Tag Archive for: Events

Health and Safety

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  1. Writing a Health and Safety Policy

  2. Risk Assessment Made Simple

  3. Running a Safe Event

CCVS guide to Writing a Health and Safety Policy

So coming up, we’ll start with the purpose of a safety policy and why it is needed, before looking closely at the three elements that form the content.

The Purpose

Let’s begin then with the Purpose.

A safety policy should be a working document. It should set out your organisation’s general approach to health and safety; and explain how you will manage health and safety in your group, charity or social enterprise.

And that’s it you don’t need to include pages of small print about noise, trips and falls, manual handling and so on… These are all matters that should be dealt with separately in a risk assessment.

But why is it needed?

Having an effective safety policy is a sign of a healthy organisation. It makes clear who is responsible for safety and what this actually involves.

And for organisations that employ staff, it is also the law.

But even if you are, volunteer-only, it is good practice to have a written safety policy

It shows that you plan, check and act on safety matters; and in particular, it demonstrates a positive attitude towards health and safety.

A safety policy may also be a requirement of certain funders.

So clearly, it is an important document. But what about the policy’s content… There are three main elements…starting with

The Statement

Quite simply, this is just a few lines committing the organisation to looking after the health, safety and welfare of its people; and meeting its health and safety duties.

Roles and responsibilities

Next are roles and responsibilities. Firstly, you need someone with overall and final responsibility for health and safety, such as your trustee board; and then someone with day-to-day responsibility such as your chief officer.

You also need to name those with any specific safety roles, such as undertaking risk assessment, monitoring safety controls, dealing with problems, and supervising team members.

You should also set out the responsibility of your staff and/or volunteers to work safely, attend safety training, and report concerns.

Safety arrangements

So what about your safety arrangements? Well, these should cover the actions, processes and procedures you will follow to manage health and safety.

This should include arrangements for conducting risk assessments, such as when and where they are needed, and how often they are carried out.

Other arrangements should cover how and when your team will be consulted on safety matters, your first aid arrangements, safety training, reporting incidents, and your emergency evacuation procedure.

Finally, the arrangements should also name your competent health and safety adviser. This is either an internal or external person who understands the safety issues you face and is experienced in safety matters.

Now, to help you, there are links to a template for a safety policy in the accompanying transcript of this presentation.

But let’s just sum up…

Keep it simple. Start your policy with an opening statement of intent, followed by a list of roles and responsibilities; and finally, a page or two setting out your arrangements. This is all you really need.

Thank you

Video Transcript was produced for CCVS by Green Pepper Consulting

CCVS Guide to Risk Assessment Made Simple

Hello, my name is David Green from Green Pepper Consulting; and in this short training presentation, one of a series from Cambridge CCVS, I will be looking at how we should conduct a safety risk assessment. Let’s begin…

Risk assessment involves identifying hazards, evaluating the risk they pose, and implementing measures to control or remove the risk. There are five steps to the process, so coming up we will look at each of the steps in turn.

What is a hazard?

But first, what exactly do we mean by a hazard?

Well, a hazard is anything that can cause harm.

This might be something that can harm a person’s physical health. Or something that can harm mental health, such as stress.

Why assess risk?

It is perhaps obvious, but to clarify, we assess risk to:

  • understand what safety measures are needed
  • help prevent accidents and occupational diseases
  • meet our legal duties

Risk assessment is a requirement of many safety regulations; and is a key aspect of health and safety management.

What’s more, a failure to assess risk might result in injury or illness to someone, leaving the organisation open to compensation claims and even prosecution.

To help you with the risk assessment process, there are links in the accompanying transcript of this video to a safety inspection checklist and to a risk assessment form.

Ok, Let’s now look at:

Step one of risk assessment – identifying the hazards

You do this by inspecting the workplace, ideally, with a staff rep or colleague, and then by speaking to your staff and volunteers – about their work.

We want to find out about different tasks, the equipment, the methods they use, and the environment in which they work. By looking at the workplace and speaking to your team at work, you can identify any hazards that they may face.

You will need to look for anything that might cause harm, something for example that could cause a trip, slip or fall. There could be manual handling hazards, objects stacked up high that could topple over, chemicals, noise, risk of violence and so on.

