Deadline: 1 March 2008

The project aims to build up quality systems, policies and procedures of the beneficiary organisations to meet the standards of obtaining Quality Mark or PQASSO. We have space for up to 10 new community groups to receive this free service from now until August 2008. The groups will be selected on ‘first come, first serve” basis. If you are interested please fill in the online application form. (Click here)

Saturday 8 March; Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre and Central Hall Westminster.

Every year, capitalwoman brings London women of all ages and backgrounds together to discuss the issues affecting them. Open and free to all women, the conference coincides with International Women's Day and is organised by Mayor Ken Livingstone. Capitalwoman enables women to question the Mayor, policy makers and women's representatives directly on issues such as childcare, education, workplace issues and travel safety. Capitalwoman has grown rapidly since it started in 2001. Three hundred women attended the first ever conference, whereas over 2,000 people attended in 2007. More London women than ever want to have a say in how their city is run and in developing the policies affecting them.

For further information and registration click here.

Saturday 8 March; 12.30-17.30 ;Robert Burns Room, QEII Centre, SW1P 3EE

What is a carer? By carer we mean someone who looks after a disabled or ill friend, relative or neighbour, and does so in an unpaid capacity. Is this you? If the answer is yes – nearly 10 per cent of Londoners are carers, and most Londoners will face issues of caring at some point in their lives - then while at capitalwoman 2008 please drop in to the carers’ room/surgery.

There will be: a range of information stalls provided by some of the key voluntary organisations in London as well as the Greater London Authority; the opportunity to talk to Carers Advisors about any aspect of caring - health, access to services, income: eg benefits check, income maximisation; a chance to chat with other carers; more about work the Mayor is doing on London carers.

This initiative is part of CapitalWomen. For further information and registration click here.

Friday 28th March 2008; 10am-2pm
Government Office for London; Riverwalk House, 157-161 Millbank; London, SW1P 4RR

Did you know that your Local Strategic Partnership (LSP) is responsible for implementing the Local Area Agreement (LAA), a 3 year mandatory agreement between your local authority and the regional Government Office. This agreement sets out the priorities in relation to such matters as health, employment, crime and education with the aim of bringing improvements to your local area. The LAA also directs the amount of funding LSPs will receive in order to work with the public, private and third sector to deliver on the agreed targets.
Your LSP is made up of public, private and third sector bodies including social enterprises and voluntary and community groups and will be instrumental in ensuring that LAA priorities and targets have a positive impact on local communities. Are you having your say on what those priorities should be or what resources are required to benefit communities?

This event will provide BME organisations with a comprehensive view of the LSP and the LAA. You will have the opportunity to find out what your LSP should be doing to engage BME communities in the decision making processes and what the BME sector can do to ensure their voices are being heard. Presentations will be given from the Government Office for London as well as the Community Development Foundation on the Government’s new Global Grants initiative aimed at providing grant funding for small organisations. You will also hear examples of good practice between one LSP and its engagement with the local BME community in London.

To book for this free event and for further information contact Angela Spence at angela@bteg.co.uk, tel. 020 7843 6110

Monday 31st March 2008, Cavendish Conference Centre, 22 Duchess Mew, London, W1G 9DT

Around 200,000 young people aged 16 to 18 in England and Wales enter the not in education, employment or training (NEET) group each year. Ensuring that young people do not fall into this cycle of exclusion, poverty and disillusionment can only be achieved through partnership.

This highly practical national conference brings together the key stakeholders across the sector to provide you with best practice examples of how to prevent young people from becoming NEET, identify and effectively intervene with those at risk and sustain young people on progression pathways in partnership. Expert speakers will look at the national agenda as well as local initiatives that are achieving positive results, giving you plenty of practical information to take away and incorporate into your own NEET strategy.

For further information and bookings click here.

