VODA newsThe quarterly newsletter for voluntary and community organisations in North Tyneside

Doing Things DifferentlyHow a new approach to NCS has made a big and positive difference this summer

Plus the launch of our awards for 2018, news about VODA’s staff team, funding success for St Mark’s Church in Shiremoor and a round-up of community, sector and funding news

September 2018 Issue 127

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Contact UsChief ExecutiveLisa Goodwin0191 643 2626 admin@voda.org.uk

Operations ManagerPhil Bagnall0191 643 2626admin@voda.org.uk

Administration0191 643 2626admin@voda.org.uk

Finance TeamMark Thompson, Colin Bell, Juliana Tan0191 643 2630finance@voda.org.uk

Core Services TeamKeith Hardy, Frank Gillender, Amy Millar, Kimberley Rackstraw, Jo Woolley0191 643 2636development@voda.org.uk

Projects TeamRobin Fry, Josie Robinson, Neil Burke, Ian Dodds 0191 643 2639volunteering@voda.org.uk

Sector ConnectorIan Dodds0191 643 2638ian.dodds@voda.org.uk

Good NeighboursIan Brigstock0191 643 2633ian.brigstock@voda.org.uk

TrainingAdmin Team0191 643 2626training@voda.org.uk

Address:North Tyneside VODA, Queen Alexandra Campus, Hawkeys Lane, North Shields NE29 9BZ

Website:www.voda.org.uk

Facebook:www.facebook.com/ntvoda

Twitter:@NTynesideVODA

Charity Number 1075060

Company Number 3703221

Membership:VODA is a registered charity providing advice, training, information and support to volunteers and voluntary and community organisations working in North Tyneside.

To find out more visit the About Us section on our website or telephone 0191 643 2626.

Formats:We can produce this newsletter in large print and various other formats - please contact us to discuss your needs.

Next Edition:The winter issue of VODA News will be published in January 2018.

The deadline for copy is 14 December 2018.

Disclaimer:The information in VODA News is, as far as we know, correct at the time of going to print. However, North Tyneside VODA can take no responsibility for any changes that occur or guarantee the quality of information or services provided by others.

This newsletter is printed by yourPrintDepartment:www.yourprintdepartment.co.uk

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ContentsMessage from our Chief Executive 4The final foreword from Lisa Goodwin

VODA Awards 2018 5We want your nominations for the stars of the voluntary and community sector

Staff restructure a new face at VODA 6 Meet the newest member of our staff team and read about other changes at VODA

#iwill Learn, Create, Make Change 7A new volunteering project supporting young people’s digital and media social action

NCS: Doing Things Differently 8How this summer’s new approach to social action projects made a positive difference

Artifical Turf for St Mark’s 10Funding success for the church and community project means improved outdoor space

Community Development at the Linskill 11Read about new opportunities, community courses and events at the Linskill Centre

Community News 13Stories from Active North Tyneside, North Tyneside World Mental Health Day and Wag & Company

Sector News 15 Including a commentary from Lisa Goodwin on the new Civil Society Strategy

Funding Update 16A special ‘advice from the funders’ feature by Iain Riddell of the Community Foundation

VODA Training 20

VODA News is a community newsletter that is sent to almost 700 groups, organisations and individuals. We offer a low-cost insert service: £45 for VODA members, £60 for other VCS groups, £85 for private business and statutory organisations. If you have a leaflet or a flyer that you’d like distributed, why not use VODA News to get the word out?Contact our Development Team for more information.

WelcomeWelcome to the autumn issue of VODA News - the last in this current format! As our Chief Executive Lisa Goodwin outlines in her final message on page 4, this is a time of change for VODA. With a new organisational structure and change of Chief Executive in the coming months, we felt it was also time for our quarterly newsletter and some of our other printed communications to change.

One of our core services here at VODA is to keep you, the voluntary and community sector of North Tyneside, informed and up to date about relevant news, events and opportunities. We aim to do this through several channels. Our website - www.voda.org.uk - is our main online resource where you can find information on our staff, services and project work as well as regularly updated sections covering local, sector and funding news. It’s also where you can book onto our training and other events and access our online resources, information sheets and guides. We also have social media accounts on Twitter and Facebook, which we use to socially share the latest information, stories and events, and where we interact daily with a large number of our members, partners and volunteers.

However, we also recognise and respect that not everyone is online, and that’s why we continue to produce the printed publication you are reading - VODA News. This is where we highlight in more depth the impact of the work we are carrying out, and bring you comments, information and opportunities to engage with strategic and national sector issues. We also use these pages to showcase the valuable work that you do in more detail, in our regular community pages.

A number of our members and subscribers now choose to receive this newsletter electronically, and that’s great, but we believe printing and posting VODA News to our database is a justified cost and we look forward to producing many more issues, just in a new and more modern format!

As usual, we welcome your comments and feedback on any of our services and publications. Please contact us using the information on page 2 with your thoughts.

“This is my last introduction for VODA News, as I move on to a new role at VONNE at the end of October. I’ve been here for eight years, starting as Deputy Chief Executive in February 2010, before taking on the Chief Executive role officially in October 2011. I have loved working at VODA and I feel real sadness about leaving the organisation, and about leaving the dynamic, supportive voluntary and community sector we have in North Tyneside. It’s easy to look at things through rose tinted glasses when you’re departing, and of course I have had many frustrations and fraught discussions over the years, but I genuinely believe that we have a very positive, forward thinking VCS in North Tyneside, who are willing to work together and support each other for the greater good.

