Impact
PROMOTING EXCELLENCE IN VOLUNTARY AND COMMUNITY SERVICES
Winter 2011/2012
Issue 04
The Newsletter for Buckinghamshire Communities
Inside: This Issue: • Page 2 & 3: News • Page 4: CEO Review • Page 5: Trustee Week • Page 6: Community Transport • Page 7: Gardening • Page 8 & 9: Community Led Planning • Page 10: Digital TV Switchover • Page 11: Training Directory • Page 12: I-Van • Page 13: Pub Clubs • Page 14 & 15: Volunteering • Page 16: Make A Difference
Promoting excellence in voluntary and community services
News
WREN FUNDING IN THE NORTH OF THE COUNTY: Waste Recycling Environmental Ltd (WREN) is a major funder for certain projects within 10 miles of the landfill sites at Calvert & Bletchley. This area covers the majority of North Aylesbury and Milton Keynes . However projects in the Olney, Weston Underwood, Filgrave area have been eligible even though they are outside the 10 miles radius from Bletchley because they are within 10 miles of a Bedfordshire site, Stewartby. We
Switchover with the Young Carers Youth Club:
have been advised that the Stewartby site is to close shortly and applications will not be considered after May 2012. If you are in the affected area and are considering submitting an application to WREN based on the Stewartby site, then you should contact Matthew Cox at WREN to discuss your application. Matthew can be contacted on 01926 315820 or 07841 573460 or e-mail:matthew.cox@wren.org.uk
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During the digital switchover for the Central Region the Buckingham and Winslow Young Carers Youth Club had an event to make themselves familiar with switchover information and the BBC Help scheme so that they could help their family members to make the switch to digital and not be left with blank screens. When Tony Noakes, the Chief operating officer of the Switchover Help Scheme, heard how much the young people liked the digital mascot he
Buckingham & Winslow Young Carers Youth Club
FOR SALE Short Mat Bowls Mat Transportation and Storage Device Widmer End Short Mat Bowls Club has a mat transportation device which is now surplus to requirements. It consists of two special jacking units and a steel roller. The roller is inserted through the core of the rolled up mat and a jacking device is then engaged with the roller at either end. The mat can then be lifted clear of the floor and wheeled away for storage. If required the unit can then be disengaged to move further mats. Contact Laurie Johnson on 01296 744733 or e-mail ljoh603675@aol.com for more details.
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very kindly arranged for 21 soft toy Digit Al’s to be delivered to our offices to be sent onto the group. Carol Nutkins and Llew Monger, who both worked on the Outreach Programme for the Oxford transmitter, were only too pleased to be able to visit the group and present them with the toys. The youth club gives young carers between the age of 7 and 18 the chance to meet together to learn new skills, share experiences , develop social skills, encourage confidence and boost their own self-esteem away from the caring environment.
Volunteer Drivers Required We are desperate for volunteer drivers in a number of villages across Buckinghamshire. If you are able to give up just a small amount of your time to take a neighbour to a Doctor’s appointment or to the shops please call Sally Hussey on 01296 744734
News
VOLUNTEER WORKOUT AWARDS: Companies, charities and community groups were recognised for the collaborative work in 2011 at the Community Impact Bucks Showcase. Charity and Community Champion Over 200 charities, community groups, schools and sports club has registered opportunities with Volunteer Workout in 2010.The nature of these opportunities are variable and Volunteer Workout recognise the value of all of them. In recognition of their work community champion awards were given to Bucks Sports, Richings Sports Club, Rayleigh and Alfriston School. Employer Champions Businesses are an integral part of the work of Volunteer Workout and this is recognised by the employer champion awards.
STOP PRESS:
These include the Apprentice Employer Champion for companies who started a programme to give back to the community. Citrix are the Apprentice Employer 2011. Enterprise Marketing Solutions have been working with Volunteer Workout from the start of the project and is a great example of the micro companies that is epitomises Buckinghamshire . They are Small Employer Champion 2011 The Overal Employer Champion for 2011 is Denham based IHG who completed several team projects, facilitated skills based training for a sports club, feature in case studies and helped promote the project.
Do you use oil for heating your house or community building? Are you worried that you may not be getting a good deal? In January 2012 a new community bulk buying scheme may help – accessing the benefits of lower prices through bulk buying.
Look out for more information on our website or contact communitybuying@communityimpactbucks.org.uk if you want to know more.
