This project aims to support small and medium community organisations in areas of capacity-building needs identified by the groups themselves. As part of our 2008 progarmme. we are now in the process of recruiting 10-15 community groups to provide them with free1-2-1 targeted technical support to build up their governance and operational structures, help them with business and project planning and management and increase their access to resources and funding. The groups will be selected on ‘first come, first serve” basis. If you wish to be considered for support please fill in the online form: Outreach Capacity Building Support. (Click here )

Are you trying to start or grow an organisation that benefits your community?
Would you like to hear from people who have been there and done it?
Would you benefit from a day of leadership training to learn about social entrepreneurship and social enterprise?

The School for Social Entrepreneurs (SSE) supports individuals - social entrepreneurs - who strive to improve people's lives and affect change in their communities. We are running this event for people to sample SSE's approach and to provide leadership skills training for social and community entrepreneurs. During this training you will hear from social entrepreneurs Ola Onigbinde who set up Faith Action (www.faithaction.org) and Tokunbo Ajasa-Oluwa, who set up Catch 22 CIC (www.catch22mag.com). Emma Mortoo, Director of Learning at the School for Social Entrepreneurs, our in house legal expert, will be giving an overview of the different legal structure options available for social organisations. You will learn about the characteristics that make social entrepreneurs successful. You will also learn about social enterprise, and how this relates to other types of social organisations such as charities.

SSE works with a diverse range of individuals and organsiations. They particularly welcome people to this event from black and minority ethnic groups.

If you would like to attend this event please e-mail: dorota.luksza@sse.org.uk, or telephone: (020) 8981 0300

Rights of Women works to attain justice and equality by informing, educating and empowering women on their legal rights. They core services include two advice lines which offer free, confidential legal advice to women. They also specialise in providing high quality, practical and accredited legal training in the area of women’s rights.

They offer the following list of training for autumn/winter 2008:

• Meeting the needs of trafficked women: immigration and criminal law
  London 10 September 2008, 9.30am – 1pm
  
• Pathways to Justice: BMER women, domestic violence and relationship breakdown
  London 5 November 2008, 9.30am – 1pm

• Forced marriage: the new law
  London 6 October 2008, 9.30am – 1pm
  
• Protecting women from persecution: claiming asylum in the UK and financial support throughout the process
  London 22 September 2008, 9.30am – 4.30pm
  
• Finding refuge: gender-based violence and seeking asylum in the UK
  London 1 October 2008, 9.30am – 1pm
  
• Supporting survivors of domestic violence: law and practice
  London 27 November 2008, 9.30am – 4.30pm
  
• Supporting survivors of sexual violence: law and practice
  London 3 December 2008, 9.30am – 4.30pm

Please contact the Training Officer with any enquiries on 020 7251 6575/6 or training@row.org.uk.

9 and 11 September 2008

AdviceUK London Team is holding 2 free seminars in September for advice organisations looking at workforce sustainability and governance issues. Please distribute this information to your members and feel free to advertise it in your mailings, website and other media.

Workforce sustainability - Getting the balance right
How can advice centres invest in workforce development in the current funding environment?

The Sustainable Advice Project (S.A.P.) and the Governance Project will host a joint seminar on workforce sustainability. Advice organisations and Trustees will have the opportunity to meet together with other members and at the same time hear from a range of speakers that will seek to address questions on how members can meet the challenges and opportunities presented by workforce sustainability.
The sessions will focus on the following issues around workforce development:

• Attracting the right people - skills recruitment and retention
• Overcoming barriers to staff development
• Addressing skills and training needs
  

Click here to download info and booking form. If you are interested in attending or have any queries please complete the Booking Form and return to: Siobhan Hogan, Advice Services Development Worker, tel: 020 7407 662 or email: siobhan.hogan@adviceuk.org.uk for further information.

Wednesday 3rd September 2008, 9.30am-4pm
Paddington Arts

ENYAN (English National Youth Arts Network), is pleased to announce this FREE one-day seminar providing clarity around existing youth and arts related policy with particular reference to facilities and provision. Hear from the Greater London Authority who will be providing an overview of how the above has been integrated and will be delivered specifically within London.

This event also features a live youth consultation workshop with a diverse range of young people from across the city, facilitated by the British Youth Council, providing a fantastic opportunity to pose your questions and find out what young people actually want!

For further information regarding ENYAN please contact Anna Rubycz, ENYAN Development Manager, hello@enyan.co.uk or call 023 8063 0960.

London Councils has commissioned CSAS to develop a website on Anti-Social Behaviour and diversionary activities for young people. The aim of the website is to:

• Create an on-line directory of community based diversion and support schemes;
• Improve referrals and partnership working between the voluntary sector, statutory sector and other agencies working in the field of crime reduction and ASB;
• Provide information and advice to voluntary and community groups working in the area of youth offending and ASB;
• Increase awareness of what the VCS has to offer.
  

Do you work in the field of ASB? If so CSAS want your input in order to make the website as effective as possible and ensure that it meets your needs. With that in mind, please take a moment to complete ASB website questionnaire and tell them what functions you would like to see on the new site. Please recommend details of projects / diversionary activities whose details should be profiled.

To download the questionnaire click here

Please return completed questionnaires via email to csas@lat.org.uk or hard copies to this address: London Action Trust, 88 Clapham Road, London SW9 0JR

The Refugee Council is delighted to work with Asylum Aid in co-ordinating support for the ‘Charter of Rights of Women Seeking Asylum’.

The Charter is a framework of principles aimed at persuading the UK Border Agency (UKBA) to take both a strategic approach to the needs of women seeking asylum and to put in place the operational procedures and safeguards that will remove the discriminatory barriers they face. A multi-level approach to promoting the Charter, encompassing strategy, operational policy and service delivery, will be adopted in relation to the UKBA.

