News Archive

involve Community Services Befriending Christmas Party

On Dec 8th, involve Community Services held its now annual Christmas party for their befrienders and befriendees from across Bracknell Forest.

60 guests attended, and were treated to carol singing and a game of festive bingo, as well as drinks and a delicious afternoon tea provided by Waitrose. Father Christmas was also in attendance and brought gifts for everyone and a fantastic time was had by all.

Our thanks go to all who attended and made it such a great success and to those local companies and voluntary groups who supported us:

• Bracknell Forest Homes for supplying the venue, gifts, drinks and for all their ongoing support to the Befriending Scheme.
• The Easthampstead Rotary Club for their valuable assistance with transport.
• Waitrose for providing a lovely afternoon tea.
• South Berkshire Singers and member of the Easthampstead Rotary Club who provided entertainment.
• And for supplying a gift for all our guests, thanks go to Boehringer Ingleheim and Allegis Global Solutions.

Quote from a guest:

Please convey my appreciation to all concerned for an enjoyable time spent at the party and my lovely gift from Father Christmas.

involve now has 100 volunteer befrienders giving up an hour a week or more to support socially isolated members of the communities across Bracknell Forest.

Since its inception in 2009, the scheme has engaged with nearly 300 isolated and vulnerable people, helping them to connect with their community - and helped to tackle social isolation in the process. With continuing funding from Bracknell Forest Council and Bracknell Forest Homes, we have been able to make a real difference to the local community.

One befriender said (of her befriendee):

(He says) my visits make a big difference to him which is lovely to hear… I am happy that he is happy. I am so glad I volunteered to be a befriender.

For more information about our befriending service, see our befriending page or call us on 01344 304404 and ask to speak to Lynn or Kate.

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The Princes Trust needs Volunteers

The Princes Trust is looking for people/contacts who could be interested in becoming volunteers to support disadvantaged young people completing their Exploring Enterprise programme who have told them they want to start up their own businesses – whatever that business may be and no matter whether big or small.

The Exploring Enterprise programme starts with a 4-day course focusing on each and every aspect of running your own business and having completed the course the Princes Trust offers each young person an individual mentor to support them to move forward with the business idea they want to make a reality.

As the Trust works with disadvantaged young people the course attracts particularly the unemployed, some long-term unemployed, and those for whom self employment may perhaps be their only realistic option.

It is these mentors that the Trust is seeking to recruit who would support young people who live in the following areas: Oxford city, Witney, Banbury & Wallingford, Reading, Bracknell, Wokingham and Maidenhead, High Wycombe & south of Aylesbury

If any of you are interested in sharing your skills and knowledge, or if you know anyone that may have time they could devote to the Princes Trust Exploring Enterprise programme on a regular basis, to help a young person realise their potential which might be the business of their dreams, please contact Diane or Gill, and they would be extremely happy to chat with anyone who may be interested and is keen to find out more.

Thanking you in advance for your help.

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Bracknell and Ascot CCG – good news stories

Total Knee Replacement Avoidance

Spend on orthopaedic non-trauma procedures from Bracknell and Ascot CCG totalled £5m for the financial year 2013/14 with more money being spent in orthopaedics than any other speciality.

HealthMakers

The HealthMakers project began as a one year pilot in 2014 and the evaluation conducted proved the programme to be successful in achieving its objectives with other CCGs showing an interest in following a similar approach. As the project has been developed it has become clear that the demand within the local community has been phenomenal with funding being secured to sustain the project for a further 3 years.

Online youth counselling

Kooth.com was formed as part of an initiative with Bracknell Forest Public Health and the CCG through our Innovation fund.

New projects for 2016

Green Gym at Jealotts Hill Community site

This pilot project is aimed at those with low to moderate mental health issues, with particular reference to depression and dementia.

Wellbeing and Self-Care referral

This six-month pilot project is for a community mapping and scoping exercise of local groups (and regional groups in certain specialisms) that support people's health and well-being and/or are involved in the delivery of health and social care services.

Innovation Fund

Bracknell and Ascot Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) has an innovation fund available for 2015/2016, the purpose of the fund is to identify innovation (in line with our commissioning priorities) and encourage best practice. The funds will support short-term pilots up to 12 months or pump prime a service change.

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Pathfinder

Pathfinder supports individuals with finding work, through varied activities in group sessions. All aspects of job hunting are covered, including interview skills, the best ways to find work, and matching skills to the right job. Participants will also build an employability pack, which includes access to online software and support with CVs and applications.

Additional one-to-one help is also available outside of sessions.

Programmes run for four weeks, based at Berkshire Court, on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays, from 9.30am to 4.30pm. An earlier finish time of 2.30pm can be accommodated for school runs.

Please note these are not 'drop in' sessions - learners are required to attend all session days to achieve the most from the course and topics.

Join now!

Courses start every four to five weeks and you should enrol beforehand. It is free to join and take part.

To register your interest or to find out more, please contact 01344 382819 or email Bracknell Forest Homes and our Employment Advice Co-ordinator will be in touch.

Bracknell Forest Homes is working with the Skills Trust to bring the Pathfinder Employment Programme to you.

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Wokingham CCG Partnership Development Fund

The four Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs) in Berkshire West have set up the Partnership Development Fund to enhance their commitment to working with the voluntary sector to improve patients' access to local services. On 30 October 2015 the grant application process was launched for 2016/17. This document describes the Fund, the eligibility criteria and the process and includes the application form to complete. The closing date for applications is 11 December 2015.

If you have any queries or questions, please email the Wokingham CCG.

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Local healthcare and research

Do you want to get involved in shaping local healthcare and research? Would you like to learn new skills that can enhance your career and personal development?

