Thrive Oct Nov 09

Supporting Voluntary & Community Action October & November 2009

Inside Voscur’s Magazine

Hitting the Headlines – Voscur’s Annual Event

Voscur Awards – last chance to nominate

Safeguarding the Sector

Twenty’s Plenty

Social Enterprise Day

Intelligent Commissioning

Funding Opportunities

Social Class – an equality strand?

Power to the People?

Charity Law Updates

Training and Learning

“For the last vacancies we had a huge response and

the standard of applicants was very high. We would

definitely use Voscur again.”

Circomedia recommend Voscur’s Website Jobs Page

Imag

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Charity no. 1018963

TACT is a well respected fostering and adoption agency. TACT will offer you excellent training with 24hr support and a break from caring when you need it.

TACT pay between £322 & £574 per week per child as well as additional allowances for birthdays, festivals and holidays.

Although fostering can be challenging it can also be very rewarding. If you believe you have the capacity and commitment to support vulnerable children and young people between 10-16 years old, then we would like to hear from you. To make a difference give us a ring now on: 0117 927 7725 or email [email protected]

www.tactcare.org.uk

Shape a life. Be a foster carer.

Welcome

Issue 7 October / November 2009 www.voscur.org 3

4 Editorial

5 VoscurAnnualEvent

6 VoscurandSectorNewsNew Chair for Voscur

Bristol Rape Crisis

Take a Stand

9 RecessionSupportSafeguarding the Sector

10-11 CompactNewsIntelligent Commissioning

Compact Newsletter

12 SectorNewsSchumacher Lectures

Well Women

13 MemberProfileUnchosen

14-15 SocialEnterpriseWeek

16-19 VoscurTrainingandLearningCollaborative Working

Voscur Learning

20 VoxPopsCreative ways to reduce the negative impact of empty shops on the high street

21 Voscur’sWebsiteWorkingforYouPromote and Recruit via the Voscur website

22-23 EqualitiesSocial Class – an equality strand?

Different and Equal

24-25 HaveYourSay—Power to the People?

26-27 ChildrenandYoungPeopleGathering Voices

Voscur Children and Young People’s Network

28-29 HowTo—FundingFunders’ Fair 2009

Web-based Funding Resources

30-31 HowTo—GreenpagesGreen Maps

Twenty’s Plenty

32-33 DutytoInvolveVital Role for Sector

34 VolunteeringBristolOpportunities to Volunteer

35 ConstitutionCornerCharitable Companies – keeping up to date with the Law

36 Diary

Contents

Thrive! is available on disc. Please contact the

office if you would like to receive your Thrive!

this way. The newsletter is also available online

as a pdf at www.voscur.org/magazine

Whynotadvertise?SpecialdiscountsforVoscurmembers.DeadlinesforDecember/JanuaryeditionofThrive!:Monday2NovemberforadsandTuesday24Novemberforflyers.Detailsofpricesatwww.voscur.org/magazineorphonePollyStewarton01179099949

Disclaimer: some of the views expressed in this publication are those of individual contributors and do not necessarily represent those of Voscur. Publications, events and services mentioned in Thrive! are not necessarily endorsed by Voscur.

Charity no. 1018963

TACT is a well respected fostering and adoption agency. TACT will offer you excellent training with 24hr support and a break from caring when you need it.

TACT pay between £322 & £574 per week per child as well as additional allowances for birthdays, festivals and holidays.

Although fostering can be challenging it can also be very rewarding. If you believe you have the capacity and commitment to support vulnerable children and young people between 10-16 years old, then we would like to hear from you. To make a difference give us a ring now on: 0117 927 7725 or email [email protected]

www.tactcare.org.uk

Shape a life. Be a foster carer.

Editorial

www.voscur.org October / November 2009 Issue 74

We are constantly evaluating

our work, and are reluctant

to yet again ask our members

what you think of our services,

but we want to make sure that

when we make an offer to the

Council to deliver infrastructure

services, we have our members

behind us.

Next year, Bristol City Council

intends to commission services

such as those delivered by Voscur.

Voscur has been part of a group

of local infrastructure providers

that has worked with the Council

to produce a survey, which aims

to find out the support needs of

voluntary and community sector

organisations in Bristol. Using

the results of that survey, and

feedback from discussion groups

and interviews, a Council project

group will design a commissioning

framework. This will describe how

the Council will (or won’t) buy

services like Voscur’s in the future.

Voscur was set up by

community activists who

got together and formed

the Voluntary Organisations

Standing Conference on Urban

Regeneration (VOSCUR) because

communities in Bristol didn’t

have a voice on the Bristol

Regeneration Partnership,

which had been set up to

manage the Single Regeneration

Budget (SRB), a government-

funding programme.

The Regeneration Partnership

recognised the importance

of community involvement in

decision-making and for the first

seven years of Voscur’s life SRB

funding supported Voscur’s work.

When that funding ended in

2002, Bristol City Council

acknowledged our value by

granting us a three-year service

level agreement. This gave some

stability and enabled us to apply

for other funding. Members

began to ask us to provide

support such as information

and funding advice and in 2001

we registered as a Council

for Voluntary Service. When

Bristol’s voluntary sector training

organisation folded, groups asked

us to deliver training, which is now

much valued by the sector.

Changes within the Council have

meant that since 2005, Voscur has

had one-year funding agreements

(as have many of our member

groups) with the City Council.

We hope that commissioning will

mean that short-term funding

arrangements will end and we will

once again have some stability.

So, we are sorry to have to ask

you – we know you are probably

surveyed out – please complete

our membership survey and tell us

what you think of us, what could

we do differently – or are there

things that we don’t do that you

think we should be doing? Please

visit: www.survey.bris.ac.uk/

voscur/member2009

I look forward to seeing you at

our Annual General Meeting and

Conference on Wednesday

21 October. See page 5 for details.

Wendy Stephenson,

Chief Executive, Voscur

EqualitiesArticle

Training

Resources

Event

Keytosymbols

Dear Voscur member/supporter

Wendy Stephenson


Voscur is pleased to welcome Councillor Barbara Janke, Leader of the Council,

to present this year’s Voscurs. Don’t forget to make your nomination for the

Voscurs at www.voscur.org/voscurs2009

We’ve got some great Bristolian prizes from local supporters for our Voscur

winners, including a balloon ride and a year’s subscription to our local listings

magazine, Venue

Debra Allcock-Tyler, the Chief Executive of the Directory of Social Change,

and an inspiring and challenging speaker, will open the event and give the

keynote speech.

We are mining the wealth of expertise within our membership who will lead

discussions on managing the media, getting a difficult message across, using

new social media and hitting the headlines.

Our media panel includes: Angela Frain, News Editor, BBC Radio Bristol; Richard Coulter,

Deputy Editor, Evening Post; Phil Gibbons, Director, Bristol Community FM and Stacy Yelland,

Community at Heart.

We know, though, that whatever we prepare for the day, the most valuable part will be the

contributions that you bring and the networking and meeting up with contacts and friends

old and new.

VoscurConference&AGM

Hitting the Headlines

Wednesday 21 October 2009, 9.30am – 2.30pm

StPaul’sCommunitySportsAcademy,NewfoundlandRoad,Bristol,BS25NH

Tobookpleasevisit:www.voscur.org,email:[email protected]:01179099949.

Voscur and Sector News


Voscur is

pleased to

announce that

its new chair is

Joanna Holmes.

At its meeting

on 20 July 2009, Voscur’s

board formally elected

Joanna as chair, following the

resignation of Red Cottam,

who has left the sector to

pursue other interests.

Joanna Holmes is chief executive

of Barton Hill Settlement, a

community resource centre for

Barton Hill and the surrounding

area. The Settlement is an

independent charity, a limited

company and a key force for

community development in

East Bristol.

Joanna said “I see my role as

helping the Board work as a

team, and I anticipate that a key

element of the work will be to

support Voscur’s chief executive

in her work.” Joanna hoped that

the Board would share other

responsibilities, which may have

historically been seen those of

the chair.

Tara Mistry, Voscur’s co vice-

chair said that Joanna had been

proposed as chair because of her

leadership skills and experience.

Wendy Stephenson, Voscur’s

chief executive said, “It’s

great to have a chair from an

organisation so firmly rooted in

the community. I look forward to

working with Joanna”.

The Board formally thanked Red,

and wished her good luck for

the future.

As a result of a local campaign,

Bristol City Council prioritised

sexual violence against women

in its Area Plan, enabling them

to fund a Rape Crisis Centre.

The newly launched Bristol Rape

Crisis provides a specialist support

service for women and girls in

Bristol who have experienced

any form of sexual violence at

any point in their lives; this

includes rape, sexual assault,

sexual abuse, stalking and any

form of sexual intimidation.

They currently offer a

help-line service twice a week

on Wednesday evenings and

Sunday afternoons, which will

be extended by the New Year.

Women who use the service

are supported by trained,

sympathetic female volunteers

who understand about sexual

violence and its impact on

women’s lives.

New Chair for Voscur

Bristol Rape Crisis

Take a StandLife Cycle provides free cycle parking under our Take a Stand scheme. Voluntary sector groups, schools, small businesses, surgeries, in fact almost any type of organisation, are welcome to apply.

Cycle parking enables your staff or visitors to travel by bike. It also tells the world that you welcome cyclists.

Organisations based in Bristol or in South Gloucestershire are eligible for up to four stands free of charge.

