www.avow.org

Issue No. 65 Winter 2014

Charity Number 1043989 Company Limited by Guarantee Number 2993429

www.avow.org

For regular news and updates, follow us on:

/AVOWWrexham @AVOWWrexham

NEWSHOMELESSCOLLECTION1ST NOVEMBER - 16TH DECEMBER 2014

HOMELESSCOLLECTION1ST NOVEMBER - 19TH DECEMBER 2014Help Homeless in Wrexham Survive Winter

Every year there are periods when all statutory agencies are closed to supply food and aid for the homeless people of Wrexham.

In each of the last five years there has been a tremendous response from the people and communities of Wrexham to AVOW’s annual appeal for financial donations, food/clothing and sleeping bags to enable parcels of food and clothing to be distributed to the homeless people of Wrexham via the SURF (Service Users Reaching Forward) project.

In addition to financial donations, which will be used to purchase goods, AVOW is asking for food donations that can easily be reheated such as ring pull food cans, pot noodles, cup-a-soups, tea, coffee and other foods like biscuits, chocolate bars, crisps, juices, sweets etc. AVOW is also collecting warm clothing such as coats, hats, gloves, scarfs, fleeces, sleeping bags and blankets. All donations are greatly appreciated.

The Appeal is open from the 1st November until the 19th December, 2014 and the collection/donation point is based at Ty Avow, 21 Egerton Street, Wrexham.

Thank you for your generous help.

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AVOW | Tŷ Avow 21 Egerton Street | 21 Stryd Egerton

Wrexham | Wrecsam | LL11 1NDTel/Ffôn: 01978 312556

Fax/Ffacs: 01978 352046info@avow.org | www.avow.org

030405060708091011121314

IN THIS ISSUENorth Wales Recovery Walk/Giving Young people a Voice

Give the Gift of Christmas/PCC People’s Award

Christmas stuff 2014 with AVOW

Wrexham Voice/Alleviation of Poverty

The Noticeboard

VI Voices Wrexham/UK Minimum Wage changes

What could you do with £200?/E-bulletin & Membership

Britain’s Best Breakfast 2014/Office Accommodation at Ty AVOW

Claiming Employment Allowance/Anti Poverty Conference

Champions Recovery Radio/RTI Penalties

Change the Channel - The Community Concert

Training

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IN THIS ISSUE

“Children have the right to say what they think should happen, when adults are making decisions that affect them, and to have their opinions taken into account.” - The United Nations Conventions on the Rights of a Child (UNCRC) Article 12

Tricia Jones has been seconded from Wrexham County Borough Council to work at AVOW to engage with young people from the Third Sector to have a voice. Participation is about enabling children and young people to effectively have a voice in a decision that affects their lives and allowing children and young people to effectively be involved in developing, delivering and evaluating their service.Tricia’s role includes:• the provision of opportunities to become a member of the Senedd yr Ifanc – Youth Parliament,• provide training on what a young person’s rights are and how to have a voice, and• helping youth groups or a young individual.

If you would like more information please contact Tricia on 01978 312556 or email trisha.jones@avow.org

On Sunday 28th September 2014 North Wales Service User Forum (NWSUF) hosted the first North Wales Recovery Walk. This was in Partnership with and guided

by the United Kingdom Recovery Federation (UKRF). The walk was to celebrate and honour the Recovery Month of September and was promoted on the UKRF list of global events. It was great to see families and friends join the walk and was symbolic of the vibrant recovery community here in North Wales.This event brought people together from across the UK and was supported by local North Wales Organisations like – CAIS, AVOW, Calon FM – not forgetting the support by Volunteers (who assisted in planning) and stewards on the day. Colwyn Bay acted as a support base on the day with premises dedicated to the walk and people from Colwyn Bay turning out to support the event. A big massive thanks to North Wales Police for policing the event and attending the walk. Thanks also to the Welsh Government and North Wales Area Planning Board (APB) for support and all the other Service Providers that supported the event on the day (including assistance with transport arrangements) and a huge thank you to our walk leaders Wulf & Bob.

North Wales recovery walk 28th September 2014

Giving young people a voice

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Give the Gift of Christmas

Christmas is a time to be around family and friends, but hundreds of international students across the country are likely to spend the festivities alone on a closed-

down University campus. HOST arranges for volunteer hosts to invite a student to stay with them from Christmas Eve until 27th December, turning an otherwise lonely Christmas into one of celebration and warmth. If you would like to invite an international student to stay with you for a few days at Christmas or any other time of the year, please contact HOST on 020 7739 6292 or hosts@hostuk.org by Friday 5th December.

