Contents: Events (4); Training (9); Funding (2); Resources (2): Jobs (4)
17th October 2007, 9.30 - 17.00, The Abbey Centre, Westminster
An event to present the learning from the EASI, PRESTO and RAISE Equal
funded Development
Partnerships and to feed in your views on the employment, training and
enterprise section of
London Enriched: The Mayor’s Draft Strategy for Refugee Integration
in London.
London is entering a new phase in its long history
of giving sanctuary to refugees – as new in-depth learning about
how to help them find economic opportunities combines, for the first
time, with city-wide strategic leadership of work for the integration
of their communities. Mayor of London, Ken Livingstone, has launched
‘London Enriched’, his Draft Strategy for Refugee Integration
prepared with partners on his Board for Refugee Integration. Out for
public consultation from July - October 2007, the Strategy sets out
a programme of action that increases equality of opportunity for London’s
refugees.
As part of this process, London Refugee Economic Action (LORECA) and
its parent body the London Development Agency (LDA), together with three
Equal funded Development Partnerships (DPs), invite you to attend a
consultation event on Wednesday 17th October. The outcome of the discussions
will form the basis of a joint response to the Mayor’s Draft Strategy.
Please register online by Wednesday 10th October 2007 (click here). For further information please contact Geri Mckenna on:Geri.McKenna@education-action.org
Tuesday, 16 October 2007, 10.00 am to 3.30 pm
Amnesty International UK, Human Rights Centre, 17-25 New Inn Yard, London
EC2A 3EA
You are invited to a consultation event organised jointly by the Greater London Authority (GLA) and London Voluntary Service Council (LVSC) for London-based voluntary and community sector organisations. The Mayor of London Ken Livingstone, by agreement with the Government, is about to widen his leadership of London's development into further important areas of the city's life. Among new areas of his strategic leadership - helping to realise his aim of a fairer, more inclusive city - are tackling health inequalities and promoting integration of refugee communities.
LVSC and GLA are holding a consultation event to get your views on these discussion documents, preparing for new strategies which the Mayor will finalise in 2008:
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London Enriched: the Mayor's Draft Strategy for Refugee Integration in London
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Reducing Health Inequalities: Issues for London and Priorities for Action which sets out the Mayor's initial thinking for a Health Inequalities Strategy
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With short presentations of both documents and space also to discuss each of them in depth according to your interests, our event on 16 October will ask:
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Is the Mayor pinpointing the issues and concerns that matter most to your community or sector in London?
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Are we missing key issues?
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What needs to change - what outcomes should we aim at?
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Which policies and actions will be most effective in achieving those outcomes?
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London Enriched: Draft Strategy for Refugee Integration proposes specific actions - are they realistic, and are they ambitious enough?
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Reducing Health Inequalities: Issues for London and Priorities for Action, as a step towards the Health Inequalities Strategy - which commitments and actions should go into it?
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How can these actions be taken forward? Who can help implement the Mayor's new strategies - and how can the voluntary and community sector contribute?
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For further information and a booking form please click here.
Saturday 29th September 12-4pm,
Council Chamber, Brent Town Hall , Forty Lane, Wembley, HA9 9HD
West London Refugee Women’s Forum is organising a women-only consultation event in response to Ken Livingstone’s invitation to comment on the Mayor’s Draft Refugee Integration Strategy for London. Come and discuss ideas, raise concerns, and use your voice to speak up about issues of importance to refugee women and children and families in London.
Please confirm your attendance by contacting:
West London Refugee Women’s Forum on 0208 970 2145 or by email
wlrefugeewomen@yahoo.co.uk.
Transport costs to attend this meeting can be reimbursed (please bring
receipts). If you require childcare assistance please discuss this with
us in advance. Please do forward this invitation to other women who
may like to attend.
Friday 28 September 2007 ; 1.00-5.00pm;
Charity Centre, Directory of Social Change; 24 Stephenson Way; London
NW1 2DP
Are you looking for work or training? Olmec Careers Fair offers you:Work Experience Opportunities; Free Training; Job Search Advice & Guidance ; Meet Employers. To register please contact Clare Whiting at Olmec, tel. 020 7091 9487, email: clare.whiting@olmec-ec.org.uk
IVAC are pleased to announce that it is now a National Open College Network
(NOCN) accredited centre and is offering training courses that can contribute
to NOCN qualifications.
