Dear Colleague,

It was with sadness that LVSC said a fond farewell this month to one of our longest serving team members. Tim Brogden, London for All Policy Project Manager, left LVSC at the end of July and I know you will join me in wishing him all the very best in his future endeavours. We are currently recruiting to this post and we hope that we will be successful in filling this vacancy in early Autumn.

Joining us also this month is Sara Hyde who will take on the role of managing the Safer Future Communities Network. We are very excited to have Sara join the team and we will share with you her contact details and bio in due course……

Our Annual Conference takes place this year on September 29th and I'm delighted to say that we are co hosting the event with Greater London Volunteering. Further details to follow, but please do save the date.

As ever we are so grateful to our volunteers who give their time selflessly to help LVSC support and champion the sector. Tom Owen who has been volunteering with LVSC this year is about to embark one of his greatest challenges……Tom has entered the Diamond Triathlon in September and is raising funds for LVSC. See below for details on how to view Tom's page and donate. Many thanks in advance for your support and we wish Tom every success with his challenge. Go Tom!

Wishing you all a wonderful summer

Warm regards,

Eithne

Eithne Rynne
CEO

Policy Viewpoint - August

Lisa Greensill LVSC Head of Policy and Sector Support's shares her pick of VCS news this month.

The July Budget brought little cheer to the charitable sector. As David Warner of London Funders spelt out in his blog, 'London's government is going to be looking for communities to do for themselves, rather than having things done for them. Civil society has a major role to play in supporting communities to build their resilience and to work with local government to help manage the transition to the new social settlement.'
As a sector we need to be thinking about what that means for us and for those organisations, like LVSC, whose job it is to support what is increasingly being called 'civil society' which includes the voluntary, community and social enterprise sectors.

However, a new report looking into the funding of the voluntary sector, A Financial Sustainability Review, highlights the financial difficulties charities are facing. The report has been produced following a review of the sector's finances led by NCVO and CFG and the headline finding is that the sector will need to find savings of £4.6bn by 2018/19 just to maintain the same spending power it had during 2012/13.  Small and medium-sized organisations have been hardest hit, with charities with incomes between £100,000 and £1m seeing the biggest falls in their income and assets. Government grants are at an all time low and shrinking income alongside a growth in demand for services has led many organisations to prioritise service delivery above capacity building, whilst other are experiencing such as loss of staff  because of funding cutbacks they no longer have the capacity to access even familiar sources of funding.  

Meanwhile a new report from Voice 4 Change looks at the challenges which BAME organisations have faced in securing funding and gives recommendations as to possible solutions. The report 'Bridging the Gap in Funding in the BAME Voluntary and Community Sector', funded by Barings, demonstrates that BAME organisations are being hit harder than 'mainstream' charities. It also calls for the formation of an umbrella body for the sector which would facilitate dialogue between the sector and funders.

However, there is a tiny glimpse of cheer, from a group of funders who throughout the years have funded according to their own view of the world, informed by research and evaluation rather than driven by markets. The Directory of Social Change have published a report which shows that the value of grants being made by trusts and foundations has returned to pre-recession levels at £2.7bn in 2011/12.  The report, 'Sector Insight' is based on data from the grant makers featured in the current edition of Directory of Grant Making Trusts, although in real terms it is still slightly short of pre-recession levels. Unsurprisingly the largest share of £108m came to London where the levels of deprivation and scale of population are reflected in the number of voluntary and community sector organisations that work here.

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The Living Wage Champion Awards open. Celebrate the difference you have made. Enter now	Join London Voluntary Service Council today - read more about LVSC's free membership offer	PEACe Services. Does your organisation's Staff Handbook need updating? Find out more about this PEACe service.

LVSC News and Updates

VSC Assist - Employment and Skills News

LVSC is continuing with its skills training sessions for organisations preparing to bid for ESF: these will be listed on the LVSC events page as dates are confirmed. If you are looking for partners, good starting points include LVSC's Expression of Interest table and Access Europe Network's database of partners . Registration is also open for "Networking for Building Better Opportunities" event on 7 September, aimed at organisations interested in Big Lottery tranche two projects.

Lastly, along with our partners BTEG, we are offering bespoke support to organisations who are forming partnerships in order to apply for ESF. You and your partners will spend a half day session with an experienced facilitator to allow you to ensure that your partnership is ready to bid for ESF. More information and an application form are available on our VCS Assist website.