Because hazards can differ so widely, sometimes it helps to use a safety inspection checklist when looking around your workplace.

For those who work remotely, such as lone workers and home workers, it may not be possible to inspect how they work. But by discussing working methods with the individuals concerned, prompting and asking them about their safety concerns, you can together work out the likely hazards.

Step two of risk assessment – decide who might be harmed, and how

Step two of risk assessment considers who might be harmed, and how…

Look for anyone who could be harmed by the hazards you identify and how this could happen, including when and where.
Those affected might include members of your team, whether staff or volunteers, including homeworkers, and lone workers. Also your beneficiaries and other visitors to the workplace.

Think also about any special groups who might be more vulnerable to particular harm and may need additional support, such as new or expectant mothers, or people with disabilities.

It might also include those who may have communication difficulties, such as people who don’t have English as a first language.

Once you know who can be harmed, decide how and when it could happen.

Together, the who, how, and when, will give you the likelihood of something causing harm.

Step three – evaluate the risk and introduce safety control measures

Step three has two parts. Firstly to evaluate the risk; and secondly, to introduce safety control measures.

We evaluate risk by combining the likelihood of the hazard, which we have worked out from step two, with the severity of the hazard.

But what if we need to find out more about the hazard before deciding how severe or dangerous it can be?

We can do this by looking up the hazard on the Health and Safety Executive website; and then consulting the manufacturer’s handbook, data sheet or their own website.

So something that has a high degree of severity, and a moderate to high likelihood of occurring, would be a high-risk hazard.

Once you have evaluated a hazard; you can put in place safety control measures.

Always consider the most effective measure first. Your starting point should always be to try and remove the risk altogether. (For example, although you could warn people about a slippery surface, the best remedy would be to remove the slippery surface and replace it with a safe one).

If this isn’t possible then see if there is some less risky way of doing the same thing, for example using a different technique or with different equipment or substances.

Other measures might be to reduce access to the risk (such as cutting the time someone is exposed to the risk, or perhaps using a smaller pool of people). Or to use personal protective equipment.

Finally, make sure your team is trained on how to use your control measures, and that they receive clear instructions on how to mitigate the risk. It’s very important they understand the nature of the risk, and why the control measures are necessary.

Step four – record your findings

We now come to Step four which is to record your findings. One of the simplest ways is in the form of a table. This is the information you will want to record…

  • the hazard
  • who might be harmed
  • how they might be harmed
  • current control measures
  • any new control measures needed
  • who is responsible (for action)

Step five – monitor and review your risk assessment

The final and fifth step is to monitor and review your risk assessment. This will involve periodically checking that the control measures you have implemented are being used properly and that they are effective.

Any shortfalls should prompt a review of the risk assessment; and possibly result in new control measures (or better management of the ones you already have in place); and perhaps better training.

You should also review your risk assessment if there is an accident, or if new information about the hazard or activity becomes available.

So we are almost to the end of this video. Contact information and details of other training videos in this series follow.

Summary of the risk assessment process

  1. identify the hazards
  2. decide who might be harmed and how
  3. evaluate and control the risk
  4. record your findings
  5. monitor and review

Thank you for watching.

Video Transcript was produced for CCVS by Green Pepper Consulting

CCVS Guide to Running a Safe Event

Hello, my name is David Green from Green Pepper Consulting; and in this short training
presentation I will be looking at how an event can be run safely.

Indeed, whenever you organise an event; you have a duty of care to those who attend. So
clearly you will want to avoid accidents or incidents that could cause harm to individuals.
The following explains what you need to do.

OK, This is what we’re going to cover…, We’ll start with the pre-event considerations, then
look at safety plans, followed by risk assessment, and finally, managing an event.
So lets begin with the pre-event considerations.

 

Pre-event considerations
Firstly, you should make someone have overall responsibility for the event’s safety.
Next, make a list of who will need consulting, such as the venue, your event partners and the
active participants. These could be performers, players, speakers, exhibitors etc.

If using contractors for any aspect, such as setting-up, lighting, catering, for example, make
sure they are safe and competent. Ask to see risk assessments and check references.
Alongside all of the above, check your organisation’s safety policy to ensure that you are
following your stated safety arrangements and responsibilities.
And finally, draw up an event safety plan.

