Supporting voluntary and community action January / February / March 2015 Celebrating the sector at Voscur’s AGM and ‘The Voscurs’ The future’s bright: the future’s volunteering… Gear up for green: Bristol as the new Green Capital 2015 New organisations changing lives Upcoming training And more… In this issue: Meera Pandya gives a stirring speech in her father’s memory as she presents the new Batook Pandya Award for Inclusion at Voscur’s AGM in October.
Transcript
Supporting voluntary and community action January / February / March 2015
Celebrating the sector at Voscur’s AGM and ‘The Voscurs’
The future’s bright: the future’s volunteering…
Gear up for green: Bristol as the new Green Capital 2015
New organisations changing lives
Upcoming training
And more…
In this issue:
Meera Pandya gives a stirring speech in her father’s memory as she presents the new Batook Pandya Award for Inclusion at Voscur’s AGM in October.
www.voscur.org January / February / March 2015 Issue 272
New service for 2015
Funding Application Review Service
Reach your fundraising targets
In response to requests from members, Voscur is pleased to offer independent, informed advice to support your fundraising. The service will provide constructive, timely feedback on grant/funding applications to increase:
“We got really good feedback that helped us keep improving. We have now received 3 grants from 5 bids so we’re really happy with the support.”
Trinity Community Gardens
For details, go to www.voscur.org/fars or call 0117 909 9949
� the quality of your bid � your chances of success � your confidence in explaining
your project’s impact/outcomes � your own skills and learning
for future applications
Fixed price based on the value of your bid.
Available to non-Voscur members.
Discounted price for Voscur members.
* **
Work in a high spec serviced office in the centre of Bristol for only £100 per month*
Monthly price includes: » Broadband and phone rental » Business rates » Free use of meeting and
conference rooms » Free Fairtrade tea and coffee
* Exclusive to charities and social enterprises. Excludes VAT, phone calls and printing costs.
Call us on 0117 204 7500 to arrange a viewing or visit can-mezzanine.org.uk
Issue 27 January / February / March 2015 www.voscur.org 3
Contents
Disclaimer: some of the views expressed in this publication are those of individual contributors and do not necessarily represent the views of Voscur. Publications, events and services mentioned in Thrive! are not necessarily endorsed by Voscur.
8-9 The Voscurs 2014 – Bristol’s Voluntary Sector Awards
10-11 Bristol BME Voice: Knowledge and Share
Volunteer Bristol
12-13 The Future’s Bright for Volunteering in Bristol
14 The Boost! Programme: Making Development Possible
Support Hub
16-17 Support Hub Events and Training
18-19 New Perspectives, New Solutions
Voice and Influence
20 The Future of Bristol’s Local Libraries
21 Residents Shaping the World Around Them
22-23 National Wake-up on Wellbeing
24 Shape Local Community Health Services for Children and Young People
25 Voluntary and Community Sector Advocates
Contributions
26 Green Volunteering
27 The LEP Next Steps
28 Another great Compact Week for Bristol
29 Bristol Compact: Helping Things Get Better
30-31 UNISON – Committed to Achieving Equality in our Workplaces, in our Union and Across Society
Thrive! is also available online as a pdf at www.voscur.org/magazine.
If you require it in another format, please get in touch on 0117 909 9949.
www.voscur.org January / February / March 2015 Issue 274
Key to symbols
I am delighted to introduce
Thrive! at the start of Voscur’s
twentieth year.
Over the last two decades, Voscur
has grown from an organisation
focused on urban regeneration,
to a charity whose objectives are
to represent, develop and support
the Voluntary and Community
Sector (VCS).
Voscur over the years
1995: Voluntary Organisations
Standing Conference on
Urban Regeneration (VOSCUR)
is established and facilitates
geographical networks.
2000: Equalities Network
is established. VOSCUR is
incorporated as a Company
Limited by Guarantee.
2001: VOSCUR registers as a
Council for Voluntary Service
with the National Association
for Voluntary and Community
Action (NAVCA).
2002: VOSCUR changes its name
to Voscur and signs a Service Level
Dear Members and Colleagues,
Equalities Article
Training
Information & Resources
Event
Agreement with Bristol City Council
for its core services.
2003: Voscur plays its part in
delivering the Government’s
Neighbourhood Renewal
agenda including facilitating VCS
representation on the Bristol
Partnership board and sub groups.
Voscur starts delivering training
to the sector.
2005: Voscur leads the Bristol
ChangeUp Consortium, bringing
together key infrastructure
agencies to develop and
implement joined-up support
services to front-line voluntary
sector organisations.
2008: Voscur is accredited
with NAVCA’s Quality Award,
delivering excellence and making a
difference across five standards of
infrastructure functions. Voscur is
funded by the Equality and Human
Rights Commission to deliver
Equalities projects in Bristol.
2011: Voscur is awarded the
Bristol City Council Infrastructure
Support Service Project contract,
securing the delivery of capacity-
building support and voice and
influence services.
2013: After partnership working,
Voscur and Volunteer Bristol join
forces and merge.
It’s been an eventful and varied
19 years!
Above all, Voscur unites
organisations and individuals
across the city to promote a
strong, resilient and influential
voluntary sector and we look
forward to continuing the journey
with you.
With best wishes for 2015.
Richard Pendlebury MBE DL Chair, Voscur Board of Trustees
Dedication
Stephen Hewitt (1957-2014)
– Dedicated and
Passionate Advocate for
the Voluntary Sector.
The Voscur team would like to
pay tribute to Stephen Hewitt,
who sadly passed away on
24 October 2014.
We will miss his forthright
approach, his warmth and his
generosity with the time he gave
to his work – working ultimately
to improve the lives of people
and local communities.
We extend our sympathy to
Stephen’s family and friends.
Fun� it !
9.30 - 4.00 | Wednesday 11 February 2015 | Bristol Watershed£65 (or £115 for two) if you book by 31 January. £80 in February.www.voscur.org/fundit2015 #fundit15
What's on your fundraising horizon for 2015? Take a day out to decide what your funding might look like for the next few years ...
Clear, useful, up to
date info. Good expertise.