Work and Pensions Select Committee inquiries - a chance for the VCS to have its say

The Work and Pensions Select Committee is currently accepting written evidence on two separate inquiries. Both are important opportunities for VCS organisations involved in employment and skills to have their say.

The first inquiry relates to welfare to work This inquiry comes ahead of the procurement of the successor schemes to the Work Programme and Work Choice. LVSC will be submitting a response for more information or to contribute, please contact our Policy Manager for Employment and Skills, Nehal Depani [ ]. The deadline for written submissions is 28 August 2015.

The second inquiry relates to benefit delivery, and in particular, the timeliness and accuracy of benefit delivery by DWP and the problems that can arise when benefits are delayed or underpaid. LVSC is not submitting its own response, but we are happy to contribute to those submitted by other VCS organisations. The deadline for written submissions is 4 September 2015.

Health News

The Who is Who guide for London has been updated

The regional VCS network organisations have each developed a regional "Who's Who" guide to support voluntary and community sector organisations make contact with people in the new health and care structures in each region, including clinical commissioning groups, health and wellbeing boards, local Healthwatch organisations, commissioning support units and the CQC - in each local authority. The guides have now been refreshed. The London Guide can be found on LVSC's website.

The update now also includes information about the Transformation Team in London, the London Health & Care Collaborative as well as the two London vanguards. Even though every attempt is made to update all contacts, you could really help us by checking the details in your area and let me know if there are or have been any recent changes. You can contact me via email:

2016 GSK IMPACT Awards - core funding and free training for health charities

GSK's IMPACT Awards reward charities that are doing excellent work to improve people's health. Organisations must be at least three years old, working in a health-related field in the UK, with income between £25,000 and £2 million. Up to 20 awards will be made ranging from £3,000 to £40,000 plus free training valued at up to £6,000. Organisations will also have a film made, receive help with press and publicity and be given a set of promotional materials. Closing date: 25 September 2015

To apply or to view previous winners' films go to: www.kingsfund.org.uk/gskimpactawards

What Works Centre for Wellbeing - New Economics Foundation (NEF)

The New Economics Foundation (NEF) are pleased to announce that they are part of the newly established What Works Centre for Wellbeing.

What Works is a UK government-funded initiative to enable a range of stakeholders to access independent, high quality, accessible evidence syntheses across a broad range of social policy areas - from crime reduction  to health and social care and now extended to wellbeing.

In 2011, the Office for National Statistics began measuring wellbeing across the UK, and there is a growing movement to consider wellbeing as a key outcome of policy and service delivery. The question now is how to use the data, and other evidence on wellbeing, to create better policies and practices. The new What Works Centre for Wellbeing aims to answer this question, bringing together robust evidence of what works and undertaking a knowledge mobilisation function to get that evidence to those areas and organisations that can use it to best effect.

Specifically, NEF are part of a consortium that is focusing on Community Wellbeing. Over the next three years, the consortium will be bringing together evidence on what community-level factors determine wellbeing. The aim is to identify steps that government, both central and local, as well as community organisations can take to improve wellbeing.

Over the next few months, the consortium will be organising events and engaging with stakeholders in order to frame the scope of their research. They would like to include you in a contacts database for the What Works Centre for Wellbeing to keep in touch and invite you to relevant events. If you'd like to be on this list, please email

PEACe - what the sector values about the service

In order for us to develop a greater understanding of PEACe's existing audience and position in the market as an HR and employment social enterprise in the VCSE, we recently invited members to give their views on the service. Our aim was to improve customer satisfaction, discover what makes us different and ensure we are offering and marketing services which better meet sector needs.

The survey highlighted that participants value particularly highly our knowledge of the sector in relation to its culture and 'voluntary sector focussed advice'. They also value a friendly, approachable service with a named person.

Many expressed major HR concerns for the coming year about keeping policies and procedures up-to-date. Why not have a look at PEACe's Document Bank and the new HR Managers ToolKit we have developed.

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Tom Owen - LVSC volunteer participating  in the DiAmond Triathlon  and raising money for LVSC. Thanks Tom - please support him.	Save the Date LVSC and GLV Annual Conference on 29th September - more details to follow.	Barrow Cadbury Trust - recruiting a Programme Officer and an Operations and Communications Administrator.

