Contents 1. Forum 2. Open House 3. Voluntary & Community Sector & Connexions Draft Strategy Update 4. Community Funding Seminar 5. Training Event 6. Health & Safety Executive 7. Be Aware 8. Imagine! Productions 9. 24 Hour Coffee Break 10. Employment Opportunity 11. Meeting Rooms Available 12. Lolly Submissions 13. Publications 14. Apprenticeship Training for Ethnic Heritage Young People 15. Nationwide Awards for Voluntary Endeavour 16. The Electronic Lolly 17. Volunteers Needed 18. Brunshaw Action Group 19. FASawareUK 20. Lancashire Access to Mentoring Project 21. Every Child Matters 22. Year of the Volunteer 2005 23. working with Black and Minority Ethnic Communities in the Development of CAMHS 24. Celebrating Diversity 25. Educational Rescources 26. Do You Know a Star 27. Website 28. Awards for All 29. Action Earth 2005 30. Charities Information Bureau Training Programme Winter 2005 31. Argos 32. Lancashire’s Grants for Growth 33. The Camelot Foundation Transforming Lives DUE TO THE YOUTH OFFER BEING DELAYED BY CENTRAL GOVERNMENT THE FORUM WILL NOW TAKE PLACE AT THE LCVYS OFFICE LANCASHIRE COUNCIL FOR VOLUNTARY YOUTH SERVICES FORUM Draft Strategy for the Voluntary and Community Sector Involvement in Connexions and Update on Various Funding Opportunities Venue - LCVYS Office on Wednesday 23rd February 2005, 7 pm for 7.30 pm start. You may reserve your free place by contacting the office on 01772 250001 Tea and coffee will be available. OPEN HOUSE - LCVYS Open Evening Wednesday 16 March 6 pm to 8 pm or Monday 18 April 5 pm to 7.00 pm If you want to practise using the resources, utilise the funding desk, use the Funderfinder software, look through the InKindDirect catalogue or get general support and advice, contact the LCVYS office and book your place. VOLUNTARY & COMMUNITY SECTOR & CONNEXIONS DRAFT STRATEGY UPDATE This is moving from its current draft stage towards an agreed strategy. Comments to this strategy are still being received at the office and can and will still be included – visit http://www.lcvys.org.uk/download/index.htm for the documentation. The consensus from the returns (written and verbal) received appears to be the draft is in the main acceptable. Any queries, please contact Peter on pete@lcvys.org.uk or 01772 250001 or 07970 904029 COMMUNITY FUNDING SEMINAR Thursday 10 March, Guildhall Foyer, Preston If your group needs help with information on where to go to obtain funding or has a project you wish to fund but don’t know where to start or even any questions on how your group is run, or should be run, this is the event for you. All the workshops will provide useful information to enable you and your group to move forward and achieve your aims. You will also be able to book into one to one surgeries with the various agencies to help you progress. Workshop Information - Making a Successful Application, A Well Run Charity, The Lloyds TSB Foundation, Barclays, Local Heritage Initiative, The Rural Enterprise scheme, The Local Area Network Fund TRAINING EVENT Thursday 7 April, Mere Brow Village Hall If your group needs help with information on where to go to obtain funding or has a project you wish to fund but don’t know where to start or even any questions on how your group is run this is the event for you. All the workshops will provide useful information to enable you and your group to move forward and achieve your aims. You will also be able to book into one to one surgeries with the various agencies to help you progress. Workshop Information - Making a Successful Application, A Well Run Charity, Awards for All, The Big Lottery/Young People’s Fund, Lloyds TSB Foundation, Local Heritage Initiative, The Rural Enterprise scheme Both events are free of charge and include lunch. For information or a booking form contact Community Futures on 01772 717461 HEALTH & SAFETY EXECUTIVE The Health & Safety Executive issued a press release on 24 January about a firm calling itself "Health and Safety Registration Enforcement Division", which is sending out requests for payment "in order to achieve compliance with the law". The requests are sent from a Bradford address and quote £199 for registration if 'compliant' or £249 if 'non-complaint'. Anyone receiving such a letter should report it to their local HSE office, the HSE infoline on 08701 545500, or West Yorkshire police on 01924 292599. BE AWARE Lancashire Partnership Against Crime has brought to our attention a report from the American news agency CBS. Keep a watch out for people standing near you in the checkout line at retail stores, restaurants, supermarkets, etc who have a camera/video mobile phone in hand. With these types of phones, they can take a picture of your credit card, which gives them your name, number, and expiration date. CBS reported this type of card number theft is one of the fastest growing scams in America today. Be aware of your surroundings. Clearly, the suggestion here is that what happens in America today, happens here tomorrow. IMAGINE! PRODUCTIONS Imagine! Productions present the musical OLIVER at