Bucks Big Society Bank has made its first loan Buckinghamshire Community Foundation, which runs this ‘Bank’, has announced that the first borrowers are Aylesbury Youth Motor Project. The group is a well-established organisation which provides young people aged 13- 21 from throughout the county with the opportunity to learn motor mechanics skills to help improve their chances of employment. As a result of changes in local authority funding arrangements, the group is reshaping its business model and the loan from the ‘Bank’ will enable it to continue to operate and even expand its activities whilst it goes through this period of change. Buckinghamshire is the only county in the UK which has its own local Big Society Bank, which is funded by private donors and by Bucks County Council and supported by Community Impact Bucks and The Clare Foundation. For more information about borrowing from the ‘Bank’ call Bev Trevitt at Buckinghamshire Community Foundation on 01296 330134 or visit www.buckscf.org.uk
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CEO Review By the time you read this the turkey and presents will be a memory and I expect some of the New Years’ resolutions will have been broken. At Community Impact Bucks I hope we will know more about what the future looks like. As well as awaiting the decision on future funding from Bucks County Council and the District Councils, we are also waiting to hear if we have been successful with our partnership bid to the Transforming Local Infrastructure Fund –from the Office of Civil Society. Our bid is in partnership with Buckinghamshire Community Foundation, Action4Youth, Bucks Sport, The Clare Foundation, and Ngage Solutions. We propose to streamline support to voluntary and community groups and organisations (VCOs) across the county and to increase the funding available to VCOs in Buckinghamshire. The decision should be known by the end of January. Community Impact Bucks has had a typical 12 months with some projects ending and new ones starting - making the acquaintance of Digit Al (as part of the Digital Switchover awareness raising) was unexpected and has brought us new opportunities and partnerships which we hope will continue to develop in the future. Last year I wrote about the awaited Localism Bill and confusion about what it would mean – now it has passed into law as the Localism Act – but the implications and practicalities are still unclear. We were struggling with the concept of The Big Society - it is still the underpinning strategy of the coalition government, with the on-going rhetoric of strategic development from the bottom up – and still needs on-going clarification work to bring it to
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life. Locally the reductions in Local Authority funding announced last year are beginning to bite. The transfer of youth, library and day care services to communities are on-going with varying degrees of success and progress, and more changes are on the way. The shift to selfdirected support for those eligible for adult social care support is progressing with changes in the services available – a challenge for the services and in some cases the service users. The Bucks Big Society Bank is one of the innovations we have been involved with to provide a mechanism to groups and organisations to adjust their business models if necessary. 2012 will see Queens’ Diamond Jubilee the Olympics and the Paralympics, with the Olympic Torch visiting Buckinghamshire in July. Communities are being encouraged to get involved with information and toolkits available from local authorities to enable us all. We are aware that for those households who are dependent on oil for their heating, costs have escalated in recent months. We will be launching a new scheme to provide households with an opportunity to buy fuel oil, in partnership with others around Buckinghamshire and in neighbouring counties, at cheaper than average prices even for small quantities. Keep an eye on our website for the launch date.
Cora Carvey Chief Executive cora@communityimpactbucks.org.uk 0845 389 0389
Trustees’ Week 2011
Trusteeship for the Future
78 trustees from 56 organisations joined our event on 4th November to mark the second ever national trustee week. In the beautiful setting of the Occulus (kindly provided for free by Aylesbury Vale District Council), they listened, questioned and explored together various aspects of trusteeship for the future. Councillor Martin Phillips from Bucks County Council explained how he would like to work with charities to strengthen local responses to local issues. He was appreciative that “Buckinghamshire has a greater number of charities per head than the UK average” and that “the voluntary sector is doing a massively significant job in Bucks”.
For more on this, or for resources on governance please see: www.communityimpactbucks.org.uk and in particular our governance page.
Diane Gill, solicitor from BP Collins, gave a much appreciated overview of legal aspects to consider as we move into the future, which generated much discussion amongst those present. Stephen Townsend from the Swan Community Hub, Buckingham gave some tips on how to remove barriers to volunteering by paying out of pocket expenses while at the same time increasing income for your charity! (See Page 14). Quotes from attendees: “Simply excellent”, “ Made some really good contacts”, “Good resources discussed” Throughout the week we also highlighted on our website a range of training courses that existing trustees could benefit from, and promoted trustee vacancies for people who would like to take up this very worthwhile role.
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Community Transport
Community Transport Life in the rural transport team is rarely quiet, and as well as the ever growing Wheels to Work service and community car scheme development work we have recently launched two new projects- the Chiltern District Community Transport Hub and the Community Car Scheme Federation.