For details and to apply please download the Bristol and South Glos application form from our website: www.lifecycleuk.org.uk or call us on 0117 353 4580 for more information.

Helpline: 0117 929 8868

Contact: Vanessa Powell

Tel: 0117 929 956

Email: vanessapowell@

bristolrapecrisis.org.uk

New Voscur members


Addiction Recovery AgencyThe Addiction Recovery Agency

(ARA) provides treatment to

thousands of people experiencing

problems because of drug and

alcohol misuse and dependency.

With 80 staff and 20 volunteers

ARA is now one of the largest

voluntary organisations in the

South West.

To find out more visit:

www.addictionrecovery.org.uk

Tel: 0117 930 0282

Special Friends ClubRun by parent volunteers, it

provides support to families who

have children with disabilities

and special needs via a Holiday

Activities Club. Members have

opportunities to join an activity

or outing every week during

the school holidays throughout

the year.


www.specialfriendsclub.org.uk

Tel: 07982 719839

Bristol Super Rider (BSR Cycling Club)Provides a cycling service to

people of all ages. Supports

national charitable rides and also

has sponsored rides to support

local charities. They have Fun Days

for families and young people and

also organise on-road and off-

road rides around Bristol. The aim

is to promote cycling as a positive

and enjoyable experience.

To find out more Tel:

07783 475680

Integrate BristolWorks with refugees, immigrants

and minority ethnic groups in

and around Bristol. Their work

includes: being a resource for

young people up to the age of

21 through advice, assistance

and organising a programme

of physical, educational and

other activities.

To find out more Tel:

0117 963 8173

Circus Maniacs School of Circus ArtsFounded in 1995, Circus Maniacs

is an independent circus training

school operating as a not-for-

profit company. The school

promotes education and health by

encouraging involvement in the

arts including, circus, acrobatics,

drama, mime, dance, singing,

music, visual arts and multimedia.


www.circusmaniacs.com

Tel: 0117 947 7042

Bristol Somali Resource CentreSomali residents work

together in the running of the

centre. They are always looking

for more volunteers and are

run by a volunteer

management committee.


www.communityatheart.co.uk

Tel: 0117 353 3995

Calling the Shots (CTS) Films Ltd An award-winning production

company based in Bristol.

Established in 1998, CTS delivers

broadcast, digital video and

multiplatform projects for TV,

corporate clients and education

providers. CTS have a strong

track record in talent

development, documentary

and factual programmes.


www.callingtheshots.co.uk

Tel: 0117 930 0140

The Learning Curve Delivers training within the South

West. It aims to be a centre of

excellence in supporting individual

and organisational development

in the voluntary and community

sector and in widening access for

all communities.


www.learningcurve.org.uk

Tel: 01225 792500

Who’s joined Voscur recently?


Recession Support


Local pictureVoscur has been visiting

community groups in Bristol to

find out their support needs. This

has been an eye opener to the real

effects of the economic climate

on our communities. Many groups

share the challenges of reduced

working hours and funding cuts.

This has tightened the focus

around what groups can offer,

and often means that staff and

volunteers are being stretched.

There are groups teetering on

the edge of collapse in this

current climate, and some have

not survived. As organisations

disappear the hard work invested

to build services is being hacked

away; retrieving what is being lost

will be at an enormous cost. It is

within this context that working

together is vital.

A firmer sense of purposeThe recession has instilled a firmer

sense of purpose for many groups

whose services are a lifeline

for individuals across the city.

Many community groups have

hopes to expand and develop

their services and it is important

to think more creatively about

sharing resources to achieve this.

Voscur is encouraging groups to

think about collaboration with

similar groups to strengthen their

services and broaden their vision

for the future.

There are more demands on the

sector to demonstrate its distinct

value, its efficiency and value

for money, to assess outcomes

and outputs, and the quality and

quantity of services. There is

pressure to improve performance

and no room for complacency.

With many organisations in the

sector facing the effects of

the recession – even big names

such as Shelter and the NSPCC

are making job cuts – it is vital

that third sector organisations

understand their legal obligations

if forced to downsize. Despite

the Government’s announcement

of a £40m bailout for charities

earlier this year, many will face

making redundancies over the

coming months.

What help is available?There is help available – the

number one rule is to seek

support before it’s too late.

Voscur, with support from the

Bristol Partnership recession

mitigation fund and Quartet

Community Foundation, can

offer help to groups that are

struggling, or groups working

with individuals and communities

through the recession. Support on

offer includes advice on funding

and commissioning, collaboration

and merger, governance support,

ICT, and free training places.

In addition there are other

organisations that can help.

City of Bristol College can offer

learning opportunities for staff

being made redundant, and

human resources support. Social

Enterprise Works can offer one

off sessions on business advice

and business planning, the

Ethical Property Foundation can

support groups with property

health checks.

For further information about

what Voscur and other Bristol

groups and organisations can

offer please see our recession

support page: www.voscur.org/

recessionsupport or contact Ruth

Pitter at Voscur: 0117 909 9949.

Top tipsThink one step ahead and plan

strategies for safeguarding your

organisation. Here are some

quick tips:

• Ensure you are clear about

which of your organisation’s

activities contribute most to

your mission. If you have to

defer or cut activity you will

have a clear basis for doing so.

• Ensure your services are

meeting your members’ needs.

• Analyse the demand for your

services – bear in mind that the

recession may put a different

slant on demand.

• Act quickly and decisively –

good information systems

are important alongside

strong governance.

Safeguarding the Sector


Recession Support


• Consider ways to reduce costs

– back office suppliers and

bulk buying.

• Diversify your income

stream and consider mergers

and collaboration.

• Communicate with all

stakeholders and remember this

includes staff and members.

• Retain and motivate your best

staff – try not to cut your

training budget.

• Be realistic and optimistic

about the increased demand

on your services.

National picture Charity Times reported in July

2009 that research shows that

more charities are feeling the

effects of the recession, and that

56% of charities expect a decline

in their income.

The Charity Finance Directors’

Group, the Institute of Fundraising

and PricewaterhouseCoopers

research highlights that 80% of

charities are expecting income to

remain flat or to decline.

Charities have seen a greater than

expected decline in almost every

income stream. The exceptions are

statutory income, where 83% of

respondents indicated no change,

although some 70% expect a

decline or no change.

On the positive side, more

charities are now using the

recession as a management

opportunity, with 78% of

respondents taking action as a

result of the recession, up from

71% in November 08.

But there has been little change

in the number of respondents

who felt they had adequate

financial planning systems in

place. In particular, only 56% of

respondents (a 1% drop from

November 08) felt they had

adequate cash flow monitoring

systems in place.

20% are still expecting to see cuts

in services, despite the fact that

36% expect to see an increase in

demand for their services.

www.nicva.org/index.

cfm/section/General/

key/260309-Recession-

Toolkit

www.recessionsupport.org.uk/

main/index.php


The Compact

Promoting the Good and Challenging the Bad

A number of issues have already

been raised, which show me the

need to promote the good and

to challenge bad practice, helping

us all to work in a Compact

compliant way.

A key issue is the lack of

knowledge of how commissioning

processes work and of how

decisions are made. The impact

of this is that providers either feel

disengaged with commissioning

processes or they want to address

the reasons for not getting

through the process, but do not

know what those reasons are.

Equally, commissioners want to

make sure they are developing

open and clear processes to

providers. This is where the

eight principles of Intelligent

Commissioning can help as a way

of determining if there is Compact

compliance taking place.

Eight Principles of Intelligent

Commissioning:

1. Understanding the needs of

users and other communities

by ensuring that, alongside

other consultees, you engage

with third sector organisations,

as advocates, to access their

specialist knowledge.

2. Consulting potential provider

organisations, including those

from the third sector and

local experts, well in advance

of commissioning new

services and working with

them to set priority outcomes

for that service.

3. Putting outcomes for users

at the heart of the strategic

planning process.

4. Mapping the fullest practical

range of providers with a

view to understanding the

contribution they could make

to delivering those outcomes.

5. Considering investing in the

capacity of the provider base,

particularly those working with

hard-to-reach groups.

6. Ensuring contracting processes

are transparent and fair,

facilitating the involvement

of the broadest range of

suppliers, including considering

sub-contracting and consortia

building, where appropriate.

7. Ensuring long-term

contracts and risk sharing,

wherever appropriate, as

ways of achieving efficiency

and effectiveness.

8. Seeking feedback from

service users, communities

and providers in order to

review the effectiveness of

the commissioning process in

meeting local needs

The Compact needs to be

reflected in all the ways the

different sectors communicate

and work together. That is why

it is important that polices,

procedures, partnership

agreements, staff induction

In my role as Compact Liaison Officer, I am meeting commissioners

(people who are designing and buying services) and providers

(organisations that can offer services) to explain my work programme

and to make links with Compact partners.

Louise Clark, Compact Liaison Officer


The Compact

programmes and any work or

documentation refer to the

Compact and that organisations

sign up to the Bristol Compact.

Checklists are in development

to help organisations be

Compact compliant. There will

be promotional events in the

coming months to help support

compliance and further raise

awareness of the Compact.

This will include a Compact

sign-up campaign.

I want to make the Compact more

than just good practice guidance.

It needs to be meaningful –

something with the strength of

the signatories behind it and a

tool to positively take forward

partnerships in Bristol. As we

all begin to feel more Compact

confident and start to promote

good practice, we can share

examples of how the use of the

Compact has benefited us and

our service users. Where

Compact guidance has not been

followed, we can develop a better

way of working and not repeat

past mistakes.