Friday 19th December AVOW Christmas Receptionwill be taking place at the catrin finch centre at glyndwr

university

Tuesday 2nd December Carers Christmas Lunchjoin Wrexham Carers for christmas lunch at the ramada pLAZA hotel

email carers@avow.org for more info

email claire.griffiths@avow.org or phone 01978 813912 for more info

BOOKING IS ESSENTIAL! email info@avow.org or phone 01978 312556 TO BOOK

email vb@avow.org for more info

Between 8th - 12th December Play Team Santa’s SleighKeep an eye out to find out when and where.

Wednesday 10th December Volunteer Carol ServicetURN UP AND SING AT THE TRINITY CHURCH, KING STREET, WREXHAM.

Christmassy stuff 2014 with AVOW

Tony Ormond, Service User Involvement Co-Ordinator at AVOW, was presented with a Police & Crime Commissioner’s People’s Award for Individual Endeavour at an

Awards Ceremony held at Kimnel Manor on the 23rd October, 2014.This award is for an individual or group who have made an impact in helping to keep people safe and/or to reduce crime. The contribution may impact the whole area, a local town, neighbourhood or even street, but it will have made a difference to the people located there. It could be someone who is working to bring communities together to reduce crime and anti-social behaviour, or is working with people to deter and reduce offending.Tony was nominated for this award by the Assistant Chief Constable, Simon Shaw, who joined hundreds of people on the North Wales Recovery Walk which was organised by Tony at the end of September. Tony was nominated for the work he does across North Wales, over and above his paid position with AVOW. Tony has raised the profile of the recovery movement on many levels and particularly championed the value of mutual aid groups in supporting people’s recovery from addictions.

Police & Crime commissioner’s people’s award

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Friday 19th December AVOW Christmas Receptionwill be taking place at the catrin finch centre at glyndwr

university

Tuesday 2nd December Carers Christmas Lunchjoin Wrexham Carers for christmas lunch at the ramada pLAZA hotel

email carers@avow.org for more info

email claire.griffiths@avow.org or phone 01978 813912 for more info

BOOKING IS ESSENTIAL! email info@avow.org or phone 01978 312556 TO BOOK

email vb@avow.org for more info

Between 8th - 12th December Play Team Santa’s SleighKeep an eye out to find out when and where.

Wednesday 10th December Volunteer Carol ServicetURN UP AND SING AT THE TRINITY CHURCH, KING STREET, WREXHAM.

Christmassy stuff 2014 with AVOW

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Wrexham Voice

Alleviation of Poverty - Changes to funding

To improve public and stakeholder engagement, the Wrexham Local Service Board (LSB) has commissioned a new web-based service entitled “Wrexham Voice”. By

signing up to Wrexham Voice you will be able to keep up to date and respond to consultations and local engagement work. Your organisation can create a profile and submit areas of interest; you will then be automatically notified of anything that might be relevant for you. This system will not replace face to face engagement, as many people do not have access to the internet and a questionnaire is not always the most appropriate method to use, however the true value of the system is behind the scenes. There is a separate area for professionals, which supports effective and efficient engagement, as it allows the sharing of resources and proper data analysis. Voluntary organisations can respond to consultations and support the design and development of engagement processes, where their expertise would be valued. The system should be operational by Christmas 2014 and invitations will be sent to AVOW members and contacts to sign up to the system, so look out for your email notifications. If you do not have internet access, notifications of consultations relevant to the sector will still be included in the AVOW monthly Mail out.

Wrexham County Borough Council (WCBC) are changing the manner in which they commission or grant fund services and activity that alleviate poverty. At present

this affects organisations in receipt of funds via the following funding streams:• Flying Start• Families First• Community First• WCBC RSG Funds identified for poverty issuesThis includes smaller organisations such as childcare settings and playgroups as well as larger service providers and development organisations. The new process will be led by WCBC Children’s Services and will result in a massive change from the current system. WCBC aims to develop a framework and organisations will have to complete a PQQ to get admitted to the Framework. A pre-Qualification Questionnaire (PQQ) asks for details of the organisation’s governance arrangements, risk management and financial stability, as well as information on the quality of the organisation’s service provision and experience of delivering similar services. Once an organisation is admitted to the Framework, unless there is a significant change in circumstances, they will remain there for the duration (usually 5 years) and be eligible to tender for any poverty related funding notified on Sell to Wales in respect to this framework. Organisations can only tender for services if they are in the framework and although being in the Framework is not a guarantee of funding, not being in the Framework would mean that the organisation would not be funded. It is vital therefore those organisations do ensure they are vigilant with respect to tender notices on www.sell2wales.gov.uk but AVOW will also send out emails out

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The Noticeboard

It is with pleasure that we’d like to announce

that our very own Stephanie Brickwood

has won the “Champion Volunteer” at the

Trinity Mirror Awards.

