Safeguarding - Free e-Resources from WCVA

Three free e-learning courses on Safeguarding issues are available from WCVA.  Click here

New Courses for November from Adult Learning Wales

ALL COURSES RUN AT 9TH AVENUE RESIDENTS CENTRE GALON UCHAF, MERTHYR TYDFIL, CF47 9TL

WEDNESDAY NOVEMBER 21ST
FOOD HYGIENE HIGHFEILD QUALIFICATION LEVEL 2
9.30-4.30PM

TUESDAY 27TH NOVEMBER
FIRST AID HIGHFEILD QUALIFICATION LEVEL 3
9.30-4.30PM
WEDNESDAY 28TH NOVEMBER
MANUAL HANDLING OCN AGORED WORKBOOK
9.30-3PM
PHOTO I.D NEEDED FOR ALL COURSES.
To book a place please email leane.saunders@adultlearning.wales

 Class fees apply – depending on circumstances e.g claiming a benefit, eg,  JSA, ESA, Working tax credits – then course is free.  

 

Quick Reminder - Volunteering in Wales Grant Roadshow 6 November 10:00-12:30 at the VAC

Just a reminder that VAMT are hosting a WCVA Volunteering in Wales Grant Roadshow on 6 November between 10:00am-12:30pm at the Voluntary Action Centre.  Please email training@vamt.net if you'd like to attend.

Variety Small Grants for Youth Clubs

Variety, the Children’s Charity, is running a small grant fund for youth clubs to purchase equipment with.   The average size of the grants runs from £250 - £600.

More information including an application form and FAQs can be found  here

Healthy and Active Fund

The Healthy & Active Fund (HAF) is a new programme managed and delivered in partnership by Sport Wales, the Welsh Government and Public Health Wales.  The Fund seeks to improve people's mental and physical health by enabling active lifestyles.  Its aims are to:

• Sustainably increase the physical activity of those who are currently sedentary or have very low levels of activity.
• Improve levels of mental well-being by promoting social interactions and increasing or improving access to spaces and places for physical activity.

Applications must demonstrate how the '5 Ways of Working' of the Wellbeing of Future Generations Act have shaped and driven the project. Statutory and non-statutory bodies and organisations that have the structure and capacity to deliver the objectives of the Healthy & Active Fund can apply.  All projects will need to involve a range of partners in their design and delivery but there must be a minimum of two organisations from different sectors and the lead body must be from the Third or Public sector.

More information on applying here

Training to improve skills and confidence with Actif Woods

Direct Support and Engagement Workstream - Job Vacancy

Drink Wise Age Well currently have a full time job vacancy with TEDS.  Further information is available here

Congratulations to Twyn Action Group -

Twyn Action Group Youth Club were recently awarded £229,916,from the People and Places fund of the BIG Lottery. they have worked with their community to decide what is most important to them. Residents are going to form a community panel to research and design a programme of new services and activities. The programme will build on the organisation's current work with young people and families in Merthyr Tydfil and will extend the opening of the Centre. Callum Palmer, Project Manager said  “That is fantastic, we needed someone to back us, it will mean a lot to the community who have really got involved with the project.”

Congratulations also to Royal Crescent Allotment Society, Stephens and George Centenary Charitable Trust and 3Gs Development Trust who were successful in their application to the BIG Lottery Awards for All fund.

Gypsy, Roma, Traveller, Fairground, Circus-folk, Show-people and Bargees Training day

Date: Wednesday 5 December 2018

Venue: First Space Chapter Arts Centre, Market Rd, Cardiff CF5 1QE

Admission: The cost for the day (to include light refreshments & lunch) is £156.90 per delegate, if you book before the Thursday 22nd November and £173.07 per delegate if you book between Friday 23rd November and Monday 3rd December 2018. Places will only be secured with a confirmed payment.
Organisers – The Romani Cultural & Arts Company

General Information

The Romani Cultural and Arts Company will be delivering three training workshops in three cities, focussing upon the Romani and Travelling people in Britain and their cultures, histories, languages, as a solid foundation to understanding the present communities. The workshops will deliver critical knowledge to professionals, policy-makers, and practitioners in local government, housing, accommodation, health, justice and education services; how to develop a respectful relationship with communities, approaches to constructing a positive dialogue around accommodation and ‘stopping-places’, to supporting better access for Romani and Travellers to health and wellness provision, to strengthening schooling, to raising attainment and improving elective home education, leading to increasing employment opportunities.

The situation for Romani and Traveller communities looks set to become more and more uncertain, as the protections offered under European legislation, conventions and frameworks will probably be rescinded. Show-people, Fair-gound families, Circus-folk and Bargees are likely to face significant changes in their businesses and operations too, with the post-Brexit legal framework. The overall social, economic and cultural impact of the departure from the EU will be especially deep upon these communities. The Romani Cultural & Arts Company has the best track record in the UK of delivering effective training in working with Romani and Traveller people, having carried out a range of training courses, international conferences, arts exhibitions and cultural symposia, schools workshops and heritage projects with Gypsy, Roma, Traveller, show-people, Circus-folk, Fairground families and Bargees, across Wales and Europe.

The Cardiff workshop will focus upon the current policy initiatives associated with the ‘Well-being of Future Generations Act (Wales, 2015)’ have left behind the Romani and Traveller communities of Wales, particularly in terms of the ‘Well-being Assessments’ carried out by the Public Services Boards established by the Act and the recent review of these by Netherwood, Flynn and Lang (2017) for the Future Generations Commissioner, Sophie Howe. These crucial processes have ignored the needs of Romani and Traveller people in ‘planning today for a better tomorrow’, with inadequate consultation of the present and future needs of Gypsy, Roma, Traveller communities, insufficient sustainable development principles being applied to these needs, resulting in Romani and Traveller people being missed in the most important opportunity for improving the public sector’s delivery of provision rooted in the everyday reality of their lives and ensuring little benefit for the well-being of future Romani and Traveller generations.

Our training in Cardiff, in December 2018, will address these critical lacunae in government policy and practice, providing an opportunity to rectify, for local and national government policy-makers and service-providers, this absence of data and content and how to include the most marginal and excluded groups in Wales today.Book at Eventbrite: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/gypsy-roma-traveller-fairground-circus-folk-show-people-and-bargees-training-day-tickets-51135839673

Volunteering Wales Roadshow at the Voluntary Action Centre 6 November 2018

Grants of up to £20,000 are available from Volunteering Wales, administered by WCVA.  Closing date is 5 December 2018.  Further information on the grants is available  here

Voluntary Action Merthyr Tydfil host a roadshow on Tuesday 6 November between 10:00-12:30 when WCVA staff will talk through the application process and advise on making an application.  Further information in English  and Welsh

To book a place email training@vamt.net or give us a call on 01685 353900

NEW - Carers' Support Group starts 1 November

Merthyr and the Valleys MIND's Carers' Star project host a new Carers Support Group starting on 1 November.  Further details here

NEW - High Street Friendship Centre and Cafe -

High Street Baptist Church are hosting a new High Street Friendship Centre and Café every Thursday from 18 October.  Further details are available here

BIG Lottery funding surgery tomorrow - 12 October 2018

Nadia Bogdan from BIG Lottery is at the Voluntary Action Centre tomorrow 12 October 10:00am-1:00pm - drop in and see her to discuss your ideas for a potential bid to BIG.  No need to make an appointment.

Part Time Youth and Community Worker post with Twyn Action Group

Job description and person specification can be found here

Jobs Fair - 11 October at Jobcentre Plus

For further information please click here