The NHS (NHS England South, Oxford Academic Health Science Network and NHS Thames Valley and Wessex Leadership Academy) is looking for people like you to take part in an exciting new project that brings together healthcare professionals and members of the public to work together to make a difference to their local healthcare organisations and communities.

You'll be partnered with a doctor, nurse or other healthcare professional and together you'll have the opportunity to develop your leadership and communication skills to influence change. Armed with these skills and knowledge, you will put your learning into action through real projects that benefit your local healthcare organisation.

The Leading Together programme gets under way in February 2016. We're currently recruiting members of the public to get involved in projects that support medical revalidation – an important process that doctors need to go through every five years to show that they are up to date with the latest evidence so that can continue to practice – and help make it truly person-centered.

As well as developing leadership skills, you'll also gain knowledge and understanding of the benefits of working collaboratively, build networks and share your expertise and experiences to support learning for others in the group.

The programme will include 10 pairs of lay people and professionals who will need to commit to coming to three, full-day workshops in High Wycombe.

Deadline for applications is 13 November 2015. If you do apply, don't forget to include details of any local involvement you have already been part of, be that a Patient Group, Patient Assembly or HealthMaker roles.

Please submit completed application forms to leadingtogether@oxfordahsn.org.

More information is available at the Leading Together Programme website.

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First Friday Fundraising Clinic

Run in partnership with International Fundraising Consultancy (IFC) The topic for the 6 November session is CROWD FUNDING & SOCIAL MEDIA: How to maximise your fundraising goals

Social media is the optimum vehicle for all modern organisations to communicate with their supporters. Your community can expand locally and globally to reach those people that believe in what you are doing. This world can be harnessed and turned into fundraising capital.

During this session, IFC Consultant Dolma Beresford will discuss a real-life case study and help examine how to create well thought out projects, how to use social media to raise awareness and how to set - and achieve - the maximum fundraising goal. Guest speaker Matt Kay (Armadillo Group) will explain the creative dynamics and the production involved.

She will talk through how an effective CROWDFUNDING campaign can be created from inception to delivery and how to create high impact campaigns from low financial input whilst raising awareness of your organisation's vital issues, passions and projects, and creating a 'buzz' around your work on social media, bringing an online community together for your campaign.

CROWDFUNDING & SOCIAL MEDIA is increasingly important for charities, not-for-profits and social enterprises. The number one reason why people log on to the internet is to check social media – harnessing this can enhance response rates to 'calls for action' very significantly without the need for annoying direct mail which can often 'lose' potential supporters and funders.

For further information see details here.

Bracknell Forest Carers Support Service tender launched

An update for all interested parties:

You may or may not be aware that the tender for Bracknell Forest's Carers Support Service has been released. The opportunity has been published via the South East Business Portal where you can download all the relevant material.

The 5 key areas outlined for delivery are as follows:

• Identification of carers and promotion of their rights
• Provision of information, advice and guidance
• Empowering carers to have their views and feelings taken into account
• Activities and events for carers
• Working in partnership to enable carers to access the support they need.

Here is the proposed timetable for the procurement and implementation of the contract:

Publish advert on South East Business Portal & Contracts Finder

Friday 25 September 2015

Last Questions from Suppliers

Noon, Friday 16 October 2015

Final Question & Answers issued

Noon, Tuesday 20 October 2015

Deadline for RFQ

17.00 Friday 23 October 2015

Supplier Presentations

Week beginning 16 November 2015

Contract Award

First week of December 2015

Issue Contract

Friday 18 December 2015

Contract starts

Friday 1 April 2016

The Council is seeking either a single Provider(s) or a Lead Provider(s) supported by a number of sub-contractors to deliver the service.

For more information you can email Bracknell Forest Council Contracts or call involve on 01344 304404.

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involve's Community Showcase/Volunteer Recruitment Fair 2015

Diane Benford, involve's Community Development Advisor

involve held a successful Community Showcase / Volunteer Recruitment Fair on Saturday, 19th September, from 9am to 2pm.

There were 25 groups attending, each with a stall providing information about what they do in the community and how the public can get involved.

The Mayor of Bracknell Forest, Cllr Mrs Dee Hamilton, was in attendance, and there was entertainment from Martins Heron School of Dance, and Jody from the Acoustic Couch 'with a little help from his friends'!

There are many opportunities to volunteer in the Borough. If you would like to find out more, please contact us on 01344 304404.

Our thanks go to: the Mayor of Bracknell Forest, Cllr Mrs Dee Hamilton, the staff of Bracknell Leisure Centre, Bracknell Forest Council for supporting the event and to all those that attended to find out about their community!

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New Meningococcal Vaccines

Meningitis B Vaccine

Programme

A new vaccine to prevent meningitis will be offered to babies as part of the routine NHS childhood vaccination programme from September 1 2015.

The Men B vaccine (brand name Bexsero) will be offered to babies aged 2 months, followed by a second dose at 4 months, and a booster at 12 months.

There will also be a temporary catch-up programme for babies who are due their 3- and 4-month vaccinations in September 2015, to protect them when they are most at risk from infection.

Why do babies need this vaccine?

The Men B vaccine protects against infection by meningococcal group B bacteria, which can cause meningitis and septicaemia (blood poisoning), which are serious and potentially fatal illnesses that can affect people of any age but are most common in babies and young children.

How will my baby get the vaccine?

The MenB vaccine is given as a single injection into the baby's thigh and can be given at the same time as other routine baby vaccinations at 2 and 4 months. Parents will automatically be sent an appointment to bring babies for their Men B vaccination alongside their other routine vaccinations.

Is it safe?