Friday 29 February, Saturday 1 and Sunday 2 March; Tricycle Cinema, London
Box Office: 020 7328 1000

Empowerment, Self-perception, Remember and Reflect are conveyed through Images of BlackWomen (IBW) 2008 selection of fascinating films. Q's & A's and panels offer revealing insights and stimulating environments where ideas and knowledge can be rampantly exchanged. IBW provides a platform where films become a pretext and a context for engagement, so do come to contribute to the discussions! Alongside outstanding UK industry specialists such as June Givanni & Gaylene Gould we will have a number of special guest speakers taking part in discussions with the exclusive contribution of Jimmy Jean-Louis.

For further information and the full programme click here.

Thursday 5th June 2008
QEII Conference Centre, Westminster

Building on the success of SDUK 208 and GovNet's Annual Housing Conference, this unprecedented event will highlight the overarching principles of the Government's vision for sustainable communities. Join over 300 colleagues and 25 industry experts to encourage and develop genuine suistainable communities which meet the needs of existing and future generations through social, economic and environmental change.

For further information click here.

International Women's Day: 8 March 2008

International Women’s Day has passed largely unnoticed in this country for many years except for local events and protests organised predominately by refugee and migrant communities. This year a coalition of individuals and women’s organisations (see www.millionwomenrise.com for list of supporters) are co-ordinating a national march to raise the issue of gendered violence against women. Violence against women happens everywhere, and takes many forms. Women and girls of all ages, from all classes, from all ethnic backgrounds, regardless of their immigration status, their colour, their sexuality or their disability, experience it. Violence devastates the lives of women, their families, and their communities. We call on women to come together to raise our voices, join forces, gain strength from each other and create an immovable force for change that challenges the oppression of women in its most brutal manifestations. It is an opportunity to remember, to celebrate and to plan for the future.

For further information click here.

Salary £23,000, pro rata 21 hours a week (three months initial contract)
Closing Date: 5pm, Monday 17 March 2008
Interviews: Week beginning Monday 31 March 2008

AFRUCA – Africans Unite Against Child Abuse is the premier charity promoting the rights and welfare of African children in the UK. AFRUCA’s London office comprises a small team of five members of staff. As part of our work, we organise a range of training courses for practitioners across the UK. Most of the courses are held in London, although we are also invited by different agencies to deliver in-house training nation-wide. Although our training programme is still in its infancy, it is expected that demand will grow significantly in the coming years, necessitating the expansion of this area of work within the organisation.

As our Training and Administrative Assistant you will help ensure the smooth running of AFRUCA's London office. You will also assist in managing Afruca's training programme for practitioners who work with African children and Families. You must be an excellent organizer and a self starter, able to work on your own initiative while delivering impressive results. You must be a good communicator, with excellent written and oral skills. You must be enthusiastic, able to take on a key role in a small but dynamic organization. All AFRUCA 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

Closing date: Friday 14th March. Interviews: 1st April (MICO), 2nd April (PNO)

Community Links Bromley is a membership organisation which works to support, promote and facilitate the development of a strong, diverse, confident and effective voluntary and community sector in the London Borough of Bromley. Thanks to funding from the Big Lottery Fund’s BASIS programme, Community Links Bromley is establishing a new, three year project to significantly expand its support services for local voluntary and community groups.

These are exciting times for the voluntary and community sector in Bromley. The two posts are at the heart of a growing local infrastructure organisation. If you are looking for the challenge of making a major impact on the local sector and its communities, please contact us.
For an information pack please email: admin@communitylinksbromley.org.uk ; telephone: 020 8315 1902 or visit: www.communitylinksbromley.org.uk

Deadline for applications: 5pm on Thursday 13 March 2008.

The Equality and Diversity Forum (EDF) has a vacancy for a volunteer/intern to carry out information, IT and other work essential to the development of EDF’s role in contributing to the UK’s equality and human rights agenda.

EDF is the network of national organisations committed to progress on equality and human rights issues. It was established in 2002 to promote dialogue and understanding across the separate equality 'strands', and since then, it has made a significant contribution to improving the UK’s equality and human rights policy, law and machinery. EDF is a user-led umbrella organisation whose members organisations are active in all areas of discrimination and human rights.