Community Transport Hub The Chiltern District Community Transport Hub opened on Monday 25th October. A one stop shop for information and advice on community transport providers in the District, the Hub has been funded by Chiltern District Council and will be managed by the transport officer at Community Impact Bucks. There are over 30 community transport providers in the Chiltern District, and it can be confusing for people to know who to contact. Callers to the hub are given information on which schemes are available in their area, and advice on which could be most appropriate for their individual needs. We have information on everything from community car schemes to minibuses for hire, and anyone is welcome to call, from individuals to community groups. In areas where there are no existing schemes, Community Impact Bucks will work towards establishing new ones. The Hub was officially launched at our Opening Event on Friday 21st October, hosted by the Chair of Chiltern District Council, Councillor John Warder, with presentations from Michael Hunt and Sally Hussey of Community Impact Bucks and Chiltern Dial A Ride, with whom we are working in partnership. Sally Hussey, Rural Transport Officer at Community Impact Bucks said “our aim is to ensure that anyone who has a transport need has access to clear information, along with help and support to enable them to make the best choices.” To contact the Hub free-phone 0800 085 8480
Bucks Community Cars- Community Car Scheme Federation In partnership with Transport for Buckinghamshire, we were pleased to announce the launch of Bucks Community Cars at our AGM and Showcase event at Green Park on 27th September 2011. Bucks Community Cars is a federation of volunteer led organisations who provide a lifeline to members of their community by giving lifts to medical appointments and the shops. There around 100 community car schemes in Buckinghamshire, and they all make a real difference to
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people’s lives. For the hundreds of people in Buckinghamshire who use such schemes, it can mean the difference between retaining independence and becoming socially isolated. Bucks Community Cars was launched in response to legislative changes affecting small groups, and comments from some volunteers that they would find it helpful to share ideas with similar groups in the area. The aims of the federation are to facilitate networking, enable sharing of information and ideas, and keep groups up to date on National developments that may affect them. Members will have access to Public Liability Insurance, support with CRB checking volunteers and access to annual Community Car Scheme awards. The federation was officially launched by Sir Henry Aubrey- Fletcher, with presentations from Sally Hussey and Kathy Bovington and Peter Williams of EDaN (Eddlesborough, Dagnall and Northall) Community Transport. The EDaN scheme is a fantastic example of what communities can achieve when they work together, with 30 volunteers turning out for an initial meeting in the dark and snow last Christmas. Since then, the scheme has provided a much needed service to residents, who live in an area with a very limited local bus service and who would be marooned if they don’t have their own transport. The federation has been funded by Transport for Buckinghamshire following close partnership working between Community Impact Bucks and Buckinghamshire County Council. Volunteer drivers are needed all over Buckinghamshire, and Community Impact Bucks can assist communities with setting up their own car schemes. For further information on the federation, hub, or any of our other transport projects, please contact Sally on 01296 744734 or email transport@communityimpactbucks.org.uk
Gardening
Community Based Horticultural Experiences We provide a comprehensive range of client-centred Gardening and Well-Being Services to meet the individual needs of vulnerable people living in Buckinghamshire. Our Gardening Services include clearance of overgrown gardens, general garden maintenance, patio and path cleaning and planting (decorative, defensive and sensory). Our Well-being Services include befriending, grow you own (at home or on an allotment), mentoring and garden share.
Activities Gardening: • Weeding, dead-heading; watering; pruning shrubs; trimming hedges; collecting leaves; digg ing up weeds and brambles; cutting back bushes and shrubs; bagging-up green waste. • Decorative, defensive and sensory planting • Operating petrol-powered equipm ent for cutting grass, hedge trimming and strimming • Path and patio cleaning.
We offer constructive social and leisure activities which encourage socialising and personal development. Our activities offer participants the chance to gain confidence and develop new skills in a working environment.
Greenhouse:
Our dedicated team of staff and volunteers deliver our activities and provide support and supervision according to personal need; this can be on a one-to-one basis, as part of a small group or within a larger group.
• Selecting which plants, fruit and veg etables to grow; sowing seeds, propagating, pricking out, potting-up, labelling • Upkeep —cleaning, winter and sum mer preparation
Participants can develop skills and take on responsibility at their own pace in a supportive and non-judgemental environment, where they can become part of our team and be out and about in the community. These activities are undertaken in Buckinghamshire’s four districts of Aylesbury Vale, The Chilterns, High Wycombe and South Bucks and take place in gardens, allotments and supported housing schemes alongside our workforce. We incorporate soft skills into our activities which give participants the opportunity to develop skills which can be used socially or in a workplace. This includes manual handling, communication skills, customer service, team working, time management, tool selection and route planning.