the Charter Theatre, Preston from Saturday 26th March to Sunday 3rd April 2005. Based on the novel by Charles Dickens the family musical features all the hit songs. Tickets: Children/Concessions £10.00 Adults £12.00 Call the box office on 01772 258858 24 HOUR COFFEE BREAK A 100g jar of roast ground coffee costs £1.30, yet an Ethiopian coffee farmer gets 7p. Don't like the bitter taste of poverty? Take action on 4 March 2005 - join thousands of coffee lovers around the UK who will be participating in a variety of coffee or chocolate themed fundraising events! For more information visit www.coffeebreak.org.uk EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY Lancashire Youth Association Project Administrator Part-time Post (25.2 hours weekly) - £14,106 pro rata The East Lancashire Community Cohesion Project is an innovative project that has been devised in response to local needs to cultivate voluntary action by young people in the community. It aims to bring young people together from across different communities and to provide them with a stake and voice in society. A responsive and self-motivated individual is required to provide administrative support to the project, based in Burnley. Essential: You will have at least 2 years administration experience, a high level of IT skills with a working knowledge of Microsoft Office, including Excel, and good word processing skills. You will possess excellent communication skills and be able to develop and maintain effective records. Application forms from: Lancashire Youth Association, 10 Fishergate Hill, Preston, PR1 8JB. Tel: 01772 556127 Email: mail@lya.org.uk Closing date: Friday 25th February 2005 Interview date: Tuesday 8 March 2005 All ELCCP posts are: supported by the Big Lottery Fund; partly financed by the European Regional Development Fund; subject to an enhanced disclosure check via the CRB; offered initially on a fixed contract to March 2006. The Association is committed to equal opportunities. We operate a No Smoking policy Registered charity number 518147 MEETING ROOMS AVAILABLE LCVYS has two meeting rooms available for use. Based in the centre of Preston on Guildhall Street, this is an ideal venue for groups of up to 8 (small room) or up to 30 people (large room) wishing to meet in professional surroundings away from their normal venue. Hot and cold drinks facilities are available. LCVYS also has a range of resources and office facilities available at a cost (free to LCVYS member organisations). The rooms are available during office hours of 9.30 am - 4.30 pm Monday to Friday but may also be booked at weekends and evenings by prior appointment. Contact LCVYS for rates and availability. LOLLY SUBMISSIONS If you would like to submit an article for inclusion in the next edition of the LCVYS Lolly Newsletter, the deadline is Friday 11th March 2005. The newsletter is circulated to over twelve hundred readers in either hard copy or by email. It is also available on the LCVYS website: www.lcvys.org.uk. Details of how to receive a copy of the electronic newsletter, free of charge are on page 5 of this newsletter. Alternatively to receive a hard copy at a cost of £15.00 per annum please contact the LCVYS office Tel: 01772 250001 Fax: 01772 250042 or email enquiries@lcvys.org.uk. PUBLICATIONS A GUIDE TO GRANTS FOR INDIVIDUALS IN NEED 2004/5 This funding guide gives details of a wide range of funds and other support available for the relief of individual poverty and hardship. It is a key reference book for advice and social workers, as well as individuals themselves and those concerned with their welfare. The comprehensive listings include: details of over 2,500 national and local charitable trusts which give over £338 million a year towards the relief of individual poverty and hardship. Sources of funding from service and ex-service charities, sickness and disability charities. essential advice on applications for each source: eligibility; types of grant given; contact details including email addresses. The guide also provides a model of how to make an effective application and advice on how to find the right sources of funding to apply to. FULL COST RECOVERY: A GUIDE AND TOOLKIT ON COST ALLOCATION Are you having trouble funding overheads in your organisation? Do you rely on donations or your reserves to subsidise your services? Would seeing your costs more clearly help you write better funding applications and improve decisions about much you should be asking for? Would you like to be able to demonstrate to your funders exactly how much your services cost to run? If the answer to all these questions is 'yes', then you need the recently published Full Cost Recovery. This guide will enable you to work out the full cost of your activities. The publication is offered in different packages - a printed guide, an electronic version and an interactive CD-Rom. Visit www.dsc.org.uk for more details of both these publications. APPRENTICESHIP TRAINING FOR ETHNIC HERITAGE YOUNG PEOPLE Preston College, in conjunction with Lancashire Colleges