The Care Home Advocacy Project, CHAP, supports and empowers older people, who are in long-term care, either residential or nursing, in the county of Leicestershire. CHAP, originally established in Hinckley and Bosworth is now operating county-wide. Local placements are available for volunteers in Charnwood.

The aim of the project is to provide the more vulnerable or isolated residents with an advocate, who can support, or speak up on the resident’s behalf. Advocacy is about empowering the individual so that they can live their life as full as possible. The Advocacy Project takes referrals from many sources: care-home staff, social workers, friends, families and residents themselves. Below are some examples of issues that we deal with:

• access to services
• finances e.g. helping someone to open a bank account
• family issues
• supporting a resident through a difficult period e.g.decision to move home’s
• applying for funding e.g motorised wheelchair, etc.

Volunteers will have an induction period and training before taking up any case work. On-going support and supervision is provided by the co-ordinator. Out-of-pocket expenses are paid. We are looking for people who have or would like to develop:

• skills and knowledge
• good communication skills
• friendly and approachable manner
• flexibility
• empathy and patience
• trust and integrity.
A commitment of four hours per-week is desirable.

For further information, please contact Phillipa Stanbridge on 01455 847666
By Phillipa Stanbridge

The Leicestershire Funding Toolkit is now live on www.fundingtoolkit.org.
The toolkit is a one-stop website which provides FREE funding information and advice to Leicestershire’s voluntary and community organisations. It has been developed to help improve the ability of voluntary and community sector organisations to successfully bid for funding.
A key feature of the toolkit is a searchable database of over 4000 funding sources including the government, lottery, local government, trusts and charitable givers. The website allows you to access application forms, confirm whether your application is eligible, browse guidance notes, along with the requirements of potential funders.
The website also includes a 5 step guide to making successful applications including help with preparing and writing applications.
Links are also provided to key documents that you may need to refer to in your application such as local and regional strategies. There is a news section highlighting application deadlines, new funding schemes and, we hope, your own success stories.
We know that having the information you need is not the whole story so we will be including a list of Funding Advisors that you can call upon for help with answering questions on application forms and a range of other support.
The toolkit is provided through Leicestershire Together with the support of Leicestershire County Council. Considerable advice and guidance on the development of the website has also been provided by the voluntary and community sector. In the future we hope to increase the level of practical support that you will be able to access to help you secure the money you want and need.
Until that happens, log on and explore how it can help you and keep coming back to see how you can get further help.
By Oliver Savage

Gerry Jacobs has taken on a new role to improve services and develop staff. Gerry will work closely with staff in each of our services to see how best to improve what we do. This could be more of the same, but to more and different people. Or, it could mean doing something we already do well, but doing it better.

We will need to ask you, as our “customers”, whether you are satisfied with the services we provide, or if you have any suggestions for improvements. If you aren’t asked, but have an idea, please mention it.

Gerry will also ask all staff about their future development and what learning opportunities they would like. This is a CVS policy which hasn’t had enough attention in the past and Gerry will now ensure everyone is encouraged to learn and develop.

by Neil Lambert, Chief Executive

Loughborough Voluntary Action Centre, LVAC.

Wendy Smith is now called Loughborough Voluntary Action Centre Manager and is responsible for all the administration services of the CVS, which includes LVAC, also known as John Storer House.
From outside this may not seem much of a change at all, as Wendy already was Senior Administrator and “Manager” in all but name. But it is recognition of the work she has been doing alongside Gerry and she will now report direct to me.

There will be additional afternoon admin. services from Reception, and Janet will be freed up from some front-line tasks in order to spend time on the main CVS Management Information system, known as Volbase. We need to update our records about local organisations and this means sending out a form, and then inputting when completed.
This will enable us to provide better and more targeted support to groups as we re-classify what interests you have and what you are doing in 2006.

Note 1: I am using the term Loughborough Voluntary Action Centre as we move towards the merger with Shepshed and Syston Volunteer Centres. If agreed by all relevant members, Voluntary Action Charnwood will have three Voluntary Action Centres from which all services will be available. Most staff will still be based at John Storer House, but be available at any of the three Centres, either at regular times, or by appointment.

