Solihull SUSTAiN - Helping Solihull's Third Sector Get Fit for the Future

Voluntary Arts England supported by Arts Council England present The Epic Awards, a scheme designed to recognise and shine a spotlight on the excellent work taking place within the 50,000 voluntary and amateur art and craft groups throughout the country. The deadline is 10th September. For more information visit The Epic Awards website.

The first issue of the quarterly Solihull Partnership newsletter contains information for members of the Solihull Partnership, including news about:

• Local Partnership Forums
• Working with the Community
• You+ Healthy Lifestyle Shop
• The Mobile Exhibition Vehicle

Ramada Solihull Manager wins national ‘community hero’ award

Andy Cole, General Manager at Solihull’s Ramada hotel has been named a ‘community hero’ at a national awards ceremony recognising eight business people who have gone the extra mile in supporting their local community.

The Development Trusts Association ‘private sector community hero’ award was given to Andy for the outstanding contribution his hotel has made to the Solihull Together campaign, which fundraises on behalf of Solihull-based charities and voluntary groups.

Andy and his team at the Ramada have been putting on monthly quiz nights and homemade cake sales, with proceeds going to the campaign. They also ran a ‘watering station’ for over 180 hot and tired walkers at the first ever Solihull Together sponsored walk last October.

And this year, the hotel is making a big gesture – generously supporting Solihull Together’s magic charity ball later this month.

Upon receiving the award, Andy said: “really I’m just very proud for my team because every one of the hotel’s staff has put the effort in, I’m just lucky enough to be the individual picked out to be rewarded.”

Andy was nominated for the award by SUSTAiN/Colebridge Trust, the organisation behind Solihull Together. Having built up a strong partnership with the hotel, both sides have seen the relationship bear fruit.

“I’m very lucky that as a hotel I’ve got quite a lot to offer to the local community,” said Andy. “And what’s in it for me is much better staff morale, a real feeling of teamwork from the hotel staff when they’re helping with all the events, and a bit of fun – something that adds real interest to the day job.”

While Chief Executive of SUSTAiN/Colebridge Trust, Dave Pinwell, had this to say: “Andy and his team have really captured the spirit of the Solihull Together campaign – which is all about the different parts of our community pulling together to make a difference in people’s lives. They have helped in so many ways, especially in their idea to host a ball which has really added a new dimension to this year’s campaign and has helped to jump-start our fundraising efforts. Their contribution is an outstanding example of what can be achieved when business and the community work together.”

One new number for Adult Social Care – 0121 704 8007

From 1 July 2010, people in Solihull Borough can call 0121 704 8007, a “One Front Door” number, for advice, information and access to Adult Social Services.

The new number is for anyone who is not in current contact with Adult Social Services and will provide general information, including services provided by partner organisations, as well as referrals and access into social care services. However, existing service users and partner agencies should continue to use the telephone numbers they currently have to access services and professionals.

Solihull NHS Care Trust staff will be taking calls from within Solihull Connect, Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council’s contact service.

For more information about the service, contact Fiona McGill, Solihull NHS Care Trust Community Services’ Deputy Director of Integrated Services on 0121 712 8509 / fiona.mcgill@solihull-ct.nhs.uk or Angela Pretty, Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council’s Contact Centre Manager on 0121 704 8651 / apretty@solihull.gov.uk.

Environmental sustainability charity Groundwork is running a programme called Community Task Force where people aged 18-24 who are struggling to find employment can build on their work experience, confidence and get a working reference by working on a community based project.

They are currently looking for voluntary work and work placements throughout the Birmingham and Solihull area, which will be of benefit to the community as well as our clients.

Placement providers do not pay any costs towards our clients and we even pay for their travel to the placement!

To discuss any placements you may have, or for more information contact Laura Gough on either 0121 322 4540 or 07554 011 768.

Download the Groundwork Community Task Force Leaflet

Nominations are sought for a Solihull NHS Care Trust volunteer of the year. The award recognises the value of a significant contribution to the community and nominees do not have to be health or social care professionals. Download the Volunteer Nomination Application Form. The deadline is Friday 30th July.

Download the June edition of the Children and Young People’s Trust Newsletter which includes news of the Forest School programme which helps to improve children’s confidence, the new developments with 14 to 19 year olds and the latest on vetting and barring. Also check out the latest training.

Detail on local government cuts revealed (10/06)

Jill Theobald, NewStart

Funding for programmes including the Working Neighbourhood Fund, Local Enterprise Growth Initiative and Prevent will be cut as part of local government’s £1.166bn contribution towards the overall £6.2bn deficit. The three programmes will face grant cuts totalling nearly £75m between them, the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) has revealed. Other programmes to feel the pinch include Housing Market Renewal (£50m), Connecting Communities (£19.1m) and Kickstart (£5m). The Gypsy and Traveller site grant will also drop by £30m.

http://bit.ly/csJNhE

Radical solutions needed to create Big Society, says Maude (09/06)

Celina Ribeiro, Civil Society magazine

The coalition government will strive to find ways to properly resource civil society to enable it to be in the vanguard of the Big Society, Francis Maude told an audience of sector representatives today.
…. “We want to change how public services work and not just to save money,” he said. “We will give more power to charities and social enterprise and the individuals they serve.”
http://bit.ly/c8EmxY

Hurd confirms the end of Futurebuilders (09/06)

Vibeka Mair, Civil Society magazine

Nick Hurd, minister for civil society, has confirmed that future revenue from the £200m Futurebuilders programme will be used to provide grants to stimulate the creation and development of neighbourhood groups, the stated goal of the government’s Big Society concept.
….He also said his biggest priorities were to make it easier to run a charity or social enterprise, to encourage more resources for the sector and strengthen its independence through the expansion of the social investment market, and to make life easier for charities that do business with government.
http://bit.ly/cEMEcD

A steering group has been set up to co-ordinate Black History Month 2010, comprising of representatives from the Solihull Local Strategic Partnership.

If you have an idea for an event we would like to hear from you, whether you are a resident, library, school, youth centre, local business, charity or community group. We can offer support, help and information to assist you in organising and promoting your event.

A programme of the events to celebrate the month will be captured and published in a brochure, distributed widely across Solihull.

Download:

• More information and event proposal form

The Vetting and Barring scheme, under which staff and volunteers working with children and vulnerable adults would have to register to be checked by the Independent Safeguarding Authority, has been halted, the Home Office has announced.

The scheme, which was due to come into force on 26th July 2010, will be remodelled.

The government is now contacting 66,000 organisations, including charities, voluntary groups and education authorities, to tell them that the planned registration is being cancelled.

Eligibility for CRB checks is unaffected for the moment, and the planned introduction of new CRB application forms is still scheduled for 26th July.

For a summary of the latest situation and information on checks that are still in place, see Sandy Adirondack’s legal update for the voluntary sector.