Consortium, has secured ESF funding to provide FREE training for young people aged 16 – 24 from an ethnic heritage background, who are not currently in employment, education or training. If you would like to undertake an apprenticeship but don’t have the necessary skills to apply at this time, then this could be for you. The project will provide support and training tailored to the needs of each individual student. This will consist of an initial training package plus work placements and job search skills which will prepare you for an apprenticeship in any of the areas listed below Accountancy, Beauty Therapy, Business Administration, Catering and Hospitality, Child Care, Customer Service, Decorative Occupations, Dental Nursing, Fork Lift Trucks, Hairdressing, Motor Vehicle, Retail Operations, Sport and Recreation, Trowel Occupations, Wood Occupations, Distribution and Warehousing and Installing and Supporting IT Systems. For more information contact Hannah Winkley on 01772 223104 or Email: hannahwinkley@prestoncoll.ac.uk NATIONWIDE AWARDS FOR VOLUNTARY ENDEAVOUR The Nationwide Awards for Voluntary Endeavour are designed to recognise those who have made an outstanding contribution to the local community. In particular, we wish to recognise those people whose efforts have added value to the causes they support, whether it is raising funds for a charity or providing help and assistance to others. If you would like to nominate someone who you believe deserves an award, someone who could be working for a local charity by helping to raise funds or running charity support programmes, perhaps they are caring for others in different ways: caring for the old; the young; the sick; the needy, often under difficult conditions. The closing date is Friday 29 April 2005. All nominations received will be considered by our judging panels who will select regional and home nation winners. Everyone you nominate will receive a certificate to recognise and thank them for their contribution to your community. There are four categories: Young people under 18 - individuals Young people under 18 - groups Adults - individuals Adults - groups For more information pick up a leaflet at your nearest branch of Nationwide Building Society, your local library or contact your local newspaper. LCVYS also has some nomination forms available so give us a ring on 01772 250001. THE ELECTRONIC LOLLY Free subscription is available to all for the electronic version of this newsletter which is published monthly. Send an email with the words “subscribe lolly” in the main body of the email to: majordomo@lcvys.org.uk and you will be added to our list and receive confirmation by return email. To receive the latest copy of the Lolly by email at any time, send a blank email to: latestlolly@lcvys.org.uk within a few seconds the latest edition will be emailed back to you. VOLUNTEERS NEEDED PIP is a local charity that provides support via volunteers for children and young adults with additional needs/disabilities. The support enables them to access a community activity of their choice. If you are 15 years + and interested in finding out more call 01253 899883. Full training will be provided. Experience is not essential BRUNSHAW ACTION GROUP Has created a new post for an Admin Support Worker, 15 hours per week, £6.25 per hour (2 year contract). Deadline for applications is Monday 7 March 2005, interviews will take place on Monday 14 March 2005. Start date is Monday 4 April2005 Contact Brunshaw Action Group on 01282 715400 for more details. Brunshaw Action Group, 93 Brunshaw Avenue, Burnley, BB10 4NP Email: brunshawag@aol.com They are also looking for volunteers to help run sessions and to assist. If you have some spare time please contact them on 01282 715400 FASawareUK Wednesday 16th March 2005 Digmoor Community Centre, Skelmersdale Registration 9. 30 am - Close 4 pm One day workshop Foetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS)/Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD). Its impact on the Criminal Justice System. Refreshments/Lunch provided The aim of this workshop is to alert the professional sector dealing with FASD in the Criminal Justice System, to be aware many clients may have the syndrome but have not been diagnosed. LANCASHIRE ACCESS TO MENTORING PROJECT Lancashire Access to Mentoring Project (LAMP) is able to offer free places on either an Advice and Guidance or a Managing Projects in the Voluntary Sector Level 3 course. Anyone working or volunteering in the voluntary or community sector can apply. The project, which is co-financed by the LSC Lancashire and the ESF, aims to increase the number of people involved in mentoring throughout the county and improve the quality of training by giving volunteers access to structured, quality training. Funding is also available to organisations delivering mentoring projects. For further details contact the LAMP team on 01254 584090. EVERY CHILD MATTERS Material relating to Every Child Matters is now brought together at www.everychildmatters.gov.uk The site is