Note 2: All the staff changes at CVS are designed to make us ready for the merged organisation as and when the process is completed.

• Capacity Building
A new Capacity Building Service Strategy has been drafted to clarify the three levels of development support we offer, from individuals, to groups/organisations, and communities.

Vicci Barrett is the Capacity Builder who helps community groups to develop into voluntary organisations, and grow, through increased funding, and better use of planning and organising of their activities.

Cath Walker is to take on Marketing as well as Information and will continue to provide lots of interesting and helpful ideas, and sources of funding through the newsletter, and website, and regular e-alerts.

Sallianne Thomas is our link from Charnwood (and North West Leicestershire) with the central Health and Social Care workers at CVS Community Partnership. Together, they make an integrated infrastructure, which seeks to involve people in planning and delivery of local health and social care services.

This involvement is part of CVS inviting people to become active citizens. Local councils are asking people to “engage” with them and we play an intermediary role in helping this sort of representation to be effective.

We also intend to provide a Learning and Skills Development Service with events to meet the needs of people who run activities and services in voluntary and community organisations. There will be a charge to cover costs, but we can absolutely guarantee best value.

• External Accreditation
Charnwood CVS holds various certificates of approval from national awarding bodies to which we belong. Public funding for our work rightly requires scrutiny of what we are doing and how well services are delivered.

However, we all know that passing an inspection one day doesn’t mean people will always get the service they want all day and every day. So please use our form in the leaflet called “Comments, Compliments and Complaints” - so that we can see whether you are happy or if there’s anything you think we can do to raise standards.
By Neil Lambert, Chief Executive

Spring has arrived. We know this because the water supply has been turned on at the allotment, so regardless of the weather, it is indeed spring!

The site is looking very pretty thanks to the arrival of a large quantity of gravel, which has enabled us to recover all of our paths. A donation of wood also means that we are able to refurbish some of the raised beds and transform the large compost bin into a more efficient model. Our old glass greenhouse has been dismantled and removed. The glass needed replacing and has always presented a hazard. We are now looking at replacing it with an eight-by-six foot, polycarb model which will be safer and will give us some much needed propagation space.

We plan to put water butts either side so as not to lose precious rainwater, and cold frames up one side to again increase propagation area.

The polytunnel is filling with seedlings and we have planted out the first vegetables. Our garden service has resumed as weather permits and we have potted bulbs and early flowering plants on offer near the main reception desk in John Storer House.

We would like to welcome Rachel Blackwood on to our team. Although in full-time employment, Rachel is volunteering for evenings and weekends and even donating some of her holiday time to help us. Her enthusiasm and horticultural experience will be invaluable to us.

A big "thank you" to William Davis Ltd. for their continued generosity and support. It is so rewarding to find that our work is valued by others.

The Open Day this year will be Thursday, July 13th from 10.30am to 2pm on Mountfields allotments, Forest Rd. Everyone is welcome to visit, to see our work, meet the volunteers and take the opportunity to buy produce and plants.

For any further information please contact Bobby on 01509 631774 or bobby.smith@charnwoodcvs.org.uk
By Bobby Smith

My name is Angeline Attenborough and I am the new Advisor for learning and work, based at John Storer House.

The nextstep service offers free, confidential and impartial advice and information on any aspect of work or learning.

We can help you to look at information, think what to do next and talk things through.

We can offer you help applying for a job, writing a CV and practising interview skills.

I work closely with the team at the Volunteer Centre because volunteering enables people to try out new areas of work or interest. These opportunities are great for people who want to gain valuable work experience and skills, or have time to fill between jobs or work.

The service is available around the Charnwood district: I work from John Storer House, Shepshed Volunteer Centre and Syston Volunteer Centre. I am also happy to work from local libraries and community centres and look forward to working in your locality soon.

If you would like to use the service any time, please contact me on 01509 631786 or angeline.attenborough@charnwoodcvs.org.uk.

Nextstep’s Personal Development Course
nextstep’s course is specially designed to help people who feel stuck in a rut or lack self-confidence to improve their self-esteem, make choices, take control and move forward. consists of 10 weekly sessions of 2 hours, and is available to anyone aged 20 and over.