What do participants get from our Activities? This varies from one individual to another, but our aim is for everyone to take away at least some of the following: • • • • • •
A range of horticultural and work-based skills Happiness from a fun and enjoyable experience Increased self-esteem and confidence Raised sense of purpose and achievement Personal satisfaction through the completion of tasks Reduced feelings of social isolation
Care and Maintenance of Tools and Equipment: • Cleaning tools after each use • Oiling tools • Cleaning and sterilising planting equ
ipment
Allotment: • Planning – crop selection • Preparation – enrich soil and dig ove
r beds • Planting – sowing seeds, planting plug s • Maintaining the crop – weeding and watering • Harvesting – digging-up the crop and sharing • Composting
• A sense of belong to the team • Improved health through fresh air and regular physical activity • Social stimulation through integration with the wider community
How to get in touch To find out more about our Experiences, please contact Samantha on 01296 744739 or 744736. Alternatively send an email to: samantha@communityimpactbucks.org.uk
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Community Led Planning
Using Community Led Planning to deliver the Localism Act During November it finally happened. After much anticipation, the Localism Bill gained Royal Ascent. This now means that the Localism Bill is the Localism Act. The process is, however, far from complete. The government still need to look at further guidance for the different parts of the act and it is also difficult at this stage to say when different elements of the act will come into force. Nonetheless, there is an overall commitment to allow decisions to be made at the lowest practical level. There are numerous elements to the Localism Act, far too many to explore in depth here. Should you be interested in the full range of measures please visit http://www.communities.gov.uk/publications/localgovernm ent/localismplainenglishupdate. The various rights within the Act provide a community with new tools to contribute to achieving their long term vision. Community Led Planning can provide the method of identifying that vision and identifying which localism tools are most appropriate. Therefore the key message is that Community Led Planning is here to stay and is still the gold standard approach of identifying your community’s overall priorities and aspirations. Below are a few elements of the Localism Act which may interest your community; and could help to realise the vision identified from a Community Led Plan process.
Community Right to Challenge It is recognised that voluntary sector organisations, social enterprises and parish councils can provide high quality services at good value. This new legislation provides these groups, along with local government employees, the right to express an interest in taking over the running of a local authority service. The Act requires that the local authority listen and respond to this challenge, and where it accepts it, to run a procurement process for the service.
Community right to bid Through our community led planning work and our work with community buildings, we know there is treasure trove of buildings and facilities in Buckinghamshire which play a pivotal role in community life. These are more than just the village hall; they include sports facilities, shops, markets and pubs; indeed whatever your community considers an asset central to community life. The Localism Act now requires local authorities to keep a list of assets of community value, which are nominated by local communities. When these assets come up for sale or change of ownership, the Act provides the necessary time and
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support for the local community to raise funds and make a proposal to run the facility. This therefore provides the opportunity for the facility to remain available for community use in the future.
Community right to build The Act will also give communities the right to come together and form a community organisation to bring forward development proposals. These could be affordable housing or a new village hall; and as long as support has been gained through a local referendum and minimum criteria have been met, then the development would be able to go ahead without traditional planning applications.
Neighbourhood Planning By far the most publicised element of the Localism Act has been the powers which afford local communities to undertake a neighbourhood plan. The overriding theme of neighbourhood planning is that it will allow local people to have a say on where new houses, businesses, shops and other infrastructure should go and what it should look like within their community. The neighbourhood plan has to be in general conformity with the national planning policy and the local strategic plan. Therefore, neighbourhood planning cannot be used to prevent development taking place, but once a neighbourhood plan has been passed, it guides local development. Furthermore, a neighbourhood plan can only include elements that the planning system can deal with - it cannot look at every single aspect of community life. There will also be a process which, as a community, you would have to go through in order to ensure the neighbourhood plan can become a statutory document. Full guidance is yet to be published, and we would expect some consultation in the new year on the detailed process; but what is clear is that a neighbourhood plan would need to pass through the following stages: • Community consultation to identify the planning priorities of the local community;
Community Led Planning • Independent examination to ensure it is in general conformity to the local strategic plan and national planning policy and that it is legal;
need for your community and your action within your plan
• A possible local referendum within the community.
that youth services or services for older people are not
So where does this all leave Community Led Planning?
would be to look at a possible community right to build scheme. Your Community Led Plan research may evidence meeting the needs of your community, and therefore you might include in your action plan something around the community right to challenge for these services.