I feel privileged to have led an organisation which has such an important and rewarding job to do. Every week I have been here I’ve seen examples of people giving their time and energy to help others. Although we are

smaller in staff numbers and income than when I started (like almost every other charity in the North East!), the need for VODA’s services is greater than ever. We know that our voluntary sector in North Tyneside is facing increased demand for services and reduced funding, and the need to ‘do more with less’ is not going to go away any time soon.

I’m proud to be able to say that the support we provide for volunteers and VCS organisations has grown significantly while I’ve been here. Despite having a smaller staff team, we now support around 1,200 volunteers per year (compared to 480 per year in 2011), and we provide around 650 advice sessions for VCS organisations per year.

But the time has come to hand over the reins to someone else, and I am absolutely delighted to announce that the board has appointed Robin Fry as the new Chief Executive of VODA. Robin has been at VODA for 18 years, starting out as a volunteer, and there is no-one better placed to take on the role than him. I have always admired Robin’s understated approach to his work. He manages to juggle a huge number of responsibilities and always remain calm and professional. He always has time for others, and he brings a very positive outlook and attitude to everything he does.

And he manages to do all of that without swearing anywhere near as much as I do! I know the board and staff team here are very much looking forward to working with Robin in his new role, and I look forward to seeing how VODA evolves and continues to meet the needs of our beneficiaries under Robin’s leadership.”

- Lisa Goodwin

And a quick word from our new Chief Exec, Robin Fry: “It’s an absolute honour to be offered this position. I’m very much looking forward to building on the amazing work that has been developed under Lisa’s leadership and look forward to outlining our plans for the coming year in the next issue of VODA News.”

“I look forward to seeing how VODA

evolves and continues to meet the needs of our beneficiaries

under Robin’s leadership.”

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An Exciting Time of Change at VODA

Chief Executive Lisa Goodwin reflects on her time at VODA as she hands over the reins to Robin Fry

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VODA Awards 2018Time to nominate your ‘stars of the sector’

Voluntary or Community Organisation of the YearThis is awarded to a North Tyneside voluntary and community sector organisation that has made a real and positive impact on the people it works with this year. We’re looking for a group who has gone the extra mile or an organisation that has made a big impact in their local community.

Volunteer of the Year

Here at VODA we are passionate about volunteering and are constantly impressed by the time and dedication that volunteers give. This award recognises those individuals who have given their time, skills or experience in a voluntary capacity to help a cause or other people in their community.

Young Volunteer of the Year

We know from our own work with young people, and from that of our members, the huge positive impact that the younger generation is making in North Tyneside. This award recognises volunteers aged under 19 or under and celebrates their commitment to causes they care about.

A reminder of last year’s winners...

Do you know a community group or voluntary organisation that has gone the extra mile this year? Or a volunteer - of any age - who makes a huge difference in their community? We are once again recognising the ‘stars’ of North Tyneside’s voluntary and community sector with our annual awards. Given in three categories: Organisation of the Year, Volunteer of the Year and Young Volunteer of the Year (aged under 19), the awards recognise the huge and invaluable contribution made to North Tyneside by individuals and organisations in the borough.

Winners will be invited to our Annual General Meeting (AGM) as special guests. This takes place on Wednesday 28 November at YMCA North Tyneside. The closing date for nominations is 5pm on Friday 16 November and entries will be judged by a panel of VODA staff and board members. You can make your nomination online at www.voda.org.uk/awards2018 or request a nomination form by contacting us directly.

We look forward to reading your nominations!

West Moor Residents AssociationDrew Gransbury, who nominated the group said: “I believe that West Moor Community Centre is a beacon within the area... there for the community, whether it’s in the form of the activities they run or as a place that people can go to for help or advice.”

Joyce GreerlyAs Joyce was unable to attend our AGM, her award was accepted by her nominator Susie Flintham who said: “Joyce has volunteered with The Alzheimer’s Society Singing for the Brain project since it began. At times she has single-handedly run the group, which is a vital part of living well with dementia.”

Tony BinalleYoung Volunteer of the Year Tony was nominated by Helen Collins at Meadow Well Connected who said: “Tony’s contribution to the gardens at Meadow Well Connected is immeasurable. He is a reliable, hard-working, mature young man with a commitment and dedication to making things happen.”

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Staff Restructure and Welcoming a New Face

As outlined by our current Chief Executive, Lisa Goodwin, on page 4, this is a time of change at VODA. Not only have we appointed a new Chief Executive – Robin Fry – who will be taking up his new position in October, but we have also taken the decision to review and restructure our staff team based on the changing needs of VODA and the wider voluntary and community sector.

As an infrastructure organisation, VODA’s core services are to support, develop and provide information to volunteers and the voluntary and community sector of North Tyneside. The Core Services Team that carries out this work has recently expanded and we are delighted to introduce our newest member of staff – Keith Hardy – who was appointed as Core Services Manager in September. As well as managing the team, Keith will be providing direct support and advice to VODA members and North Tyneside voluntary and community sector groups and their trustees.

Keith said: “I am delighted to be back in North Tyneside after five years working in the voluntary sector in South Tyneside. Prior to this I was with North Tyneside Council for many years, undertaking a number of roles including managing Community Development Teams and the Play Service. I will use this experience and knowledge to work closely with the communities and organisations across the borough to help strengthen what is already a thriving community and voluntary sector.

The Core Services Team already offers advice and support on everything from setting up and developing

a group to trustee recruitment and development, funding, and involving volunteers in your work. We also provide advice to individual volunteers of all age and abilities, helping them to find suitable and meaningful voluntary opportunities right across the borough.

