Community Rights Funding Available
June 3, 2013
Community Right Grants: FUNDING AVAILABLE NOW!!
Support from Can DO Communities…………………
The Localism Act 2012 established new community rights, including the Community Right to
Challenge and the Community Right to Bid. These new rights aim to enable communities to
take over the running of public services, land and buildings in the local community.
In order to help make this happen the government has established a Community Right to
Support Programme providing grants direct to community organisations, managed by
Social Investment Business, in partnership with ACEVO and Locality.
This support might, for example, include a Community Organisation Health Check, training, support and consultancy on managing community facilities, governance, policies and procedures, business planning and enterprise, incorporation, setting up a trading arm, help in demonstrating you’re social value, preparing for tendering, consortia building, lease negotiations, partnership agreements and quality standards.
We are working with Local Authorities and Charitable Groups to create awareness and offer advice on the process for communities that wish to explore these new rights. One example of how Can Do Communities can assist is around providing FREE support for groups wishing to apply for Pre-Feasibility funds of up to 10k for internal capacity building, or for groups looking to take over the management of a community building we can help access up to 100k of Feasibility funding. (Groups that currently manage a Community building and do not hold a lease could also qualify for this support funding)
Click on this link for an overview of Community Rights funding http://mycommunityrights.org.uk/community-right-to-bid/grants/ (this funding also applies to Asset transfer)
Get in touch
If you would just like to simply have a chat about these support programmes and how local
community groups and yourselves can make the most of the opportunity then please feel
free to contact:
Marvin Symes
01733 200906 or 07910 276193
Free Organisational Health Checks
March 25, 2013
COVER HC Final Version (application form link)
I am delighted to let you know that COVER Charity Group http://www.thecovergroup.org.uk/ are offering free Organisational Health Checks for Charitable Groups based in the Eastern Region, delivered by www.candocommunities.co.uk and funded by Big Lottery ‘Awards for All’ program.
The Health Check is a 2.5 hour Business Review session that explores every part of your organisation, it always helps if you are able to include a wide range of people on the day or evening (IE. Trustees, Staff, Volunteers and even a critical friend or two). One of the main benefits of the Health Check is that it will provide an environment for the people in your group or organisation to speak openly about plans for the future.
We shall bring our big screen, projector and laptop, it is a very lively informal session conducted through group conversation, that we hope you enjoy and gain a lot of benefit from. We are free to deliver this during daytime, evenings or weekends to meet your teams availability.
If you have any questions or to book your FREE Health Check please contact Marvin Symes directly on 01733 200906 or email marvin@candocommunities.co.uk – also please see comments from previous customers that have received a Community Health Check. http://candocommunities.co.uk/what-they-say-about-our-community-health-check/
Please feel free to distribute this information to your networks
What They say… about our ‘Community Health Check’
November 8, 2012
We have delivered our Community Health Check, which is an interactive Business Organisational review over 90 times in the last year, including for all sizes of groups & orgs including: Voluntary Norfolk, Stevenage CVS, Community Action Peterborough, Cheshunt Extended Services, Stevenage Borough Council, Manchester Refugee & Asylum Charity and Community Matters contracts- please see some feedback comments below:
* Updated 21/2/2013……….. Latest Organisations that have benefited from requesting a Health Check in 2013 include: Islamic Cultural Centre (Peterborough), People Shaped Solutions CIC (Norfolk), Downham Market Heritage Centre (Norfolk), Littleport Community & Leisure Centre (Cambridgeshire), Stevenage Credit Union, Cambridge Carbon Footprint, Indian Cambridge Culture Centre, Cambridgeshire & Peterbororough Association of Local Councils.
We commissioned Can Do Communities to facilitate Health Checks for 10 of our Community Centres. This exercise creates a space for busy organisations to stop, reflect and plan for the future. The Heath Check is a quick and fun way for community groups to focus on what is important and involves those who are key to developing the organisation.
Colleen Murphy, Neighbourhood Development Manager, Stevenage Borough Council.
“I think this was an outstanding exercise that has enabled all the staff and committee members to participate in reflecting and planning the future of the organisation. We thoroughly enjoyed the session which was delivered in a very relaxed way. Thank you for making this possible and for your support.”
Yasmin Ilahi, Manager, Gladstone Community Association, Peterborough.
“Just to let you know that we found this a brilliant exercise – making everyone look objectively at the Scheme in considered and cohesive detail. Well worth doing – I would recommend it to any organisation”
Faye Lloyd, Centre Manager, Stevenage Furniture Recycling Scheme.