LVSC United Way

COSTCO campaign

We are delighted to announce that LVSC's support to COSTCO in the launch of its payroll giving campaign raised a massive 96K  from employees to support local groups across 28 warehouse outlets.  We are in the process of overseeing the distribution of this money to the groups.

Furthermore our CEO Eithne Rynne attended 3 events in London in the middle of June as part of Costco's National Giving Week  to raise awareness of how United Way works in the UK and to encourage donations to United Way and other National Charities.

For those of you still wondering what United Way is/does - it is the World's largest privately funded not for profit that raises $5 billion every year to create community solutions that improve life for everyone. Nearly 2.6 million people volunteer worldwide and 9.6 million donate  around the world to people who live locally to them to help them improve their income, education and health so that they and their families can live better, more fulfilled lives.

Other LVSC News Roundup

LVSC & GLV Annual  Conference - save the date 29th September 2015

Just a reminder to save the date for the LVSC/GLV FREE Conference on 29th September - central London location - lunch provided. This half day conference will explore what VCSE organisations need to support Londoners in the challenges that are coming our way.

LVSC - retains silver status from UKIED

LVSC is delighted to announce having been through the reaccreditation process for the United Kingdom Investor in Equality and Diversity (UKIED) Charter Mark, we retained our silver status. As a development tool, we use the framework to look at how we integrate equality, diversity and safeguarding into our work practices.

The UKIED charter mark will help your organisation to:
•    Effectively navigate your way through the new equality and diversity (E&D) legislative landscape
•    Promote and celebrate your E&D commitment to all your key stakeholders
•    Obtain national recognition for your commitment to E&D
•    Reduce risk and exposure to discrimination claims
For more information visit www.ukied.co.uk

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London For All

London for All is a London Councils' funded project designed to build  the capacity of London's voluntary and community sector. As a partnership project, led by LVSC, it offers: insight and learning from a collective 200 years' experience: and the practical applications of that knowledge.  London for All can strengthen your organisation's knowledge and skills, work more effectively and efficiently, deliver more accessible services to support service users better.

London Boroughs Grants Scheme - consultation on its future

London Councils have launched a review of The London Borough Grants Scheme, the programme through which it commissions our London for All capacity building project and 34 other pan-London initiatives and for the first time asks whether or not the scheme should continue.

The consultation is primarily online, but written submissions following focus groups or other consultation methods will be accepted. LVSC will be submitting its own response but we encourage everyone to submit their own - we cannot emphasise how important it is that as many organisations as possible respond to the consultation. The deadline for responses is Friday 2 October 2015.

For further information, read the following papers presented to the last Grants Committee on July 15th.

• Item 12 - Grants Programme Performance Report
• Item 13 - Proposal for Review of the Grants Programme

Other news  - at the Grants Committee's AGM, Cllr Paul McGlone from Lambeth was re-elected Chair.

Capacity Building Services - where are the gaps in your area?

Access - The Foundation for Social Investment has launched a consultation on its £60m capacity-building programme, funded from paid back grants from Futurebuilders, which is designed to give grants to voluntary, community and social enterprise organisations who want to access social investment funding.

The consultation invites organisations to submit their views in areas including where there are gaps in capacity-building provision along with examples of good and bad practice, and is intended to be part of an ongoing 'conversation'.  Follow this link to give your views.

The programme is one of two strands of the work of Access - the other is its Growth Fund, which will combine grants with loans for social lenders to offer investments of up to £150,000 to charities and social enterprises.

London for All opportunities

• Latest  Events  - see LVSC news events section and also via the London For All website
• Latest news
• Latest resources

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LVSC - reaccredited by UKIED and retains  silver status	For information and advice about Charity Insurance contact Keegan & Pennykid	VCS Assist free support for London's VCS employment & skills providers.

LVSC Events & Training

VCS Assist:Writing that winning tender

Date: 13th August 2015, 10.00am - 16.30pm
Venue: Scope 6 Market Road N7 9PW
With the move away from traditional grant funding, many organisations find themselves having to compete for funding through the commissioning process . BTEG will deliver this course using a mixture of trainer input, discussion, exercises, small group work.