We are planning to extend our services by offering outreach surgeries to all parts of North Tyneside and volunteering advice aimed directly at young people. We will also be adding a series of online training modules to our current training programme, offering greater flexibility and opportunities to undertake training.

I would love to hear from groups, organisations and volunteers about how VODA can support you and look forward to meeting and working with you in the future.”

You can contact Keith using the details at the front of this newsletter.

Projects and PartnershipsAs well as Core Services, you will also be aware that VODA directly delivers a number of projects and the members of staff who manage and coordinate these form our Projects Team. Among these are Good Neighbours - our hugely successful volunteering project which recruits, supports and trains volunteers to carry out small, neighbourly tasks for vulnerable residents in the borough - and Sector Connector, which works to broker relationships between local businesses and the voluntary and community sector organisations for mutual benefit.

SAINT (Social Action in North Tyneside) helps groups of like-minded people to overcome barriers to volunteering by setting up and running social action projects in the community; and our STEM Innovation Project provides volunteering opportunities in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) fields to unemployed people aged 18 plus.

Our latest project is called #iwill and aims to give young volunteers a strong voice in their community by supporting them to learn digital and media skills and to carry out campaigns - see opposite for more information about that.

#iwill Learn, Create, Make Change

VODA’s #iwill project is a digital and media volunteering programme aimed at young people aged between 14 and 20 (up to 25 with additional needs or disabilities) in North Tyneside.

Funded by the Virgin Money Foundation, the project is part of the wider #iwill campaign, which aims to increase the numbers of young people engaged in social action.

Over the next 18 months, we will be working with teams of young volunteers, offering them the chance to attend workshops on a range of digital and media skills from top local professionals in the fields of photography, film-making, web design, social media, blogging, animation, PR, design and more.

We will then support the teams to create digital and media campaigns about issues in the community that they care about, and to work with existing groups and organisations in the borough on ‘campaign challenges.’

A steering group of young people has already been established and a pilot of the project is underway with 12 young people taking part. So far they have undertaken a series of workshops delivered by Newcastle advertising agency, Drummond Central, Carrie Brookes Communications, Turncoach, web designer Pete Maughan and creative agency Media Borne - all of whom have donated their time and skills for the benefit of the project and the volunteers.

Two campaigns are now well underway on the themes of mental health and tackling LGBT-related hate crime - look out for details of those on VODA’s website.

Opportunities to get involved

If you interested in volunteering as part of this project, or are working with any young volunteers who may be interested in getting involved, please get in touch. There are some fantastic opportunities coming up to work with employers and experts in the creative fields and to really make a difference to causes close to young people’s hearts.

We also want to hear from our members and groups about any opportunities or ‘challenges’ that our young #iwill volunteers could undertake. For example, do you need a promotional video for your project? Could your posters do with a re-design? Does your social media need an overhaul? For more information or to discuss creating an #iwill challenge, please get in touch with Josie Robinson or Amy Millar at VODA.

#iwill Unfold My Mental Health

One team of #iwill volunteers wanted to create a campaign promoting positive mental health and the idea that people are multi-layered and need to take time to ‘unfold’ themselves.

The team developed a name and logo for their campaign - Unfold Your Mental Health - and have set up a website and Facebook page which will be populated with images, blogs of people’s real stories, resources for those who may need help with mental health issues and with positive messages with ideas for relaxing and taking care of your mental health. Visit Facebook and search @iwillunfold for more information.

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This summer VODA had the privilege of supporting 237 young people aged 16-17 to take part in a four week programme of outdoor adventure, independent living, skills development and social action. We have been delivering the National Citizen Service (NCS) programme

in North Tyneside since the pilot year of 2011, engaging a total of 1,414 young people to date.

VODA occupies an unusual position as a VCS (voluntary and community sector) infrastructure organisation and an NCS local delivery partner (the vast majority of NCS providers are regional or national youth organisations). Perhaps as a result, we have always been determined that the value of the NCS investment should be felt by the VCS and the wider community, and not just the young people taking part.

Since 2011 we have supported young people to plan and deliver 104 social action projects as part of the final two weeks of their NCS experience. We’ve seen some amazing projects with young people organising events for refugees, creating mental health resources for their peers and transforming community spaces.

However we’ve also become aware of the potential for young people to develop social action projects that duplicate existing ongoing VCS work, are at odds with the needs of the local community or focus purely on fundraising. Feedback from one of last year’s NCS participants, Soul, led to us piloting a new approach to our NCS social action phase this summer. Soul

suggested that asking a team of young people to plan and deliver a community project from scratch in two weeks was setting them up to fail. She told me most young people don’t know what the community needs, what work is already happening and who to get in touch with for help.

Perhaps this is why so many NCS teams across the country focus their social action projects on events such as sponsored walks, bake sales, flash-mobs and litter picks. These types of projects are immediate, require little planning and do not require young people to have a specific understanding of local need (other than where the litter might be). Of course, fundraising and litter picks are great things for young people to be doing, but we believe NCS must offer young people the opportunity to think deeper about the needs of their local area and carry out meaningful projects in partnership with the community.

So this summer we worked with our members to develop a series of ‘Social Action Missions’ that provided each of our 17 teams with a real community issue to address. Thanks to the likes of Family Gateway, YMCA North Tyneside, Cedarwood Trust, LD:North East and Walking With, we were able to support young people to design and deliver some amazing projects that were meaningful and realistic, directly addressed the needs of the community and were delivered in partnership with an established organisation who offered support and advice throughout the process.

