• Employment essential - 5th December
• Practical fundraising - 6th December
• Governance, management and administration - 12th December
• Strategic planning and leadership - 13th December

• community care and outreach
• work and social inclusion
• migration and citizenship

• 'Model' of society and health/mental health system';
• Practical skills and procedures
• Proposals for future projects and interventions
• Highlighting the disgraceful plight of the homeless mentally ill in Europe.

The 10th SMES Conference intends to focus critically on the following areas:

1.MENTAL HEALTH : Care and cure, inside and outside; the dialog and interaction
between the various sectors supporting health and mental health in the community

2.WORK : The problem of participation and work for the socially excluded people.

3.MIGRATION : The access of migrants to health and social services and the rights of citizenship.

For more information and to book please click here or email to smeseu@smes-europa.org

• Explore the issues in providing culturally appropriate cancer care for patients from Black & Minority Ethnic Communities
• Celebrate the success of projects across the UK
• Learn new skills and share your views through participating in their selection of workshops
• Visit their market place displaying various stalls from charity work, to complementary therapies
• Be part of the launch of the National BME Cancer Awareness Week

• An interactive demonstration of the new online tool developed by RAGU (Refugee Assessment and Guidance Unit) for refugee teachers which will allow individuals to access information about the various routes into training and employment available to them.
• A live presentation of the new website of the Refugees into Teaching (RiT) national partnership project. This a stand alone website aimed at refugees seeking to teach in the UK. The website will be a source of information and advice for refugees who wish to register with the project. It will also have sections on various national events; training opportunities; policy issues; A-Z national list of relevant organizations and providers etc.

Wednesday 9th January 2008 at City Hall, London

Not enough is known about the needs of older refugees and how intersecting factors, such as age, migration status, gender and ethnicity impact on people’s lives, and how these can best be taken into account when devising services and policies. Older refugees are often particularly vulnerable as they are seldom recognised as having specific needs or for the contributions that they can make to the wider society. They become isolated as a result of their refugee status and because there are fewer engagement opportunities open to older people.

This ground breaking conference will be the culmination of the Older Refugees Programme - a 2-year partnership initiative, funded by Lloyds TSB, between Age Concern England, the Refugee Council, Age Concern London and the Greater London Association of Older Women (AGLOW), focusing on the issues, challenges and service needs of older refugees and asylum-seekers.

The conference, kindly hosted by the Greater London Authority and free to attend, will present the findings and key messages from the programme. It is aimed at an audience of service providers and policy makers responsible for addressing the needs of older refugees and asylum-seekers. The day will be a unique opportunity to explore how existing and potential initiatives can help to reduce the isolation experienced by many older refugees and promote their integration in to the local community and wider society.

This is an opportunity not to be missed if you have an interest at national or regional level in improving dignity, security and opportunity for older refugees.

To register your interest in attending this conference please email refugees@ace.org.uk or call 020 8765 7523.

Wednesday, 5th December 2007 – Central London

Attend this Capita one day interactive conference to hear the latest policy and guidance from DCSF and hear from a variety of successful support services and projects from across the country. Sessions will include:

An update on the progress of the Health Led Parenting Pilot Projects
How to support young parents back into education, employment and training
Provision of specialist maternity care for teenage parents
Engaging with and supporting young fathers
How to set up integrated, multi-agency support services for young parents
Working with teenage mothers to prevent repeat pregnancies
Chair: Nicola Baboneau, Community and Partnerships, The Learning Trust and Chair, Hackney and The City's Teenage Pregnancy and Partnership Board

Our expert speakers include:Alison Hadley (Programme Manager - Teenage Pregnancy Unit, DSCF); Debbie Fisher (Young Mums Team - Queen Charlotte’s and Chelsea Hospital); Jackie Kelly (Chief Executive - Ekaya Housing Association); Samantha Higgins (Young Parents Manager - Kent Teenage Pregnancy Partnership)

To book a place please contact David Moffat on 0207 808 5293 or email david.moffat2@capita.co.uk

14-16 December 2007
Hillcroft College, South Bank, Surbiton, Surrey KT6 6DF

This course is for Women who are involved in managing or setting up a Community Group.
To be an Effective Community Group and achieve your Mission, you need a blend of

• Sound management;
• Strong governance;
• Focus on results

This weekend course will help you:

• Define your Mission
• Set clear lines of accountability
• Look at funding opportunities and options
• Draft a Constitution and incorporate a community organization

You will also consider other legislation which may impact the group including Health and Safety and Employment law.

Exemption for tuition and accommodation fee for eligible students. Childcare available.