This is a key step and we shall cover this next.

 

So what goes into a safety plan?
A key step in planning a safe event is to consult with those who will be involved.
As we have seen, this will include your team, the venue, any partner organisations and
active participants.

Consulting is important to identify the expected roles of those involved, the activities that will
take place at the event; and to find out about possible hazards and the risk assessments that
will be needed.

If you can, visit and inspect the venue as this can inform many aspects of your safety plan.
Next, sketch or obtain a site layout, even if your event is outdoors. This can help you decide
who goes where, the maximum numbers of attendees, and consider the entry and exit
routes etc.

Then assign someone to carry out risk assessments; and check those risk assessments
already supplied by the participants and others. Where gaps are identified, new risk
assessments should be undertaken.

The goal is to make sure everyone knows what safety measures are needed when the event
starts. There will be more on this topic later in the video.

While considering hazards, it is wise to consider contingencies in the case of severe
weather. Outdoor events are more prone to problems, but indoor ones can also suffer,
especially when approaches to buildings are slippery, or when hot weather is making venues
uncomfortable.

So assess poor wintery conditions, or hot summer days in the same way you would as any
other hazard; and plan your response.

Regardless of the size of your event, you should include a crowd or people management
plan. For bigger events youmay also need to include traffic management.

You will also want to ensure, if necessary, that you can contact key people during the
event…so prepare a contact list; and know where they will be if you need them.

A good way to ensure things run smoothly is to appoint members of your team as stewards,
and brief them on what they will need to do. This will include people management, ensuring
safety controls are followed, reporting problems and dealing with accidents.

A very important part of the planning process is to know how to deal with emergencies. You
need to ensure that there are clearly marked fire exits, and that your team of stewards know
what to do if the worst happens. You should also nominate a person to call the emergency
services.

Finally, your safety plan should also include arranging insurance if your existing insurance
does not extend to events. And don’t forget to check information about facilities such as
drinking water, toilets and anything else the venue can provide to help with wellbeing.
Where the venue can’t provide such things, you may have to use contractors so don’t leave
arranging these until the last minute.

Here then is a short summary of what goes into a safety plan.
• consultation
• layout of venue
• risk assessment
• weather contingencies
• people/traffic management
• contact list
• stewards
• emergency procedure
• insurance
• and facilities

 

Risk assessment
We now come to risk assessment.
This will form a vital part of your safety plan; and the results of your risk assessments will
decide how your event can be run.
The process involves assessing all foreseeable risks, whether they be from the activities of
your organisation, the active participants, your chosen venue, or even the public.

So as well as your own risk assessments, you will need to consider any risk assessments
provided by the venue, exhibitors, performers, stall holders, speakers, contractors or
whatever other organisations are involved.

It is from these risk assessments that you can take steps to avoid or control any safety risks
that are presented by your event.

But what does a risk assessment involve…? Well, there are five steps involved in risk
assessment…
1. Identify the hazard(s)
2. Decide who might be harmed, and how
3. Evaluate and control the risk(s)
4. Record your findings
5. Monitor your safety measures, and review them if needed
For more detail on risk assessment, please see our separate training video, Risk
Assessment Made Simple.

 

Managing an event
The final topic is “managing your event” from a safety perspective….
There are a number of considerations.

Firstly, before the event starts ensure that health and safety is covered in an induction for
stewards and the active participants so that everyone understands their role, including what
to do if there is an accident.

Next, check that safety measures are in place.

Thirdly, make sure there are signs and notices to help enforce health and safety.
Also, ensure that stewards and active participants are aware of the emergency procedure;
and understand what they would have to do, should an emergency arise.

Ensure that stewards can guide people so they can move safely into, during and out of the
event. This people management should be in your safety plan. Good signage to car parking
may also be needed.

During the event, monitor safety measures during the event as it progresses, and be ready
to act on a problem.

Finally, check-in with stewards during the event, so keep close at hand your list of key
contacts and your safety plan.

Once the event finishes, do another inspection to check any taking down of equipment is
following correct procedures; and that the venue is left in good order.

Then debrief your team, and learn any lessons for next time.

