Welcome to 2007! 

This is our first video newsletter for 2007.  We have included information on Forum Activities, Support for Carers, Digital Photography Competition, ICT Initiatives for Young People, FREE Funding Workshops, FREE Training, Jobs and much more.

If you would like to contribute to the newsletter please contact me on 0191 3854935 or e-mail rachel@coalfieldforum.org

Regards

Rachel

Forum News

Next Meeting

The next meeting is on Monday 29th January 2007 at St Nicholas Church Hall, Hetton le Hole.  To view agenda and map please click here.

For the minutes of the previous meeting dated 30th November 2006 please click here

Office Move

Just a reminder, we have now moved offices to Shiney Row Community Association, Shiney Row, Houghton le Spring.  Our telephone number is 0191 3854935.  E-mail addresses are:

General Enquiries:  coalfield.forum@btconnect.com

Tracy Collins  - Development Co-ordinator: tracy@coalfieldforum.org

Rachel Anderson - e-Forum Officer: rachel@coalfieldforum.org

Website Groups Directory

Our directory is continuously being updated but if you spot something about your group that needs changing or know of a group that should be added, please complete the attached form and either post or e-mail it to me at rachel@coalfieldforum.org.  

Click here for groups pro forma

What's On!

Come along and join the activities at Shiney Row CA

Age Concern are running a new course called Healthy Living an Introduction. The course will give you an opportunity to develop a more healthy lifestyle in a relaxed atmosphere. Everyone is welcome on a Tuesday between 1.00pm and 3.00pm.

Other activities include:  Aikido, Toddler Group, Ladies Group, Karate, Dance and Exercise.  For more info contact John Mawston on 0191 3856768 or Norman Rain on 0191 385 2846.

Destination 2014: Invitation to North East Region Consultation Event

The overall vision for the ChangeUp programme is to see a transformed third sector. Capacitybuilders wants to hear the views of the third sector – at a local and sub-regional level specifically - on the priorities it should adopt to meet its strategic objectives and outcomes up to 2014. ‘Destination 2014’ is a draft strategic framework that reflects a new way forward for the programme and your views are vital to us.

Capacitybuilders’ are consulting on this document – ‘Destination 2014’  and would like to invite you to attend a consultation event in the North East Region on Friday 16th February 2007 (including working lunch) at Ramside Hall, Carrville, Durham, County Durham, DH1 1TD

To book a place please contact Sarah Langford, VONNE, 9th Floor, Cale Cross, 156 Pilgrim Street, Newcastle, NE1 6SU. Tel 0191 233 2000 Fax 0191 222 1998 or email sarah@vonne.co.uk

To get the most out of this opportunity you need to familiarise yourself with the Destination 2014 document which can be downloaded and commented on via our dedicated blog: www.destination2014.org.uk

Visual Voices’ – digital photography competition
You are invited to submit a series of up to 4 images that relate to your experience of life in the North East – essentially illustrating ‘citizenship.  Topics for images to consider include:  Arts/Culture/Heritage, Race, Children/Families, Disability, Environment, Faith, Health, LGBT, Sport/Recreation, Worklessness

Eligibility:  The competition is open to anyone that works for or is associated with a VCS organisation that is based in the North East.

Prizes:  At the end of the project there will be a regional event in to recognise the best submissions from each sub-region, and to finally establish an overall regional winner. There will be one winner from each of the four sub-regions (County Durham, Northumberland, Tees Valley, and Tyne and Wear).

The 4 winning submissions will each receive their winning print framed and 5 of the cameras and associated software used during the project as prizes for their host VCS organisation.

All entrants will be eligible to ask for one of the remaining 20 cameras for use at their host organisation.

Entering the competition:  All images must be submitted by email to visualvoices@yahoo.co.uk, accompanied by the competition entry form (download at www.vonne.co.uk/issues/ict/trainingworkshops.htm).

The project will result in a cache of royalty free images for all VCS organisations to use promotionally. It is planned to use these images in the design of a calendar that will be free to all VCS organisations in the North East to print and sell as a fundraising tool.

Closing date:For receipt of digital images is noon on 29th June 2007. Winners will be announced at a celebration event on Friday 13th July 2007.

If you require further information, please contact: Matt Legg, Regional ICT Coordinator/Champion Telephone : 0191 233 2000 / 07834 958347 Email:matt@vonne.co.uk

Funding

Training

New courses are running at the Hetton Centre, which include the Craft Club, Computers for beginners and Mastering Maths.

At Easington Lane Community Access Point and Houghton Racecourses Community Access Point they are running courses which include Learndirect as seen on TV, Simple Book Keeping/Accounting and Brush up you Spelling and Writing.

For more details on these courses click here

The Literacy Project

A resource for teachers, literacy organisations and anyone interested in

reading and education, created in collaboration with LitCam, Google,

and UNESCO's Institute for Lifelong Learning.