For more information: Email: enquiry@hillcroft.ac.uk /Tel: 020 8399 2688

Open Day: 6 December 2007; Lasa, central London;
Courses will start mid January 2008

This training is particularly targeted at asylum seekers who have intermediate English and reasonable knowledge and experience in IT systems either overseas or in the UK at a personal level or within a community setting. LASA particularly welcome asylum seeker women who are currently underrepresented in the IT sector.

The main aim of the training programme is to offer a specialised training package which includes an individual IT learning plan, career advice and shadow IT volunteering. The course will support Trainees to upgrade their IT skills and supported them in their pathways towards IT volunteering as Mobile IT Consultants.

The main features of the Training Programme are:
1. Training on Troubleshooting or IT planning within a voluntary or community organization
2. Support in looking for volunteering opportunities as a Mobile IT consultant.
3. Peer Support from IT specialist within LASA and Career Advice
4. Limited sponsorship to National IT/CR conference in February 2008 for some participants.
5. Find out about networking opportunities within the IT sector ( Circuit Rider)
6. Travel expenses and child care support will be available

Interested candidates should contact Jacky Moran at 02074264497 or send an email to jmoran@ lasa.org.uk to book a place on our Open Day.

Outline proposal forms can be submitted up to 29 August 2008. The deadline for full applications is 30 November 2008. All decisions will be made by 31 March 2009.

Family Learning involves learning activities where children and parents, including those who act in a parenting role, learn jointly and where there are clear learning outcomes for both children and parents. A wide range of activities may provide family learning opportunities. Family learning allows parents to learn more about how their children learn and wherever possible, leads both adults and children to pursue further learning.

The Family Learning programme aims to increase the number of high quality family learning opportunities available and to make these more accessible to families who face particular barriers to involvement in learning or who are not confident helping their children's learning. BLF will support projects that take an actively inclusive approach and are responsive to the needs of groups who have not been involved in learning in the past.

Qualifications of Applicant
Charities and organisations from the community and voluntary sector (including social enterprises), statutory (including schools, children's centres and local authorities) or private sector may apply, though statutory and private organisations must work with a voluntary sector partner.

For the guidelines click here. If you would like advice and support with your application, please contact e.haughton@towerhamlets.gov.uk

Deadline: 8 January 2008; Grants available up to a maximum of £12,000

To provide funding support to locally-run and managed voluntary and community organisations to run projects that increase race equality and community cohesion. The initiative has the following four key priorities:

• Improving the experiences of people from BME backgrounds in relation to access and outcomes from public services - education, employment, health, housing and the Criminal Justice System.
• Increasing the confidence of people from BME backgrounds in public services.
• Tackling racism and extremism.
• Bringing together communities from different races and faiths, and promoting a shared sense of belonging.

Qualifications of Applicants

• For small organisations with income less than £50,000 per year
• Organisations need to have a constitution or set of rules
• Organisations should be run by volunteers, or with one full-time or 2 part-time equivalent paid staff

For more information: E-mail: ccplus@cdf.or.uk/ Website: http://www.cdf.org.uk

Deadline: 12 December 2007;

Since 2004, the Baring Foundation has been contributing to the core costs of a small number of arts organisations for their work with refugees and asylum seekers and application was by invitation only. The programme is now subject to open application rounds.

Eligible activities: Arts organisations that are currently working with refugees, asylum seekers, migrants or host communities that can demonstrate the impact their work is making on the quality of life of individuals or communities, and that need help with their core costs* to help them to sustain or develop this work, are eligible to apply. The Foundation is particularly interested in work with newly arrived refugees, asylum seekers or their host communities. Work in the arts may be:
• facilitating the integration of refugees, asylum seekers and migrants into their host community
• challenging media stereotypes
• creating opportunities for education, training or employment in the arts or another field; or,
• otherwise improving the quality of life of refugees, asylum seekers or migrants

The Fund is only open to:

• constituted, not-for-profit arts organisations based in England, Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland and working principally in the UK;
• arts organisations already working with refugees, asylum seekers or their host communities on issues affecting refugees and asylum seekers;
• Applicants must have annual expenditure, in 2006/07, of at least £50,000.

For more information: click here

Grants may be for amounts of up to £100,000.

The Foundation has the aim of encouraging the highest standards of management and long-term self-reliance in non-profit making organisations through the provision of grants.

Funding is primarily allocated for Community development, Health, Arts & culture and Education.
The Foundation seeks to support the types of projects that organisations undertake to achieve their goals and reach long-term self-sufficiency. Projects may involve capital improvements, technology upgrades, organisational development and planning initiatives.

For more information:Tel: 01732 777364/E-mail: ewa.morgan@fidelity.com / click here