 

Well, that’s all our topics covered. So before I finish, let’s have a very brief summary of what
it takes to run a safe event…
Consult all those who will be involved
Draw up a safety plan
Assess risks and implement safety measures
Raise awareness of the safety plan so everyone knows who is responsible for what
particular actions
And finally: Monitor safety as the event progresses.
….Thank you for listening.

 

#CambsDigiWeek – A week of free events around digital

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Cambridgeshire Digital Partnership (CDP) are delighted to announce a series of online events taking place 17th – 20th October to celebrate Get Online Week, a national campaign by Good Things Foundation.

This year we focuson digital skills and the week includes networking events with guest speakers to discuss digital skills and access to health care, digital skills in the work place and the need to tailor digital support around individual interests.

The week also includes workshops and training sessions on Mailchimp, Canva and Cyber Security for small charities and community groups, along with plenty of time for attendees to network, share learning, ideas and updates.

All events are free of charge and open to all, however more information about who might like to attend is given on each Eventbrite page. The line-up includes sessions that will be of interest to charities, community groups, health professionals and businesses.

 

#CambsDigiWeek programme 

Monday 17 Oct @ 1pm, Health Care & Digital Inequalities

Join this event to hear from guest speakers and to discuss the digital transformation of health care services and how this impacts people who are not online or have limited digital skills.

Tuesday 18 Oct @ 10:30am, Developing digital skills in your workplace

Join this event to explore how you can develop digital skills in your workplace. Zoe Amar will share key findings from the Charity Digital Skills Report and Marlous Lang-Peterse, who currently works with Third Sector Lab and The Catalyst will talk about digital leadership and resources available.

Tuesday 18 Oct @ 1:30pm, Making the most of Mailchimp

Join this bite sized online workshop with Lorna Gough, Communications & Engagement Worker at CCVS to explore the different design features available on Mailchimp.

Wednesday 19 Oct @ 9:30am, Cyber Security Training for Small Charities

Join this training session to understand why small charities are at risk of different types of cyber-attack, be aware of practical steps you can take to avoid cyber-attack and know what to do in the event of a cyber-attack on your organisation.

Wednesday 19 Oct @ 1:30pm, Canva 101

Join this bite sized online workshop with Taron Murfitt, Community Inclusion Officer with Cambridge Online for an introduction to Canva, its key features and where to go for support with more in-depth work.

Thursday 20 Oct @ 10:30am, CDP Networking Event – Don’t say Digital

Join this networking event to discuss how digital skills education can empower individuals and why this approach is so important. You will hear from expert speaker Kat Dixon, Director of Partnerships at national charity Catch22 and a range of groups that enable people to develop their digital skills in order to pursue an interest, raise their voice, or get creative.

 

You can also find out more about CDP via www.cambridgeshiredigitalpartnership.org.uk or follow us on twitter @CambsDigi.

If you have any questions or difficulties bookings please get in touch via  hello@cambridgeshiredigitalpartnerhsip.org.uk.

Trustee Week – Come join us, it’s not just for your committee and board

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We are very excited to bring you the Support Cambridgeshire Trustee Week, happening between the 8th and 10th of November, National Trustees Week in the UK.

As part of that, we are hosting four events across three days which are aimed at upskilling and broadening the knowledge and understanding of those who drive are part of the strategic vision of our Voluntary and Community Sector.

Each event is open to anyone who wants to know more, and most are passive, with the option to ask questions of some fantastic professionals. This is an excellent opportunity to engage your ​board and committee in upskilling, which supports their development in making the right decisions for your organisation. However, we are happy to have you if you’re a volunteer, member of the public or staff member interested in the subject.

These events are open to any organisation, however small or large, that works within the county of Cambridgeshire and the city of Peterborough. We thank those who have supported us in offering this event timetable.

Day One – What it is to be a Trustee 

This event is perfect for the current trustee or committee members who need a recap of their responsibilities. It is also perfect for new committee and board members who want to know more. We also welcome those working within the VCSE who want to know more about the role of a charitable Trustee or committee member.

Day Two – 101 Day

In the morning, we have Insurance 101, which will allow those on board​s to grasp the types of charitable insurance on offer and ask professional questions. This includes trustee insurance which covers those on boards for liability.

We then have DBS 101 in the early evening, another topic that those making decisions about the organisation’s direction need to know. For example, what is a ​data barring check, why is it needed and do your volunteers and staff need to have one?

