The forum will take place on 8 September 2010, from 9.30am – 12.45pm (followed by lunch) at North Smethwick Development Trust, Brasshouse Lane, Smethwick, West Midlands, B66 1BA.

The forum will be an opportunity for participants to:

• Network with peers and learn more from one another
• Identify key issues
• Gain new ideas and knowledge
• Shape the design and focus of future meetings
• Share resources and develop new skills.

There will also be a chance to benefit from a marketing case study from North Smethwick Development Trust. Download the Good Practice Forum Programme for more information.

Additionally, the forum will provide an opportunity to find out how other social enterprises plan to mark the forthcoming Social Enterprise Day on 18 November 2010.

If you would like to attend please book your place by 4pm on Friday, 3 September 2010 by contacting Rupinder Drew, email: r.drew@socialenterprisewm.org.uk or tel: 024 7663 3911.

You will need to be a registered member (which is free) and you can register online at SEWM.

• Sandwell Council Assist – A ‘one-stop’ telephone service that will make it easier, simpler and quicker to find out about adult services within Sandwell.
• Information Point – A full directory of care and support services in Sandwell.
• Personal budgets – Giving people who use services the control and choice of the services they want.
• Ambassadors’ Forum – Enabling local people to help shape new services and provide valuable feedback.

The session will take place on 22 September 2010 at 2.00pm at SCVO, 1st Floor Landchard House, Victoria Street, West Bromwich, B70 8ER.

If you would like to book a place at this briefing session, please contact Leona Bird – leona@scvo.info or telephone 0121 525 1127.  If you can’t make this session but would like to find out more, please also contact Leona.

Sandwell MBC are now conducting a partner search for organisations to contract for Post 16 NEETs (Not in Education, Employment and Training) provision, under the latest ESF tendering round. The ESF tender is worth £5,594,952 for 2492 starts across the Black Country.

Ideally, they would like to hear from voluntary and community sector organisations with a track record of NEET provision, who are interested in delivering initial engagement activities and/or support, advice and guidance to vulnerable and non-vulnerable client groups:

Vulnerable young people at greater risk of being classified as NEET include:

• learners with learning difficulties and/or disabilities;
• young offenders;
• young people in care and care leavers;
• young carers;
• substance misuse;
• teenage parents;
• other groups whose outcomes are consistently below those of their peers;
• certain ethnic minority groups (including Roma/travellers);
• socio-economically disadvantaged young people.

Non-vulnerable young people are those who are not classified by the local referral service into one of the groups above.

Interested organsiations do not need to be able to deliver the full service user journey and can be a specialist organisation offering specialist support, training or an innovative activity with young people.

Please contact Kelly Thomas, Economic Regeneration and Skills, Sandwell MBC, tel: 0121 569 3743 or email: kelly_thomas@sandwell.gov.uk and ask to be sent a short pro-forma to register their interest. 

The deadline for expressions of interest is Friday 3 September 2010. If you require additional time for completion please discuss this with Kelly Thomas.

Make your needs known to SCVO, by completing the short survey either online or in paper-based format. To find out more and take part, please visit the Consultation section of SCVO website.

If you have any questions, or need help completing the survey please contact Mark Triggs, tel: 0121 525 1127 or email: markt@scvo.info

Details are attached – Business Support Officer

Applications and queries to be contacted to:

Email: ask@changingourlives.org

or write to:

     Changing Our Lives
     Office 14, Brook House
     Brook Street
     Tipton
     DY4 9DD

Deadline: 3rd September 2010

Courses take place over the next three months and are free of charge if you meet Business Link eligibility criteria:

• Your organsiation should have five employees or volunteers (but less than 250 employees in total);
• A balance sheet no greater than £45 million;
• You should not have used this type of funding in the past three years.

You should check out important information at the end of this article, before booking your place.

Workshops on offer include:

Creative Thinking  

This workshop aims to encourage people in your organisation to think more creatively, finding new ways to achieve goals and looking at problems in novel ways. 

At the end of the course you will be able to encourage your organisation to challenge the status quo, recognise opportunities and proactively encourage collaboration.

The next workshop takes place on 20 September 2010 at Edgbaston Golf Club. Download the workshop details for more information.

Media Skills

This workshop aims to improve your understanding of how the media works and how you can better manager your contact with journalists.

At the end of the course you will know the rules for constructing an effective press release and how to develop relationships with journalists.

The workshop takes place in the purpose built televisions studios on Birmingham University Campus. The workshop is managed by Chameleon Training, hosted by the University Studio and delivered by media professionals.

The next workshop takes place on 16 September 2010 at Birmingham University Campus. Download the workshop details for more information.

Neuro Linguistic Programming (NLP) & Not For Profit Organistions

This workshop will enhance your ideas in organisational and personal thinking. Introducing you to NLP and how it can help you become more personally effective.