“Sixteen of our Community Centres received a Health Check thanks to a succesful bid from us to the Awards for All fund, as a federation we can now examine the results and common areas of need have been flagged up, the Can Do team also have made recommendations and suggested solutions to the issues the groups face, we were delighted with the face to face conversational sessions, it was an enjoyable format watching the results displayed on the big screen”
Ray Baker, Chairman, Community Action Peterborough.
“At Stevenage CVS we were successful with an Awards for All grant, we commissioned ‘Can Do Communities’ to Health Check 10 of our Community Groups, it has enabled us to offer unbiased third party support and expertise to the capacity building and strategic planning locally. It has meant that a relatively small body such as ourselves can extend our reach and offer this key support at very low cost (thanks to Lottery funding) to our members”
Ann Jansz, Chief Executive, Stevenage CVS
“Excellent, I thought it was a really good process, very easy to use, very helpful guys who came and took the session, they made it very relaxed so people felt able to speak their minds”
Elaine Connolly, Irish Network.
“As a result of the recommendations made after our Community Health Check we have set up sub groups to lead on Communication, Funding and Planning. Our new Communications Group then presented our Sustainability Plan to local agencies and our Planning Team are leading the collection of evidence for a Quality Mark, all as a result of the Health Check recommendations.”
Patrick Kadaware, Chair, Huntingdon Community Group.
“We approached Can Do Communities to undertake a Health Check on our organisation to enable a smooth transition from voluntary group to registered charity. A number of areas were identified during the health check that needed focussed development. This process enabled us to access legal support and guidance that moved the process through very quickly.”
Mick Oliver, CARTS Youth Charity.
“The Community Health check covers all the areas that Community Matters feel are important for community groups to regularly review, and the results should help them plan their future with confidence.”
Richard Bridge, Head Of Consultancy, Community Matters- National Federation of Community Groups.
To find out more information please view the Health Check section on this Website or if you are ready to book call Marvin Symes to discuss your requirements on 01733 200906.
Finance for Commmunity Groups
October 1, 2012
Latest Grant Money Available- see our updated Funding Page
Breathing new life into a Community Cafe
August 14, 2012
Can Do Communities recently assisted Swaffham Community Centre with some fresh ideas to breathe new life into their Community Cafe by visiting the Succesful ‘Kitchen Community Cafe’ in Ramsgate.
Three members of the Swaffham Community Centre Team visited a well-known and forward thinking Community Cafe- the Kitchen on 13th of August 2012. This project was selected as it was seen as innovative and is project managed by a collaboration of charitable organisations with similar ethos to Swaffham. The group from Swaffham had the objective of picking up some new ideas to breathe new life in to their Café and this visit it is hoped will give them the opportunity to see how another charitable group runs their Café part of the business.
When the group arrived they were given a talk by project worker Natalie who described how the project had been born and how it has evolved in the short time it has been open. The Kitchen is a relatively new, vibrant café which opened in Ramsgate in August 2011. Inspired by the TV chef Jamie Oliver’s projects “Fifteen” and “Food Revolution”, Their aim was to create a café which serves delicious food and coffee in a fun and welcoming atmosphere, whilst creating training and employment opportunities for people to get their first steps into work.
They source food through local suppliers using local ingredients wherever possible and believe in serving tasty food and drinks at a reasonable price for everyone to enjoy.
They run a number of fun activities for the whole community to get involved with, including healthy eating classes, yoga, knitting and sewing groups, and an art and craft club for youngsters. They also run coffee afternoons in association with Age Concern and live music sessions for up and coming musicians to showcase their talent.
You can sit with a coffee on the sofas and access the free Wi-Fi or make use of one of the computers that are available. There is help at hand to get you started on the computer if you need it, with a whole programme of UK Online short courses for those wanting to learn how to email, Skype their friends and family, shop, or even pay their bills online!
Natalie did admit that their first year in business had presented them with a number of challenges and indeed it would not be profit making until the second financial year, this after making a number of tweaks driven by their customers including providing the right choice of foods at the right price and a tailored menu to what works locally.
Any further recommendations or next steps:
The Group from Swaffham enjoyed their visit and took away a number of recommendations to explore including:
- 1. Improve Signage
- 2. Be innovative with menu deals IE introduce Meal Deals
- 3. Work up relationships with organisations like Age UK and offer activities at the Café
- 4. Create an identifiable separate name for the Café
- 5. Explore additional funding pots to deliver community activities in the Café area and drive up customer volume
- 6. Develop a small Café focus group that meets every month to review performance and introduce new ideas
- 7. Develop a stand-alone Marketing Strategy for the Café
- 8. Visit the following website for low price materials http://www.inkinddirect.org/
FREE Tesco Shopping Vouchers!
