations do not have the resources to directly purchase HR support on an ongoing basis. In our experience, badly handled employment issues in small to medium sized organisations can destabilise the organisation and affect its delivery.
A robust HR function enables organisations to be more sustainable by strengthening the leadership of an organisation, supporting staff, trustees and volunteers effectively and by preventing crises.
Free and will take place between 9.45 and 1pm at the Town Hall Judd Street.
The workshops are for managers and trustees of voluntary and community groups based in Camden.
Managing Misconduct Wednesday 16th November 2016
This workshop will focus on managing employees who are underperforming due to misconduct
The training will reflect the ACAS Code of Practice on disciplinary and grievance procedures.
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/managing-misconduct-registration-27067000126
Handling Workplace Investigations Wednesday 7th December 2016
There are many occasions when an employer may wish to undertake an internal investigation including as part of the disciplinary and grievance process
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/handling-workplace-investigations-registration-27067050276
Staff Appraisals Thursday 12th January 2017
Appraisal is a two-way process of looking backwards to analyse past job performance, and looking forward into the future with a view to improving future performance.
The overall objective of an effective appraisal scheme should be to help each employee to maximise his or her job performance for the joint benefit of the employee and the organisation.
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/staff-appraisals-registration-27067569830
Managing Sickness Absence Thursday 9th February 2017
The aim of this workshop is to increase managers’ confidence and ability to manage staff absence.
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/managing-sickness-absence-registration-27067617974
Managing Restructure Wednesday 15th March 2017
Many voluntary and community organisations are considering some kind of restructuring in response to the current economic climate. This might include closing a team, amalgamating core functions, general downsizing or some sort of relocation.
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/managing-a-restructure-registration-27067674142
Managing Difficult Conversations at Work Wednesday 12th April 2017
Most of us dislike confrontation; we sometimes avoid it which can often lead to even more difficulty, misunderstandings and possible conflict.
In the current climate of continued economic uncertainty, we may find ourselves working with reduced budgets, constant organisational change and ongoing performance issues, as people try to make sense of all this.
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/managing-difficult-conversations-at-work-registration-27067711253
The workshops will be run by Shirley Briggs. Shirley is an independent HR consultant. Her background is in social housing where she worked as a HR manager for a number of large housing associations. She managed the PEACe (HR) service at LVSC from 2006-2016 supporting many hundreds of voluntary and community organisations with HR and employment law advice, consultancy and training. She is also a trained workplace mediator.

‘Made of Money’ is running a 2 day Facilitator Training in London on 7th & 8th December
We also offer ‘in house’ trainings for any organisation or group of organisations to suit you.
‘Made of Money’ is an award winning financial literacy resource, developed by anti-poverty charity Quaker Social Action. It aims to help groups talk about money and its impact on their lives, as well as learn vital money management skills. It is ideal to help front line workers offer support to those on low income, particularly in the run up to the introduction of Universal Credit, and welfare benefit changes.
The cost per person for the 2-day training, (incl lunch), depending on the size of your organisation (£100 for small organisations).
You will also need a set of workshop resources, charged at a subsidised rate of £115. This gives you everything you need to run Made of with groups and 1:1 sessions. (These can be shared within the organisation or between groups of organisations)
Contact mompartner@qsa.org.uk

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

MacMillan Seeks Lead Volunteer, Practical and Emotional Support Service
North Central London Buddies offer one to one practical and emotional support to people affected by cancer and their carers. Volunteers visit people in their homes or in a public place, providing a listening ear and a helping hand. You’ll be supporting the Macmillan staff with the coordination of support relationships between volunteers and people affected by cancer. This role involves working unsupervised in the community and visiting people in their homes. Support is available from local Macmillan staff and you’ll receive an induction and training, plus access to our lone worker system.
Ideally, you would give at least 5 hours a week between Monday-Friday, 9am-7.30pm lasting for one year or more. Individual times agreed between you and the person you’re supporting.
Contact Rachel 07860950922 or email rmiller@macmillan.org.uk and we’ll discuss the role in more detail, how to apply and answer any questions.

Senate House is University of London’s Hub for the Being Human Festival
We’re hosting an exciting and diverse programme of events, exhibitions and performances as part of the national festival of the humanities, so if you’re London based and interested in gaining public engagement experience there couldn’t be a better opportunity to get involved!
We are looking for volunteers for a number of different roles, including:
~ Welcoming visitors and audiences during the festival
~ Helping with the smooth running of events
~ Assisting with social media
~ Assisting with this year’s festival evaluation
The Festival runs from 17-25 November (except Sunday 20 and Tuesday 22) and we need volunteers during the day and early evening on all days.
For exact times, to find out more and to sign up, visit http://beinghumanfestival.org/volunteer/

Christmas Volunteering
Volunteer Centre Camden is looking for Christmas volunteering opportunities so that they can add them to their volunteering advent calendar. This could be anything for individuals or groups from one-off events to seasonal volunteering which can take place over a number of days in December or early January. If yes, contact Operations Manager Sheila with all of the details.

Employment and Training Adviser Somers Town Job Hub
20 hours per week. £29,120 p.a pro rata (£16,640 actual)
The Somers Town Job Hub is a physical centre based in the heart of the community where local people can come to receive employment advice on a one-to-one and group basis, find out about job vacancies, volunteering and benefits; join employability related clubs, activities and training courses; access support for application forms, CVs and interview techniques; find out about other support and advice services linked to their employment situation (e.g. healthcare, childcare, language); and meet and exchange experiences with people in similar circumstances.
Email: kazi@somerstown.org.uk or telephone 0207 388 6088 for an application pack.
Closing date: Midnight 7th November . Interviews week commencing 14th November

British Library and Cultural Cooperation offer paid traineeship
At the end of the traineeship young people will come away with a QCF Diploma in Cultural Heritage, Level 3. Cultural Cooperation’s SOCL programme exists to increase workforce diversity across the heritage sector by enabling young people from sections of the population historically under-represented at decision-making levels in UK heritage receive paid training within its institutions. Do you know a young person who could apply for this exciting opportunity?
You can read all about the traineeship here. https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/SOCLApplication2

Simon Community seeks Volunteer Drivers
The Simon Community is looking for early morning driver volunteers to help drive our tea run van Monday – Friday 0:630-08:30 where serve London street homeless. Can you help?‎
Early morning Tea Runs go out on Monday to Friday 06:30-08:30 People can get some breakfast – a hot tea and coffee, sandwiches and pastries to start the day.
https://www.simoncommunity.org.uk/services.html
Volunteer Applications: https://www.simoncommunity.org.uk/volunteering.html

The Refugee Therapy Centre seeks Admin Assistant to the Director of Education & Training
Part-time Working Hours: Up to 2 days a week Salary: £18,000 pro rata
Closing Date for application: 5pm 11th November. Interviews: the 25th November
With a keen eye for detail, strong organisational, IT and communication skills, the Administrative Assistant will provide administrative support to the Director of Education and Training in all areas of her work. The candidate has to be intuitive, flexible, with excellent secretarial skills, and be able to use MS software package to a high standard. You should also be committed to confidentiality and the ethos of the Refugee Therapy centre.
A job description and application pack with further information can be found on our
website: http://www.refugeetherapy.org.uk/get-involved/vacancies/administrativeassistant.aspx .

Living Centre Partnership seeks Somers Town Living Centre Manager
£35,000 p.a, (pro-rata) Closes 29 Oct 2016
We are looking for a highly motivated person to make their mark and be part of one of the most amazing new facilities to be developed in Somers Town for generations.
the local Living Centre Partnership has won the contract to deliver the brand new Living Centre in the Francis Crick Institute and we are now looking to recruit a Living Centre Manager to help make this happen. Full details, application pack at the Guardian jobs.

Volunteers are needed in GP practices!
Voluntary Action Camden (VAC) would like to hear from you! We are training volunteers to become Community Health Advocates in local GP practices.
• Do you live, work or volunteer in Camden?
• Would you like to support people in your community to improve their health and their access to services that will help them to maintain good health and wellbeing?
• Do you want to develop experience and skills in the field of public health?
• Can you commit at least 2 hours per week?
VAC is offering free Royal Society of Public Health (RSPH) Level 1 training to those who want to volunteer their time to become Community Health Advocates. The RSPH Level 1 training is a two days course, with a 20 question multiple choice test at the end of the second day of training. It could provide a useful skill set and experience for people who may be interested in following a health related career path in the future.
After completing the training, VAC will support local teams of volunteers to act as links between community based services and GPs. You may wish to take advantage of additional opportunities to increase your knowledge, for example smoking cessation, cancer awareness, diabetes etc. In return for your commitment to the project for 2 hours a week we offer support, out of pocket expenses and other professional development opportunities.
For more information, please contact:
Mandira Manandhar, Health Advocate Volunteer Co-ordinator (Mon, Tues and Thurs) 020 7284 6550/07930669417 or email: mmanandhar@vac.org.uk
Peter Simonson on 020 7284 6550 or email: projectsupport@vac.org.uk
Please note, we cannot book people on to the course without discussing the project with them first. The RSPH training is provided FREE by on the understanding that participants are available to volunteer for the project and able to attend the regular training and support sessions. After 2 months in placement Health Advocate Volunteers will have access to other VAC training free of charge subject to availability.

Are you looking to employ an assistant to help with your care needs? CamdenPAs can help
CamdenPAs.org.uk is a new service that makes it easy to find a personal assistant (PA) and puts you in control of your care and support.
If you have care needs, you can employ a PA to help you to live as independently as possible.
CamdenPAs features an online ‘marketplace’ for you to browse through a list of profiles of PAs in the borough. Profiles give details about the services they provide, their skills, experience and personal interests.
You can look through the list to find suitable matches and choose someone you like to help support you.
When you find a match you can contact the PA to arrange an interview and see how you get on. If you like them you can then work out contract details such as hours, duties and wages, and hire them.
If you do not find anyone suitable, you can set up your own a profile describing your requirements and interests, for PAs to look through and contact you.
You can employ a PA whether you receive a direct payment or fund your own care. If you receive direct payments you can get support with the employment from Personalised Support In Camden or AgeUK Camden.
Become a PA
If you’re a PA looking for work or are just starting out, CamdenPAs can help you. As well as helping you finding a job, the site features advice on looking for work, becoming a PA and where to get training.
Why not set up your profile today? Find out more, visit: camdenpas.org.uk or phone: 020 7278 4437

Find Jobs and Volunteering opportunities at https://www.vac.org.uk/

Camden Consultations
You can find all Camden consultation on the Wearecamden consultation hub.

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 on the online form here.

NHS England tell teams developing STPs to talk to local CVSs; CPPEG open meeting; Camden Air Quality Conference; Black History Month; Highgate Neighbourhood Plan; Celebrating 50 Years of Henderson Court; Free HR Courses for Camden Organisations; Opportunity for capital funding in Kings Cross; Tavistock and Portman clinic Annual General Meeting; It’s all in your MIND – Real Talk debate for 14 – 21 year olds; Opportunity for London based Deaf/Disabled Musicians; Camden Community Radio; National Schools’ Conference on Combatting “Honour” Based Violence; Autism Friendly Cinema; What’s on at Centre 404 + funding jobs, volunteers, events, training, offers and resources.

Over 50 groups came to the Camden Funders Fair held at the Wellcome Foundation on Euston Road. Funders present included London Community Foundation, John Lyons Foundation, the Nationwide Foundation, St Pancras Welfare Trust and others. There were also stands from Hubbub crowdfunding and attendees had an opportunity to do a Grantfinder session (our online portal to funding opportunities) and to talk to Business in the Community about corporate support. The morning was rated a great success. Look out for future funding workshops and events from VAC.

NHS England tell teams developing STPs to talk to local CVSs
Engaging Local People, new guidance from NHS England for teams developing STPs in the 44 footprint areas, says they should engage with the voluntary sector. And the best way to do this, according to the guidance, is through their “local CVS or development and support agency”.
The guidance makes clear that charities and community groups are key stakeholders and says that “the best source for support for linking with the voluntary sector is frequently the council for voluntary services (CVS), sometime is called a local development and support agency”.
Also NHS England has published the NHS Operational Planning and Contracting Guidance 2017 – 2019. This emphasises the importance of STPs. The guidance says that “STPs are more than just plans. They represent a different way of working, with partnership behaviours becoming the new norm…although STPs are relatively new, we see them as having a significant ongoing role in the NHS.”

VAC has moved to Euston
Voluntary Action Camden is now based in the same building as West Euston Partnership at 29- 31 Hampstead Rd, London NW1 3JA. Opening hours, Email addresses and phone numbers all remain the same.

CPPEG open meeting, Monday 10th October
2-4pm at St Pancras Hospital.
The presentations and presenters for CPPEG open meeting on the 10th October are as follows:
Presentation 1: Musculoskeletal procurement (decision taken and lessons learnt)
Speakers:
• Dr Tom Aslan, Hampstead Group Practice GP and Camden CCG MSK Clinical Lead
• Simon Pearson, Patient Representative
Presentation 2: How Camden Clinical Assessment Service (CCAS) benefits patient access and experience?
Speakers:
• Dr Jeremy Sandford, Hampstead Group Practice GP and CCAS Programme Clinical Lead
• Sonia Castang, CCAS Manager

Camden Air Quality Conference 2016
On Wednesday 2 November (6 – 8.30pm), Camden Council invite local residents, students, businesses, public services and community organisations to come together at our free air quality conference and take action to improve the air we breathe.
Air pollution has a major impact on all of us. Nearly 9,500 people die every year in London as a result of poor air quality and action must be taken to change this. Full details and booking at Eventbrite.

Black History Month at the British Library
On Thursday 6th October the British Library will host an evening of performances, lectures and discussion celebrating Black History Month, hosted by the British Library Labs Project and Eccles Centre for American Studies. The Library is offering a limited number of FREE tickets to Camden Residents. Get in touch with Emma.Morgan@bl.uk or 07595 464 363 for more details or to book.

IWM and The Centre for Hidden Histories – Exploring black people’s involvement in the First World War
Saturday 15 October, 2pm – 5:30pm, IWM London, Lambeth Road, London SE1 6HZ
Exploring black people’s involvement in the First World War
More than one million black people from Africa, the Americas, and Europe were actively involved in the First World War. This workshop will look at how their experiences can be followed through official and private records and how their contributions are remembered in Britain today.
The event will feature talks from historians of Black Britain, Stephen Bourne, Dr Caroline Bressey, John Siblon, and Anna Maguire, and social commentator and political activist Patrick Vernon.
There will also be the opportunity to find out more about conducting research in this area, learn about IWM’s collections and enjoy free refreshments. Free Tickets: http://bit.ly/BlackpeopleinWW1

Highgate Neighbourhood Plan
Highgate Neighbourhood Forum has submitted their proposed Neighbourhood Plan to Camden Council and Haringey Council, in accordance with the Neighbourhood Planning Regulations 2012. To view the proposed Neighbourhood Plan and supporting documents please go to: www.camden.gov.uk/neighbourhoodplanning
Hard copies of the Plan are available to view at Highgate Library and 5 Pancras Square Library.
Comments on the Plan must be received by Friday 4th November 2016.
By e-mail: planningpolicy@camden.gov.uk or by post to Strategic Planning and Implementation, Regeneration and Planning, London Borough of Camden, Judd Street, London WC1H 9JE.

Celebrating 50 Years of Henderson Court
Tomorrow – Saturday 1st October 12 – 4pm, 102 Fitzjohns Ave, NW3
Photography Exhibition, Food and Drink, Bolder Choir, Live Music www.ageukcamden.org.uk

Free HR Courses for Camden Organisations
The Communities and Third Sector team at Camden Council are pleased to be able to offer Camden voluntary and community groups a series of HR training workshops. The workshops are free and will take place between 9.45 and 1pm at the Town Hall Judd Street. See Other Events section below for full details.

Opportunity for capital funding for VCS organisations in King’s Cross Ward
The Council is in receipt of money arising from a property development in King’s Cross Ward, as a result of Section 106 (S106) obligations on property developers. See ‘Offers’ below section for details.

Tavistock and Portman clinic Annual General Meeting
The Tavistock and Portman Clinic has been a proud member of the Camden community since 1967.
Our 2016 Annual General Meeting will shine a light on how our unique training, rooted in clinical practice, enables professionals to engage thoughtfully and effectively with some of the challenges they face working in the health, education and social care sector.
An open discussion with our Chief Executive, Paul Jenkins and Chair Paul Burstow, will follow where we’ll reflect on the Trust’s work over the last year and discuss what we’ll be focussing on in the future.
Please join us – this year’s AGM takes place from 430pm on Wednesday 5 October in the Lecture Theatre at the Tavistock Centre (120 Belsize Lane, NW3 5BA).
More info: https://tavistockandportman.nhs.uk/about-us/news/stories/changing-minds-changing-lives/

It’s all in your MIND – Real Talk debate for 14 – 21 year olds in Camden
Wednesday 12th October 2016
Time: 5pm – 7.30pm Camden Town Hall, Council Chamber, Judd Street, London WC1H 9JE
Free food and drink along with a goody bag
For free tickets, call 020 7974 5450 email sandra.soteriou@camden.gov.uk
You can also book your free ticket at eventbrite.co.uk

Opportunity for London based Deaf/Disabled Musicians – in partnership with WAC Arts
The ‘Emerge’ commission is the fourth and final new commission opportunity for London based Deaf / Disabled musicians. We have release 4 commissions, in partnership with 4 exciting organisations from across London. Full details at DrakeMusic.org

Camden Community Radio
Listen to online radio about all things Camden. Camden Community Radio.

Women and Health Blue Plaque Sponsored Walk Saturday 8th October
Join W+H for a relaxed and informative stroll along 22 plaques commemorating women of history whose creativity and courage has left the world a better place. And the sponsorship money raised will help us fund our services for the women of today.
For more information and to book a free ticket, book at Eventbrite
www.womenandhealth.org.uk
www.facebook.com/womenandhealth @wahcamden

National Schools’ Conference on Combatting “Honour” Based Violence
Youth for Change, IKWRO and Not in my Classroom have joined together to run the very first National Schools’ Conference on Combatting “Honour” Based Violence for safeguarding professionals, teachers, school staff and students.
Join us for a day of training, collaboration and discussion, including:
~ Workshops delivered by experts on FGM, child and forced marriage and “honour” based violence;
~ Youth advocacy workshops for students; and
~ Panel session and Q&A with influential representatives from the education sector.
Tue 18 October 2016, 10:00 – 16:00 at Winchmore School, Laburnum Grove, London N21
Booking and further details at Eventbrite.

Autism Friendly Cinema
Cineworld host an autism friendly cinema screening on the first Sunday of every month at 11am.
Cineworld’s next autism friendly film screening is Pete’s Dragon on Sunday 2nd October at 11am.
Find out more

What’s on at Centre 404
Dates for Your Diary – Groups & Workshops at Centre 404. View the newsletter online.

Ageing Better In Camden
Read the latest Ageing Better in Camden newsletter here.

Camden Patient Participation Groups Newsletter
Read the latest Camden Patent Participation Groups Newsletter online here.

Coram’s Fields, Macmillan, Evelyn Oldfield, Hopscotch Asian Women’s Centre; Age UK Camden and Camden PA are recruiting. See Jobs and Volunteers section below.

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

“Being Black, Going Crazy”
BBC Three joins debate on Black male mental health – http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/p0482j61/being-black-going-crazy – broadcast on 27th Sept asks the questions that Minority Mental Health, www.minoritymentalhealth.co.uk on 13th October will be trying to answer for people who work in mental health find out some of the solutions to keep people out of the criminal justice system..

Lloyds Bank Foundation urges sector to unite to tackle low pay
Lloyds Bank Foundation for England and Wales has gained Living Wage Friendly Funder accreditation and called upon corporates, charities, and their funders to tackle low pay.
As a Living Wage Friendly Funder, Lloyds Bank Foundation pays its staff the Living Wage and will encourage those seeking funding to pay the Living Wage to posts funded through its grants.
The foundation will also encourage charities, where they can, to pay staff the Living Wage and even to become accredited employers themselves. Full story in Charity Times.

“As public cuts leave people destitute, it’s charity workers like me who pick up the pieces
When I became an outreach worker ten years ago there was still some vestige of a welfare state. The indignity and devastation I see now is astonishing” Full story in the Guardian

See the Funding pages on VAC’s website for all the latest information.

Bright Ideas Fund is open
The Community Business Bright Ideas Fund aims to give your community group the support and tools to start setting up your community business. It will also give your group the early stage finance that you need need to carry out consultation with local people and feasibility studies to develop a community business idea the community wants and needs.
A programme of support and grants of up to £20,000 is available to develop your community business idea. See full details at the Locality website.

Food for London
In 2016/17 the Fund will shine a light on the disconnect between the high levels of food poverty that exist in London and the tonnes of surplus food that is thrown away, sent to anaerobic digestion or is fed to animals. Food for London will provide support to groups and charities who are using creative ways to repurpose surplus food or provide solutions to address hunger and food waste in London. Grants of between £1,000 and £20,000 are available to support work where there is clear evidence of benefit to those experiencing food poverty, disadvantage or isolation in London.
Full details and how to apply are available on the London Community Foundation website.

OCS and Nesta announce £4m for older people’s volunteering projects
The Office for Civil Society and Nesta have launched three grant funds totalling £4m to encourage people over 50 to volunteer.
All three funds are open to organisations to apply for funding for and are the first to be funded through the second phase of the Centre for Social Action.
The three funds are:
~ The Second Half Fund – Sharing Time and Talents for Life: grants of up to £250,000 to support the growth of new ways of mobilising the time and talents of people aged over 50.
~ Join In Stay In: grants of up to £50,000 and significant non-financial support from behavioural science experts for organisations to undertake randomised controlled trials to understand what works best to encourage volunteers to continue to give their time regularly.
~ Give More Get More – Exploring Intensive Volunteering: grants of up to £100,000 to support organisations to trial intensive volunteering placements for people over 50 – approaching or in retirement – that work alongside public services. More details at the Gov website.

The Institute of Fundraising is hosting an event at City Hall on the 9th of November to help small charities to try and overcome their fundraising challenges.
Charities in London are vital for local communities, but many smaller charities are also facing a tough funding climate. This event at London City Hall is a chance for small charities from across the capital to hear fundraising experts talk about how best to fundraise from the public, and offer practical guidance and support to help raise funds for their work.
The event will be a mixture of presentations and workshops, hearing and learning from experts and peers in London’s charity sector on:
• How best to engage with those who may be willing to provide large one off donations to your charity.
• How best to ask members of the public for small, regular donations to support your cause.
• How to improve your community events and one off public fundraising activities.
The event is open to all small charities based within London completely free of charge. Spaces are allocated on a first come, first served basis.
Charities can register at the following link: http://www.institute-of-fundraising.org.uk/events-and-training/iofevents/conferences/small-charities-in-london-achieving-great-fundraising-in-your/.

Bringing people together
Origin Housing is a charitable housing and care provider, founded in the 1920’s as a slum clearance organisation but with a belief that “housing is not enough”.
Crowdfunder is working with Origin Housing to bring people together and build stronger communities in the north London and Hertfordshire area.
We have £13,500 of extra funding to distribute to projects that make those neighbourhoods a great place to live.
Add your idea to Crowdfunder and gather support to prove its potential impact.
When you hit 25% of your target, you could get up to 50% of your total fundraising target – up to £1,000. And once you hit your target, you can make your idea happen and make a difference.Find out more at http://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/plus/origin/origin-housing

Celebrate – A New Grants Programme from the Big Lottery Fund
When was the last time your local community came together? Grants of between £300 and £10,000 for groups to hold one off events or activities which celebrate their local community.
You could celebrate something from your community’s history or a local hero. Or maybe it could a chance to bring people together to get to know their neighbours better. Full details on the Big Lottery Website.

Deutsche Bank Small Grants Fund
If you are a charity, voluntary or community group with an income of less than £250,000 per annum and you need funding for work focusing on increasing social inclusion and improving well being, this fund may be able to help.
The focus of the Small Grants Fund is to help society’s most disadvantaged and communities on the ground.
Projects may fall into any of the following areas:
~ Projects that promote social inclusion, reduce isolation and disadvantage and improve access to services;
~ Projects that advance people’s physical and mental health, wellbeing and safety
~ Projects that maximize people’s ability to strengthen community cohesion and build social capacity
The maximum grant size is £5,000. The application is online here.

VAC’s Mental Health Training Programme for BMER groups
Are you a BMER group or do you work with BMER communities?
For more information about our any of our courses, please go to https://vac.org.uk/events/category/health-mental-health/. Click on the course you are interested in and follow the instructions to book your place and pay by card (if applicable). The charge for our Mental Health First Aid and Youth Mental Health First Aid training courses is heavily subsidised at only £25 per person. All other mental health workshops are free.
Please note that VAC can only accept bookings from organisations working with BMER communities based in Camden, or which serve Camden BMER residents. Places are limited on each course to a maximum of two people per organisation. Contact mentalhealthteam@vac.org.uk

VAC has a programme of courses coming up: Click here to find out more. All courses are £25 for members (unless otherwise stated).

Equalities Workshop
Age UK London & Opening Doors London are able to offer places to staff and volunteers to participate in an EQUALITIES workshop – best practice working with older LGBT people taking place next Tuesday 4th October from 10.30am until 1.30pm with lunch. The training session will take place at Age UK London’s office which has recently relocated to: 6th Floor, Tavis House, 1 – 6 Tavistock Square, London WC1H 9NA
Please share with staff and volunteers and if any would like to attend then either register here https://equalitiesolgbtoct16.eventbrite.co.uk or alternatively please email stynan@ageuklondon.org.uk or call 020 78206776 and leave name and contact details.

House of Memories dementia awareness
Workshops for family carers are being held at The British Museum on Thursday 1 December 2016. Run by National Museums Liverpool and commissioned by the Department of Health, workshops will take place twice-daily from 9:30am – 12:30pm and 1:30pm – 4:30pm.
Free places can be booked by emailing learning@liverpoolmuseums.org.uk or calling 0151 478 4240.

Citizens Advice Camden ‘Making a Difference in Camden’ Launch of Annual Review & AGM
Tuesday 25 October, 6pm-7.30pm
Camden Centre, Bidborough Street Entrance, WC1H 9AU.
(Opposite Dolphin Pub) Refreshments available
RSVP to Paul.cottrell@camdencabservice.org.uk

Native Spirit Festival celebrates 10th Anniversary
7-16th October 2016
Venues SOAS ~ The Book Club EC2 ~ Opening Night at Hive Dalston E8
Native Spirit Film Festival celebrates a decade of providing a platform for Indigenous Voices with 50+ feature films, docs, shorts and animations and special guests.
More info https://www.facebook.com/NativeSpiritUK twitter @NativeSpiritUK email nativespiritfilms@gmail.com Donations at door £5-12

Camden Safer Neighbourhoods Board Volunteers Fair and AGM
Wednesday 26 October, 6.30 pm, in the Council Chamber, Camden Town Hall, Judd Street, London WC1H 9JE. Come and find out what volunteering opportunities there are available in your area to help reduce crime and antisocial behaviour.
If you are a member of a voluntary/community organisation involved with crime prevention or crime reduction and you would like to recruit new volunteers, please email Peter Ward .

Tai Chi/ Chi Kung Demystified -move breath and meditate
Every Wednesday, 11:00-12:30 at YMCA oneKX 120 Cromer St, London WC1H 8BS – FREE
No need to book – just come along. Breath, relax, energise all ages and levels of experience welcome come along and see if it suits you. The classes are being supported by camden community sport and physical activity officer Andrew Gilbert.

Talk for Health Men Only Programme 21st October
The FREE 4.5 day Talk for Health programme enables wellbeing and good relationships by teaching:
~ Open and truthful talking
~ Empathic listening
~ Basic counselling skills
~ Tools for better relationships
After the training, you gain access to a network of support groups.
It’s for men who want to take care of their wellbeing and is FREE for those living in Islington and Camden as it is NHS-funded. More details at Eventbrite.
Book a place on a taster session: email info@talkforhealth.co.uk,
call us on 07826 148 461, or text ‘call me’ and we will get in touch with you.

October Volunteer Managers’ Forum + Lunch
18th October, 10.30am-2pm at Kentish Town Community Centre, 17 Busby Place, NW5 2SP
Join us at our next volunteer managers’ forum where we will look at all things volunteer management.
This forum will follow the ‘unconference’ format, which means you are the event organisers / participants on the day. You get out what you put in – so come prepared to muck in.
Integral to the forum will be meeting (and networking with) other volunteer managers in Camden – and lunch is included. Full details and book your free tickets on Eventbrite.

Celebrating Parents and Carers Event
Free family fun day – ‘Healthy Lives and Healthy Minds’
Saturday 22nd October 2016, 2pm – 5pm
Haverstock School, 24 Haverstock Hill, NW3 2BQ
Please read this event brief before filling in the form
Every year we have our Celebrating Parents (in its 11th year) event during Parents week and we invite the Mayor and the Cabinet member for Children Schools and Families. This year’s theme for the event is ‘Healthy Lives and Healthy Minds’.