At the end of the workshop, you will understand how NLP can be used to teach methods of creative motivation and how to remain effective under pressure.

The next workshops take place on 26 October or 8 November 2010 in Birmingham. Download the workshop details for more information.

How To Get The Absolute Best Out Of The Internet

Learn how to implement a clear Internet strategy for your organisations online presence, making technology work for you and targeting your audience effectively.  This workshop is not just about getting more hits to your website.  Learn how to use the Internet to engage with the right people, at the right time. 

 At the end of the workshop you will know more about social media and how to evaluate the effectiveness of your website.

The next workshops take place on 23 August or 13 September 2010 in Birmingham.  Download the workshop details for more information.

Important information:

Costs:

The funding arrangements mean that one person from your organisation can attend one workshop free of charge. Chameleon Training uses the Directors Development Fund which is available from Business Link. Funding takes approximately four weeks to confirm with Business Link and you must not have used this funding in the last three years.

The funding mechanism is:
 
1. You express an interest in the event and reserve a place pending funding agreement. Chameleon will complete a Referral Form on your behalf and send it to Business Link (Chameleon are approved suppliers).

2. Business Link will email you the standard forms. Most of the information is filled in for you, so you just need to read it and add some additional information. This takes about 15 minutes.

3. Business Link approve your funding in writing, which means you are completely sure there is no cost involved.

Bookings

Book your place early to allow time for the form process by contacting Chameleon Training Consultants, tel: 0121 440 3859.

The tender is to provide at  least 6 Dementia Cafes, for 2 hours per month in a variety of locations across the Borough of Sandwell, providing a regular presence in each of the six towns.

The Dementia Cafes Tender specifies cafes will operate to the Dr. Bere Miessen model where a relaxed, welcome setting is provided so people can share fears and concerns about dementia, and receive help & support.

Applications must have a track record of providing support to people with dementia and their carers in an evidence-based way.

The proposed start date for the contract is 1 December 2010 and will run until 31 March 2013.

Deadline for completed tenders along with any supporting documentation must be returned by post no later than 4.00pm on Wednesday, 15 September 2010.

Progression to the next stage is dependent upon successfully qualifying through the tender evaluation stages. Details of this are available in tender documentation, available only from:  margaret_gillett@sandwell.gov.uk   Please note: documentation will be sent out week commencing 16 August 2010.

After reading the tender documentation you might consider working collaboratively with others to deliver this service. If so, please register your interest with Martin Drayton, 3Cs Project Officer, tel: 0121 525 1127 or email: martind@scvo.info

This tender opportunity was originally advertised on finditinsandwell.  For the latest contracting opportunities register today.  SCVO have produced Getting Started On Findit to help you through the registration process. To find out more about findit check out SCVO findit pages.

The Project forms part of NAVCA’s Local Commissioning and Procurement Unit, an online resource of useful documents, briefings and research to improve your knowledge, understanding and skills around commissioning and procurement.

SCVO urge Sandwell based organsiations to take advantage of the Project, which is now open to all voluntary and community sector organisations (including social enterprises) across England.

Organisations can now receive up to £500 worth of high-quality expert help for just £50.

One day of consultancy is available and can be used for single or partnership bids to assist with both pre-tender and around the time of bid submissions.

To find out more or to make an enquiry about the Tender Support Project, contact Pauline Kimantas, Local Commissioning and Procurement Manager, NAVCA, tel: 0114 289 3982 or email: Pauline.Kimantas@navca.org.uk 

The support is time limited and applications for support will need to be made before end December 2010.

Speakers gave a national and local perspective on issues of importance and delegates heard a case study from an organisation who had been successful in coming through difficult times. 

Workshops were also held for organisations to share ideas and discuss practical steps which could be taken to ensure the sector survives and thrives in coming years.

Following the main conference delegates attended a market stall of organisations to find out more about the support services that were available to them.

Please click on the links below to access all relevant information from the Conference:-

‘The Bigger Picture’ - Jan Mellor – Mellor Lawrie Management
‘Support for the Sector’ - Mark Davis – SCVO
‘Case Study’ - Martin Holcombe – Birmingham Settlement

Presentations Summary

Workshop Summary

Evaluation Summary

Sandwell PCT are hosting a networking event on Thursday 8 July 2010, 1.00pm – 3.00pm at The Brambles, Bramley Road, Yew Tree Estate, WS5 4LE. 

Martin Drayton, Project Officer (3Cs) will be attending from SCVO and there will be an opportunity to find out more about the support offer for voluntary organisations in Sandwell, including news about finditinsandwell and the 3Cs (Contracting, Collaboration and Consortia) support for the Sector.

If you would like to attend the event, please contact Ann Poynton, tel: 01922 423358 or email: ann.poynton@nhs.net