June 4, 2012
Peterborough Community Reporters is a project that encourages and supports people to report their local news, using a variety of methods. See www.peterborough.communityreporters.org.uk for details of their monthy photographic competition………
Ok, here’s the deal, June is Jubilee month right?, well our partners at Tesco have kindly agreed to provide the project with some shopping vouchers for the winning entry of our Monthly Photo competition!, quite simply send us your photo’s of Jubilee celebrations, it could be you at home with your mum with a silly hat on, or even your street party, it can be artistic or just plain funny- we are waiting to see what you got!
Please send to hello@candocommunties.co.uk or post to Can Do Communties, Funthams Lane, Whittlesey, PE7 2PB. – with the title Photo Competition.
Anyone can enter (must be a resident of Peterborough), tell your friends now, all entries must be received by us no later than 24th June to be considered by the panel, the winner will be contacted (make sure you give us your details) by 4th July 2012.
Free support for community orgs in Norfolk
May 3, 2012
Can Do Communities are delighted to be delivering Community Health Checks as as part of this capacity building program on behalf of Voluntary Norfolk.
For more details please click on this link
http://www.inspiretochange.org.uk/pages/organisational-health-check.html
CHECK OUT www.peterborough.communityreporters.org.uk
April 9, 2012
Brilliant Charity- get health checked
March 30, 2012
The latest business review Community Health Check was facilitated by us in Stevenage with the Children Contact Centre, who assist with seperated parents having contact with their children- a brilliant group of volunteers and a fantastic charity!
Fantastic Day Care in Stevenage
March 28, 2012
Can Do Communities delivered another Community Health Check session which examines every part of the Community Organisation in a 3 hour user friendly session.
Douglas Drive are a Day Care Centre in Stevenage that provide information & activities for mainly Senior Citizens, the Health Check was delivered in parternship with Stevenage CVS & Big Lottery.
Contact our team at Can Do if you would like to find out more 01733 200906.
Stevenage Furniture Recycling Health Check
March 23, 2012
We delivered one of our 3 hour Community Health Checks the other day to a fab project http://www.stevenagefrs.org.uk/ - please support them :)
Need Finance? Check our updated funding page.
March 16, 2012
UPDATED February 2012
The Access to Elected Office Fund offers individual grants between £250 and £10,000 to disabled people who want to be selected as candidates for an election, or who are standing for election. More information is available on the Access to Elected Office Fund website
………. for more grants check out our funding page.
Peterborough Community Reporters Launched!
March 1, 2012
The new project that allows the good people of Peterborough to get their voice heard and give their news,views & opinions has just launched check out www.peterborough.communityreporters.org.uk
make sure you spread the word and maybe even get involved yourself.
NEW! Peterborough Community Reporter Training Dates
February 17, 2012
Peterborough Community
Reporter Basic Level
Training Courses
Contact Marvin@candocommunities.co.uk 01733 200906 for more info and a booking form.
12 March 2012 l 9.30am-3.30pm
East Community Centre
Padholme Rd, PE1 5AL
13 March 2012 l 6pm-9pm
Herlington Community Centre
Orton Malborne, PE2 5PW
14 March 2012 l 6pm-9pm
Herlington Community Centre
Orton Malborne, PE2 5PW
15 March 2012 l 9.30am-3.30pm
Millenium Centre, Dickens St, PE1 5DG
16 March 2012 l 9.30am-3.30pm
Stafford Hall, Hampton Court
Westwood, PE3 7LD
UPDATED 24th FEBRUARY LATEST FUNDING POTS AVAILABLE
February 3, 2012
check our funding section for all the latest funding that is available like these;
NEW: The Tesco Charity Trust Trustees also consider grant applications at their tri-annual meetings. These grants range between £4,000 and £25,000 and are to support local, national or international projects in areas where Tesco operate.
Fenland District Council Rural Capital Grants Scheme has a total funding pot of £800,000 to help pay for new projects which will benefit the community for more than 1 year and where funding requests exceed £10,000 in value. This can include funding for buildings, play equipment, vehicles, or any other projects where the group is requesting pieces of equipment. You can apply for up to £100,000. The project must show a clear need which has been identified by local residents and must be completed within 2 years of being awarded funding
Sport England has launched a £50 million fund which can help voluntary and community groups with an interest in running sporting activity. Inspired Facilities is Sport England’s programme to deliver a London 2012 legacy of increased mass participation in sport, it is investing £50 million of National Lottery funding in up to 1000 community sports projects between 2011 and 2014.
We can assist you in accessing funding for Community Health Checks – Have You signed up?
January 13, 2012
Do you know how your Community Organisation will survive in the next 2 years?, how about taking a Health Check ( business review) In these difficult financial times everyone is looking to make savings and improve their sustainability. In terms of Community Organisations its important to have a handle on just where you are in terms of the organisational set up, finances, resources, funding bids, marketing, planning and where you plan the organisation to be in 2 years time.