Great networking.^
» New local funds » Collaboration » Crowdfunding » Online fundraising » Commissioning
» Big Lottery » Lloyds Foundation » Quartet Foundation » Children in Need » Institute of Fundraising
» Burton Sweet
W o r k s h o p s : *
O r g a n i s a t i o n s : *
* to be confirmed
^ F
und
It 20
14 p
artic
ipan
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www.voscur.org January / February / March 2015 Issue 276
The AGM and conference took
place on 22 October at the
Pavilion of Bristol County Cricket
Ground, and was attended by
more than 100 delegates.
In the first half of the day the
formal AGM included votes and
the appointment of new trustees
to Voscur’s board – Sandy
Hore-Ruthven, Creative Youth
Network, and Stacy Yelland, Up
Our Street/Easton & Lawrence
Hill Neighbourhood Partnership.
Retiring board members were
Anna Smith, Survive; Rita Gupta,
Artivists; and Nura Aabe,
Autism Independence.
The afternoon conference
focused on the theme of
Equality and Diversity. Voscur
was delighted to introduce
Stephen Williams, Under Secretary
of State for Communities and
Local Government and MP, Bristol
West, as its keynote speaker.
He recounted a traumatic early
history of bullying and prejudice
due to his sexuality, which spurred
him on to enter politics, to tackle
prejudice and discrimination.
‘Thriving, Vibrant and Buzzing’ — Voscur’s AGM and ConferenceVoscur’s Annual General Meeting (AGM) and conference started with a reminder from Wendy Stephenson (Voscur’s Chief Executive) of the critical importance of an independent voluntary sector infrastructure organisation during these challenging times. She said: “Independent comment, critique and challenge is vital as we see more cuts to public services, more contracts, fewer grants and increased use and potential misuse of volunteers.”
The Equalities Panel
Issue 27 January / February / March 2015 www.voscur.org 7
Alison Comley, Strategic Director
of Neighbourhoods, Bristol City
Council, reflected on her personal
journey to a senior role in the City
Council, and explained that part of
the reason she wanted to work for
a Local Authority was her strong
belief in social justice.
In a lively panel discussion,
Stephen and Alison were joined
by Alex Raikes, Stand Against
Racism and Inequality (SARI),
and Laura Welti, Bristol Disability
Equality Forum, to discuss ‘What
Does Equality and Diversity mean
for Bristol in 2015?’.
They answered various questions
surrounding equalities. Topics
included free school meals,
hate-crime and transport for
the elderly.
The day finished on a
celebratory high with
Voscur’s Social Impact
Awards – ‘The Voscurs’.
The Voscurs are awarded to both
individuals and organisations in
the community, voluntary and
social enterprise sectors for going
the extra mile. There were 52
nominations for seven awards,
including the new Batook Pandya
Award for Inclusion, in memory of
Batook Pandya MBE, director
of SARI.
A big thank you to our sponsors:
UNISON (main sponsor)
The Nudge Group
Creative Youth Network
Brewin Dolphin
They were supported by Volunteer
Bristol, Bristol 2015 and SARI.
To see the winners from The
Voscurs, turn to pages 8 and 9
The Voscurs award winners
“Voscur’s AGM was a thriving, vibrant and buzzing hotbed of
the best of the voluntary and community sector in Bristol.
It was great to see so many organisations, both large and
small, coming together to recognise and celebrate the quality
work that has been undertaken this year, despite the difficult
financial climate people are working in.”
Alison Comley
www.voscur.org January / February / March 2015 Issue 278
The Voscurs 2014 – Bristol’s Voluntary Sector AwardsEvery year The Voscurs celebrate those who have shown outstanding commitment to the voluntary, community and social enterprise sectors in Bristol. Here are the winners:
Trustee of the Year Award went
to Brenda Purnell of HHEAG
and Food for All. This award is
for a trustee (or management
committee member) from an
organisation who has gone the
extra mile in their trusteeship.
The award was sponsored by the
Nudge Group.
Trustee of the Year Award
Young Volunteer of the Year
Award (16- to 25-year-olds).
The award for Young Volunteer of
the Year went to Naomi Porter, “a
long-term reliable and invaluable
volunteer” for 1625 Independent
People. This award was sponsored
by Creative Youth Network.
Young Volunteer of the Year (16- to 25-year-olds) Award
Volunteer Team of the Year. The
award for a Volunteer Team that
has gone above and beyond what
might normally be expected
through its dedication and/
or impact went to Nacoa (The
National Association for Children
of Alcoholics). This award was
supported by Volunteer Bristol.
Volunteer Team of the Year Award
Issue 27 January / February / March 2015 www.voscur.org 9
The ‘Thanks For Supporting The
Sector’ Award. This award is for an
individual or department within
the public or private sector. It
was awarded to Detective Chief
Inspector Leanne Pook, of Avon
and Somerset Police. This award
was sponsored by UNISON.
The ‘Thanks For Supporting The Sector’ Award
Community Venue of the Year
Award. The award for the best
community-run, publicly accessible
space in Bristol in 2013/2014 went
to Zion Community Art Space, a
not-for-profit social enterprise in
Bedminster Down. This award was
sponsored by Brewin Dolphin Ltd.
Community Venue of the Year Award
Happy, Healthy Bristol Award.
This award celebrates an
organisation or group that by
its actions has improved the
health and wellbeing of a group
of people in the city. The award
went to LifeSkills. The award was
supported by Bristol 2015 Ltd.
Happy, Healthy Bristol Award
Batook Pandya Award for
Inclusion. In memory of Batook
Pandya MBE, director of
SARI (Stand Against Racism &
Inequality), this new award is
for an organisation or group
that recognises, promotes and
celebrates diversity and inclusion.
The award was given to Salaam
Shalom and supported by SARI.
Batook Pandya Award for Inclusion
www.voscur.org January / February / March 2015 Issue 2710
Bristol BME Voice embarked on
a series of activities last year to
progress Race Equality in Bristol.
Among these were partnerships
to draft Batook’s Blueprint
‘the Bristol Manifesto for Race
Equality’; providing support to the
BME Diversity group that feeds in
to the work of the West of England
Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP);
and working with Bristol City
Council’s BME staff group on issues
related to Commissioning and the
Compact. We were pleased to be
nominated for a National Compact
award for our efforts and due
to the support from the partner
agencies that have worked with us
on Race Equality in Bristol.