Community Led Planning is very much alive and kicking. Many of you will have undertaken a community led plan in your town or village, most probably with the support of Community Impact Bucks. The beauty of Community Led Planning is that it can cover anything and everything a community would want it to. It can cover things from development proposals through to taking action on dog faeces!
In summary the Localism Act now provides communities
Undertaken correctly, and evidenced robustly, Community
process to allow communities to do this; that is why, if you
Led Planning is able to be the catalyst with which the
are looking at all the new rights within the Localism Act, we
community can take advantage of the rights contained
encourage you to discuss with us how Community Led
within the Localism Act. In an ideal world a community
Planning can be used to evidence which ones would benefit
would undertake the community led planning process with
your community the most.
a blank sheet of paper and identify what the vision is for the community’s future. From there, as your community develops its action plan to address the priorities that have been identified; you will be able to make a judgement on if a neighbourhood plan is appropriate for your community
with valuable tools to tackle and drive forward action on the issues that matter to them. However, it is important that if a community is going to use some of these new tools, that they do so from an informed position; a position informed by all the residents of a community having a shared vision of how they see their community evolving over 5, 10 or 15 years. Community Led Planning is the
Paul O'Hare Community Development Team Leader Direct Line: 01296 744725 paul@communityimpactbucks.org.uk
to pursue. Moreover, you could use the Community Led Plan research to evidence that the village hall is a major community asset, so your action plan could highlight the need for it to be on the appropriate list under the community right to bid proposals. Your Community Led Plan research may show affordable housing as an essential
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Digital TV Switchover Community Impact Bucks has recruited Community Volunteers and Community Supporters to make sure that everyone in South Bucks and South Oxfordshire is aware of the Help Scheme, and that their television is ready for switchover. The Crystal Palace transmitter will be switching from an analogue signal to a digital signal in April 2012. BBC2 will switch on 4th April 2012, and all the other channels 2 weeks later on 18th April 2012. That means if you live in South Bucks or South Oxfordshire and your television is only receiving 5 channels at the moment, you will not be able to receive a digital signal when switchover is complete, and you will be left with a blank screen, unless some additional equipment is put in place. However, help is at hand. The Switchover Help Scheme, run by the BBC, helps eligible people convert one of their TV sets to digital. If you are eligible, you will receive a letter explaining the scheme and the options available to you.
People are eligible for the Help Scheme if they are:• Aged 75 or over or • Have lived in a care home for more that 6 months or • Get (or could get): Disability Living Allowance (DLA) or Attendance or Constant Attendance allowance or Mobility support or • Registered blind or partially sighted
Costs Most people will be asked to pay £40 towards the standard offer of help which includes:• Easy to use digital equipment • Installation by a security checked installer (or delivery only is you prefer) • An aerial check and replacement if needed and where possible • A helpline and returning advice • 12 month aftercare service including a free helpline. If you are in receipt of additional benefits such as pension credit, income support, employment support allowance or income-based job seekers allowance, this service is free.
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Chris a Community Volunteer in Beaconsfield said:-
“Having parents-in-law of 96 and 95 I know only too well how much they rely on watching their TV programmes – and I am well aware that there are many, many others like them. So, as one who can give the time (and, in my case, use the experience of working in TV technology ) to make sure that people like my parents-in-law are not deprived of a much valued part of their lives, I am only too pleased to do what I can to help.” As a member of the Board of Trustees of Community Impact Bucks I am more normally concerned with strategy and policy, so rarely get the opportunity for direct community involvement. By being a ‘Volunteer’ for the Switchover Help Scheme I can get closely involved with my community” Ray from Hyde Heath” Suzie from Taplow said:“I wanted to give something back to my community and to also re-aquaint myself with some of the people that I have lost contact with because of working full time. I can go round and tell them about the digital switchover and what to expect to get if they do not know . I am also the local Neighbourhood watch person so both roles fit together well”. Our Volunteers want to make sure that no-one will be left with a blank screen because they did not know about the help available to them. If you would like to become a volunteer, please contact Bridget Wythe or Carol Nutkins at Community Impact Bucks on 0845 3890389. For more information about the Help Scheme, contact helpscheme.co.uk or ring free on 0800 40 85 900.