being developed over the coming weeks. They welcome comments via email to everychildmatters.mailbox@dfes.gsi.gov.uk YEAR OF THE VOLUNTEER 2005 February’s theme is youth and children 2005 is the Year of the Volunteer, a year-long celebration of the amazing work volunteers do and a call to action to get more and more of us volunteering. Aims of the Year The Year's main aims are to: Increase the number of volunteers, particularly individuals from marginalised groups and young people Open up more volunteering opportunities in the public and voluntary sector Raise the profile of the work volunteers are doing nationwide Thank volunteers everywhere for their time and commitment All volunteer organisations are encouraged to participate in and benefit from the Year of the Volunteer 2005. It's a chance to increase engagement by providing opportunities for the public to volunteer, and to increase awareness of volunteering in general, and your own organisation specifically, by branding existing work under the Year of the Volunteer banner. If you are a member of a volunteer organisation and would like to get involved in the Year of the Volunteer campaign, visit www.yearofthevolunteer.org/html/involved_organisations.html It's time to celebrate... and nominate This year we want you to help us celebrate the amazing work volunteers do every day in our communities by nominating these unsung heroes for a Year of the Volunteer Award. Year of the Volunteer awards are for individual volunteers who've made an especially great contribution to their local communities. (Groups or organisations who you think should be recognised for their good work should be put forward for a Queen's Award – visit www.queensawardvoluntary.gov.uk to do this.) Nominations for Year of the Volunteer Awards will be collected throughout the first half of the year, with regional award presentations starting in the summer and a national awards ceremony taking place in January 2006. We will be accepting nominations from March 2005, but to nominate the hero in your life prior to that please visit www.yearofthevolunteer.org/downloads/nomformrequest.pdf and complete the expression of interest form to receive a nomination form in early 2005. For more information on how to get involved visit www.yearofthevolunteer.org BT CHILDLINE AWARDS 2004 Congratulations once again to Melrose Diack of Trinity Community Partnership. Mel was one of three winners to be chosen from hundreds of nominations - made by young people across the UK - as everyday superheroes for the priceless day to day efforts. Mel, a full time volunteer with Trinity Partnership was presented with the BT Childline Award 2004 for his pioneering work in providing guidance, protection and care for young people across the Ribble Valley, in a glitzy ceremony held at the BT Tower in London. He received an engraved jade glass award from the Countess of Wessex, who was accompanied by television personality and chairman of the charity Esther Rantzen. You may recall in the November issue of the Lolly Mel scooped the Volunteer of the Year 2004 Award at the UK Charity Awards. WORKING WITH BLACK AND MINORITY ETHNIC COMMUNITIES IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF CAMHS ( CHILD AND ADOLESCENT MENTAL HEALTH SERVICE MAPPING) Thursday 10th March 2005, 10 am to 4 pm (refreshments and buffet lunch provided) Venue - GHS Enterprise (Gujarat Centre), South Meadow Lane, Preston PR1 8JN The event includes: Exploring how the needs of children and young people from Black and Minority Ethnic communities can be addressed within the development of CAMHS To look at creating a network across the north west to facilitate collaborative working To share good practice, consider priorities and develop new ways of working The deadline for completed registration forms is 28th February 2005 For more information email farizah.kamaluddin@nimhenorthwest.co.uk CELEBRATING DIVERSITY In Summer 2004 the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) introduced a £2 million fund to support Voluntary and Community Sector (VCS) organisations. This was a response to needs identified in ‘Working Together’ - the LSC strategy for engaging the sector, which was launched at the end of May 2004. The strategy highlighted particular needs for capacity building amongst black and minority ethnic organisations that make up 7% of the population of Lancashire. Lancashire LSC received a share of the £200,000 allocation to LSCs in the NW and approved a proposal by the BME Pact to extend and improve networking with Lancashire-based black and minority ethnic organisations. As a result, the BME Pact has arranged three networking events [Burnley 27th January; Preston 23rd February and Nelson 7th March] and a cultural celebration event that will take place in Hyndburn on the 20th March. These will provide support to black and minority ethnic communities and celebrate their achievements. Ishwer Tailor, Company Secretary for the Lancashire BME Pact said “There is a real need to give hands on support to voluntary sector organisations