Further to the ‘Feeling Bristolian’
conference that took place in
February 2014, there was a call
for Bristol BME Voice to focus on
some key themes that would:
• Develop the ability of the
BME VCS to participate in
decision making.
• Allow an informed voice for
BME VCS groups to influence
policy makers.
Therefore, in addition to the work
mentioned above, we developed a
Knowledge and Share programme
that enabled us to bring together
members of BME-led organisations
with strategic leaders. This enabled
us to discuss issues of relevance
and develop clear actions that
would have a positive long-term
impact on Race Equality in Bristol.
Although it may not be obvious,
decision makers do want to
speak to communities, while
communities have much they
want decision makers to address.
Yet establishing a process where
mutual discussions can evolve
often takes time and resources,
and requires clarity about what
both parties want to achieve.
The Knowledge and Share
programme comprised a course
of four sessions between
September and December 2014.
The process has been important
because discrimination on the
grounds of Race and other
protected characteristic groups
continues to affect the quality of
life for some of our communities.
Strengthening the sector to
challenge decision makers and
working with them to create
positive change strengthens our
voice and power.
Meaningful conversations took
place with George Ferguson,
Bristol Mayor; Sue Mountstevens,
Police and Crime Commissioner
(PCC); Judith Brown, director
of operations for the Clinical
Commissioning Group (CCG);
and Malachy McReynolds, West
of England Local Enterprise
Partnership (LEP) executive board
member. Actions were set for
decision makers with a three-
month target to fulfil these.
What has been achieved so far?
On commissioning, the Mayor
has agreed to examine the
impact of the disadvantages
that small and local groups
experience when big national
agencies siphon off their local
knowledge and experience,
without any interest in
sub-contracting them to
deliver services.
The PCC agreed to pursue
actions to improve progress on
addressing institutional racism
and increasing BME representation
in the police workforce.
Actions for the CCG included
revisiting some health services
Bristol BME Voice: Knowledge and Share
Issue 27 January / February / March 2015 www.voscur.org 11
that could result in a negative
impact on BME communities.
Increasing skills development within the sector
Another outcome of the
programme has been enhanced
skills development for participants
by way of a series of training
sessions in preparation for
conversations with decision
makers. These were:
• ‘Meeting your aspirations
for leadership’ – Raising
awareness of the lack of
BME representation in senior
positions in many public
sector agencies. Participants
were challenged about how
they could feel comfortable
with, exert or enhance their
leadership skills.
• ‘Achieving change through
presentation and negotiation’
looked at the acquired skills
to reach solutions often
by consensus, and how
relationships can be maintained
during the agreement process.
• ‘Finding your power –
interviewing and interrogation’
– Involved how we extract
information from those who set
policy to get to the heart of our
concerns. It looked at the ability
to interrogate – yes, respectful
interrogation is a skill, which
uses our ability to cut through
waffle to bring swift and
meaningful responses.
• ‘Strengthening your contacts
and building your case’ –
Covered collaboration to
create initiatives that bring
actions for our communities
through focusing on clear
goals and plans.
These sessions have been
invaluable to participants in order
to increase their skills to achieve an
effective voice and influence. They
have also enabled opportunities
among BME groups to network
and consider collaboration in a
range of areas.
Manifesto for Race Equality
The Manifesto for Race Equality
is a call to action for agencies to
reduce race inequality. Further to
consultation with communities and
agencies, we are set to launch the
Manifesto at the BME Community
Fair and Awards ceremony taking
place on 10 March 2015.
Sue Mountstevens, Police and Crime Commissioner (pictured above, fourth from right), is involved with the BME Voice
www.voscur.org January / February / March 2015 Issue 2712
Volunteering is alive and well in
Bristol and continues to make
an essential contribution to our
communities. Volunteer rates
are high throughout the country
and have recently increased.
The Community Life Survey,
commissioned by the Cabinet
Office, states that in 2012-13 44%
of adults volunteered formally at
least once a year and 29% did so
at least once a month. Looking
back over the past decade, rates
of volunteering have remained
remarkably stable, ranging from
39% at its lowest to 44% at its
highest. To some extent, these
figures mask fundamental
changes which have taken place
within the landscape of the
Voluntary and Community Sector
(VCS), and to remain relevant
Volunteer Bristol and its volunteer
centre need to evolve.
Merging with Voscur provided
Volunteer Bristol with a unique
opportunity to review and
update the services it offers
to individuals and to voluntary
and community sector (VCS)
organisations. Being part of the
Voscur ‘family’, the management
and governance support now
available provides strong
foundations. These foundations
can enable it to restructure and
develop a range of effective
volunteering support services to
match the 21st-century needs of
both potential volunteers and of
VCS organisations in Bristol.
Sian Bunn joined Volunteer
Bristol’s small staff team
in September as Volunteer
Development Manager, with
a remit to drive forward the
establishment of new services.
The centre relies heavily upon an
outstanding team of volunteers,
which has recently been
enlarged to meet the challenges
of service development. The
centre celebrated its thirtieth
anniversary last year, and it is
worth remembering that a Bristol
volunteer centre has been
around longer than both
Facebook and the national ‘Do
It’ volunteering website, both
of which are now key to the
volunteer recruitment process.
Improved technology makes it
feasible for Volunteer Bristol to
develop the ways it communicates
with supporters. Optimising social
media paves the way for the
centre to offer exciting new types
of volunteering opportunities
to address new trends in
volunteering. The average number
of hours spent volunteering
per volunteer declined by 30%
between 1997 and 2007 (Helping
Out, 2007), and there is evidence
that there is a trend towards
more episodic volunteering
(The UK Civil Society Almanac
2009). Remote volunteering on
your home PC or ‘temporary’
volunteers for very short-term
assignments, such as a
charitable collection day, are
two examples of approaches
that chime well with this new
style of volunteering.
Volunteer Bristol will continue
to offer encouragement and
guidance to help organisations
provide good volunteer
management. Well-managed,
interesting volunteering
opportunities are vital if you
wish to retain your volunteers.
However, the volunteer centre
recognises that not all VCS
The Future’s Bright for Volunteering in Bristol
Issue 27 January / February / March 2015 www.voscur.org 13
organisations have the capacity
to manage volunteers and so,
to help with this, the centre can
provide a volunteer recruitment
and management service.