Day Three – Who’s the Boss? 

Getting on Board is supporting Support Cambridgeshire to host this exciting event which looks at the role of the Chair and what makes the relationship between Chair and CEO work. Open to all to come and listen to some fantastic and talented speakers to talk through this relationship and how chairs and CEOs take this further.

Some events will be recorded, but this is the only opportunity you will have to ask questions of the professionals we have pooled together. We, therefore, suggest you book your place as soon as possible.

 

Want to know more and how to book click the button below.

Click here to book

Training around wellbeing of staff

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Many people find it challenging to talk about mental health at work. Frontline staff may feel embarrassed about their suffering, while managers may not know what to say. Unfortunately, this can contribute to a vicious cycle as no one talks about it and the stigma and isolation grow.

In this workshop series, managers and supervisors will discover how to notice suffering in their team and start conversations safely. Through a straightforward four-step process, attendees will learn how to :

  1. Notice suffering in their colleagues
  2. Identify and overcome the barriers to engaging team members
  3. Cultivate empathy for their distress
  4. Respond appropriately and effectively to alleviate their concerns

There are two sessions in the series, of two hours duration each.

  • Session One: How to notice suffering in the workplace and start conversations with your staff.
  • Session Two: How to overcome barriers to compassion, build empathy and alleviate suffering.

Upon registering for Session 1, delegates will automatically receive an invite for Session 2 in that series. The series of workshops will run twice each month:

Wed 15th Sept 2-4 pm (Session 1); Wed 29th Sept 2-4 pm (Session 2) FULL

Fri 24th Sept 10-12 pm (Session 1); Fri 1st October 10-12 pm (Session 2) FULL

Wed 13th Oct 6-8 pm (Session 1); Wed 20th Oct 6-8 pm (Session 2) *evening sessions FULL

Fri 15th Oct 10-12 pm (Session 1); Fri 22nd Oct 10-12 pm (Session 2) FULL

Wed 10th November 2-4 pm (Session 1); Wed 24th Nov 2-4 pm (Session 2) FULL

Fri 19th November 10-12 pm (Session 1); Fri 26th Nov10-12 pm (Session 2) FULL

 

More training will be offered to check availability of this please  CLICK HERE

 

Please regularly check the Staff Support Hub website for more information about the Hub and for details of upcoming similar sessions.

 

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A Series of Fortunate Events

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The Support Fenland project moves from discovery to delivery phase with a series of events and the offer of one-to-one support.

By Victoria Hopkins

This week I have been celebrating two months since I joined the Support Fenland team. Before I head off for a well-earned break, here is her quick update for you all.

In our last blog we updated you on the themes which had come out of your feedback. In case you missed it, here are the six themes:

  • Help us to come together to do more.
  • Help us to think about our future.
  • Help us to recruit and keep volunteers.
  • Help us to raise our voice both within and outside of Fenland.
  • Help us stay up to date with guidance that we need to know about.
  • Help us for the long term, not for 12 months.

You can read more on this blog post.

We also mentioned that our support events will be starting in July. And now, we are pleased to announce that our first events are live and available for you to book.

One-to-one Support

From 1 July charities and community groups that who would like one-to-one support can book an appointment with me. You might like help with recruiting new volunteers; the structure of your group; your business plan; or an upcoming funding bids. Whatever the reason is, I am available to help. You can book at a time which is convenient to you using an online booking system. I will be available during business hours on a Tuesday & Thursday and every other Thursday evening between 6 and 8pm.

Networking Meetings

On 21 July at 7:30pm we will be hosting the first of our new regular Fenland networking events. The events will be monthly (except for August) and we will alternate between mornings and evenings across different days of the week. There will be opportunities to talk to groups from your local area about what you are up to, what your challenges are, and how you can support each other.

The theme for the first event will be “Connecting”. We have some ideas for future themes including funding and volunteering, and we would love to hear your suggestions too. Comment on this blog post or bring them along to the networking event.

You can book your place here.