Some work has already begun

to ensure Compact compliance.

The Enabling Commissioning

Programme for Bristol City

Council is one such area. Staff

working on the programme are

developing the commissioning

methodology for commissioners

and providers. They are keen to

ensure transparency, so have

been working with me to

build in the eight points of

Intelligent Commissioning.

The Compact News newsletter

that will be produced every two

months (current issue available via:

www.voscur.org/compact) is an

excellent place for you to share

the Compact compliant work you

are doing and to promote the

good and give examples of where

you have successfully challenged

the bad.

There is a regional Compact too.

At times, local organisations

provide regional services, or

may bid for regional tenders,

so working with regional

structures also needs to

encompass a Compact way of

working. The Southwest Regional

Development Agency is just one

of the signatories to the regional

Compact, which can be viewed at:

www.southwestforum.org.uk/

index.php?content=com

If you need help to

engage with the

Compact, contact me

at Voscur on 0117 909 9949 or

email [email protected].

You may also be interested in

looking at the national Compact

website: www.thecompact.org.

uk and Compact Advocacy can

give further advice on Compact

compliance: www.ncvo-vol.org.

uk/compactadvocacy

Sector News


From the Ashes of the CrashRebuilding the new economics — Saturday 17 October

Well Women Seeks Help

Schumacher Lectures 2009Four and a half decades ago, the

green shoots of the environmental

movement emerged following

the publication of Rachel Carson’s

book, Silent Spring, resulting in

the banning of the pesticide DDT.

Fritz Schumacher’s book, Small is

Beautiful: A Study of Economics

as if People Mattered (1971),

also had a profound impact on

environmentalists over a decade

later. The book explained that

people’s pursuit of profit, creating

multinational companies and

increasing specialisation results

in gross economic inefficiency,

environmental pollution and

inhumane working conditions.

Schumacher proposed using

localised labour and resources –

putting people and relationships

at the heart of what we do.

After Schumacher’s death in

1977, the Schumacher Society

was formed together with the

Schumacher Circle, an alliance

of like-minded organisations

including the Soil Association,

Resurgence, and the New

Economics Foundation.

The Bristol Schumacher lectures

celebrated their 30th anniversary

last year. One year on, in a global

recession, the theme of the

conference is “From the Ashes of

the Crash”. This year the chosen

conference partner is the New

Economics Foundation.

For more information visit:

www.schumacher.org.uk

Tel: 0117 903 1081

The trustees of Well Women

Information (WWI) are looking

for one or more local voluntary

organisations to take on

its services.

After more than 21 years

providing counselling, a drop-in

for health advice and information,

a health project for Asian women

and many other services, the West

Street based organisation is being

wound up.

This is not due to lack of funds

but lack of trustees. WWI still

has funding from the Big Lottery

and contracts with the City

Council and NHS Bristol to provide

services. In recent years WWI has

found it increasingly difficult to

recruit volunteer management

committee members. In spite of

this the staff have continued to

give a high quality service and

the remaining trustees have done

their best to support them.

At a recent special meeting of the

membership it was agreed that it

would be best for service users,

staff and trustees to find another

organisation to manage the

services. This could be a fantastic

opportunity for an organisation

looking to expand its activities into

the field of women’s health.

The current trustees of WWI

are keen to hear from

organisations that think that

they might fit the bill.

For details please

phone Carly Wong,

Tel. 0117 941 2983 or

email carly@

wellwomeninformation.org.uk

Member profile


This film season tackles a tough subject none of us like to face, but sitting idly by and imagining it isn’t happening is not an option.

Unchosen campaigns to raise

awareness of human

trafficking in Bristol through

award-winning films, with

talks by the Directors, live

performances and information.

Human Trafficking, which includes

people being forced into the

country to work and be exploited

is the second largest illegal

industry worldwide, behind only

the arms trade.

The five films being shown across

the four Fridays in November,

include the UK premier of ‘Victoria

Terminus’, about the survival

of street kids in Mumbai; ‘La

Forteresse’, which penetrates a

Swiss reception centre for asylum

seekers; and ‘Ghosts’, made by

world-renowned documentary

maker Nick Broomfield following

the drowning of 23 Chinese cockle

pickers in Morecambe Bay in 2004.

For the second year, film

director Nick Broomfield is the

free festival’s patron and he will

once again be giving a talk about

his work.

Since last year’s Film Festival,

the anti-trafficking organisations

within Bristol have started to work

together. As part of Unchosen’s

campaign, they have facilitated

meetings between the Police,

Bristol City Council, University

of the West of England and the

voluntary and community sector,

resulting in the forming of the

first Bristol Active Communities

Against Trafficking (ACT) group,

which is based in Shirehampton.

Trish Davidson

Tel: 0117 370 6417

[email protected]

www.unchosen.org.uk

Film ListingAll films have free admission.

Please visit www.unchosen.org.

uk for full details.

Friday 6th November 2009, 7.30pm

UK premier — Victoria Terminus Friday 13th November 2009, 7.30pm

La Forteresse Friday 20th November 2009, 7.30pm

Lillja4Ever Friday 27th November 2009, 4.30pm

Ghosts(Post Film Talk by Nick

Broomfield)

Friday 27th November 2009, 7.30pm

Rough Aunties(South West Premiere)

Venue:

Full Cinema Screen with

stereo sound.

St. Stephens Church,

21 St. Stephens Street,

Bristol BS1 1EQ

Social Enterprise Day – 19 November 2009


A celebration of social enterprise within Global Entrepreneurship Week

Global Entrepreneurship Week

(16-22 November 2009) is

a worldwide movement of

entrepreneurial people, with

millions turning their enterprising

talents and ideas into reality. Last

year, there were 24,966 events

and activities run in 77 countries,

attended by more than 3.06

million people (644,000 of which

were in the UK).

That massive level of activity

covers every aspect of

entrepreneurship. In the UK

there has been a strong focus

on entrepreneurship and young

people, with organisations such as

Make Your Mark running a national

enterprise challenge competition

for 14-19 year olds.

In 2008, RISE, the regional

infrastructure organisation for

social enterprise in the South

West, organised a series of school

events across the South West

and Stuart Griffin from Social

Enterprise Works delivered five

workshops in Bristol schools to

get the young people to explore

ideas for social enterprise.

Stuart will be delivering three

workshops on Social Enterprise

Day, 19 November, to students at

Writhlington School in Radstock.

We also hope to work with schools

in Bristol during the week.

Writhlington School is a wonderful

example of school based social

enterprise. The aim of their

orchid project is for students to

set up and manage international

conservation projects based

around innovative enterprise and

excellence in science, and they

really succeed. Over 60 students

are involved in the project,

which supplies orchids to Kew

Gardens and the Eden Project and

conservation projects in South

America and Asia.

How can you be involved in Social Enterprise Day?

Photo Competition

There is a great opportunity for

good, free marketing through

entering the second social

enterprise photo competition. In

the South West this is being run

by RISE.

Take a photo that you think shows

how social enterprise is more

than ‘business as usual.’ You’ll be

expected to caption your photo

so use that space to tell the story

behind the image – the photo will

be judged on how it looks, but

also on the story it tells. Email your

photo to: photocompetition@

socialenterprise.org.uk by

19 October. Images must be hi-res

(2MB or more). The winner for

South West England will then go

on to compete for the national

prize for England, judged by the

Social Enterprise Ambassadors.

At the time of writing (August)

meetings are being held with the

Regional Development Agency

to develop the programme of

activities for Entrepreneurship

Week in Bristol so there will be lots

“Global Entrepreneurship

Week is a shining example of

Britain leading the world in

enterprise and innovation. At

this time of unprecedented

global change, I congratulate

everyone involved in Global

Entrepreneurship Week for

encouraging people and

countries to work together

to find new ways to succeed.”

Gordon Brown,

Prime Minister,

November 2008

Social Enterprise Day – 19 November 2009


of opportunities to participate.

Social Enterprise Works will be

holding free drop-in support

surgeries during the week and the

Voscur Assembly held that week

will have a social enterprise theme.

Visit our websites for more details:

www.socialenterpriseworks.org

or www.voscur.org

Social Enterprise Mark

The Social Enterprise Mark that

was developed here in the South

West will be going national on

Social Enterprise Day. The Mark

was developed for qualifying

organisations which could

evidence clear social aims and

achievements, and whose profits

and assets were used to support

those social aims and generate at

least 50% of income from trading.

As a trading social enterprise

ourselves, Social Enterprise Works

has been awarded the Mark and

joins a number of other Mark

holders in Bristol including SOFA,

Watershed, Bristol Community

Transport and many more. The

new national Mark will have the

same criteria for full accreditation,

but may also have a second level

for organisations that are working

towards being a sustainable,

trading social enterprise, so it is

worth keeping an eye on these

new developments.

Elaine Flint

Social Enterprise Works

Tel: 0117 907 0080

Social Enterprise Works

provides support to new

start and existing social

enterprises. Lots of resources and

tools for business development

are available on our website.

www.socialenterpriseworks.org


Voscur Training and Learning

Collaboration — should you do it?

What is collaborative working?

The Collaborative Working Unit

at The National Council for

Voluntary Organisations (NCVO)

defines collaborative working

as partnership between two or

more voluntary organisations.

Organisations can work together

in a spectrum of ways from

informal networks, through joint

delivery of projects to full merger.

What forms does collaborative working take?

