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 )

ESOL courses are for people whose first language is not English. We have courses at all levels from Entry (beginners) to Level 2 (equivalent to GCSE). Courses are at different times – morning, afternoon, late afternoon, evening and Saturday. Classes are at 4 main sites and at community venues. Enrolment is September 1-4 in 2008. After September 8th you will need to come to a centre to book an appointment. Assessment can take up to 3 hours. Classes are very popular so if you can study 3-6 or on Saturday, or are at level 1 or 2 you are more likely to find a place quickly.

Anyone with settled status in the UK can apply, including asylum seekers with 6 months in UK and those on spouse visas with ‘no recourse to public funds’ but who had lived in the UK for one year. Courses are free for those in receipt of benefits (e.g. housing benefit), Social Services or NASS. Those on low income may get help towards part of their fees, although this is subject to availability of funding. All learners will need to bring proof of their immigration status and a recent (no more than three months old) of being in receipt of benefits. Those on low incomes should bring in the last two months of payslips (original) in order to be considered for lower fees.

If you need further information on a specific course, you can contact course information unit on 020 7700 9200 or visit our website on http://www.candi.ac.uk

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.

The Refugee Women’s Resource Project at Asylum Aid has produced a film; "Random Acts." It is a filming of a play written by Debora Singer, coordinator of RWRP, which demonstrates the many barriers women face when seeking asylum in the UK. It brings together several different real experiences of women whom Asylum Aid has helped. The film can be accessed from website www.asylumaid.org.uk.

An information sheet is also available on the website. It details the many gender specific issues facing women seeking asylum; issues of childcare during interviews, having female case owners and the problems with internal relocation within the home country of the asylum seeker which is often advocated by the UKBA.

Deadline for Expressions of Interest: 12noon 12 September 2008.

On 30 July 2008 the process began to assess the feasibility of a London LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender) Community and Social Action Centre with the launch of the tender process for consultants at the Kairos in Soho Annual Conference and Friends Event.

Councillor Moss, Chairman of the Planning and City Development Committee, stated at the event that "Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender residents, workers and visitors are an important and valued part of the Soho Community.' He described Kairos in Soho as a 'trusted community organisation' that had had a significant impact on regeneration planning for Soho and the West End. The study is likely to start early in the new year.

To read the full text of the call click here.

Closing Date: 30 September 2008

TalkTalk Innovation in the Community Awards enables charity and community groups throughout the UK to harness the power of the Internet. 30 winners will receive cash grants of £2,000 each to fund technology related projects, as well as technology equipment to help them make the most of the Internet. Applications are invited from 1 July to 30 September 2008. Winners will be notified by 25 October 2008. The awards ceremony at the House of Lords and one-to-one workshops with Martha Lane Fox, will take place in November 2008.

If you are a UK based not-for-profit organisation or community group looking to extend your work through the use of the Internet you could be eligible for one of 30 cash grants available. Five overall winners will also win technology equipment of their choice and a one-to-one workshop with celebrity Dotcom entrepreneur and co-founder of lastminute.com Martha Lane Fox.

In 2007, 30 winning UK charities and community groups used the grants to implement essential technology projects, from chat rooms on health issues to web-based support networks and other digital technologies.

To enter online or for further information click here.

The ArtVenture Freedom to Create Prize has been launched to recognise artists who use their talents to promote creative freedom, empathy, understanding and to confront discrimination and oppression. This unique and significant creative award carries a US$ 100,000 prize divided between three categories - the main prize, a youth prize and a prize to recognise imprisoned artists.
Submissions for the prize close on 31 October, 2008.

Entries will be judged on:
1. The artist’s use of the arts to highlight oppression within a human rights context
2. The message inherent in the piece or body of work
3. The nature of the oppression suffered by the artist/s and which is featured in the artwork/s
4. How the piece and the message was disseminated to the public
5. The nature of the impact of the art work in the broader community
6. The timing of the art work’s dissemination by reference to events at the time
7. The personal risk incurred by the entrant/s in creating and/or disseminating the artwork
8. How the successful entrant will use each component of the prize money allocated to them
9. What advocacy group the successful entrant nominates to further the cause the art work has highlighted, what its primary objective is, how successful it is in achieving its aims, and the specific campaign the prize monies will be directed towards

For more information see: http://www.FreedomToCreatePrize.com

The maximum amount of funding:£750.
Deadline for completed applications: 29th August
Applicants will be informed by 5th September

The Peace Fund is a fundraising scheme which gives grants to local initiatives with the sole aim of bringing HOPE (Helping Other People Excel).

The Peace Fund will support a grassroots grant giving scheme to enable isolated and vulnerablecommunities develop their own peace initiatives. The Peace Fund will ensure that young people in particular are able to get involved in making their schools and communities better places to be in.

If you would like to apply for a small grant to participate in London Peace Week click here

Two foundations that give grants to local communities in the London area are to merge to form one of the capital's largest funders.
The Capital Community Foundation and Thames Community Foundation will form a single organisation by the end of the year. The two charities, which work mostly in south London, said the merger would offer them wider geographic reach and lower costs. They also said a single set of contact details would make them easier to reach. The two foundations were set up to manage funds donated by individuals and institutions to benefit their local communities. Between them, they have handed out £17m over the past five years to more than 2,200 charities. The organisations received an additional £8m each in funding from the Office of the Third Sector last year, which will be used to provide up to £3 of funding for each pound donated locally. The merged organisation, whose name is yet to be determined, has promised to maintain its local panels and grant-making facilities. It will continue to operate all the separate funds currently available.
Trustees of both boards have given their support to the merger. "There is an excellent geographic fit between us and by combining forces we will be able to raise more money for charity and grow our endowment funds at a faster rate," said Carole Souter, chair of trustees at the Capital Community Foundation. "This merger is great news for both our donors and the charities and community projects which through us they support," said Grant Gordon, chair of trustees at Thames Community Foundation.

Race on the Agenda (ROTA) is looking to make 12 appointments for members to sit on its Transformative Justice Forum.

Race on the Agenda is a social policy think-tank set up in April 1997 to take over from the Greater London Action on Race Equality which started in 1984. As a charity and a company limited by guarantee, ROTA works with London’s Black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) communities and others interested in race equality, towards achieving social justice by the elimination of discrimination and promotion of human rights, diversity and equality of opportunity. We achieve these aims by informing London’s strategic decision-makers about the issues affecting the BAME third sector and the communities it serves and by making government policy more accessible to London’s BAME organisations.

The Transformative Justice Forum will be a multi-agency cross-sector partnership that seeks to improve communication and cooperation between London’s Third Sector organisations, private and statutory agencies that work to combat hate crime and those that work in close contact with groups that experience high victimisation levels.

ROTA is inviting applications from individuals who possess specialist knowledge and expertise in criminal justice and equality matters relating to London. Forum members will be expected to commit to attend bi-monthly meetings and comply with certain conditions as specified under the job description. In return for your participation and insight a financial contribution will be made and transport expenses will also be reimbursed.

If you would like a detailed job description or have any queries regarding these appointments please email Anthony@ROTA.org.uk or telephone 020 7729 1310. Deadline for applications is 29 August 13:00.