Information Bulletin - May 2013

Draft Single Outcome Agreement for Glasgow Published

Glasgow Community Planning Partnership produced a draft Single Outcome Agreement, which was submitted to the Strategic Board on 9th April 2013.   The three priorities outlined in the new draft Agreement are:

• Alcohol
• Youth Employability
• Vulnerable people

The Agreement pledges that the Partnership will work to tackle inequality and to tackle issues facing the city, using an early interventionist and preventative approach.  More...

Professional Development Framework for Scotland's adult literacies workforce available online

Education Scotland has published the framework which is part of the implementation of the Scottish Government's ten-year strategy for raising the literacies levels of Scotland's adults. The framework is available on the Education Scotland website.

Research and Practice in Adult Literacies (RaPAL)

RaPAL are asking for short written pieces (story, poem, report... they don't mind!) on experiences of successful teaching and learning to launch their new website http://www.rapal.org.uk/ on 18th May 2013 to coincide with Adult Learners Week in the UK. The most rewarding pieces will be published in the RaPAL journal and the top three will be invited to present at one of RaPAL's annual conferences. Please write around the following themes; - what you chose to learn and why/what made it work for you/ how developing your communication skills (literacies) contributed to this/ what next for you? No more than 1,000 words please! Deadline is 31st May 2013 to journal@rapal.org.uk.

More experienced writers may choose to consider writing for Sections 2 or 3 of the journal http://rapal.org.uk/journal/write-for-us/ and present at conferences http://www.rapal.org.uk/conferences/. If you have any queries, please contact the Regional Advocate for your area at http://www.rapal.org.uk/people/regionaladvocates. Feedback welcome to webweaver@rapal.org.uk. 

Free Numeracy Group - learners wanted!

Learners are invited to come along once a week to a friendly and relaxed class which will be based entirely on their maths needs and the ways in which numbers affect their lives. Please note that this session is funded by the WEA and is running in conjunction with a more general drop-in session by JBG. Sessions will run;

6pm - 8pm every Thursday @ Pollok Civic Realm, 27 Cowglen Road

Call or text Tony Burr on 07917026024 or e-mail glasgownumeracy@gmail.com for more information.

Call for Glasgow youth groups to contribute to visual arts project

Community theatre organisation, Sunlight Productions, is inviting youth groups in Glasgow to be part of their Stand up To Sectarianism visual arts project. This project is funded by Youth Scotland and is at no extra cost to youth groups involved. Aim: To encourage young people to think about their national identity in relation to the independence referendum. End Result: A visual art piece; Youth Citizen Tartan, created by the young people. The intention is to hang the end piece in an art space in Glasgow for a small duration. Please contact Heather Ralph at Sunlight Productions for more information or to get involved - h.ralph@sunlight-tae.co.uk

Scottish Survey of Literary and Numeracy 2012 - literacy results published

The first ever literacy results from the Scottish Survey of Literacy and Numeracy were published on Wednesday 24 April. The survey assessed pupils in primary four, primary seven and second year of high school in reading, writing and listening and talking. The results have been published on the Scottish Government website.

Launch of Scotland's first easy read newspaper
http://www.update.org.uk/news-detail.php?page=662

Glasgow Advice Agency - Legal Test Case Unit:

Glasgow Advice Agency announces the formation of their "Test Case Unit". In light of the many new and forthcoming welfare reform changes, GAA feels that it is necessary to establish a unit which will be in a position to challenge decisions which could be overturned in the courts. See
http://blacktrianglecampaign.org/2013/04/18/glasgow-advice-agency-legal-test-case-unit-needs-you/ for further details.

Albany Venue Hire Discounts

Half Price Happy Mondays - Arrange your event/ training to take place on a Monday and receive half price venue hire throughout the Happy Monday's promotion period. This offer does not apply to block bookings and cannot be used in conjunction with any other offer. Quote ref: ACMonday01 and 10% Online Booking Discount
Make your initial booking enquiry through the GCVS website and receive a 10% discount on the cost of venue hire. This offer cannot be used in conjunction with any other offer. Quote ref: ACOnline0. To discuss prices contact Melissa Duffy - Albany Development Officer on 0141 332 2444 or at melissa.duffy@gcvs.org.uk.