• Separate organisations

maintain their independence,

but work jointly on some

activities or functions

• Organisations with resources or

expertise offer assistance to

other organisations.

• A new organisation to work

jointly on some activities or

functions

• A group structure where a

‘parent’ organisation governs

a group of ‘subsidiary’

organisations

• Merger to form a new

organisation working as one

body on all activities

What are the potential benefits and risks of collaboration?

Collaborative working is not

right for every organisation.

Carefully identifying any issues of

concern will help to establish if

collaboration is appropriate.

Benefits include:

• New or improved services

• Wider geographical reach or

access to new beneficiary

groups

• Financial savings and better

use of existing resources

• Knowledge, good practice

and information sharing

• Sharing the risk in new and

untested projects

• Stronger, united voice

• Better co-ordination of

organisations’ activities

• Mutual support between

organisations

Collaborative working should

enable you better to meet

beneficiary need.

Risks include:

• Outcomes do not justify the

time and resources invested

• Complexity in decision-making

and loss of autonomy

• Diverting energy and

resources away from core

aims – mission drift

• Damage to or dilution of your

brand and reputation

• Damage to organisation

and waste of resources if

collaboration is unsuccessful

What areas do you need to consider?

You should think through all the

implications before you start

working collaboratively. With

planning, you can manage the

risks. Consideration of what is

best for your beneficiaries should

underlie all your thinking. Trustees

must ensure their organisation

acts legally and that professional

advice is taken where relevant.

Allow yourself enough time to

make an informed decision. It is

better to identify obstacles early

and not to proceed, than invest in

a fruitless partnership venture.

‘…all charities should consider seriously and imaginatively whether there are ways in which they could do more and better for their users by working together.’

The Charity Commission, ‘Collaborative Working and Mergers’ (2003)



Questions you should consider

1. What are you hoping to

achieve through collaboration?

2. Are you sure that collaborative

working is the best way to

achieve this aim?

3. Who proposed the idea? Do

they have a vested interest?

4. Do your Trustees and Chief

Executive support the idea?

5. Does it fit within your

organisation’s charitable

objects as stated in your

governing document?

6. Do your plans for

collaborative working fit

your strategic vision, values

and current priorities?

How will the working relationship work?

You may have in mind a potential

partner that you already know and

trust. However, it is important to

compare organisational culture

and working practices. You

will also need to consider your

organisation’s culture, financial

management, public relations and

what effect collaboration will have

on your public profile and the

staff you need.

Consider these questions

1. How might formal

collaboration change an

existing relationship with

your partner?

2. Do you have clear, shared

aims for the collaboration?

3. Do you both see your

respective inputs and

outputs as fair?

4. Do other organisations

have experience of working

with them?

Overcoming Obstacles

If you decide you want to go

ahead, there may still be obstacles

in the way to a successful

collaboration. These include:

personalities; competition

between partners; lack of

information and experience;

lack of resources, especially

at decision-making stage and

resistance to change. You can

overcome these obstacles by

ensuring there are:

• Good personal relationships

• Compatible cultures or an

understanding of different

cultures

• Written agreements

• Experience of change

management, leadership

and vision

• Resources

• Clear and agreed mutual

benefits

• A focus on the big picture

• Careful planning

• ICT tools

Finally don’t do this alone, speak

to others who have done it, get

legal advice when needed and

get in contact with NCVO for

further support.

Further advice and support

Collaboration Support skills for

development workers

Tuesday 6 October,

Wednesday 7 October

Barton Hill Settlement,

43 Ducie Road, Bristol BS5 0AR

Tel: 0117 955 6971 or email:

garyb@bartonhillsettlement.

org.uk

The National Council for Voluntary Organisations

Tel: 0800 2798 798

www.ncvo-vol.org.uk/

collaborate

www.askncvo.org.uk

Charity Commission contact centre

Tel: 0870 333 0123

Email: enquiries@

charitycommission.gsi.gov.uk

www.charitycommission.gov.uk

Information in this article is taken from National Council for Voluntary Organisation’s Collaborative Working Unit.



Welcome to Voscur Learning

RecruitmentofVolunteers NewThursday1October2009(9.30am-3.30pm)

Black Development Agency, Russell Town Avenue, Redfield, Bristol BS5 9LT

This session is for people who manage volunteers

and would like to know more about effective

recruitment. It will cover volunteer motivation;

barriers to volunteering; recruitment techniques

and processes; developing adverts for volunteer

roles and action planning.

TrusteeSeries1–WhyamIonthecommittee?Tuesday6October2009(10am-1pm)

The Federation of City Farms, The GreenHouse, Hereford St, Bristol BS3 4NA

This course will give anyone who has the role of a

trustee a basic overview of their legal duties and

responsibilities and is ideal if you have just become a

trustee or just want to brush up on your skills.

TrusteeSeries2–GoodGovernance–HowtobeabetterTrustee.Tuesday13October2009(10am-1pm)

The Federation of City Farms, The GreenHouse, Hereford St, Bristol BS3 4NA

This session complements ‘Why am I on the

committee?’ and looks in greater detail at how

Trustees can be more effective in their role. The

session covers governance, skills of trustees, risk and

liabilities and effective meetings.

SingleEqualitiesBill NewWednesday14October(10am-1pm)

This session will cover basics of the new Single

Equalities Bill and will give you a chance to consider

how the duties for public sector bodies impact on

your organisation and your users. There will be tasks

and exercises that you can take back and use within

your own settings in terms of best practice.

CWDC(Children’sWorkforceDevelopmentCouncil)CommonInduction:GenericMulti-AgencyTraining19&20Octoberand10&11November2009,datesandvenuetobeconfirmed.

This is for practitioners in the Children’s Workforce,

working at NVQ Levels 3 & 4. It will cover principles,

values and legislation; understanding Children

and Young People’s (CYP) development; building

relationships and communicating with CYP and

keeping CYP safe from harm. This is a pilot run by

Bristol City Council. Four grants are available from

Voscur for the cost of supply cover, contact Emma

Rice: [email protected] for details. To book a place

contact Julie Upson, email:

[email protected]

This term we have lots of new courses and events; some free and some low cost as well as a new early

bird scheme to help you pay for our courses. The early bird scheme means that full members get 10%

off the cost of our courses if they book at least 1 month before the event (this does not cover our

volunteer managers’ courses)

Voscur recognises that you may need courses tailored for your organisation. We can run in house courses on

many topics. Contact Sophie Bayley on 0117 909 9949.



RetentionandSupportofVolunteers New(Full)

Tuesday20October2009(9.30am-3.30pm)

For people who manage volunteers and would like to

know more about how to support and retain them.

This session will cover the importance of: induction;

other ways of supporting volunteers; supervision;

why people stop volunteering; recognition and action

planning. To add your name to the waiting list please

email: [email protected]

ImprovingDiversityinyourVolunteerWorkforce NewWednesday11November2009(9.30am-3.30pm)

The Park Centre, Daventry Road, Knowle, Bristol BS4 1QD

For people who manage volunteers and would like

to diversify their volunteer workforce. It will cover

equalities and socially excluded communities; looking

at who you are reaching; equalities Communities in

Bristol; legislation supporting equalities volunteers

and the benefits of a diverse team.

SupportingyourVolunteerBoard NewTuesday17November2009(9.30am-1pm)

Black Development Agency, Russell Town Avenue, Redfield, Bristol BS5 9LT

This is for chief executives or managers who would

like to support their volunteer board more effectively.

This session will cover roles and responsibilities of

trustees; the management / governance split; skills

audits for board and other support; how you can

retain your board and how to improve meetings.

FullCostRecoveryWednesday18November(9.30am-3.30pm)

Barton Hill Settlement, Ducie Road, Barton Hill, Bristol BS5 0AX

This course will give you an introduction to the theory

and methods of Full Cost Recovery, to ensure that

your funding applications take account of how new

projects impact on your existing services.

WorkingTogether–ChildProtectionLevelOneTrainingMonday23November2009(9.30am–4pm)

The Greenway Centre, Doncaster Road, Southmead, Bristol BS10

This is for anyone who has frontline responsibility

for the protection and safeguarding of children and

particularly for anyone working with young people.

It will cover definitions, signs and symptoms of

abuse, multi-agency child protection procedures and

guidelines and how to make a referral to social care.

Monitoringandevaluation–anintroduction NewWednesday25November2009(9.30am-3.30pm)

@ Symes Community Building, Peterson Avenue, Hartcliffe, Bristol BS13 0BE

This new training will help you understand monitoring

and evaluation (M&E). It is for people who are quite

new to M&E and who want to know about outcomes

and indicators, ways of collecting information, the

questions you need to ask and how to use the data.

DataProtection&Confidentiality NewThursday26November2009

(6.00pm-8.00pm)

Burges Salmon LLP, Narrow Quay House, Narrow Quay, Bristol BS1 4AH

This session, run by Burges Salmon Solicitors, will

consist of a run through of the Data Protection Act

and the law of confidentiality considering practical

applications for organisations.

If you want to book onto any of our events

or training then go to www.voscur.org

where you will find more information, or call

us on 0117 909 9949.

Have Your Say - Vox Pops


Creative Ideas for Empty Shops

Liz Venn,

Brislington Neighbourhood

Partnership

Dave Hobson,

Barton Hill Settlement

As the recession bites, neighbourhoods are suffering from empty shop units. Bristol is one of 57 cities

to receive more than £50,000 from the government to help areas hit hardest by the recession find

creative ways to reduce the negative impact empty shops are having on the high street.

