Voluntary Action Lewisham

Course Fees

Based in Lewisham?

Becoming a full member will save you 50% of the cost of this course. Alternatively you can save 10% by becoming an Associate member. Associate membership is free and takes less than 2 minutes.

Over the next six months VAL will deliver The Safe Project which will include workshops and discussion sessions for small voluntary organisations with the aim of raising awareness of children's and young people's safeguarding issues ... read more.

Arrangements for this event are being put in place currently, but please book the date and join us for what is always an important event in our calendar. For further information contact:

Martin Howie
020 8314 8876
martin@valewisham.org.uk

Commissioning - Implications for the voluntary sector

In developing a thriving voluntary and community sector, it is important to ensure consistency and transparency on commissioning with the sector. In Lewisham, a set of principles for commissioning have been developed and will form part of the Local Compact. Part of my role will be to ensure that this local Compact is implemented properly by the voluntary sector and the Council or the local NHS commissioners.

NHS Commissioning Guide

The NHS have published a new commissioning guide. The guide looks at items such as the structure of the NHS, the commissioning cycle, working with commissioners, and becoming a service provider. The guide can be downloaded from Department of Health website  

Further details on Commissioning

Commissioning Guidelines - Lewisham Compact Code of Practice

National Audit Office Successful Commissioning Guidance

Support Planning Service (Pilot)

The London Borough of Lewisham invites expressions of interest from suitably experienced providers, with extensive knowledge of the borough who wish to provide a proposal for a pilot to deliver Support Planning as part of  Lewisham’s Self Directed Support (SDS) trial for citizens.... read more.

Due to rapid changes in the political and funding environments VAL has launched a eBulletin service. This is sent out fortnightly to voluntary and community groups in Lewisham. Back issues of the eBulletin will be available as pdf files from this page.

If you would like to receive a copy of the eBulletin, please contact Maria Pritchard.

Our Local Lewisham

Lewisham Children and Young People’s Forum
Wednesday 9th June 2010, 1.30 – 4.30pm – including lunch!
Stephen Lawrence Centre, 38 Brookmill Road, Deptford SE8 4HU

This event will focus on getting the most out of partnerships and networks at a local level.

• Network with other VCS organisations across Lewisham
• Explore locally-based resources, networks and other support
• Updates on Local Assemblies (Lewisham Council), Ward Panels (Lewisham Police), and local youth engagement networks
• Olympics 2012: plans for Lewisham
• Elect your new Steering Group for 2010!
• And much more…

To reserve your place, please email kate@valewisham.org.uk or call 020 8314 7018 with your name, organisation and any special dietary requirements.

Location Map

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The deadline for applying to the Community Cohesion fund for applications for under £2,000 has been extended until the 7th May 2010.

Lewisham Council has allocated £220,000 to support community cohesion projects in Lewisham which undertake activities that contribute to the development of positive relationships between people of different backgrounds. 

The funds will be distributed using a participatory budgeting approach which aims to enable local people, through community groups and organisations, to take part in decisions which could improve life and understanding in and across communities.  Communities themselves make the decisions at an event where applicants for funding make presentations about their projects to other applicants.  Participating groups score or vote on each application which determines which projects will be funded.  The event will take place in June.

Getting Involved - Grants avaliable and eligibilty criteria

Funding is available in 2 categories:

Up to £2,000 for projects and activities that will involve or benefit 1 community
£2,000 to £10,000 for projects and activities that will benefit 2 or more communities

Aims of the project:

“To support activities that contribute to the development of positive relationships between people of different backgrounds, with a special focus on:

• Activities that bring together people from different social groups or ethnic backgrounds or communities of interest
• Intergenerational activities”

All funding proposals need to demonstrate how they meet these aims

Eligibility criteria

The programme is open to community groups and organisations based in the Borough of Lewisham or who are active in Lewisham.

To be eligible your group must be a constituted group – either a registered charity or company limited by guarantee or have a constitution or set of rules, have a bank account and have an equal opportunities policy or statement.  If you do not meet any of these criteria but have a good idea we still want to hear from you as we may be able to help you meet the criteria or team you up with another group.

How to get involved

Complete the Initial Expression of Interest form and return it as soon as possible.  It should arrive no later than Friday 30th April.