We can help you plan for your future by delivering a simple but effective 3 hour review at your Community Venue with your Committee.
- Mapping the Future - Is a simple Business tool, designed to capture on one page various aspects of the Community Organisation, i.e Business Mode, Organisational Development, Financial Return and Social Return.
- Organisation Review - Has been designed to identify your groups strengths and weaknesses by asking multi choice questions based around governance, systems, finance, business planning and marketing. From the answers given, we will identify where specific attention needs ot be focused and a summary development plan will be drafted.
- Relationship Footprint - In order for an organisation to make an impact in an area it is crucial that all relationships are mapped ie with Housing Associations, Local Authorities etc and the strength is assessed in order to enhance them for the future.
- SkillsAudit - We work with your committee and Local Community in recording the wealth of skills at hand and then examine where the skills can be put to good use for the benefit of your community.
- Summary Report - On completion of your Health Check you are furnished with a summary report which lists all your development needs and then we talk with you about how you can find the resources to address them.
- Assist with the production of an Organisational Development Plan
- Progression towards a Quality Standard - For the organisation to progress into a sustainable entity it is essential that they adopt and maintain strong practices, the best way to achieve this is to work towards a Quality Standard. We guide the management team through the processes necessary to gather the evidence to build towards an assesment. Once the assesment has been completed it will demonstrate that the organisation is well managed and therefore increase their chances of gaining funding.
This is a 3 hour session that can be delivered at your venue, you then receive a full report on your organisations ‘health’ and recommmendations for the future sustainability. (This can be delivered for all public/ private/ third sector organisations)
Please contact Marvin Symes (CDC Director) 07910 276193 to book your Health Check for 2011.
PS we can asssist in accessing funding for this purpose.
Peterborough Community Reporters
December 15, 2011
We are delighted to announce that CDC have received a Big Lottery Awards for All grant to deliver Peterborough Community Reporters project.
What is it?
Community Reporters is a fun activity that allows people to tell stories about their own lives and celebrate all the positive things that happen in their Community using words, pictures video or audio.
It is about empowering communities by enabling them to take control, have their voices heard on issues that are important to them or sharing ideas or concerns with other people in person and on-line using a number of different creative methods.
This is achieved by members of the Community creating and posting articles and pictures to the Peterborough Community Reporters website and inviting other people to engage in open communication and join the conversation.
To become a Community Reporter you will receive training on everything from being able to interview people and write proper stories to using the various pieces of equipment such as digital cameras, video and voice recorders
Who is it for?
The Peterborough Community Reporters Project is for individuals who take an interest in their community and would like to develop their skills in areas such as writing a good article, Social Media, Digital Hardware and many others. It also helps if you are enthusiastic and have ideas, but don’t worry, we can help you with that!
What are the benefits for the Community Reporter?
- Learn new communication skills
- Learn interviewing skills
- Learn how to use Digital Cameras and Voice Recorders
- Build your confidence by doing things you never dreamed of before
- Gets you out and about to meet new people
What are the benefits for the Community?
- People sharing their stories and experiences
- Document the History of the different areas of Peterborough
- Celebrate the multi cultural diversity of Peterborough and the heritage that this brings.
F.A.Q’s
Q. How can I get involved?
- Just send us an email to hello@candocommunities.co.uk or call 01733 200906
Q. Do I need any experience?
- No, just your enthusiasm to learn and a willingness to share your thoughts and ideas are all that is needed.
Q. What will it cost me for the training?
- Absolutely nothing as we have already the funding in place. All we ask is that you need to be available for the two day training course on the dates provided.
Q. I am not very technically minded and a bit low in confidence in these situations. Should I still apply?
- Yes definitely. The training has been designed to be easily understood and there will be others there to support you.
Q. What sort of things will I learn on the training course?
- Loads, including the different types of reporting, producing good content, communication and interviewing skills, Health and Safety whilst reporting, how to use the equipment and uploading the content to the Peterborough Community Reporters Website and much more.
Q. What can I report on?
- Anything you like as long as it’s clean. It could be a film about a new local band, a report on job hunting, an article about your childhood experiences, the list is endless…
Q. How many Peterborough Community Reporters will there be?
- We hope loads, the more the merrier in fact! We will be inviting people from each ward in Peterborough to start with, then, as word spreads we will engage with partner organisations to either directly fund the continued growth or give specialist support such as a local media outlet offering training or work experience for a budding reporter.
UPDATE 05/01/12: We are currently building the PCR Website and planning training sessions for local people to become Community Reporters, please call 01733 200906 to find out more.