We asked Voscur members what they think this money should be used for, and whether they think that the

voluntary and community sector could make good use of empty shop units in Bristol.

“I would

strongly advise

that retail

outlets be

made available

for the community to use for

any kind of activity but make

it easier for them to use. Red

tape is a barrier – try and cut

down on the red tape through

the council and make access

(to empty shops) a bit better.

In Brislington it would be really

nice to see shops used to

display some local artwork

and also as a showcase for

what’s actually available to

the community.”

“Church Road

in Lawrence

Hill has had

many empty

shop units that

have been taken over by local

Somali people. Empty shop

units could be really good for

new local business starts ups.

Organisations like Bristol East

Side Traders could help to get

empty shops filled again.”

“We’re

fortunate in

Hartcliffe and

Withywood as

we’ve had the

Symes Avenue shops boosted

but there are smaller shops in

the area that could probably

do with support to get more

custom to their area. In St

Paul’s (where I work) there are

quite a few shop units that are

not being used and a massive

building – Westmorland House

that is derelict, that people

have been trying to get

developed for several years.

The use of some of these

empty shops for studios and

to promote art has been

favoured within St Paul’s

community. I think also giving

new small businesses the

opportunity to use empty

units on a temporary basis to

see if the business that they

wanted to get going would

actually work, would be a

really good idea. It would be

great to support projects

helping young people with

small business.”

Tracy Edwards Brown,

Hartcliffe and Withywood

Community Partnership

Voscur’s Website Working for You


Promote and Recruit via the Voscur website

Jobs PageVoscur job ads “effectively reach

skilled local people actively

looking for new opportunities”

Recruiting or looking for a job –

look no further than the Voscur

website – here’s what some of

our advertisers say:

“For recruitment advertising

Circomedia have used Voscur on

a couple of occasions and have

been delighted with the service.

For the last vacancies we had a

huge response and the standard

of applicants was very high. We

would definitely use Voscur again.”

William Pritchard, Circomedia

“The application process to

advertise with Voscur is extremely

easy and the staff at Voscur are

always helpful. The response to

an advert on the site is always

positive and the site itself is

easily accessible.”

Lyn Campbell, Single Parent

Action Network (SPAN)

“We regularly advertise with

Voscur as its easy to use,

affordable and most importantly,

effectively reaches skilled local

people actively looking for new

opportunities. We have recruited

a number of people via the

Voscur website and would highly

recommend it!”

Bridget Gillespie, Bristol

Drugs Project

“The system is quick and easy to

use and we have had a lot of good

and relevant applications thanks to

the Voscur website. The staff are

always helpful.”

Terry Jones, Survive

“I have used Voscur’s online

job advertising service on

two occasions. I found it very

easy to use and the inputting

of information was very

straightforward. It is a very quick

way to advertise a job to a wide

range of people and is good

value for money for member

organisations.”

Lynn, St Werburghs City Farm

Our jobs pages get over 138,000

views a year. Jobs are added on a

daily basis; you won’t believe how

little it costs to advertise your

job, especially if you are a Voscur

member. To find out more go to

www.voscur.org/view/jobs

On-Line DiaryAdd your event to our on-line

diary www.voscur.org/event

NoticeboardAdvertise on our noticeboard

www.voscur.org/view/

classified-ads

EbulletinKeep in touch with the latest

news, publicise your own event,

meeting or announcement via

the Voscur ebulletin.

To subscribe to the Voscur

e-bulletin visit:

www.voscur.org/ebulletin

To submit your news, email 75

words, including contact details

to: [email protected]

Please contact Polly

Stewart to discuss how

your organisation can

make the most of Voscur’s

website: 0117 909 9949 or

email: [email protected]


Equalities

Social Class — An Equality Strand?

Socio-economic dutyIs social class likely to become an

equality strand? The Government

is introducing a Duty on public

service providers to take in to

account social mobility when

planning and developing services.

Social class is an issue that

most of us tend to have strong

opinions about; it often causes

passionate debate and is an

aspect on which individuals get

judged, stereotyped, and have

assumptions made about them.

It is a major cause of disadvantage

and discrimination. Here is the

Equality and Human Rights

Commission’s (EHRC) response to

the social economic duty outlined

in the Single Equality Bill.

‘We welcome the government’s

decision to require public

authorities to consider socio-

economic disadvantage in

the planning and monitoring

of the services they provide.

The Commission was an early

supporter of this provision

because we believe to ignore

socio-economic disadvantage

means you ignore some of the

most deep-rooted discrimination

in the UK’.

Socio-economic disadvantage

is one of the many complex

structural causes of discrimination

and inequality. Factors such as

changes in the labour market,

the delivery of public services

such as education and health,

and the immediate impact of

the economic downturn can

negatively affect the life chances

of individuals.

Considering socio-economic

disadvantage will be important in

driving social mobility. Educational

success is the most important

contributor to life chances.

Failing to tackle the root causes

of this inequality early on in life

could cost the taxpayer more in

the long term, for example, young

people who aren’t in education

or employment are far more likely

to go to prison, each one costing

between £15,000 and £50,000 per

year for each prison place.

Allowing public bodies like health

authorities to take into account

deprivation in their area will

help them properly tackle issues

such as preventing heart disease

and obesity-related illnesses,

potentially saving the NHS money

in the long term.

The Commission’s role will be

to use the legislation and

powers currently available, such

as the public duties and the

Human Rights Act, in order to

create social change. It will

assess the impact of particular

forms of disadvantage

through using a consistent

measurement framework.

According to research released

by the Government’s Social

Mobility Commission research,

three-quarters of judges

and 70% of finance directors

were independently schooled,

as were 45% of senior civil

servants and 32% of MPs. At

the other end of society 85%

of white boys from low

socio-economic groups do

not get five decent GCSEs.For more information on

the EHRC’s response to

the Bill in relation to the

Equality strands please see:

www.equalityhumanrights.com/

legislative-framework/equality-

bill/summary-of-our-response


Equalities

Different+equal

Bristol Equalities Network

The University of the West of

England (UWE) has produced

an easy-to-use tool to help you

carry out equalities impact

assessments (EIA) on your work

and services.

We tend to think of EIAs as a

remit for statutory services, but

it is good practice for voluntary

groups to think about the impact

of changes, particularly in this

economic climate when changes

could have severe effects on

individuals and communities who

use our services.

The different types of EIAs you will

need to think about are:

Adverse impact: assessing if

decisions or services although

seemingly benefiting a range of

groups, might cause a specific

group to experience an unequal or

negative impact

Differential impact: assessing how

different groups might experience

your service, even though it may

not cause any negative impacts

Positive impact: assessing if, or

how, changes in decisions or

services might impact positively

on a specific group where

previously the impact may have

been negative.

You can use the tool (which

is produced as a set of cards

with a series of questions to

work through) with your board

members, or staff team.

The next Equalities Network

will focus on Equalities and

the Bristol Partnership, and

community cohesion.

A series of meetings have taken

place this year to discuss Equalities

representation on the Bristol

Partnership. The process has been

slower than expected; many of

those involved in trying to move

the process forward are doing so

with limited capacity.

Discussions have been moving

on with Linda Prosser, the Bristol

Partnership Director, about

agreeing a proposal that can be

taken to the Bristol Partnership

Executive, drawn up from wider

consultation and subsequent

working group meetings.

The process of equalities

representation on the Bristol

Partnership will be discussed at

the next network meeting and

participants will be updated

on the current situation. The

Equalities Network will be held on

13 October, from 1pm to 3.30pm.

Jon House, Deputy Chief Executive

of Bristol City Council will also

attend to discuss the council’s

current strategy on community

cohesion in Bristol.

Lunch is provided but you will

need to book.

To book your place please visit:

www.voscur.org

13 October, 2009, 1pm – 3.30pm, The St Werburghs Centre, Horley Road, St Werburghs, Bristol BS2 9JT

For more information

and a pack of the cards

please contact: Angelina

Carrozza, Equality and Diversity

Manager, Human Resources,

UWE Bristol. Email:

[email protected]

Tel: 0117 328 1641

For more information

please contact

Ruth Pitter on

[email protected] or

[email protected]

Tel: 0117 909 9949

Have Your Say


Power to the people?

“I think that

giving more say

over how money

is spent to more

people is

generally a good idea.

I fear that the amounts of money

are fairly small, that decisions may

end up being fairly small and that

people may end up feeling that

they still haven’t got the clout

that they would like to have. I also

feel that the big, big challenge

is to get ‘the man in the street’

to want to be involved in their

local neighbourhood.”

Ches Chesney, Old Market

Community Association

“On the one

hand what I have

heard and

understood in

principle I think is

brilliant, in practice I’m very

sceptical. I think if the community

actually gets behind this I think it

could work but there is a lot of

ironing out to do. My major

concern is where they put

equalities and how they are going

to ensure that the equalities

groups are represented on

these different forums and

partnerships. I think you’re going

to have to be very careful that

it isn’t just tokenistic. There is a

history of local people saying ‘oh

that doesn’t affect me, I don’t

need to be involved – other

people will do that’ and there

being an elite few that will end

up doing the actual work. I think

NP need to develop a much more

public face, be more open to

the community as a whole. I just

think it’s a massive undertaking,

understand it will take a long time

to roll out. Whether it will work or

not remains to be seen.”