Like all vaccines, the Men B vaccine can cause side effects, but studies suggest they are generally mild and don't last long. There is an increased risk of fever when the vaccine is given alongside other immunisations, parents are advised to purchase infant liquid paracetamol for the 2 and 4 month appointment visits. The fever peaks around six hours after vaccination but is nearly always mild and gone within two days. The fever shows the baby's body is responding to the vaccine, although the level of fever depends on the individual child and does not indicate how well the vaccine has worked – some infants may not develop a fever at all. Since the vaccine was licensed, almost a million doses have been given, with no safety concerns identified.

Further Information

See the NHS Choices website.

MenACWY Vaccine

Programme

Teenagers and university students are to be offered a vaccination to prevent meningitis W disease. The Men ACWY vaccine is given by a single injection into the upper arm. There are two Men ACWY vaccines that will be used in the vaccination programme, called Nimenrix and Menveo. They are very similar and both work equally well.

Why do young people need this vaccine?

Cases of meningitis and septicaemia (blood poisoning) caused by Men W bacteria are rising, due to a particularly deadly strain. Older teenagers and university students are at high risk of infection because they tend to live in close contact in shared accommodation, such as university halls of residence.

Who will be offered the vaccine?

Teenagers - From August 2015, all 17- and 18-year-olds in school year 13 as part of the NHS vaccination programme. The Men ACWY vaccine protects against four different causes of meningitis and septicaemia – meningococcal (Men) A, C, W and Y diseases.

GP practices will automatically send letters inviting teenagers in school year 13 to have the Men ACWY vaccine.

There will also be a school-based catch-up vaccination programme for current school year 10 students from January 2016.

The Men ACWY vaccine will also be added to the routine adolescent schools programme (school year 9 or 10) in the Autumn, alongside the routine 3-in-1 tetanus, diptheria and tetanus booster as a direct replacement for the Men C vaccination.

University Students - First-time university students up to the age of 25 will also be offered the Men ACWY vaccine, fist-time students can take up the offer of the vaccination when offered by their GP from August 2015, before starting university.

If they are unable to take up the offer before starting University, first time students who have moved away from their previous area of residence can register with a new GP at the beginning of the new academic term and request the MenACWY.

Further Information

See the NHS Choices website.

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Loan shark enforcement action in Bracknell

The Illegal Money Lending Team prosecute illegal lenders and provides support for borrowers.

Bracknell Forest have recently signed a delegation of powers protocol which will allow the Illegal Money Lending Team to carry out investigations in the area. Working with Bracknell Forest Trading Standards they are hoping to hold a launch event in November. Further information on the date and venue will follow.

The Illegal Money Lending Team are proud to have helped 25,000 victims of loan sharks from many backgrounds. They would like to encourage all service users/contacts to complete this survey. There is a chance of receiving £100 as a thank you for completion!

Here is their summer newsletter (PDF, 9MB).

Lin Fisher
Lead in Awareness, Intelligence, Support & Education - South region
England Illegal Money Lending Team,
PO Box 12971, B33 0TD
Direct Line: 07825 904 587

Say hello to us on Twitter @loansharknews

Loan Shark Education Resources are still available to download. Scroll down the page and select the pack you require.

The IMLT are hosted by Birmingham City Council
Place Directorate

TO REPORT A LOAN SHARK TELEPHONE 0300 555 2222

View our films on You Tube.

Follow us on Facebook.

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Self-Care Week 2015 in Bracknell Forest

Monday, 16th November 2015 to Sunday, 22nd November 2015

Across Bracknell Forest

Get ready for National Self-Care Week and all the health and wellbeing events which will be taking place in Bracknell Forest during 16th - 22nd November 2015. Everybody is invited so please pass this onto your staff, individuals who use your services, carers and anybody who wants to come along and get involved with the FREE activities!

To view what activities are taking place during the Week please visit the Self Care Week website.

Bracknell Forest Council, Bracknell and Ascot Clinical Commissioning Group, Berkshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, Healthwatch Bracknell Forest East Berkshire Out of Hours Service, Involve and Shopmobility, have come together to empower residents to take control of their health and wellbeing.

For handy tips on Self Care see Bracknell Forest's Self Care pages.

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Grow Your Tenner 2015

It is time to start preparing for Grow your Tenner 2015. The start date and time is 10am on October 13th. Now is the time to start preparing. Start to build your online crowd.

Using e-mails, Facebook, Twitter, your website, newsletters, any other media and face to face, you can start telling people how they can give you £10, gift-aid it, and that you will then get £22.50 (less commission).

Get everyone in your organisation involved, staff, trustees, members, volunteers, friends and relatives.

This is a real opportunity for your organisation to make some money. But you need to tell people about it. Last year Grow Your Tenner finished in 5 weeks, so be ready on October 13th and don't miss the opportunity.

100 Longwater Avenue, Green Park, Reading, Berkshire, RG2 6GP

Tel: 0118 930 3021, 07729641450

Email: Dave Soper   Twitter: @BCFDave

Think Local, Give Local

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Healthwatch Bracknell Forest Annual Report

(Article taken from Healthwatch BF's newsletter)

2014/15 has been a challenging year for Healthwatch Bracknell Forest with a number of national and local changes in health and social care.

The approach of Healthwatch Bracknell Forest has been to try and influence service design before implementation leading to more patient friendly services.

We also take this proactive and collaborative approach with NHS trusts and other providers when dealing with issues and concerns raised by the public which means we are less likely to use our statutory powers which reduces tensions which can arise from formal visits.

We have formed some very positive relationships with key management staff within Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust, who now run not only Frimley Park Hospital, but also Wexham Park and Heatherwood Hospitals following the acquisition in October 2014. During the year we have introduced a monthly meeting with the patient and public experience team which allows us to share the public’s feedback about services leading to small but significant changes across all sites.

Read the full report here. If you would like a hard copy or any other accessible format of the report please let us know.