in order to get them to start engaging in the mainstream activities of learning. The current funding provided to the Pact will assist the BME sector in developing an infrastructure organisation that can then start a dialogue towards better understanding of the services required.” “It is important to make sure that this funding is not just a one-off. Additional funding will be needed if provision is to be developed further. We are pleased to have received the financial support and the Pact will ensure that the partnership between the LSC is strengthened so that we can continue to work together in the future.” Steve Palmer, Executive Director, of the LSC in Lancashire, said “Our support for the work of the BME Pact is an indication of our commitment to equality and diversity and our willingness to develop our relationship with the voluntary and community sector in Lancashire. The funding will reach a wide range of individuals and organisations in black and minority ethnic communities and provide a boost for their activities.” For further information about the work of the Lancashire BME Pact contact the Community Development Officer, Shahinoor Alam on 01254 392974 e-mail Cbproject@lcda2.org.uk EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES Since disaster struck in Asia on Boxing Day, the media have been providing massive attention to what's been labelled as the most devastating natural catastrophe in living memory. From experience, we know that teachers need support to explore the difficult issues that can arise from this sort of event. The British Red Cross has therefore decided to develop a range of free downloadable education resources available to help teachers better understand recent events and explore the current situation in their classrooms. We have created two 'Assembly Kits' covering both the primary and secondary sector. They can be downloaded free of charge from: Primary school resource www.redcross.org.uk/uploads/documents/tsunamiassemblykitprimary.pdf Secondary school resource www.redcross.org.uk/uploads/documents/tsunamiassemblykitsecondary.pdf DO YOU KNOW A STAR? Does someone in your organisation deserve to be recognised for the difference they have made in the learning and skills sector? The STAR Awards recognise and celebrate the work of the unsung heroes who work in post-16 learning and skills, outside of schools and universities. This is your chance to nominate a STAR. In the inaugural year, the STAR Awards received more than 1600 nominations from FE colleges, WBL providers, prisons, adult learning centres and UK online centres. Nominations opened on 7th February, and must be received by midnight on 15th April 2005 Judging takes place at the beginning of May, and those short-listed will be invited with their guest to a presentation ceremony in October. If you wish to nominate a STAR, visit www.dfes.gov.uk/starawards nominate online. If you have any questions or want more nomination forms, call the STAR Awards free helpline on 0800 652 0528, Monday to Friday 8.30 am - 5.15 pm. Do not call the LSC as we are not handling this competition, it is being run by the DfES. WEBSITE www.thesite.org is owned and run by YouthNet UK, a registered charity founded in 1995. TheSite.org aims to be the first place all young adults turn to when they need support and guidance through life. We believe all young people have the capacity to make their own decisions and life choices, provided they have access to high quality, impartial information and advice. We don't tell anyone how to lead their lives - we just believe everybody should have all the information they need to make their own decisions. We provide fact sheets and articles on all the key issues facing young people including: sex and relationships; drinking and drugs; work and study; housing, legal and finances; and health and well being. Our vibrant community area works hand in hand with this content. Here, our users can seek peer-to-peer support and advise each other on the issues concerning them. Meeting tomorrow's adults where they're at right now, TheSite.org will continue to be an inclusive social environment enabling all young people to express themselves and address the issues that concern them. Visit www.askthesite.org.uk where thesite.org puts you in direct contact with expert advisors across a range of topics. AWARDS FOR ALL (A4A) The Awards for All programme aims to fund projects that will involve people in their local community, helping them to take part in new arts, sport, heritage and charitable activities. In the north west we will score highly those projects which benefit disabled people, benefit unpaid carers, benefit black and minority ethnic communities, help to tackle issues of deprivation and isolation in Allerdale, Bury, Knowsley, Pendle, South Lakeland, Barrow in Furness, Carlisle, Liverpool, Ribble Valley, South Ribble, Blackpool, Copeland, Manchester, Rossendale, Bolton, Eden, Oldham and Salford. Enquiry line 01925 626800 Application Information 0845 6002040 Alternatively you can view the