Camden SAPB safeguarding adults conference
Working together towards lives free from abuse – 30 November 2016
This year’s conference will focus on how we can work together more efficiently and share information to keep Camden residents safe.
The conference will be an excellent opportunity for front-facing practitioners working with Camden communities to get together and share their experiences, as well as learn from each other’s practice.
A detailed conference programme will be circulated closer to the date. The event is free to attend for anyone working or volunteering with Camden adults, but we strongly advise booking your place early to avoid missing out.
The details of the event are as follows:
Wednesday, 30th November 2016
Holiday Inn Bloomsbury, Coram Street, London WC1N 1HT
09:00-17:00. Please arrive promptly, registration starts at 9am.
Book your place HERE.

Free HR training workshops for Camden voluntary and community groups
Many small to medium sized organisations do not have the resources to directly purchase HR support on an ongoing basis. In our experience, badly handled employment issues in small to medium sized organisations can destabilise the organisation and affect its delivery.
A robust HR function enables organisations to be more sustainable by strengthening the leadership of an organisation, supporting staff, trustees and volunteers effectively and by preventing crises.
The Communities and Third Sector team at Camden Council are pleased to be able to offer Camden voluntary and community groups a series of HR training workshops. The workshops are free and will take place between 9.45 and 1pm at the Town Hall Judd Street.
The workshops are for managers and trustees of voluntary and community groups based in Camden. To book a place on the workshops that you would like to attend, please click on the Eventbrite links.
HR Essentials Wednesday 28th September 2016
The aim of this workshop is to raise the awareness of potential and new employers about employment legislation and good practice in the workplace.
http://hr-essentials.eventbrite.co.uk
Managing Poor Performance through Capability Wednesday 19th October 2016
This workshop will focus on managing employees who are underperforming due to lack of capability
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/managing-poor-performance-through-capability-tickets-27066873748
Managing Misconduct Wednesday 16th November 2016
This workshop will focus on managing employees who are underperforming due to misconduct
The training will reflect the ACAS Code of Practice on disciplinary and grievance procedures.
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/managing-misconduct-registration-27067000126
Handling Workplace Investigations Wednesday 7th December 2016
There are many occasions when an employer may wish to undertake an internal investigation including as part of the disciplinary and grievance process
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/handling-workplace-investigations-registration-27067050276
Staff Appraisals Thursday 12th January 2017
Appraisal is a two-way process of looking backwards to analyse past job performance, and looking forward into the future with a view to improving future performance.
The overall objective of an effective appraisal scheme should be to help each employee to maximise his or her job performance for the joint benefit of the employee and the organisation.
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/staff-appraisals-registration-27067569830
Managing Sickness Absence Thursday 9th February 2017
The aim of this workshop is to increase managers’ confidence and ability to manage staff absence.
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/managing-sickness-absence-registration-27067617974
Managing Restructure Wednesday 15th March 2017
Many voluntary and community organisations are considering some kind of restructuring in response to the current economic climate. This might include closing a team, amalgamating core functions, general downsizing or some sort of relocation.
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/managing-a-restructure-registration-27067674142
Managing Difficult Conversations at Work Wednesday 12th April 2017
Most of us dislike confrontation; we sometimes avoid it which can often lead to even more difficulty, misunderstandings and possible conflict.
In the current climate of continued economic uncertainty, we may find ourselves working with reduced budgets, constant organisational change and ongoing performance issues, as people try to make sense of all this.
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/managing-difficult-conversations-at-work-registration-27067711253
The workshops will be run by Shirley Briggs. Shirley is an independent HR consultant. Her background is in social housing where she worked as a HR manager for a number of large housing associations. She managed the PEACe (HR) service at LVSC from 2006-2016 supporting many hundreds of voluntary and community organisations with HR and employment law advice, consultancy and training. She is also a trained workplace mediator.

‘Made of Money’ is running a 2 day Facilitator Training in London on 5th – 6th October 2016
We also offer ‘in house’ trainings for any organisation or group of organisations to suit you.
‘Made of Money’ is an award winning financial literacy resource, developed by anti-poverty charity Quaker Social Action. It aims to help groups talk about money and its impact on their lives, as well as learn vital money management skills. It is ideal to help front line workers offer support to those on low income, particularly in the run up to the introduction of Universal Credit, and welfare benefit changes.
The cost per person for the 2-day training, (incl lunch), depending on the size of your organisation (£100 for small organisations).
You will also need a set of workshop resources, charged at a subsidised rate of £115. This gives you everything you need to run Made of with groups and 1:1 sessions. (These can be shared within the organisation or between groups of organisations)
Contact mompartner@qsa.org.uk

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

Living Centre Partnership seeks Healthy Living Centre Manager
£35,000 p.a, (pro-rata) Closes 29 Oct 2016
We are looking for a highly motivated person to make their mark and be part of one of the most amazing new facilities to be developed in Somers Town for generations.
the local Living Centre Partnership has won the contract to deliver the brand new Living Centre in the Francis Crick Institute and we are now looking to recruit a Living Centre Manager to help make this happen. Full details, application pack at the Guardian jobs.

iBug seeks Youth Mental Health Peer Group Facilitator (sessional)
Approx 6 hours per month (split between 2 evenings and an occasional planning meeting and supervision session)
£20 per hour on self-employed sessional basis
iBUG is recruiting for a co-facilitator to lead our two peer support groups for young people (group members are approx. 18-25 years old).
The groups currently run on Wednesday evenings although some flexibility in timings is possible.
We are looking for someone who is able to understand that their own experience of
mental illhealth gives them a unique insight into working with others in a peer-to-peer context.
Please apply by sending a CV and covering letter to ibug@hotmail.co.uk
Closing date: 14th October 2016 Interviews: 20th October 2016

Volunteers are needed in GP practices!
Voluntary Action Camden (VAC) would like to hear from you! We are training volunteers to become Community Health Advocates in local GP practices.
• Do you live, work or volunteer in Camden?
• Would you like to support people in your community to improve their health and their access to services that will help them to maintain good health and wellbeing?
• Do you want to develop experience and skills in the field of public health?
• Can you commit at least 2 hours per week?
VAC is offering free Royal Society of Public Health (RSPH) Level 1 training to those who want to volunteer their time to become Community Health Advocates. The RSPH Level 1 training is a two days course, with a 20 question multiple choice test at the end of the second day of training. It could provide a useful skill set and experience for people who may be interested in following a health related career path in the future.
After completing the training, VAC will support local teams of volunteers to act as links between community based services and GPs. You may wish to take advantage of additional opportunities to increase your knowledge, for example smoking cessation, cancer awareness, diabetes etc. In return for your commitment to the project for 2 hours a week we offer support, out of pocket expenses and other professional development opportunities.
For more information, please contact:
Mandira Manandhar, Health Advocate Volunteer Co-ordinator (Mon, Tues and Thurs) 020 7284 6550/07930669417 or email: mmanandhar@vac.org.uk
Peter Simonson on 020 7284 6550 or email: projectsupport@vac.org.uk
Please note, we cannot book people on to the course without discussing the project with them first. The RSPH training is provided FREE by on the understanding that participants are available to volunteer for the project and able to attend the regular training and support sessions. After 2 months in placement Health Advocate Volunteers will have access to other VAC training free of charge subject to availability.

Holborn Community Association have two vacancies
Administrator (PT)
who will take on administration and finance duties across all three HCA sites.
An opportunity has arisen to join Holborn Community Association, a growing & exciting community charity in WC1 – a great location to work in. We are seeking a team player who will bring a clear head and systematic approach to their duties across HCA – including administration, reception and finance responsibilities. Most importantly you’ll be enthusiastic about the work that we do and the community we work with. In return we can offer a varied role in a great, fun place to work.
Due to redevelopment plans for our Bedford House site we are currently advertising this role on a short term basis although there may be opportunity for extension following the period detailed in the contract.
Hours per week: 30 Salary: NJC Scale pt 19 currently £21,781 pro rata (inclusive of London weighting)
Fixed term contract October 2016 – 31 March 2017.
Full DBS (CRB) check will be required
Closing Date: Monday 3rd October 2016 at 12 noon.
Interviews will be held Thursday 13th October 2016
Caretaker
who will take on caretaker duties across all three HCA sites.
Following the retirement of our current caretaker Holborn Community Association is seeking a new caretaker. Working across all three of our centres you will be able to take on general repairs, cleaning and arranging specific work with contractors. Most importantly you’ll be enthusiastic about the work that we do and the community we work with. In return we can offer a varied role in a fun place to work.
Due to redevelopment plans for our Bedford House site we are currently advertising this role on a short term basis although there may be opportunity for extension following the initial period
Hours per week: 22 Salary: 18,612 per annum (pro rata) NJC Scale pt 11
Fixed term contract October 2016 – 31 March 2017.
Full DBS (CRB) check will be required. Closing Date: Monday 3rd October 2016 at 12 noon.
Information packs and application forms are available on our website www.holborncommunity.co.uk or by emailing admin@holborncommunity.co.uk

Kilburn Older Voices Exchange (KOVE) seeks Assistant Co-ordinator
32 hours per month. (£4,438 – eight months) Initial contract from 1stNovember 2016 to 30th June 2017
KOVE requires an Assistant Coordinator to help with organising its community projects. KOVE is a registered charity and we are committed to raising the voice of older people in the Kilburn and West Hampstead area. We are a dynamic community-action initiative, working in partnership with Ageing Better in Camden, funded by the Big Lottery.
The Purpose of the job:
• To engage with and encourage older people to participate in KOVE activities and projects
• On occasions to work with and deputise for the KOVE Coordinator at meetings
• To organise activities and projects
• To assist with the planning of KOVE’s Ageing Better programme.
KOVE’s dynamic community programme includes Bench to Bench walks, cinema club, community forums for older people, the KOVEwatchers initiative and campaigning on issues that older people have raised e.g. the need for community seating, safer road crossings, community toilet scheme and accessible public transport.
This post is based on the successful applicant working freelance. Monthly payments will be made on receipt of an invoice. The post holder will be responsible for his/her own income tax and national insurance contributions. Closing date: 5pm 10th October.
For application information please contact: Mel Wright, KOVE Coordinator: mel.wright@kove.org.uk

Coram’s Fields Seeks 2 Workers
Sessional Youth Worker and Sessional Sports Worker
Hours: Evenings (as and when required) Rate: £9.40 per hour
This is a fantastic opportunity for a highly motivated individual who shares our passion for helping all young people to reach their potential to join our Youth and Sport Team. Coram’s Fields is a well-established, independent Children’s Charity located in the London Borough of Camden which delivers a range of high quality services for young people aged 6-19 years old.
If you require further information about the roles or wish to apply please contact Jonathan: jonathan@coramsfields.org.uk or naz@coramsfields.org.uk
Closing date: 12 pm Friday 7th October 2016
Interview date: week beginning Monday 10th October 2016 (TBC) www.coramsfields.org

2016 Camden Volunteer Awards – nominations invited
Volunteer Centre Camden are hosting the 2016 Camden Volunteer Awards at the Camden Centre in King’s Cross on Thursday 24 November.
The evening will be a celebration of the achievements of Camden’s volunteers. Camden organisations can nominate one or two individual volunteers or one group of volunteers. The closing date for nominations is 5pm on Thursday 27 October. Volunteers can be nominated online. If you need a paper form, please email Sheila Norris at sheila@volunteercentrecamden.org.uk or call 020 7424 9990.

Hopscotch Asian Women’s Centre recruiting a number of Posts
Hopscotch Asian Women’s Centre is currently recruiting for an exciting new Big Lottery/ESF funded employment project. I would be grateful if you could forward the vacancies on to your contacts.
Please see below for details:
Employer Engagement Worker
35 hrs per week 3 year contract £32,200 incl. ILW
Closing date: Wednesday 5th October 2016 at 12.00pm
Administrative and Finance Assistant
35 hrs per week 3 year contract £20,645 incl. ILW
Closing date: Wednesday 5th October 2016 at 12.00pm
For an informal discussion about the post, please contact Isabelle Terrisson, Senior Operations Manager. For all other details and an application pack, please contact Ruksana Begum:
Tel: 020 7388 8198 E-mail: info@hopscotchawc.org.uk Web: www.hopscotchawc.org.uk

Are you looking to employ an assistant to help with your care needs? CamdenPAs can help
CamdenPAs.org.uk is a new service that makes it easy to find a personal assistant (PA) and puts you in control of your care and support.
If you have care needs, you can employ a PA to help you to live as independently as possible.
CamdenPAs features an online ‘marketplace’ for you to browse through a list of profiles of PAs in the borough. Profiles give details about the services they provide, their skills, experience and personal interests.
You can look through the list to find suitable matches and choose someone you like to help support you.
When you find a match you can contact the PA to arrange an interview and see how you get on. If you like them you can then work out contract details such as hours, duties and wages, and hire them.
If you do not find anyone suitable, you can set up your own a profile describing your requirements and interests, for PAs to look through and contact you.
You can employ a PA whether you receive a direct payment or fund your own care. If you receive direct payments you can get support with the employment from Personalised Support In Camden or AgeUK Camden.
Become a PA
If you’re a PA looking for work or are just starting out, CamdenPAs can help you. As well as helping you finding a job, the site features advice on looking for work, becoming a PA and where to get training.
Why not set up your profile today? Find out more, visit: camdenpas.org.uk or phone: 020 7278 4437

Find Jobs and Volunteering opportunities at https://www.vac.org.uk/

Camden Carers Centre has moved
We can now be found at Charlie Ratchford Resource Centre, Belmont Street, NW1 8HF. We have our own dedicated offices, including quiet space for counselling, health checks and carers’ assessments. Our phone number, email addresses and website remain the same, so you can still get in touch at info@camdencarers.org.uk or 020 7428 8950. You can also find out about our activities for unpaid carers in Camden at http://www.camdencs.org.uk/activities and follow our news on Facebook (www.facebook.com/Camdencarersservice) and Twitter (twitter.com/CamdenCarers)

Opportunity for capital funding for VCS organisations in King’s Cross Ward
The Council is in receipt of money arising from a property development in King’s Cross Ward, as a result of Section 106 (S106) obligations on property developers, under Camden’s Planning Guidance.
This opportunity relates only to money provided to improve community facilities, it does not relate to S106 money received for other purposes, such as infrastructure and parks and open spaces.
The community building or facility must be one of the following:
• Owned by the organisation
• Occupied on a long-term lease
• Owned by the council
If your voluntary & community sector organisation would like to make a proposal for S106 capital money for community facilities, and your premises and service provision fits these criteria, please contact jeff.hopwood@camden.gov.uk and adam.demosthenous@camden.gov.uk (please use both to ensure a swift response).
A proposal form will be supplied, to easily enable response to the following:
• A brief description of the proposal, including how much money you are seeking – an estimate is fine at this stage
• Any relevant deadlines
The form will also ask for information about:
• How an allocation would ensure that the recipient’s facilities are available for the local community
• Whether the organisation or facility has received S106 Community Facilities funding before
• Whether the capital project has any match funding or pledges of match funding
• How the proposal will address Camden Plan priorities and the Council’s investment tests:
www.camden.gov.uk/camdenplan
www.camden.gov.uk/ccm/content/council-and-democracy/publications-and-finances/twocolumn/camden-financial-challenge-.en?page=3.
Proposal forms will need to be returned by the 14th October 2016, officers intend to consider the proposals during October, and discuss with ward members and relevant Cabinet Members. Decisions are expected to be made by the beginning of November. Queries to Jeff or Adam as above

Deaf Achieve
This is a Big Lottery funded project that will continue to deliver free workshops, health groups, job clubs, travel groups, financial capability training and one to one support until 2018. The end of February saw the completion of our first year. We are now well into our second year. These are for the deaf community, aged 18-65, living in any of the London boroughs. If want to know more information about Deaf Achieve please contact: deafachieve2@royaldeaf.org.uk.” also our website links http://www.royaldeaf.org.uk/news/sdfsd/

Camden Consultations
You can find all Camden consultation on the Wearecamden consultation hub.

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 on the online form here.

Age UK Camden’s Online Directory; Camden Carers Centre has moved; Celebrating 50 Years of Henderson Court; Free HR Courses for Camden Organisations; Opportunity for capital funding in King’s Cross; Talk for Health Men Only Programme; Age UK London events and digital workshops for older peoples groups; Free Employability Training for Your Volunteers; Fastlaners helps 18 – 25 year olds + funding jobs, volunteers, events, training, offers and resources.

Then look no further than Age UK Camden’s Online Directory.
The Online Directory is a simple search tool to find information about care, health, housing, money, leisure and other Camden-based services for older people. As well as browsing the listings, you can download useful factsheets and leaflets at the touch of a button.
Although the Online Directory is regularly updated, the list not exhaustive. If you think something should be added or you notice something is missing, please do let us know. Email: online.directory@ageukcamden.org.uk or call us on 020 7239 0400.

Farewell Kentish Town
From the end of September Voluntary Action Camden will be based in the same building as West Euston Partnership at 29- 31 Hampstead Rd, London NW1 3JA. Email addresses and phone numbers remain the same.

Camden Carers Centre has moved
We can now be found at Charlie Ratchford Resource Centre, Belmont Street, NW1 8HF. We have our own dedicated offices, including quiet space for counselling, health checks and carers’ assessments. Our phone number, email addresses and website remain the same, so you can still get in touch at info@camdencarers.org.uk or 020 7428 8950. You can also find out about our activities for unpaid carers in Camden at http://www.camdencs.org.uk/activities and follow our news on Facebook (www.facebook.com/Camdencarersservice) and Twitter (twitter.com/CamdenCarers)

Celebrating 50 Years of Henderson Court
Saturday 1st October 12 – 4pm, 102 Fitzjohns Ave, NW3
Photography Exhibition, Food and Drink, Bolder Choir, Live Music www.ageukcamden.org.uk

Free HR Courses for Camden Organisations
The Communities and Third Sector team at Camden Council are pleased to be able to offer Camden voluntary and community groups a series of HR training workshops. The workshops are free and will take place between 9.45 and 1pm at the Town Hall Judd Street. See Other Events section below for full details.

Opportunity for capital funding for VCS organisations in King’s Cross Ward
The Council is in receipt of money arising from a property development in King’s Cross Ward, as a result of Section 106 (S106) obligations on property developers. See ‘Offers’ below section for details.

Talk for Health Men Only Programme
The FREE 4.5 day Talk for Health programme enables wellbeing and good relationships by teaching:
Open and truthful talking
Empathic listening
Basic counselling skills
Tools for better relationships
After the training, you gain access to a network of support groups.
It’s for men who want to take care of their wellbeing and is FREE for those living in Islington and Camden as it is NHS-funded.
Book a place on a taster session: email info@talkforhealth.co.uk,
call us on 07826 148 461, or text ‘call me’ and we will get in touch with you.

Age UK London events and digital workshops for older peoples groups
Music & Memories with SPOTIFY volunteers, Tuesday 27th September from 11am until 1pm
Taking place at: SPOTIFY, 4TH Floor, 25 Argyll Street, London W1F 7TU
For more information https://spotifytechytea.eventbrite.co.uk
Older Private Renters in London Wednesday 28th September from 10.30 until 1pm
Taking place at: Age UK London, 6th Floor, Tavis House, 1-6 Tavistock Square, WC1H 9NA
For more information and the full programme http://privaterenters28sept.eventbrite.co.uk
Equalities training – older LGBT best practice Friday 30th Sept from 10.30am to 2pm with lunch
Taking place at: Age UK, 2nd Floor, Room B, Tavis House, 1-6 Tavistock Square, WC1H 9NA
For more information http://equalitiesolgbtsept16.eventbrite.co.uk
If any of these sessions are of interest please get in touch with Sharon Tynan at Age UK London on 0207 820 6776 or email stynan@ageuklondon.org.uk

Free Employability Training for Your Volunteers
International property group Lendlease is running an Office Insights workshop at their London head office for volunteers in Camden.
The training will take place on: Wednesday 5th October, 10am-2pm near Euston Square / Warren Street Stations
Full details are on the website. The training includes lunch, and places are limited.
Contact catherine@volunteercentrecamden.org.uk for more information or to book a place.

Fastlaners helps 18 – 25 year olds looking for support to get into work
Fastlaners is a 2 week programme designed to equip participants with the knowledge, networks, skills, and confidence to improve their job prospects and find meaningful employment. Participants meet professionals from a range of industries, building their employability skills and personal development: they receive mentoring, participate in mock interviews, network with recruitment professionals, and develop the confidence to secure fulfilling employment.
In addition to two weeks of full-time workshops and opportunities to meet employers, Fastlaners also offers participants ongoing support to find work. Our Fastlaners Programme Coordinator will work on a one-to-one basis to identify well-suited vacancies, support with application and interview prep, and then be on hand with any work-based questions participants may have.
We are looking for 30 young people aged 18-25 who are looking for some support to get into work to join our programme. Participants must be 18 – 25 years old, able to attend sessions in central London; have existing qualifications (A-Levels, or equivalent, as a minimum); be currently unemployed (those on zero-hours contracts may be accepted if they meet other criteria)
uprising.org.uk/fastlaners, or email: fastlaners@uprising.org.uk, twitter; @Fastlaners
The deadline is September 23rd and the programme starts on Monday 3rd October.

Ageing Better In Camden
Read the latest Ageing Better in Camden newsletter here.

Camden Patient Participation Groups Newsletter
Read the latest Camden Patent Participation Groups Newsletter online here.

Coram’s Fields, Macmillan, Evelyn Oldfield, Hopscotch Asian Women’s Centre; Age UK Camden and Camden PA are recruiting. See Jobs and Volunteers section below.

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

Libor Grants Under Fire
Money from Libor fines is being given to charities by the treasury in an opaque process that is increasingly coming under fire. Though it does give an insight into what the current government consider to be ‘good’ charities; The funding is to be used to “support military and emergency services charities and other related good causes that represent those that demonstrate the very best of values”
Read more here and here. .

See the Funding pages on VAC’s website for all the latest information.

OCS and Nesta announce £4m for older people’s volunteering projects
The Office for Civil Society and Nesta have launched three grant funds totalling £4m to encourage people over 50 to volunteer.
All three funds are open to organisations to apply for funding for and are the first to be funded through the second phase of the Centre for Social Action.
The three funds are:
~ The Second Half Fund – Sharing Time and Talents for Life: grants of up to £250,000 to support the growth of new ways of mobilising the time and talents of people aged over 50.
~ Join In Stay In: grants of up to £50,000 and significant non-financial support from behavioural science experts for organisations to undertake randomised controlled trials to understand what works best to encourage volunteers to continue to give their time regularly.
~ Give More Get More – Exploring Intensive Volunteering: grants of up to £100,000 to support organisations to trial intensive volunteering placements for people over 50 – approaching or in retirement – that work alongside public services. More details at the Gov website.

The Institute of Fundraising is hosting an event at City Hall on the 9th of November to help small charities to try and overcome their fundraising challenges.
Charities in London are vital for local communities, but many smaller charities are also facing a tough funding climate. This event at London City Hall is a chance for small charities from across the capital to hear fundraising experts talk about how best to fundraise from the public, and offer practical guidance and support to help raise funds for their work.
The event will be a mixture of presentations and workshops, hearing and learning from experts and peers in London’s charity sector on:
• How best to engage with those who may be willing to provide large one off donations to your charity.
• How best to ask members of the public for small, regular donations to support your cause.
• How to improve your community events and one off public fundraising activities.
The event is open to all small charities based within London completely free of charge. Spaces are allocated on a first come, first served basis.
Charities can register at the following link: http://www.institute-of-fundraising.org.uk/events-and-training/iofevents/conferences/small-charities-in-london-achieving-great-fundraising-in-your/.

Bringing people together
Origin Housing is a charitable housing and care provider, founded in the 1920’s as a slum clearance organisation but with a belief that “housing is not enough”.
Crowdfunder is working with Origin Housing to bring people together and build stronger communities in the north London and Hertfordshire area.
We have £13,500 of extra funding to distribute to projects that make those neighbourhoods a great place to live.
Add your idea to Crowdfunder and gather support to prove its potential impact.
When you hit 25% of your target, you could get up to 50% of your total fundraising target – up to £1,000. And once you hit your target, you can make your idea happen and make a difference.Find out more at http://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/plus/origin/origin-housing

Celebrate – A New Grants Programme from the Big Lottery Fund
When was the last time your local community came together? Grants of between £300 and £10,000 for groups to hold one off events or activities which celebrate their local community.
You could celebrate something from your community’s history or a local hero. Or maybe it could a chance to bring people together to get to know their neighbours better. Full details on the Big Lottery Website.

Deutsche Bank Small Grants Fund
If you are a charity, voluntary or community group with an income of less than £250,000 per annum and you need funding for work focusing on increasing social inclusion and improving well being, this fund may be able to help.
The focus of the Small Grants Fund is to help society’s most disadvantaged and communities on the ground.
Projects may fall into any of the following areas:
~ Projects that promote social inclusion, reduce isolation and disadvantage and improve access to services;
~ Projects that advance people’s physical and mental health, wellbeing and safety
~ Projects that maximize people’s ability to strengthen community cohesion and build social capacity
The maximum grant size is £5,000. The application is online here.

VAC’s Mental Health Training Programme for BMER groups
Are you a BMER group or do you work with BMER communities?
For more information about our any of our courses, please go to https://vac.org.uk/events/category/health-mental-health/. Click on the course you are interested in and follow the instructions to book your place and pay by card (if applicable). The charge for our Mental Health First Aid and Youth Mental Health First Aid training courses is heavily subsidised at only £25 per person. All other mental health workshops are free.
Please note that VAC can only accept bookings from organisations working with BMER communities based in Camden, or which serve Camden BMER residents. Places are limited on each course to a maximum of two people per organisation. Contact mentalhealthteam@vac.org.uk

VAC has a programme of courses coming up: Click here to find out more. All courses are £25 for members (unless otherwise stated).

Camden Safer Neighbourhoods Board Volunteers Fair and AGM
Wednesday 26 October, 6.30 pm, in the Council Chamber, Camden Town Hall, Judd Street, London WC1H 9JE. Come and find out what volunteering opportunities there are available in your area to help reduce crime and antisocial behaviour.
If you are a member of a voluntary/community organisation involved with crime prevention or crime reduction and you would like to recruit new volunteers, please email Peter Ward .

Tai Chi/ Chi Kung Demystified -move breath and meditate
Every Wednesday, 11:00-12:30 at YMCA oneKX 120 Cromer St, London WC1H 8BS – FREE
No need to book – just come along. Breath, relax, energise all ages and levels of experience welcome come along and see if it suits you. The classes are being supported by camden community sport and physical activity officer Andrew Gilbert.

October Volunteer Managers’ Forum + Lunch
18th October, 10.30am-2pm at Kentish Town Community Centre, 17 Busby Place, NW5 2SP
Join us at our next volunteer managers’ forum where we will look at all things volunteer management.
This forum will follow the ‘unconference’ format, which means you are the event organisers / participants on the day. You get out what you put in – so come prepared to muck in.
Integral to the forum will be meeting (and networking with) other volunteer managers in Camden – and lunch is included. Full details and book your free tickets on Eventbrite.

Sustainability and Transformation Plan (STP) – Camden Public Event – Invitation from local NHS and social care leaders
29th September 2016 6:00pm – 8:00pm at the The Camden Centre, Town Hall, Judd Street, WC1H
Health and social care services across the country are looking to the future. NHS England has asked commissioners and providers to develop local plans to improve your health and wellbeing; to enhance the quality of services you receive at the same time as reducing costs. Not an easy challenge!
But a challenge nevertheless that Barnet, Camden, Enfield, Haringey and Islington are trying to address through the development of a North Central London Sustainability and Transformation Plan. The plan will affect all of us, so local leaders aims to listen to local peoples’ views as part of its development and to involve local people in designing the changes as they take shape.
Senior members of the Sustainability and Transformation Plan Board, from Camden Council, Camden Clinical Commissioning Group and local NHS hospital trusts, would like to invite you to a public information meeting. This is an opportunity to find out more and ask questions about the Plan, its ambition and its impact on you and your community, and how you can be involved further.
You do not have to register to attend. If you have any accessibility requirements, including access arrangements for d/Deaf and disabled people, contact Denise Shaw on denise.shaw6@nhs.net.

Deaf Achieve
This is a Big Lottery funded project that will continue to deliver free workshops, health groups, job clubs, travel groups, financial capability training and one to one support until 2018. The end of February saw the completion of our first year. We are now well into our second year. These are for the deaf community, aged 18-65, living in any of the London boroughs. If want to know more information about Deaf Achieve please contact: deafachieve2@royaldeaf.org.uk.” also our website links http://www.royaldeaf.org.uk/news/sdfsd/

Creative Writing Course for brain injury survivors.
A series of six classes in October and November to help you learn more about the process of creative writing and appreciate your own ability to write creatively in some way. The course is intended to help you discover how to communicate through writing in a way that suits you by exploring what creative writing is, who writes creatively, why people write, where people write and how you can find your own way to write creatively.
To participate please email daniel.forsythe@headwaynorthlondon.org. £10 for the six classes.
St. Pancras Community Asoc, 67 Plender Street, NW1. 1:30 – 3:00 Thursdays 6 Oct – 17 Nov

Celebrating Parents and Carers Event
Free family fun day – ‘Healthy Lives and Healthy Minds’
Saturday 22nd October 2016, 2pm – 5pm
Haverstock School, 24 Haverstock Hill, NW3 2BQ
Please read this event brief before filling in the form
Every year we have our Celebrating Parents (in its 11th year) event during Parents week and we invite the Mayor and the Cabinet member for Children Schools and Families. This year’s theme for the event is ‘Healthy Lives and Healthy Minds’.