Upcoming courses include basic bookkeeping, financial management, writing
a business plan and health and safety.
To view our Training Handbook 2007 -2008 complete with full information
of our courses please click
here
For more informations, please contact Mike on 020 7359 2963 or email development@ivac.org.uk
A one day workshop on how to get your views heard in local policy and
strategic decision making. This BTEG workshop is designed for voluntary
and community organisations working with black and minority ethnic communities
who want to have more influence on local policy and strategic decision
making. The workshop programme is supported by the Capacitybuilders
Improving Reach programme and is FREE for participants. You can choose
among the following dates:
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18 October. Space Centre, Euston, London. (Booking deadline 5 October)
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7 November. Innovation Centre, Oxford Street, Leicester. (Booking deadline 26 October)
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30 November. Meadows Community Centre, Cambridge. (booking deadline 9 November)
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5 December. BDA, Russell Town Avenue, Redfield, Bristol. (Booking deadline 23 November)
Only 12 places at each workshop so please book early to secure a place.
(£45 Returnable deposit is
required). Workshops are facilitated by Jeremy Crook OBE, Director of
BTEG. For further information and bookings contact Anthony Findley at
BTEG: Anthony@bteg.co.uk, tel.
020 7843 6126.
Gateway: Improving skills for further and higher education
24 September 2007 and 31 March 2008
You will study a range of units as part of the NOCN Progression Certificate at Level 2. The units will focus on broadening and strengthening your skills in literacy, academic English, IT and Numeracy. Additionally you will apply your skills to study in the social sciences, including citizenship, creative writing and child development.
Entry requirements (what skills/levels will you need):Satisfactory written English skills at Level 1. . Prospective applicants will have successfully completed a course of study at Level 1 as preparation for entry.
Methods of assessment: essay writing, oral presentation, timed assessments, assignments, group work, pair work.
Qualification: National Open College Network (NOCN) Progression Certificate at Level 2.
What can you do next: Access to Higher Education (Social Sciences &
Humanities) at Hillcroft College or NOCN Progression Certificate at
L3 at other institutions
Access to Higher Education – Social Sciences & Humanities
24 September 2007 and 3 January 2008
This is a Level 3 residential course designed to prepare you for University.
The course is taught over 2 terms, with entry in September 2007 or January
2008. You will study core units in: English, IT, Maths, Learning Skills,
Study skills. You will also study additional units in: Citizenship,
History, Law, Literature, Politics, Psychology, Sociology, Social Policy
and Visual studies. You will be required to take all units. The course
also focuses on improving your academic skills in writing, research,
note-taking and exam preparation. To enhance your learning experience,
we offer additional support through group tutorials, one to one tutorials,
IAG support, UCAS workshops and university visits, study skills workshops
and enrichment programmes Students who have successfully achieved on
the access programme have been accepted at prestigious universities
including Goldsmiths, Royal Holloway College and Durham to study degrees
in Psychology, English & Drama and other humanities courses.
Entry requirements (what skills/levels will you need): Good academic
writing skills at Level 2. Prospective applicants will have successfully
completed a relevant Level 2 qualification as preparation for entry.
Methods of assessment: essay writing, oral presentation, timed assessments,
assignments.
Qualification: Access Certificate – Social Sciences & Humanities
What can you do next: Progress to University
National qualification framework level: Level 3
Sponsor Me!
Thursday 4 Oct 2007, 1.30-5pm
Business Development Centre (Aldgate East)
Arts organisations and cultural groups in Hackney, Newham and Tower
Hamlets (priority given to those registered/constituted for more than
18 months).
FREE to those based in East London* and registered for over 18 months.
Open to all (supported by ERDF funding and the London boroughs of Hackney
and Tower Hamlets)
Do you want to increase your success rate when approaching
sponsors for support? Sponsorship expert Chris Wells will explain how
sponsorship works, what sponsors want, how to identify and target potential
sponsors, how to approach them successfully, and how to manage the ongoing
relationship. This high-energy workshop combines theory with real life
experience and will help you to reach your sponsorship goals. The workshop
will include presentations by organisations who have successfully raised
sponsorship for their activities, and you can learn from real life experiences
of what has worked and what hasn’t. This session will include a
presentation by Nicky Goulder, Executive Director of Create.