Official Launch expected Mid February 2012
What we CAN DO for you
November 18, 2011
Can Do Communities are a more than profit Community Interest Company that can assist you with ‘everything Community Development’. We work with all sizes of organisations / groups around the UK including ; Local Authorities, Housing Associations, small, medium & large community groups.
Give advice and guidance on Community Development issues including the areas of: Legal company formation, Asset Transfer, Localism Bill, Governance, Financial Management, Trading Legally, Managing Staff & Volunteers, Equalities & Diversity, Managing Premises, Health & Safety, Personal Development, Community Group Development, Funding and much more.
- Design & Deliver a wide range of training courses
- Health Check Community Groups and assist them in preparing a Development Plan
- ‘Hand Hold’ Community Groups through a recognised Voluntary Sector Quality mark enabling them to ensure they are compliant and in a better position to be sustainable
- Produce Tailored Educational fun trips for Community Groups
- Assist Community Groups in forming a legal entity (IE Charity Status or CIC’s)
- Manage any kind of Community project
- Signpost people to relevant providers/ support
- Facilitate Community Reporter Projects
Cost savings available for Charitable organisations
October 27, 2011
In the six months that it has been in operation, Charity BackRoom has helped many East Anglian charities to spend time on the things that really matter to them by taking responsibility for the things that – with the best will in the world – really don’t.
Charity BackRoom
Yes, placing job ads, arranging insurance, considering employment legislation and calculating NI contributions are important – but they aren’t what the region’s groups and charities were set up to do, so every hour spent working on them is an hour that can’t be devoted to those core activities that make a real difference to the people of Cambridgeshire, Suffolk and Norfolk. And with cuts in public funding impacting on local organisations, every minute and every penny is precious.
Charity BackRoom provides the essential support services which organisations must have, but find expensive and time-consuming to do themselves. It saves them money, because the expertise Charity BackRoom offers is keenly priced; it saves them time because by not having to run their own payroll, advertise their own jobs or plan their own training (for example) they are free to focus on the things that their funders, supporters and clients really value them for – and that isn’t their ability to calculate employee tax liability.
We can’t calculate precisely how much time and how much money Charity BackRoom has helped groups to channel in the right direction during these last six months, but we are convinced that it is a significant amount and that, in the long-term, Charity BackRoom will be of direct benefit both to the counties third sector organisations and to the people of the region.
Said Enterprise and Funding Development Manager Antony Parke:
“Our aim is to act as a one-stop shop for organisations of all sizes and to provide them with the services that will help them achieve their goals, while saving them time and money. Our highly regarded all inclusive HR & Employment Law contract, for example, offers unlimited amounts of advice, backed by legal specialists, in addition to contract and policy checks for as little as £800 per year. We are also able to deliver bespoke pieces of work from competitor analysis, recruitment and selection assistance through to guidance and support with expansion plans and product development, as well as ‘standard’ items such as payroll, CRB checks and jobs advertising, so it makes sense for other charities to let our specialist staff work behind the scenes on their behalf while they go out and do what they do best.”
To find out more, go to http://www.charitybackroom.org.uk/ email enquiries@charitybackroom.org.uk
or call 01603 756726.
Follow us on Twitter
April 30, 2011
You can get all the latest Voluntary sector news & views now through our tweets … follow our twitter feed box on the front page of our website. Feel free to promote your events & projects through us, email me at; symesm@hotmail.com and I will post a tweet on our front page immediately!
Our staff including latest recruit Cheryl Goodfellow ( Community & Regeneration Manager/ Can Do Communities) will be tweeting their socks off with Third Sector news from around the country.
Promote your events and projects with us by emailing the Can Do team and we will tweet your promotion on our front page.
Interview with Lord Coe
January 23, 2011
The Co Founders of CDC got lucky last week when filming at the Stratford (site of the London 2012 village) for one of the community projects they facilitate for CP LearningTrust- ‘Once in a lifetime’. (upskilling people through Sports & ArtsThey were filming some general footage of the Olympic stadium for a promotional film clip when there was a commotion and no other than Lord Coe (Chief Exec of London 2012) and his entourage appeared carrying out various media interviews right in front of them. Marvin & Graham not know for their shyness chanced their luck and asked for a quick interview, fair play to Lord Coe, the man from Chiswick he says YES!- see link to you tube interview when reading more..
Lord Coe Interview on You Tube December 2010 about the Inspire Marked ‘Once in a lifetime project’ that Can Do Communities are facilitating on behalf of CP Learning Trust.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SxYldNoiRGg
To find out more about the excellent work of the CP Learning Trust please view: http://www.cpltrust.net/
Can Do Communities are good at facilitating community projects on your behalf please call 01733 200906 for more details.