A4A website www.awardsforall.org.uk/england/northwest/northwest_main.html ACTION EARTH 2005 Action Earth provides grants of up to £50.00 to assist groups in carrying out environmental projects. If you are an organisation (or an individual) who would like to apply for a grant, you can register online or download and print a copy of the registration pack at www.actionearth.org.uk or tel 0121 328 7455. If you would like to take part in a project as a volunteer, visit the projects page to find out what is happening in your area. Projects must be practical and visual, have an immediate or lasting benefit to the environment, involve volunteers and take place between 1 January and 5 June 2005. CHARITIES INFORMATION BUREAU TRAINING PROGRAMME WINTER 2005 The Charities Information Bureau has just published their winter training programme entitled 'Getting Ready for Funding'. It offers a comprehensive range of courses on fundraising, from one day courses designed to make charities aware of what is available, to four day accredited courses. Further information on all the courses and a booking form can be downloaded from www.voluntaryarts.org/uploaded/map1823.pdf ARGOS Argos supports hundreds of small community projects and charities with either goods or financial donations. Argos has a charity policy which has the following criteria: Support is given only to registered charities and non-profit making organisations - not trusts and foundations The charities supported must be people related, e.g. education and health, children (especially schools with special needs). Applications by charities will be restricted to two a year, which means that no more than two donations will be made to the same charity in a 12-month period. We do not support animals and animal welfare charities. Applications must be received in writing to Argos Ltd, Charities Dept, 489-499 Avebury Boulevard, Milton Keynes, MK9 2NW. LANCASHIRE’S GRANTS FOR GROWTH Lancashire’s Grants for Growth programme is a partnership programme between Lancashire County Council, Lancashire County Developments Ltd and the European Union. It is aimed at helping disadvantaged people overcome some of the barriers they face in moving towards opportunities in employment, education, training and volunteering. Projects must help individuals or groups who are not in paid work; develop their capacity and the skills they need to move towards voluntary work, paid work or training. If you are a local charity, voluntary organisation, not for profit organisation or social enterprise group, you may be able to apply. Grants are between £1,000 and £6,000. Grants for up to £1,000 are available for smaller projects. Organisations cannot hold more than one Lancashire’s Grants for Growth at any one time and may only have one grant in a twelve month period. Tel: 01772 551896 for more information or email: grantsforgrowth@lcdl.co.uk. Applications may be submitted at any time and will be awarded four times a year: April, July, October and December The deadline for these periods will be 28 February, 15 May, 15 August and 15 October. If you are applying for less than £1,000 the application deadline is the 1st of each month—we will aim to return a decision within 4 weeks. Groups that have previously received any form of ESF Funding in the past (other than from Global Grants 2003) cannot be awarded Lancashire’s Grants for Growth. THE CAMELOT FOUNDATION TRANSFORMING LIVES The Transforming Lives programme is looking for small to medium sized organisations across the UK that: work with our priority groups – - Young parents or those at risk of becoming young parents - Young asylum seekers - Young people with mental health problems - Young disabled people have imaginative ideas for engaging young people in community life share our values and commitment to change The guidelines give information about how to apply to the Transforming Lives programme. If you want to apply for a grant, please read these guidelines carefully before you begin. They are designed to help you have the best chance of success. The deadline dates for applying for a Transforming Lives grants are 11th April 2005 and 11 July 2005. Guidelines and application forms can be downloaded from the website www.camelotfoundation.org.uk/translives/translives.cfm BLACKPOOL COUNCIL FOR VOLUNTARY YOUTH SERVICES BCVYS has arranged for 2 Basic First Aid Courses customised for voluntary youth workers run by the Red Cross branch based here in Blackpool. The certificate will be sufficient for staff who run groups, residentials, and the usual youth work activities. There are two courses each for a maximum of 12 adults. The courses are 7 hours in duration. Course 1 – Wed 23 and Fri 25 Feb 2 x mornings 9.30 – 1pm (unfortunately this course is now full) Course 2 – Saturday 5th March 9.30 – 4.30 Tea and coffee will be provided but for the whole day course (5th March) you will need to take a lunch (or nip out and buy a sandwich from the nearby shops!) To apply you need to be regularly working with children and young people with a voluntary