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Crown Estate prohibits cycling the Windsor ABC Bicycle Greenway

Windsor ABC (Ascot, Bracknell, Crowthorne) Bicycle Group promotes off-road, safe bicycle routes to school for students and parents, as alternative to car, thereby reducing the traffic congestion. Windsor ABC Group campaigns to Crown Estates to facilitate 'Windsor ABC Bicycle Greenway' a safe, off-road, bicycle route from Windsor to Ascot, Bracknell (via The Lookout) and Crowthorne.

As an example, lovers of the countryside flock to the Camel Trail, an 18 mile largely traffic free, bicycle route through the beautiful Cornish countryside between Wenfordbridge and Padstow, bringing tourist business to the area. Windsor ABC is a similar length, largely traffic free bicycle route from Windsor to Ascot, Bracknell and Crowthorne, but the route is partly prohibited by The Crown Estate. There is already a mostly off-road permitted cycle route from Windsor to Ascot, and a mostly off-road permitted cycle route from New Forest Ride to Crowthorne. The route is incomplete because the Crown Estate prohibits cycling through Swinley forest either side of Swinley Road.

'Windsor ABC Bicycle Greenway' is campaigning for the non-prohibition of the following route from Woodlands Ride (Ascot) to New Forest Ride. When this section is permitted, a largely traffic-free 16-mile bicycle route will be navigable from Windsor to Crowthorne.

• Woodlands Ride
• Bicycle gate by bridge over railway track near Woodlands Ride
• Bicycle Greenway through Swinley East
• Bicycle gate from The Brickpits onto Swinley Road
• Pedestrian Crossing needed over Swinley Road
• Bicycle gate near Beaumont Forest Products
• Bicycle Greenway through Swinley West
• Bicycle gate from Swinley West onto New Forest Ride

David Burbage (RBWM Leader) already presented Windsor ABC Bicycle Greenway campaign to the Crown Estates Deputy Ranger. Teachers and students of Charters School have already collected hundreds of signatures on their online 'Windsor ABC Bicycle Greenway' 38 degrees e-petition.

Sign the petition here and find out more about the campaign.

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Safeguarding Children is Everybody's Responsibility

The Bracknell Forest Local Safeguarding Children Board (LSCB) brings together organisations to help co-ordinate the efforts of those working with vulnerable children and young people. The Board has a responsibility to ensure organisations have safeguarding standards in place and to ensure their work is effective in preventing and responding to abuse and neglect.

The LSCB would like your support to help review the following priorities areas it had previously identified for children/young people living in the Borough:

1. To support further implementation of the framework for early help, and evaluate its impact on families
2. Reduce the impact of domestic abuse on children, young people and families.
3. Reduce the impact of substance and alcohol misuse on children, young people and families.
4. Reduce the impact of parental mental illness on children and young people.
5. Develop a greater understanding of neglect and reduce the impact this has on children, young people and families.
6. To further develop the co-ordination of protection and support to young people at risk of child sexual exploitation.
7. To increase the understanding of the harm associated with the misuse of technologies, it links with bullying and the further development of proactive strategies to support children / young people and their families.

If you have any views about areas the LSCB should prioritise, or any ideas as to how we might improve our work to keep children/young people safe please email the LSCB.

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Safeguarding is everyone's business

From Wokingham Borough Council

By law, every local authority in the country has to have a Safeguarding Children Board.

We appointed Fran Gosling-Thomas as the new Independent Chair of the Borough's Safeguarding Children Board in October. The Board is responsible for ensuring Wokingham Borough agencies work together to protect children and young people.

Fran Gosling-Thomas

Fran has more than 40 years' experience of Children's Services starting her career as a social worker before climbing the management ranks to become Director of Children's Services. She has also been an Ofsted Inspector and more recently worked as an Independent Consultant providing support and challenge to local authorities and their partners to improve services for children. We caught up with her to find out more about the Board's role, and its priorities for the coming year.

"Being an Independent Chair I can speak without fear or favour. I care passionately about children and young people and I want them to have a decent childhood. This guides everything that I do.

"We have a number of responsibilities including coordinating, and scrutinising safeguarding practices to ensure all agencies deliver the most effective services to safeguard and promote the safety and wellbeing of children and young people. We have a big role with regards to challenge and support. By this, I mean we challenge each other to ensure we achieve the highest standards in our safeguarding arrangements.

"We have done a lot of work in recent months to self-assess where we are at, and to redefine our priorities. My ambition is for the Board to move very quickly from its current grading 'requires improvement' to a good Ofsted rating followed swiftly by outstanding.

"The Board has identified the following as priorities: child sexual exploitation; domestic abuse, listening and acting on children and parents views; these are underpinned by two more priorities - workforce development and ensuring the impact and effectiveness of the Board.

"We would also commission a serious case review should a child die or be involved in a serious incident. We also look at any national serious case reviews to see what we can learn from them and how we can make our own practices better.

"Please remember, safeguarding is everyone's business."

More information:

0118 974 6231

WSCB@wokingham.gov.uk

Wokingham Safeguarding Children Board

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Day trip to Bognor

Befrienders taking a well-earned break at Bognor

On Tuesday June 16th, our befriending team organised a day trip, giving around twenty of our befriendees and befrienders the opportunity to enjoy a lovely day out in Bognor. It was a great success. The sun was shining and everyone had a wonderful time – some enjoying fish and chips or a cream tea by the sea front. We received some generous donations to contribute to the costs, including £250 from Berkshire Community Foundation which went towards the cost of coach hire. Our thanks go to all those that supported the trip and made it possible and to all those who came along and made it such a memorable day.

We are always looking for new befrienders to join the project. If you would like to play a part in reducing social isolation and make a difference to your community, please contact us on 01344 304404. If you would like to know more about the Befriending Service, see our befriending page.