Working Together workshop

On 5 August at 10am we will be hosting a workshop on “Working Together”. As we all know there are lots of benefits in organisations working together to deliver activities and projects. You can raise awareness of your offer; learn and share new skills; increase your impact; attract new funders; and even reduce your costs – these are benefits available to very small as well as larger groups. Although the words collaboration and partnerships can appear daunting this does not have to be the case. This workshop will focus on joint working both formally and informally, as well as the key points to consider to overcome the common pitfalls.

You can book your place here: Working Together – Looking at ways of joint working – Training & Events – Cambridge Council for Voluntary Service (cambridgecvs.org.uk)

Following the workshop I will be available to talk to you about specific joint working arrangements that your group is interested in putting in place. Whether that is helping to facilitate conversations between groups or reviewing your arrangements, you can book a catch-up online here.

We are still working on the programme of events for September onwards, and we will update you on those with a future blog post

All of our Support Fenland events are hosted by CCVS & Hunts Forum and are free for any charity or community group working in Fenland.

There are other events hosted by CCVS and Hunts Forum which you might also be interested in attending, which you can find on our websites:

www.supportcambridgeshire.org.uk/training/
www.cambridgecvs.org.uk/training-events
www.huntsforum.org.uk/training-events/

Pitching through the CSR Barrier

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In these uncertain times for charities (particularly given how difficult it is to obtain and maintain Grant levels) we are increasingly looking towards different avenues to build future relationships and one of these has seen a growing interest in developing business partnerships.

The world of CSR has been changing: The days of photographic opportunities with large cardboard cheques are becoming sepia images from long-forgotten days. It is now more common for companies to be looking for a charity partner, an organisation that typically can develop a relationship over a period of time with and with whom they share certain values. Nationally this can be seen in partnerships such as Topman and the Campaign Against Living Miserably with their attention grabbing L’eau de Chris campaign and examples such as Chelsea FC and Plan International.

Locally, a growing number of charities and community groups are working closely with local and national companies. Businesses themselves no longer see the good they can do in their communities simply in terms of the cash they can bring but additionally the skill, expertise, resource and time that can be provided.

However, developing these partnerships is not something that happens quickly and is something that as a sector, we can often struggle with in terms of time, money, resource and knowledge.

Following on from two successful workshops earlier this year which brought together charities and businesses to better understand each other’s needs, ways of working and the importance of relationship building in the CSR world, we learnt how difficult many charities struggle with understanding exactly what it is that we can offer a corporate or business partner as part of this relationship and how then to explain and sell this concept.

Jill McCulloch from Coach You who had been part of the second of these workshops offered to run a free course for charities to help find their way to Pitching through the CSR barrier.

The importance of understanding our own values and being able to explain and promote these stands at the forefront of how we can begin to overcome the CSR barrier. It is these, Jill explained, that can help attract and retain business partners, in addition to staff, trustees and supporters. What do we stand for and what is our passion? If we can help others to express our passion, they will become advocates. Taking a cue from Simon Sinek and the Power of Why, we discovered that it is the why we do what we do, that attracts people, not what we do.

Through various exercises we learnt and understood how to see businesses as one of many target audiences, identify what we are looking for in a business partnership and how to use this knowledge to recognise what we can clearly articulate to a partner.

Representatives from 15 organisations across Cambridgeshire attended the workshop at Westminster College, Cambridge on the 21st November 2019.

Our work around the CSR agenda continues as we believe working effectively with business partners is one sure way in which charities of all sizes can diversify their income portfolio in these challenging times. This workshop series forms part of our Think Different Approach, so watch out for future events via the Support Cambridgeshire Training Page.

Support Cambridgeshire would like to thank:

Rachel Briant of Get Synergised for organising the event.  https://www.getsynergised.com/

Jill McCulloch for freely giving her time and knowledge to us  https://coachyou.co.uk/

 Westminster College for hosting this event.  https://www.westminster.cam.ac.uk/events

 

 

Nominations Required for the Hunts Forum Volunteer and Rural Volunteer Awards

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Support Cambridgeshire partner Hunts Forum is hosting its AGM on 20th November to celebrate 25 years since the charity was formed. The event takes place at Huntingdon Town Hall from 5:30 to 7:30pm. Please email jackie@huntsforum.org.uk if you’re able to attend.

As in previous years, it is inviting people to nominate a volunteer/s to receive recognition for their skills and time given to local organisations and communities. There is also a Rural Volunteer Award, which was introduced following the retirement of our Treasurer, David Morgan, who asked that an award be made to volunteers working in the more rural areas of our county.