The impact of this new approach has been amazing. Young people have not only been able to make a real difference to the community, but they have also developed their knowledge and understanding of issues such as illegal money lending, dementia, homelessness, hate crime and poverty. This summer, young people contributed an amazing 13,140 hours of their time to meaningful social action in North Tyneside. There were still a few cakes being sold and a small amount of money being collected but we’ll let that pass!

The thing I’m most proud of is the fact that this year, 11 of our 35 paid Leaders and Mentors were previously NCS participants. In addition to this, our incredible volunteer Emma Ramshaw, who has been involved in our programme since day one, is the current holder of the national NCS ‘Most Inspiration Leader’ Award.

See opposite for just some of the highlights from a summer of fantastic social action!

NCS: Doing things differently Robin Fry on why our approach to this summer’s

National Citizen Service was different - and worked

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Wave 2, Team 4 Challenge:“Raising awareness of loan sharks” set by NEFirstNEFirst Credit Union covers the whole of the North East and provides financial services to over 3,000 members. Along with the Illegal Money Lending Team, they wanted to raise the awareness of the dangers of loan shark lending, particularly to young people. Wave 2, Team 4 took on this challenge with aplomb - creating an information leaflet and video and arranging and staffing a stall at the Beacon Shopping Centre in North Shields - with special mascot, Sid the Shark.

Wave 3, Team 3 Challenge:“Make refugees feel more welcome in North Tyneside” set by Walking WithThis group was challenged by Walking With - a Wallsend-based charity that provides support and relief for refugees, asylum seekers, those without status and others who are in a condition of need, hardship and distress - to make their service users feel more welcome. As well as creating packs of toiletries and other small items of use for Walking With, the team also held an Eid celebration event in the local community. Key Enterprises,

which provides supported activities to adults with learning disabilities, mental health problems or acquired brain injuries, also kindly donated an upcycled bike to the project so that a family of refugees the team were working with now have access to free transport.

Wave 1, Team 1 Challenge:“Promoting dementia-friendly activities” set by Springfield Community AssociationSpringfield Community Association is based in the heart of Forest Hall and, among other activities, provides social and cognitive sessions for older people living with dementia. To raise awareness of this, this team produced publicity posters for Age UK’s weekly Singing for the Brain sessions and created a stop-motion film on living life with dementia. In order to make Springfield Community Centre more dementia-friendly, the team also

spruced up the gardens and added some sensory features, as well as taking part in the Centre’s family fun day.

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Artificial Turf for St Mark’sSt Mark’s is the local parish church for Shiremoor, West Allotment, Murton, Moorside, Earsdon View, Northumberland Park and Cobalt Park. Part of the Diocese of Newcastle, within the Church of England, the church has strong links with its local community and provides a space for a variety of youth groups, a lunch club and coffee mornings, which all take place on a regular basis. The SWAN Network (Shiremoor, West Allotment and Northumberland Park) is a group of community and voluntary organisations who come together to serve the local community and to let people know what is going on in the area.

In recent years, members of St Mark’s Community Project found that the outdoor space at the church wasn’t quite up to scratch. Member of the project, Damaris Wade, said: “A couple of years ago the area was a water-logged muddy patch of weeds, pretty much unusable, and it was stopping activities from taking place outside. At that time there was also an increase in the numbers of Rainbows, Brownies and Guides using the church to meet, but the leaders had all reported difficulties in providing the outdoor activities they wish.” Late in 2015, members of St Mark’s attended VODA’s annual funding fair to discuss the possibility of fundraising for artificial turf to make the area usable again. St Mark’s Father Tony Curtis picks up the story of their funding success:

“Thanks to a grant from the Big Lottery Fund, we now have an all-weather surface in part of the church garden, giving our children and young people some year-round outdoor space for games, activities and events.

Our Winged Lions, our friends from ARTventurers and all the members of our community now have a much needed way to get outdoors and burn off some energy, even when the notorious Shiremoor weather has turned the ground to mush! After the first sighting of the artificial grass at the side of the church, one little girl ran into the hall and asked if she, and the rest of the children were allowed on it. In some areas of Shiremoor, people are not used to having nice things arranged especially for them.

The new surface, laid by Mr Peter Thirwell and his team, looks splendid in contrast to the weeds and bare soil which flooded in wet weather so that the children brought mud into the church hall on their shoes and spread it into the most unlikely places!

We’re very excited about this new addition to our facilities at St Mark’s, which was officially opened by Cllr Brian Burdis at our Church Fayre and Community Street Party in June. Big thanks go to everyone involved in our bid, and a special mention to Damaris Wade for all her hard work, along with Frank Gillender and the team at VODA

who helped with and supported the bid throughout.”

For more information about St Mark’s visit www.facebook.com/shiremoorsaintmark or telephone 0191 253 7020.

Pictured above and right: members of St Mark’s community enjoying the new garden

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Community Development at the Linskill Centre

The Linskill Centre is a thriving community hub in North Shields attracting over 160,000 visitors per year through its community development programmes, nursery, café, venue hire, weddings, events and tenants. Take a look at the new website www.linskill.org to see for yourself what is on offer.

Managed by the Linskill and North Tyneside Community Development Trust, a core objective of Linskill is to provide a self-sustaining facility for all generations. The Trust has established successful revenue streams within Linskill, been successful with grant funding and now, like other charities, is finding there is a need for additional support to ensure the delivery of community activities.