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Jealott's Hill Community Landshare recognised with Queen's Award for Voluntary Service for 2015

From Bracknell Forest Homes Press Office

The Jealott's Hill Community Landshare has been honoured with the Queen's Award for Voluntary Service, the highest award a voluntary group can receive in the UK.

Jealott's Hill Community Landshare is an inspirational six acre multi-purpose garden for community use in Berkshire. The gardens are enjoyed by the local community supporting each other on horticultural activities and creating a haven for wildlife for all to enjoy. Sharing skills and produce is at the heart of the project, with local groups and individuals growing fruit, vegetables, other plants, benefitting from the therapy of horticulture and enhancing bio-diversity.

The project is a partnership between Bracknell Forest Homes, Bracknell Town Council, Warfield Parish Council and Syngenta. The land is owned by Syngenta and leased for community use.

David Putt, Jealott's Hill Community Landshare Project Manager, and Mike Godfrey, a volunteer for the project, attended a garden party at Buckingham Palace on June 2 where they met the Queen and other winners of this year's award.

David Putt, Project Manager at Jealott's Hill Community Landshare, added: "On behalf of the organisations and volunteers involved with Jealott's Hill, I am absolutely thrilled with this award, which recognises efforts to bring this project to fruition for the great benefit of local people.

"We are very grateful for the donations and volunteer time that we rely on to make Jealott's Hill the thriving success it is."

Jealott's Hill Community Landshare is one of 187 charities, social enterprises and voluntary groups to receive the prestigious award this year. The number of awards handed out to groups has increased by over 60% from 2014, due to an increase in high quality applications, showing that the voluntary sector is thriving and full of innovative ideas to tackle community challenges.

The Queen's Award for Voluntary Service is the highest award given to local volunteer groups across the UK to recognise outstanding work in their communities. The awards were created in 2002 to celebrate the Queen's Golden Jubilee and winners are announced each year on 2 June – the anniversary of the Queen's Coronation. Award winners this year range from Ablaze, a charity helping to raise academic achievement amongst disadvantaged young people in Bristol to a volunteer rescue boat service on Loch Lomond.

Jealott's Hill Community Landshare will receive the award from the Lord Lieutenant of Berkshire, James Puxley, later this summer.

The Queen's Award for Voluntary Service Committee Chair, former broadcast journalist Martyn Lewis CBE, said: "I warmly congratulate all of the inspirational voluntary groups who have been rewarded for their community work with a Queen's Award for Voluntary Service. The judging panel for this year’s awards were struck by the quality and breadth of all the successful groups. The thousands of volunteers who give up spare time to help others in their community and to help solve problems demonstrate the best of democracy in action."

Minister for Civil Society, Rob Wilson, said: "I would like to congratulate all groups who received this year's Queen's Award for Voluntary Service, in recognition of their fantastic achievements. The hard work and commitment that goes into the work of these organisations is surpassed only by the passion and motivation of the individuals who volunteer. I hope these groups continue to inspire others to get involved and make a positive impact so that we can continue to build a bigger, stronger society."

Lord Lieutenant for Berkshire, James Puxley, said: "This country owes a huge debt of gratitude to volunteers. It is completely right and fitting that people such as the volunteers who do so much work at Jealott's Hill to enhance their local environment should be recognised. I am delighted for them."

Dave Youle, Site Head for Syngenta who lease the site for community use, commented: "This award is well deserved and great recognition of everyone's hard work. The Landshare does a great job of supporting the local community and Syngenta are delighted to have facilitated this project."

To join, participate, sponsor or donate to the gardens, please contact David Putt, Project Manager, on 07867 695931, by email or visit www.jealottshilllandshare.org.uk.

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Befriending: bringing people together and reducing social isolation

Our Befriending and Community Choices project, which has been running for five years, recruits and trains volunteers so that they can be matched to our clients, who are older people in need of a bit of companionship. These clients are referred to us by various agencies, including Social Services, CMHT, GPs and sheltered housing wardens.

We are therefore delighted to have secured further funding from Bracknell Forest Council for 2015 which will enable us to continue with our work as well as expand on it, meaning we'll be able to reach and re-engage even more socially isolated people across Bracknell Forest.

The Befriending and Community Choices project is funded by Bracknell Forest Council and Bracknell Forest Homes, and is run by two dedicated Project Coordinators, Lynn Baldwin and Kate Eatwell, who take time and care to match lonely people with a volunteer befriender, so that both befriender and befriendee get the best from the service.

In a survey of 46 befriendees, taken once in August 2014 and then again in January 2015, it was found that individuals with low life satisfaction had fallen from 17% in August to 0% in January and 45% of service users in August often felt isolated, compared to only 17% in January. Having a befriender can also lead to the befriendee becoming more socially connected. In the August survey, 39% of individuals stated they never took part in activities or met with other people, this reduced to only 19% in January. 23% of individuals stated in August they had often gone a full day without seeing anyone, 59% of individuals now state they never go a day without seeing anyone – a direct result of becoming more involved in their communities.

The daughter of a service user said: " ... I don't think mum could have kept going independently for as long as she did without the knowledge that [her befriender] would be popping in to see her."

There are currently 110 clients who have access to the scheme, and 85 volunteers. The clients and volunteers are from all sorts of backgrounds and the ages of our befrienders range from 18 to 75, so the scheme really does help to bridge the gap between the generations as well as offering both our clients and volunteer befrienders a chance to exchange experiences and find common ground.

For more information about our Befriending and Community Choices Project go to our befriending page, call us on 01344 304404 or email us.

New resource to support the management of volunteers in the care sector

Article taken from Think Local Act Personal

Not-for-profit care providers have a tradition of recruiting volunteers, and as the Care Act comes into force volunteer contributions will be invaluable in helping to implement new models of care.

TLAP partner organisations, The Voluntary Organisations Disability Group (VODG) and National Care Forum (NCF) launch a volunteer management toolkit today. The toolkit complements existing resources by addressing key questions raised by frontline service managers.