Gabbi, Hartcliffe and Withywood


“Most of it was

stuff that I’ve

expected but

we’ve been

asking ‘can you

please write this down’ so it’s

quite nice to see some of it

written down. In that sense I feel

buoyed up slightly. It’s good, a

good step forward.”

Ben Barker, Greater Bedminster


“It feels like

we’ve been here

before. What I

wanted to hear

was how much

money each neighbourhood has

been allocated, but that didn’t

come out of the meeting and

we’ve been told it won’t be

decided until next February. It’s

interesting that we’re having so

many neighbourhoods and so

many people are complaining

about how large some of these

neighbourhoods are. I do think

that more people need to be

more involved on a lower level.

Council proposals for devolving more decision making to neighbourhoods were unveiled at the

September meeting of the Neighbourhood Partnership Residents Forum (see Voscur quick guide

insert to the proposals in this issue of Thrive! or online at www.voscur.org). We asked residents from

community and voluntary organisations across Bristol who attended the meeting for their instant

reaction to the proposals.

Have Your Say


It’s coming, it’s been dictated

by the council, that’s what it

feels like.”

Lisa Blackwood,

St Pauls Unlimited

“There is still

quite a lot of

work to do in

terms of

developing a

structure that’s not necessarily

the same across the city but a

structure that is more workable

than what we’ve got at the

moment. I felt quite strongly that

although it’s good, for example, in

Shirehampton we’ve got SCAF

which is a good structure and

we’ve got very good workers, it

seems that the ordinary resident

that doesn’t belong to a particular

group is pushed out and we want

to find some ways of rectifying

that. It’s only the beginning and

I’m hoping that there’s going to

be more really because there is an

awful long way to go.”

Val Jenkins, Shirehampton

Community Action Forum

“It made me

think about the

funding of the

Neighbourhood

Partnerships and

the structure of them and it made

me realise how they’ve developed

differently across Bristol. I do feel

that the present council is very

committed to listening to local

communities and as far as possible

putting their views into practice.”

Anne Green, Sea Mills Community

Association (SCAF)

“I think it’s a

great idea

providing

enough funds

are put aside to

enable each ward to operate with

their councillors, to keep the

bureaucracy down and to get the

action going.”

Martin Graham, Lockleaze Voice

“Trying things

out, evolving,

learning that

kind of thing, I

really like the

approach. The detailed stuff that

people were asking about , people

always ask those questions at this

stage don’t they, that will

hopefully be in place eventually

and is going to be a lot of work to

do, a lot of cultural change for

people, a lot of business planning

but it’s still quite exciting.”

Fran Stewart, St George

Neighbourhood Partnership

Find out more

To find out more

about the council’s plans for

Neighbourhood Partnerships

and Neighbourhood Committees

and how you can have your

say visit www.voscur.org/

brispartnership/np or call

Matthew Symonds at Voscur on

(0117) 909 9949


Children and Young People

Gathering Voices

Charity Trustee and Musical Director Hannah Klewin said:

‘We believe our singers are

not only fantastic role models

for other teenagers, but also

excellent ambassadors for

the remarkable creativity that

occurs in Bristol.

This year we are excited

about our new youth

leadership initiative whereby

our older teenage singers

from WorldRoots Voice will

be mentoring the younger

singers aged 8-12 in our two

NewRoots choirs who meet

twice a week in central and

south Bristol.

We see this form of

collaborating together as very

beneficial in that it helps with

relationships across ages and

strengthens the whole inter-

choir cohesion. It also helps

the younger children in with

transition related issues as

they move up to new schools

in the autumn term.’

Innovative local arts charity

and Voscur members, Gathering

Voices are specialists in

providing world music singing

opportunities for children and

young people in Bristol.

Gathering Voices have been at

the leading edge of young

people’s music provision for over

a decade and their many projects

have included The Rhythm

Project, WorldBeats Collective,

Soul Park and current flagship

project ‘WorldRoots Voice’, now

one of the West’s foremost

accapella ensembles.

Participants do not audition

or have to read music and live

performances average around

twelve per year. They are now

seasoned veterans of Glastonbury

Festival, come rain or shine, and

have performed extensively in

Bristol during 2009 at events such

as Fair Trade Fortnight, Refugee

Week, Celebrating Sanctuary,

Migrations and were part of the

exciting celebrations for the

opening of the new Colston Hall

foyer in September. WorldRoots

Voice has also worked with young

South African choir ‘Youth in

Action’ this summer, culminating

in shared performances at St.

Georges, Brandon Hill. They have

also worked on a Heritage Lottery

funded project with a number of

international musicians and

singers who have now made

Bristol their home and have

learnt new songs from Portugal,

Zimbabwe, India and Cameroon.

The charity is not only passionate

about music and performing arts,

but is committed to providing

inclusive opportunities for young

people to experience youth

leadership, creative coaching and

peer mentoring.

For more information contact

Hannah Klewin.

Tel: 0117 927 3035 or visit:

www.gatheringvoices.org.uk


Children and Young People

Voscur Children and Young People’s Network

The Network meetings planned

for this autumn focus on

the changes in provision and

learning opportunities for

young people. This includes

changes in the specification of

the Youth Service for Bristol

City Council.

In addition, the West of England

16-19 shared service is planning

for the transfer of responsibilities

for 16-19 education and training

from the Learning and Skills

Council (LSC) to local authorities.

These changes will take place from

April 2010 and the four unitary

authorities within the West of

England have been working closely

with the LSC, Further Education

colleges and work based training

providers to develop a sub-

regional shared service for joint

working. More details can be

found on the Voscur website:

www.voscur.org/networks/

children

The next Network meeting on 7

October at The Southville Centre,

Beauley Road, Southville, Bristol

BS3 1QG, will highlight the 14-19

Strategy and relevant changes.

RepresentationVoscur members represent CYP

organisations on various strategic

boards and partnerships. The

following have recently been

elected as joint representatives:

Please contact them if you would

like any relevant issues raised at

the appropriate partnerships.

Visit: www.voscur.org/networks/

children/reps for contact details.

Name Organisation Strategic Partnership or Board

Amy Halls Play & Early Years Training Unit

Early Childhood Services Strategic Partnership

Karen MacVean Shelter Bristol Safeguarding Children Board

Hannah Wilcox Shelter Parents Support Advisory Board

Stephen Wilkinson Catch 22 North 1 Locality Executive

Monica Rudston Brentry and Henbury Childrens Centre

North 2 Locality Executive

Kate Gough Young Action North 3 Locality Executive

Frances Fox The Bridge Foundation

East Central 1 Locality Executive

Holly Paice Hop, Skip and Jump

East Central 2 Locality Executive

Stephen Wilkinson Catch 22 East Central 3 Locality Executive

Quentin St Clair Help Counselling South 1 Locality Executive

Hannah Wilcox YWCA Bristol South 2 Locality Executive

Ali Hender Brislington Neighbourhood Centre

South 3 Locality Executive

Howard Symonds Priority Youth Housing

South 4 Locality Executive


How To – Funding and Finance

Funders’ Fair 2009Voscur and the Black

Development Agency will be

holding the annual joint Funders’

Fair on Tuesday 10 November,

from 9.30am - 3.30pm.

The event will include workshops,

presentations, stalls and

information from a range of

local and national funders.

This year we have asked funders

to provide voluntary, community

and social enterprise (vcse)

groups with more information

about funding priorities, eligibility

criteria, and how they make

decisions about which projects to

fund. By having this information

groups will be in a better position

to decide which funders to target.

There will be lots of opportunities

for groups to ask funders

questions about their individual

projects and services.

The event will be held at the

Salvation Army Community Centre,

Hassell Drive, Lawrence Hill,

Bristol BS2 0AN. Visit:

www.voscur.org/fundersfair

for further information and to

book your place.

Voscur’s Finance ForumVoscur’s Finance Forum is

designed to provide peer support

and networking for finance

workers and treasurers working

in the voluntary, community and

social enterprise sector in Bristol.

Voscur holds regular meetings

to give finance workers the

opportunity to discuss

pertinent finance issues and

share good practice.

Voscur is always interested to

hear from finance workers and

treasurers who would like to join

this Forum. If you are interested,

please email Rebecca McDougall

on [email protected]

Web-based Funding ResourcesThere are lots of useful resources

on the Internet to help you find

funding for your projects, and

write good applications. But

sometimes it is difficult to know

which ones to use. Here is a

selection of useful organisations

and web-based resources:

FunderFinder

You may already have visited

the Voscur office for a guided

session on the FunderFinder

database, but did you know that

FunderFinder also provides two

free resources to help you secure

funding? ‘Apply Yourself’ helps

you write funding applications and

‘Budget Yourself’ helps you to set

up, manage and use a budget. You

can download them both from

www.funderfinder.org.uk

Funding Central

This is a new database of local,

regional, national and European

funding opportunities. You do not

have to subscribe to it, so anyone

can search for funds. Access it at

www.fundingcentral.org.uk

Directory of Social Change (DSC)

The DSC supports the voluntary

and community sector through an

extensive programme of training

courses and information. They

publish a range of fundraising

resources, including a free

e-bulletin that you can sign up

for. Check out their website

www.dsc.org.uk


How To – Funding and Finance

Institute of Fundraising Codes of Practice

The Institute of

Fundraising

supports

fundraisers through leadership,

representation, training and

information provision. Its Codes of

Fundraising Practice represent the

standards set for fundraisers in

the UK. Each code covers a

separate fundraising technique

and provides information on areas

of the law, guidance on the

techniques themselves, and the

best practice that the fundraising

sector has set itself to ensure the

highest standards. You can

download the codes at

www.institute-of-fundraising.

org.uk/bestpractice/thecodes

Sustainable Funding Project

Good fundraisers

and managers

understand that it

is important to raise funds

through a variety of different

sources. The National Council for

Voluntary Organisation’s

Sustainable Funding Project

produces a range of publications

and tools to help community

groups diversify their income

streams. Visit their website on

www.ncvo-sfp.org.uk

fit4funding (The Charities Information Bureau)

This website provides advice

on all aspects of funding and

fundraising, all of which can

be downloaded as pdf files.