Personal Branding
Tuesday 2 October 2007, 12pm-5pm
Business Development Centre (Aldgate East)
Creative practitioners, self-employed artists and employees of creative businesses and cultural organisations. FREE to those based in East London* and registered for over 18 months. Open to all (supported by ERDF funding).
This practical workshop is for professionals who want to develop their presence as a credible expert within their field and stand out from the crowd for the right reason. You will identify personal strengths and learn to communicate in a style that suits you and enhances your credibility and visibility in the competitive creative environment. Through theory, individual self assessment, group exercises and discussions you will learn about self promotion, strategies for making yourself heard, and building your reputation as an expert. You will leave inspired with your own personal action plan.
To book your FREE place please visit www.cida.co.uk or contact Jessica Green, CIDA's Project Administrator on 020 7247 4710 / contact@cida.co.uk
Funding - London Councils Grants: Deadline extension
London Councils invests £28m a year funding over 400 voluntary organisations
on behalf of all the London boroughs. London Councils is now commissioning
the voluntary sector to provide 59 priority services to meet key areas
of need in the capital.
London Councils has decided to extend the deadline for the submission
of applications for single stage services to noon on Friday 21 September
2007. This decision has been made in recognition of the work involved
for voluntary organisations in completing the single stage proposal form
over the holiday period and will give groups more than 8 weeks to complete
their applications.
This change only affects the deadline for single stage applications and not that of two stage applications, which has now passed. For further information click here.
Funding - Community Assets
The £30 million Community Assets programme, funded by the Office
of the Third Sector and delivered by the Big Lottery Fund, is a programme
to enable third sector organisations to have greater control over the
assets they use, such as community buildings. It will facilitate the transfer
of genuine assets from local authorities to third sector organisations
for their use as community resources. The programme will offer grants
of between £150,000 and £1 million for refurbishment of local
authority buildings, including community centres and other multi-purpose
facilities, so they can benefit both local communities and the third sector
organisations that take them on.
The Big Lottery Fund is holding regional seminars in each of its nine England regions between 4 and 14 September (click here for the list of dates). The seminars, attended by local authorities and their third sector partners, will focus on explaining the aims of the programme and the application process.
There will be a single bidding round for all applications, which closes on 15 November 2007. Application materials are available from Big Lottery Fund’s website (click here).
Resources - Offices, Desk spaces, Training Rooms and Meeting Rooms for Hire
The Refugee Advice Centre (Leyton, London E10) has ground and first
floor rooms of different sizes for office use, psychotherapy sessions,
training and group meetings available for rent. Rooms are a short walk
away from Leyton tube station (Central line) and close to amenities,
bus stops and a post office. Groups may rent a whole office or make
an arrangement to share an office with another group. The Refugee Advice
Centre is able to offer a reception desk service, waiting area for clients
and access to an on site training/meeting room (with capacity for 15-20
people).
For more information or to arrange a viewing please contact Mr Afzal Mirza or Luciana at the Refugee Advice Centre on 0208 558 1865 or email support@refugeeadvice.org.uk
Resources - Free Computers for Hackney community groups
St Katharine and Shadwell Trust are working alongside HCVS and partners
in Tower Hamlets, Newham and the City of London to distribute the computers
to disadvantaged communities. Around 200 computers have been earmarked
for Hackney community groups.
Who are the computers for?
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groups working with refugee and those seeking asylum;
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those in care or those who have recently left care;
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groups working with the homeless;
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women's groups;
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groups working with vulnerable people;
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those working with children and young people, senior citizens, parents and toddlers groups;
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individuals who feel they meet the criteria above and are delivering services to their local community will also be able to apply.
Hackney Voluntary Action (HVA) are developing an East London IT support programme from September so technical assistance will be available to groups who require support to make the best use of the their computers. If you feel you would like to take advantage of this fantastic opportunity then please complete the short application form attached and return by post, email or fax to: Gillian Trevethan, Free Computers for Disadvantaged groups, c/o HCVS 84 Springfield House 5 Tyssen St London E8 2LY, tel 020 7923 1962, email: Gillian@hcvs.org.uk
The first deadline for receipt of applications is Friday 28 September by 5pm. Late or incomplete applications will unfortunately not be accepted. If we do not receive sufficient applications by the first deadline, a second application round will be announced.