• Where and how can we find volunteers with the right skills and values?
• What support do volunteers require?
• How do we go about demonstrating the impact and value of volunteering within our services?

Launching the report Rhidian Hughes, VODG chief executive, said:

Never has it been more important to support frontline managers to build the capability and capacity of volunteers in the sector. Our intention has been to produce a practical resource that will make a strong contribution to sector development.

Des Kelly, NCF executive director said:

Not-for-profit care providers have a long and established tradition of working with volunteers to add value to the support services they provide. As the Care Act is implemented and new models of care and support services emerge the contribution volunteers can make will be increasingly important. Our guide will help managers with this vital task.

The development of the VODG/NCF volunteer management toolkit has been supported by Volunteering Matters and Sue Ryder through the Department of Health's voluntary sector strategic partner programme. The next steps for VODG and NCF are to run a series of regional workshops for care providers.

Related links

The Voluntary Organisations Disability Group (VODG)

National Care Forum (NCF)

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Nepal Earthquake - Support for Nepalese communities in the UK

Forwarded on behalf of Department for Communities and Local Government

Dear colleagues,

As you will have seen on the news, a major earthquake occurred at 11.45 local time on 25 April in Nepal. The epicentre was 81km west of Kathmandu. Aftershocks are continuing with a smaller earthquake occurring at around 13.00 local time on 26 April. There has been extensive damage to buildings and reports of avalanches in the Macchaputre and Everest regions.

This is obviously a worrying time for Nepalese communities within the UK. This letter is to alert you to the support and resources that are available to help them. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office have established a helpline – 0207 008 0000 – for those worried about friends, relatives or loved ones who may be affected. They can also send details online through the British Nationals Crisis website or by emailing help@fco.gov.uk.

The Red Cross is also offering support, including to those who have lost contact with family members following the earthquake. Details are available on the Red Cross website.

At the moment, we have no reports of any British nationals killed or injured. British Embassy staff are on the ground and have provided practical help to around 200 British nationals. Teams of consular staff have also been out scouring hospitals, hotels and areas popular with tourists looking for British nationals who may need assistance. In addition, the Department for International Development has deployed a team of more than 60 search and rescue responders and medical experts as part of a cross-government capacity surge to support the relief effort in Nepal. Information will be updated regularly and placed online. You can find it by searching for 'Nepal' on GOV.UK.

I know Nepalese communities at home are grateful for the support you and your colleagues continue to offer. If you have any concerns, or believe we can help your communities in other ways, please get in touch with my office and we will be happy to see what else we can do.

Melanie Dawes CB

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Pride of Bracknell Awards

This article has been taken from Bracknell News.

The unsung heroes who make a real difference to Bracknell were honoured during a glittering ceremony.

A total of 18 finalists were acclaimed at the Pride of Bracknell Awards on the night of Friday 17th April, with nominees from a wide range of backgrounds including voluntary work, sport, business and education.

The champions and runner-ups were revealed at Bracknell and Wokingham College, with both young and old honoured.

The annual awards evening – in its 10th year and organised by the Bracknell News, Bracknell Regeneration Partnership and other sponsors – was the culmination of a two-month campaign to recognise the worthy candidates who contribute to the community.

Helen Barnett, marketing manager at Bracknell Regeneration Partnership, said: "It was another fabulous event and the unsung heroes of Bracknell were celebrated and given awards."

Here is a short film of the evening.

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Social media toolkits

A guide to help community and voluntary sector organisations get started on Twitter and Facebook

Social media is a great free way for community organisations to share information. Locality (a national network of ambitious and enterprising community-led organisations, working together to help neighbourhoods thrive) has put together three guides: (1) to Twitter and Facebook, (2) to Youtube and LinkedIn and (3) to blogging. If you're not sure how to use social media, or want to know how you can use it better, take a look here.

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Bracknell Town Council win NALC Council of the Week

Congratulations to Bracknell Town Council who have just been awarded National Association of Local Council's (NALC) Council of the Week. Bracknell Town Council is in the top ten of local councils by size, with a budget of £2.1m and serving 56,000 residents.

The Council is notable in working relatively closely and collaboratively with others including Bracknell Forest Council, a Berkshire unitary, on a number of local initiatives and projects, towards a shared goal of making Bracknell a great place to live, and one of the best rated places in the country, even before the town gets it a new £200m town centre opening in Spring 2017. This approach includes the Town Clerk being part of the active Bracknell Partnership Board. Further details on this article can be found here.

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Foster carers are people like you

Bracknell Forest Council is looking for all kinds of people to be foster carers. We need people to look after children, including sibling groups, teenagers and children with disabilities. Fostering is a way of providing a stable home and a family life for children and young people who cannot live with their parents.

To become a foster carer you will need the following:

• a spare bedroom in your home
• time to spare in your life
• a willingness to work with a range of professionals to get the best outcomes for the child you are looking after
• an interest in helping children and young people

You can be married or single, own your own home or live in rented accommodation. You can be from any kind of cultural or racial background, be employed or unemployed and you don't have to have any formal qualifications.

You will receive training, 24 hour support and a generous allowance.

If you would like to know more about fostering, come along to one of our information evenings or coffee mornings where you will be able to chat to members of our fostering team as well as some of our foster carers.

You can find the dates of these meetings and more information about becoming a foster carer from the Council's fostering information pages, by calling 01344'352020 or by emailing fostering@bracknell-forest.gov.uk.

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involve's Community Events Survey - the results are in!

Thank you to all those who took the time to complete our survey regarding the hosting of events by involve. I am pleased to publish the results below. You may find this useful when designing or planning your own events when thinking about timing, location and venues.