Corporate Social Responsibility,
another facet of volunteering,
is becoming increasingly high
profile. In August 2013 the
Institute of Directors stated:
‘Corporate Social Responsibility
(CSR) is now an integral part
of most businesses, with many
organisations keen to highlight
how they’re acting in a socially
and environmentally responsible
manner’. This is an area the
volunteer centre will be exploring
during 2015, as well as seeking to
develop effective relationships
with public and community sector
partners. Above all, Volunteer
Bristol is conscious of the need
for a customer-led approach to
service delivery and it welcomes
comment and feedback from
Voscur members.
Volunteer Bristol’s merge with
Voscur was to some extent a
response to the challenges of
the recession and public sector
cuts, but it has provided a unique
opportunity to reshape services
to meet the evolving needs of the
voluntary and community sector.
A reinvigorated Volunteer Bristol
is now looking forward to the
challenges ahead.
Celebrating 30 weeks of volunteering
For more information
contact Sian Bunn:
manager@
volunteerbristol.org.uk
www.voscur.org January / February / March 2015 Issue 2714
Registering with the
Boost! programme
If you are interested in
registering with the Boost!
programme either as an
organisation or as
a volunteer, please visit:
www.volunteerbristol.org.uk/
organisations/boost
Email: boost@volunteerbristol.
org.uk
Phone: 0117 989 7734
Case study:
South West Advice Training (SWAT)
has been delivering training
courses for over 10 years to
professionals who advise members
of the public on aspects of
social welfare law, from benefit
entitlements to debt issues,
housing law, employment law
and immigration. The organisation
wanted some objective input to
enable it to think about the ways
that it could change in order to
keep up with its market. It wanted
to promote itself better, reach a
broader range of organisations
and expand geographically.
The Boost! programme matched
SWAT with Katie Sage, a marketing
expert. Katie has over 18 years’
experience working both in the UK
and globally. After initial meetings
with SWAT, Katie identified that
the current business plan needed
updating before marketing could
take place. Over six months, she
worked with staff to create a
business plan which has meant
South West Advice Training
now has:
• Effective systems for
leadership and for consultation
of partner agencies
• Key individuals in place for
decision making
• Improved systems for internal
communications
• A workload that is more
structured, including project
plans and work plans for staff
• Improved attendance on
its courses.
The Boost! Programme: Making Development PossibleThe Boost! programme is part of Voscur’s Support Hub service. It places professionally skilled volunteers with community voluntary sector organisations to help with a specific piece of development work for up to six months. Examples of the types of areas supported are: HR, Marketing, Business Planning, Finance and Database Development. Over the last few years, Boost! has had many success stories where organisations have effectively engaged with a volunteer and found that the volunteer’s input has had a far-reaching impact. Here’s one of those success stories:
“Katie was so patient … she had a lot of experience … Our
very long-established, complex arrangements for doing things
required a lot of understanding … Katie came from outside
(the voluntary sector) and yet she was able to do it … A year
on we are still thanking her.”
Andy King, SWAT
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www.voscur.org January / February / March 2015 Issue 2716
Support Hub Events and TrainingRecruiting VolunteersTuesday 20 January 2015, 9:30am-3:30pm
This session will cover volunteer motivation, barriers
to volunteering, recruitment techniques and
processes, developing adverts for volunteer roles
and action planning.
Mind the Gap: Negotiation skillsWednesday 21 January 2015, 12pm-2pm
How good are your negotiation skills? Do you get
what you need from meetings and conversations?
Would you like to be more effective?
This lunchtime workshop will help you to discover
the practical meaning of negotiation, how you can
trade during discussions, and simple ways to
practise your skills.
Being a Good TrusteeThursday 22 January 2015, 6pm-9pm
Governance has never been more crucial. In
challenging times a strong board is essential to
survive and thrive, yet many trustees are unclear of
their duties and boundaries with staff. This course
clearly sets out trustee roles and responsibilities, and
suggests tools to help ensure your board leads your
organisation’s impact.
Finance Forum: Insurance for VCS organisationsWednesday 28 January 2015, 10:30am-12:30pm
A chance to meet others with financial responsibilities
and find out what is happening in the world of finance.
Preparing Your Accounts for your End-of-Year ReportThursday 5 February 2015, 9:30am-3:30pm
This course is designed to identify key areas
associated with the production of statutory
accounts for those who have so far had limited
exposure to this specialist area.
Mind the Gap: Introducing your organisation to TwitterTuesday 10 February 2015, 12pm-2pm
Do you feel the whole world is tweeting and you are
being left behind? Are you nervous about giving it a
try? Come and find out what it’s all about. You don’t
need a smartphone for this session, but if you have
one please bring it with you.
Preparing for Media InterviewsTuesday 17 February 2015, 9:30am-12:30pm
This course is designed for anyone whose role
includes speaking to the press and representing their
organisation to the wider world directly via media
interviews. This course will cover how to prepare for a
media interview, getting your message across, dealing
with difficult questions and hostile interviewers, and
how to handle your nerves.
Trustee NetworkTuesday 3 March 2015, 6pm-8pm
The Trustee Network is open to any trustees, from the
brand new to the very experienced. As well as a short
presentation on a relevant topic, Trustee Network
meetings offer a chance to meet other trustees and
share good practice.
To book your place or to find out more, please go to: www.supporthub.org.uk/training-hub
Alternatively, you can call us on: 0117 909 9949.
Early-bird rates available!
Issue 27 January / February / March 2015 www.voscur.org 17
Being an Even Better TrusteeThursday 5 March 2015, 6pm-9pm
Focused on governance, managing risk, effective
meetings and how to make the most of the skills
in your trustee team, this course is designed to
support your development beyond the basics of
being on a board.
Mind the Gap: Monitoring and EvaluationTuesday 10 March 2015, 12pm-2pm
What’s the point of monitoring and evaluation?
Are you doing it just because your funders ask for it?
Are you asking the right questions?
This lunchtime session will help you to plan and carry
out really effective monitoring and evaluation. It will
help you to identify how you can use the results to
improve your services and to attract new funding.
If possible, bring an example of how you currently
monitor and evaluate your work.
Developing a Fundraising StrategyWednesday 18 March 2015, 9:30am-3:30pm
Not sure where to go next with fundraising, or
feeling like it is a lot of work for little gain? If so, this
course is for you. It introduces fundraising strategies
and explains why they are useful, looks at external
challenges and opportunities and starts to think about
a variety of funding sources.