New sessions start on Thursday 27 April at Loughborough Library, 1.30pm – 3.30pm, and further sessions are planned. Call Karin on 0116 262 9993, for further information and bookings.

The theme is People in Harmony. Volunteers needed! Please contact Hiron Miah or Varsha Parmar on 01509 261651, if you would like to get involved.

the Pathway to Leisure and Learning for Disabled People Starts Here…

Ryder-Cheshire Volunteers (RCV) helps physically disabled people to take part in leisure or learning activities that can help increase confidence, self-esteem and zest for life. Members have the freedom to choose their own activity. RCV may arrange for volunteers to visit members at home or to take them out. In addition, others are helped to join a local club or college. Learning a new skill can have a lasting impact on the lives of physically disabled people and can help to bring back the feel-good factor.

RCV celebrates its 20th anniversary this year and currently, there are 10 projects nationwide with one operating in the North Leicestershire area. Each project has a maximum of 30 members and relies heavily on volunteers to provide a service. Volunteers form the backbone of the organisation and are its most valuable asset. Activities include computing, languages, crafts, music, card and board games, swimming and many more. At present, RCV needs volunteers with an interest in any of the following activities:
• computing (Loughborough)

• reading aloud (Loughborough)

• music appreciation (Loughborough)

• swimming (Mountsorrel)

• jewellery making (Mountsorrel)

• shopping (Syston)

Remember learning is fun the Ryder-Cheshire way! You don’t need to be an expert to help – all we ask is an interest in chosen activity and a willingness to help others enjoy life more.

For further details on membership or volunteering, please contact Anna Clay, North Leics Project Co-coordinator on 01509 621970, anna.clay@rcv.org.uk; www.rcv.org.uk
By Anna Clay

Farm Crisis Network (FCN ) is a national network of local groups drawn from the farming community and rural churches. FCN has just celebrated 10 years of active service.

FCN provides emotional and practical support to farmers, farming families, farm workers and farm contractors. Over the last year, 765 farmers have been supported.

A local group consists of a team of trained volunteers who are there to support farmers as they seek to resolve their problems. The volunteers relate to all aspects of the situation and have links with sources of professional help where needed. A local group in Leicestershire has been running for eight years and is currently supporting a dozen farmers across the county.
Examples of support being provided at present includes:

• understanding the implications of the new Single Payment Scheme

• changes within the business

• mental health issues of worry, anxiety and depression

• completion of forms for Defra/RPA, including those related to the new environmental schemes

• succession issues.

More volunteers are needed with the expectant increase in referrals, with farmers receiving their first Single Farm Payment and the pending Avian Flu Pandemic.
Essentials would include being a good listener, having a non- judgemental disposition and being able to communicate in a positive and caring manner. Training is provided for new and existing volunteers.
To explore this further, please contact Graham Hinds on 01332 602124/07833 638562/grahamhinds@hotmail.com
By Graham Hinds

What is the Citizen’s Panel? The Charnwood Citizen’s Panel - which has been running since 1999 – is about people like you. It is made up of residents of Charnwood who want to have a say in the way the Council provides its services.

The Council gathers together their views and ideas through questionnaires and discussion groups on a wide variety of subjects. Past issues that have been tackled include Crime and Disorder, Recycling and Parks & Open Spaces, Council Priorities and Customer Satisfaction.

The members of the panel are all volunteers who have been selected to ensure that as far as possible the panel is representative of every part of the community so that everyone can have the opportunity to have their say!

Presently there are 750 members on the panel but we are aiming for a minimum of 1000 and are always looking for residents to join the panel so that they can express their views and help us to make a difference in Charnwood.

We would like you to join! If you are not sure if this is for you we have asked some of our current members to tell you about themselves and why they joined the panel.

If you would like to become a member, please call Matt Wade at Charnwood Borough Council on 01509 634705 or by e-mailing matthew.wade@charnwood.gov.uk. Alternatively, you can complete a form on-line at www.charnwood.gov.uk.
By Matt Wade, Charnwood Borough Council