The community and social programmes delivered at Linskill provide an ideal opportunity for local companies to get involved with the community and show their support for Linskill by donation, sponsorship or personal legacy. If you would like to find out more about our new supporter and sponsorship scheme please email sandra@linskill.org to explore opportunities.

The Centre’s Sandra Moffat tells us about new developments at the North Shields community hub

Encompass Project

Encompass is the new three year Lottery Funded project to develop adult provision at the Linskill Centre and will create opportunities for people aged 18 years plus across four main areas:

• Adult Learning & Training• Employability Support• Health & Wellbeing • Opportunities for Older People

Over the summer Encompass launched a range of taster sessions, including a weekly Work Club in partnership with North Tyneside Council and employability sessions with WEA. Archery and walking football sessions

were also held with Active North Tyneside (left).

Supporting volunteer groups is another key remit for Encompass and work has started with the formation of the Linskill Gardeners to develop and enhance the outdoor spaces at the centre.

Claire Howard, Community Development Worker, is responsible for the Encompass project and said: “Encompass, as the name suggests, brings lots of opportunities for people to take part in together. We hope that someone will come to Encompass for one activity and discover lots of other ways to get involved, try something new and meet new people.” The Encompass programme has plenty of new opportunities planned for autumn including more employability support, leisure learning opportunities, along with health and wellbeing sessions.

To find out more about Encompass please contact Claire on 0191 257 8000, email claireh@linskill.org or visit www.linskill.org/encompass.

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Community News

The Active North Tyneside team, based at North Tyneside Council, is seeking new volunteers who could inspire their friends or

family to be more active and give their health a boost.

Active North Tyneside is here to encourage everyone to try and be more active, every day. Around half of women and a third of men in England are damaging their health through a lack of physical activity.

Being active at every age increases quality of life and chances of remaining healthy and independent. Joining in with fun, regular activities in their own neighbourhoods is often the best way to encourage people to take that first step to a healthier lifestyle.

The new volunteers will join Active North Tyneside’s established Community Health Champion programme, which helps people make small changes that have a big impact on the activity levels of those they support.

Champions choose to support a friend, family member, work colleague, or even a community group to be more active on a regular basis, for six months. This could be by going for a regular walk or bike ride, swimming, dancing, roller skating or anything else they choose!

In a new extension to the Community Health Champion programme, young people aged 14-24 are also being invited to sign up to be ‘StreetGames Champions’ – with the same aim of encouraging their friends to be more active, by using doorstep sports activities.

Active North Tyneside supports Champions throughout the six-month programme and gives them everything they need to carry out their role. Champions get free goodies, a shopping voucher on completion of the programme and there are even awards to aim for too.

To find out more, call (0191) 643 7171 or visit www.activenorthtyneside.org.uk

Could you inspire others to be more active?

Volunteering opportunities with Wag & CompanyWag & Company is a registered charity enabling visiting dog teams to build meaningful new friendships with older dog lovers across the North East of England.

The charity wants everyone who misses the friendship of a dog to quickly benefit from a visiting dog team, and is currently recruiting volunteers to share their friendship and their dogs whilst:

• making a big difference with a small amount of your time• making new friends and developing new skills• being part of something amazing – a movement of North East dog

lovers working together to help others in communities, making over 100,000 visits each year by 2021

For more information about Wag & Company and the volunteering opportunities with them visit www.wagandcompany.co.uk/volunteer/

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Donor Development Taster Masterclass in November

Following 20 years in the voluntary sector raising millions of pounds for North East good causes, at the beginning of 2018, Barbara Gubbins set up her own consultancy, specialising in business development, charity matters and other independent advice.

Barbara now wants to support voluntary sector organisations with fundraising and share the expertise she has developed working with individuals, companies and trusts.

She is holding a Taster Masterclass at Jesmond Dene House on Monday 12 November and will cover the following topics during the half-day session:• The challenges of fundraising• Identifying potential donors• The approach• Follow up and conversion• Donor care• The role of the trustee• Measuring success

The session takes place from 9.30am to 12.30pm at Jesmond Dene House Hotel, NE2 2EY at a cost of £50 per delegate. To book your place and receive more information contact Barbara at: hello@barbaragubbins.co

Online Safety Briefing by Northumbria Police: 20 November

Northumbria Police, in conjunction with South West Grid for Learning, have arranged a number of events around online safety throughout November. Online Safety Live is a programme of events designed exclusively for professionals working with children and young people and they’re completely free to attend.

The events are two hours long and cover a broad range of online safety topics, a briefing session in its truest sense. At the end of the event all delegates receive access to an online resource area containing links to all the materials mentioned, signposting to sources of help and support as well as a live copy of the presentation itself.

The North Tyneside event takes place on Tuesday 20 November, 9.30am-11.30am at the Langdale Centre in Wallsend. To book visit www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/ online-safety-live-north-tyneside-tickets-47345444499

Community NewsNorth Tyneside World Mental Health Day

North Tyneside will be celebrating World Mental Health Day on Friday 12 October from 11.30am at Cullercoats Crescent Club.

Organised by a partnership of organisations led by Launchpad North Tyneside, the day is the opportunity for anyone with an interest in mental health to get together and celebrate the national day of awareness.

There will be a range of creative activities throughout the day, live music, talks, information stalls, laughter workshop and more. A free buffet lunch will be provided and refreshments available. This is an opportunity to meet others with experience of mental health difficulties as well as people working in the sector.

For more information email launchpadnt@gmail.com or telephone 0191 223 0382.