Black History Month at the British Library
On Thursday 6th October the British Library will host an evening of performances, lectures and discussion celebrating Black History Month, hosted by the British Library Labs Project and Eccles Centre for American Studies. The Library is offering a limited number of FREE tickets to Camden Residents. Get in touch with Emma.Morgan@bl.uk or 07595 464 363 for more details or to book.

Camden SAPB safeguarding adults conference
Working together towards lives free from abuse – 30 November 2016
This year’s conference will focus on how we can work together more efficiently and share information to keep Camden residents safe.
The conference will be an excellent opportunity for front-facing practitioners working with Camden communities to get together and share their experiences, as well as learn from each other’s practice.
A detailed conference programme will be circulated closer to the date. The event is free to attend for anyone working or volunteering with Camden adults, but we strongly advise booking your place early to avoid missing out.
The details of the event are as follows:
Wednesday, 30th November 2016
Holiday Inn Bloomsbury, Coram Street, London WC1N 1HT
09:00-17:00. Please arrive promptly, registration starts at 9am.
Book your place HERE.

Free HR training workshops for Camden voluntary and community groups
Many small to medium sized organisations do not have the resources to directly purchase HR support on an ongoing basis. In our experience, badly handled employment issues in small to medium sized organisations can destabilise the organisation and affect its delivery.
A robust HR function enables organisations to be more sustainable by strengthening the leadership of an organisation, supporting staff, trustees and volunteers effectively and by preventing crises.
The Communities and Third Sector team at Camden Council are pleased to be able to offer Camden voluntary and community groups a series of HR training workshops. The workshops are free and will take place between 9.45 and 1pm at the Town Hall Judd Street.
The workshops are for managers and trustees of voluntary and community groups based in Camden. To book a place on the workshops that you would like to attend, please click on the Eventbrite links.
HR Essentials Wednesday 28th September 2016
The aim of this workshop is to raise the awareness of potential and new employers about employment legislation and good practice in the workplace.
http://hr-essentials.eventbrite.co.uk
Managing Poor Performance through Capability Wednesday 19th October 2016
This workshop will focus on managing employees who are underperforming due to lack of capability
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/managing-poor-performance-through-capability-tickets-27066873748
Managing Misconduct Wednesday 16th November 2016
This workshop will focus on managing employees who are underperforming due to misconduct
The training will reflect the ACAS Code of Practice on disciplinary and grievance procedures.
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/managing-misconduct-registration-27067000126
Handling Workplace Investigations Wednesday 7th December 2016
There are many occasions when an employer may wish to undertake an internal investigation including as part of the disciplinary and grievance process
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/handling-workplace-investigations-registration-27067050276
Staff Appraisals Thursday 12th January 2017
Appraisal is a two-way process of looking backwards to analyse past job performance, and looking forward into the future with a view to improving future performance.
The overall objective of an effective appraisal scheme should be to help each employee to maximise his or her job performance for the joint benefit of the employee and the organisation.
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/staff-appraisals-registration-27067569830
Managing Sickness Absence Thursday 9th February 2017
The aim of this workshop is to increase managers’ confidence and ability to manage staff absence.
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/managing-sickness-absence-registration-27067617974
Managing Restructure Wednesday 15th March 2017
Many voluntary and community organisations are considering some kind of restructuring in response to the current economic climate. This might include closing a team, amalgamating core functions, general downsizing or some sort of relocation.
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/managing-a-restructure-registration-27067674142
Managing Difficult Conversations at Work Wednesday 12th April 2017
Most of us dislike confrontation; we sometimes avoid it which can often lead to even more difficulty, misunderstandings and possible conflict.
In the current climate of continued economic uncertainty, we may find ourselves working with reduced budgets, constant organisational change and ongoing performance issues, as people try to make sense of all this.
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/managing-difficult-conversations-at-work-registration-27067711253
The workshops will be run by Shirley Briggs. Shirley is an independent HR consultant. Her background is in social housing where she worked as a HR manager for a number of large housing associations. She managed the PEACe (HR) service at LVSC from 2006-2016 supporting many hundreds of voluntary and community organisations with HR and employment law advice, consultancy and training. She is also a trained workplace mediator.

Camden Intergenerational Network
Thursday 29th September 2016 at Age UK Camden, Tavis House, 1-6 Tavistock Square WC1H 9NA from 10am-12pm. Please email items for the agenda to Corinna Gray by Friday 16th September 2016.
Keep in touch via Ageing Better in Camden’s dedicated CIN web page.
Read the full network newsletter here.

‘Made of Money’ is running a 2 day Facilitator Training in London on 5th – 6th October 2016
We also offer ‘in house’ trainings for any organisation or group of organisations to suit you.
‘Made of Money’ is an award winning financial literacy resource, developed by anti-poverty charity Quaker Social Action. It aims to help groups talk about money and its impact on their lives, as well as learn vital money management skills. It is ideal to help front line workers offer support to those on low income, particularly in the run up to the introduction of Universal Credit, and welfare benefit changes.
The cost per person for the 2-day training, (incl lunch), depending on the size of your organisation (£100 for small organisations).
You will also need a set of workshop resources, charged at a subsidised rate of £115. This gives you everything you need to run Made of with groups and 1:1 sessions. (These can be shared within the organisation or between groups of organisations)
Contact mompartner@qsa.org.uk

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

Holborn Community Association have two vacancies
Administrator (PT)
who will take on administration and finance duties across all three HCA sites.
An opportunity has arisen to join Holborn Community Association, a growing & exciting community charity in WC1 – a great location to work in. We are seeking a team player who will bring a clear head and systematic approach to their duties across HCA – including administration, reception and finance responsibilities. Most importantly you’ll be enthusiastic about the work that we do and the community we work with. In return we can offer a varied role in a great, fun place to work.
Due to redevelopment plans for our Bedford House site we are currently advertising this role on a short term basis although there may be opportunity for extension following the period detailed in the contract.
Hours per week: 30 Salary: NJC Scale pt 19 currently £21,781 pro rata (inclusive of London weighting)
Fixed term contract October 2016 – 31 March 2017.
Full DBS (CRB) check will be required
Closing Date: Monday 3rd October 2016 at 12 noon.
Interviews will be held Thursday 13th October 2016
Caretaker
who will take on caretaker duties across all three HCA sites.
Following the retirement of our current caretaker Holborn Community Association is seeking a new caretaker. Working across all three of our centres you will be able to take on general repairs, cleaning and arranging specific work with contractors. Most importantly you’ll be enthusiastic about the work that we do and the community we work with. In return we can offer a varied role in a fun place to work.
Due to redevelopment plans for our Bedford House site we are currently advertising this role on a short term basis although there may be opportunity for extension following the initial period
Hours per week: 22 Salary: 18,612 per annum (pro rata) NJC Scale pt 11
Fixed term contract October 2016 – 31 March 2017.
Full DBS (CRB) check will be required. Closing Date: Monday 3rd October 2016 at 12 noon.
Information packs and application forms are available on our website www.holborncommunity.co.uk or by emailing admin@holborncommunity.co.uk

Opening Doors London seeks Memory Club Group Coordinator for older LGBT* people
Approx. 10 hours per month Zero hours contract £15.49
Closing Date: Friday 30th September 2016 – 9 am
Opening Doors London is seeking to recruit a Memory Club Group Coordinator for older LGBT* people.
The purpose of the role is to deliver a structured and facilitated memory and dementia support group by coordinating a varied, interesting and accessible programme of training, talks and cultural activities for Opening Doors London service users, including opportunities for peer support. The support group is for people with dementia, their carers, family and friends.
With the help of volunteers you will be responsible for setting up and managing social groups, organising activities, speakers and volunteers, arranging venues and refreshments.
If you are interested in applying for this role, please see the application pack including the full job description and person specification at the following link in our website www.ageukcamden.org.uk or email jobs@ageukcamden.org.uk.

Kilburn Older Voices Exchange (KOVE) seeks Assistant Co-ordinator
32 hours per month. (£4,438 – eight months) Initial contract from 1stNovember 2016 to 30th June 2017
KOVE requires an Assistant Coordinator to help with organising its community projects. KOVE is a registered charity and we are committed to raising the voice of older people in the Kilburn and West Hampstead area. We are a dynamic community-action initiative, working in partnership with Ageing Better in Camden, funded by the Big Lottery.
The Purpose of the job:
• To engage with and encourage older people to participate in KOVE activities and projects
• On occasions to work with and deputise for the KOVE Coordinator at meetings
• To organise activities and projects
• To assist with the planning of KOVE’s Ageing Better programme.
KOVE’s dynamic community programme includes Bench to Bench walks, cinema club, community forums for older people, the KOVEwatchers initiative and campaigning on issues that older people have raised e.g. the need for community seating, safer road crossings, community toilet scheme and accessible public transport.
This post is based on the successful applicant working freelance. Monthly payments will be made on receipt of an invoice. The post holder will be responsible for his/her own income tax and national insurance contributions.
For application information please contact: Mel Wright, KOVE Coordinator: mel.wright@kove.org.uk

Coram’s Fields Seeks 2 Workers
Sessional Youth Worker and Sessional Sports Worker
Hours: Evenings (as and when required) Rate: £9.40 per hour
This is a fantastic opportunity for a highly motivated individual who shares our passion for helping all young people to reach their potential to join our Youth and Sport Team. Coram’s Fields is a well-established, independent Children’s Charity located in the London Borough of Camden which delivers a range of high quality services for young people aged 6-19 years old.
If you require further information about the roles or wish to apply please contact Jonathan: jonathan@coramsfields.org.uk or naz@coramsfields.org.uk
Closing date: 12 pm Friday 7th October 2016
Interview date: week beginning Monday 10th October 2016 (TBC) www.coramsfields.org

2016 Camden Volunteer Awards – nominations invited
Volunteer Centre Camden are hosting the 2016 Camden Volunteer Awards at the Camden Centre in King’s Cross on Thursday 24 November.
The evening will be a celebration of the achievements of Camden’s volunteers. Camden organisations can nominate one or two individual volunteers or one group of volunteers. The closing date for nominations is 5pm on Thursday 27 October. Volunteers can be nominated online. If you need a paper form, please email Sheila Norris at sheila@volunteercentrecamden.org.uk or call 020 7424 9990.

Macmillan Volunteers Wanted
Can you spare a few hours a week to provide practical and emotional support at a difficult time to someone affected by cancer so they can start to feel more in control? Make your time matter so that no one in Camden and Islington faces cancer alone. The support you give can either be one off or once a week for up to 12 weeks. Visits last approximately 1-2hours per week.
Support from our Buddies could include:
• A listening ear and someone to talk to
• Having a chat and a cup of tea
• Simple household tasks eg ironing
• Light shopping
• Accompanying the person affected by cancer to a local cafe or public place
• Signposting other services in the community
For further information regarding this volunteer opportunity visit our volunteer village:
https://volunteering.macmillan.org.uk/Opportunity/Details/4191
Call: 07860 950 922 Email: nlondonbuddies@macmillan.org.uk

Hopscotch Asian Women’s Centre recruiting a number of Posts
Hopscotch Asian Women’s Centre is currently recruiting for an exciting new Big Lottery/ESF funded employment project. I would be grateful if you could forward the vacancies on to your contacts.
Please see below for details:
Employer Engagement Worker
35 hrs per week 3 year contract £32,200 incl. ILW
Closing date: Wednesday 5th October 2016 at 12.00pm
Administrative and Finance Assistant
35 hrs per week 3 year contract £20,645 incl. ILW
Closing date: Wednesday 5th October 2016 at 12.00pm
For an informal discussion about the post, please contact Isabelle Terrisson, Senior Operations Manager. For all other details and an application pack, please contact Ruksana Begum:
Tel: 020 7388 8198 E-mail: info@hopscotchawc.org.uk Web: www.hopscotchawc.org.uk

Trustees Wanted
Volunteer Centre Camden are seeking trustees and a treasurer. Contact dominic@volunteercentrecamden.org.uk if you are interested.

Opening Doors London seeks Community Outreach Officer [LGBT* Connect]
7 hours per week Hourly rate: £15.49
Area to be covered: London Borough of Camden
Opening Doors London (ODL) is the largest service working with and for older LGBT* people in the UK, and is in a unique position to assess the need for, and impact of, focused work with this largely under recognised and often marginalised group. This is an exciting opportunity to join the ODL team as we have just become a charity with our own Board of Trustees and are looking to develop our services across the whole of London.
We are recruiting a worker to support work with older lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans* (LGBT*) people in and around the London borough of Camden as part of the LGBT* Connect project.
LGBT* Connect is a partnership of older Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Trans* (LGBT*) people and a number of Camden organisations, working together to reconnect older LGBT* people to local networks, both to improve their wellbeing and to strengthen local communities.
With the help of your line manager and volunteers you will work with members of the older LGBT* community to help them to set up and manage social groups. You will have a focus on finding isolated individuals within and around Camden who may not have heard of the service. You will also be responsible for leading on the collection and inputting of monitoring and evaluation data for the project.
If you are interested in this role please see the application pack including the full job description and person specification at www.ageukcamden.org.uk or email jobs@ageukcamden.org.uk.
Closing date: Monday 26th September 2016 – 9.15 am

Are you looking to employ an assistant to help with your care needs? CamdenPAs can help
CamdenPAs.org.uk is a new service that makes it easy to find a personal assistant (PA) and puts you in control of your care and support.
If you have care needs, you can employ a PA to help you to live as independently as possible.
CamdenPAs features an online ‘marketplace’ for you to browse through a list of profiles of PAs in the borough. Profiles give details about the services they provide, their skills, experience and personal interests.
You can look through the list to find suitable matches and choose someone you like to help support you.
When you find a match you can contact the PA to arrange an interview and see how you get on. If you like them you can then work out contract details such as hours, duties and wages, and hire them.
If you do not find anyone suitable, you can set up your own a profile describing your requirements and interests, for PAs to look through and contact you.
You can employ a PA whether you receive a direct payment or fund your own care. If you receive direct payments you can get support with the employment from Personalised Support In Camden or AgeUK Camden.
Become a PA
If you’re a PA looking for work or are just starting out, CamdenPAs can help you. As well as helping you finding a job, the site features advice on looking for work, becoming a PA and where to get training.
Why not set up your profile today? Find out more, visit: camdenpas.org.uk or phone: 020 7278 4437

Find Jobs and Volunteering opportunities at https://www.vac.org.uk/

Opportunity for capital funding for VCS organisations in King’s Cross Ward
The Council is in receipt of money arising from a property development in King’s Cross Ward, as a result of Section 106 (S106) obligations on property developers, under Camden’s Planning Guidance.
This opportunity relates only to money provided to improve community facilities, it does not relate to S106 money received for other purposes, such as infrastructure and parks and open spaces.
The community building or facility must be one of the following:
• Owned by the organisation
• Occupied on a long-term lease
• Owned by the council
If your voluntary & community sector organisation would like to make a proposal for S106 capital money for community facilities, and your premises and service provision fits these criteria, please contact jeff.hopwood@camden.gov.uk and adam.demosthenous@camden.gov.uk (please use both to ensure a swift response).
A proposal form will be supplied, to easily enable response to the following:
• A brief description of the proposal, including how much money you are seeking – an estimate is fine at this stage
• Any relevant deadlines
The form will also ask for information about:
• How an allocation would ensure that the recipient’s facilities are available for the local community
• Whether the organisation or facility has received S106 Community Facilities funding before
• Whether the capital project has any match funding or pledges of match funding
• How the proposal will address Camden Plan priorities and the Council’s investment tests:
www.camden.gov.uk/camdenplan
www.camden.gov.uk/ccm/content/council-and-democracy/publications-and-finances/twocolumn/camden-financial-challenge-.en?page=3.
Proposal forms will need to be returned by the 14th October 2016, officers intend to consider the proposals during October, and discuss with ward members and relevant Cabinet Members. Decisions are expected to be made by the beginning of November. Queries to Jeff or Adam as above

Camden Consultations
You can find all Camden consultation on the Wearecamden consultation hub.

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 on the online form here.

Camden Funders Fair; New Address for VAC; Cloud Nine Festival; Free HR Courses for Camden Organisations; Opportunity for capital funding for VCS organisations in King’s Cross Ward; Help to Run Somers Town Futures; NHS Sustainability and Transformation Plan;Camden Special Parents Forum; Camden Safer Neighbourhoods Board Volunteers Fair and AGM; October Volunteer Managers’ Forum; Fastlaners; City Lit places for adults with learning disabilities; Camden Funders Fair + funding jobs, volunteers, events, training, offers and resources.

Thursday 22nd September 9.30am-12.30am
Wellcome Collection, 183 Euston Road, London NW1 2BE
Voluntary Action Camden (VAC) and Business in the Community (BitC) are delighted to invite you to take part in a Funders Fair on the morning of 22nd September at the Wellcome Collection.
We are inviting all of the major independent funders; including the local Camden based trusts and businesses with community funds. They will be invited to have a pitch and to meet with voluntary and community organisation with the aim of matching your aspirations and ideas with the funding priorities and criteria of the independent funders.
Voluntary and community organisations play an invaluable role in connecting and sustaining communities and providing vital services. Strong and vibrant communities are going to be key to the wellbeing of local residents and the strength of neighbourhoods in the coming years. You will be very well aware of the challenges currently being faced by local organisations and this event is an attempt to help you find a way to meet these challenges.
The event is for voluntary and community organisations with a focus on groups with a turnover of under £100,000. You will have the opportunity to personally meet the funders, hear about their funding pots and book a twenty minute spot to discuss your proposed project in greater detail. After the event VAC will be offering you 1-1 bid writing support.
This is a great opportunity to make new contacts and secure new sources of income. If you would like any further information please do contact Simone at VAC on 020 7284 6555. Fax 020 7284 6551. Email. shensby@vac.org.uk
All places must be booked in advance. To book a place email acharles@vac.org.uk and let us know if you have any specific requirements.

Farewell Kentish Town
From the end of September Voluntary Action Camden will be based in the same building as West Euston Partnership at 29- 31 Hampstead Rd, London NW1 3JA. Email addresses and phone numbers remain the same.
As part of the move process we will be disposing of lots of surplus furniture (desks and cabinets etc) and miscellaneous items including a portable loop. Register your interest: acharles@vac.org.uk

Cloud Nine Festival
Saturday 17th September, 11am – 4pm, Cumberland Market, NW1 3RH. A free outdoor family fund day creatively exploring arts and well being. www.westeutonpartnership.co.uk, www.diorama-arts.org.uk, www.fantasyhighstreet.org.uk, #cloud9camden

Free HR Courses for Camden Organisations
The Communities and Third Sector team at Camden Council are pleased to be able to offer Camden voluntary and community groups a series of HR training workshops. The workshops are free and will take place between 9.45 and 1pm at the Town Hall Judd Street. See Other Events section below for full details.

Opportunity for capital funding for VCS organisations in King’s Cross Ward
The Council is in receipt of money arising from a property development in King’s Cross Ward, as a result of Section 106 (S106) obligations on property developers, under Camden’s Planning Guidance.
This opportunity relates only to money provided to improve community facilities, it does not relate to S106 money received for other purposes, such as infrastructure and parks and open spaces.
The community building or facility must be one of the following:
• Owned by the organisation
• Occupied on a long-term lease
• Owned by the council
If your voluntary & community sector organisation would like to make a proposal for S106 capital money for community facilities, and your premises and service provision fits these criteria, please contact jeff.hopwood@camden.gov.uk and adam.demosthenous@camden.gov.uk (please use both to ensure a swift response).
A proposal form will be supplied, to easily enable response to the following:
• A brief description of the proposal, including how much money you are seeking – an estimate is fine at this stage
• Any relevant deadlines
The form will also ask for information about:
• How an allocation would ensure that the recipient’s facilities are available for the local community
• Whether the organisation or facility has received S106 Community Facilities funding before
• Whether the capital project has any match funding or pledges of match funding
• How the proposal will address Camden Plan priorities and the Council’s investment tests:
www.camden.gov.uk/camdenplan
www.camden.gov.uk/ccm/content/council-and-democracy/publications-and-finances/twocolumn/camden-financial-challenge-.en?page=3.
Proposal forms will need to be returned by the 14th October 2016, officers intend to consider the proposals during October, and discuss with ward members and relevant Cabinet Members. Decisions are expected to be made by the beginning of November. Queries to Jeff or Adam as above.

Help to Run Somers Town Futures
Come along on Saturday 24th September 10 AM- 2 PM at Training Link, 54 – 56 Phoenix Road , NW1
Somers Town has been awarded a grant of £1m to help make our local community an even better place to live.
The award was made by Local Trust and Big Lottery together and is known as a Big Local grant – one of 150 awards made to communities around England.
This is an exciting opportunity to use £1m to make a massive and lasting difference to Somers Town. It’s about bringing together the local talent, ambitions, skills and ideas from local residents, community groups and local organisations who want to make our neighbourhood a cleaner, brighter, safer and livelier place to live and work.
Who are the key people? You are! This is about putting residents in charge – Residents will plan, manage and deliver our funding programmes and activities. The residents of Somers Town know what’s needed and have the solutions to make a lasting and positive difference. We have 10 years to use our £1 million grant to make a big difference locally. It is vital that we get as many residents and community groups as possible involved. We must make sure that everybody in our area feels part of
Somers Town Big Local so that the changes and improvements we make reflect what people want and need. It’s your shout – get involved!
Some residents have already made a start. This is the Somers Town Futures group who did all the work needed to pull down the £1 m funding.
Now we need more residents to join the group to help guide and shape The Future of Somers Town
If you would like to join the Somers Town Futures Residents Group please email len@somerstownfutures.co.uk or call 07415 040 965 for more information.

Sustainability and Transformation Plan (STP) – Camden Public Event – Invitation from local NHS and social care leaders
29th September 2016 6:00pm – 8:00pm at the The Camden Centre, Town Hall, Judd Street, WC1H
Health and social care services across the country are looking to the future. NHS England has asked commissioners and providers to develop local plans to improve your health and wellbeing; to enhance the quality of services you receive at the same time as reducing costs. Not an easy challenge!
But a challenge nevertheless that Barnet, Camden, Enfield, Haringey and Islington are trying to address through the development of a North Central London Sustainability and Transformation Plan. The plan will affect all of us, so local leaders aims to listen to local peoples’ views as part of its development and to involve local people in designing the changes as they take shape.
Senior members of the Sustainability and Transformation Plan Board, from Camden Council, Camden Clinical Commissioning Group and local NHS hospital trusts, would like to invite you to a public information meeting. This is an opportunity to find out more and ask questions about the Plan, its ambition and its impact on you and your community, and how you can be involved further.
You do not have to register to attend. If you have any accessibility requirements, including access arrangements for d/Deaf and disabled people, contact Denise Shaw on denise.shaw6@nhs.net.

Camden Special Parents Forum Wednesday 21st September, 10am – 12pm
at the Lumen Centre, Russell Square.
All Camden parents and carers of a child or young person with SEND are welcome.
please email or text : Rachel.Dixon@kids.org.uk or text 07587 039033.
f: https://www.facebook.com/CamdenSpecialParentsForum
Camden Special Parents Forum, for Parents and Carers of Children & Young People with Special Education Needs

Camden Safer Neighbourhoods Board Volunteers Fair and AGM
Wednesday 26 October, 6.30 pm, in the Council Chamber, Camden Town Hall, Judd Street, London WC1H 9JE. Come and find out what volunteering opportunities there are available in your area to help reduce crime and antisocial behaviour.
If you are a member of a voluntary/community organisation involved with crime prevention or crime reduction and you would like to recruit new volunteers, please email Peter Ward .

October Volunteer Managers’ Forum + Lunch
10.30am-2pm at Kentish Town Community Centre, 17 Busby Place, NW5 2SP
Join us at our next volunteer managers’ forum where we will look at all things volunteer management.
This forum will follow the ‘unconference’ format, which means you are the event organisers / participants on the day. You get out what you put in – so come prepared to muck in.
Integral to the forum will be meeting (and networking with) other volunteer managers in Camden – and lunch is included. Full details and book your free tickets on Eventbrite.

Fastlaners helps 18 – 25 year olds looking for support to get into work
Fastlaners is a 2 week programme designed to equip participants with the knowledge, networks, skills, and confidence to improve their job prospects and find meaningful employment. Participants meet professionals from a range of industries, building their employability skills and personal development: they receive mentoring, participate in mock interviews, network with recruitment professionals, and develop the confidence to secure fulfilling employment.
In addition to two weeks of full-time workshops and opportunities to meet employers, Fastlaners also offers participants ongoing support to find work. Our Fastlaners Programme Coordinator will work on a one-to-one basis to identify well-suited vacancies, support with application and interview prep, and then be on hand with any work-based questions participants may have.
We are looking for 30 young people aged 18-25 who are looking for some support to get into work to join our programme. Participants must be 18 – 25 years old, able to attend sessions in central London; have existing qualifications (A-Levels, or equivalent, as a minimum); be currently unemployed (those on zero-hours contracts may be accepted if they meet other criteria)
uprising.org.uk/fastlaners, or email: fastlaners@uprising.org.uk, twitter; @Fastlaners
The deadline is September 23rd and the programme starts on Monday 3rd October.

The City Lit still have a few places left for adults with learning disabilities
The courses start next week. The vacancies are in these classes:
Act and Perform; Change The World; Connect2Tech; Dance Workshop; Hands On Science; Make Your Movie; Sing Together; Tell Your Story
See the prospectus for more details of each course.
If you are interested in any of these classes for a client or service user, please email me at this address to arrange an enrolment appointment. If you are interested in any of our other classes (which are currently full), we can put people on the waiting list as places can come up later in the term.
Paul Nevitt | Administrator | Learning Disability and Speech Therapy | 020 7492 2586 |City Lit | 1-10 Keeley Street London WC2B 4BA | paul.nevitt@citylit.ac.uk | www.citylit.ac.uk

Ageing Better In Camden
Read the latest Ageing Better in Camden newsletter here.

Camden Patient Participation Groups Newsletter
Read the latest Camden Patent Participation Groups Newsletter online here.

Coram’s Fields, Macmillan, Evelyn Oldfield, Hopscotch Asian Women’s Centre; Home Start Camden; Age UK Camden and Camden PA are recruiting. See Jobs and Volunteers section below.

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

Digital transformation, technology and local public services: Camden and beyond
Cllr Blackwell, Cabinet member for Finance, Technology and Growth gives an account of digital transformation in Camden. Read the full piece here.

Londoners back Mayor’s plan to tackle pollution in the capital
Londoners have backed the Mayor of London in record numbers to press ahead with expanding the Ultra-Low Emission Zone and introduce a major early crackdown on the most polluting vehicles to clean up the capital’s filthy air. Full story here.

Why refugee and migrant women aren’t able to learn English in the UK – and what we can do about it
Speaking English is essential for integration, empowerment and economic opportunity in the UK, but today our research reveals that vulnerable refugee women living here face significant barriers to learning the language. Current provision of English education in the UK is not meeting the complex needs of vulnerable female refugees and migrants, leaving them unable to reach their full potential in UK society. Full story here.

See the Funding pages on VAC’s website for all the latest information.

The Institute of Fundraising is hosting an event at City Hall on the 9th of November to help small charities to try and overcome their fundraising challenges.
Charities in London are vital for local communities, but many smaller charities are also facing a tough funding climate. This event at London City Hall is a chance for small charities from across the capital to hear fundraising experts talk about how best to fundraise from the public, and offer practical guidance and support to help raise funds for their work.
The event will be a mixture of presentations and workshops, hearing and learning from experts and peers in London’s charity sector on:
• How best to engage with those who may be willing to provide large one off donations to your charity.
• How best to ask members of the public for small, regular donations to support your cause.
• How to improve your community events and one off public fundraising activities.
The event is open to all small charities based within London completely free of charge. Spaces are allocated on a first come, first served basis.
Charities can register at the following link: http://www.institute-of-fundraising.org.uk/events-and-training/iofevents/conferences/small-charities-in-london-achieving-great-fundraising-in-your/.

Bringing people together
Origin Housing is a charitable housing and care provider, founded in the 1920’s as a slum clearance organisation but with a belief that “housing is not enough”.
Crowdfunder is working with Origin Housing to bring people together and build stronger communities in the north London and Hertfordshire area.
We have £13,500 of extra funding to distribute to projects that make those neighbourhoods a great place to live.
Add your idea to Crowdfunder and gather support to prove its potential impact.
When you hit 25% of your target, you could get up to 50% of your total fundraising target – up to £1,000. And once you hit your target, you can make your idea happen and make a difference.Find out more at http://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/plus/origin/origin-housing

Celebrate – A New Grants Programme from the Big Lottery Fund
When was the last time your local community came together? Grants of between £300 and £10,000 for groups to hold one off events or activities which celebrate their local community.
You could celebrate something from your community’s history or a local hero. Or maybe it could a chance to bring people together to get to know their neighbours better. Full details on the Big Lottery Website.