We had an overwhelming response stating involve should deliver community events (36 out of 39 – 92% yes vote). When asked about time of day the results were inconclusive, with morning at 46% (16), afternoon at 54% (19) and evening at 34% (12). BUT the majority of respondents did tell us that the beginning of the week (60%) was better. The general consensus was that community events should be 1-2 hours in length and 64% said that events should be held anywhere with good parking and 39% said somewhere central is preferred. Additional comments stated that venues should be accessible, have reasonably priced parking and take into consideration the availability of public transport.

75% of respondents stated Community Events should be for anyone who wants to attend. Comments included:

"You could consider running events that are either targeted at particular areas of interest, e.g. support for a particular section of the community or maybe targeted for an area particularly now that involve covers Wokingham as well as Bracknell."

"Maybe personal invites to specific events relevant to certain interests rather a general broadcast."

"We all know that face to face or personal contact has more impact and this might apply to these sessions also. I personally have usually found them useful."

A good list of topics was also provided and can be seen in the survey results.

involve will use these results to shape the future of its community events and will always seek to gather feedback on their effectiveness.

The full answers are in the the survey results and if you have any further or additional comments then please do not hesitate to contact us.

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Resilient Communities Fund

A new £1 million Resilient Communities Fund has been launched by Southern Electric Power Distribution (SEPD) for not-for-profit organisations, voluntary and community groups and charities in the SEPD areas of Central Southern England.

Eligibility

Full information, including a map of eligible areas, is available on the Southern Electric Power Distribution website.

Priority will be given to organisations operating in areas that were most severely affected by the 2013 winter storms.

Charities, voluntary and community groups and not-for-profit organisations across the SEPD network area in Central Southern England are eligible.

What For?

In recognition of the inconvenience caused by the disruption to its customers' electricity supplies when severe storms swept across the UK in December 2013, SEPD has established the new two-year Resilient Communities Fund to help communities prepare for future emergency-weather events.

Funding is available to support local communities to plan and prepare for emergencies ahead of time in order to better handle the consequences and be able to recover faster.

The fund will support projects that:

• Protect the welfare of vulnerable customers during a significant power outage or emergency weather event
• Enhance community facilities and services that may be used or instigated in the event of a significant power outage or emergency weather event
• Improve communication during an emergency situation, to keep communities informed or aid contact between local groups and response services

Both revenue and capital costs will be covered. Examples of eligible projects include, but are not limited to, the following:

• The purchase of cold-weather kits to support the elderly or those most vulnerable
• The installation of a back-up generator in a community venue
• Professional training courses for community resilience group volunteers
• The purchase of satellite radio technology for communication between local first responder groups

How Much?

Grants of between £500 and £20,000.

Deadline and duration

Applications to the initial round will be accepted until 17th April 2015.

The fund will be allocated over a two-year period between March 2015 and January 2017, and there will be two funding rounds in each year.

More Information

See details of the Resilient Communities Fund here.

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We need more mergers, but not for the reasons proposed by the 'too many charities' lobby…

Civilsociety.co.uk recently posted the below article on their website and presented an interesting debate.

Late last week Andrew O'Brien of CFG and Sir Stephen Bubb of Acevo found themselves debating, on stage, whether there should be more mergers in the charity sector.

It's an old argument, and the two men encapsulated, rather neatly, the opposing sides. Bubb said yes, there were too many charities, and that many should manage themselves out of existence. He even told the individual who asked the question that his charity needed to merge.

O'Brien, on the other hand, said that getting rid of charities just for the sake of it, working towards some optimal level of charities, was not a good idea.

Read on…

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£4.5 million for Berkshire – Building Better Opportunities Conference

Come along on Monday 9th March (9.30am – 12.30pm) to the Green Park Conference Centre in Reading to find out how The Building Better Opportunities Fund of £4.5 million could be relevant for your organisation to enable projects to tackle economic inequality in Berkshire and also find out how to get involved.

The Building Better Opportunities programme is jointly funded by the European Social Fund (ESF) and the Big Lottery to deliver projects that promote social inclusion and tackle poverty. Reading Voluntary Action, supported by the Big Lottery's Programme Development Fund, is working in partnership with our Berkshire CVS partners and Thames Valley Berkshire LEP to help voluntary and community organisations and social enterprises to participate in Building Better Opportunities.

Workshops on the day will explore the key priorities outlined below:

• Overcoming barriers to employment
• Addressing root causes of poverty and improving financial confidence
• Promoting a dynamic and inclusive rural economy
• Troubled families

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Pride of Bracknell Awards

The time has come for Bracknell residents to nominate our community's unsung heroes, as the Pride of Bracknell Awards 2015 is launched!

We are inviting you to nominate worthy candidates for a range of categories - voluntary work, sport, business and education - with the winners of this year's awards announced at a gala dinner and ceremony at Bracknell and Wokingham College on Friday, April 24 2015.

Here is a nomination form and list of categories.

The annual event is being organised by the Bracknell News, the Bracknell Regeneration Partnership (BRP) - again the lead sponsor - and other partners.

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It's the Berkshire Boost! Match funding available for charities in Berkshire

This February, Localgiving is matching individual donations by up to £10 to charities in Berkshire. The match fund starts on Tuesday the 10th of February and will run until Tuesday the 24th of February, or until all the available match funding has been allocated.

Note: If the match money is not allocated by 24th February 2015 the remaining money will be withdrawn. So you have just two weeks to take advantage!!

Match fund donation conditions: Each donation between £5 and £10 made to a Berkshire charity through Localgiving between the campaign start and end times will be matched. Each individual may make up to 5 donations per charity that will be eligible to receive match funding. The sixth donation to the same charity will not be matched.

Match funding allocation per charity: Charities can receive a maximum of £500 of the total match fund. Any donations to charities that have exceeded this limit will not be eligible to receive match funding.

