Community Health Fund open to applications: Info session 1st December

10/11/2016

The Community Health Fund supports small community group initiatives, with an income under £35,000 a year, which improve the health and wellbeing of Brighton and Hove’s residents.

The fund is ending

The fund has run for a number of years and is now ending. So this is your last change to apply for this money!

The deadline for applications to the fund is 13 January 2017.

Information session

Our Advice and Support Co-ordinator, Hazel Roper, and Laura Williams from Sussex Community Foundation are running an information session on the fund on Thursday 1 December 2016. This is your opportunity to hear more about the fund, access advice and support around your application and meet with others applying to the fund.

The session will introduce the fund and its aims, go through the application form and timetable for applying. You’ll be given information about the support available to help you to make an application. There will also be plenty of time for your questions and networking with other groups there.

If someone from your group has attended an information session before, but you haven’t, or if you would benefit from a refresher, please do come along. We’d love to see you there.

If you’ve applied once for the fund already, then consider applying again. Groups may be able to receive funding twice.

Book your place at our information session today!

Community Works briefing on being a trustee and governance: 24th November

10/11/2016

Where: Gordon Room, Worthing Town Hall, Chapel Road, Worthing, BN11 1HA

Date: Thursday 24 November 2016

Time: 6.00-8.00pm

Book your place today!

Join Moira Protani, Charity Lawyer and expert in governance, for an overview of the key responsibilities of trustees. Whether you’re new to your trustee or committee role or well-seasoned, this is the ideal chance to meet and share experiences with other trustees and committee members and reflect on the job at hand.

Big Fig – One Day Healthy Eating Course – Thursday 10 November

08/11/2016

A few places have become available, due to last minute cancellations, on the Big Fig taster day course which will be running at The Platform this Thursday, the 10th of November from 10am – 2pm.

This a free one day course aimed at those interested in learning about healthy eating and cooking. The course will include:

  • A morning of information about healthy eating and nutrition including a chance for learners to create and take away with them a healthy eating menu plan, using the information they have received.
  • The chance for learners to prepare and eat a healthy meal in our training kitchen. Learners will also be able to take away with them the recipes for the meal they prepare.

If learners enjoy the course and feel they would like to pursue further similar courses they will have the opportunity to apply for our 5 week catering course which will run in January next year.

Places are limited so if you know of any clients who may be interested in this please contact Mo Yuchetel at mo.yuchetel@theplatform.org.uk

Grant Writing Workshop Wed 9th November

08/11/2016

Grant Writing Workshop:  What’s The Big Idea?

Wednesday 9th November, 10am-12pm, and we will cover how to:

  • Develop your fund raising idea
  • Create impact
  • Achieve clarity
  • Communicate persuasively

For more info and to book a space please send me an email, or visit:  www.cazokane.co.uk/events-training

Free training course: Finance for small groups

02/11/2016

Community Works is running another Finance for Small Groups training course on 23 and 30 November 2016.

Please note this course takes place on 2 successive Wednesdays and you need to attend on BOTH days.

Course length: 2 x sessions over 2 days

Date: 23 and 30 November 2016

Time: 9.30am-1.30pm

Venue: The Bridge Community Education Centre, Lucraft Road, Brighton.

Trainer: Steve Early

Who is this course for?

This two half-day course is aimed at anyone from a small community group who wants to understand more about bookkeeping, financial management and budgeting. It is aimed specifically at groups:

  • With an income of under £35,000 and who are receiving a grant through the Community Health Fund and/or who are delivering health and well-being activities
  • Community Works will prioritise those groups whose health and well-being activities support LGBT people, younger people and older people e.g. physical activity, arts / heritage /culture, food and nutrition, intergenerational work

By the end of the course you will be able to:

  •          keep basic books using an Excel template designed by the Resource Centre
  •          write an accurate budget including your core costs
  •          account for each fund you have separately
  •          put in place appropriate financial controls
  •          provide financial information to the rest of your management committee
  •          understand the rules around independent examinations

Course fees:

FREE

For more information on either session or to book your place visit:

http://bhcommunityworks.org.uk/finance-for-small-groups  or please call 01273 234023

Transport survey

19/10/2016

Does your group include people aged over 50 who live in Brighton & Hove?

A network of local voluntary organisations is researching older people’s transport needs in order to shape and develop solutions to local transport problems. The results will also be used to inform the way that the Brighton & Hove Clinical Commissioning Group, commission community transport in the city.

They’ve devised a short questionnaire to help them understand and evidence the difficulties people have with getting to and from activities.

People can either complete the questionnaire online by 18 November.

Or download a Microsoft Word document (DOC) and return it by 18 November either by email to lifelines@volunteeringmatters.org.uk or by post to Lifelines, Montague House, Montague Place, Brighton, BN2 1HQ.

If you require the questionnaire in a different format please email info@bhcommunityworks.org.uk or call 01273 234023

Free Governance Surgery

14/10/2016

Community Works free governance surgery, at Komedia on Tuesday 8 November , 5.00-6.45pm. This is a great opportunity to access free advice on any aspect of the governance of your organisation. Experts brought together by Community Works can help with a range of areas including:

Employment

Finance

Charity Law

Governance

Volunteer Management

Places are limited, so make sure you book your slot in advance.

For more information, and to book, please visit: http://bhcommunityworks.org.uk/surgery-agm-awards/ *

*Community Works AGM and Sector Star Awards will follow the Governance Surgery, so when you book your advice slot you can decide whether to also book on to these parts of the evening.

A place to meet

14/10/2016

Pelican on Portland Road has rooms available for group meetings and events. No hire fee if people buy a drink. Check them out at http://pelicanonportland.co.uk/venue-hire

Brighton Soup: how to submit your project (deadline 9th November)

07/10/2016

Brighton Soup have announced that they are now open to submissions for their next funding event @ Community Base on Dec 2nd. If you’re interested, here’s what you need to know;

  • You don’t’ have to be an organisation or charity to apply, it can just be you
  • You don’t need formal plans or projections, just an idea
  • Your project has to benefit the people of Brighton & Hove City in a charitable way
  • You get help, support and training on how to present your idea
  • You get an opportunity for some funding, even if you don’t win the vote
  • You meet a lot of really great people that may want to get involved and help you
  • You get to eat delicious food and maybe have some fun too

The submission deadline for this event is Wed 9th Nov 2016. So if you (or someone you know) is interested, please apply online at BrightonSoup.org.uk/projects and answer 3 simple questions;

  1. What is your idea/project?
  2. How does it benefit people?
  3. How does the money help?

Survey results 2016

04/10/2016

We are grateful to everyone who took the time to respond to our 2016 survey in the summer. Once again, the results show that overall, our users think we’re doing a great job, which is always lovely to hear.

  • 97% of our users were very satisfied with the service they received. The remaining 3% were satisfied.
  • 100% of respondents agree that the Resource Centre makes life easier for their group.
  • For most of our user groups, we are the only support agency they use.
  • The work of our user groups benefits everyone in the city.

For more details see our summary report. We have taken note of all the comments and suggestions and we’ll be producing another report next year on the actions we’ve taken in response.