The Charter is the result of an extensive consultation process with asylum seeking women themselves and with peer agencies across the refugee, women’s and human rights sector. It is restricted to actions that are the UKBA’s responsibility.

Organisations that endorse the Charter commit themselves to promoting those aspects that are relevant to their work (eg a detention NGO would promote the actions to do with detention).

For the Charter, accompanying Explanatory Notes and information about joining the e-network, please go to www.asylumaid.org.uk

To endorse the Charter, just send an email stating this along with your organisation’s name to charter@asylumaid.org.uk

For more information you can contact Debora Singer DeboraS@asylumaid.org.uk

A new and exciting music project commencing on the 23rd Sept 2008 at WAC Performing Arts and Media College in Hampstead at the Interchange Studios.

If you are musician or vocalist aged between 14-25 years and want to know how you can learn more about Jazz music and create exciting new jazz music from your own perspective, we want to hear from you. The Jazz Alive 2008 project will take a group of dedicated young people on a journey through jazz music which will include:

• studio recording discipline and skills
• masterclasses from prominent UK Jazz artists
• visits to the BBC live studio at Maida Vale to witness a live jazz broadcast and meet the presenters
• visits to the London Jazz Festival
• music workshops and rehearsals which will lead to the production of a 3 - 5 minute original composition by students based on a fusion of classic jazz sounds and current popular music

The course will culminate in a short tour of this composition by the students and professional jazz musicians. It runs for twelve weeks. Depending on age group it will either be a tues or thurs night, 6-9pm.

To get an application form, email: info@jazzalive.co.uk or phone call 07932 897 484.

More information at www.jazzalive.co.uk

GAIN (Governance, Access, Inclusion and Networking) a development programme for potential board members from Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) groups, and for the boards of arts, heritage and sports organisations is now accepting:

1. Applications from Organisations
2. Applications from Potential Board Members

The Gain programme was launched, as a pilot, on 31 March 2004, after significant research and development. The Pilot was steered and funded by three partners: Arts Council England, the Greater London Authority and Arts & Business.

The Gain programme is aimed at London based sports arts and heritage organisations, that are committed to promoting good management practice and can offer Gain participants an exciting and challenging opportunity at board management level.Organisations seeking to attract a diverse range of board members are encouraged to apply. Participating organisations will gain access to the pool of talented and highly skilled participants. The programme provides training and development opportunities for participating organisations, enhancing the skills set of its board members.

Application Form for Organisations (click here)

Closing Date to apply: 31 October 2008. Decisions will be made by April 2009 in most instances.

City Bridge Trust want to support work which minimises violence and helps young people recover from violence or bullying where they have been the victims. Parents need more help in supporting their children if they have been victims, but equally need help with what to do if they suspect their children are involved in violence or bullying. They will fund organisations for up to a maximum of three years for work which meets at least one of these priorities and where you can demonstrate a track record in the field. This programme will be carefully evaluated and the learning from it disseminated widely.

The priorities are:

• Work with young people aged up to 21 years which provides practical alternatives to using or experiencing violence including ‘bullying’. This might be personal safety training, self-defence techniques, anger management, conflict-avoidance skills and peer-group support.
• Services supporting parents with practical information and skills to support their child as a victim of violence or bullying.

Or:

• Services advising parents on how to deal with a young person on the periphery of, or involved in, violence or bullying.
• Work which gives emotional and practical support to children affected by crime including domestic violence.

Projects will then be expected to commence within six months of a grant being awarded.

For further information please contact them on 020 7332 3710 or citybridgetrust@cityoflondon.gov.uk

Closing date: Tuesday 29th July 2008
Salary : £24,260 pa pro rata for 21 hours per week + 25 days annual leave + public holidays.

The Disability Law Service is a national charity that provides a free legal service for disabled people. Due to expansion, an exciting opportunity has arisen for a legally qualified and experienced adviser experienced in Welfare Benefits law to work within our legal team.

Based at our accessible office in E.1, the post involves an interesting mix of advice and casework, outreach, training and other awareness raising activities.

More information and an application form can be downloaded from their website: www.dls.org.uk

Or phone 020 7791 9800 / email: natalya@dls.org.uk to request a pack. Application packs are also available, upon request, in Braille, large print and on audiocassette.

Closing date for receipt of applications: Wednesday 30th July

Following their success in tendering for new projects Islington Voluntary Action Council is recruiting to three new posts:

Head of Services and Capacity Building: £39,031 p.a. Hours 35 pw

This is the senior management role at IVAC with responsibility for a programme of work providing capacity building to third sector organisations and supporting voluntary action by individuals. The post holder will work closely with the Chief Executive to develop IVAC as an organisation and our services to communities in Islington.

Head of LINk Services: £33,777 p.a. Hours 35pw

IVAC has successfully tendered to host the Local Involvement Network in Islington. We are looking for somebody to lead on supporting the network, ensuring that the views and experience of service users and communities shape the development of health and social care services.

Support Officer: Islington LINk £26,928 p.a. Hours 35pw

Reporting to the Head of LINk Services you will support the LINk to enable service users and communities to shape the development of health and social care services in the borough. This will include collection and collation of information, taking responsibility for database, website content and other communications and organising meetings and events.

IVAC is adjacent to the Angel shopping centre with excellent public transport links. They provide 30 days annual leave plus public holidays and have negotiated substantial discounts on use of borough leisure facilities for our staff.

For an application pack please download from the web site www.ivac.org.uk or call or write to our recruitment advisor, Anne Gadson, on 01494 478801, email ivac@hradvantage.co.uk