Good Practice in Social MediaThursday 19 March 2015, 9:30am-1pm
This interactive workshop will encourage you to
reflect on the kinds of things you share – updates,
chit-chat, sales pitches – and help you avoid some
of the common pitfalls. As well as providing some
guidance principles, you will be given examples of how
enjoyable and productive using social media can be.
Leadership Skills for Managers and SupervisorsTuesday 24 and Wednesday 25 March 2015, 9:30am-3:30pm
Managing people can be one of the most stressful
parts of a manager’s role, especially in these changing
times. This two-day leadership course will provide you
with a practical overview of the key skills and aptitudes
required to manage successfully and to help reduce
the pressure in your work life.
Safeguarding and WhistleblowingTuesday 31 March, 9:30am-1pm
This training will cover the types of issues that
may arise in your organisation, how to develop an
internal whistle-blowing system, sharing concerns
and escalating them to the right people, how your
organisation can be assisted with the whistleblowing
process, and developing relationships with BCC staff
to help steer your organisation.
www.voscur.org January / February / March 2015 Issue 2718
New Perspectives, New Solutions
of a group come along to each
of the six training sessions, but
this group managed to involve
a total of eight people in the
course, each attending one or
two sessions. In the true spirit
of a co-operative, they shared
the learning. Since that time, the
organisation has been through
changes and is now flourishing
as TIGER: Teaching Individuals
Gender Equality and Respect.
You can discover more at
www.tigerbristol.co.uk
Among the last cohort, Kick Start
worked with a range of new
groups, from those aiming to
support families of Czech and
Slovak origin, to those supporting
children in care.
Voscur offers a six-session course
for new and emerging groups,
covering planning, funding,
marketing and more. The course,
Kick Start, provides knowledge,
tools and opportunities to refine
ideas, while working alongside
like-minded people.
One group which graduated
from the Kick Start programme
is Aspiration Creation Elevation
(ACE). Its mission is “to inspire
positive change through
engagement in creative activities,
building relationships, then
raising social, economic and
ethical knowledge as well as life
aspirations”. This new Community
Interest Company offers young
people the chance to get involved
in creating music with the help
and support of professional
musicians and music mentors.
Cherelle Grant and Darren Lynch-
Burton, founders of ACE, arrived
at their first Kick Start session
full of motivation to build really
strong foundations for their
organisation. Darren had stated at
the outset that he was unsure if
the course would benefit him, but
after the first session he quickly
changed his mind about the
benefits of the course and
the positive impact it would
have on his organisation. Cherelle
found the information from
the session leaders helpful and
inspirational. After six sessions
they had a detailed action plan,
Voscur membership and access
to networks across the
voluntary sector.
The Equalities Collective joined
Voscur’s Kick Start programme
last year. Usually two members
We all know Bristol has a thriving voluntary and community sector, but how do people who are new to running a community organisation, social enterprise or campaign group learn their trade?
There is always more to learn when it comes to setting up an organisation.
Issue 27 January / February / March 2015 www.voscur.org 19
Places on Kick Start are in
demand. If you’re interested,
apply early. You will:
• Get new ideas about how to
develop your group
• Find out how to convince
funders, investors and
volunteers of the need for
your project
• Make a clear plan of practical
next steps for your group
• Network with other groups at
a similar stage to you
• Find out how the VCS will
best support you.
What will the course cover?
1. The need and purpose of
your group
2. Different structures for
organisations and how they
should be managed
3. Funding, finance and how
to get money
4. Developing policies and
procedures
5. Marketing and publicity
6. Action planning and where
else you can get support.
Attendees from our 2014 Autumn course: The-Society, Buzz Lockleaze, Stonozka, Paper Artistic Development CIC, Freedom Fields and Lamplight
www.voscur.org January / February / March 2015 Issue 2720
The feedback gathered from this
consultation will be used to shape
the council’s proposals, which are
set to be discussed at Cabinet
in March 2015, when a second
consultation will begin until May
2015. The final plan is expected to
be agreed in June 2015.
This is the first time everyone in
the city has had a chance to talk
about libraries and how they can
become more relevant. The aim
is to get everyone involved in
helping to develop an improved
flexible, modern space for
communities to learn and socialise
in. At this stage no proposals
or decisions have been made.
A dedicated website has been
launched (see end of article) and
more than seventy meetings have
already been held.
In particular, the library service
wants to reach people who don’t
use libraries to find out why,
and they also want to discover
what people need in their local
communities that their library or
library building can assist with.
In the future Bristol needs a
vibrant and sustainable network
of libraries, which will better
respond to the needs of more of
its citizens – particularly those who
experience more challenges and
have less access to opportunities.
While savings have to be made, it
is important that this opportunity
is not dominated by discussions
about money.
To take part in the consultation,
each library has cards and
suggestion boxes, surveys and
information sheets on their
library service. There is a wealth
of information online including
an online survey. The initial
consultation closes on
2 February 2015.
To find out
more visit www.
bristolfuturelibraries.
co.uk and the Facebook page
Bristol Libraries for the Future
and Twitter: @BrLibraryFuture.
There is also a website to
capture ideas from the public
and allow people to work
collaboratively to develop and
rate suggestions: www.bristol.
gov.uk/libraryideas
The Future of Bristol’s Local LibrariesBristol City Council have launched a city-wide consultation to allow the people of Bristol to have their say on the future of the city’s libraries.
Photo by CCAC Library CC by 2.0
Issue 27 January / February / March 2015 www.voscur.org 21
Nils Norman has been invited
to propose a way of bringing
together the large number
of small green spaces in the
neighbourhood to provide a
focal point for residents. This
has resulted in resources for the
community centre; simple play
spaces across schools and small
areas of parkland; and a section
of patterned path to improve
access to Hengrove Park.
David Thorpe has been invited
to contribute to the physical
fabric of Hengrove by providing
a long-term legacy for the area.
His proposal is for a community
orchard planted according to the
floor plan of a cathedral, which
will provide fruit and a meeting-
place for the community.
The programme’s theme is
‘Future’, which means a future
that embraces extraordinary
possibilities and dreams. It was
developed in consultation with
local residents.
Future Perfect wanted to
involve local people at all levels.