For more information including how to sign up and how to donate visit the Berkshire Boost web page.

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Berkshire Scouts are advertising for Local Development Officers

Berkshire Scouts are a local charity, supporting over 8,500 young people aged 6 to 25 and 2,000 adult volunteers in over 100 communities across Berkshire. Across the UK, Scouting provides opportunities every week to over 430,000 young people and is supported by over 100,000 adult volunteers. In nearly every country around the world, over 32 million young people experience the benefits of Scouting to develop their full physical, intellectual, social and spiritual potentials.

The Scouting organisation knows that many more young people and adults want to join who they don't currently have space for. Alongside the determination to provide high quality experiences to their members, they are committed to offering opportunities to even more young people than before. By opening new sections, the numbers of young people across Berkshire who are members of Scouting can grow!

There are 2 full/part time roles (openings flexible for the right candidates). Salary: £24,000 (FTE for part time role), starting March 2015 (negotiable). The closing date for applications is Saturday 14th February.

How can I apply or find out more? To find out more about the role, please contact Pete Jeffreys, Deputy County Commissioner to arrange an informal telephone conversation. For more information visit Berkshire Scouts.

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New report on local infrastructure says creative resourcing is needed

(This press release has been written by NAVCA, National Association for Voluntary and Community Action)

The Commission on the Future of Local Infrastructure published its final report at a Parliamentary launch hosted by Nick Hurd MP on 20 January 2015. The Commission is making 19 recommendations, as well as an overarching recommendation that local infrastructure needs to be redesigned and creatively resourced to meet future challenges. The Commission was set up by NAVCA in response to rising concern that local infrastructure membership could be left behind by the quickening pace of social, political, economic and technological change. The 20-strong Commission was chaired by Sara Llewellin, Chief Executive of Barrow Cadbury Trust, and contained independent members from the private, public and voluntary sector, and included rural, urban, city and regional perspectives. It met between April and December 2014 and took over a quarter of a million words of evidence from local groups, infrastructure organisations and national experts. The starting point for the Commission was how local infrastructure will meet the ever-growing demand for support with shrinking resources.

The Commission found that infrastructure will be needed in some form as long as people come together to form voluntary organisations and community groups. But the Commission concluded that the infrastructure of the future is likely to be a much leaner enabler, broker and catalyst rather than necessarily a deliverer. A key message from the Commission was that if the message to funders is to invest, the message to infrastructure has to be to change. This must be a 'something for something' deal.

Sara Llewellin, Chair of the Commission, said: "Infrastructure needs to be financed, but it also has to undergo a redesign. It needs to be leaner, meaner and more technologically savvy. It needs to act as a lever bringing in new resources to the sector, including social investment, crowd funding and pro bono support. It needs to be the enabler of voice and the advocate of community action. It needs to collaborate and share more cost effectively. It needs to promote and develop the 'time economy', co-production and good volunteering practices. Above all, it needs to help the sector with foresight and managing change, because the pace of change is not going to slow."

Caroline Schwaller, Chair of NAVCA, said: "This report shows how essential infrastructure support is to generating and supporting local community action. It also shows the need to change. Some NAVCA members are already at the leading edge, delivering innovative services. The challenge for NAVCA members is to be as good as the best. The challenge for NAVCA is to help them get there."

Read the report.

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Bracknell Homeless will Benefit from £10K Lottery Grant

Revival @ Bracknell Drop-In, a new creative arts project which will encourage the homeless of Bracknell out of poverty and into employment, has been awarded a grant by Awards for All (England), part of the Big Lottery Fund.

The award of £9678 to the Bracknell based charity Pilgrim Hearts Trust will pay for weekly workshops in a range of arts including music, drama, poetry, video, film, art, glass painting and literacy. The workshops will be open to all Bracknell homeless who attend the recently opened Bracknell Homeless Drop-In Centre at St Andrew's Church, Priestwood, run by Pilgrim Hearts Trust.

Elaine Chalmers-Brown, Director of the Pilgrim Hearts Trust, says homelessness has increased dramatically in Bracknell and many of these people are at a very low point in their lives. "Our creative arts workshops will help them regain their self-esteem and get the help they need to re-build their lives as they learn new creative skills or rediscover a creative talent they had abandoned. They will then have the confidence to take the first step out of poverty and into employment."

The creative arts project is part of a wider range of help available at the Drop-In Centre which also offers advice, mentoring, food, clothing and general support.

Official figures published by the charity Homeless Link show that here has been a dramatic increase in homelessness in Bracknell over the past 5 years. "We opened the new drop-in centre for the homeless and socially excluded in June 2014 in response to a need we identified in Bracknell," says Mrs Chalmers-Brown. "There is no other drop-in in the town. Homeless people we have mentored at the drop in have told us how low self-esteem and lack of motivation have become barriers to them. They have multiple barriers to employment because of drug and alcohol addiction or mental health issues. They have lost hope that they can ever turn their lives around, find a home and employment. They need access to mentoring and training which will motivate them, inspire their creativity, give them a sense of self-worth and make them job ready or encourage them to train for a vocation. Our creative workshops will provide exactly what they need and the grant from Awards for All will make very big difference to the lives of many local people."

Pilgrim Hearts Trust is a Bracknell-based charity founded in 2000.

St. Andrew's Church in Priestwood is part of the Warfield Churches group.

You can get further information from:

Elaine Chalmers-Brown
Director
Pilgrim Hearts Trust
24 Yorkshire Place
Warfield Berks RG42 3XE

Tel 01344 307030

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Funding Survey

A recent survey of funding providers provides invaluable feedback and insight into why funding applications fail and how they can be improved.

For more information read the key findings from the Idox Funding survey 2014. If you or your organisation would like more help and advice about funding then please contact involve now.

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