NB )* Once in a lifetime is a project funded by EEDA, Greater Cambs Partnership & Cambs County Council, the delivering body is CP Learning Trusthttp://www.cpltrust.net/
The inspire mark shown above was awarded to the Once In A Lifetime Project. under the Volunteering Catergory
** The Once In A Lifetime Project was completed on 31/3/2011
Success in New York City!
November 1, 2010
8 lads……..9 days……..3000 miles…….1 world famous gym……. Can Do Communities in partnership with the Sutton Community Development team and Tom Hickson of East Cambs District Council have returned from an inspirational trip to New York City.
CDC have been part of a brilliant community project, assisting with developing a group of young boxers (aged 13-16 deemed at risk of offending) in East Cambridgeshire. The aim of the programme was to combine an inspirational trip to New York City with an educational programme to spur the group on to achieving their goals in life.
Can Do were invited to develop the cultural and educational part of this sporting programme. CDC’ lead trainer Victor Evelyn (Ex British Martial Arts Champion) delivered ‘Ambition Development’sessions where the group examined their goals in life, what brings happiness, how to focus the mind and achieve your goals. At the end of the trip CDC facilitated an evaluation session where the group made video diaries of the trip and checked their progress against the goals they set themselves.
It is hoped that the combination of a ‘Once in A Lifetime’ visit to world class sporting facilities and working with top coaches will inspire the group to make the most of their talent and achieve the goals in life that they set for themselves.
This trip to America was a reward for the young boxers who had been attending the Group of Boys Boxing club in Sutton (East Cambs) on a regular basis. The boys were a part of the GOBB project started in 2008, GOBB is a 10 week curricular time programme, where young people undertake specific boxing sessions along with accredited courses such as the Sports Leader Award (CSLA). The first pilot evaluations demonstrated a complete change in behaviour, and prior to the programme school attendance levels were less than 14% and are now over 80%!
For further details on this exciting programme please contact Marvin Symes 07910 276193
Circus Skills Entertainment Available for your event
October 1, 2010
Can Do Communities often use Circus Skills to engage people in communities.These include ball juggling, club swinging, poi, diabolo, plate spinning, unicycling and other circus skills.
We can supply our experienced circus entertainer simply if you just want to add a bit of fun to an event you are holding (like a local fete). Or if you would like to consult some young people in your community about what they would like to get involved in for example, CDC can tailor a session to these requirements, and we will include in the session a number of target practice exercises to obtain the answers.
We use the fun element of the circus skills to engage people of all ages in the community, call us now for more information 01733 200906.
Voluntary Sector gains a concession from Government over LEP’s!
September 3, 2010
Voluntary organisations and social enterprises can now become key players in the new local enterprise partnerships (LEPs) following a challenge to the government from the sector.
The National Association for Voluntary and Community Action (Navca) says pressure from its members has reversed the original decision, which appeared to exclude the voluntary and community sector from the new LEPs, which will replace regional development agencies.
In a letter to one of Navca’s members, communities and decentralisation minister Greg Clark said he welcomed the involvement of voluntary organisations and also made clear the government recognises the ‘considerable’ economic impact of the sector.
The challenge was mounted by Navca after business secretary Vince Cable and communities secretary Eric Pickles wrote to council chiefs in July, inviting businesses and local authorities to work together to develop LEP proposals, but did not extend the invitation to voluntary and community sector organisations.
Navca chief executive Kevin Curley said: ‘This is a victory for the voluntary and community sector and a welcome and timely recognition of the economic impact of our sector. It also shows it is important for us to be prepared to tell the government when we think they have got things wrong.’
A key issue to emerge from New Start’s recent LEP round table event was the importance of community organisations and social enterprises in making LEP activities effective in disadvantaged areas. Read more in the September edition of New Start.
Can Do Communities played their small part in campaigning for third sector involvement, we met with Shailesh Vara (MP NW Cambridgeshire) a month ago to suggest a re think. The MP admitted that it was a good point we were making and promised to take it to Communities minister Eric Pickles, we like to think we contribute in our own little way !
Big Society or Big Con?!
August 1, 2010
Can Do Communities watches with interest on just how the new coallitions plans for a community led new society shapes up in the near future. We are also more than interested in the scrapping of the Regional Development Agencies (EEDA was our regional version in the East of England) put in place by Labour to promote economic growth in the regions.
The coallition reckon that these un accountable bodies are not the way forward, so what is their masterplan?, you could argue they are still trying to find one!, they have written to all Business Leaders & Council Leaders to invite suggestions on how the new ‘Local Enterprise Partnerships’ might look like.
Forgive us for asking the obvious question but………… where is the Third Sector involvement in the request for responses?…….. answers on a postcard please!