TRAINING
TRAINING DIRECTORY LAUNCHED FOR THE VOLUNTARY AND COMMUNITY SECTOR IN BUCKINGHAMSHIRE Previous feedback on training told us that you would value being able to see all the training on offer to you captured in one place. This would help you to plan better and thus ensure that the benefits of training are fully maximised in your organisation. As a result of this feedback a training partnership was formed earlier this year between ourselves, Bucks County Council, Aylesbury Vale District Council, Chiltern District Council, The Clare Foundation, Bucks Sport and Action4Youth. The partnerships objective was to meet this need and in September a training directory was launched. We were also helped in its delivery by Harry Pepper who was working at Community Impact Bucks for 6 months as part of the Buckinghamshire Future Jobs Fund. This project was designed to give valuable work experience to unemployed 18-24 year olds across the County. Harry had a background in graphic design so working on this Directory was ideal work experience for him. I hope that by now you have seen and been using the new training directory and that it has helped you to identify suitable training for yourself and your organisation.
As well as specific training courses on offer shown by date and category the booklet also highlights: • Training that is available through Bucks County Councils e learning portal • Additional courses available from Aylesbury Vale District Council. • Organisations that provide specific training for voluntary groups who work with children and young people with disabilities or vulnerable adults. • Organisations that provide First Aid Training. This directory is available in a printed A5 booklet format as well as an on line version. If you have not yet seen the directory copies are available either by contacting one of the training partners direct or e-mail info@buckstraining.co.uk to request a copy. Another key objective of the training partnership is to monitor course numbers and course feedback, avoid any training course duplication, identify gaps and ensure that the overall training programme continues to be relevant to meet your changing needs. If you have any feedback on this first directory and how we can improve the second edition that will be published in the New Year showing training available for the period April 2012 to September 2012 then please contact our training advisor on 0845 389 0389 or e mail info@buckstraining.co.uk It is only from your feedback that we can continue to deliver the training that you require.
The directory shows a wide range of training courses that are on offer from the partner organisations covering the period October 2011 to March 2012. In the directory to make searching for training easier we have classified the training into 4 broad categories each with a symbol code. • Managing your organisation • Fundraising • Volunteering • Community Club, Facility Management and Catering training
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i-van
WHAT CAN THE i-van DO FOR YOUR PROJECT?
Recent Projects Bucks Activity Project, Action for Children are a short breaks service for children and young people with disabilities, running mainly at weekends and in the school holidays. We aim to put on fun and engaging activity days which are inclusive of all children whatever their needs. Our ultimate aim is for everyone to have fun! We take the wishes of the children very seriously and do everything we can to accommodate what they enjoy doing. We put on activity days in schools and halls where we employ workshops to teach us new skills and help us discover new ways to play. We also arrange various activities such as swimming, bowling, rock climbing, tobogganing, trips to the farm, visits to the seaside and a ride on the London Eye! You name it and we will try and do it. During the October half term we booked the ivan team to attend our events in Buckingham, High Wycombe and Princes Risborough. The children and young people of all ages found the activity interesting and those taking part remained engaged for quite lengthy periods of time, the i-van session workers were very good with our children and young people; they engaged with them on their level and allowed them to leave and return to the activity when they wanted to, offering help and encouragement when needed but not taking over or hovering. The session workers were very understanding and tolerant with our children and young people and didn’t seem to be un-nerved or put off by some of the more unusual behaviours that many of them present with and they got involved with them during the whole day, taking part in other activities and just enjoying their company in general.