VCS Assist:Writing that winning tender

Date: 25th August 2015, 10.00am - 16.30pm
Venue: Scope 6 Market Road N7 9PW
With the move away from traditional grant funding, many organisations find themselves having to compete for funding through the commissioning process

Networking for Building Better Opportunities

Date: 7th September 2015, 9.30 - 12.30pm
Venue: 356 Holloway Road, London N7 6PN
Building Better Opportunities is the Big Lottery Fund's ESF programme. As applicants will need to cover specified geographic areas (pan London or sub regional depending on the project) and deliver a range of interventions, many organisations will need to enter into partnerships to successfully access this funding.

Trans Awareness Training

Date: 7th October, 10.00am -13.00pm
Venue: Roots and Shoots Walnut Tree Walk Kennington London, SE11 6DN
This workshop will be an interactive session that aims to increase your understanding of identities and language used in Trans communities, to increase your confidence when supporting Trans people and create awareness of Trans people's experiences.

Building Relationships with Business Training Day

Date: 14th October, 10.00am - 16.30pm
Venue: Voluntary Action Islington 200a Pentonville Road London, N1 9JP
Our course aims to help you understand the new context in which businesses operate, where increased levels of scrutiny and desire to become engaged with the communities in which they operate mean that the days of businesses simply handing over cheques to charities are over, with businesses now seeking relationships of greater depth with direct involvement.

Gender Recognition Act Training

Date: 4th November, 10.00am -13.00pm
Venue: Fitzrovia Community Centre 6 Foley Street London, W1W 6DL
Whatever your type of service or beneficiary group you will at some point find that trans people are included amongst those who need your service or support. As well as a broader awareness of trans issues, it is important to  be aware of the relevant equalities legislation.

Building Relationships with Business Masterclass

Date: 2nd December, 10.00am - 16.30pm
Venue: Voluntary Action Islington 200a Pentonville Road London, N1 9JP
Do you want to build meaningful partnerships with the private sector? This is an exclusive opportunity to improve your confidence in developing strategic partnerships with businesses. During the session, you will develop and road test your partnership proposition with the support of experts and business representatives.

LVSC Happy Training

Effective Minute Taking - 26th August (from £95)

Facilitating Groups Effectively - 27 & 28  August (from £190)

How to Book: To book any of these courses, please click on the name of the course and this will direct you to the booking page. Or you can call us on 020 7375 7300 and we will be able to book you over the phone.

Notices & Events

Space for hire in Vauxhall, London 3 minutes' walk from tube/rail station

Office space available from April 2016 - 518 foot² (54 metre ²) £19,464 per annum plus VAT (excluding business rates) for 3 year lease
Meeting space - capacity 44 people - from £250 plus VAT per day
For further information or to make a booking, visit www.crimeandjustice.org.uk/meeting-place or phone 020 7840 6110 or email i

Barrow Cadbury Trust - Job Vacancies

The Barrow Cadbury Trust is an independent charitable foundation seeking a better and fairer world.  Largely working in partnerships with others, we use all our resources - our grants, our people and our name - to bring about structural change for a more just and equal society.

Programme Officer  - £27,967-£32,269 pa
We have an exciting vacancy for a Programme Officer who will not only ensure our grant making systems run smoothly and the Head of Programmes is well supported, but will also play a key role in helping to maximise the impact of our work: disseminating our learning, convening meetings and supporting wider communications.  This post will suit an activist with a passion for social justice, experience of setting up and running office systems and excellent organisational skills including database management. To apply visit www.barrowcadbury.org.uk for the application pack. Closing date for applications: 5pm 23 August 2015.

Operations and Communications Administrator - £25,890 - £31,067 pa
We have an exciting vacancy for an organised and enthusiastic Operations and Communications Administrator.  Playing a vital role in ensuring our office runs smoothly, you will manage our facilities day to day: liaising with our suppliers, troubleshooting problems and managing our space.  You will also play an important role externally as you will support our Communications Manager with the Trust's web presence, social media and events management.  To apply visit www.barrowcadbury.org.uk for the application pack. Closing date for applications: 5pm 6 September 2015.

Before you apply please have a look at our website and view our short animation about our values and the way we work (www.barrowcadbury.org.uk).

Living Wage Champion Awards 2015

The Living Wage Champion Awards celebrate individuals and organisations that have made a real difference to their industry or their community by supporting the Living Wage.

The Awards are open to accredited Living Wage Employers, Recognised Service Providers and individuals who have made an outstanding contribution to the campaign.

The closing deadline for applications is 21st September 2015. Shortlisted organisations will be informed during October and winners will be announced during Living Wage Week.

Further guidance and a link to the award application forms

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