An art steering group has been
overseeing the programme,
consisting of residents, parents,
councillors and local groups’
representatives. The programme
has offered participation to
individuals and groups in
Hengrove through workshops,
trips and talks.
Residents were invited to
contribute to discussions and
explore possibilities for the art
programme. Opportunities to
partner with various Hengrove
organisations and institutions,
including schools and colleges,
were also explored.
The artist/designer Martino
Gamper was commissioned to
design a flexible public display
structure – the Archive of Ideas
– to communicate the art
programme to local residents.
The art steering group helped
draw up the brief, select the
artist and respond to the initial
design proposal.
The aim was to develop a greater understanding of the complexities, challenges and excitement that come with commissioning artists. The Archive of Ideas has proved to be a great catalyst for conversation.
In addition, the artists Nils Norman
and David Thorpe have been
involved, with their work coming
to fruition at the end of 2014.For further information
on the project:
www.futureperfectbristol.org
Residents Shaping the World Around Them The Stockwood, Hengrove & Whitchurch Neighbourhood Partnership has funded a public art programme from devolved s106 funds for the Hengrove ward in South Bristol. A significant part of this funding has contributed to the Future Perfect project, a three-year project where governance has gone beyond the norm to include the wider Hengrove community.
www.voscur.org January / February / March 2015 Issue 2722
satisfaction (up 0.06 points
on the previous year)
• 7.7 out of 10 for feeling
that what one does in life is
worthwhile (up 0.05 points
on the previous year)
• 7.4 out of 10 for happiness
yesterday (up 0.09 points on
the previous year)
• 2.9 out of 10 for anxiety
yesterday (down 0.10 points
on the previous year)
The relatively low levels of anxiety
are at odds with other national
data. For example, the Children’s
Commission reported on poverty
in September 2014 that more
than half of parents who
responded to its survey admitted
they had cut back on clothing,
food or heating to meet school-
related costs, and 25% had
borrowed money to pay school
bills. Hardly the environment
For many years the Voluntary
and Community Sector (VCS)
has been advocating the
importance of wellbeing. Working
to redress the impact of social
exclusion, isolation, low self-
esteem, depression and poverty
is a key issue for a significant
part of the VCS.
Recently there’s been a national
wake-up on wellbeing. We have a
health and wellbeing board, and a
statutory duty in the Health and
Social Care Act 2012 to promote
wellbeing. We also have a wealth
of research on the importance
of wellbeing and happiness and
its impact.
Although a centre looking at
‘what works for wellbeing’ may
not seem important, this is a
significant milestone. Having the
patronage of Lord Gus O’Donnell
– an establishment figure with
influential credibility – the centre
will be pushing the cause of
replacing GDP*1 with wellbeing
indicators as the touchstone of
government expenditure.
The work was started two years
ago by the Office of National
Statistics (ONS), which published
the first data on national wellbeing
as part of its Integrated Household
Survey. Wellbeing is currently
assessed on:
1. How satisfied are you with
your life nowadays?
2. To what extent do you feel
the things you do in your
life are worthwhile?
3. How happy did you
feel yesterday?
4. How anxious did you
feel yesterday?
Results from last year show:
• 7.5 points out of 10 for life
National Wake- up on WellbeingLord Gus O’Donnell, former Cabinet Secretary, came to Bristol to announce the establishment of the ‘What Works Centre for Wellbeing’ at the end of October last year. With £3.5 million kick-start government funding the centre aims to collect good practice ‘what works’ on improving the nation’s wellbeing. Additionally it establishes best practice in measuring the impact of policies on people’s happiness.
Issue 27 January / February / March 2015 www.voscur.org 23
The increasing use of wellbeing
as a measurement of
government spending may
challenge us in unexpected ways,
especially regarding our priorities.
Smoking and drinking are bad
for health, but research in 2010
concluded social connectivity had
a greater impact on longevity
than either smoking or drinking
(within moderation).*2
Wellbeing as a concept of
measuring the ‘state of the
nation’ looks here to stay. Nice
to see senior government
thinking has finally caught up
with VCS wisdom.
to make families feel full of life
satisfaction and to reduce anxiety.
The ONS recognises that asking
about anxiety may not get an
accurate picture of wellbeing.
Cognitive testing has suggested
that the word ‘anxious’ may be
interpreted by some people
as representing severe mental
distress, while ‘stress’ or ‘worry’
are more commonly used to
describe daily emotions.
There may be some issues
around accurate measurement of
wellbeing, but the use of GDP has
come under increased criticism
as a touchstone as ‘value for
money’ government spending.
Lord O’Donnell pointed out back
in October that Government has
tended to use GDP to assess the
success of the country when it
was a “blunt tool”. He said:
“The ONS recently reassessed the
level of the UK’s GDP upwards
by including things like illegal
drugs and prostitution. But
they don’t measure things like
volunteering, which we know have
a tremendously positive impact
on wellbeing.
“So you could have a society
where everyone gave up
volunteering and took up crack
dealing and prostitution, and that
society would have a much higher
GDP growth rate. That’s crazy.”
Using wellbeing indicators at a
national level will fit with efforts
at a local level. Our Bristol Health
and Wellbeing Strategy has 10
priorities but does not include
issues such as the living wage and
low-income households, although
they’re a factor in good health
and life satisfaction.
*1 Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is a monetary measurement of economic value added to society.
*2 Social Relationships and Mortality Risk: A Meta-analytic Review Julianne Holt-Lunstad Timothy B. Smith J. Bradley Layton Published: July 27, 2010. PLOS Medicine
www.voscur.org January / February / March 2015 Issue 2724
• Engagement phase:
April – July 2014
• Service Model Co-creation:
Nov 2014 – March 2015
• Service Model formal
consultation:
Sept – Nov 2015
• Finalise and approve Service
Model: Dec 2015
• Procurement process:
Jan – Sept 2016
• Start of new contract:
April 2017
To keep informed and have your
say, visit Bristol CCG’s website
and social media or get in touch
with Voscur.
These services include: health
visiting; school nursing; child and
adolescent mental health services
(CAMHS); speech and language
therapy; and a range of other
services for vulnerable children
and young people. In a survey
of parents and carers by Bristol
Clinical Commissioning Group
(Bristol CCG), 96% of respondents
agreed or strongly agreed that
children’s health and education
services, in particular, should work
closely together.