Stephanie attended the Gala Dinner at a

prestigious hotel in Chester and was announced the

winner for her amazing volunteering contribution to the

Wrexham Addictions Recovery Meetings (WARM) Cafe

at Ty Croeso, Wrexham. Stephanie creates delicious,

nutricious meals on a budget to feed service users at a

very low cost - we are delighted for her!

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STOPPRESS

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Do you have a Vision Impairment?

Would you like to improve services for people with a Vision Impairment where you live?Would you like to speak to people who make decisions about your life?

If the answer to these questions is ‘Yes’ contact Janette Williams on 07730 413996 or by email janette.williams@visionsupport.org.uk to confirm your place at the next ‘VI Voices’ Wrexham meeting. ‘VI Voices’ is a County Steering Group where people with a Vision Impairment can meet to exchange ideas and views about any issue. ‘VI Voices’ has been set up by the North Wales Alliance which is a partnership between RNIB Cymru, Vision Support, North Wales Society for the Blind and Cardiff Institute for Blind People.‘VI Voices’ Wrexham will meet once every two months to discuss how we can work together to improve services for vision impaired people provided by the public and private sector and to discuss national issues affecting disabled people.

VI Voices Wrexham

UK Minimum Wage changes from 1st October 2014The minimum wage has risen by the biggest increase since 2008. The new national minimum wage rates from 1 October for England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are as follows:

• £6.50 per hour for the adult rate - a 19p (3%) increase• £5.13 per hour for 18 to 20-year-olds - a 10p (2%) increase• £3.79 per hour for 16 to 17-year-olds - a 7p (2%) increase• £2.73 per hour for apprentices - a 5p (2%) increase

Vince Cable, the Government Business Secretary, said the minimum wage was a “vital safety net” for low-paid workers. “As signs of a stronger economy start to emerge, we need to do more to make sure that the benefits of growth are shared fairly across the board”.

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You can read AVOW’s Newsletters online, visit www.avow.org/publicationsYou will find there AVOW’s quarterly Newsletter; Health, Social Care and Wellbeing and Wrexham Carers

Service Newsletters as well as Funding Bulletin.

What could your organisation do with £200?Organisations working with young people can now apply for £200 to make a differ-

ence to the community and support young people. Visit AVOW’s website for full Terms & Conditions and details of how to apply. For more information please contact Tegan Sollis on 01978 312556 or tegan.sollis@avow.orgClosing date for applications is Friday 5th December 2014, and all money must be spent and accounted for by 31st March 2015.

The E-Bulletin is a weekly news board which is sent by email to all of our subscribers and e-members. Information is collected throughout the week from various local sources with an opportunity for our readers to get their own news advertised.

For more information or to be added to this list, email info@avow.org with your full name and email address with

‘E-Bulletin’ in the subject heading.

It only costs £10 a year to become an AVOW member - being a member gives you benefits such as discounted room hire, training and equipment hire.To find out more information about membership, visit our website www.avow.org, email info@avow.org or phone 01978 312556

Return of The Youth Service Strategy Revenue Grant

Did you

know?

We have an e-bulletin

Members get discounts

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FacilitieS Central Location (adjoining bus station)Furnished or unfurnishedPassenger lift to the first floor available

For more information please contact Ken Rowlands: ken.rowlands@avow.org | 01978 312556

Office Accommodationat Ty Avow

Reception, Internet & Telephone facilitiesMeeting / Conference roomsPhotocopying services on site

Britain’s Best Breakfast

2014Helping to Fuel the Nations Unpaid Carers

Wrexham Carers Service, based at AVOW took part in the first “Britain’s Best Breakfast” event, a National Campaign organised by Carers Trust. Wrexham Carers Service Co-ordinator, Ceri Ord said “We were delighted to see so many members of the public attending our Breakfast event. This event enabled everyone to enjoy a tasty breakfast and socialise with others and raised over £250, which will go towards supporting Carers living within Wrexham County Borough. The feedback from the event has been excellent and I would also like to thank Morrison’s, Iceland, The Village Bakery, Kellogg’s, Sainsbury’s, First Class Meats and Pen Y Lan Farm for their kind donations.There are over 17,000 individuals living in Wrexham who are providing care to a relative or friend because of illness or disability. Our service reaches out to Carers living in Wrexham County Borough, offering advice, information and emotional support. If you would like to find out more about Wrexham Carers Service, contact us on 0800 276 1070 or email carers@avow.org, or simply pop into AVOW, 21 Egerton Street, Wrexham.