You can also subscribe to their

monthly newsletter of funding

opportunities. This is one of the

resources which Voscur uses to

keep the funding pages up to

date on the Voscur website.

www.fit4funding.org.uk

Cash Online

This website aims to provide

people with the basic financial

skills needed to run successful

charities and voluntary

organisations. They have a range

of fact sheets on financial matters

to download, including a useful

guide to drawing up budgets.

Visit: www.cash-online.org.uk

Charities Information Bureau (CIB) SouthWest

This website contains a free

searchable funding information

database. This also contains

Funding Packs of pre-selected

searches for particular subject

areas such as Arts and Health.

To use the database, you must

first register with CIB at

www.cibsouthandwest.org.uk

Full Cost Recovery Toolkit

New Philanthropy Capital

supports both donors and

voluntary, community and social

enterprise groups. They have

produced a range of tools to

help charities measure, manage

and communicate their results.

Included within these is ‘Full Cost

Recovery: a guide and toolkit

on cost allocation.’ This provides

a template that is designed to

help charities understand the

true costs of their activities and

calculate their full costs in an

easy step-by-step process. It can

be downloaded from:

www.philanthropycapital.org/

tools_for_charities/available_

tools/full_cost_recovery.aspx

Eva Pollard, Funding Adviser

Voscur Resources

Voscur publishes a range

of fact sheets and toolkits on

the Funding and Finance pages

of the Voscur website. We also

publish links to other resources,

which we feel our member

groups will find useful. Please

visit www.voscur.org/funding

and www.voscur.org/resources/

financeandfunding

for more information.


How To – Green Pages

GreenMapsGreenMap System has

engaged communities

worldwide in mapping green

living, nature and cultural

resources since 1995.

They support locally-led

GreenMap projects as they create

community ‘portraits’ which act

as comprehensive inventories for

decision-making and as practical

guides for residents and tourists.

Over 365 GreenMaps have been

published to date, and hundreds

more have been created in

classrooms and workshops by

young people and adults. Both

the mapmaking process and the

resulting GreenMaps have tangible

effects that:

• Strengthen local-global

sustainability networks

• Expand the demand for

healthier, greener choices

• Help successful initiatives

spread to even more

communities

GreenMap System has been

developed collaboratively and

the movement has spread to over

550 cities, towns and villages in 54

countries. In Bristol, green maps

have been produced for East

Bristol and Greater Bedminster.

Profile: Green BristolGreen Bristol is a worker

co-operative promoting

environmental awareness and

community sustainability.

The European Commission’s

Lifelong Learning Programme

has recently approved a

Partnership project that aims

to facilitate collaborative green

mapping within and between

four partners. The project will

use the Open GreenMap system,

which interactively charts natural,

cultural and green living sites.

This trans-national project is

between four river cities: Bristol

(UK), Berlin (Germany), Budapest

(Hungary) and Bistrita (Romania).

The project will set in motion a

collaborative, green map-making

process within and between

these four partners. This will

involve the creation of online

and possibly paper maps

charting local resources for

more sustainable living.

Participants will have the

opportunity to gain new ICT

skills and learn more about

sustainability issues locally and

internationally. They will exchange

experiences and learn about

other European communities on

Study Visits. This will be achieved

through a participatory process

that is creative, enjoyable and

enhances confidence. The

process may include storytelling,

photography and film-making

through group and public events.

Green Bristol will be welcoming

participants from all three partner

cities to an event in Bristol this

October. Knowle West Media

Centre is the local partner in

this project.

Find out more:

www.greenmap.org

Find out more:

Green Bristol greenbristol.blogspot.com

Open GreenMap www.opengreenmap.org/home

Knowle West Media Centre www.kwmc.org.uk


How To – Green Pages

Twenty’s PlentyAs part of the Cycling City Project,

Bristol City Council is to introduce

two 20 mile per hour zones. The

pilot areas will cover Inner East

Bristol (Ashley, Easton, Eastville,

Lawrence Hill, St George West) and

Inner South Bristol (Bedminster,

Lawrence Hill, Southville, Windmill

Hill). It is anticipated that the pilot

zones will be introduced in April

2010 but unlike conventional

speed reduction programmes

the 20mph zones will not be

accompanied by speed humps or

other traffic calming measures.

Recent changes in Dept of

Transport guidelines have relaxed

the recommendations and in

many residential areas 20 mph

limits may be set without any

physical measures at all. Many local

authorities including Portsmouth

(population 197,700), Oxford

(151,000), Norwich (132,200),

Leicester (292,600), Newcastle-

upon-Tyne (189,000), Islington

(187,000) and Hackney (209,700)

have introduced 20 mph as a

default within residential streets.

The campaign groups ‘20s

plenty for us’ says that there is

a strong rationale for 20 mph

as the default speed limit for

residential streets.

In Britain …

• More than half of road deaths

and serious injuries occur

on roads with 30 mph limits

(Transport Statistics for

Great Britain)

• Britain has the highest

percentage of pedestrian

road fatalities in Europe

(EU European Road Safety

Observatory)

• Britain has one of the lowest

levels of children walking or

cycling to school in Europe

• Speed limits on Britain’s urban

roads are 60% higher than

Europe (30 mph compared to

18.5 mph)

• Parents consistently cite traffic

speed as the main reason why

their children are not allowed to

cycle or walk to school

They also state that lowering

urban and residential speed limits

to 20 mph has been found to

increase a 15 minutes car journey

by just 60 seconds (EU Report:

Kids on the move) and that

introducing speed limits of 20

mph has been found to decrease

child pedestrian accidents by 70%

(Transport Research Laboratory).

The Bristol Cycling Campaign (BCC)

and Living Streets are amongst a

number of organisations calling

for 20mph limits to go further

than the pilot zones proposed

by the council and for them to

be introduced on a significant

basis to areas across the city. The

petition launched by Stephen

Kinsella from the BCC has already

attracted over 400 signatures.

Find out more:

www.bristol.gov.

uk/ccm/content/Transport-

Streets/Road-Safety/20-

mph/20mph-speed-limit-pilot-

areas.en

www.bristolcyclingcampaign.

org.uk

www.20splentyforbristol.org.uk

Have Your Say


Vital role for sector in the Duty to InvolveThe new ‘Duty to involve’

became law in April 2009.

This means providing greater

opportunities for local people

to get involved and influence

decisions that affect them.

Why is a duty to involve needed?The government is trying to

enable citizens to play a more

active and influential role in

how their areas develop. The

duty to involve is best summed

up as the government seeking

to ‘embed a culture of

engagement and empowerment’

in public authorities.

What does the ‘duty to involve’ require?The duty requires best value*

authorities and public agencies

to ‘inform, consult and involve’

representatives of local persons

in the exercise of any of its

functions. This includes ‘routine

functions’ as well as ‘significant

one-off decisions’. This requires

sharing of information and

intelligence on local community

issues and decisions about

where to focus shared activity

to improve outcomes for

local people.

What does the term ‘representatives of local persons’ mean?The duty defines the term ‘local

persons’ as those likely to be

affected by, or interested in, a

particular authority function. The

term ‘local persons’ is not simply

a reference to local residents, but

includes people who work or study

in the area (including those who

work for the authority); visitors;

service users; local third sector

groups; businesses; and anyone

else likely to be affected by, or

interested in, the function.

The phrase “representatives of

local persons” refers to a mix of

”local persons”, that is, a selection

of the individuals, groups or

organisations the authority

considers likely to be affected

by, or have an interest in the

authority function. In the context

of the duty the ‘representative’

does not refer to formally elected

or nominated members of the

community, such as councillors.

What will this actually mean?In summary the key points in

the guidance accompanying

the duty say:

Providing information

Authorities should provide


with appropriate information,

which should help them to have

their say and get involved.

Information should be accessible,

easy to understand and tailored

to different audiences.

Consulting

Authorities should provide


with appropriate and genuine

opportunities to have their say,

through formal consultations and

surveys as well as direct dialogue

with representatives.

Authorities should ensure clarity

of purpose, scope and parameters

of any consultation for

representatives of local persons.

Authorities should consider how

they feed back the outcomes of

any consultation, making clear

how the input of representatives

of local persons has contributed

to the decision.

Have Your Say


Involving in another way

Authorities should consider

where it is appropriate to provide


with opportunities to get involved

over and above being informed

and consulted. Involvement should

be aimed at giving representatives

greater influence over decisions

and/or delivery.

Who does the duty affect?The following Bristol

authorities are required to

meet the new duty:

Bristol City Council, Avon Fire &

Rescue, Waste Disposal Authority

and the Joint Waste Authority.