Every nomination will receive a certificate of recognition, so please bring your volunteer along to receive it personally on the night.

Nominations must be submitted by 1 November to allow time for them to be judged, certificates to be produced and prizes arranged.

Please use the links below to download the nomination forms, to be returned to Trisha@huntsforum.org.uk.

Hunts Forum Volunteer Award 2019 nomination form

Hunts Forum Rural Volunteer Award 2019 nomination form

Connecting Communities 2019

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On the 20th June 2019 Hunts Forum and Support Cambridgeshire (as part of their Think Different Approach) ran their annual Connecting Communities Conference, the topic this year being unwanted Loneliness and Social Isolation.

Subtitled Tackling Loneliness, A Community Response, the conference looked at how volunteering can help reduce loneliness.

Interest in the conference was high with nearly 90 people attending on the day ( a 98% increase on Conference levels from last year) and many unfortunately unable to get a ticket.

The event was far removed from the usual presentational format and emphasised the conversational. Partners wanted to stay true to an ethos in that working and talking together in co-operation and good faith we can achieve more than just the sum of our parts. Through dialogue and openness we hoped that the exchange of information, ideas, comments, observations from the collective experience and knowledge would create the platform for mutual support, and would help organisations to develop, connect and obtain the guidance they needed.

The Key-Note:

The conference began with a passionate and inspiring talk from the keynote speaker, Kate Gordon, from Men’s Sheds UK. Kate explained the origin of the Shed movement in Australia as a way of encouraging men to socialise and discuss their feelings and their well-being. Since the idea first travelled across the world to the UK 500 sheds have opened with 8 active sheds in Cambridgeshire. Cambridgeshire County Council welcome applications to the Innovate & Cultivate Fund to set up Men’s Sheds in communities across Cambridgeshire.

You can apply for a £2000 start-up grant to cover the first two years of your Shed development.

See here: https://data.cambridgeshireinsight.org.uk/sites/default/files/Mens%20Shed%20Cultivate%20Model.pdf for more details.

The Slogan for men’s sheds is Shoulder to Shoulder,  simply shortened from Men don’t talk face to face, they talk shoulder to shoulder.

Kate’s Keynote slides can be viewed here:

The Work-shops:

Later, the main hall buzzed with small groups discussing different aspects of loneliness and how volunteering can help reduce loneliness and social isolation. Different workshops looked at ways to find potentially lonely people and reach out to them  (run by Age UK Cambridgeshire and Peterborough),  ways to communicate with and engage people (run by Care Network’s Open Arms Project), supporting and nurturing volunteers (run by Cambridge Community Arts) while The Wildlife Trust, Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Northamptonshire ran a workshop on ways and ideas for demonstrating impact, something that helps us as organisations and is very important to funding bodies.

We were lucky to have four funding bodies at the conference talking to people about the various funds that they have available to support volunteering and help tackle Loneliness and Social Isolation. Alibhe Kirwan from the People’s Postcode lottery had travelled from Edinburgh to be with us and provided a great deal of information to help people ensure their funding applications are relevant. Alibhe’s attendance at the conference was part of a wider tour of the area visiting projects funded by the People’s Postcode Lottery.

Ailbhe was joined by Fiona Brice from The National Lottery Community Fund, Michael Ruddy from Cambridgeshire Community Foundation and Lianne Parrett from Cambridgeshire County Council’s Innovate and Cultivate Fund.

Thank you to everyone who came to the conference and particularly to Kate Gordon, Andy Morris from Age UK C&P, Adam Fraser from Care Network’s Open Arms Project, Beth McCabe and Jane Rich from Cambridge Community Arts and Louise Rackham from The WildLife Trust Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Northamptonshire for running such excellent and engaging workshops, and for taking time out of their busy daily schedules.

Evaluation:

Over 45 evaluation forms were completed on the day, and feed-back was generally positive, although there are always lessons to be learned.

Here are some quotes:

This was a well organised event, run smoothly and was useful to me for networking. Please continue to do what you do best.

speaking about volunteering with other people from different organisations whose experiences are very different is very useful.