Consultations

Reshaping Care for Older People - Joint Commissioning Strategy Consultation

NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, Glasgow City Council, Scottish Care and Glasgow Council for the Voluntary Sector have launched a consultation (which closes on 28/6) to find out the views of older people, their carers and other stakeholders, about plans to improve services for older people in Glasgow. Links to the survey, supporting documents and video can be found on the GCVS website.  

Training

 UK Safer Internet Centre - e-safety live briefings

After holding a major e-safety live event in Edinburgh last year, the UK Safer Internet Centre is coming back to Scotland to deliver free e-safety briefings in May. The sessions are two hours long and cover topics such as new online technologies and risks, updates on available tools and resources, and the latest research and developments. For more information and to register, please visit the e-safety website.

Funding

Big Lottery trusts £50m will change lives

A massive investment into a new trust by the Big Lottery Fund in Scotland this week is set to transform two priority areas of social care in Scotland.

The £50m investment Life Changes Trust is to be allocated to two groups: young people leaving care and people with dementia and their carers.

Scottish Government funding for advice services - Update

Update regarding the Scottish Government's recent announcements in relation to additional funding for advice services. Today, SLAB have announced a funding programme for advice services, incorporating £5.1m funding from the Scottish Government and £2.35m from MAS. The fund will have 3 ring-fenced streams:
- around £4m will be allocated to projects that provide advice and representation to help people facing financial difficulties, and a range of other problems flowing from welfare reforms.
- £2.5m will be allocated to projects led by social landlords that provide advice, information and representation to tenants dealing with the impact of welfare reform.
- around £1m will be allocated to projects designed to find new ways of helping groups of over-indebted people who face particular barriers in accessing appropriate help to deal with their debts
You can access further information by visiting SLAB's website at:
http://www.slab.org.uk/news/articles/MAW_launch; and http://www.slab.org.uk/providers/advice/grant-funding/MakingAdviceWork/index.html

Third sector youth funding gets £10m top up

YOUTH organisations in Scotland are receiving an extra £10m after a major funding stream to support third sector youth organisations was inundated with applications. Over 400 youth organisations applied for core funding from the £20m Third Sector Early Intervention Fund (TSEIF) requesting around £73.5m in funding. The Big Lottery Fund, which is administering the TSEIF on behalf of the government, has today announced funding for 96 organisations. The Scottish Government, however, has also announced an additional £10m to fund strategic funding partnerships for children and youth organisations.

The Scottish Ethnic Communities £100k Fund

Funding that will see £100k investment in grassroots projects for Scotland's minority ethnic communities were announced on 29 March 2013 by the Scottish charity roshni. From now until July 31, the charity is giving people the chance to apply for up to £10,000 to fund projects that will benefit their local minority ethnic communities, through its Scottish Ethnic Communities £100k fund (SEC). For further details contact: Anela Anwar, phone: 0141 202 0608

• View resource

The Triangle Trust 1949 Fund

These Development Grants provide funds towards your organisation's core costs to support the development of a solid foundation for the long-term. Triangle Trust would like to see applicants use these grants to develop sustainable income sources, so that when their grant comes to end your organisation's income will not be reduced. The primary purpose of applicants' constitution must be to support unpaid carers or the rehabilitation of offenders or ex-offenders.

The next closing dates are:

14 May 2013 for organisations working with carers and 7 November 2013 for organisations working with the rehabilitation of offenders and ex-offenders. See http://www.triangletrust.org.uk/   for further details.

Criminal Justice Programme - Action Grants

The European Commission has issued a new call for proposal under its Criminal Justice - Action grants - programme.   This call for proposals is based on the Criminal Justice annual work programme for 2013. It aims to select transnational and national projects that fall under the objectives of the Criminal justice Programme and address the priorities of this call.  These include Supporting victims of crime; Procedural rights for suspected and accused persons; European Judicial training of European legal practitioners: Networking and exchanging best practice among practitioners; Improving conditions relating to detention; and eJustice.  The total indicative budget available is €15,210,000 and the minimum grant that needs to be applied for should not be less than €75,000.  The closing date for applications is the 30th May 2013 See http://ec.europa.eu/justice/newsroom/grants/just_2013_jpen_ag_en.htm