There is already a duty to involve

and consult people when it

comes to making changes to

health services. A strengthened

‘duty to involve’ came into

force on 3 November 2008

and requires strategic health

authorities, Primary Care Trusts,

NHS Trusts and NHS Foundation

Trusts to involve service users

in: the planning and provision of

services, the development and

consideration of proposals for

changes in the way services are

provided and decisions affecting

the operation of services.

The statutory guidance outlines three reasons for involving third sector organisations

• To inform consult and/or involve

third sector organisations

if they are affected by, or

interested in, a particular issue

or function of the authority

• To act as advocates for local

people, particularly those who

are marginalised or vulnerable

• To help the authority reach

out to marginalised or

vulnerable groups.

The statutory guidance includes

an expectation that third sector

organisations will be involved in

developing and delivering Local

Area Agreement targets.

Find out more about the Duty to Involve

The Duty to Involve: Making it work (Community Development Foundation)

Visit: www.cdf.org.uk

Creating Strong, Safe and Prosperous Communities: Statutory Guidance

www.communities.gov.uk/

publications/localgovernment/

strongsafeprosperous

Jargon Buster

* ‘Best value’ is the statutory

basis on which councils plan,

review and manage their

performance in order to meet

the needs and expectations

of their citizens who use their

services. The aim is to deliver

continuous improvement in all

their services.

As part of the performance

management process, users

are asked for their views and

experiences of local

government and local services.

In future there will be a duty

for all best value authorities,

including local authorities, to

inform, consult and involve the

people they serve.


Volunteering Bristol

Opportunities with Volunteering BristolVolunteering Bristol, which

provides Bristol’s main

volunteering brokerage service

has seen an increase of 12% in

the number of people using

the services between April and

June compared to the same

period last year and now deal

with an average of some 1,200

enquiries a month.

The Volunteer Centre runs a

drop-in session each weekday

between 10am and 4pm where

people can call in, with or without

an appointment to discuss their

interests with volunteer advisors

and identify suitable volunteering

opportunities. The advisor can

then contact the volunteer

organisations for them, which

they are happy to do, though

most potential volunteers prefer

to make their own arrangements

once the Centre has given them all

the information on the vacancies.

People who cannot get in to

the centre of Bristol can get

information from our Information

Points at various community

centres, including: The Park,

Knowle; Mede, Inns Court;

Gatehouse, Hartcliffe; Withywood

Community Centre, Easton

Community Centre and the

Greenway Centre, Southmead.

Volunteering Bristol’s website

lists over 700 volunteering

opportunities and users may email

direct from the site with enquiries.

Volunteering Bristol works with

more than 530 organisations

to help to promote their

volunteering vacancies,

establishing and implementing

policies and procedures to

support the management of

their volunteers and ensuring

that the volunteering experience

is good for the organisation and

for their volunteers.

There has been publicity recently

to encourage people who are

long-term unemployed to seek

volunteering roles to either

improve their skills or as a way of

sampling totally different career

paths. Volunteering Bristol is

well placed to help people find

suitable opportunities. We have

already seen an increase in the

enquiries from people affected

by the recession wanting to

undertake volunteering roles with

nearly twice as many unemployed

people seeking roles this year

compared with last year. The staff

and volunteers at the Volunteer

Centre have the knowledge and

expertise in helping people find

volunteering roles that meet

their individual needs and work

with other support agencies

such as Working Links who make

Volunteering Bristol their first

choice referral source

for volunteering.

Contact Volunteering Bristol

Tel: 0117 989 7733

Email:

[email protected]

Or visit:

www.bristolvolunteers.org.uk

Address:

Royal Oak House, Royal Oak

Avenue, BS1 4GB


Constitutions Corner

Charitable Companies — keeping up to date with the LawMany voluntary organisations,

particularly those that

employ staff, hold contracts

or own buildings or leases,

are incorporated bodies.

Usually this takes the form of

organisations being a Company

Limited by Guarantee, or a ‘CIC’

if you are a social enterprise,

so company law applies.

The Companies Act 2006 is the

largest piece of UK legislation eve!r

The changes have been brought in

gradually and the main final phase

applies from October 2009.

Memorandum and ArticlesFrom this October, all new

companies will have a

Memorandum, which merely

records those who have agreed

to set up a new company and

its name. Everything else,

including the ‘objects’ will now

be in the ‘Articles’ and these

will now become known as the

‘constitution’ of the company.

This makes it especially important

to be clear if there are to be any

clauses or Articles that cannot

normally be amended.

Duties of DirectorsIf you are a company, the people

on your Board are Company

Directors. Their seven basic duties

are now spelt out in law, and a

criminal offence is committed if

there is a deliberate breach.

It is good practice for a board

to remind themselves of these

seven duties at the first meeting

after each Annual General Meeting

(AGM), and for each Director to

declare in writing any general

or continuing outside interests

that might be seen as causing

a ‘conflict’. You should make

sure your ‘Articles’ spell out how

potential conflicting interests

must be dealt with.

Members’ rightsAll ordinary members of a

company now have the legal right

to appoint a ‘proxy’ to vote for

them if they cannot attend a

general meeting, and any notice

of a general meeting should

remind members of this right.

Other changes include:

It is no longer compulsory to have

an AGM or a Company Secretary,

but for charitable companies this

will still be advisable.

Directors must now be at least

16 years old.

All company business

correspondence must include

the name, company number,

and registered office address

on all business correspondence,

including emails (note that this

applies to company emails even

when working from home),

but more business can now be

done electronically.

Directors’ home addresses can

now be kept from public view,

but the public have a right to see

members and Directors lists at a

publicly named premises.

You must keep minutes of Board

meetings and general meetings

for at least ten years.

Accounts must now be filed within

9 months, and changes to the

company name or ‘constitution’

within 15 days.

In many cases your current

Memorandum and Articles will

still prevail, unless and until they

are altered.

The examples above are just a

‘sample’, intended as a general

reminder for charitable companies

and social enterprises to keep up

to date with the new law.

Graham Partridge

Community Groups Legal

Advice Worker,

Avon and Bristol Law Centre

Tel: 0117 924 8662

Email: [email protected]

Voscur Ltd. The CREATE Centre Smeaton Road Bristol BS1 6XN

Tel: 0117 909 9949Fax: 0117 933 0501Email: [email protected]: www.voscur.org

Company limited by Guarantee registered in England no. 3918210

Produced by circle-creative.co.uk Printed on 100% recycled paper using vegetable based inks

Voscur Diary — October / November 2009OctoberTuesday 6 October Trustee Series 1 – Why am I on the committee?

The Federation of City Farms, The GreenHouse, Hereford St, Bristol BS3 4NA (10:00 – 13:00)

Wednesday 7 October Voscur Children & Young People’s Organisations Network MeetingThe Southville Centre, Beauley Road, Southville, Bristol BS3 1QG (10:00 – 12noon)

Thursday 8 October Bristol e-Procurement System Training SessionsBarton Hill Settlement, Ducie Road, Barton Hill, Bristol BS5 0AX

Tuesday 13 October Trustee Series 2 – Good Governance – How to be a better Trustee.The Federation of City Farms, The GreenHouse, Hereford St, Bristol BS3 4NA (10:00 – 13:00)

Tuesday 13 October Equalities Network St Werburghs Community Centre, Horley Road, St Werburghs, Bristol BS2 9TJ (13:00 – 15:30)

Wednesday 14 October Single Equalities BillBarton Hill Settlement, Ducie Road, Barton Hill, Bristol BS5 0AX (10:00 – 13:00)

Tuesday 20 October Retention and Support of Volunteers (fully booked)Greenway Centre, Doncaster Road, Southmead, Bristol BS10 5PY (09:30 – 15:30)

Wednesday 21 November Voscur Annual Event and AGMSt Pauls Community Sports Academy, Newfoundland Road, Bristol BS2 9NH (9.30 – 14.30)

NovemberWednesday 4 November Community Buildings Network Meeting

Circomedia, St Pauls Church, Portland Square, Bristol BS2 8SJ (10:00 – 12:30)

Tuesday 10 November Voscur and Black Development Agency’s Joint Funders FairSalvation Army Community Centre, Hassell Drive, Lawrence Hill, Bristol BS2 0AN (09:30 – 15:30)

Wednesday 11 November Improving Diversity in your Volunteer WorkforceThe Park Centre, Daventry Road, Knowle, Bristol BS4 1QD (9:30 – 15:30)

Tuesday 17 November Supporting your Volunteer BoardBlack Development Agency, Russell Town Avenue, Bristol BS5 9LT (09:30 – 13:00)

Wednesday 18 November Full Cost RecoveryBarton Hill Settlement, Ducie Road, Barton Hill, Bristol BS5 0AX (09:30 – 15:30)

Thursday 19 November Voscur AssemblyCelebrating Social Enterprise Day: www.voscur.org/networks/assemblies Venue and Timing to be confirmed

Monday 23 November Working Together – Child Protection Level One TrainingThe Greenway Centre, Doncaster Road, Southmead, Bristol BS10 5PY (09:30 – 16:00)

Tuesday 24 November Neighbourhood Partnership Residents ForumVenue to be confirmed (14.00 – 16.30)

Wednesday 25 November Monitoring and Evaluation – an introduction@ Symes Community Building, Peterson Avenue, Hartcliffe, Bristol BS13 0BE (09:30 – 15:30)

Thursday 26 November Data Protection & Confidentiality (fully booked) Burges Salmon LLP, Narrow Quay House, Narrow Quay, Bristol BS1 4AH (18:00 – 20:00)

Health & Medicine

Thrive Oct Nov 09