Starting Salary £25,000, plus 6% pension contribution (one
year initial contract)
Closing Date: 5pm, 19 October 2007
Interviews: Week beginning 5 November 2007
Our Safeguarding African Children from Faith Based Abuse Policy
Project will focus primarily on the shaping and influencing of policy
and practice on safeguarding African children at risk of faith related
abuse linked to a belief in demonic possession across London. We are
looking for a Safeguarding Policy Officer to manage this three year
project.
With a minimum three year’s experience of working in a policy
environment in a paid or voluntary capacity, you must have a strong
commitment to the rights and welfare of children. You must be a self
starter, able to work on your own initiative while delivering impressive
results. You must have excellent written, oral as well as presentation
skills. In particular, you must demonstrate confidence engaging with
a variety of stakeholders – from senior policymakers to grass-root
community and faith organisations. You must have a strong understanding
of the importance of faith in the lives of African families in the UK,
an awareness of related cultural practices and the possible implications
for child protection and safeguarding. You must be enthusiastic, able
to take on a key role in a small but dynamic organization.
All staff are required to undergo a National Records Bureau enhanced
disclosure to confirm their suitability working for a children’s
charity.
For further inquiries and a job pack including application form, job
description and person specification, visit our website at www.afruca.org.
or call us on 0207 7042261 or write to: AFRUCA, Unit 3D/F Leroy House,
436 Essex Road, London N1 3QP
Salary: £22,500 pro rata (£13,500 per year based on 3 days per week)
Contract length: The worker will be appointed for a period of 30 months (it may be possible to extend this period if funding allows)
Hours: 21 hours per week (3 days per week)
Closing date is Monday the 8th of October 2007.
Purpose:
To develop and run a culturally competent sexual health promotion and STI/HIV prevention, facilitation, referral and information service for African MSM in Newham and Tower Hamlets.
Main Responsibilities:
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Promote access to testing to reduce the average time between HIV infection and HIV diagnosis for African MSM.
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Improve access to primary care, GUM and other health services for young African MSM
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Engage with African MSM at risk and who are not currently accessing services through innovative and proactive strategies.
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Reduce isolation of African MSM living with HIV through facilitating their integration into services that will promote their independence and enable them to establish social and support mechanism.
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Supervise volunteers including assigning duties and any required support.
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Provide support and training to volunteers.
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To work with the Somali Sexual Health Worker and volunteers in improving the participation of African MSM in implementing and managing projects/activities.
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To disseminate relevant information through effective publicity and promotion of the project.
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To respond to general requests for advice and information on HIV/STIs from African people.
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To prepare work plans and quarterly monitoring reports on project progress on reaching agreed targets and outcomes.
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To liaise with African community based organisations (CBOs) to raise awareness about Homophobia, HIV and AIDS and seek their involvement in educational and prevention work.
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Implement the project policies and procedures.
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To undertake additional duties as might reasonably be requested by the Sexual Health Promotion Manager.
For further information and an application pack please contact Laurent on 020 8741 1879 or Laurent@naz.org.uk
£28,539 inc. LW (Cost of living increase pending, NJC Scale SO2
Point 32);
36 hours per week; Optional pension plan
Closing date for application: 5pm, Friday 28 September
Interviews: Tuesday 9 October (provisional)
Manor Gardens Advocacy Project delivers an innovative refugee training and volunteer programme in interpreting and bilingual advocacy and provides a service to newly arrived communities accessing primary health care in Camden and Islington.
You will oversee the Advocacy Project’s activities and services and ensure they are delivered to a high standard. You will be responsible for the overall strategic development of the project, managing and motivating staff, monitoring and evaluating their work, fundraising and working in partnership with key organisations.
You will be an experienced project manager who enjoys a demanding and varied workload. You will have experience of fundraising and staff management and a good knowledge of refugee issues, advocacy and community interpreting. You will be highly motivated, enthusiastic and have excellent organisational, communication and IT skills.
Manor Gardens Centre particularly encourage people from black, minority ethnic and refugee communities to apply.
For further details and an application form please email: sue@manorgardenscentre.org or send an A4 sized self addressed envelope (72p) to Susan Atkinson, Manor Gardens Centre, 6-9 Manor Gardens, London N7 6LA or phone 020 7272 4231
Starting salary £ 24,297 p.a. + 5% pension
Deadline:5pm on Friday 28th September 2007
To:
- provide advice on immigration and employment issues
- offer support in accessing mainstream services and specialist English
classes
- campaign and advocate for migrant domestic workers' rights
For more information and an application form, please click here