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August saw the launch of the Government’s much anticipated Civil Society Strategy, which sets out how

the government proposes to support our sector and to work more closely with us - visit www.gov.uk and search ‘Civil Society Strategy’ to see the full document.

The strategy is very positive about the contributions of the VCSE sector and it is great to see that there is specific mention of the importance of local infrastructure organisations (like VODA) in supporting the sector.

Our national membership organisation NAVCA have summarised the key points in the strategy as follows: • An aim to give individuals and communities

control to take action on their futures and on issues they care about, involving local people in the design and development of services.

• A commitment to reviewing and overhauling commissioning processes. Unlocking alternative sources of funding for the VCSE sector via increased grant-making and dormant accounts.

• Encouraging collaborative commissioning, to give local players meaningful involvement in the way that public services are created and delivered.

• An extension of the principles of the Social Value Act across all aspects of public sector commissioning of goods and services.

• Renewed commitment to the Voluntary Sector Compact, an emphasis on involving VCSE Organisations in policy-making and a pledge to work on the right of charities to campaign.

The strategy is a step in the right direction and it is reassuring to see that it acknowledges the need to overhaul commissioning processes and to involve the VCSE more fully in those processes – something we have been pushing for years. There is also an intention to increase grant-making – a very welcome development after years of Government trying to push all VCSE organisations to consider social enterprise and social investment, whether or not it was suitable for them.

However there is no commitment to include the VCSE sector as a key player in devolution discussions – something which is about to affect North Tyneside significantly. There is not much in the way of detail at this point on how some of the positive commitments will be implemented, and when.

We will keep the sector informed as initiatives develop from the strategy, and we’d love to hear your comments on what you think of it – send them to admin@voda.org.uk with Civil Society Strategy in the title of your email.

Sector NewsLisa Goodwin comments on the new Civil Society Strategy

Training for chairs and vice chairs of smaller charities

The Association of Chairs has launched its Beacon Programme, providing support to Chairs and Vice Chairs of smaller charities (with an annual income below £1 million) in their role. The programme will be delivering a series of workshops including dates in Newcastle upon Tyne – and providing a wide range of practical

resources tailored to the specific needs of Chairs and Vice Chairs of smaller charities.

The programme is the opportunity to:• Meet, learn and exchange ideas

with other Chairs who face similar challenges

• Be part of a unique programme tailored to meet the needs of Chairs of smaller organisations

• Know where to get support to be effective in your role

• Hear the views of other Chairs of smaller charities and sector experts on topics that concern you

An introductory workshop Being an Effective Chair takes place on Wednesday 5 December at Brunswick Methodist Church, Brunswick Place, Newcastle Upon Tyne, NE1 7BJ at 9.30am to 1.15pm. Places are limited. For more information and to book a place visit www.associationofchairs.org.uk/beacon/events/

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Sector News

DiscoverDonate Launch of new online charity hub

DiscoverDonate is a Charity Hub, which gives you your very own dedicated newsfeed to show what everyone around you is donating. It empowers you to receive donations of money, volunteers, skills and items. It’s totally free to use, with no monthly fees and no set up costs.

What makes DiscoverDonate different?The first of its kind, a dedicated charity newsfeed, DiscoverDonate is updated every second with donations of time, volunteers, skills, and items from donors in your local area and across the UK. It’s your own personal community.

DiscoverDonate allows every person to become a donor in whichever way they want. Any person can donate money, time, an item or a skill at a click of a button. You as the charity can choose whatever you want, whenever you want.

Users can donate however they want with just a few clicks and charities can create their profile in a few minutes.

How does it work?Step 1: Create your charity profile. It only takes a few minutes to be seen by the world.Step 2: Access the Charity Hub. Your own dedicated news feed of volunteers, and donations of skills or items.Step 3: Receive donations from across the UK and worldwide.

Visit DiscoverDonate.com to find out more.

The Charity Commission has announced that the 2018 annual return service is now available online, following extensive consultation on the questions charities will be asked when filing. You must send an annual return (or update your details) every year if your charity is registered in England or Wales.

If your income is over £10,000:You must send an annual return within 10 months of the end of your financial year. You also need to keep your charity’s details up to date. The forms you need to use depend on when your financial year ended.Before you start you’ll need:• your charity’s online services password• your registered charity number• registration numbers for any linked charities

If your income is under £10,000You only need to send an annual return if your charity is a CIO (charitable incorporated organisation). However, you must still keep your details up to date with the Commission, even if you do not need to send an annual return.

New for 2018The 2018 annual return will include new questions which you can view before you log in to send your annual return at www.gov.uk.

The Commission’s research into public trust and confidence in charities shows that the public is concerned about high levels of pay in charities. Because of this they are now asking charities to provide more information about salaries to increase accountability. There are also new questions on overseas expenditure and on income from outside of the UK.

The Commission recognises that for some charities the new questions will create additional work. Certain questions will be optional this year to give you time to put the systems in place to collect the information easily, requiring less effort in future.

For more information visit: www.gov.uk/ government/news/charity-annual-return-2018

You can now submit your 2018 charity annual return online

Funding Update

1. Target your application You can apply to the Community Foundation at any time through our general application process and we will try to match your request to one of the many funds here that may consider it.

Sign up for our e-newsletter and, in addition, read our Calls for Applications and you can apply for specific funds whenever they are open if you meet the criteria. Read the criteria thoroughly as however well you can put a case for your project, if you don’t meet the criteria, you won’t be funded. If in doubt, check, and save a lot of wasted effort.