Find books, articles and videos about literacy, or start your own literacy or reading group!

I’m a carer…....get me some survival skills 2007!

Sunderland Carers’ Centre will be hosting a free survival skills course in the Coalfields area. The course is for people new to caring as well as carers who find information and access to services daunting. The course is intended to give carers the confidence to know how to go about getting better information and services as well as the importance of looking after themselves so they can care more effectively. The course will have a different theme every week and guest speakers and experts will be there for most of the sessions.

The sessions are friendly and carers would never be asked to do anything they were uncomfortable with – we promise no bush tucker trials!  For more information about the course please contact the Carers’ Centre on 0191 5673232.

FREE workshops across the North East (Sponsored by VONNE)

Funding/strategy workshop 23/2/7: This 2 day workshop serves to assist you in developing a strategic approach to funding IT/ICT. This includes an overview of funders and the process of completing funding bids, finishing with the completion of a basic IT/ICT strategy for your organisation. Following the second day of the workshop, and upon completion of a strategy, the Regional ICT Coordinator/Champion will work with each delegate individually to ensure that funding is secured to address areas for development as highlighted by the strategy.

Data management workshop 1/2/7: This 1 day workshop aims to help you effectively manage your organisations client data. The day will demonstrate how different tools, already available through MS Office and other software, can be used to manage data and how important it is to use them effectively to not only record data, but to get the information out in terms of reports and communications.

Assistance and training:

A series of informal workshops will run in each of the 4 sub-regions where you can be trained in the use of a basic digital camera, and receive good practice advice and support in improving and resizing images. Digital cameras will be provided at these workshops and loaned to participants if needed to complete images to enter the Digital Photography Competition.

If you require further information please contact: Matt Legg, Regional ICT Coordinator/Champion Telephone : 0191 233 2000 / 07834 958347 Email:matt@vonne.co.uk

Other News

North East Regional Alcohol Forum (NERAF) have moved into new premises. They are now at 31, West Sunniside,Sunderland, SR1 1BU.  To view their website click here

FOR REFERRALS- referrals & general enquiries are now to be made to directly to
our offices on 0191 5656688 or 0191 5656634 or by email to info@neraf.org.

As you may know I'm an Award Leader for the DOE and I've got two young people who have selected photography as they skills. I'm wanting to develop a diary of events, which with your permission, the young people would attend to take photo's over the next 6 months, so if you have any community events, training days, activities, etc coming up and you need a photography can you let me know so I can book them in.

Both will be covered by insurance and the activities should be outside of the school hours, equipment, etc will be supplied so you need not worry about that.

If you have any questions please don't hesitate in contacting me at our website www.hrcap.co.uk. Please pass onto any colleagues you may think can help.

Nicol McConnell (HRCAP)

Jobs

Community and Cultural Services, Community Development Co-ordinator

£26,187 - £28,221 (Grade subject to review by March 2007), Fixed Term until 31 March 2008

As a result of current national policy there is a strategic citywide project to address the current disparate approach to Community Development in Sunderland.  You will support the Community Development Strategy Group and the Sunderland Partnership in the development and delivery of a Community Development Strategy for Sunderland. You will also support the Assistant Head of Community Services (Community Development) to further develop community development policy and practice in Sunderland. 

Closing Date: 26th January 2007.  For more details click here

WearAble, Part time Administrator/Finance officer
Term 12 months, Salary £7.20 per hour, Hours 16 per week
Location St Mary and St Peters Community Project, Springwell Sunderland

WearAble are looking to recruit a well organised administrator, to provide support to the WearAble team.  Closing date: Noon Wednesday 14th February.  For more details

Click here

Sunderland Community Network 3 Positions Available
Sunderland CVS have funding for its Sunderland Community Network (SCN) until March 2008. We are now looking to recruit an experienced Senior Co-ordinator and supporting staff members to develop the SCN and meet the challenges of Local Area Agreements in Sunderland.

Sustainable Development Officer (2 Part time vacancies)
Sunderland CVS are looking for two energetic, highly motivated and conscientious individuals to lead on this project and make it a success. The post holders will be responsible for delivering regeneration support services and capacity building work with the VCS, ensuring the development and sustainability of local voluntary / community and neighbourhood based groups is achieved. 

For more details on all 3 post including application form Click here

2 Part-time Home Visitors (12 hours per week - flexible)
As part of the multi-agency Sunderland Prevention Strategy we are a small local charity that aims to reduce youth offending and prevent re-offending by offering information, guidance and support.  For more detail click here

Age Concern Sunderland Cook Position
We seek a Cook to prepare and cook cost effective, hot, nutritious meals for older people in Age Concern Sunderland’s Day Clubs and Services based at our Bradbury Centre and in the community. The post includes responsibility for other catering requirements as and when appropriate.   For more details click here

To view all other jobs please click here to visit our Job Page