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In April of 2014 the UK Government introduced the Employment Allowance Scheme. This scheme offers businesses and charities a reduction of up to £2000 (max for tax year

14/15) in the amount of employer Class 1 National Insurance contributions (NICS) they have to pay every year from 6th April 2014.Once employers process their first month’s payroll in April they are required to send an EPS (employment payment summary) to say that you as an employer are going to claim the employment allowance for 14/15. A lot of companies seem to be allowing for the employment allowance scheme in calculating the NI bill for HMRC but have not sent through their EPS which informs the HMRC that the company is taking advantage of the Employment Allowance scheme.HMRC have announced that they will now issue generic notifications (otherwise known as GNS messages) to employers who may have failed to claim the Employment Allowance.The intention behind these notifications is to encourage PAYE schemes to check eligibility and to claim their Employment Allowance. HMRC explain that the new notification may be sent to any PAYE scheme which has not so far submitted an Employment Summary in 14/15. HMRC anticipate that these notifications will not be issued before 25th September.

Are you claiming your employment allowance correctly?

Anti-Poverty conferenceOn the breadline

(What’s Poverty Got to do with me?)Put this date in your dairy for Wrexham’s Anti-poverty Conference

Friday 6th March, 9:30am – 2:00pmCatrin Finch Centre, Glyndwr University, Wrexham

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The ‘Recovery’ movement is gaining momentum in Wrexham and the appointment of a Radio Production Facilitator at AVOW is helping promote the movement by

broadcasting stories and interviews through Calon FM Community Radio.

Charlie Jones has been recruited to train a group of students in presenting skills, broadcasting and developing content for programming through Calon FM Community Radio. This is done from the newly launched ‘Champions House’.

This project further strengthens the partnership between AVOW, CAIS and Glyndwr University, but AVOW have had a close working relationship with Calon FM radio station for several years. To date, programming through Calon FM has included coverage of the very successful North Wales Recovery walk which has received positive feedback, both from those in recovery and the services supporting them. The students now have a weekly afternoon training session at the radio station to learn skills in editing and production with the aim that by January 2015 there will be a weekly ‘Live’ 2 hour recovery show discussing relevant topics relating to substance misuse and featuring successful recovery stories.If you wish to share your story about recovery and would like to be interviewed by the Community/Broadcast group we’d love to hear from you - contact Charlie Jones on charlie.jones@avow.org or 01978 312556

Welcome news as the start date for automatic in-year filing penalties for late submission of an RTI return will be delayed until 6 March 2015 for PAYE schemes

with less than 50 employees. Late filing penalties for PAYE schemes with 50 or more employees will start on 6 October as originally planned.HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) has said that the extra time will give smaller employers, who appear to be experiencing the greatest difficulties with RTI, more time to adjust their processes to comply with RTI requirements. It also gives HMRC more time to update its systems and enhance its guidance and customer support.

Real Time Information (RTI) late filing penalties delayed for small employers

Champions recovery radio

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MUSIC-DANCE-DRAMAFriday 13th March 2015William Aston Hall, Wrexham

Following on from last year’s successful Extravaganza Concert, AVOW are putting on another show just for you! We are looking for groups to be involved in the production as well as organisations able to promote and sell the tickets (on a profit share basis). Please contact Victoria Milner if you are interested;

victoria.milner@avow.org

THE ASSOCIATION OF VOLUNTARY ORGANISATIONS IN WREXHAM PRESENTS

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£5 Per Ticket

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Training courses from AVOWA full description of each course can be found on our website.

To book onto any of these courses, visit www.avow.org, call us on 01978 312556 or email communitycourses@avow.org.

All courses are at Tŷ Avow, 21 Egerton Street, Wrexham, LL11 1ND (unless otherwise stated)

TrainingUpdates and upcoming training courses

www.wcva.org.uk

www.flvc.org.uk

Trustee Roles & Responsibilities - 28th January 2015

£10 per person

Data Protection - 4th February 2015

£20 per person

Food Hygiene Level 2 - 25th February 2015

£45 per person

Other CoursesNone of the below courses are run by AVOW.

Please contact the respective organisation/trainer for more information on the course and how to book

Engaging through pictures (seminar) - 13th January 2015

10:00am - 12:30pm (£65 per person, £50 for members) @Flintshire Local Voluntary Council (CH7 1XP)

Contact help@wcva.org.uk for booking.

Understanding Self-Harm – 15th January 2015

9:30am - 4:30pm

This course explores issues of self-harm in children and young people and considers ways to support the individual and manage self-harm behaviours. Children and young people who self-harm are often misunderstood and the reasons for self-harming behaviours are often complex.

Contact WDT@flintshire.gov.uk for bookling.