Event Stewarding Courses
July 31, 2010
Can Do Communities in partnership with Warrior Security services are delighted to offer Event Stewarding training courses
Course Content
The course covers the following six mandatory units:
- Role and responsibilities of a steward
- Health and safety
- Understanding the principles of spectator control
- Handling conflict at events
- Equal opportunities
- Personal safety in the workplace
On completion of these units, candidates complete an externally set multiple-choice assessment.
Progression Opportunities
This certificate programme provides an ideal preparatory course for candidates wishing to progress on to NVQs in Spectator Safety. As this certificate programme has been mapped to the NVQ standards, it can be used as accredited prior learning for those progressing on to Level 2 NVQ in Spectator Safety. Experienced stewards may complete the qualification in less time than those new to stewarding work.
Please contact 01733 200906 for more details
CommunityBuilders Funding!
July 15, 2010
Communitybuilders is a £70m investment fund which takes forward a commitment within the Communities in Control: real people, real power White Paper to build more cohesive, empowered and active communities. Communitybuilders invests in the sustainability of multi-purpose, inclusive, community-led organisations (sometimes known as Community Anchors). These organisations can be the platform to support empowered communities by: providing a place for community activities to take place providing and running local services stimulating community involvement and enterprise generating independent sources of income Communitybuilders is a joint programme between Communities and Local Government and the Office of the Third Sector and is lead by the Adventure Capital Fund and brought to you by The Social Investment Business and The Community Alliance.
Communitybuilders is a £70m investment fund which takes forward a commitment within the Communities in Control: real people, real power White Paper to build more cohesive, empowered and active communities.
Communitybuilders invests in the sustainability of multi-purpose, inclusive, community-led organisations (sometimes known as Community Anchors). These organisations can be the platform to support empowered communities by:
- providing a place for community activities to take place
- providing and running local services
- stimulating community involvement and enterprise
- generating independent sources of income
Communitybuilders is a joint programme between Communities and Local Government and the Office of the Third Sector and is lead by the Adventure Capital Fund and brought to you by The Social Investment Business and The Community Alliance.
There are three elements to the Communitybuilders programme: Feasibility which provides grants and business support; Development which provides grants, one-to-one mentoring and business support; and Investment which provides loans and grants and business support.
Further Details: Marvin Symes 07910 276193
Opportunities in Sports & Arts
June 30, 2010
CDC are delighted to support the ‘Once in a lifetime’ Project. It is a Cambridgeshire wide initiative that uses sports and arts to engage people in volunteering and leads to skills for employment, through providing first step taster courses followed by longer accredited programmes. The training is FREE of charge to those that meet the eligibiity criteria.
Please visit www.onceproject.org.uk for fulldetails of project including FREE training that you can access if you meet the eligibility criteria (Unemployed, or with less than 5 GCSE’s at A-C level)
12th November 2009
PROJECT PROGRESS REPORT (1st July 2009- 12th November 2009)
Since starting the project in July we have concentrated on developing the programme awareness, courses, participants and partnerships.
A project identity has been designed along with a website (www.onceproject.org.uk) to raise awareness of the project. The website has links to partner’s websites and these links are reciprocated in our partners sites.
To date, we have delivered three consultation events (involving 70 people), a visit to Peterborough United by a group of 16 to 18 year-old disadvantaged youths to see “behind the scenes” at a Championship football club followed by watching the game between Peterborough and West Bromwich Albion. We followed this with a coach trip to see the Olympic Village construction site, on which we had a mixture of partners, participants and even a press presence to advertise the scheme. The latest was a Circus Skills event whereby we engaged with a group of homeless people, many with either drink or drugs problems, to increase their confidence levels and also introduce them to volunteering opportunities in Wisbech.
We have developed a programme of “Taster” courses of which we have delivered seven, (some more than once) lasting between 2 hours and two days. The most popular of these courses has proved to be the two day Event Stewarding which has given a qualification to most of the thirty seven participants. The number of qualifications would be even higher but for the fact that the minimum age for the qualification is eighteen and we had a number of seventeen year olds on one of the sessions, however, they can take the qualifying examination on reaching eighteen without having to re-sit the course. There have also been a number who have continued to complete the full SIA examination (see “Full Courses” below).
Other “Tasters” we have delivered are Pool Refereeing (this also gave a qualification to three of the participants), Film Making (giving a group some knowledge to film their locally produced pantomime and a promotional film detailing the activities that the Community Centre can offer the local residents), Confidence Building, Music Production and Introduction to Photography. We have also developed a Multi Skills course incorporating Film Making, T Shirt Design, Introduction to Photography and Music Production to enable a group of young people with learning difficulties promote and deliver a Christmas Event at Huntingdon College.