Deutsche Bank Small Grants Fund
If you are a charity, voluntary or community group with an income of less than £250,000 per annum and you need funding for work focusing on increasing social inclusion and improving well being, this fund may be able to help.
The focus of the Small Grants Fund is to help society’s most disadvantaged and communities on the ground.
Projects may fall into any of the following areas:
~ Projects that promote social inclusion, reduce isolation and disadvantage and improve access to services;
~ Projects that advance people’s physical and mental health, wellbeing and safety
~ Projects that maximize people’s ability to strengthen community cohesion and build social capacity
The maximum grant size is £5,000. The application is online here.

VAC’s Mental Health Training Programme for BMER groups
Are you a BMER group or do you work with BMER communities?
For more information about our any of our courses, please go to https://vac.org.uk/events/category/health-mental-health/. Click on the course you are interested in and follow the instructions to book your place and pay by card (if applicable). The charge for our Mental Health First Aid and Youth Mental Health First Aid training courses is heavily subsidised at only £25 per person. All other mental health workshops are free.
Please note that VAC can only accept bookings from organisations working with BMER communities based in Camden, or which serve Camden BMER residents. Places are limited on each course to a maximum of two people per organisation. Contact mentalhealthteam@vac.org.uk

VAC has a programme of courses coming up: Click here to find out more. All courses are £25 for members (unless otherwise stated).

Deaf Achieve
This is a Big Lottery funded project that will continue to deliver free workshops, health groups, job clubs, travel groups, financial capability training and one to one support until 2018. The end of February saw the completion of our first year. We are now well into our second year. These are for the deaf community, aged 18-65, living in any of the London boroughs. If want to know more information about Deaf Achieve please contact: deafachieve2@royaldeaf.org.uk.” also our website links http://www.royaldeaf.org.uk/news/sdfsd/

Focus groups with residents to develop a new employment initiative for people with a mental health problem.
The current employment support service ‘Mental Health Working’ is coming to an end in 2017. This helps people to get into work, training and education. We know that by supporting people in this way we can improve their wellbeing and physical health and break down stigma.
We anticipate going to tender later this year for a new service to start in summer 2017. We’d like people to help us review the current programme and to see how we can further strengthen and refine our employment support into the future.
There will be two focus groups and refreshments will be provided).
Thursday 22 September 2016 from 1.00pm to 3.00pm at 5 Pancras Square London N1C 4AG.
or: Wednesday 28 September 2016 from 2.00pm to 4.00pm at Camden Town Hall, Judd Street London WC1H 9JE.
If people would like to book a place, or if they have any queries, they should contact Frank Dove Strategy Officer, L B Camden, on 020 7974 4435, franklin.dove@camden.gov.uk. Please respond by Friday 16 September.

Creative Writing Course for brain injury survivors.
A series of six classes in October and November to help you learn more about the process of creative writing and appreciate your own ability to write creatively in some way. The course is intended to help you discover how to communicate through writing in a way that suits you by exploring what creative writing is, who writes creatively, why people write, where people write and how you can find your own way to write creatively.
To participate please email daniel.forsythe@headwaynorthlondon.org. £10 for the six classes.
St. Pancras Community Asoc, 67 Plender Street, NW1. 1:30 – 3:00 Thursdays 6 Oct – 17 Nov

Celebrating Parents and Carers Event
Free family fun day – ‘Healthy Lives and Healthy Minds’
Saturday 22nd October 2016, 2pm – 5pm
Haverstock School, 24 Haverstock Hill, NW3 2BQ
Please read this event brief before filling in the form
Every year we have our Celebrating Parents (in its 11th year) event during Parents week and we invite the Mayor and the Cabinet member for Children Schools and Families. This year’s theme for the event is ‘Healthy Lives and Healthy Minds’.

Camden Clinical Commissioning Group’s (CCG) Annual General Meeting 2016
Thursday, 22 September 2016 from 12:30 to 15:30
The AGM will include a look back at Camden CCG’s key achievements in 2015/16 from CCG Chair Caz Sayer, and a presentation looking forward to future developments, in particularly Camden’s Local Care Strategy, our vision for a more integrated and responsive local health and care system. There will also be an opportunity for attendees to put questions to the CCG’s Chair and Governing Body in a panel discussion, and you will be able to continue the discussion afterwards over tea or coffee.
If you have any questions or difficulty booking online please email: camdengp.events@nhs.net

Black History Month at the British Library
On Thursday 6th October the British Library will host an evening of performances, lectures and discussion celebrating Black History Month, hosted by the British Library Labs Project and Eccles Centre for American Studies. The Library is offering a limited number of FREE tickets to Camden Residents. Get in touch with Emma.Morgan@bl.uk or 07595 464 363 for more details or to book.

YPFI is holding a Disability Awareness Training
Afternoon on the 23rd September 14:00 – 16:30
Come and join the YPFI team whilst they deliver their fantastic training programme and improve your disability awareness and confidence.
Attendees will not only receive 2 and a half hours of training from YPFI but a follow-up email resource pack full of information and links to further their knowledge.
Our training is normally delivered in-house to companies and organisations so this is a fantastic opportunity to get a taste of what we can provide. And all for only £30 per person.
For more information about us check out our Twitter @YPFI or our website http://www.ypfi.org.uk

Camden SAPB safeguarding adults conference
Working together towards lives free from abuse – 30 November 2016
This year’s conference will focus on how we can work together more efficiently and share information to keep Camden residents safe.
The conference will be an excellent opportunity for front-facing practitioners working with Camden communities to get together and share their experiences, as well as learn from each other’s practice.
A detailed conference programme will be circulated closer to the date. The event is free to attend for anyone working or volunteering with Camden adults, but we strongly advise booking your place early to avoid missing out.
The details of the event are as follows:
Wednesday, 30th November 2016
Holiday Inn Bloomsbury, Coram Street, London WC1N 1HT
09:00-17:00. Please arrive promptly, registration starts at 9am.
Book your place HERE.

Free HR training workshops for Camden voluntary and community groups
Many small to medium sized organisations do not have the resources to directly purchase HR support on an ongoing basis. In our experience, badly handled employment issues in small to medium sized organisations can destabilise the organisation and affect its delivery.
A robust HR function enables organisations to be more sustainable by strengthening the leadership of an organisation, supporting staff, trustees and volunteers effectively and by preventing crises.
The Communities and Third Sector team at Camden Council are pleased to be able to offer Camden voluntary and community groups a series of HR training workshops. The workshops are free and will take place between 9.45 and 1pm at the Town Hall Judd Street.
The workshops are for managers and trustees of voluntary and community groups based in Camden. To book a place on the workshops that you would like to attend, please click on the Eventbrite links.
HR Essentials Wednesday 28th September 2016
The aim of this workshop is to raise the awareness of potential and new employers about employment legislation and good practice in the workplace.
http://hr-essentials.eventbrite.co.uk
Managing Poor Performance through Capability Wednesday 19th October 2016
This workshop will focus on managing employees who are underperforming due to lack of capability
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/managing-poor-performance-through-capability-tickets-27066873748
Managing Misconduct Wednesday 16th November 2016
This workshop will focus on managing employees who are underperforming due to misconduct
The training will reflect the ACAS Code of Practice on disciplinary and grievance procedures.
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/managing-misconduct-registration-27067000126
Handling Workplace Investigations Wednesday 7th December 2016
There are many occasions when an employer may wish to undertake an internal investigation including as part of the disciplinary and grievance process
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/handling-workplace-investigations-registration-27067050276
Staff Appraisals Thursday 12th January 2017
Appraisal is a two-way process of looking backwards to analyse past job performance, and looking forward into the future with a view to improving future performance.
The overall objective of an effective appraisal scheme should be to help each employee to maximise his or her job performance for the joint benefit of the employee and the organisation.
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/staff-appraisals-registration-27067569830
Managing Sickness Absence Thursday 9th February 2017
The aim of this workshop is to increase managers’ confidence and ability to manage staff absence.
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/managing-sickness-absence-registration-27067617974
Managing Restructure Wednesday 15th March 2017
Many voluntary and community organisations are considering some kind of restructuring in response to the current economic climate. This might include closing a team, amalgamating core functions, general downsizing or some sort of relocation.
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/managing-a-restructure-registration-27067674142
Managing Difficult Conversations at Work Wednesday 12th April 2017
Most of us dislike confrontation; we sometimes avoid it which can often lead to even more difficulty, misunderstandings and possible conflict.
In the current climate of continued economic uncertainty, we may find ourselves working with reduced budgets, constant organisational change and ongoing performance issues, as people try to make sense of all this.
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/managing-difficult-conversations-at-work-registration-27067711253
The workshops will be run by Shirley Briggs. Shirley is an independent HR consultant. Her background is in social housing where she worked as a HR manager for a number of large housing associations. She managed the PEACe (HR) service at LVSC from 2006-2016 supporting many hundreds of voluntary and community organisations with HR and employment law advice, consultancy and training. She is also a trained workplace mediator.

What are your views of the police use of their Stop and Search powers?
Do you think Stop and Search helps prevent knife crime or maybe you think it contributes to the alienation of sections of our community?
Why not join Camden’s Stop and Search Monitoring Group? We meet several times a year with senior police officers to discuss reports into the use of Stop and Search in the Borough. We are careful to identify groups that have been disproportionately stopped. Prior to the meetings, some members of the monitoring group, including young people, dip sample ‘Stop slips’ and question the grounds for the stops.
The next meeting of the Monitoring group will be taking place on Tuesday 20 September at 6.30 pm. If you are interested in attending please email Peter Ward or for more information check out the Stop and Search page on the Camden Safer Neighbourhood Board website.

Third Age Project Respect for the Elderly Day
2—4 pm Monday 19th September 2016
Workshops on Origami, Calligraphy, Japanese Language & greetings,
music, Japan knowledge quiz, go & shogi, mah-jong, Japanese
bon festival dance, How to put on a kimono and lots more…..
Venue: Diorama Arts Studios, 201 Drummond Street, London NW1 3FE
More information phone Third Age Project on 0207 383 4922

Camden Intergenerational Network
Thursday 29th September 2016 at Age UK Camden, Tavis House, 1-6 Tavistock Square WC1H 9NA from 10am-12pm. Please email items for the agenda to Corinna Gray by Friday 16th September 2016.
Keep in touch via Ageing Better in Camden’s dedicated CIN web page.
Read the full network newsletter here.

‘Made of Money’ is running a 2 day Facilitator Training in London on 5th – 6th October 2016
We also offer ‘in house’ trainings for any organisation or group of organisations to suit you.
‘Made of Money’ is an award winning financial literacy resource, developed by anti-poverty charity Quaker Social Action. It aims to help groups talk about money and its impact on their lives, as well as learn vital money management skills. It is ideal to help front line workers offer support to those on low income, particularly in the run up to the introduction of Universal Credit, and welfare benefit changes.
The cost per person for the 2-day training, (incl lunch), depending on the size of your organisation (£100 for small organisations).
You will also need a set of workshop resources, charged at a subsidised rate of £115. This gives you everything you need to run Made of with groups and 1:1 sessions. (These can be shared within the organisation or between groups of organisations)
Contact mompartner@qsa.org.uk

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

Coram’s Fields Seeks 2 Workers
Sessional Youth Worker and Sessional Sports Worker
Hours: Evenings (as and when required) Rate: £9.40 per hour
This is a fantastic opportunity for a highly motivated individual who shares our passion for helping all young people to reach their potential to join our Youth and Sport Team. Coram’s Fields is a well-established, independent Children’s Charity located in the London Borough of Camden which delivers a range of high quality services for young people aged 6-19 years old.
If you require further information about the roles or wish to apply please contact Jonathan: jonathan@coramsfields.org.uk or naz@coramsfields.org.uk
Closing date: 12 pm Friday 7th October 2016
Interview date: week beginning Monday 10th October 2016 (TBC) www.coramsfields.org

2016 Camden Volunteer Awards – nominations invited
Volunteer Centre Camden are hosting the 2016 Camden Volunteer Awards at the Camden Centre in King’s Cross on Thursday 24 November.
The evening will be a celebration of the achievements of Camden’s volunteers. Camden organisations can nominate one or two individual volunteers or one group of volunteers. The closing date for nominations is 5pm on Thursday 27 October. Volunteers can be nominated online. If you need a paper form, please email Sheila Norris at sheila@volunteercentrecamden.org.uk or call 020 7424 9990.

Macmillan Volunteers Wanted
Can you spare a few hours a week to provide practical and emotional support at a difficult time to someone affected by cancer so they can start to feel more in control? Make your time matter so that no one in Camden and Islington faces cancer alone. The support you give can either be one off or once a week for up to 12 weeks. Visits last approximately 1-2hours per week.
Support from our Buddies could include:
• A listening ear and someone to talk to
• Having a chat and a cup of tea
• Simple household tasks eg ironing
• Light shopping
• Accompanying the person affected by cancer to a local cafe or public place
• Signposting other services in the community
For further information regarding this volunteer opportunity visit our volunteer village:
https://volunteering.macmillan.org.uk/Opportunity/Details/4191
Call: 07860 950 922 Email: nlondonbuddies@macmillan.org.uk

Evelyn Oldfield Unit are recruiting two posts
Research for Action & Influence Development Worker
We are looking for an energetic and organised person who is highly passionate in working with people from different cultural backgrounds to join the small team of the charity. The post is a part-time:
Research for Action & Influence Development Worker
The Research for Action & Influence Development Worker will lead on the accredited research programme comprising 3 modules (research, action and influence and presentation skills). She/he will co-ordinate, deliver, monitor and evaluate the project.
Salary: Scale SO2 pt33 – £19,290 including ILW pro-rata 3 days – 21 hours per week
The post is fixed term until the 31st August 2018.
For an application pack, follow the link below or please send a 65p A4 SAE to the Director, Evelyn Oldfield Unit (EOU), 356 Holloway Road, London N7 6PA
To apply, please complete the application pack and send to Mulat via email at mulat@evelynoldfield.co.uk
Closing date for applications: Friday 23rd September 2016 at 5pm
Interviews on Thursday 29th September 2016
Download application pack here.

Volunteers wanted to trial ‘Please offer me a seat’ badge and card
The badge and card are for customers who find it difficult to stand when using public transport, and are particularly targeted at those with hidden disabilities, conditions and illnesses.
We want to recruit 1,000 people for the trial, to help us understand if the badge or card can help people access a seat, as well as assess the reactions of other customers. We would like your assistance in helping us find participants and to spread the message about the trial.
We carried out research which confirmed people with hidden disabilities and conditions or those undergoing treatments can find it difficult to get a seat when they need one – particularly if their need isn’t obvious.
Any customer interested in taking part can get in touch with the research agency 2CV, who are working with us on the trial, at tfltrial@2cv.com.

Volunteer with Camden’s engine idling project
The Mayors Air Quality Fund is supporting engine idling reduction projects across London during 2016/2017.
Camden is therefore looking for volunteers to take part in an innovative education and behaviour change campaign to help reduce localised air pollution and improve air quality in their residential and workplace community.
As part of a team of Clean Air Champions you will help for 2 hours in a series of action days in Camden. To gain the required skills you will attend a training session where you will learn to engage with the public regarding this important environmental issue, whilst also improving air quality in your community.
To find out more, please register your interest using this short online form and you will be sent further details soon.

Hopscotch Asian Women’s Centre recruiting a number of Posts
Hopscotch Asian Women’s Centre is currently recruiting for an exciting new Big Lottery/ESF funded employment project. I would be grateful if you could forward the vacancies on to your contacts.
Please see below for details:
Project Manager
35 hrs per week , 3 year contract , £35,340 incl. ILW
Closing date: Thursday 22nd September 2016 at 12.00pm
Employment Advisors ×2
35 hrs per week , 3 year contract, £28,183 incl. ILW
Closing date: Thursday 22nd September 2016 at 12.00pm
Outreach Worker
35 hrs per week, 3 year contract, £25, 741 incl. ILW
Closing date: Thursday 22nd September at 12.00pm
Employer Engagement Worker
35 hrs per week 3 year contract £32,200 incl. ILW
Closing date: Wednesday 5th October 2016 at 12.00pm
Administrative and Finance Assistant
35 hrs per week 3 year contract £20,645 incl. ILW
Closing date: Wednesday 5th October 2016 at 12.00pm
For an informal discussion about the post, please contact Isabelle Terrisson, Senior Operations Manager. For all other details and an application pack, please contact Ruksana Begum:
Tel: 020 7388 8198 E-mail: info@hopscotchawc.org.uk Web: www.hopscotchawc.org.uk

Home-Start Camden seeks Manager
After nearly five years, our current Manager is leaving us for pasture new.
Experienced Manager – Home-Start Camden – An opportunity to make a difference! Four days a week
Home-Start Camden (HSC) is looking for an experienced Manager to take this vibrant, established, local charity forward. The successful candidate should relish a challenge and be able to work strategically and creatively.
Application deadline: Thursday 22nd September 6pm
Interview date: Thursday 29th September at HSC office.
Further information here:

Trustees Wanted
Volunteer Centre Camden are seeking trustees and a treasurer. Contact dominic@volunteercentrecamden.org.uk if you are interested.

Opening Doors London seeks Community Outreach Officer [LGBT* Connect]
7 hours per week Hourly rate: £15.49
Area to be covered: London Borough of Camden
Opening Doors London (ODL) is the largest service working with and for older LGBT* people in the UK, and is in a unique position to assess the need for, and impact of, focused work with this largely under recognised and often marginalised group. This is an exciting opportunity to join the ODL team as we have just become a charity with our own Board of Trustees and are looking to develop our services across the whole of London.
We are recruiting a worker to support work with older lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans* (LGBT*) people in and around the London borough of Camden as part of the LGBT* Connect project.
LGBT* Connect is a partnership of older Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Trans* (LGBT*) people and a number of Camden organisations, working together to reconnect older LGBT* people to local networks, both to improve their wellbeing and to strengthen local communities.
With the help of your line manager and volunteers you will work with members of the older LGBT* community to help them to set up and manage social groups. You will have a focus on finding isolated individuals within and around Camden who may not have heard of the service. You will also be responsible for leading on the collection and inputting of monitoring and evaluation data for the project.
If you are interested in this role please see the application pack including the full job description and person specification at www.ageukcamden.org.uk or email jobs@ageukcamden.org.uk.
Closing date: Monday 26th September 2016 – 9.15 am

Are you looking to employ an assistant to help with your care needs? CamdenPAs can help
CamdenPAs.org.uk is a new service that makes it easy to find a personal assistant (PA) and puts you in control of your care and support.
If you have care needs, you can employ a PA to help you to live as independently as possible.
CamdenPAs features an online ‘marketplace’ for you to browse through a list of profiles of PAs in the borough. Profiles give details about the services they provide, their skills, experience and personal interests.
You can look through the list to find suitable matches and choose someone you like to help support you.
When you find a match you can contact the PA to arrange an interview and see how you get on. If you like them you can then work out contract details such as hours, duties and wages, and hire them.
If you do not find anyone suitable, you can set up your own a profile describing your requirements and interests, for PAs to look through and contact you.
You can employ a PA whether you receive a direct payment or fund your own care. If you receive direct payments you can get support with the employment from Personalised Support In Camden or AgeUK Camden.
Become a PA
If you’re a PA looking for work or are just starting out, CamdenPAs can help you. As well as helping you finding a job, the site features advice on looking for work, becoming a PA and where to get training.
Why not set up your profile today? Find out more, visit: camdenpas.org.uk or phone: 020 7278 4437

Find Jobs and Volunteering opportunities at https://www.vac.org.uk/

British Museum exclusive Community Preview of South Africa
Community preview of the art of a nation exhibition at the British Museum on Sunday 23rd October.
To book your free tickets please email hbahra@britishmuseum.org before Wednesday 5th October. Tickets are limited and distributed on a first-come first-served basis. State in the email:
• Name of your group or organisation – 1 request per organisation
• Number of tickets required (Maximum 12)
• Preferred entry time to exhibition between 1pm – 6pm (open till 7pm)
• Postal address for tickets

Drafting an Equality and Inclusion Action Plan for Camden CCG
The CCG are in the process of developing an Equality and Inclusion Action plan.
The reason we wanted to use diversity and inclusion instead of equality and diversity is to show that we are not just committed to equalities for compliance reasons and we really want to improve our commissioning and workforce management by using the diversity in our community and also in the workforce. If we can make this diversity work only then we can achieve inclusion. So the focus of the action plan is to use diversity as a strength and make it work to achieve better results/outcomes for all (inclusion).
We would appreciate if you could complete the online survey which will close on Friday 29th July. You can access the survey by clicking on the following link: https://feedback.camdenccg.nhs.uk/community-ownership/diversity-and-inclusion-survey .

Camden Consultations
You can find all Camden consultation on the Wearecamden consultation hub.

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 on the online form here.

Camden Funders Fair; Farewell Kentish Town; Furniture to Go; Call to local filmmakers; Free HR Courses for Camden Organisations; Deaf Achieve; Focus groups with residents to develop a new employment initiative for people with a mental health problem; Pensions; Pensions; Celebrating Parents and Carers Event; CCG AGM; Black History Month at the British Library; Camden Volunteer Awards – nominations; + funding jobs, volunteers, events, training, offers and resources.

Thursday 22nd September 9.30am-12.30am
Wellcome Collection, 183 Euston Road, London NW1 2BE
Voluntary Action Camden (VAC) and Business in the Community (BitC) are delighted to invite you to take part in a Funders Fair on the morning of 22nd September at the Wellcome Collection.
We are inviting all of the major independent funders; including the local Camden based trusts and businesses with community funds. They will be invited to have a pitch and to meet with voluntary and community organisation with the aim of matching your aspirations and ideas with the funding priorities and criteria of the independent funders.
Voluntary and community organisations play an invaluable role in connecting and sustaining communities and providing vital services. Strong and vibrant communities are going to be key to the wellbeing of local residents and the strength of neighbourhoods in the coming years. You will be very well aware of the challenges currently being faced by local organisations and this event is an attempt to help you find a way to meet these challenges.
The event is for voluntary and community organisations with a focus on groups with a turnover of under £100,000. You will have the opportunity to personally meet the funders, hear about their funding pots and book a twenty minute spot to discuss your proposed project in greater detail. After the event VAC will be offering you 1-1 bid writing support.
This is a great opportunity to make new contacts and secure new sources of income. If you would like any further information please do contact Simone at VAC on 020 7284 6555. Fax 020 7284 6551. Email. shensby@vac.org.uk
All places must be booked in advance. To book a place email acharles@vac.org.uk and let us know if you have any specific requirements.

Farewell Kentish Town
From September Voluntary Action Camden will be based in the West Euston Partnership offices at 29- 31 Hampstead Rd, London NW1 3JA. Email addresses and phone numbers remain the same.
Camden Carers Centre will be moving to Charlie Ratchford Resource Centre, Belmont Street, NW1 8HF on 12th September. Phone and email remain the same.
As part of the move process we will be disposing of lots of surplus furniture (desks and cabinets etc) and miscellaneous items including a portable loop. Register your interest: acharles@vac.org.uk Full details of what is available and the process will be available soon.

Call to local filmmakers
Want to have your work shown at the Lady Somerset Road Street Party Film Festival?
Then submit it (via link) to ben@slotover.com Films must be 10 minutes or less, though we would consider showing a segment of a longer film.
The Lady Somerset Road Street party film festival is a yearly event that showcases the films made by our creative community and also shows films made about or filmed within the Kentish Town/Tufnell park area.
SUBMISSIONS OPEN UNTIL 12 MIDNIGHT ON Saturday 10th September Film show: Sunday, 11th September, 8pm Corner of Lady Somerset Road and Evangelist Road

Free HR Courses for Camden Organisations
The Communities and Third Sector team at Camden Council are pleased to be able to offer Camden voluntary and community groups a series of HR training workshops. The workshops are free and will take place between 9.45 and 1pm at the Town Hall Judd Street. See Other Events section below for full details.

“Deaf Achieve”
This is a Big Lottery funded project that will continue to deliver free workshops, health groups, job clubs, travel groups, financial capability training and one to one support until 2018. The end of February saw the completion of our first year. We are now well into our second year. These are for the deaf community, aged 18-65, living in any of the London boroughs. If want to know more information about Deaf Achieve please contact: deafachieve2@royaldeaf.org.uk.” also our website links http://www.royaldeaf.org.uk/news/sdfsd/

Focus groups with residents to develop a new employment initiative for people with a mental health problem.
The current employment support service ‘Mental Health Working’ is coming to an end in 2017. This helps people to get into work, training and education. We know that by supporting people in this way we can improve their wellbeing and physical health and break down stigma.
We anticipate going to tender later this year for a new service to start in summer 2017. We’d like people to help us review the current programme and to see how we can further strengthen and refine our employment support into the future.
There will be two focus groups and refreshments will be provided).
Thursday 22 September 2016 from 1.00pm to 3.00pm at 5 Pancras Square London N1C 4AG.
or: Wednesday 28 September 2016 from 2.00pm to 4.00pm at Camden Town Hall, Judd Street London WC1H 9JE.
If people would like to book a place, or if they have any queries, they should contact Frank Dove Strategy Officer, L B Camden, on 020 7974 4435, franklin.dove@camden.gov.uk. Please respond by Friday 16 September.

Pensions – What small charities need to know about auto-enrolment and assessing staff
Small and micro charities are coming up to their auto-enrolment staging dates. This CFG guide provides a quick refresh for those currently going through the process.
All charities that have at least one paid worker will have automatic enrolment duties. Charities need to assess their staff, put those who meet certain criteria into a pension scheme (and make contributions to it), tell them what you’ve done, and complete a declaration of compliance. More details here.

Creative Writing Course for brain injury survivors.
A series of six classes in October and November to help you learn more about the process of creative writing and appreciate your own ability to write creatively in some way. The course is intended to help you discover how to communicate through writing in a way that suits you by exploring what creative writing is, who writes creatively, why people write, where people write and how you can find your own way to write creatively.
If you would like to participate please email daniel.forsythe@headwaynorthlondon.org.
There is a fee of £10 for the six classes.
Meeting Room 2 (first floor – ask at reception for directions)
St. Pancras Community Association, 67 Plender Street, London, NW1 0LB
13:30 – 15:00 on Thursdays 6 October – 17 November

Celebrating Parents and Carers Event
Free family fun day – ‘Healthy Lives and Healthy Minds’
Saturday 22nd October 2016, 2pm – 5pm
Haverstock School, 24 Haverstock Hill, NW3 2BQ
Please read this event brief before filling in the form
Every year we have our Celebrating Parents (in its 11th year) event during Parents week and we invite the Mayor and the Cabinet member for Children Schools and Families. This year’s theme for the event is ‘Healthy Lives and Healthy Minds’.

Camden Clinical Commissioning Group’s (CCG) Annual General Meeting 2016
Thursday, 22 September 2016 from 12:30 to 15:30
The AGM will include a look back at Camden CCG’s key achievements in 2015/16 from CCG Chair Caz Sayer, and a presentation looking forward to future developments, in particularly Camden’s Local Care Strategy, our vision for a more integrated and responsive local health and care system. There will also be an opportunity for attendees to put questions to the CCG’s Chair and Governing Body in a panel discussion, and you will be able to continue the discussion afterwards over tea or coffee.
If you have any questions or difficulty booking online please email: camdengp.events@nhs.net

Black History Month at the British Library
On Thursday 6th October the British Library will host an evening of performances, lectures and discussion celebrating Black History Month, hosted by the British Library Labs Project and Eccles Centre for American Studies. The Library is offering a limited number of FREE tickets to Camden Residents. Get in touch with Emma.Morgan@bl.uk or 07595 464 363 for more details or to book a place.

Annual Robert Grace Trust fundraiser
We are returning to the Union Chapel in Islington, on October 5th 2016 with another riotous programme from three alternative choirs.
London Gay Men’s Chorus ; Owl Parliament ; Deep Throat
Wednesday 5th October. Union Chapel, Islington. £15.Doors open 6.30. Performance starts 7.30.
You can book in advance.

2016 Camden Volunteer Awards – nominations invited
Volunteer Centre Camden are hosting the 2016 Camden Volunteer Awards at the Camden Centre in King’s Cross on Thursday 24 November.
The evening will be a celebration of the achievements of Camden’s volunteers. Camden organisations can nominate one or two individual volunteers or one group of volunteers. The closing date for nominations is 5pm on Thursday 27 October. Volunteers can be nominated online. If you need a paper form, please email Sheila Norris at sheila@volunteercentrecamden.org.uk or call 020 7424 9990.

‘A club night run by people with learning difficulties for everyone’
Our Autumn Wild Bunch Club is Wednesday 14th September at Electrowerkz in Angel.
There will be all the usual DJs playing chart hits and classics.
This clubs live acts is YOU! Yes we have 12 spaces available for you to perform on the Theramin – with a special prize for the winner voted for by the audience.
For further info contact siren@elfrida.com or ring the Elfrida Society on 020 7359 7443.

Camden Patent Participation Groups Newsletter
Read the latest Camden Patent Participation Groups Newsletter online here.

Hopscotch Asian Women’s Centre; Home Start Camden; Green Points; Camden Futures; Hep C Trust; Age UK Camden and Camden PA are recruiting. See Jobs and Volunteers section below.