Please return forms to Elaine Sammarco at elaine@valewisham.org.uk

Or by post to:
Voluntary Action Lewisham
120 Rushey Green
LONDON
SE6 4HQ

If you have any questions or require any assistance before completing or returning your form please let us know.

Once we have received your form we will contact you to discuss any further support you may need to develop your proposal and keep you informed about the next stage of the process.

Capacity building support available from VAL

• Help with developing project ideas
• Assistance with developing your application and proposal
• Presentation skills workshops to prepare you for the participatory budgeting event
• Assistance for new and recently established groups to get involved

Following on from the insert with the February edition of Grapevine we are pleased to report that work on the project VAL is undertaking for Lewisham Council is now underway.

Bids will be invited in two categories of up to £2,000 and up to £10,000 to support activities that bring together people from different social groups, ethnic backgrounds or communities of interest, and intergenerational activities. 

Application Procedure

The grants will be awarded using a participatory budgeting process during which groups develop their projects and present their project proposals at an event to be held for participating groups in June.  In between groups submitting expressions of interest and the participatory budgeting event VAL will be working with groups to develop their proposals and their presentations for the event.

More Information

VAL is now inviting groups to contact us for more details and guidelines and an expression of interest form.  We will be holding an information event in March which will give groups an opportunity to find out more about the process, the support  available and meet the project team.

For further information, an expression of interest form and details of the information event in March please contact Elaine Sammarco.  Alternatively leave a message and your contact details for Elaine at VAL on 020 8314 9411 e-mail: elaine@valewisham.org.uk

The Lewisham Compact – an agreement between the Council (and other statutory agencies) and the voluntary & community sector about how we work together was agreed and launched in 2001. It continues to form the foundations of our relationship.

The on-going development of the Compact and oversight of Compact activity is led by the Compact Steering Group, administered by VAL.

The Steering Group comprises representatives from Lewisham Council’s various Directorates, NHS Lewisham and voluntary and community sector organisations. It meets bi-monthly, normally at 2pm on a weekday (day varies).

At present we are short of voluntary & community representatives – and would welcome 2 or 3 more volunteers. At a time when the partnership between statutory and voluntary agencies is becoming ever-more important, it is vital that we have strong VCS representation. A revised National Compact has just been issued and we will need to look at this early in 2010.

If you would like to volunteer to be part of this group, or want to find out more information, please contact Martin on 020 8314 8876 or martin@valewisham.org.uk

We’re pleased to invite you to our next CYP Forum meeting

Support from the Start

6 – 9pm, Tuesday 2nd March 2010
Leemore Centre Community Hub, Clarendon Rise, London, SE13 5ES

Click here for a location map

As ever, the meeting will be packed with updates on key developments in Lewisham, and offers excellent networking opportunities with both VCS and statutory colleagues.

• Focus on early intervention and preventative work supporting children, young people and families
• Updates and discussion with colleagues from Lewisham’s Integrated Youth Support Service (IYSS), Children’s Centres, Extended Services, Play and Recreation, and Youth Offending Service
• Meet your new VCS Reps on Lewisham’s CYP Strategic Partnership – get feedback and feed in to local decision making
• Share opportunities, information and ideas in the Open Mic session

Hope to see you there! Best wishes,
Kate

To register

To register, please:

• email Kate;
• phone 020 8314 7018; or
• register online

We will need your name, organisation and contact details.

We are delighted to invite you to the re-launch of the new quarterly VAL Community Health & Social Care Forum at our themed event:

Building Partnerships & Healthier Communities
1.00pm – 4.30pm Tuesday 2nd February 2010
Venue: Lady Florence Hall, 21 Deptford Broadway, London SE8 4PA

Agenda

1.00 pm - Registration, Lunch and Networking from 1.00pm

1.25 pm - Introductions & Icebreakers

1.35 pm - Presentation: Working Together Towards a Healthier Community

•         Rosalind John, Health Inequalities & Social Care Officer VAL

•         Martin Howie, Director of VAL

•         Aileen Buckton, Executive Director for Community Services, LB Lewisham

•         Dr. Danny Ruta, Joint Director of Public Health for NHS Lewisham and LB Lewisham