We have also facilitated Full Courses in Football Association Level 1 Coaching where three participants based in the rural village of Sutton gained their Coaching award and the Security Industry Authority (S I A) qualification which will enable the participants that gain the qualification to work within the security sector in such diverse roles such as shops, retail parks, nightclubs and night watchmen. The first of these courses was attended by sixteen participants and finished on the 12thNovember.
Currently our next courses will be a Community Sports Leaders Full course starting on the 16th November and “Tasters” in Confidence Building starting on 19thNovember and another on the 30th November along with Pool Refereeing on the 22nd November.
To summarise we have run fourteen events (twelve tasters and two full courses) to date and have had eighty-four individuals attending (sixty eight people attending tasters and sixteen attending full courses), with a few individuals attending more than one. We have also forged partnerships with organisations such as Connexions, Huntingdon College, Ormiston Trust, Nacro, Young Lives, Huntingdon F. A. Living Sport, ADEC and Team East for Skills, to name a few. We have endeavoured to reach as many participants from as many different backgrounds as possible and we have achieved this objective through relationships with projects like the Ferry Project for homeless people in Wisbech and Pathway into Employment in Huntingdon, again amongst others.
** This project was completed on 31/3/2011.
Can Do Investment Funds – Local People Power!
May 30, 2010
A Can Do Investment Fund (CDIF) is a community-held pot of money that is used to buy services and activities which the community decides will enhance where and how they live. Can Do Communities can set up and help facilitate this small grants scheme for you.
The CDIF ‘model’ begins with a small grant pot, usually a few thousand pounds over 6 months to a year, that resources small-scale, voluntarily-run projects. Decisions about which ideas and activities to fund are taken by a panel comprising people from the community itself. This can be residents, committed local development workers, councillors, workers at local businesses, service users – anyone with a stake and an interest in bringing about positive change.
The activities and projects which are funded are measured over their lifetime, using simple criteria and measurement methods agreed with each project when it receives funding. For instance, a group of local residents may decide they want to set up a stop-smoking support group for 3 months. They use their funding to pay for the hire of a local venue, motivational speakers, alternative health therapies etc. They decide to measure the success of their project on the number of cigarettes each member cuts back on over the life of the project and this is achieved by a very simple sheet of paper that each fills in to show the number of cigarettes smoked daily.
At the end of each activity, the agreed measurements are analysed and a rough cost-benefit analysis calculated. These are then collated on a regular basis (quarterly or 6-monthly) and used in negotiations with local service providers to negotiate a re-investment into the CDIF, based on the financial savings to the provider.
The CDIF should grow over time, as statutory agencies become more accustomed and supportive of the idea, and the confidence and capabilities of local service provision grows. If the legal requirements are in place, and with a bit of creativity, the CDIF could also tender for work commissioned by statutory agencies, always using the model of delivering services through small to medium scale local initiatives. This is an alternative to the reinvestment negotiation and possibly negates the need to put a financial value on work already carried out, although this is always a valuable piece of information to provide.
The Benefits
- Provide services on a local level- crucially by local people
- Helps fund good ideas- breeds confidence
- Supports community engagement/ sense of community
- Provides support to people at grass roots level
- Easy access to scheme (easy to complete application form)
- Quick Process/ a face to the process
- Local Panel – making decisions on peers
- Encourages re-investment
- Improves local peoples skills
- Encourages people to look at local skills available- instead of negativity
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Please contact the Can Do Communities office on 01733 200906 to find out more.
CDC can help you set up a Good Neighbour Scheme in your community
October 10, 2009
Good Neighbour Schemes are run by volunteers who carry out helpful tasks for needy people in their community. The good deeds can range from befriending to driving people without access to transport to hospital appointments.
The schemes are very popular in many areas of the UK already. Although it is a simple concept, they can take alot of pro active work to set up and facilitate, contact Can Do Communities today on 01733 200906 to see how we can take the strain from you in developing a Good Neighbour scheme in your area.
Can Do Communities are working to support community development on a social housing development in Fulbourn
June 19, 2009
Can Do Communities are working to support community development on a social housing development in Fulbourn, Cambridgeshire. We are facilitating a number of community initiatives, including developing a Good Neighbour Scheme for the village where a group of volunteers are on call to help people in the village with hospital visits, befriending, household repairs and other neighbourly deeds!
Throughout 2009 we will be working with residents to improve their sense of well being and general community spirit. The objectives of the project are firstly improving integration and social cohesion in the village. With this in mind a Welcome Pack and Good Neighbour scheme are being developed. The second main objective is Wider Village inclusiveness, its crucial that the whole village is given the opportunity to take part in the various initiatives, such as local people acting as community facilitators (people organising projects, passing on knowledge to others through informal training), environmental initiatives such as a ‘cut your carbon’ scheme and a locally based small grants re-investment scheme that supports local projects for all ages.
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