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We are the perfect partner to deliver cutting edge mobile media workshops for young people and we are passionate about giving young people opportunities, with the emphasis on the projects being created by young people from inception to completion. All projects are instantly engaging with industry led experts who inspire guide and support young people. We combine participation and training with high quality production and first class results. A unique resource we can deliver workshops in any location either within the van or a centre of your choice. • Mini Workshops • School Based Curriculum Workshops • Young People’s Consultation • Commissioned Projects • Diversionary Activities • Positive Activities for Young People • Bespoke Projects Designed for you Suzi Devanney Suzi@communityimpactbucks.org.uk Tel: 01296 744727
PUB LUNCH CLUBS
PUB LUNCH CLUBS GO URBAN The Pub Lunch Club project has launched the first of what is planned to be a substantial urban extension to the highly successful chain of clubs already opened in rural villages. Mature members of the community living in the Marsh area of Wycombe responded in their droves when a Pub Lunch Club was opened at the Disraeli Pub in December. Seating was limited to 40 for the monthly lunch and project coordinator Llew Monger is working on opening a second venue in the area to cater for the overwhelming demand. ‘’Local councillors, church groups and council officers gave their support to the project which all helped to secure such a good response’’ said Llew. The extension into urban areas confirms Llew’s view that social exclusion needs to be addressed in both urban and rural areas. Community Impact Bucks is funded by the Adult Social Care Prevention Team at Bucks County Council to run the Pub Lunch Club scheme so their support for the urban extension was critical. BCC Project Officer Simonetta Juniper readily agreed so venues in Wycombe and Aylesbury were researched and agreements reached with the licensees. It is hoped that a second venue in Wycombe and two in Aylesbury will get under way within the next two months. The move into urban areas will not affect the development of more Pub Lunch Clubs in rural communities where the demand is as strong as ever. When a club was started at Holmer Green in November the thirty eight places available were booked within 48 hours of the publicity! Another date in the month is planned at the same venue
to accommodate the extra demand and venues are being researched in several other villages. A further possible extension of the scheme will be to provide a similar opportunity for mature members of the Muslim committees in Wycombe and Aylesbury. Llew has received two or three approaches in this connection and is in touch with community members to explore options which reflect and respect the social and religious differences of the wider community. Wherever we open Pub Lunch Clubs there is a strong demand from the community but the progress is always delayed by the search for local volunteers. Whilst Community Impact Bucks do all the work in setting up the clubs each of them needs one or two people to act as local coordinators for the monthly lunches. All that is required is to take bookings for each month, liaise with the pub and ensure that payment is collected from those attending. It’s a sort of ‘Secretary’ cum ‘Host’ role! You can find out more at http://www.communityimpactbucks.org.uk/pages/publunch-club.html If you think you could help or indeed if you’d like to talk about a Pub Lunch Club being set up in your community then please contact Llew Monger. Llew Monger Pub Lunch Club Coordinator Mobile 07808 096513 Office 0845 3890389 llew@communityimpactbucks.org.uk
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Volunteering
Reducing Barriers to Volunteering – In our last edition of Impact – we encouraged all organisations to consider the reimbursement of out of pocket expenses. Stephen Townsend, Project Manager of the Swan Community Hub shows how to make this work so that your organisation benefits - both in financial terms and from volunteer retention. How much does it cost you to recruit and equip each of your volunteers? There’s advertising, printing and leaflets, the time your project manager spends making presentations, admin time, training, supervision. The list seems endless. And it could just be that each year you’ll lose 1 or 2 volunteers simply because you don’t pay expenses. If you can keep a volunteer for an extra 6 months, just think how much your organisation will save. Probably thousands of pounds each year for a larger charity. One of the ways you can demonstrate to your key, unpaid workers that you really do value them is to pay any genuine expenses.
Yes, I know! This seems to be counterproductive when I’m advocating saving money. To make matters worse I’m suggesting that you insist that everyone puts in an expenses claim. YES - make it obligatory! This could actually earn you some money. You see we have a simple tick box on our expenses form which offers each person the opportunity of donating their expenses back to the charity. And of course Gift Aid on that donation can be claimed back from the government if the donor is a UK tax payer. Some will keep their expenses, particularly if they’re finding things financially difficult. But many others will donate back along with the Gift Aid. Aside from the financial situation you will be seen to be professional, reduce turnover of volunteers and increase the number who wish to work with you. All that, along with the bonus of knowing the true costs of running your service to the community and the real value of the donations from your hard working volunteers. Simply add the words “ I wish to donate my expenses back to ....” “I am / am not a UK tax payer.” Let’s show our volunteers that we truly believe that they are our most valuable asset.
Games Related Volunteering Opportunities Are you one of the London 2012 Games Maker Volunteers ? Over the past couple of weeks the first of the official London 2012 “Games Makers” have been selected. Amongst the first to hear was Aylesbury based Alan Garside who has been selected as a team leader within the drugs testing team for the athletics competitions. Ian Barham from the Bucks 2012 team would be delighted to hear about all Bucks residents selected to play a role as volunteers in the Games. So far over 300 people have applied to be Ambassador Greeters for Eton Dorney venue and this has now been extended to include young people aged between 16-18 who will all receive extensive training ahead of the Games and
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will receive an NVQ qualification in spectator safety. For more information go to www.eton-dorneyambassadors.org The official Games Maker process has now closed but there are still plenty of games related volunteering schemes available in the county for more information on the breath of these please contact Lucie Maldoom on 01895 837545 or email workout@communityimpactbucks.org.uk
Volunteering
Support for Older Peoples Groups Over the past year, Community Impact Bucks has been able to provide extra support to groups for older people in the county. Fundraising Support Officer Sara Greenwood has worked with the management committees of many groups, helping them with their governance, fundraising and sustainability so that they can continue well into the future to support the health and well-being of older people in their communities. These groups provide a valuable service to many vulnerable people, some of whom rely on them for social interaction.