2. Go through all the questions before you start

“I’m playing all the right notes – but not necessarily in the right order”

- Eric Morecambe

If you don’t have an overview of the application and just work through the form question by question you can find yourself thinking “but I’ve already said that” and duplicating information. If there are advice notes these will guide you through and help you understand what they need in response to each question – don’t repeat yourself. Short concise answers that get your point across will have the strongest impact.

3. Be factual and avoid grand claimsIf you run a successful sports club and someone asked you what you do, you probably wouldn’t say you enhanced the lives of young people through physical exercise and increased well-being, so don’t start your application that way. We would like to know the basics: who you are, what you do, where you meet, how often, how many take part, who they are and where they come from – and then, importantly, why the club makes a difference in young lives.

Be realistic about your claims and remember you will need to show you have achieved them if you are awarded the grant. A weekly discussion on healthy eating will probably not combat obesity in your town, but it will raise awareness of lifestyle choices and you can monitor this through questionnaires.

Equally, young people gaining coaching badges are unlikely to get jobs during the grant period, but they will be able to gain valuable skills, volunteering experience and enhanced CVs.

4. Ask for what you need, not what you can apply forG.W. Bush once said: “It’s clearly a budget. It’s got lots of numbers in it.”

A good budget is an indication that you know what you want and why, so avoid generalised estimates adding up neatly to the maximum you can apply for. Break down your costs, such as hourly rates for sessional work, room hire, etc. and refer to quotes for larger items of equipment or capital expenditure.

5. Share the applicationYou’ve finished... but before you hit the send button – click ‘save’ and ask someone to read it through. Did you put xxx and mean to go back to one of the answers? Did you leave out something obvious? Does it make sense? Do the figures add up? A fresh pair of eyes can be really helpful. Now is also the time to check that you have sent us the supporting documentation. Now press ‘send’ – and good luck!

For more information visit www.communityfoundation.org.uk/apply or speak to the philanthropy team on 0191 222 0945.

Spotlight on the Community Foundation Tyne & Wear and Northumberland

The Community Foundation matches generous people with important community causes. Last year, the Foundation awarded over £7.2m in grants to hundreds of small charities and community groups in Tyne & Wear and Northumberland, and across North East England. In this special feature, Iain Riddell (pictured) from the Foundation shares some top tips for a successful application and which common pitfalls to avoid:

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Funding UpdateCommunity Foundation: The 1989 Willan CharitableTrust The 1989 Willan Charitable Trust will fund charitable activities benefiting residents of Tyne & Wear, Northumberland, County Durham and Teesside. Priority will be given to those which:

• ease social deprivation and/or• enrich the fabric of the local community and the

quality of life of individuals within that community Grants are available to support organisations’ core costs, as well as discreet projects, and will generally range from £500 to £10,000. Examples of projects that the 1989 Willan Charitable Trust will fund include:

• Projects that meet the needs of communities experiencing high levels of deprivation

• Self-help initiatives that improve local quality of life• Services for young people that address

educational needs or offer diversion from crime and anti-social behaviour

• Projects assisting local communities affected by crime and anti-social behaviour

• Art projects that help tackle deprivation or improve local quality of life

• The work of youth organisations and, in particular, the Sea Cadets, Scouts, Guides, Boys’ Brigades and other uniformed organisations. Grants here will not generally exceed £1,500

• Projects that draw on the region’s rich maritime tradition to deliver improvements in local quality of life or address deprivation

The Trustees wish to prioritise projects for which Willan funding will represent a significant contribution to delivery of the project

Applications are welcomed from registered charities, exempted or excepted organisations, based in, or benefiting, residents of Tyne & Wear, Northumberland, County Durham and Teesside.

The Trustees preference is for charities with expenditure of less than £1m in the North East.

www.communityfoundation.org.uk

Community Foundation: REEDS Grassroots FundThe fund supports projects in Tyne and Wear and Northumberland that aim to improve the life chances of disadvantaged communities.

Grants of up to £3,000 will be made to support the delivery of welfare benefits and employment-related advice and support activities to disadvantaged individuals and families in poverty and in order to achieve one or more of the following:• Preventing or alleviating poverty through

increased income• Improved living standards of disadvantaged

people through increased household income• Increasing individuals’ ability to manage their

benefits claims to reduce the likelihood of future sanctions/problems

Examples of measurable (SMART) objectives could include:• Increased take up of benefits entitlement• Number of successful appeals against sanctions• Referrals to other support services as relevant

or required such as food banks• Numbers of service users successfully making

new online claims• Number of service users supported to

manage debt

Applicants will need to be located in areas of high deprivation, and to demonstrate that they have experience in delivering this support, and to provide examples of successful outcomes already achieved. Applicants should also indicate if support is required to maintain existing services or for additional resources to meet increased demand.

Applications are invited from mainly smaller (income of no more than £70,000 per annum) organisations but those with a larger income will be considered.

Examples of disadvantaged communities include those affected by poverty, unemployment, homelessness, asylum seeker/refugee status, disability and people with learning disabilities.

www.communityfoundation.org.uk 17

Funding UpdateTheatres Trust - UK Theatres Grants SchemeDeadline: 8 January 2019

The UK Theatres Small Grants Scheme is a capital fund that awards up to £5,000 to theatres across the UK run by charities and not-for-profit groups. Applicants should be able to clearly demonstrate the value capital improvements to their theatres would make to their work in local communities.

Priorities include projects that address urgent building repairs, improve operational viability, introduce environmental improvements, and enhance physical accessibility. Please note that applications for technical equipment and refurbishment of soft furnishings are a low priority for the scheme.