2.10 pm - Q & A – a chance to ask questions and put your views forward

2.30 pm - BREAK: REFRESHMENTS and DISPLAY MARKETPLACE

2.40 pm - Reducing the Health Inequalities Gap: Working in partnership to engage communities to access health services and improve health outcomes

          Workshops (led by voluntary sector representatives) – choose from:

•         Asylum Seekers’ & Refugees’ Health

•         BME Communities’ Health

•         Carers’ Health

•         Disabled People’s Health

•         Men’s Health

•         Older Adults’ Health

•         Women’s Health

Together, we will brainstorm and identify the challenges faced by these particular communities to access health services and then move on to focus on the perceived solutions to those challenges.

4.00 pm -Summary and Closing Comments

This partnership event commences at 1.00pm with lunch and networking opportunities among representatives from many of the local VCS groups and organisations working in the arena of Health & Social Care.

There’s the chance to display posters or a small stand: display space is very limited and must be booked in advance, so contact me to secure yours.

The forum will be an excellent chance to develop links both with colleagues from other voluntary and community groups AND from statutory organisations interested in building partnerships and commissioning services, including L B Lewisham and NHS Lewisham.

The VCS voice in Lewisham really does count!

After the event your views, concerns and comments from the Q & A session and workshops will be collated and used to inform the new post 2010 Health Inequalities Strategy being undertaken jointly by LB Lewisham and NHS Lewisham.  Your views will also be used to set priorities and agendas for future Community Health & Social Care Forum meetings.

To attend, you MUST register in advance by calling 0208 314 9841 or emailing rosalind@valewisham.org.uk:

• Your name,
• The name of your organisation,
• Your 1st choice of workshop
• Your 2nd choice of workshop

Or why not register online

We look forward to meeting you!
Rosalind

Rosalind John
Health Inequalities & Social Care Officer

The new Joint Director of Public Health Dr. Danny Ruta has recently visited VAL and shown a keen interest in spending a day meeting some of the VCS groups who work within the health and social care field.

We have arranged Wednesday 20th January 2010 for Danny to meet 4-5 groups.

Would you like your group or organisation to be visited on that day? If so please send the following details to me by noon on Monday 21st December 2009

• Name of contact person
• Name and address of group 
• Who your service users are
• The services you provide

We hope to see a different range of services on the day and will let you know by Wednesday 23rd of December if we will be visiting you.

If you are interested contact Rosalind on 020 8314 9841 or rosalind@valewisham.org.uk

Please consider nominating yourself as a Voluntary and Community Sector (VCS) Rep on Lewisham’s Children and Young People’s Strategic Partnership for 2010!

This is an exciting opportunity to engage in strategic decision making in Lewisham on behalf of our sector.

For detailed information about the Partnership, the Rep’s role and the time commitment you would need to make, please see the attached Guide.

Nominations are open to all individuals who work or volunteer in a VCS organisation in Lewisham. Your organisation MUST be a full or associate member of VAL (for more information on this please see www.valewisham.org.uk).

Partnership Boards

There are fifteen Boards and Panels for which you could stand:

• Children and Young People’s Strategic Partnership Board
• CYP Joint Commissioning Group
• Local Safeguarding Children Board (LSCB)
• 14-19 Strategy Forum
• Children’s Centres and Extended Services Board
• Integrated Youth Support Services Board
• Child Poverty Working Group
• Disability Multi-Agency Group
• Emotional and Mental Health Working Group
• Healthy Eating/Healthy Lifestyles Working Group
• Family Support and Parenting Board
• Play Partnership Board
• Teenage Pregnancy, Parenthood and Sexual Health Programme Strategic Board
• Youth Crime Management Board
• Children’s Workforce Development Working Group

Each Board/Group has spaces for two VCS Reps, except the LSCB, which only has one.

You may nominate yourself as a Rep on more than one Board. Please complete a separate nomination form for each.

Nomination Procedure

To nominate yourself, please return completed Nomination Forms to Kate English by 23rd November 2009. Reps will be elected by secret ballot at our next CYP Forum meeting on 9th December at the Albany, Deptford.

Please don’t hesitate to contact Kate by phone to discuss this opportunity further, if you wish. Tel: 020 8314 7018.