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

We Can Solve Poverty Together
Joseph Rowntree Foundation have just launched a major new initiative aimed at ending poverty in the UK. You can download the report here.

Are private partnerships the answer to the youth services funding crisis?
Collaborations with the voluntary and private sectors can add diversity, creativity and breadth, helping to protect vital services for young people. Read the full story in the Guardian.

See the Funding pages on VAC’s website for all the latest information.

Celebrate – A New Grants Programme from the Big Lottery Fund
When was the last time your local community came together? Grants of between £300 and £10,000 for groups to hold one off events or activities which celebrate their local community.
You could celebrate something from your community’s history or a local hero. Or maybe it could a chance to bring people together to get to know their neighbours better. Full details on the Big Lottery Website.

Deutsche Bank Small Grants Fund
If you are a charity, voluntary or community group with an income of less than £250,000 per annum and you need funding for work focusing on increasing social inclusion and improving well being, this fund may be able to help.
The focus of the Small Grants Fund is to help society’s most disadvantaged and communities on the ground.
Projects may fall into any of the following areas:
~ Projects that promote social inclusion, reduce isolation and disadvantage and improve access to services;
~ Projects that advance people’s physical and mental health, wellbeing and safety
~ Projects that maximize people’s ability to strengthen community cohesion and build social capacity
The maximum grant size is £5,000. The application is online here.

VAC’s Mental Health Training Programme for BMER groups
Are you a BMER group or do you work with BMER communities?
For more information about our any of our courses, please go to https://vac.org.uk/events/category/health-mental-health/. Click on the course you are interested in and follow the instructions to book your place and pay by card (if applicable). The charge for our Mental Health First Aid and Youth Mental Health First Aid training courses is heavily subsidised at only £25 per person. All other mental health workshops are free.
Please note that VAC can only accept bookings from organisations working with BMER communities based in Camden, or which serve Camden BMER residents. Places are limited on each course to a maximum of two people per organisation. Contact mentalhealthteam@vac.org.uk

VAC has a programme of courses coming up: Click here to find out more. All courses are £25 for members (unless otherwise stated).

YPFI is holding a Disability Awareness Training
Afternoon on the 23rd September 14:00 – 16:30
Come and join the YPFI team whilst they deliver their fantastic training programme and improve your disability awareness and confidence.
Attendees will not only receive 2 and a half hours of training from YPFI but a follow-up email resource pack full of information and links to further their knowledge.
Our training is normally delivered in-house to companies and organisations so this is a fantastic opportunity to get a taste of what we can provide. And all for only £30 per person.
For more information about us check out our Twitter @YPFI or our website http://www.ypfi.org.uk

Camden SAPB safeguarding adults conference
Working together towards lives free from abuse – 30 November 2016
This year’s conference will focus on how we can work together more efficiently and share information to keep Camden residents safe.
The conference will be an excellent opportunity for front-facing practitioners working with Camden communities to get together and share their experiences, as well as learn from each other’s practice.
A detailed conference programme will be circulated closer to the date. The event is free to attend for anyone working or volunteering with Camden adults, but we strongly advise booking your place early to avoid missing out.
The details of the event are as follows:
Wednesday, 30th November 2016
Holiday Inn Bloomsbury, Coram Street, London WC1N 1HT
09:00-17:00. Please arrive promptly, registration starts at 9am.
Book your place HERE.

Reaching Communities Kotha Bol Conference
The Kotha Bol project has supported South Asian women and their families by promoting economic independence through the provision of welfare benefits and employment advice whilst also tackling the perpetuating factors of domestic violence.
This conference will showcase and reflect on the work we have done in the last three years via live performance and share with you best practice.
We will have the privilege of three guest speakers who will share their expertise and experience on welfare, employment and domestic violence.
Monday 12th September 2016 10am- 2pm (Lunch will be provided)
Imperial London Hotel, 61-66 Russell Square WC1B 5BB
Please RSVP to kushba.bibi@hopscotchawc.org.uk or call us on 020 7388 8198

Free HR training workshops for Camden voluntary and community groups
Many small to medium sized organisations do not have the resources to directly purchase HR support on an ongoing basis. In our experience, badly handled employment issues in small to medium sized organisations can destabilise the organisation and affect its delivery.
A robust HR function enables organisations to be more sustainable by strengthening the leadership of an organisation, supporting staff, trustees and volunteers effectively and by preventing crises.
The Communities and Third Sector team at Camden Council are pleased to be able to offer Camden voluntary and community groups a series of HR training workshops. The workshops are free and will take place between 9.45 and 1pm at the Town Hall Judd Street.
The workshops are for managers and trustees of voluntary and community groups based in Camden. To book a place on the workshops that you would like to attend, please click on the Eventbrite links.
HR Essentials Wednesday 28th September 2016
The aim of this workshop is to raise the awareness of potential and new employers about employment legislation and good practice in the workplace.
http://hr-essentials.eventbrite.co.uk
Managing Poor Performance through Capability Wednesday 19th October 2016
This workshop will focus on managing employees who are underperforming due to lack of capability
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/managing-poor-performance-through-capability-tickets-27066873748
Managing Misconduct Wednesday 16th November 2016
This workshop will focus on managing employees who are underperforming due to misconduct
The training will reflect the ACAS Code of Practice on disciplinary and grievance procedures.
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/managing-misconduct-registration-27067000126
Handling Workplace Investigations Wednesday 7th December 2016
There are many occasions when an employer may wish to undertake an internal investigation including as part of the disciplinary and grievance process
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/handling-workplace-investigations-registration-27067050276
Staff Appraisals Thursday 12th January 2017
Appraisal is a two-way process of looking backwards to analyse past job performance, and looking forward into the future with a view to improving future performance.
The overall objective of an effective appraisal scheme should be to help each employee to maximise his or her job performance for the joint benefit of the employee and the organisation.
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/staff-appraisals-registration-27067569830
Managing Sickness Absence Thursday 9th February 2017
The aim of this workshop is to increase managers’ confidence and ability to manage staff absence.
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/managing-sickness-absence-registration-27067617974
Managing Restructure Wednesday 15th March 2017
Many voluntary and community organisations are considering some kind of restructuring in response to the current economic climate. This might include closing a team, amalgamating core functions, general downsizing or some sort of relocation.
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/managing-a-restructure-registration-27067674142
Managing Difficult Conversations at Work Wednesday 12th April 2017
Most of us dislike confrontation; we sometimes avoid it which can often lead to even more difficulty, misunderstandings and possible conflict.
In the current climate of continued economic uncertainty, we may find ourselves working with reduced budgets, constant organisational change and ongoing performance issues, as people try to make sense of all this.
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/managing-difficult-conversations-at-work-registration-27067711253
The workshops will be run by Shirley Briggs. Shirley is an independent HR consultant. Her background is in social housing where she worked as a HR manager for a number of large housing associations. She managed the PEACe (HR) service at LVSC from 2006-2016 supporting many hundreds of voluntary and community organisations with HR and employment law advice, consultancy and training. She is also a trained workplace mediator.

What are your views of the police use of their Stop and Search powers?
Do you think Stop and Search helps prevent knife crime or maybe you think it contributes to the alienation of sections of our community?
Why not join Camden’s Stop and Search Monitoring Group? We meet several times a year with senior police officers to discuss reports into the use of Stop and Search in the Borough. We are careful to identify groups that have been disproportionately stopped. Prior to the meetings, some members of the monitoring group, including young people, dip sample ‘Stop slips’ and question the grounds for the stops.
The next meeting of the Monitoring group will be taking place on Tuesday 20 September at 6.30 pm. If you are interested in attending please email Peter Ward or for more information check out the Stop and Search page on the Camden Safer Neighbourhood Board website.

Poetry workshops
Led by regular Torriano host and Hearing Eye poet Lisa Kelly. Saturdays 1-5pm. September 24th; October 15th; November 19th. £19 /£15 per day. Book with Lisa by email: lisakellyuk@yahoo.com
‘From Page to Stage Poets’ led by Lisa Kelly. A unique opportunity for up to six poets to develop a set of poems for performance on 11 December at the Torriano Meeting House at 7.30pm. Over five workshop sessions you will develop your poems and performance techniques leading up to your Sunday night reading at the Torriano. Tuesdays 11.30am – 2.30pm. November 8th; November 15th; November 22nd; November 29th; December 6th. £95. Book with Lisa as above.

Third Age Project Respect for the Elderly Day
2—4 pm Monday 19th September 2016
Workshops on Origami, Calligraphy, Japanese Language & greetings,
music, Japan knowledge quiz, go & shogi, mah-jong, Japanese
bon festival dance, How to put on a kimono and lots more…..
Venue: Diorama Arts Studios, 201 Drummond Street, London NW1 3FE
More information phone Third Age Project on 0207 383 4922

How are small charities making big funds?
16th September at 6 Great James Street, London, WC1N 3DA
£15 per person +booking fee
Whoever said ‘size matters’ knew nothing about crowdfunding! Crowdfunding is the new way for small charities to fund their projects by tapping into and utilising their existing networks.
Sounds hard? It’s not! GloablGiving UK have put together specially tailored workshops to teach you the techniques and tricks needed to successfully run your own crowdfunding campaign.
Last year alone more than 380 charity representatives attended the workshops and 82% subsequently saw an increase in their fundraising performance.
Questions – please contact Jess Bailey at Jbailey@globalgiving.org or read more about the workshop online

Camden Intergenerational Network
Thursday 29th September 2016 at Age UK Camden, Tavis House, 1-6 Tavistock Square WC1H 9NA from 10am-12pm. Please email items for the agenda to Corinna Gray by Friday 16th September 2016.
Keep in touch via Ageing Better in Camden’s dedicated CIN web page.
Read the full network newsletter here.

September Volunteer Managers’ Forum + Lunch
Join VCC at our next volunteer managers’ forum where we will share our top tips for best practice in volunteer management. 14th September 2016.
The topics will be varied, and can be anything related to managing volunteers.
You will also meet (and network with) other volunteer managers in Camden – and lunch is included.
The forum will take place at The Pirate Castle, Oval Road, Camden Town, NW1 7EA
Check out the full details and book your free tickets on Eventbrite

‘Made of Money’ is running a 2 day Facilitator Training in London on 5th – 6th October 2016
We also offer ‘in house’ trainings for any organisation or group of organisations to suit you.
‘Made of Money’ is an award winning financial literacy resource, developed by anti-poverty charity Quaker Social Action. It aims to help groups talk about money and its impact on their lives, as well as learn vital money management skills. It is ideal to help front line workers offer support to those on low income, particularly in the run up to the introduction of Universal Credit, and welfare benefit changes.
The cost per person for the 2-day training, (incl lunch), depending on the size of your organisation (£100 for small organisations).
You will also need a set of workshop resources, charged at a subsidised rate of £115. This gives you everything you need to run Made of with groups and 1:1 sessions. (These can be shared within the organisation or between groups of organisations)
Contact mompartner@qsa.org.uk

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

Macmillan Volunteers Wanted
Can you spare a few hours a week to provide practical and emotional support at a difficult time to someone affected by cancer so they can start to feel more in control? Make your time matter so that no one in Camden and Islington faces cancer alone. The support you give can either be one off or once a week for up to 12 weeks. Visits last approximately 1-2hours per week.
Support from our Buddies could include:
• A listening ear and someone to talk to
• Having a chat and a cup of tea
• Simple household tasks eg ironing
• Light shopping
• Accompanying the person affected by cancer to a local cafe or public place
• Signposting other services in the community
For further information regarding this volunteer opportunity visit our volunteer village:
https://volunteering.macmillan.org.uk/Opportunity/Details/4191
Call: 07860 950 922 Email: nlondonbuddies@macmillan.org.uk

Age UK Camden seeks Shop Manager (p/t) Charity Shop in Leather Lane
Fixed Term 12 month Contract. Likely to be extended, subject to review. Salary £20,460 pro-rata to 21 hours per week (actual £12,276) Plus the opportunity for sales based bonus scheme.
Age UK Camden has a delightful Charity Shop in bustling vibrant Leather Lane. The shop is well established and supported by local people and businesses. Income from the shop is vital to Age UK Camden, helping us to meet the needs of vulnerable older people in Camden.
As shop manager you will be in the key position to manage and develop the shop, along with a part time shop manager and a team of volunteers.
For further details and an application form visit our website www.ageukcamden.org.uk. email recruitment@ageukcamden.org.uk or telephone 020 7239 0400. Closing date for the above post is 9am on Friday 16th September 2016. Interviews will be held on Tuesday 4th October.

Evelyn Oldfield Unit are recruiting two posts
Research for Action & Influence Development Worker
We are looking for an energetic and organised person who is highly passionate in working with people from different cultural backgrounds to join the small team of the charity. The post is a part-time:
Research for Action & Influence Development Worker
The Research for Action & Influence Development Worker will lead on the accredited research programme comprising 3 modules (research, action and influence and presentation skills). She/he will co-ordinate, deliver, monitor and evaluate the project.
Salary: Scale SO2 pt33 – £19,290 including ILW pro-rata 3 days – 21 hours per week
The post is fixed term until the 31st August 2018.
For an application pack, follow the link below or please send a 65p A4 SAE to the Director, Evelyn Oldfield Unit (EOU), 356 Holloway Road, London N7 6PA
To apply, please complete the application pack and send to Mulat via email at mulat@evelynoldfield.co.uk
Closing date for applications: Friday 23rd September 2016 at 5pm
Interviews on Thursday 29th September 2016
E3 Outreach Engagement and Activities Co-ordinator
We are looking for an energetic, dedicated and organised person who is highly passionate in working with people from different cultural backgrounds to join the small team of the charity.
Salary: Scale 6 (SP26), £26,342 including ILW 35 hours per week (7 months contract) (Fixed Term Contract until March 2017 with possible extension)
For an application pack, follow the link below or please send a 65p A4 SAE to the Director, Evelyn Oldfield Unit (EOU), 356 Holloway Road, London N7 6PA
To apply, please complete the application pack and send to Mulat via email at mulat@evelynoldfield.co.uk
Closing date for applications: Friday 9th September 2016 at 5pm.
Interviews on Thursday 15th September 2016. Download application packs here.

Volunteers wanted to trial ‘Please offer me a seat’ badge and card
The badge and card are for customers who find it difficult to stand when using public transport, and are particularly targeted at those with hidden disabilities, conditions and illnesses.
We want to recruit 1,000 people for the trial, to help us understand if the badge or card can help people access a seat, as well as assess the reactions of other customers. We would like your assistance in helping us find participants and to spread the message about the trial.
We carried out research which confirmed people with hidden disabilities and conditions or those undergoing treatments can find it difficult to get a seat when they need one – particularly if their need isn’t obvious.
Any customer interested in taking part can get in touch with the research agency 2CV, who are working with us on the trial, at tfltrial@2cv.com.

Volunteer with Camden’s engine idling project
The Mayors Air Quality Fund is supporting engine idling reduction projects across London during 2016/2017.
Camden is therefore looking for volunteers to take part in an innovative education and behaviour change campaign to help reduce localised air pollution and improve air quality in their residential and workplace community.
As part of a team of Clean Air Champions you will help for 2 hours in a series of action days in Camden. To gain the required skills you will attend a training session where you will learn to engage with the public regarding this important environmental issue, whilst also improving air quality in your community.
To find out more, please register your interest using this short online form and you will be sent further details soon.

Hopscotch Asian Women’s Centre recruiting Four Posts
Hopscotch Asian Women’s Centre is currently recruiting for an exciting new Big Lottery/ESF funded employment project. I would be grateful if you could forward the vacancies on to your contacts.
Please see below for details:
Project Manager
35 hrs per week , 3 year contract , £35,340 incl. ILW
Closing date: Thursday 22nd September 2016 at 12.00pm
Employment Advisors ×2
35 hrs per week , 3 year contract, £28,183 incl. ILW
Closing date: Thursday 22nd September 2016 at 12.00pm
Outreach Worker
35 hrs per week, 3 year contract, £25, 741 incl. ILW
Closing date: Thursday 22nd September at 12.00pm
For an informal discussion about the post, please contact Isabelle Terrisson, Senior Operations Manager. For all other details and an application pack, please contact Ruksana Begum:
Tel: 020 7388 8198 E-mail: info@hopscotchawc.org.uk Web: www.hopscotchawc.org.uk

Home-Start Camden seeks Manager
After nearly five years, our current Manager is leaving us for pasture new.
Experienced Manager – Home-Start Camden – An opportunity to make a difference! Four days a week
Home-Start Camden (HSC) is looking for an experienced Manager to take this vibrant, established, local charity forward. The successful candidate should relish a challenge and be able to work strategically and creatively.
Application deadline: Thursday 22nd September 6pm
Interview date: Thursday 29th September at HSC office.
Further information here:

Trustees Wanted
Volunteer Centre Camden are seeking trustees and a treasurer. Contact dominic@volunteercentrecamden.org.uk if you are interested.

Opening Doors London seeks Community Outreach Officer [LGBT* Connect]
7 hours per week Hourly rate: £15.49
Area to be covered: London Borough of Camden
Opening Doors London (ODL) is the largest service working with and for older LGBT* people in the UK, and is in a unique position to assess the need for, and impact of, focused work with this largely under recognised and often marginalised group. This is an exciting opportunity to join the ODL team as we have just become a charity with our own Board of Trustees and are looking to develop our services across the whole of London.
We are recruiting a worker to support work with older lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans* (LGBT*) people in and around the London borough of Camden as part of the LGBT* Connect project.
LGBT* Connect is a partnership of older Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Trans* (LGBT*) people and a number of Camden organisations, working together to reconnect older LGBT* people to local networks, both to improve their wellbeing and to strengthen local communities.
With the help of your line manager and volunteers you will work with members of the older LGBT* community to help them to set up and manage social groups. You will have a focus on finding isolated individuals within and around Camden who may not have heard of the service. You will also be responsible for leading on the collection and inputting of monitoring and evaluation data for the project.
If you are interested in this role please see the application pack including the full job description and person specification at www.ageukcamden.org.uk or email jobs@ageukcamden.org.uk.
Closing date: Monday 26th September 2016 – 9.15 am

Camden Futures Community Connectors
Are you a parent or carer living in Camden? Have you ever thought of helping other parents by sharing tips, interesting activities happening in your community and places to go with your family and friends?
Camden Futures is recruiting parents volunteers to become Community Connectors. We are holding information sessions on 16/09/16 from 9.30 to 11.30 am at Elfrida Rathbone Camden, 7 Dowdney Close, London NW5 2BP. For info contact Francesca on 02074241622

Are you looking to employ an assistant to help with your care needs? CamdenPAs can help
CamdenPAs.org.uk is a new service that makes it easy to find a personal assistant (PA) and puts you in control of your care and support.
If you have care needs, you can employ a PA to help you to live as independently as possible.
CamdenPAs features an online ‘marketplace’ for you to browse through a list of profiles of PAs in the borough. Profiles give details about the services they provide, their skills, experience and personal interests.
You can look through the list to find suitable matches and choose someone you like to help support you.
When you find a match you can contact the PA to arrange an interview and see how you get on. If you like them you can then work out contract details such as hours, duties and wages, and hire them.
If you do not find anyone suitable, you can set up your own a profile describing your requirements and interests, for PAs to look through and contact you.
You can employ a PA whether you receive a direct payment or fund your own care. If you receive direct payments you can get support with the employment from Personalised Support In Camden or AgeUK Camden.
Become a PA
If you’re a PA looking for work or are just starting out, CamdenPAs can help you. As well as helping you finding a job, the site features advice on looking for work, becoming a PA and where to get training.
Why not set up your profile today? Find out more, visit: camdenpas.org.uk or phone: 020 7278 4437

Find Jobs and Volunteering opportunities at https://www.vac.org.uk/

New Online Market Place for Social Care Providers
Camden council have developed a new online marketplace for adult social care in Camden. This will sit within the new Camden Care Choices website to be launched in October 2016. This is part of the Care Act 2014 offer to provide people with access to social care products and services.
Initially, the marketplace will allow users to source care and support services themselves and, in due course, the marketplace will be the primary source for Camden Council staff to commission providers’ services. All future contracts with providers will require registering services on the new website.
Camden council will be holding three information and registration events on Tuesday 13th September 2016 at St Pancras Community Association, 67 Pender Street, NW1 0LB (nearest tube stations are Mornington Crescent and Camden Town).
The events will enable people to find local services they want to help them live independently, with the benefit of a potential increase in the number of people using your service.
Staff will be on hand to help you register on the day. With this in mind, please bring with you details about your organisation (contact name, email address, business card/headed paper etc.) and ensure that you have the authority to sign up when you’re with us. Full details and registration can be accessed by clicking the link below:
http://www.eventbrite.com/e/camden-social-care-online-directory-provider-launch-tickets-27088145372

Drafting an Equality and Inclusion Action Plan for Camden CCG
The CCG are in the process of developing an Equality and Inclusion Action plan.
The reason we wanted to use diversity and inclusion instead of equality and diversity is to show that we are not just committed to equalities for compliance reasons and we really want to improve our commissioning and workforce management by using the diversity in our community and also in the workforce. If we can make this diversity work only then we can achieve inclusion. So the focus of the action plan is to use diversity as a strength and make it work to achieve better results/outcomes for all (inclusion).
We would appreciate if you could complete the online survey which will close on Friday 29th July. You can access the survey by clicking on the following link: https://feedback.camdenccg.nhs.uk/community-ownership/diversity-and-inclusion-survey .

Camden Consultations
You can find all Camden consultation on the Wearecamden consultation hub.

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 on the online form here.

Camden Funders Fair for Local Community Organisations; Farewell Kentish Town; New Online Market Place for Social Care Providers; Reaching Communities Kotha Bol Conference; Free HR Courses for Camden Organisations; Camden Community Radio – What’s On; Improving how Camden Council talk to and engage with people who are d/Deaf, disabled or have a long term health condition; Camden SAPB safeguarding adults conference; Royal Court Theatre Ticket Offer; What are your views of the police use of their Stop and Search powers?; Poetry workshops ; Third Age Project Respect for the Elderly Day; + funding jobs, volunteers, events, training, offers and resources.

Thursday 22nd September 9.30am-12.30pm
Wellcome Collection, 183 Euston Road, London NW1 2BE
This fair will be aimed at local, Camden-based community organisations with a turnover of less than £100,000 per annum who are engaged in excellent work in the borough, but are not necessarily used to approaching independent funders.
Community organisations and charities will receive welcome advice and tailored guidance on the day from national and local trusts and foundations and, following on from this, Voluntary Action Camden has pledged to provide further 1-1 support to the charities attending to help them in future funding applications.
Reasons to attend:
• Good way to reach a number of organisations efficiently, good use of time.
• Opportunity to meet local charities and give them invaluable face-to-face advice.
• Improve quality of funding applications to the benefit of all.
• Leverage additional support for the charities from VAC.
• Network and connect with other local and national funders.
know more then please contact either Simone or Jackie on:
Simone: shensby@vac.org.uk, Tel: 020 7284 6555
Jackie: jackie.crombie@bitcconnect.org, Tel: 07841 727172

Farewell Kentish Town
From September Voluntary Action Camden will be based in the West Euston Partnership offices at 29- 31 Hampstead Rd, London NW1 3JA. Email addresses and phone numbers remain the same.
Camden Carers Centre will be moving to Charlie Ratchford Resource Centre, Belmont Street, NW1 8HF on 12th September. Phone and email remain the same.

New Online Market Place for Social Care Providers
Camden council have developed a new online marketplace for adult social care in Camden. This will sit within the new Camden Care Choices website to be launched in October 2016. This is part of the Care Act 2014 offer to provide people with access to social care products and services.
Initially, the marketplace will allow users to source care and support services themselves and, in due course, the marketplace will be the primary source for Camden Council staff to commission providers’ services. All future contracts with providers will require registering services on the new website.
Camden council will be holding three information and registration events on Tuesday 13th September 2016 at St Pancras Community Association, 67 Pender Street, NW1 0LB (nearest tube stations are Mornington Crescent and Camden Town).
The events will enable people to find local services they want to help them live independently, with the benefit of a potential increase in the number of people using your service.
Staff will be on hand to help you register on the day. With this in mind, please bring with you details about your organisation (contact name, email address, business card/headed paper etc.) and ensure that you have the authority to sign up when you’re with us. Full details and registration can be accessed by clicking the link below:
http://www.eventbrite.com/e/camden-social-care-online-directory-provider-launch-tickets-27088145372

Reaching Communities Kotha Bol Conference
The Kotha Bol project has supported South Asian women and their families by promoting economic independence through the provision of welfare benefits and employment advice whilst also tackling the perpetuating factors of domestic violence.
This conference will showcase and reflect on the work we have done in the last three years via live performance and share with you best practice.
We will have the privilege of three guest speakers who will share their expertise and experience on welfare, employment and domestic violence.
Monday 12th September 2016 10am- 2pm (Lunch will be provided)
Imperial London Hotel, 61-66 Russell Square WC1B 5BB
Please RSVP to kushba.bibi@hopscotchawc.org.uk or call us on 020 7388 8198

Free HR Courses for Camden Organisations
The Communities and Third Sector team at Camden Council are pleased to be able to offer Camden voluntary and community groups a series of HR training workshops. The workshops are free and will take place between 9.45 and 1pm at the Town Hall Judd Street. See Other Events section below for full details.

Camden Community Radio – What’s On
Careline Website; Camden People’s Theatre; Biscuits for Breakfast; Found at Foundling Museum; Book Camden Social Care Online Directory. Listen here.

Improving how Camden Council talk to and engage with people who are d/Deaf, disabled or have a long term health condition
Camden Council would like to know how Voluntary and Community Sector (VCS) organisations in the borough engage with people, and what you think about our approach to engagement.
Please help us by completing our online survey by Friday 9 September.
We will listen to what you tell us when deciding what to do next.
The Council currently runs four forums, each held every three months, for people who are d/Deaf or have disabilities, and long term health conditions. These are:
• Mental health forum
• Learning disability forum
• Sensory needs forum
• Physical disability forum
The forums allow people tell us what they think of our services and how they can be improved. They were established in 2010. We are now looking at them again to see if any improvements can be made.
If you would like any further help, we would be delighted to hear from you. You can contact us using the details below. You can also visit our project webpage.
Email: disability.engagement@camden.gov.uk Telephone: 020 7974 4835

Camden SAPB safeguarding adults conference
Working together towards lives free from abuse – 30 November 2016
This year’s conference will focus on how we can work together more efficiently and share information to keep Camden residents safe.
The conference will be an excellent opportunity for front-facing practitioners working with Camden communities to get together and share their experiences, as well as learn from each other’s practice.
A detailed conference programme will be circulated closer to the date. The event is free to attend for anyone working or volunteering with Camden adults, but we strongly advise booking your place early to avoid missing out.
The details of the event are as follows:
Wednesday, 30th November 2016
Holiday Inn Bloomsbury, Coram Street, London WC1N 1HT
09:00-17:00. Please arrive promptly, registration starts at 9am.
Book your place HERE.

Royal Court Theatre Ticket Offer
There are £10 tickets for community and voluntary groups in Camden for the play TORN at Royal Court Theatre.
To make a booking on this offer they will need to call the Box Office on 0207 565 5000 and use the promo code TORN10.

What are your views of the police use of their Stop and Search powers?
Do you think Stop and Search helps prevent knife crime or maybe you think it contributes to the alienation of sections of our community?
Why not join Camden’s Stop and Search Monitoring Group? We meet several times a year with senior police officers to discuss reports into the use of Stop and Search in the Borough. We are careful to identify groups that have been disproportionately stopped. Prior to the meetings, some members of the monitoring group, including young people, dip sample ‘Stop slips’ and question the grounds for the stops.
The next meeting of the Monitoring group will be taking place on Tuesday 20 September at 6.30 pm. If you are interested in attending please email Peter Ward or for more information check out the Stop and Search page on the Camden Safer Neighbourhood Board website.

Poetry workshops
Led by regular Torriano host and Hearing Eye poet Lisa Kelly. Saturdays 1-5pm. September 24th; October 15th; November 19th. £19 /£15 per day. Book with Lisa by email: lisakellyuk@yahoo.com
‘From Page to Stage Poets’ led by Lisa Kelly. A unique opportunity for up to six poets to develop a set of poems for performance on 11 December at the Torriano Meeting House at 7.30pm. Over five workshop sessions you will develop your poems and performance techniques leading up to your Sunday night reading at the Torriano. Tuesdays 11.30am – 2.30pm. November 8th; November 15th; November 22nd; November 29th; December 6th. £95. Book with Lisa as above.

Swiss Cottage library’s change to opening hours.
As of September Swiss Cottage library will no longer be opening on Sundays.

Third Age Project Respect for the Elderly Day
2—4 pm Monday 19th September 2016
Workshops on Origami, Calligraphy, Japanese Language & greetings,
music, Japan knowledge quiz, go & shogi, mah-jong, Japanese
bon festival dance, How to put on a kimono and lots more…..
Venue: Diorama Arts Studios, 201 Drummond Street, London NW1 3FE
More information phone Third Age Project on 0207 383 4922

News From Centre 404
You can read the latest newsletter from Centre 404 here.