The EDF is a unique channel of information between policy makers, statutory and voluntary organisations working on discrimination and rights issues. In order to carry out this role effectively, we need to improve our information systems, principally by developing and updating EDF’s database of just under 1000 organisations and improving our website and information systems. The post also involves helping to organise and the opportunity to attend EDF’s regular seminars and conferences.
This position would suit someone with good database (Microsoft Access) and IT skills and an interest in developing their understanding of the UK’s equality and human rights agenda. It is an opportunity to gain valuable work experience with a growing umbrella voluntary organisation and to build on existing administrative and information skills. The EDF Administrative and Information Officer will provide support but applicants should be self-motivated and able to work on their own initiative without supervision.
The post is based at EDF in the offices of Help the Aged, King’s Cross, London N1. The office is a friendly one and is wheelchair accessible and easy to reach by public transport (bus, train and underground).

We are looking to recruit someone to work 2 days per week for a minimum six-month period. The actual days and hours are negotiable. This is an unpaid position, however agreed travel expenses and lunch expenses will be met.

If you would like to discuss the position, please telephone Electra Babouri, EDF Administrative and Information Officer on 020 7843 1597. Alternatively, email info@edf.org.uk with the following: your CV, a covering letter giving your reasons for applying and your availability; contact details for two referees. We are looking for someone to start as soon as possible.

Salary £27,594 (pro rata) Temp to March 2011 (17.5hours). Ref No: Y/00109
Closing date for applications is Monday 10th March 2008

Pending the finalisation of the Grant Agreement for 3 years funding, Refugee Council is offering the posts of Team Manager in the Wraparound Services Team. There are three Initial Accommodation centres in the Yorkshire & Humberside region, in Leeds, Wakefield and Barnsley. These centres provide temporary accommodation for asylum seekers, most of whom are recently arrived in the UK, while their on-going support is set up. The Wraparound Services Team provides the advice and information service in all three centres, including delivering a series of standard briefings, completing applications for NASS support and providing a question and answer service. The post holder will be based in one of the centres where they will manage a team of project workers who offer advice and support in the centre. They will also work with the Office Manager to ensure that administrative procedures within the centre are effective. The Wraparound Services team works with relevant agencies including Borders and Immigration Agency, Local Authorities, private housing providers, community organisations, health institutions and other services. The team also works closely with volunteers providing services within the Initial Accommodation Sites. The post holder will attend regular Operations meetings with theses agencies.
Team managers are key members of the management team in each regional office. Management team members include the operations managers, team managers, the volunteer co-ordinator and the team administrator.

For a full application pack click here.

Salary £27,594 (pro rata) Temp Maternity Cover to January (21hours); Ref Y/00106
Closing date for applications is Sunday 2nd March 2008

The UK government has committed itself to a refugee resettlement programme whereby people fleeing persecution are selected and processed in the region of origin and brought to the UK with their status already determined. Under this scheme a specific quota of refugees will be coming to the UK for permanent resettlement. The Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Act 2002 contained provision for this programme and civil servants have been developing proposals for the pilot phase. The scheme began formally on 1st April 2003 with the first arrivals in Yorkshire and Humberside, a group of Liberian refugees who have been sheltering in Sierra Leone for some years, planned to arrive before the end of March 2004. Since then, Refugee Council have supported groups from Burma and Congo.

The Refugee Council has the lead responsibility for programme delivery in the Yorkshire and Humberside region. The resettlement team provides advice and support for resettled refugees to help them access services and mainstream provision, and establish community links. Working closely with local stakeholders and in partnership with other voluntary sector agencies running similar services across the UK, the Refugee Council resettlement team in Yorkshire and Humberside promotes both the integration and independence of this group.

The team manager will co-ordinate the work of the resettlement team in Sheffield. The Refugee Council has agreed to work in partnership with Safe Haven Housing association to deliver the regional programme. Safe Haven will provide the housing management of the regional partnership. The team manager will work closely with the management team at Safe Haven in Sheffield.

For a full application pack click here.