This event is so helpful in the way it supports us to find different organisations and groups who can support us moving forward.

Knowing there is so much ‘out there’ for the lonely is rewarding.

Its always useful sharing experiences with people from other organisations.

Its always helpful to realise how many others are out there that could help reduce isolation for our families.

People’s experiences are a really useful way to learn.

A really enjoyable and informative day.

Great conference, excellent programme, and a strong energy in the room. If this is VCSE power, then the future is bright.

Overall:

Most delegates scored the Conference high in terms of overall satisfaction, with most scoring 3 or 4 (4 being the highest score).

Most delegates said they felt more able to identify loneliness in their communities as a direct result of attending the conference, and the majority of delegates felt they could put some plans into immediate action.

Next Steps:

To work through how we can build on the conference for next year, a small random sample of evaluations will be sent in two months time, asking for delegates to look back and see what could have been done differently, and what they might like to see in 2020/2021.  In addition, the Support Cambridgeshire State of the Sector Survey for 2019 (which will be published in July) may provide further clues on topics, issues and challenges around volunteering – so watch out for that.

Photograph: 

Kate in action at Connecting Communities 2019.

Marketing on a Shoe-string

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As part of Support Cambridgeshire’s partnership with local business across the County, 10 delegates attended the recent Marketing on a Shoe – String practitioner session held at Loves Farm House on the 23rd May 2019.

Invitees were treated to an engaging and interactive workshop by Hayley Williams of Keystone Marketing on the basic principles and issues around Marketing, and more importantly how to Market an organisation without a limitless supply of ready cash…

Whilst this was a whistle stop tour, feed-back was really positive:

I really enjoyed this, it was relaxed, informal and informative.

Hayley was well organised and the session was well planned.

Hayley was lovely, and very well informed. 

I feel enthused.

I thought this session was brilliant.

It was clear that most of the delegates were engaging in a range of both online and offline activity, most were doing this in the absence of a clear, defined and agreed Marketing Plan. This was the number 1 take-away from the session itself.

Session notes can be seen here:

More on Keystone Marketing can be found here:

More on Loves Farm House can be found here:

Support Cambridgeshire will be building on this initial session over the coming months as part of our Think Different Approach. 

Keep an eye on our training and events page and watch out for the strap-line.

Small Charities Week 2019

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As part of Small Charities Week (which this year falls between the 17th and the 22nd June) Support Cambridgeshire lead partner Hunts Forum will be holding an advice surgery at the Maple Centre between 10am and 2pm on the 17th June 2019 which will be open to all small charities and community groups across the County.

The Maple Centre can be found at 6 Oak Drive, Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire, PE29 7HN. 

Sessions are for up to half an hour and can be made with the Development Officer at Hunts Forum, Keith Johnson, and can be on any subject from Governance to Fundraising and any other general enquiry. Simply contact Keith@huntsforum.org.uk to book a space.

The Hunts Forum Finance Manager Louise Prosser will also be on hand to deal with any finance related query or concern, so please advise whether its Louise you wish to see at the time of booking.

Spaces are available on the hour and the half hour.

Hunts Forum will also circulate information about similar advice sessions happening between the 17th and the 22nd June such as: 

PEM Accountants in Cambridge.

Free, no obligation, expert advice on a variety of topics including tax, audit or governance is available.

https://www.pem.co.uk/event/big-advice-day-free-advice-for-small-charities/

Voluntary and Community Action for East Cambridgeshire (VCAEC).

Offering advice on funding, training, volunteering, governance, policies and much more.

http://www.vcaec.org.uk/index.php/trainingand-events

On Thursday the 20th June 2019 our Connecting Communities Conference at the St Ives Corn Exchange takes place, looking at a Community Response to tackling unwanted social isolation and loneliness. This is now fully subscribed, but if you want to join our waiting list please email keith@huntsforum.org.uk

Employee Volunteering:

Cantab Captial in Cambridge are looking for employee volunteering opportunities for their staff (they are more than happy to get out of Cambridge for the day) on the 4th July 2019 and 2nd September 2019 (US bank Holidays).  This would be for up to 10 staff members and they are very open to any suggestions as to what they would be asked to do. This could be for a whole or a half day. Contact  keith@huntsforum.org.uk  for more information if this is of interest.