Hopscotch Asian Women’s Centre; Home Start Camden; Green Points; Camden Futures; Hep C Trust; Age UK Camden and Camden PA are recruiting. See Jobs and Volunteers section below.

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

A year after the Kids Company’s demise, what have we learned?
Youth workers who rallied to help the young people whose support network disappeared when the charity collapsed, share their insights. Small voluntary organisations, with good links to the community, many volunteers, modest budgets and an absence of celebrity patrons and high profile trustees are the organisations that stepped in when Kids Company collapsed. See the Guardian

See the Funding pages on VAC’s website for all the latest information.

Comic Relief Local Communities – Deadline soon!
The current theme is ‘Promote reduction of isolation and disadvantage and access to services’.
Grants of between £1,000 and £10,000 will be available.
The programme aims to empower local people, enabling them to create lasting change in their communities. Projects should be run by people directly affected by the issues they are dealing with and priority will be given to small, locally based groups and organisations in areas of disadvantage that have a clear understanding of the needs of their community. Further details online.
Deadline for applications: 5pm Tuesday 6th September
If you have any questions please contact Thomas Flynn thomas.flynn@londoncf.org.uk or Matthew Harriot matthew.harriott@londoncf.org.uk

Celebrate – A New Grants Programme from the Big Lottery Fund
When was the last time your local community came together? Grants of between £300 and £10,000 for groups to hold one off events or activities which celebrate their local community.
You could celebrate something from your community’s history or a local hero. Or maybe it could a chance to bring people together to get to know their neighbours better. Full details on the Big Lottery Website.

Deutsche Bank Small Grants Fund
If you are a charity, voluntary or community group with an income of less than £250,000 per annum and you need funding for work focusing on increasing social inclusion and improving well being, this fund may be able to help.
The focus of the Small Grants Fund is to help society’s most disadvantaged and communities on the ground.
Projects may fall into any of the following areas:
~ Projects that promote social inclusion, reduce isolation and disadvantage and improve access to services;
~ Projects that advance people’s physical and mental health, wellbeing and safety
~ Projects that maximize people’s ability to strengthen community cohesion and build social capacity
The maximum grant size is £5,000. The application is online here.

VAC’s Mental Health Training Programme for BMER groups
Are you a BMER group or do you work with BMER communities?
For more information about our any of our courses, please go to https://vac.org.uk/events/category/health-mental-health/. Click on the course you are interested in and follow the instructions to book your place and pay by card (if applicable). The charge for our Mental Health First Aid and Youth Mental Health First Aid training courses is heavily subsidised at only £25 per person. All other mental health workshops are free.
Please note that VAC can only accept bookings from organisations working with BMER communities based in Camden, or which serve Camden BMER residents. Places are limited on each course to a maximum of two people per organisation. If you have any queries, please contact us on our team email address: mentalhealthteam@vac.org.uk

VAC has a programme of courses coming up: Click here to find out more. All courses are £25 for members (unless otherwise stated).

Free HR training workshops for Camden voluntary and community groups
Many small to medium sized organisations do not have the resources to directly purchase HR support on an ongoing basis. In our experience, badly handled employment issues in small to medium sized organisations can destabilise the organisation and affect its delivery.
A robust HR function enables organisations to be more sustainable by strengthening the leadership of an organisation, supporting staff, trustees and volunteers effectively and by preventing crises.
The Communities and Third Sector team at Camden Council are pleased to be able to offer Camden voluntary and community groups a series of HR training workshops. The workshops are free and will take place between 9.45 and 1pm at the Town Hall Judd Street.
The workshops are for managers and trustees of voluntary and community groups based in Camden. To book a place on the workshops that you would like to attend, please click on the Eventbrite links.
HR Essentials Wednesday 28th September 2016
The aim of this workshop is to raise the awareness of potential and new employers about employment legislation and good practice in the workplace.
http://hr-essentials.eventbrite.co.uk
Managing Poor Performance through Capability Wednesday 19th October 2016
This workshop will focus on managing employees who are underperforming due to lack of capability
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/managing-poor-performance-through-capability-tickets-27066873748
Managing Misconduct Wednesday 16th November 2016
This workshop will focus on managing employees who are underperforming due to misconduct
The training will reflect the ACAS Code of Practice on disciplinary and grievance procedures.
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/managing-misconduct-registration-27067000126
Handling Workplace Investigations Wednesday 7th December 2016
There are many occasions when an employer may wish to undertake an internal investigation including as part of the disciplinary and grievance process
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/handling-workplace-investigations-registration-27067050276
Staff Appraisals Thursday 12th January 2017
Appraisal is a two-way process of looking backwards to analyse past job performance, and looking forward into the future with a view to improving future performance.
The overall objective of an effective appraisal scheme should be to help each employee to maximise his or her job performance for the joint benefit of the employee and the organisation.
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/staff-appraisals-registration-27067569830
Managing Sickness Absence Thursday 9th February 2017
The aim of this workshop is to increase managers’ confidence and ability to manage staff absence.
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/managing-sickness-absence-registration-27067617974
Managing Restructure Wednesday 15th March 2017
Many voluntary and community organisations are considering some kind of restructuring in response to the current economic climate. This might include closing a team, amalgamating core functions, general downsizing or some sort of relocation.
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/managing-a-restructure-registration-27067674142
Managing Difficult Conversations at Work Wednesday 12th April 2017
Most of us dislike confrontation; we sometimes avoid it which can often lead to even more difficulty, misunderstandings and possible conflict.
In the current climate of continued economic uncertainty, we may find ourselves working with reduced budgets, constant organisational change and ongoing performance issues, as people try to make sense of all this.
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/managing-difficult-conversations-at-work-registration-27067711253
The workshops will be run by Shirley Briggs. Shirley is an independent HR consultant. Her background is in social housing where she worked as a HR manager for a number of large housing associations. She managed the PEACe (HR) service at LVSC from 2006-2016 supporting many hundreds of voluntary and community organisations with HR and employment law advice, consultancy and training. She is also a trained workplace mediator.

FREE places on Learning Disability Awareness Training from Training People
Wednesday 7th September
Training People will be delivering their popular Learning Disability Awareness Training for Camden Council on Wednesday 7th September 2016. The course runs from 1-5pm at the Crowndale Centre.
Places are getting booked up but there are still quite a few spots left and we’d love to see you, your colleagues or your volunteers there!
The training is suitable for anyone who comes into contact with people with a learning disability in their job. The group have had great reviews from commissioners, managers and volunteers alike.
We’ll be looking at effective communication, easy read, how to give great support, the law – and much more!
To find out if you are eligible for a FREE place, you need to contact Camden Training and Development Service. call 0207 974 2821 or visit their website at www.camdentds.co.uk.

How are small charities making big funds?
16th September at 6 Great James Street, London, WC1N 3DA
£15 per person +booking fee
Whoever said ‘size matters’ knew nothing about crowdfunding! Crowdfunding is the new way for small charities to fund their projects by tapping into and utilising their existing networks.
Sounds hard? It’s not! GloablGiving UK have put together specially tailored workshops to teach you the techniques and tricks needed to successfully run your own crowdfunding campaign.
Last year alone more than 380 charity representatives attended the workshops and 82% subsequently saw an increase in their fundraising performance.
Questions – please contact Jess Bailey at Jbailey@globalgiving.org or read more about the workshop online

Leighton Project Coffee Morning
The Leighton Education Project is running a drop-in coffee morning for voluntary and statutory sector colleagues on Thursday 8th September 10am-12pm at Elfrida Rathbone Camden. The Leighton Education Project is a specialist education provider for young people aged 16 – 25 with special educational needs and disabilities.
The morning will be an opportunity to look round the classrooms, meet the team and find out more about what we have on offer. We also have spaces available for the 2016/17 academic year.
RSVP emily@elfridacamden.org.uk

Kingsgate Community Centre Bring and Buy Sale
4th September 12 – 4pm
Next to the play hut in Kilburn Grange Park
Clothes, jewellery, books, art, cakes, refreshments. Free entry.

Camden Intergenerational Network
Thursday 29th September 2016 at Age UK Camden, Tavis House, 1-6 Tavistock Square WC1H 9NA from 10am-12pm. Please email items for the agenda to Corinna Gray by Friday 16th September 2016.
Keep in touch via Ageing Better in Camden’s dedicated CIN web page.
Read the full network newsletter here.

September Volunteer Managers’ Forum + Lunch
Join VCC at our next volunteer managers’ forum where we will share our top tips for best practice in volunteer management. 14th September 2016.
The topics will be varied, and can be anything related to managing volunteers.
You will also meet (and network with) other volunteer managers in Camden – and lunch is included.
The forum will take place at The Pirate Castle, Oval Road, Camden Town, NW1 7EA
Check out the full details and book your free tickets on Eventbrite

‘Made of Money’ is running a 2 day Facilitator Training in London on 5th – 6th October 2016
We also offer ‘in house’ trainings for any organisation or group of organisations to suit you.
‘Made of Money’ is an award winning financial literacy resource, developed by anti-poverty charity Quaker Social Action. It aims to help groups talk about money and its impact on their lives, as well as learn vital money management skills. It is ideal to help front line workers offer support to those on low income, particularly in the run up to the introduction of Universal Credit, and welfare benefit changes.
The cost per person for the 2-day training, (incl lunch), depending on the size of your organisation (£100 for small organisations).
You will also need a set of workshop resources, charged at a subsidised rate of £115. This gives you everything you need to run Made of with groups and 1:1 sessions. (These can be shared within the organisation or between groups of organisations)
Contact mompartner@qsa.org.uk

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

Hopscotch Asian Women’s Centre recruiting Four Posts
Hopscotch Asian Women’s Centre is currently recruiting for an exciting new Big Lottery/ESF funded employment project. I would be grateful if you could forward the vacancies on to your contacts.
Please see below for details:
Project Manager
35 hrs per week , 3 year contract , £35,340 incl. ILW
Closing date: Thursday 22nd September 2016 at 12.00pm
Employment Advisors ×2
35 hrs per week , 3 year contract, £28,183 incl. ILW
Closing date: Thursday 22nd September 2016 at 12.00pm
Outreach Worker
35 hrs per week, 3 year contract, £25, 741 incl. ILW
Closing date: Thursday 22nd September at 12.00pm
For an informal discussion about the post, please contact Isabelle Terrisson, Senior Operations Manager. For all other details and an application pack, please contact Ruksana Begum:
Tel: 020 7388 8198 E-mail: info@hopscotchawc.org.uk Web: www.hopscotchawc.org.uk

Home-Start Camden seeks Manager
After nearly five years, our current Manager is leaving us for pasture new.
Experienced Manager – Home-Start Camden – An opportunity to make a difference! Four days a week
Home-Start Camden (HSC) is looking for an experienced Manager to take this vibrant, established, local charity forward. The successful candidate should relish a challenge and be able to work strategically and creatively.
Application deadline: Thursday 22nd September 6pm
Interview date: Thursday 29th September at HSC office.
Further information here:

Green Points Scheme Vacancies: Recycling Advisors/ Team Leaders
35 hours a week for approximately 12 weeks starting 12th September 2016
Local Green Points are looking for a team of freelance Recycling Advisors to work on multiple projects throughout London. This will include participation monitoring, door-to-door engagement with residents and promoting a brand-new recycling rewards scheme across the boroughs of Westminster, Kingston upon Thames, Bexley, Camden and Hackney.
Recycling Advisors will be paid £60/day, Participation Monitors will be paid £65/day and Team leaders will be paid £75/day. Applicants that can drive and use their vehicles for work purposes will be reimbursed based on mileage. Bonuses will be paid in line with performance.
To apply please email Bradley Williams at jobs@localgreenpoints.com with a CV and brief covering letter explaining why you are suitable for this role and how you meet the personal description. Applications will remain open until positions are filled.
Training will take place on the Friday 9th September with work commencing 12th September.

Trustees Wanted
Volunteer Centre Camden are seeking trustees and a treasurer. Contact dominic@volunteercentrecamden.org.uk if you are interested.

Primary Care Navigator
Local Government Scale SO1 £29,133 – £30,830 pa fixed term contract to March 2017 plus weekend allowance plus 6% contributory pension. (This post may be extended subject to funding)
The Navigator will support those aged 60+ with long term conditions and their carers to access timely care and community support services. Close work with GPs and other practice staff is required as is accurate record keeping using IT systems. Through timely intervention and care co-ordination, unnecessary hospital admissions, GP appointments and residential placements will be reduced.
The successful candidate will come from an information/advice, social care or health background, must be computer literate, an excellent communicator, and able to work in a multi-disciplinary team. Experience of person centred planning and of working with volunteers is desirable. It is important that a candidate promotes a culture that values, protects and uses information for the success of the organisation and benefit of its clients/patients
The post is based at a GP surgery in Camden and some travel round the borough is required. AUC offers a contributory pension, and season ticket or bicycle loan facility. Limited rota (one in four) based work at weekends is required. GPs may make online referrals and remotely navigators will respond.
For further details and an application form visit our website www.ageukcamden.org.uk or email jobs@ageukcamden.org.uk or telephone 020 7239 0400. A secondment may be considered but no CVs, no agencies please.
Closing date: Wednesday 7th September 2016, 9.30 am
Interview date: Monday 12th September 2016

Opening Doors London seeks Community Outreach Officer [LGBT* Connect]
7 hours per week Hourly rate: £15.49
Area to be covered: London Borough of Camden
Opening Doors London (ODL) is the largest service working with and for older LGBT* people in the UK, and is in a unique position to assess the need for, and impact of, focused work with this largely under recognised and often marginalised group. This is an exciting opportunity to join the ODL team as we have just become a charity with our own Board of Trustees and are looking to develop our services across the whole of London.
We are recruiting a worker to support work with older lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans* (LGBT*) people in and around the London borough of Camden as part of the LGBT* Connect project.
LGBT* Connect is a partnership of older Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Trans* (LGBT*) people and a number of Camden organisations, working together to reconnect older LGBT* people to local networks, both to improve their wellbeing and to strengthen local communities.
With the help of your line manager and volunteers you will work with members of the older LGBT* community to help them to set up and manage social groups. You will have a focus on finding isolated individuals within and around Camden who may not have heard of the service. You will also be responsible for leading on the collection and inputting of monitoring and evaluation data for the project.
If you are interested in this role please see the application pack including the full job description and person specification at www.ageukcamden.org.uk or email jobs@ageukcamden.org.uk.
Closing date: Monday 26th September 2016 – 9.15 am

Camden Futures Community Connectors
Are you a parent or carer living in Camden? Have you ever thought of helping other parents by sharing tips, interesting activities happening in your community and places to go with your family and friends?
Camden Futures is recruiting parents volunteers to become Community Connectors. We are holding information sessions on
08/09/16 from 1 to 3 pm and on 16/09/16 from 9.30 to 11.30 am at Elfrida Rathbone Camden, 7 Dowdney Close, London NW5 2BP. For info contact Francesca on 02074241622

Hep C support group in Camden
Use your experience of living with Hepatitis C to educate and support others through the process of getting tested and treated.
We are recruiting a team of 6 people with lived experience to form a Hep C support group in Camden. The group will deliver
Peer Led Drop In; Peer Support Group; Outreach; Peer Education; Help with attending appointments
You will Get
Training from the Hep C TRUST; Reward and recognition; Supervision and support
If you are interested, contact Alex, Dan or John at VoiceAbility on 020 3355 7113 or camdenuserinvolvement@voiceability.org
We need to recruit a team quite quickly, so early applications are especially welcome

Are you looking to employ an assistant to help with your care needs? CamdenPAs can help
CamdenPAs.org.uk is a new service that makes it easy to find a personal assistant (PA) and puts you in control of your care and support.
If you have care needs, you can employ a PA to help you to live as independently as possible.
CamdenPAs features an online ‘marketplace’ for you to browse through a list of profiles of PAs in the borough. Profiles give details about the services they provide, their skills, experience and personal interests.
You can look through the list to find suitable matches and choose someone you like to help support you.
When you find a match you can contact the PA to arrange an interview and see how you get on. If you like them you can then work out contract details such as hours, duties and wages, and hire them.
If you do not find anyone suitable, you can set up your own a profile describing your requirements and interests, for PAs to look through and contact you.
You can employ a PA whether you receive a direct payment or fund your own care. If you receive direct payments you can get support with the employment from Personalised Support In Camden or AgeUK Camden.
Become a PA
If you’re a PA looking for work or are just starting out, CamdenPAs can help you. As well as helping you finding a job, the site features advice on looking for work, becoming a PA and where to get training.
Why not set up your profile today? Find out more, visit: camdenpas.org.uk or phone: 020 7278 4437

Find Jobs and Volunteering opportunities at https://www.vac.org.uk/

Drafting an Equality and Inclusion Action Plan for Camden CCG
The CCG are in the process of developing an Equality and Inclusion Action plan.
The reason we wanted to use diversity and inclusion instead of equality and diversity is to show that we are not just committed to equalities for compliance reasons and we really want to improve our commissioning and workforce management by using the diversity in our community and also in the workforce. If we can make this diversity work only then we can achieve inclusion. So the focus of the action plan is to use diversity as a strength and make it work to achieve better results/outcomes for all (inclusion).
We would appreciate if you could complete the online survey which will close on Friday 29th July. You can access the survey by clicking on the following link: https://feedback.camdenccg.nhs.uk/community-ownership/diversity-and-inclusion-survey .

Camden Consultations
You can find all Camden consultation on the Wearecamden consultation hub.

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 on the online form here.

New Online Market Place for Social Care Providers; VAC is moving offices; Last Chance to Apply for Camden Young People’s Foundation jobs; Camden Funders Fair for Local Community Organisations; Camden Futures Community Connectors; News from Camden Sure Start Children’s Centres; Leighton Project Coffee Morning; + funding jobs, volunteers, events, training, offers and resources.

Camden council have developed a new online marketplace for adult social care in Camden. This will sit within the new Camden Care Choices website to be launched in October 2016. This is part of the Care Act 2014 offer to provide people with access to social care products and services.
Initially, the marketplace will allow users to source care and support services themselves and, in due course, the marketplace will be the primary source for Camden Council staff to commission providers’ services. All future contracts with providers will require registering services on the new website.
Camden council will be holding three information and registration events on Tuesday 13th September 2016 at St Pancras Community Association, 67 Pender Street, NW1 0LB (nearest tube stations are Mornington Crescent and Camden Town).
The events will enable people to find local services they want to help them live independently, with the benefit of a potential increase in the number of people using your service.
Staff will be on hand to help you register on the day. With this in mind, please bring with you details about your organisation (contact name, email address, business card/headed paper etc.) and ensure that you have the authority to sign up when you’re with us. Full details and registration can be accessed by clicking the link below:
http://www.eventbrite.com/e/camden-social-care-online-directory-provider-launch-tickets-27088145372

Farewell Kentish Town
From September Voluntary Action Camden will be based in the West Euston Partnership offices at 29- 31 Hampstead Rd, London NW1 3JA. Email addresses and phone numbers remain the same.
The other organisations based at 299 Kentish Town Road will all be moving to new premises as well: Camden Carers Centre, Healthwatch Camden, Camden Psychotherapy Unit, Camden Mediation Service, The Advocacy Project, Irish Survivors Support Network, Solace Women’s Aid, the Bereavement Service and CADFA..

Camden Young People’s Foundation
This is an exciting initiative that aims to support activities for young people in Camden. Three posts are being recruited – see ‘Jobs’ section below for full details. Deadline Monday!

Camden Funders Fair for Local Community Organisations
Thursday 22nd September 9.30am-12.30pm
Wellcome Collection, 183 Euston Road, London NW1 2BE
This fair will be aimed at local, Camden-based community organisations with a turnover of less than £100,000 per annum who are engaged in excellent work in the borough, but are not necessarily used to approaching independent funders.
Community organisations and charities will receive welcome advice and tailored guidance on the day from national and local trusts and foundations and, following on from this, Voluntary Action Camden has pledged to provide further 1-1 support to the charities attending to help them in future funding applications.
Reasons to attend:
• Good way to reach a number of organisations efficiently, good use of time.
• Opportunity to meet local charities and give them invaluable face-to-face advice.
• Improve quality of funding applications to the benefit of all.
• Leverage additional support for the charities from VAC.
• Network and connect with other local and national funders.
know more then please contact either Simone or Jackie on:
Simone: shensby@vac.org.uk, Tel: 020 7284 6555
Jackie: jackie.crombie@bitcconnect.org, Tel: 07841 727172

Camden Futures Community Connectors
Are you a parent or carer living in Camden? Have you ever thought of helping other parents by sharing tips, interesting activities happening in your community and places to go with your family and friends?
Camden Futures is recruiting parents volunteers to become Community Connectors. We are holding information sessions on
08/09/16 from 1 to 3 pm and on 16/09/16 from 9.30 to 11.30 am at Elfrida Rathbone Camden, 7 Dowdney Close, London NW5 2BP. For info contact Francesca on 02074241622

News from Camden Sure Start Children’s Centres
Children’s centre news and activities for families with children under 5 years and those expecting a baby.
Information about the Family Nurse Partnership is online here: http://fnp.nhs.uk/
Information about 2 year places- http://www.camden.gov.uk/ccm/content/education/pre-school/help-with-childcare-costs.en
Look on the new website www.camden.gov.uk/surestartcamden
•To register online- it’s quick and easy
•To view all 5 Services Timetables – a new leaflet with maps and weekly timetables

Leighton Project Coffee Morning
The Leighton Education Project is running a drop-in coffee morning for voluntary and statutory sector colleagues on Thursday 8th September 10am-12pm at Elfrida Rathbone Camden. The Leighton Education Project is a specialist education provider for young people aged 16 – 25 with special educational needs and disabilities.
The morning will be an opportunity to look round the classrooms, meet the team and find out more about what we have on offer. We also have spaces available for the 2016/17 academic year.
RSVP emily@elfridacamden.org.uk

Camden Festivals
A list of community festivals in Camden can be found here.

Free training, outings and events for unpaid carers in Camden
For a full list of events of carers in Camden please visit the Camden Carers website.

Healthwatch Camden
Latest Information DIgest is on the Healthwatch Camden website.
Catch up with the latest Camden news and what’s happening on Our Blog

The Camden Capacity Building Bulletin is monthly and contains information and news on funding and training. To access it go to www.camden.gov.uk/cbbulletin

Clean Break; Fitzrovia Youth in Action; Camden Young People’s Foundation; Healthwatch Camden; Solace Women’s Aid; Age UK Camden 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

Mens Sheds
Out of the wood: how carpentry is helping men tackle loneliness
According to the Guardian, the Mensheds movement is spreading across the UK. Curously they claim there are 4 in Britain – actually there are hundreds. Find out about the Camden Town Mens Shed here.

See the Funding pages on VAC’s website for all the latest information.

Comic Relief Local Communities
The current theme is ‘Promote reduction of isolation and disadvantage and access to services’.
Grants of between £1,000 and £10,000 will be available.
The programme aims to empower local people, enabling them to create lasting change in their communities. Projects should be run by people directly affected by the issues they are dealing with and priority will be given to small, locally based groups and organisations in areas of disadvantage that have a clear understanding of the needs of their community. Further details online.
Deadline for applications: 5pm Tuesday 6th September
If you have any questions please contact Thomas Flynn thomas.flynn@londoncf.org.uk or Matthew Harriot matthew.harriott@londoncf.org.uk

From paintbrushes to iPads: £3m fund to entice over-75s into the arts
Shakespeare may have described old age as “mere oblivion”, a depressing stage of life “sans teeth, sans eyes, sans taste, sans everything”.
But Arts Council England disagrees, as it allocates £3 million of funding to organisations that encourage pensioners to take up creative pursuits.
Older people are to be invited to pick up their paintbrushes, dancing shoes or iPads as part of a major new project, Celebrating Age. Story from the Telegraph

Celebrate – A New Grants Programme from the Big Lottery Fund
When was the last time your local community came together? Grants of between £300 and £10,000 for groups to hold one off events or activities which celebrate their local community.
You could celebrate something from your community’s history or a local hero. Or maybe it could a chance to bring people together to get to know their neighbours better. Full details on the Big Lottery Website.

Deutsche Bank Small Grants Fund
If you are a charity, voluntary or community group with an income of less than £250,000 per annum and you need funding for work focusing on increasing social inclusion and improving well being, this fund may be able to help.
The focus of the Small Grants Fund is to help society’s most disadvantaged and communities on the ground.
Projects may fall into any of the following areas:
~ Projects that promote social inclusion, reduce isolation and disadvantage and improve access to services;
~ Projects that advance people’s physical and mental health, wellbeing and safety
~ Projects that maximize people’s ability to strengthen community cohesion and build social capacity
The maximum grant size is £5,000. The application is online here.

Don’t forget to sign up to Funding Central for free email funding alerts. Go to www.fundingcentral.org.uk/

VAC’s Mental Health Training Programme for BMER groups
Are you a BMER group or do you work with BMER communities?
For more information about our any of our courses, please go to https://vac.org.uk/events/category/health-mental-health/. Click on the course you are interested in and follow the instructions to book your place and pay by card (if applicable). The charge for our Mental Health First Aid and Youth Mental Health First Aid training courses is heavily subsidised at only £25 per person. All other mental health workshops are free.
Please note that VAC can only accept bookings from organisations working with BMER communities based in Camden, or which serve Camden BMER residents. Places are limited on each course to a maximum of two people per organisation. If you have any queries, please contact us on our team email address: mentalhealthteam@vac.org.uk

VAC has a programme of courses coming up: Click here to find out more. All courses are £25 for members (unless otherwise stated).

Free HR training workshops for Camden voluntary and community groups
Many small to medium sized organisations do not have the resources to directly purchase HR support on an ongoing basis. In our experience, badly handled employment issues in small to medium sized organisations can destabilise the organisation and affect its delivery.
A robust HR function enables organisations to be more sustainable by strengthening the leadership of an organisation, supporting staff, trustees and volunteers effectively and by preventing crises.
The Communities and Third Sector team at Camden Council are pleased to be able to offer Camden voluntary and community groups a series of HR training workshops. The workshops are free and will take place between 9.45 and 1pm at the Town Hall Judd Street.
The workshops are for managers and trustees of voluntary and community groups based in Camden. To book a place on the workshops that you would like to attend, please click on the Eventbrite links.
HR Essentials Wednesday 28th September 2016
The aim of this workshop is to raise the awareness of potential and new employers about employment legislation and good practice in the workplace.
http://hr-essentials.eventbrite.co.uk
Managing Poor Performance through Capability Wednesday 19th October 2016
This workshop will focus on managing employees who are underperforming due to lack of capability
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/managing-poor-performance-through-capability-tickets-27066873748
Managing Misconduct Wednesday 16th November 2016
This worshop will focus on managing employees who are underperforming due to misconduct
The training will reflect the ACAS Code of Practice on disciplinary and grievance procedures.
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/managing-misconduct-registration-27067000126
Handling Workplace Investigations Wednesday 7th December 2016
There are many occasions when an employer may wish to undertake an internal investigation including as part of the disciplinary and grievance process
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/handling-workplace-investigations-registration-27067050276
Staff Appraisals Thursday 12th January 2017
Appraisal is a two-way process of looking backwards to analyse past job performance, and looking forward into the future with a view to improving future performance.
The overall objective of an effective appraisal scheme should be to help each employee to maximise his or her job performance for the joint benefit of the employee and the organisation.
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/staff-appraisals-registration-27067569830
Managing Sickness Absence Thursday 9th February 2017
The aim of this workshop is to increase managers’ confidence and ability to manage staff absence.
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/managing-sickness-absence-registration-27067617974
Managing Restructure Wednesday 15th March 2017
Many voluntary and community organisations are considering some kind of restructuring in response to the current economic climate. This might include closing a team, amalgamating core functions, general downsizing or some sort of relocation.
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/managing-a-restructure-registration-27067674142
Managing Difficult Conversations at Work Wednesday 12th April 2017
Most of us dislike confrontation; we sometimes avoid it which can often lead to even more difficulty, misunderstandings and possible conflict.
In the current climate of continued economic uncertainty, we may find ourselves working with reduced budgets, constant organisational change and ongoing performance issues, as people try to make sense of all this.
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/managing-difficult-conversations-at-work-registration-27067711253
The workshops will be run by Shirley Briggs. Shirely is an independent HR consultant. Her background is in social housing where she worked as a HR manager for a number of large housing associations. She managed the PEACe (HR) service at LVSC from 2006-2016 supporting many hundreds of voluntary and community organisations with HR and employment law advice, consultancy and training. She is also a trained workplace mediator.

FREE places on Learning Disability Awareness Training from Training People
Wednesday 7th September
Training People will be delivering their popular Learning Disability Awareness Training for Camden Council on Wednesday 7th September 2016. The course runs from 1-5pm at the Crowndale Centre.
Places are getting booked up but there are still quite a few spots left and we’d love to see you, your colleagues or your volunteers there!
The training is suitable for anyone who comes into contact with people with a learning disability in their job. The group have had great reviews from commissioners, managers and volunteers alike.
We’ll be looking at effective communication, easy read, how to give great support, the law – and much more!
To find out if you are eligible for a FREE place, you need to contact Camden Training and Development Service. You can call them on 0207 974 2821 or visit their website at www.camdentds.co.uk.