At a recent Children and Young
People’s Network meeting,
information about the process
and timescales was provided
for the VCS by the Children and
Maternity Commissioning Manager
for Bristol CCG. We also discussed
how VCS organisations can get
involved in the co-creation of
the service model, following the
initial engagement phase with
service users and community
health professionals.
There are many ways of
contributing to the process, such
as supporting the engagement of
children and young people and
providing specialist expertise into
the service design process. For
more ways to be involved and
the notes from this meeting, visit
www.voiceandinfluence.org.uk/
cyp_meetings
At present the Community
Children’s Health Partnership
(CCHP), part of North Bristol
NHS Trust (NBT), provides all of
the children’s community health
services for Bristol and South
Gloucestershire, in partnership
with Barnardo’s. In 2014, the
commissioning organisations
worked together to seek the
views on the current children’s
community health services of
children and young people;
parents and carers; and health,
education and social care
professionals. They aim to use
this feedback to improve
services, remove boundaries
and make services more
integrated. Young people (14-
25 years) will also be involved in
writing the service specification
through a Young People’s
Reference Group, run by Bristol
CCG and Young Healthwatch.
The estimated timescales for the
recommissioning process are:
Contact details:
www.bristolccg.nhs.
uk/get-involved
twitter.com/Bristol_CCG @
bristol_CCG
www.facebook.com/
NHSbristolccg
Email: brccg.
childrenscommunityhealth@
nhs.net
Tel: 0117 900 2662
Shape Local Community Health Services for Children and Young PeopleLocal community health services for children and young people are going to be recommissioned, with the aim of having better, more integrated provision. This is a great opportunity to help shape the design and delivery of these crucial services.
Issue 27 January / February / March 2015 www.voscur.org 25
attending partnership boards,
network meetings, VCS Advocates
meetings and assembly meetings.
Current advocates (January 2015),
their corresponding boards and
contact details are as follows:
Voluntary and Community Sector
(VCS) advocates do fantastic work
ensuring that the VCS is involved
in decision making on a broad
range of issues. They ensure the
voice of the sector is heard and
are instrumental in influencing
services at both strategic and
operational levels.
The key elements of the role
involve advocating for the sector,
engaging and communicating
with the wider sector, and
Further information about the boards, current VCS Advocates and video reports is available
on the Voscur Voice and Influence website at www.voiceandinfluence.org.uk/advocates
Voluntary and Community Sector Advocates
Children and Young People’s Network Advocates
Name Board Contact details
Christine Townsend (Integrate Bristol) Bristol Safeguarding Children Board [email protected]
Dom Wood (1625 Independent People)
Bristol Children and Families Board.Bristol Safeguarding Children Board(interim cover)
It is important to us at Bristol 2015 Ltd that activities planned for the European Green Capital year are inclusive and accessible. It is also important to us that individuals and organisations are able to add their events to the planner and personalise the brand. This will ensure that 2015 is an active and exciting year for everyone.
The winners of the 2014 Green Volunteer Awards, which were held on Wednesday 12 November last year, at Paintworks.
Winners: Volunteers for Nature and Biodiversity Award – The Good Gym
Volunteers for Food Award – Incredible Edible
Volunteers for Sustainable Transport Award – Playing Out
Green Volunteer Coordinator of the Year Award – Sophie
Edwards, Bristol Water
Green Volunteer Leader of the Year Award – John Bowen,
Growing Support
Young Green Volunteers Award – Alex Rhodes
The Bristol Award (Lifetime) – Richard Bland
Issue 27 January / February / March 2015 www.voscur.org 27
The LEP Next Steps
The event was organised by
Voscur in partnership with The
West of England Civil Society
Partnership, which is comprised
of Quartet Community
Foundation (QCF), Voluntary
Action North Somerset and
South Gloucestershire CVS, plus
West of England Rural Network,
The Care Forum, Wesport and
Social Enterprise Works.
The event was opened by James
Durie, Executive Director for
Business West and a member of
the Local Enterprise Partnership
(LEP) board. James assured
the delegates of the LEP’s
commitment to working with
the sector to tackle economic
and social exclusion. Chris Head
from the West of England Rural
Network followed by detailing the
work the Voluntary, Community
and Social Enterprise (VCSE)
sector groups have undertaken
to get this far.
Antony Corfield from the LEP,
and Sam Magne from Big Lottery,
detailed the criteria and process
for using the new funding
opportunity. Delegates then broke
up into small groups to discuss
opportunities and challenges in
relation to accessing this support.
The West of England Civil Society
Partnership European Social
Fund Project has been awarded a
grant of £10,000 from Big Lottery
Fund. The grant will support the
Partnership to work with the
wider VCSE sector across the West
of England to raise awareness,
identify training needs and map
evidence of employment and
social need.
The Partnership will work closely
with the West of England LEP
to make sure that the sector
has a good understanding of
the priorities and strategic need
identified by the LEP.
This support will be matched
with further funding and in-kind
assistance to enable the
Partnership to reach out to
community groups through a
series of events, briefings and
discussions. These will enable the
Partnership to communicate the
opportunity to the VCSE of being
directly involved in ESF delivery.
The outcome of the work will
then be used to inform the
LEP and the VCSE sector across
the West of England in order
to maximise the opportunities
presented by ESF and Big Lottery
funding support.
More than 120 organisations from across the West of England area gathered in central Bristol to hear the latest news in relation to the emergence of new funding. These funds will potentially enable voluntary and community sector organisations across the four unitary authorities to tackle social and economic exclusion, and support those furthest from the labour market back into work.
The new fund, totalling £6 million over the next five years, will be provided through the European Social Fund (ESF) and matched by the Big Lottery Fund.
www.voscur.org January / February / March 2015 Issue 2728
Another great Compact Week for Bristol
Compact Week is the annual
celebration of excellence in
relationships between the public
and voluntary and community
sectors (VCS). Each year, as part
of national Compact Week,
nominations are invited for six
National Compact Awards.
Five nominations were submitted
for work from Bristol from the
last year. All five were shortlisted
and Mark Hubbard, Bristol’s
Compact Liaison Officer, won
the Leadership Award:
• Advancing Equality Award –
Bristol BME Voice for its work
to promote the inclusion of
Black and Minority Ethnic people
and communities in Bristol’s
public agencies and among
organisations working with
those communities.