The Wyseliot Charitable Trust

Funding is available to charitable organisations in the UK for general charitable purposes. No minimum or maximum levels of funding are specified. Applications may be submitted at any time. Funding is available for general charitable purposes, including, the advancement of education. Applications should be made in writing. Contact the Wyseliot Charitable Trust for further information: Jonathan Rose, The Wyseliot Charitable Trust, 17 Chelsea Square, London SW3 6LF

Help the Homeless

Help the Homeless, a national Charity which aims to help homeless people throughout the UK to resume a normal life, is currently accepting applications from small and medium sized charities and voluntary organisations. Grants of up to £5,000 are available towards capital costs to support projects that assist disadvantaged individuals in their return to mainstream society, through residential or training facilities. Grants to larger charities may be considered if the project is suitable innovative and only possible for a larger organisation to develop it.

Deadline: 30th June 2013 http://www.help-the-homeless.org.uk/applying-for-funding/

European Integration Fund

The UK Border Agency has announced that it is now accepting applications for funding under the European Integration Fund (EIF). A total of £31 million is available to support innovative projects that support the integration of third-country nationals of different social, cultural, religious, linguistic and ethnic backgrounds within the UK. The EIF is aimed at projects assisting third-country nationals who have a potential route to legal settlement in the UK, to fulfil conditions of residence and integrate into British society. The minimum EIF grant that can be applied for is £200,000 per project; there is no maximum amount that must be applied for. Projects can last a maximum of twenty-four months depending on the start date.

Deadline: 10th June 2013 http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/sitecontent/newsfragments/76-eif

Skipton Building Society Launches New Community Giving Programme

To celebrate its 160's Birthday, the Skipton Building Society has launched a new community funding programme, Grassroots Giving. As part of Grassroots Giving, the Skipton Building Society has 160 donations of £500 to allocate to community groups across the country. The idea behind our Grassroots Giving campaign is to help community organisations, or groups, who only have access to limited funding from elsewhere. For this reason, registered charities will not be able to request funding via Grassroots Giving.

Deadline: 31st July 2013 http://skiptonbig160.co.uk/

The Pilgrim Trust

40% of funds from The Pilgrim Trust are allocated to Social Welfare in the areas of:

• Supporting people who misuse drugs and alcohol
• Prisons and alternatives to custody.

The Trustees are primarily interested in projects where their funds will make a significant impact and favour projects where they believe it is difficult to raise funds from other sources. Applications may be submitted at any time http://www.thepilgrimtrust.org.uk/apply

UK Crowdfunding Association - for consideration

Crowdfunding is a way of raising finance by asking a large number of people each for a small amount of money.  Until recently, financing a business, project or venture involved asking a few people for large sums of money. Crowdfunding switches this idea around, using the internet to talk to thousands - if not millions - of potential funders.

According to Nesta, crowdfunding raised $1.5 billion for businesses in 2011, and 2012 saw the first project raise well over $1 million. It has been described as ‘democratic finance', allowing businesses and projects of all forms and sizes access to money while bypassing traditional banking institutions.  More...

Events

Free Welfare Reform Workshops

Dates: Wednesday 22nd May, 6pm - 8pm or Thursday 20th June, 6pm - 8pm

Venue: The Albany Learning & Conference Centre Glasgow

 An overview of the Welfare Reform changes which are currently taking place, for members of the local community. The workshop covers: benefit cap; housing benefit and the bedroom tax; Discretionary Social fund replacement; council tax benefit; universal credit and Personal Independence Payments and the impact that this will have on those affected.  Delivered by Maryhill Citizens Advice Bureau. Book in advance to guarantee a place. Simply phone or email The Albany on: Tel: 0141 354 6521 Email: outreach@gcvs.org.uk
http://www.gcvs.org.uk/whats_on/2252_welfare_reform_workshops

Festival of Dangerous Ideas

Dates: 13th - 21st June

Venues: Across Scotland

It's back, bigger and bolder than last year - the Festival of Dangerous Ideas from the College Development Network. For more information, please click here.

Mark your Diary for SLF 2013 Dates: 25 & 26 September 2013 Venue: SECC Glasgow

The theme for SLF 2013 is Raising the bar in Scotland - transforming lives through learning. For more information about the theme and SLF 2013 visit the SLF website.

Migrant Children in Scotland Conference

Register here - University of Strathclyde

Date: 7 June 2013 from 10:00 to 16:30 (BST)

Venue: Glasgow, United KingdomBottom of Form