Older Men’s Health Sessions
Wednesdays 11am – 1pm throughout August (24th, 31st)
Fun and enjoyable weekly workshop
Third Age Project, Crypt Centre, Munster Square, London NW1. Tel 020 7383 4922

Kingsgate Community Centre Bring and Buy Sale
4th September 12 – 4pm
Next to the play hut in Kilburn Grange Park
Clothes, jewellery, books, art, cakes, refreshments. Free entry.

Camden Intergenerational Network
Thursday 29th September 2016 at Age UK Camden, Tavis House, 1-6 Tavistock Square WC1H 9NA from 10am-12pm. Please email items for the agenda to Corinna Gray by Friday 16th September 2016.
Keep in touch via Ageing Better in Camden’s dedicated CIN web page.
Read the full network newsletter here.

September Volunteer Managers’ Forum + Lunch
Join us at our next volunteer managers’ forum where we will share our top tips for best practice in volunteer management. 14th September 2016.
The topics will be varied, and can be anything related to managing volunteers.
You will also meet (and network with) other volunteer managers in Camden – and lunch is included.
The forum will take place at The Pirate Castle, Oval Road, Camden Town, NW1 7EA
Check out the full details and book your free tickets on Eventbrite

‘Made of Money’ is running a 2 day Facilitator Training in London on 5th – 6th October 2016
We also offer ‘in house’ trainings for any organisation or group of organisations to suit you.
‘Made of Money’ is an award winning financial literacy resource, developed by anti-poverty charity Quaker Social Action. It aims to help groups talk about money and its impact on their lives, as well as learn vital money management skills. It is ideal to help front line workers offer support to those on low income, particularly in the run up to the introduction of Universal Credit, and welfare benefit changes.
The cost per person for the 2-day training, (incl lunch), depending on the size of your organisation (£100 for small organisations).
You will also need a set of workshop resources, charged at a subsidised rate of £115. This gives you everything you need to run Made of with groups and 1:1 sessions. (These can be shared within the organisation or between groups of organisations)
Contact mompartner@qsa.org.uk

Recovery Collge Taster Courses Drop-in
Understanding Drug & Alcohol Use
Thursday 25 August, 2.30-3pm
All of these workshops take place at Phoenix Main Space at: Mind in Camden – Barnes House, 9-15 Camden Road, London, NW1 9LQ
Tel: 0207 241 8998. You can enrol for Autumn term after each session
Call The Recovery College on: 0203 317 6904 Visit our website : www.candi.nhs.uk/recoverycollege

Memory Cafes
Millman Street Memory Cafe, 3rd Monday of the month, 3-5pm. Tel: 020 7561 4820
Maitland Part Memory Cafe, 1st Wednesday of the month, 11am – 1pm. Tel020 7561 4820.

London for All
London for All / LVSC have a full programme of courses available for the voluntary sector. Go to the London for All website for full details.

Camden Carers’ Service
Has a full range of events and activities for unpaid carers in Camden. Find out more on the Camden Carers’ Service website www.camdencs.org.uk/activities

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

Elfrida Rathbone seeks Employment Support Coordinator
Salary £28,845 pro rata (including ILW)
28 hours per week (some evening and weekend work as required)
Two year fixed-term contract with potential to extend
To coordinate the delivery of Inclusion Works, a project supporting young people with learning difficulties and disabilities into sustainable employment and helping them to achieve their aims for community inclusion and financial independence.
For more information about this role, please contact Jennifer Ellis on 020 7424 1639 or email jennifer@elfridacamden.org.uk
The closing date for applications is 10am on Friday 2nd September. Interviews will be held on Friday 9th September.

Fitzrovia Youth in Action seeks Mentoring Programme Staff
Manager
Salary £30,000-£32,000, depending on experience
Fitzrovia Youth in Action (FYA) is seeking to employ a Project Manager to co-ordinate an exciting project, supported by the Big Lottery Fund, aimed at raising
young people’s aspirations and learning while developing their employability skills and giving them an insight into the world of work and higher education.
Working in partnership with local businesses, youth services and educational institutions , the post holder will deliver an innovative programme consisting of work experience
placements, 1-2-1 mentoring, youth volunteering, study support groups and employability workshops.
We are looking for an enthusiastic and passionate individual with excellent organisational skills, great communication skills and the ability to motivate and support local businesses and employees to participate in the scheme, as well as young people from disadvantaged backgrounds. Apply here
Mentoring Programme Officer
£24,000
We are looking to recruit a passionate mentoring programme officer to support the development and running of the Insight programme: a series of projects aimed at providing young people with employability and study support so they can follow their dreams and achieve thier goals. Our programmes include short and long term mentoring and work experience projects, a study hub run by student volunteers, and employability training.
Deadline for applications for both jobs is Wednesday 31st August. Interviews will be held in the week commencing 5th September. Apply here.

Clean Break seeks Female Catering Volunteers
We are looking for enthusiastic volunteers to assist the Catering Team with preparation and serving of nutritious food to our service users, maintaining Health & Safety and kitchen hygiene Standards.
Food Preparation – catering for daily lunches and internal and external events, with tasks including prepping, cooking, dishing up and serving, washing up and cleaning up kitchen. Ingredients will be cooked, frozen, tinned to create healthily meat and vegetation dishes. Assist with quarterly blitz of kitchen-deep clean of equipment and kitchen space.
This role would suit someone who enjoys cooking and working as part of a team
A basic level of cooking knowledge and ability to follow instruction is essential
Some experience of working with vulnerable people who have been through the Criminal Justice System
Long or short term commitment from September 2016 – July 2017 with availability Monday-Thursday
Weekdays 11.00am-2.30pm (Tuesdays 11.00-3pm). Some flexibility
Open to women only (exempt under the Equality Act 2010 Schedule 9, Part 1)
Contact: Samantha.McNeil@cleanbreak.org.uk Tel: 020 7482 8600

Hep C support group in Camden
Use your experience of living with Hepatitis C to educate and support others through the process of getting tested and treated.
We are recruiting a team of 6 people with lived experience to form a Hep C support group in Camden. The group will deliver
Peer Led Drop In; Peer Support Group; Outreach; Peer Education; Help with attending appointments
You will Get
Training from the Hep C TRUST; Reward and recognition; Supervision and support
If you are interested, contact Alex, Dan or John at VoiceAbility on 020 3355 7113 or camdenuserinvolvement@voiceability.org
We need to recruit a team quite quickly, so early applications are especially welcome

Camden Young People’s Foundation are recruiting 3 posts
Chief Executive Officer
Fundraising Manager
Operations Officer
The Camden Young Peoples Foundation is a new initiative in Camden that aims to to fundraise to secure funding from new sources (e.g. Big Lottery and European Social Fund) into the local area and successfully secure commissions from the local authority
YPF will attract corporate and individual funding streams and will be a practical and simple way for the corporate sector to engage with CYP organisations.
YPF will also organise sector (and location) specific capacity building including training events, advice sessions and a forum for organisations to share ideas and best practice share venue spaces and develop a ‘venue bank’, coordinate sector networking opportunities and support services.
YPF will be a membership organisations for any group that works with Children and Young People in the Camden.
YPF will have a Trustee Board and wider steering group that will include representation from relevant organisations in Camden. This might include the local voluntary sector, the local authority, police, Clinical Commissioning Groups, Housing Associations, local schools, faith groups, uniformed groups, football clubs and sports organisations, the corporate sector and funder representation.
Download the application packs at the VAC webiste.

Freelance opportunity with Healthwatch Camden
Healthwatch Camden is seeking someone to work with us on our Audit of Engagement project. The position will operate on a self-funding basis. Remuneration will be dependent on income that the freelance worker is able to generate through delivery of the Audit of Involvement service for organisations in the borough of Camden and beyond on a cost recovery basis. The person we are seeking will need to demonstrate: experience in generating income through the delivery of consultancy services in the field of health and social care; a commitment to and an understanding of the theory and practice behind patient and public involvement; ability to work efficiently and independently. Relevant qualifications include: Masters in Business Administration; Masters in Health or Social Care or related field.
To apply please send CV and covering letter by Monday August 15th to: victoria.armitage@healthwatchcamden.co.uk
If you would like more information or to discuss this opportunity please email Anna Wright at: anna.wright@healthwatchcamden.co.uk

Are you looking to employ an assistant to help with your care needs? CamdenPAs can help
CamdenPAs.org.uk is a new service that makes it easy to find a personal assistant (PA) and puts you in control of your care and support.
If you have care needs, you can employ a PA to help you to live as independently as possible.
CamdenPAs features an online ‘marketplace’ for you to browse through a list of profiles of PAs in the borough. Profiles give details about the services they provide, their skills, experience and personal interests.
You can look through the list to find suitable matches and choose someone you like to help support you.
When you find a match you can contact the PA to arrange an interview and see how you get on. If you like them you can then work out contract details such as hours, duties and wages, and hire them.
If you do not find anyone suitable, you can set up your own a profile describing your requirements and interests, for PAs to look through and contact you.
You can employ a PA whether you receive a direct payment or fund your own care. If you receive direct payments you can get support with the employment from Personalised Support In Camden or AgeUK Camden.
Become a PA
If you’re a PA looking for work or are just starting out, CamdenPAs can help you. As well as helping you finding a job, the site features advice on looking for work, becoming a PA and where to get training.
Why not set up your profile today? Find out more, visit: camdenpas.org.uk or phone: 020 7278 4437

Find Jobs and Volunteering opportunities at https://www.vac.org.uk/

Improving how Camden Council talk to and engage with people who are d/Deaf, disabled or have a long term health condition
Camden Council would like to know how Voluntary and Community Sector (VCS) organisations in the borough engage with people, and what you think about our approach to engagement.
Please help us by completing our online survey by Friday 2 September.
We will listen to what you tell us when deciding what to do next.
The Council currently runs four forums, each held every three months, for people who are d/Deaf or have disabilities, and long term health conditions. These are:
• Mental health forum
• Learning disability forum
• Sensory needs forum
• Physical disability forum
The forums allow people tell us what they think of our services and how they can be improved. They were established in 2010. We are now looking at them again to see if any improvements can be made.
If you would like any further help, we would be delighted to hear from you. You can contact us using the details below. You can also visit our project webpage.
Email: disability.engagement@camden.gov.uk Telephone: 020 7974 4835

Drafting an Equality and Inclusion Action Plan for Camden CCG
The CCG are in the process of developing an Equality and Inclusion Action plan.
The reason we wanted to use diversity and inclusion instead of equality and diversity is to show that we are not just committed to equalities for compliance reasons and we really want to improve our commissioning and workforce management by using the diversity in our community and also in the workforce. If we can make this diversity work only then we can achieve inclusion. So the focus of the action plan is to use diversity as a strength and make it work to achieve better results/outcomes for all (inclusion).
We would appreciate if you could complete the online survey which will close on Friday 29th July. You can access the survey by clicking on the following link: https://feedback.camdenccg.nhs.uk/community-ownership/diversity-and-inclusion-survey .

Camden Consultations
You can find all Camden consultation on the Wearecamden consultation hub.

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 on the online form here.

Health Advocates; Farewell Kentish Town; Camden Care Navigation Service praised in CQC Report; Camden Funders Fair for Local Community Organisations; Personal Health Budgets (PHBs): Free learning and development days; Dementia Citizens; Camden Young People’s Foundation; Kingsgate Community Centre Bring and Buy Sale; Camden Intergenerational Network; Leighton Education Project; Free Learning Disability Awareness Training; Older Men’s Health Sessions; Sporting Sense Project + funding jobs, volunteers, events, training, offers and resources.

The latest edition of the Camden Patient Participation Groups Newsletter looks at Community health advocates are volunteers who signpost people to health and wellbeing services, websites, and community activities. Most advocates work from GP surgery waiting rooms in two hour sessions.
The project is part of Voluntary Action Camden’s health inequalities work which aims to address issues which contribute to poor health outcomes for Camden residents. The service is funded by Camden CCG and Camden Council. You can read the full article in the CPPG Newsletter, read a blog about new models of care and the involvement of the the VCS on the VAC website, or email vac to find out more or get involved.

Farewell Kentish Town
The organisations based at 299 Kentish Town Road will all be moving to new premises in September. This inludes VAC, Camden Carers Centre, Healthwatch Camden, Camden Psychotherapy Unit, Camden Mediation Service, The Advocacy Project, and Irish Survivors Support Network. Solace Women’s Aid and Camden, City, Islington and W Bereavement Service have already moved to new premises. VAC will be moving to West Euston Partnership’s offices. Healthwatch Camden will be moving to Somers Town Community Centre. Irish Survivors Support Network are moving to the Cypriot Women’s Centre. The Advocacy Project are moving to the Camden Society offices. Further information about all the moves will follow in the next e-bulletin.

Camden Young People’s Foundation
This is an exciting initiative that aims to support activities for young people in Camden. Three posts are being recruited – see ‘Jobs’ section below for full details. Deadline soon.

Camden Care Navigation Service praised in CQC Report
In the recently published Care Quality Commission (CQC) report Building Bridges, Breaking Barriers, the Primary Care Navigation Service run by Age UK Camden was praised as a good example of multi-agency working. The CQC report was generally critical of lack of integration, calling for improvements, but Camden was held up as good practice, see: http://www.cqc.org.uk/content/older-people-denied-personalised-effective-and-responsive-care-due-poor-integration-across
Age UK Camden’s CEO Gary Jones said “We deliver with Camden CCG funding with close links to GPs and other practice staff as well as social care professionals. Voluntary sector partners are also key and our Care Navigation Manager is seconded from Camden Carers Centre and is a nurse by training. We also had some help from Age UK London and Age UK Kensington and Chelsea in developing the model.”

Camden Funders Fair for Local Community Organisations
Thursday 22nd September 9.30am-12.30pm
Wellcome Collection, 183 Euston Road, London NW1 2BE
This fair will be aimed at local, Camden-based community organisations with a turnover of less than £100,000 per annum who are engaged in excellent work in the borough, but are not necessarily used to approaching independent funders.
Community organisations and charities will receive welcome advice and tailored guidance on the day from national and local trusts and foundations and, following on from this, Voluntary Action Camden has pledged to provide further 1-1 support to the charities attending to help them in future funding applications.
Reasons to attend:
• Good way to reach a number of organisations efficiently, good use of time.
• Opportunity to meet local charities and give them invaluable face-to-face advice.
• Improve quality of funding applications to the benefit of all.
• Leverage additional support for the charities from VAC.
• Network and connect with other local and national funders.
know more then please contact either Simone or Jackie on:
Simone: shensby@vac.org.uk, Tel: 020 7284 6555
Jackie: jackie.crombie@bitcconnect.org, Tel: 07841 727172

Personal Health Budgets (PHBs): Free learning and development days
The NHS is planning to increase the use of Personal Health Budgets (PHBs). Local infrastructure organisations need to be aware of what this could mean and the potential role they could play to make PHBs work for local people.
NAVCA, National Voices and Volunteering Matters (the Voluntary Voices partnership) are setting up learning and support networks for anyone in the voluntary sector involved in helping people and local voluntary organisations make PHBs work, in particular local infrastructure, charities delivering healthcare and user-led organisations. The networks will also have input from NHS England and local CCGs, so present an opportunity to share ideas with them.
To initiate the networks NAVCA have organised free learning and development days in venues across the country. More information about these events and how to book can be found here.

Dementia Citizens
Dementia Citizens is a new project to help people with dementia and those who care for them, using apps on smartphones and tablets. If you’re affected by dementia, Dementia Citizens can help you:
~ find new activities that you can enjoy with family and friends, using your smartphone or tablet
~ take part in dementia research studies and help us understand more about dementia care
~ learn new ways of living with dementia and caring for someone with dementia
Find out more at the Dementia Citizens website.

Kingsgate Community Centre Bring and Buy Sale
4th September 12 – 4pm
Next to the play hut in Kilburn Grange Park
Clothes, jewellery, books, art, cakes, refreshments. Free entry.

Camden Intergenerational Network
An important date for your diary is the next Camden Intergenerational Network meeting on Thursday 29th September 2016 at Age UK Camden, Tavis House, 1-6 Tavistock Square WC1H 9NA from 10am-12pm. Please email items for the agenda to Corinna Gray by Friday 16th September 2016.
Keep in touch via Ageing Better in Camden’s dedicated CIN web page.
Read the full network newsletter here.

The Leighton Education Project still has places available
Do you know a young person aged 16 – 25 with SEND who is looking for a placement for the 2016 – 2017 academic year?
The Leighton Education Project is a specialist education provider for young people aged 16 – 25 with special educational needs and disabilities.
We’re based in Kentish Town and work with young people across London.
With only 18 students each year, we offer a truly person centred approach.
Students at the Leighton Project achieve the Ascentis Award in Personal Development or Skills for Employment.
We offer tailored support for students including:
Support from a named Keyworker
Access to social and emotional support from the Learning Mentor
Work experience opportunities with support from the Work Preparation Officer
Students can also access a range of other enrichment activities and projects
for young disabled people offered by Elfrida Rathbone Camden.
For more information about the project or to arrange a visit, please contact:
Jennifer on 020 7424 1639/07939 862 637 or jennifer@elfridacamden.org.uk
Alexis on 020 7424 1610 or alexis@elfridacamden.org.uk

FREE places on Learning Disability Awareness Training from Training People
Wednesday 7th September
Training People will be delivering their popular Learning Disability Awareness Training for Camden Council on Wednesday 7th September 2016. The course runs from 1-5pm at the Crowndale Centre.
Places are getting booked up but there are still quite a few spots left and we’d love to see you, your colleagues or your volunteers there!
The training is suitable for anyone who comes into contact with people with a learning disability in their job. The group have had great reviews from commissioners, managers and volunteers alike.
We’ll be looking at effective communication, easy read, how to give great support, the law – and much more!
To find out if you are eligible for a FREE place, you need to contact Camden Training and Development Service. You can call them on 0207 974 2821 or visit their website at www.camdentds.co.uk.

Do you have a suitable room to hire?
Buddhist charity looking for room to hire four times per month in the evening. Contact: London@drukpa.org.uk

Older Men’s Health Sessions
Wednesdays 11am – 1pm throughout August (17th, 24th, 31st)
Fun and enjoyable weekly workshop
Third Age Project, Crypt Centre, Munster Square, London NW1. Tel 020 7383 4922

Sporting Sense Project 2016 -2018
Sense Head Office, 101 Pentonville Road, London, N1 9GL
Friday 19th August Morning: 11am – 12.30pm OR Afternoon: 2pm – 3.30pm
Topics to discuss on the day:
• What activities have people participated in previously? Favourite activities?
• Positives and/or suggested improvements from activities you have previously attended
• Best/worst locations and venues to hold sessions
• Support and accessibility concerns
• Times and days preferred for sessions
• Random sports that people would love to try
• Opinions on the suggested sporting activities
• People’s experiences of being able to access promotion information and where they would go to access it
Email: taylor.huxster@sense.org.uk Telephone: 020 7014 9365

Camden Festivals
A list of community festivals in Camden can be found here.

Free training, outings and events for unpaid carers in Camden
For a full list of events of carers in Camden please visit the Camden Carers website.

Healthwatch Camden
Latest Information DIgest is on the Healthwatch Camden website.
Catch up with the latest Camden news and what’s happening on Our Blog

The Camden Capacity Building Bulletin is monthly and contains information and news on funding and training. To access it go to www.camden.gov.uk/cbbulletin

Clean Break; Fitzrovia Youth in Action; Camden Young People’s Foundation; Healthwatch Camden; Solace Women’s Aid; Age UK Camden 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

Free Guide to fundraising for small organisations
Gimme, Gimme Gimme!, a report was written to try and help organisations think about their fundraising with greater realism and to improve their chances of success. It is aimed at small organisations, those (however large) who are just starting to think about raising more voluntary income or anybody else who finds it useful. You can see the full report on the nfp synergy website.

Office for Civil Society
Many of the roles of the Office for Civil Society (OCS) have been transferred to the Department of Culture, Media and Sport, in order to meet the Government’s strategy to promote volunteering, social action and philanthropy, to be in one Department. The roles being transferred are:
• Work designed to grow volunteering, social action and philanthropy
• Facilitating a more independent and resilient VCSE sector
• Promoting social investment and social impact bonds
• The creation of opportunities for young people to develop skills outside of school, in support of youth policy
• The expansion of the National Citizen Service
• Sponsoring the Big Lottery Fund and promoting socially responsible business

Line Manager’s Resources
MHFA have produced ‘A practical guide to managing and supporting people with mental health problems in the workplace’.
Download this free resource here.

See the Funding pages on VAC’s website for all the latest information.

Comic Relief Local Communities is open
The current theme is ‘Promote reduction of isolation and disadvantage and access to services’.
Grants of between £1,000 and £10,000 will be available.
The programme aims to empower local people, enabling them to create lasting change in their communities. Projects should be run by people directly affected by the issues they are dealing with and priority will be given to small, locally based groups and organisations in areas of disadvantage that have a clear understanding of the needs of their community. Further details online.
Deadline for applications: 5pm Tuesday 6th September
If you have any questions please contact Thomas Flynn thomas.flynn@londoncf.org.uk or Matthew Harriot matthew.harriott@londoncf.org.uk

From paintbrushes to iPads: £3m fund to entice over-75s into the arts
Shakespeare may have described old age as “mere oblivion”, a depressing stage of life “sans teeth, sans eyes, sans taste, sans everything”.
But Arts Council England disagrees, as it allocates £3 million of funding to organisations that encourage pensioners to take up creative pursuits.
Older people are to be invited to pick up their paintbrushes, dancing shoes or iPads as part of a major new project, Celebrating Age. Story from the Telegraph

Celebrate – A New Grants Programme from the Big Lottery Fund
When was the last time your local community came together? Grants of between £300 and £10,000 for groups to hold one off events or activities which celebrate their local community.
You could celebrate something from your community’s history or a local hero. Or maybe it could a chance to bring people together to get to know their neighbours better. Full details on the Big Lottery Website.

Church Urban Fund Near Neighbours Grants
The Near Neighbours programme offers small grants of between £250 and £5,000, as seed funding for local groups and organisations
working to bring together neighbours, and to develop relationships across diverse faiths and ethnicities to improve their communities.
Grants have offered funding to a broad range of work; environmental, social, cultural, artistic, and sporting, that furthers the programme’s aims of encouraging community interaction and social action. Full details at cuf.org.uk

Deutsche Bank Small Grants Fund
If you are a charity, voluntary or community group with an income of less than £250,000 per annum and you need funding for work focusing on increasing social inclusion and improving well being, this fund may be able to help.
The focus of the Small Grants Fund is to help society’s most disadvantaged and communities on the ground.
Projects may fall into any of the following areas:
~ Projects that promote social inclusion, reduce isolation and disadvantage and improve access to services;
~ Projects that advance people’s physical and mental health, wellbeing and safety
~ Projects that maximize people’s ability to strengthen community cohesion and build social capacity
The maximum grant size is £5,000. The application is online here.

Don’t forget to sign up to Funding Central for free email funding alerts. Go to www.fundingcentral.org.uk/

VAC’s Mental Health Training Programme for BMER groups
Are you a BMER group or do you work with BMER communities?
For more information about our any of our courses, please go to https://vac.org.uk/events/category/health-mental-health/. Click on the course you are interested in and follow the instructions to book your place and pay by card (if applicable). The charge for our Mental Health First Aid and Youth Mental Health First Aid training courses is heavily subsidised at only £25 per person. All other mental health workshops are free.
Please note that VAC can only accept bookings from organisations working with BMER communities based in Camden, or which serve Camden BMER residents. Places are limited on each course to a maximum of two people per organisation. If you have any queries, please contact us on our team email address: mentalhealthteam@vac.org.uk

VAC has a programme of courses coming up: Click here to find out more. All courses are £25 for members (unless otherwise stated).

September Volunteer Managers’ Forum + Lunch
Join us at our next volunteer managers’ forum where we will share our top tips for best practice in volunteer management.
The topics will be varied, and can be anything related to managing volunteers.
You will also meet (and network with) other volunteer managers in Camden – and lunch is included.
The forum will take place at The Pirate Castle, Oval Road, Camden Town, NW1 7EA
Check out the full details and book your free tickets on Eventbrite

‘Made of Money’ is running a 2 day Facilitator Training in London on 5th – 6th October 2016
We also offer ‘in house’ trainings for any organisation or group of organisations to suit you.
‘Made of Money’ is an award winning financial literacy resource, developed by anti-poverty charity Quaker Social Action. It aims to help groups talk about money and its impact on their lives, as well as learn vital money management skills. It is ideal to help front line workers offer support to those on low income, particularly in the run up to the introduction of Universal Credit, and welfare benefit changes.
The cost per person for the 2-day training, (incl lunch), depending on the size of your organisation (£100 for small organisations).
You will also need a set of workshop resources, charged at a subsidised rate of £115. This gives you everything you need to run Made of with groups and 1:1 sessions. (These can be shared within the organisation or between groups of organisations)
Contact mompartner@qsa.org.uk

Recovery Collge Taster Courses Drop-in
Understanding Drug & Alcohol Use
Thursday 18 August, 2.30-3pm
Your Nearest Relative’s Rights in a Crisis
Thursday 18 August, 5.30-6pm
Men & Masculinity
Thursday 25 August, 2.30-3pm
All of these workshops take place at Phoenix Main Space at: Mind in Camden – Barnes House, 9-15 Camden Road, London, NW1 9LQ
Tel: 0207 241 8998. You can enrol for Autumn term after each session
Call The Recovery College on: 0203 317 6904 Visit our website : www.candi.nhs.uk/recoverycollege

Family Fun Days
Camden’s Tenant Participation team have family fun days coming up:
Goldington Crescent Gardens
Wednesday 17 August, 2 to 6pm
Brunswick Square Gardens
Thursday 6 October, 2 to 6pm
All events include: Brazilian dance and food; Pedal power smoothie making; Public artwork from Walls on Walls; Face painting; Camden Active Communities: table tennis, Zumba, boccia; Plus: talk to us about Camden services.
Contact tp@camden.gov.uk

Memory Cafes
Millman Street Memory Cafe, 3rd Monday of the month, 3-5pm. Tel: 020 7561 4820
Maitland Part Memory Cafe, 1st Wednesday of the month, 11am – 1pm. Tel020 7561 4820.

London for All
London for All / LVSC have a full programme of courses available for the voluntary sector. Go to the London for All website for full details.

Camden Carers’ Service
Has a full range of events and activities for unpaid carers in Camden. Find out more on the Camden Carers’ Service website www.camdencs.org.uk/activities

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

Fitzrovia Youth in Action seeks Mentoring Programme Manager
Salary £30,000-£32,000, depending on experience
Fitzrovia Youth in Action (FYA) is seeking to employ a Project Manager to co-ordinate an exciting project, supported by the Big Lottery Fund, aimed at raising
young people’s aspirations and learning while developing their employability skills and giving them an insight into the world of work and higher education.
Working in partnership with local businesses, youth services and educational institutions , the post holder will deliver an innovative programme consisting of work experience
placements, 1-2-1 mentoring, youth volunteering, study support groups and employability workshops.
We are looking for an enthusiastic and passionate individual with excellent organisational skills, great communication skills and the
ability to motivate and support local businesses and employees to participate in the scheme, as well as young people from disadvantaged backgrounds.
Deadline for applications is Wednesday 31st August. Interviews will be held in the week commencing 5th September. Apply here.

Clean Break seeks Female Catering Volunteers
We are looking for enthusiastic volunteers to assist the Catering Team with preparation and serving of nutritious food to our service users, maintaining Health & Safety and kitchen hygiene Standards.
Food Preparation – catering for daily lunches and internal and external events, with tasks including prepping, cooking, dishing up and serving, washing up and cleaning up kitchen. Ingredients will be cooked, frozen, tinned to create healthily meat and vegetation dishes. Assist with quarterly blitz of kitchen-deep clean of equipment and kitchen space.
This role would suit someone who enjoys cooking and working as part of a team
A basic level of cooking knowledge and ability to follow instruction is essential
Some experience of working with vulnerable people who have been through the Criminal Justice System
Long or short term commitment from September 2016 – July 2017 with availability Monday-Thursday
Weekdays 11.00am-2.30pm (Tuesdays 11.00-3pm). Some flexibility
Open to women only (exempt under the Equality Act 2010 Schedule 9, Part 1)
Contact: Samantha.McNeil@cleanbreak.org.uk Tel: 020 7482 8600

Hep C support group in Camden
Use your experience of living with Hepatitis C to educate and support others through the process of getting tested and treated.
We are recruiting a team of 6 people with lived experience to form a Hep C support group in Camden. The group will deliver
Peer Led Drop In; Peer Support Group; Outreach; Peer Education; Help with attending appointments
You will Get
Training from the Hep C TRUST; Reward and recognition; Supervision and support
If you are interested, contact Alex, Dan or John at VoiceAbility on 020 3355 7113 or camdenuserinvolvement@voiceability.org
We need to recruit a team quite quickly, so early applications are especially welcome

Camden Young People’s Foundation are recruiting 3 posts
Chief Executive Officer
Fundraising Manager
Operations Officer
The Camden Young Peoples Foundation is a new initiative in Camden that aims to to fundraise to secure funding from new sources (e.g. Big Lottery and European Social Fund) into the local area and successfully secure commissions from the local authority
YPF will attract corporate and individual funding streams and will be a practical and simple way for the corporate sector to engage with CYP organisations.
YPF will also organise sector (and location) specific capacity building including training events, advice sessions and a forum for organisations to share ideas and best practice share venue spaces and develop a ‘venue bank’, coordinate sector networking opportunities and support services.
YPF will be a membership organisations for any group that works with Children and Young People in the Camden.
YPF will have a Trustee Board and wider steering group that will include representation from relevant organisations in Camden. This might include the local voluntary sector, the local authority, police, Clinical Commissioning Groups, Housing Associations, local schools, faith groups, uniformed groups, football clubs and sports organisations, the corporate sector and funder representation.
Download the application packs at the VAC webiste.