to carry out their
Groups can provide a range of activities, exercises, musical events and outings for members. Volunteer helpers and drivers are always needed to help groups
would like to contact Sara to see if she can help, call
service. Also needed are people willing to lend a hand as Trustees or Committee members, helping to steer direction and ensure all is running smoothly. If you are interested in volunteering to help your local group, please contact Bill Dempsey, Brokerage Coordinator on 01895 837545 or email bill@communityimpactbucks.org.uk If you are involved in running a group for older people and 07979 385972 or email sara@communityimpactbucks.org.uk
Is your organisation able to offer a valuable volunteer role? There are many social and structural barriers for disabled people and we are currently seeking organisations that are able to offer roles to individuals in wheelchairs. We have found that people with mobility issues who are volunteering have increased confidence and selfesteem as well as being more able to interact socially instead of being isolated. They are also able to offer valuable assistance to the organisations for which they volunteer. The Opportunities for All project offers supported volunteering to residents of Aylesbury Vale. The project, run by a co-ordinator, can offer support to your organisation and provide information as well as signpost to training opportunities covering disability awareness. The Oasis Partnership recruited volunteer Charlotte Adkins to help
with administration in their Aylesbury office. Charlotte says, “I have Spinal Muscular Atrophy, which is a muscle wasting disease. Volunteering has helped keep my muscles working but it has also kept my brain working and makes me happy to be a help to Oasis Partnership and be with such friendly people. I am so grateful for everything the project has done for me, finding me the perfect match both people wise and access wise, it could not have been better.� If your organisation is able to offer a role to a volunteer who can provide a regular commitment, please contact: Helen Cavill Project Co-ordinator Direct line: 01296 744738 E-mail: helen@communityimpactbucks.org.uk Working hours Monday to Thursday 09:30 to 14:45 This project is funded by Aylesbury Vale Community Chest and William Harding Charity.
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Make a difference in your community How community action changes lives for the better All over the county, communities are working together to improve services and the quality of life for their citizens through the establishment of community transport schemes, projects that care for the elderly and vulnerable and the development of community resilience plans for dealing effectively with emergencies. Through a series of workshops being held in the New Year, you can hear from some of the people who are involved at grassroots level in making these things happen and learn from them how these initiatives might also be applied to benefit your own community.
20th February 7-9pm Community Health and wellbeing, Stoke Mandeville Stadium, Guttmann Road, Stoke Mandeville, Aylesbury, Bucks, HP21 9PP 28th February 7-9pm Community Transport (North), St Lawrence Room, Market Square, Winslow, Bucks MK18 3AB
2nd February 7-9pm Community Resilience Planning, Oasis Centre Training Room, Unit 3, Baker Street, High Wycombe, Bucks HP11 2RZ
All workshops offer you the opportunity to hear from the ‘experts’ who have been involved in setting up and running successful community initiatives, to gather information, ask questions and to discuss ideas which could really help your own community. Refreshments and food will be available at the end of each session, giving you a chance to network with others.
8th February 7-9pm Community Transport (South), Huntercoombe Hall, Burnham Park Hall, Windsor Lane, Burnham SL1 7HR
For more information on these events, please go to our website at: www.communityimpactbucks.org.uk or call Sara or Vicki on 0845 389 0389
The series of four workshops, organised by Community Impact Bucks and open to all, is as follows:
This project is supported by Bucks County Council
PROMOTING EXCELLENCE IN VOLUNTARY AND COMMUNITY SERVICES
Gardening Team: Volunteer enquiries: General enquiries:
gardening@communityimpactbucks.org.uk volunteering@communityimpactbucks.org.uk info@communityimpactbucks.org.uk Community Impact Bucks Unit B, The Firs Bierton, Aylesbury, Bucks. HP22 5DX Tel: 0845 389 0389 Fax: 01296 331464
www.communityimpactbucks.org.uk
All articles are available in large print on request