In reviewing applications Trustees take into account a project’s urgency, other resources available to the applicant and the extent to which the grant would make a significant difference to promoting the better protection of theatres. Funds are generally awarded where they are considered to have the most impact in realising an applicant’s capital project.

Grants of up to £5,000 are available.

Organisations eligible to apply must be running small theatres, have UK charitable or not-for-profit legal structures and be:

• owned or manage theatres with titles or signed leases of more than 5 years on buildings

• running a regular theatre programme of professional, community and/or amateur work presenting

• no less than 30 performances a year able to provide certified or audited accounts for at least two years

www.theatrestrust.org.uk/ uk-theatres-small-grants-scheme Email: advice@theatrestrust.org.uk

Sport England: Small Grants

Sport England wants everyone in England, regardless of age, background or level of ability, to feel able to get involved in sport and physical activity.

The Small Grants programme aims to support this aim by offering funding to projects involving adults and young people aged 14 or over which meet one or more of the aims of its ‘Towards an Active Nation’ strategy:• Get inactive people to become more active• Develop lasting sporting habits• Engender more positive attitudes among

young people• Develop more diverse volunteers• Improve progression and inclusion among

the most talented

Projects working with mixed age groups may still be considered if there is a focus on people aged 14 and over.

You can apply for funding of between £300 and £10,000 if your organisation is a not-for-profit, voluntary or community club or organisation, registered charity, not-for-profit company or community interest company.

Priority is given to projects that address urgent building repairs, improve operational viability, introduce environmental improvements and enhance physical accessibility. Eligible projects should also be deliverable in a 12-month period from the date of and provide a new activity that delivers sport and physical activity benefits or one that shows a clear expansion on existing activity.

Please see the website for full guidance and examples of previously-funded projects.

This is a rolling programme – there are no deadlines for applications.

www.sportengland.org/funding/small-grants/

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Funding Update Funding UpdateThe Dulverton Trust The Dulverton Trust is an independent grant-making charity which supports UK charities and CIOs (charitable incorporated organisations) tackling a range of social issues, protecting the natural world, and preserving heritage crafts.

The Trust awards single year and multi-year grants:• Single year grants are typically between

£25,000 and £35,000• Multi-year grants are usually for a period of 2-3

years, and are only awarded to charities which have previously received a Dulverton grant

Eligible applicants should have an annual income of between £200,000 and £10 million (preference is given to charities with an income of £5 million or below).

The Trust makes grants under the following categories: • Youth opportunities: supports charities that

help disadvantaged children and young people to adopt a more positive attitude to their lives, raise their aspirations and realise their full potential

• General welfare: supports a wide range of activities that benefit disadvantaged people and communities

• Conservation: supports the general conservation and preservation of wildlife habitats in the UK, plus projects that protect, plant, and sympathetically manage trees and native woodlands, and those that protect coastal and marine environments

• Preservation: supports the development of craftsmanship in the traditional techniques of repair and restoration

The Trust also makes small numbers of grants under the themes of peace and humanitarian support and Africa.

There are no deadlines for applications – but Trustees make decisions in February, June and October.

www.dulverton.org/ Email: grants@dulverton.org 0207 495 7852

Lloyds Bank Foundation: Enable ProgrammeThe Foundation has recently launched a new strategy, Reaching Further, and has subsequently updated its funding approach and criteria.

The Foundation provides long-term funding for charities with income between £25,000 and £1 million, who work to support people aged 17+ who are facing one or more complex social problems including: dependency; asylum seekers and refugees; care leavers; domestic and sexual abuse; homeless and vulnerably housed; learning disabilities; mental health; offending, prison and community service; sexual abuse and exploitation; trafficking; young parents

Enable grants are awarded to charities which have identified development needs and provides support to strengthen charities to deliver more effectively.

Grants up to a total of £15,000 across one or two years are available to fund activities related to the development and improvement of a charity’s capability. Examples include:• Pilot initiatives, to trial new ways of delivering

your programmes• Strengthening your monitoring systems• Creating stronger business plans and service

development plans• Improving marketing and communications• Investigating mergers and partnerships• Developing new streams of income and enterprise

for your charity• Expanding your charity’s capacity to reach new

audiences and recruit volunteers• Improving your structures and systems, for

example in finance, HR and volunteer management• Quality standards

The costs covered by Enable grants must be additional to those you would already incur through your charity’s regular activities; they are not awarded for core costs or direct delivery costs. Grants of up to £15,000 are available for one or two years. There are no deadlines for Enable – this is a rolling programme.

www.lloydsbankfoundation.org.uk/wefund/enable/

North Tyneside Voluntary Organisations Development AgencyQueen Alexandra Campus, Hawkeys Lane, North Shields NE29 9BZ

Telephone: 0191 643 2626Website: www.voda.org.ukEmail: admin@voda.org.ukTwitter: @NTynesideVODA

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VODA Training: Autumn and Winter

OCTOBER 17 Minute Taking Full-day course

18 Getting the Most Out of Your Team Free Sector Connector workshop

NOVEMBER 1 Volunteering and the Law Half-day course

9 Time Management Full-day course

15 Local Authority Procurement Free Sector Connector workshop

JANUARY 2018 22 Making Professional Posts and Posters Half-day course

Look out for more courses being added soon - visit www.voda.org.uk/training-courses for more information and to book your place. VODA can also provide bespoke training for your group or organisation on topics including governance, funding, volunteering and marketing. Contact us for more information and a competitive quote.