Freelance opportunity with Healthwatch Camden
Healthwatch Camden is seeking someone to work with us on our Audit of Engagement project. The position will operate on a self-funding basis. Remuneration will be dependent on income that the freelance worker is able to generate through delivery of the Audit of Involvement service for organisations in the borough of Camden and beyond on a cost recovery basis. The person we are seeking will need to demonstrate: experience in generating income through the delivery of consultancy services in the field of health and social care; a commitment to and an understanding of the theory and practice behind patient and public involvement; ability to work efficiently and independently. Relevant qualifications include: Masters in Business Administration; Masters in Health or Social Care or related field.
To apply please send CV and covering letter by Monday August 15th to: victoria.armitage@healthwatchcamden.co.uk
If you would like more information or to discuss this opportunity please email Anna Wright at: anna.wright@healthwatchcamden.co.uk

North London Rape Crisis Helpline Volunteer
Availability A minimum commitment of 12 months post-training from January to December 2017.
North London Rape Crisis is currently looking for helpline volunteers to provide support to women and girls age 13+ who have experienced any form of sexual violence at any time in their lives. The volunteers will be required to commit to 12 months post training and to attend a 10 week training course on Fridays from 7th October to 9th December 2016. You are required to attend 80% of the sessions to be able to proceed to working on the helpline. You will need to have an interest in working with survivors of sexual violence and will have the opportunity to work towards an OCN accredited qualification for ‘Professionals Working in the Sexual Violence Sector’ at level 2 or 3.
Please email us for the information pack and application form. The deadline to submit applications is by 10am on Tuesday 30th August.
Children & Family Services Assistant
Availability Minimum 1 day per week
This is a new role to work in our generic Camden Refuge Services. The C & F volunteer assistant will be supporting the day to day running of the children’s service. This may include: Supporting women to attend appointments, Draw up activity timetables, Running groups, Keep records of all activities and Making contact with women via telephone.
The candidate must have a relevant qualification working with children. Experience of working with children (desirable). Experience of running groups for women/children(desirable). The candidate must be proactive, flexible, good IT skills, have a Friendly & cheerful approach. Must have the ability to keep up to date records of activities, draw up activity timetables and ability to support women to attend external appointments.
Application forms must be submitted by Monday15th August 2016
Complex Needs Refuge Support Volunteer
Availability Minimum 1 day per week
We are looking for volunteers to work alongside the day team at our complex needs refuge. This is an extremely varied role, helping with the day to day running of the refuge and supporting women with complex needs affected by Domestic/Sexual Violence. Some of the tasks include accompanying service users to appointments & benefit agencies, encouraging residents to take up available activities and assisting with organising & running workshops or coffee mornings & group outings.
The ideal candidate must have awareness of Domestic/Sexual abuse, mental health and substance misuse and an understanding and experience working with clients who have complex needs.
Application forms must be submitted by Monday15th August 2016
Please note that our volunteer opportunities are open to women only (exempt under the Equality Act 2010, Schedule 9, Part 1), and that these volunteer roles are exempt from the rehabilitation of offenders act 1974 and subject to enhanced DBS checks. Contact volunteering@solacewomensaid.org for applications packs.

Are you looking to employ an assistant to help with your care needs? CamdenPAs can help
CamdenPAs.org.uk is a new service that makes it easy to find a personal assistant (PA) and puts you in control of your care and support.
If you have care needs, you can employ a PA to help you to live as independently as possible.
CamdenPAs features an online ‘marketplace’ for you to browse through a list of profiles of PAs in the borough. Profiles give details about the services they provide, their skills, experience and personal interests.
You can look through the list to find suitable matches and choose someone you like to help support you.
When you find a match you can contact the PA to arrange an interview and see how you get on. If you like them you can then work out contract details such as hours, duties and wages, and hire them.
If you do not find anyone suitable, you can set up your own a profile describing your requirements and interests, for PAs to look through and contact you.
You can employ a PA whether you receive a direct payment or fund your own care. If you receive direct payments you can get support with the employment from Personalised Support In Camden or AgeUK Camden.
Become a PA
If you’re a PA looking for work or are just starting out, CamdenPAs can help you. As well as helping you finding a job, the site features advice on looking for work, becoming a PA and where to get training.
Why not set up your profile today? Find out more, visit: camdenpas.org.uk or phone: 020 7278 4437

Find Jobs and Volunteering opportunities at https://www.vac.org.uk/

Improving how Camden Council talk to and engage with people who are d/Deaf, disabled or have a long term health condition
Camden Council would like to know how Voluntary and Community Sector (VCS) organisations in the borough engage with people, and what you think about our approach to engagement.
Please help us by completing our online survey by Friday 2 September.
We will listen to what you tell us when deciding what to do next.
The Council currently runs four forums, each held every three months, for people who are d/Deaf or have disabilities, and long term health conditions. These are:
• Mental health forum
• Learning disability forum
• Sensory needs forum
• Physical disability forum
The forums allow people tell us what they think of our services and how they can be improved. They were established in 2010. We are now looking at them again to see if any improvements can be made.
If you would like any further help, we would be delighted to hear from you. You can contact us using the details below. You can also visit our project webpage.
Email: disability.engagement@camden.gov.uk Telephone: 020 7974 4835

Drafting an Equality and Inclusion Action Plan for Camden CCG
The CCG are in the process of developing an Equality and Inclusion Action plan.
The reason we wanted to use diversity and inclusion instead of equality and diversity is to show that we are not just committed to equalities for compliance reasons and we really want to improve our commissioning and workforce management by using the diversity in our community and also in the workforce. If we can make this diversity work only then we can achieve inclusion. So the focus of the action plan is to use diversity as a strength and make it work to achieve better results/outcomes for all (inclusion).
We would appreciate if you could complete the online survey which will close on Friday 29th July. You can access the survey by clicking on the following link: https://feedback.camdenccg.nhs.uk/community-ownership/diversity-and-inclusion-survey .

Camden Consultations
You can find all Camden consultation on the Wearecamden consultation hub.

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 on the online form here.

Strategic Partners Fund and Equalities Fund Awards Announced; Camden Young People’s Foundation; Camden Patient and Public Engagement Group open meeting; Reaching Out; Will you join the Camden Community Toilet Scheme?; Are You Getting the Best Deal for Gas and Electricity?; September Volunteer Managers’ Forum + Lunch; Hep C support group in Camden; Comic Relief Local Communities is now open; Camden Recycling Rewards + funding jobs, volunteers, events, training, offers and resources.

Camden Council has announced the 23 local voluntary sector groups who will receive up to seven years of funding. £2 million per annum has been allocated, initially for the first four years.
In December 2015 a new approach to voluntary sector funding was agreed by Cabinet with an annual savings target of £1.7m to be achieved from 2016/17 through a
budget reduction from £6.8m in 2014/15 to £5.1m in 2016/17.
Strategic Partner Fund: Neighbourhoods must have a physical asset (a building). The fund is currently split £1.5m for the Neighbourhoods and £0.5m for Equalities.
Those organisations that are not successful and are currently in receipt of rent relief will be eligible for transition support, which will be a mix of funding towards rent tapered over the three years, along with business development support to increase income generation to meet the requirement to pay rent from January 2017. However those organisations which have secured funding through the strategic partners fund will not be entitled to the transitional funding in relation to rent relief.
No Strategic Partner has been identified for either the south west or the north east zones.
Camden will look for projects to allocate the remainder of the £513k pa underspend – the proposal is for a competitive process over the summer with a view to fund 3 year initiatives.
The full list of 7 equalities fund awards and 16 Neighbourhood fund awards are in the report, available to download here. Read the press release here.

Camden Patient and Public Engagement Group open meeting
Monday 8 August 2pm – 4pm
St Pancras Hospital, Conference Centre, 4 St Pancras Way, NW1 0PE. Refreshments provided. Please RSVP: Martin Emery, Deputy Head of Engagement Tel: 020 3688 1755 Email: martin.emery@camdenccg.nhs.uk
Presentation 1: Dementia Friends Training Speaker: Vicki Leah, Consultant Nurse Older People, University College London Hospital NHS Foundation Trust (UCLH)
Presentation 2: What is the patient experience telling UCLH? Speaker: Lisa Anderton, Programme Lead, Patient Experience, UCLH

Camden Young People’s Foundation
This is an exciting initiative that aims to support activities for young people in Camden. Three posts are being recruited – see ‘Jobs’ section below for full details.

Reaching Out
RAD in partnership with Stonewall Housing have launched a new project ‘Reaching Out’ which aims to reduce hate crime and domestic abuse in London’s Deaf community.
‘Reaching Out’ will provide education and awareness around hate crime and domestic abuse. The project is open to all Deaf people living in London boroughs but will have some focus on supporting young people and the Lesbian, Gay, Bi and Transgender (LGBT) community. In addition, RAD will be expanding our existing Hate Crime Reporting service to cover London and providing specialist advocacy services for those affected by either hate crime or domestic abuse. We will also signpost and connect people to other specialist services for further support.
We will be hosting various events and workshops to raise awareness of hate crime and domestic abuse across London. The first is being held Aug 5th in Camden- see attached workshop poster.
http://www.royaldeaf.org.uk/news/reaching-out-project/
For further information please contact: Voice: 0845 688 2525 SMS: 07740 349576 Email: Reachingout@royaldeaf.org.uk

Will you join the Camden Community Toilet Scheme?
Camden council are looking to go in to partnership with local organisations prepared to contribute to the community by allowing the public to use their facilities during normal opening hours, without the need to buy goods or services.
We’d welcome interest from anywhere in the borough, but especially from those in Kilburn, and the areas in and around West End Lane, South End Green and Pond Square.
The Council will pay an annual fee to members of up to £750 (including VAT), and promote you locally and online.
To apply for membership and to discuss this, or sponsoring a toilet, please contact James Dunlop by email to publictoilets@camden.gov.uk or over the phone on 020 7974 7141. Further information can be found at camden.gov.uk/publictoilets

Are You Getting the Best Deal for Gas and Electricity?
Call the Green Camden Helpline to find out more: 0800 801 738
or visit www.camden.org.uk/fuelswitch

September Volunteer Managers’ Forum + Lunch
Join us at our next volunteer managers’ forum where we will share our top tips for best practice in volunteer management.
The topics will be varied, and can be anything related to managing volunteers.
You will also meet (and network with) other volunteer managers in Camden – and lunch is included.
The forum will take place at The Pirate Castle, Oval Road, Camden Town, NW1 7EA
Check out the full details and book your free tickets on Eventbrite

Hep C support group in Camden
Use your experience of living with Hepatitis C to educate and support others through the process of getting tested and treated.
We are recruiting a team of 6 people with lived experience to form a Hep C support group in Camden. The group will deliver
Peer Led Drop In; Peer Support Group; Outreach; Peer Education; Help with attending appointments
You will Get
Training from the Hep C TRUST; Reward and recognition; Supervision and support
If you are interested, contact Alex, Dan or John at VoiceAbility on 020 3355 7113 or camdenuserinvolvement@voiceability.org
We need to recruit a team quite quickly, so early applications are especially welcome

Camden Festivals
A list of community festivals in Camden can be found here.

Newsletters
View the lates Voluntary Arts newsletter here.

Free training, outings and events for unpaid carers in Camden
For a full list of events of carers in Camden please visit the Camden Carers website.

Healthwatch Camden
Latest Information DIgest is on the Healthwatch Camden website.
Catch up with the latest Camden news and what’s happening on Our Blog

The Camden 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

Camden Young People’s Foundation; Healthwatch Camden; Solace Women’s Aid; Terrence Higgins Trust; Age UK Camden 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

Disabled people call for return of UK-wide Independent Living Fund
Scrapping the benefit in England has left vulnerable people housebound, but those in Wales and Scotland still enjoy greater help. Story in the Guardian

See the Funding pages on VAC’s website for all the latest information.

Comic Relief Local Communities is now open
The current theme is ‘Promote reduction of isolation and disadvantage and access to services’.
Grants of between £1,000 and £10,000 will be available.
The programme aims to empower local people, enabling them to create lasting change in their communities. Projects should be run by people directly affected by the issues they are dealing with and priority will be given to small, locally based groups and organisations in areas of disadvantage that have a clear understanding of the needs of their community. Further details online.
Deadline for applications: 5pm Tuesday 6th September
If you have any questions please contact Thomas Flynn thomas.flynn@londoncf.org.uk or Matthew Harriot matthew.harriott@londoncf.org.uk

Camden Recycling Rewards – deadline 10th August 2016
Camden Recycling Rewards aims to reward communities within the borough for their recycling efforts. The application process is now open for local community projects to become beneficiaries of Recycling Rewards funding.
Through the scheme, residents will earn Green Points for their community when they recycle more and waste less, with 5 communities in the borough competing to earn the most Green Points. We have £5,000 to give away to local community projects every 6 months. The communities earning the most Green Points will get the biggest say in how the prize money is donated.
Shortlisted community projects will be featured on the Recycling Rewards website where residents can learn about their cause and vote for the project they want their community to support.
To apply to become a beneficiary of Camden Recycling Rewards please complete the application form and send it to Local Green Points before the deadline on the 10th August 2016 by email to info@localgreenpoints.com or by post to:
Local Green Points, 141-157 Acre Lane, London SW2 5UA

From paintbrushes to iPads: £3m fund to entice over-75s into the arts
Shakespeare may have described old age as “mere oblivion”, a depressing stage of life “sans teeth, sans eyes, sans taste, sans everything”.
But Arts Council England disagrees, as it allocates £3 million of funding to organisations that encourage pensioners to take up creative pursuits.
Older people are to be invited to pick up their paintbrushes, dancing shoes or iPads as part of a major new project, Celebrating Age. Story from the Telegraph

Strategic Legal Fund for Vulnerable Young Migrants
The SLF supports strategic legal work which benefits vulnerable young migrants. We define this as:
~ Migrants or the children of migrants,
~ Who are under 25,
~ Who are living in poverty, and
~ Who face significant disadvantage or discrimination in connection with their (or their parents’) migration status.
The SLF funds strategic legal work in any area of law where vulnerable young migrants experience disadvantage or discrimination as a result of migration status.
The SLF only supports strategic legal work. We define this as work where the impact is likely to go beyond an individual case, and to result in changes to law, policy and practice that will benefit a wider group of people. Full details online.

Celebrate – A New Grants Programme from the Big Lottery Fund
When was the last time your local community came together? Grants of between £300 and £10,000 for groups to hold one off events or activities which celebrate their local community.
You could celebrate something from your community’s history or a local hero. Or maybe it could a chance to bring people together to get to know their neighbours better. Full details on the Big Lottery Website.

Church Urban Fund Near Neighbours Grants
The Near Neighbours programme offers small grants of between £250 and £5,000, as seed funding for local groups and organisations
working to bring together neighbours, and to develop relationships across diverse faiths and ethnicities to improve their communities.
Grants have offered funding to a broad range of work; environmental, social, cultural, artistic, and sporting, that furthers the programme’s aims of encouraging community interaction and social action. Full details at cuf.org.uk

Deutsche Bank Small Grants Fund
If you are a charity, voluntary or community group with an income of less than £250,000 per annum and you need funding for work focusing on increasing social inclusion and improving well being, this fund may be able to help.
The focus of the Small Grants Fund is to help society’s most disadvantaged and communities on the ground.
Projects may fall into any of the following areas:
~ Projects that promote social inclusion, reduce isolation and disadvantage and improve access to services;
~ Projects that advance people’s physical and mental health, wellbeing and safety
~ Projects that maximize people’s ability to strengthen community cohesion and build social capacity
The maximum grant size is £5,000. The application is online here.

Don’t forget to sign up to Funding Central for free email funding alerts. Go to www.fundingcentral.org.uk/

VAC’s Mental Health Training Programme for BMER groups
Are you a BMER group or do you work with BMER communities?
For more information about our any of our courses, please go to https://vac.org.uk/events/category/health-mental-health/. Click on the course you are interested in and follow the instructions to book your place and pay by card (if applicable). The charge for our Mental Health First Aid and Youth Mental Health First Aid training courses is heavily subsidised at only £25 per person. All other mental health workshops are free.
Please note that VAC can only accept bookings from organisations working with BMER communities based in Camden, or which serve Camden BMER residents. Places are limited on each course to a maximum of two people per organisation. If you have any queries, please contact us on our team email address: mentalhealthteam@vac.org.uk

VAC has a programme of courses coming up: Click here to find out more. All courses are £25 for members (unless otherwise stated).

‘Made of Money’ is running a 2 day Facilitator Training in London on 5th – 6th October 2016
We also offer ‘in house’ trainings for any organisation or group of organisations to suit you.
‘Made of Money’ is an award winning financial literacy resource, developed by anti-poverty charity Quaker Social Action. It aims to help groups talk about money and its impact on their lives, as well as learn vital money management skills. It is ideal to help front line workers offer support to those on low income, particularly in the run up to the introduction of Universal Credit, and welfare benefit changes.
The cost per person for the 2-day training, (incl lunch), depending on the size of your organisation (£100 for small organisations).
You will also need a set of workshop resources, charged at a subsidised rate of £115. This gives you everything you need to run Made of with groups and 1:1 sessions. (These can be shared within the organisation or between groups of organisations)
Contact mompartner@qsa.org.uk

Elfrida Rathbone fundraising evening at the Bengal Lancer on Wednesday 3rd August 7pm
The ticket price is £35 for that you will get a three course meal and a drink (wine or beer). We have two comedians booked and a band as well as a raffle for some great prizes including John Lewis beauty hampers, One free Curry per week for a year (starter and side included), Limited edition pictures etc.
Curry Night tickets are going to be on Sale from next Wednesday 20/7. In order to purchase them please either come into the office and speak to myself, Rosanna or Milen. Alternatively contact info@elfridacamden.org.uk or neil@elfridacamden.org.uk
This will be great night out with all the proceeds going to Elfrida Rathbone Camden

Citizens Advice Bureau open day for trainee advisors 2nd August
It will start at 10am, lasting for around 3 hours, and will be held at our Kentish Town branch. Citizens Advice Camden .

Recovery Collge Taster Courses Drop-in
Understanding Drug & Alcohol Use
Thursday 4 August, 6-6.30pm
Planning Ahead for your Future Mental Healthcare
Thursday 18 August, 2.30-3pm
Your Nearest Relative’s Rights in a Crisis
Thursday 18 August, 5.30-6pm
Men & Masculinity
Thursday 25 August, 2.30-3pm
All of these workshops take place at Phoenix Main Space at: Mind in Camden – Barnes House, 9-15 Camden Road, London, NW1 9LQ
Tel: 0207 241 8998. You can enrol for Autumn term after each session
Call The Recovery College on: 0203 317 6904 Visit our website : www.candi.nhs.uk/recoverycollege

Family Fun Days
Camden’s Tenant Participation team have family fun days coming up:
Goldington Crescent Gardens
Wednesday 17 August, 2 to 6pm
Brunswick Square Gardens
Thursday 6 October, 2 to 6pm
All events include: Brazilian dance and food; Pedal power smoothie making; Public artwork from Walls on Walls; Face painting; Camden Active Communities: table tennis, Zumba, boccia; Plus: talk to us about Camden services.
Contact tp@camden.gov.uk

Memory Cafes
Millman Street Memory Cafe, 3rd Monday of the month, 3-5pm. Tel: 020 7561 4820
Maitland Part Memory Cafe, 1st Wednesday of the month, 11am – 1pm. Tel020 7561 4820.

London for All
London for All / LVSC have a full programme of courses available for the voluntary sector. Go to the London for All website for full details.

Camden Carers’ Service
Has a full range of events and activities for unpaid carers in Camden. Find out more on the Camden Carers’ Service website www.camdencs.org.uk/activities

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

Camden Young People’s Foundation are recruiting 3 posts
Chief Executive Officer
Fundraising Manager
Operations Officer
The Camden Young Peoples Foundation is a new initiative in Camden that aims to to fundraise to secure funding from new sources (e.g. Big Lottery and European Social Fund) into the local area and successfully secure commissions from the local authority
YPF will attract corporate and individual funding streams and will be a practical and simple way for the corporate sector to engage with CYP organisations.
YPF will also organise sector (and location) specific capacity building including training events, advice sessions and a forum for organisations to share ideas and best practice share venue spaces and develop a ‘venue bank’, coordinate sector networking opportunities and support services.
YPF will be a membership organisations for any group that works with Children and Young People in the Camden.
YPF will have a Trustee Board and wider steering group that will include representation from relevant organisations in Camden. This might include the local voluntary sector, the local authority, police, Clinical Commissioning Groups, Housing Associations, local schools, faith groups, uniformed groups, football clubs and sports organisations, the corporate sector and funder representation.
Download the application packs at the VAC webiste.

Freelance opportunity with Healthwatch Camden
Healthwatch Camden is seeking someone to work with us on our Audit of Engagement project. The position will operate on a self-funding basis. Remuneration will be dependent on income that the freelance worker is able to generate through delivery of the Audit of Involvement service for organisations in the borough of Camden and beyond on a cost recovery basis. The person we are seeking will need to demonstrate: experience in generating income through the delivery of consultancy services in the field of health and social care; a commitment to and an understanding of the theory and practice behind patient and public involvement; ability to work efficiently and independently. Relevant qualifications include: Masters in Business Administration; Masters in Health or Social Care or related field.
To apply please send CV and covering letter by Monday August 15th to: victoria.armitage@healthwatchcamden.co.uk
If you would like more information or to discuss this opportunity please email Anna Wright at: anna.wright@healthwatchcamden.co.uk

Age UK Camden seeks Services Manager (0.8 FTE)
Scale PO3 Scp 38 to 41 £36,548 to £39,460 pa FTE incl. London Weighting. Pro rata £29,238.40 to £31,568 pa for 28 hours
As one of the Service Managers on the Senior Management Team at Age UK Camden you will be responsible for a portfolio of services supporting older people in the borough.
You will be responsible for the operational and strategic management of some of these services and/or support functions like communications and volunteering. Strong management skills will see you successfully managing employees, services and budgets. You will also work to develop new services for AUC in and around Camden. Your understanding of the issues affecting older people and health and social care policy and practice in relation to this will see you delivering high quality services and quality assurance.
Closing date: Monday 8th August 2016 – 5.15 pm
Interview date: Wednesday 24th August 2016 (TBC)
These posts are based in Tavis House, Tavistock Square near Euston Station
For further details and an application form visit our website www.ageukcamden.org.uk or email jobs@ageukcamden.org.uk or telephone 020 7239 0400.

North London Rape Crisis Helpline Volunteer
Availability A minimum commitment of 12 months post-training from January to December 2017.
North London Rape Crisis is currently looking for helpline volunteers to provide support to women and girls age 13+ who have experienced any form of sexual violence at any time in their lives. The volunteers will be required to commit to 12 months post training and to attend a 10 week training course on Fridays from 7th October to 9th December 2016. You are required to attend 80% of the sessions to be able to proceed to working on the helpline. You will need to have an interest in working with survivors of sexual violence and will have the opportunity to work towards an OCN accredited qualification for ‘Professionals Working in the Sexual Violence Sector’ at level 2 or 3.
Please email us for the information pack and application form. The deadline to submit applications is by 10am on Tuesday 30th August.
Children & Family Services Assistant
Availability Minimum 1 day per week
This is a new role to work in our generic Camden Refuge Services. The C & F volunteer assistant will be supporting the day to day running of the children’s service. This may include: Supporting women to attend appointments, Draw up activity timetables, Running groups, Keep records of all activities and Making contact with women via telephone.
The candidate must have a relevant qualification working with children. Experience of working with children (desirable). Experience of running groups for women/children(desirable). The candidate must be proactive, flexible, good IT skills, have a Friendly & cheerful approach. Must have the ability to keep up to date records of activities, draw up activity timetables and ability to support women to attend external appointments.
Application forms must be submitted by Monday15th August 2016
Complex Needs Refuge Support Volunteer
Availability Minimum 1 day per week
We are looking for volunteers to work alongside the day team at our complex needs refuge. This is an extremely varied role, helping with the day to day running of the refuge and supporting women with complex needs affected by Domestic/Sexual Violence. Some of the tasks include accompanying service users to appointments & benefit agencies, encouraging residents to take up available activities and assisting with organising & running workshops or coffee mornings & group outings.
The ideal candidate must have awareness of Domestic/Sexual abuse, mental health and substance misuse and an understanding and experience working with clients who have complex needs.
Application forms must be submitted by Monday15th August 2016
Please note that our volunteer opportunities are open to women only (exempt under the Equality Act 2010, Schedule 9, Part 1), and that these volunteer roles are exempt from the rehabilitation of offenders act 1974 and subject to enhanced DBS checks. Contact volunteering@solacewomensaid.org for applications packs.

Terrence Higgins Trust is recruiting London and Brighton Volunteer Coordinator.
This post holder will coordinate the recruitment, training and supervision of London and Brighton volunteers in a wide range of roles. The successful candidate will optimise the contribution of volunteers to Terrence Higgins Trust services and ensure that a high profile is maintained for volunteer activities both inside the charity and in the wider community.
Based in London, this post holder will have a primary focus on London Volunteering (on average spending 4½ days per week) but will also support the Brighton volunteer programme (on average ½ day a week). The majority of work will be undertake at our central office in London. The post holder must be able to travel to Brighton on average twice a month (travel will be covered by THT). The successful candidate will join a dynamic and passionate team. For more information visit: http://tiny.cc/mluwcy

Are you looking to employ an assistant to help with your care needs? CamdenPAs can help
CamdenPAs.org.uk is a new service that makes it easy to find a personal assistant (PA) and puts you in control of your care and support.
If you have care needs, you can employ a PA to help you to live as independently as possible.
CamdenPAs features an online ‘marketplace’ for you to browse through a list of profiles of PAs in the borough. Profiles give details about the services they provide, their skills, experience and personal interests.
You can look through the list to find suitable matches and choose someone you like to help support you.
When you find a match you can contact the PA to arrange an interview and see how you get on. If you like them you can then work out contract details such as hours, duties and wages, and hire them.
If you do not find anyone suitable, you can set up your own a profile describing your requirements and interests, for PAs to look through and contact you.
You can employ a PA whether you receive a direct payment or fund your own care. If you receive direct payments you can get support with the employment from Personalised Support In Camden or AgeUK Camden.
Become a PA
If you’re a PA looking for work or are just starting out, CamdenPAs can help you. As well as helping you finding a job, the site features advice on looking for work, becoming a PA and where to get training.
Why not set up your profile today? Find out more, visit: camdenpas.org.uk or phone: 020 7278 4437

Find Jobs and Volunteering opportunities at https://www.vac.org.uk/

Improving how Camden Council talk to and engage with people who are d/Deaf, disabled or have a long term health condition
Camden Council would like to know how Voluntary and Community Sector (VCS) organisations in the borough engage with people, and what you think about our approach to engagement.
Please help us by completing our online survey by Friday 2 September.
We will listen to what you tell us when deciding what to do next.
The Council currently runs four forums, each held every three months, for people who are d/Deaf or have disabilities, and long term health conditions. These are:
• Mental health forum
• Learning disability forum
• Sensory needs forum
• Physical disability forum
The forums allow people tell us what they think of our services and how they can be improved. They were established in 2010. We are now looking at them again to see if any improvements can be made.
If you would like any further help, we would be delighted to hear from you. You can contact us using the details below. You can also visit our project webpage.
Email: disability.engagement@camden.gov.uk
Telephone: 020 7974 4835

Drafting an Equality and Inclusion Action Plan for Camden CCG
The CCG are in the process of developing an Equality and Inclusion Action plan.
The reason we wanted to use diversity and inclusion instead of equality and diversity is to show that we are not just committed to equalities for compliance reasons and we really want to improve our commissioning and workforce management by using the diversity in our community and also in the workforce. If we can make this diversity work only then we can achieve inclusion. So the focus of the action plan is to use diversity as a strength and make it work to achieve better results/outcomes for all (inclusion).
We would appreciate if you could complete the online survey which will close on Friday 29th July. You can access the survey by clicking on the following link: https://feedback.camdenccg.nhs.uk/community-ownership/diversity-and-inclusion-survey .
An open surgery will also be held on Thursday 21st July (10:30 – Midday) where Emdad Haque, Equality and Diversity Manager and I will be in attendance to discuss the development of the action plan and what you or a colleagues thoughts on priorities should be.

Camden Consultations
You can find all Camden consultation on the Wearecamden consultation hub.

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 on the online form here.