• Partnership Award – Avon
& Somerset Police & Crime
Commissioner for its Voluntary,
Community and Social
Enterprise Sector Charter. This
builds on the region’s local
Compacts and enshrines the
PCC’s commitment to good
partnership working.
• Impact Award – Voscur and
Bristol Compact for their joint
work in using the Compact to
advocate on behalf of Bristol
VCS organisations. This work
has achieved substantial
changes in operations and
policy in the city.
• Leadership Award – The
work of Mark Hubbard in
influencing commissioning
and procurement policy and
practice at Bristol City Council.
According to the nomination
by Carol Metters MBE, Missing
Link: “Mark is well respected
by both commissioners and
VCS organisations and, for
five years, has helped to
forge constructive, improved
relationships. This really sets
the scene for how we should
all be working well
together for the benefit
of our service users and
the people of Bristol.”
• Innovation Award – Bristol
Clinical Commissioning Group’s
provider market development
in its Modernising Mental Health
commissioning process.
The Awards were hosted by
Rob Wilson, Minister for Civil
Society, in London on 5 November.
Several representatives from
Bristol attended.
Four fantastic Bristol initiatives were recognised for their sterling leadership skills during November’s National Compact Awards 2014. We round up the winners here.
“To have five Bristol projects shortlisted for national awards is
brilliant. This shows that there is some great work happening
in difficult times. Work that ultimately makes a difference to
Bristol people in their communities.”
Mark Hubbard
Issue 27 January / February / March 2015 www.voscur.org 29
Helping Things Get Better
Relationships are important
for effective working together
and are often complex, have
developed over time and include
assumptions. Common reasons
for difficulties arising are:
• Neglect – little or no time spent
discussing and understanding
different perspectives; failure
to meet monitoring deadlines;
no feedback given to reports
and results.
• Conflict – disagreements can
fester, turn into punitive actions
and outright conflict.
Difficulties are often
exacerbated by a breakdown of
communication, making positive
resolution unlikely.
VCS organisations and
commissioners regularly approach
Bristol Compact for advice when
relationships have gone wrong.
The Bristol Compact is used in
a brokerage role to advocate
for improved communication
and relationships. The means of
achieving this is simple: listening
to both parties, helping to share
perspectives and working
together to find solutions.
Example: Decommissioning
of a service
A VCS organisation was asked by
its commissioner to adjust funds
needed to deliver its contract. This
request was not unexpected after
funds from the previous year were
reduced from £370k to £350k.
This year, the provider expected a
similar situation but was surprised
by the reduction to £150k.
Over several months, the
provider tried to redesign
services and its organisational
structure to accommodate such
a loss of income. It then sought
advice from Bristol Compact as
it felt that the scale of reduction
and the process were unfair
and unreasonable.
A review of papers indicated that
the reduction in funds appeared
not to have followed due process,
which should have applied:
• Best Value Statutory Guidance
– direct consultation with
affected service users prior to
the funding decision; at least
three months’ notice.
• Decommissioning Policy –
assessment of impact of the
changes on service users,
workforce and provider.
• Bristol Compact – effective
management of change, good
communication and working
together to identify solutions.
With advice, the organisation
wrote to the commissioner raising
these concerns, requesting a
three-way meeting with Bristol
Compact. The discussions were
honest and proactive. Specific
actions were agreed and have
resulted in restoring contract
funds to £250k, preventing
redundancies and closure, services
continuing and a new strategic
commissioning process. Happy
customers all round:
The Bristol Compact is useful for mediating between VCS organisations and the public sector. Sometimes things go wrong and advocacy can get things back on track. Mark Hubbard, Compact Liaison Officer, describes a recent advocacy case.
“We can’t thank you enough
for your expert intervention
and support”
“You’ve really helped us
discuss this and come up
with great solutions”
www.voscur.org January / February / March 2015 Issue 2730
UNISON – Committed to Achieving Equality in our Workplaces, in our Union and Across Society
In common with many Bristol
Voluntary and Community Sector
organisations, equality and
challenging discrimination are
at the heart of UNISON in our
workplaces and union branches.
It is one of our founding
principles, informs our priorities
and is firmly embedded in our
organising, negotiating and
campaigning work. UNISON is
committed to achieving equality
in our workplaces, in our union
and across society.
UNISON has a number of Positive
Action Strategies enshrined in
our rules in order to achieve
equality and challenge
discrimination throughout
UNISON’s structures and in
everything we do, including:
• Proportionality – Means that
our structures, delegations
and activities at branch,
regional and national level
should represent women and
men in fair proportion to their
membership numbers.
• Fair Representation – Means
being representative of part-
time and full-time workers,
manual and non-manual
workers, different occupations,
skills, income, age, race,
sexuality, gender identity
and disability. This is not an
exhaustive list – it is about the
principle of inclusion.
• Positive Action – In all our
regional structures and
committees there are reserved
seats for equalities members,
low paid and young members
(under 27). These positive steps
ensure that not only are their
views properly represented and
heard, but equality is firmly
embedded in everything we do.
• Self-Organisation – Our union is
unique in the focus on support
for members from equalities
groups (Black members;
Disabled members; LGBT
members; Women members)
to come together and inform
the wider union’s policies and
direction. In branches this
may mean members receive
information via a newsletter
or are part of a network
or may meet regularly as a
group to support each other
and campaign on issues that
concern them.
A good place to start
Self-organised groups may be the
first point of contact with the
union for members and potential
members. Because prejudice and
discrimination are deep-rooted in
our society, self-organised group
members have traditionally been
less visible in trade unions and
under-represented in democratic
structures. Our self-organisation
has several advantages:
• Helps the union to identify and
challenge discrimination and
build equality.
• Provides a way for members
to get involved in the union,
developing skills, expertise
and confidence.
• Offers an alternative pathway
into trade union activism
through identity politics.
UNISON and Voscur are working closely together on a shared agenda of equalities and fairness. After UNISON’s support of Voscur’s Annual Conference, Vicky Boroughs (South West Women’s and Equalities Officer) describes the union’s approach to inclusion.
Issue 27 January / February / March 2015 www.voscur.org 31
Examples of UNISON’s Equalities Successes in Bristol