youth group or organisation registered with BCVYS. Remember only 12 places for each course. The cost of the course will be paid by BCVYS who have a grant from Connexions for training adult youth workers. Contact LCVYS for more details. BBC CHILDREN IN NEED: DEADLINE 30 MARCH 2005 BBC Children in Need welcomes applications for good quality, carefully planned, projects which show a clear focus on children in order to change their lives for the better. Applications are welcome from self help groups, voluntary organisations or registered charities. Applicants should be properly constituted, non profited organisations. The children they help should be aged 18 years or under and live in the UK. You should only apply for a grant if it will benefit children who are disadvantaged by: Any kind of disability Behavioural or psychological problems Living in poverty or situations of deprivation, illness. distress, abuse or neglect Visit www.bbc.co.uk/pudsey for grant guidelines and application forms FUNDERFINDER Funderfinder is a software programme that assists organisations to source trusts and grant giving organisations that may be able to support them. It is available at the LCVYS office to all member organisations during office hours. To arrange a convenient time contact the office on 01772 250001 or email enquiries@lcvys.org.uk Also available - access to: the internet; colour laser printer; mono duplex printer; photocopier and fundraising resources including software, manuals, cd roms etc. BLACKBURN WITH DARWEN FUNDING The deadline for the next round (10) of the Neighbourhood Renewal Community Chest/Community Learning Chest (NRCC/CLC) will be 1 pm on Friday 25 February 2005. There will be approx £100,000 up for grabs! Application forms are now available on our website at www.bwdcomnet.org.uk under the “funding” section, as well as via the normal method. Grants of up to £5,000 are available. BIG LOTTERY FUND The Big Lottery Fund has announced changes to its operational funding throughout 2005. Applications to grants previously run by the Community Fund will close in May. The UK-wide Strategic grants, Research grants and International programmes will continue to accept applications until 31 May 2005 and continue to make grants until November 2005. The Medium and Large grants programmes in England will continue to accept applications until 31 May 2005 and make grants until November 2005, except for applications for building work or property refurbishment that will cost more than £30,000. Because these are more complicated to assess, all grant applications for building work or property refurbishment must be in by 31 March 2005 You will be able to download application forms from our website for these programmes until 31 March 2005. After that, you can still get an application form up until the date the programmes close for applications, by calling 0845 4 10 20 30). Or visit www.biglotteryfund.org.uk/programmes CARNEGIE TRUST TO LAUNCH RURAL ACTION RESEARCH PROGRAMME The Carnegie Trust has been awarded £2.2 million from the Big Lottery Fund to launch a new Rural Action Research programme. This has been matched by an additional £750,000 from the Carnegie UK Trust's own resources. The purpose of the Rural Action Research Programme will be to demonstrate and pilot practical and cost-effective community led solutions to help shape and influence rural policy. The Rural Action Research programme will focus on six themes affecting communities in rural areas. 1) Involving rural residents in community planning 2) Community led service delivery 3) Models of sustainable management of community buildings 4) Rebuilding fractured rural communities 5) Training and development needs of those involved in Rural Community Development. 6) The needs of young people and those in vulnerable occupations in very remote and peripheral areas The Carnegie UK Trust and Big Lottery Fund will publish a prospectus describing each of the themes and the interventions/research/activities to be commissioned under that theme in March 2005. THE BENEVOLENT FUND The Benevolent Fund is a discretionary fund of the Lord Lieutenant who controls it personally. Recently the fund has been bombarded by many requests and further restrictions have had to be imposed. With immediate effect the Benevolent Fund will be unable to help with awards to groups of Scouts (Guides or similar organisations) seeking funds for Jamborees or trips of this type. For more information contact LCVYS. DISCLAIMER While LCVYS and its Members use their best efforts in collecting and preparing the information published herein, LCVYS hereby disclaims any liability for any loss or damage caused by errors or omissions, whether such errors or omissions resulted from negligence or other causes. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, LCVYS does not in any way vouch for the information supplied by Members about their organisations, or for the quality of their youth work. LCVYS reserves the right to edit. Please notify us about any perceived errors or omissions.