The essential quarterly newsletter for voluntary and community groups in

Devon promoting and providing technical and practical support

Issue 15, November 2017

Regular Features: DeVA Update, Voluntary Sector News, Funding Extra,

Voluntary Voice Update, Organisational Matters and Volunteering Extra

DeVA Partners are

Thank you to all Devon’s Volunteers and Trustees

putting the voluntary sector at the heart of local communities

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2 Latest Learning Opportunities from DeVA Partners

For full details of all the listings below visit www.devonva.org/whats_on

Supervision and Appraisal (Barnstaple)

21 November 2017 10am to 1pm, £30 per person

Delivered by DeVA Partner, North Devon Voluntary Services (NDVS), this workshop is

about communicating effectively and managing performance, so it is appropriate for

anyone in a line manager role, including those managing volunteers.

Volunteers Managers Forum (South Hams) 22nd November 2017. The forum is free to attend but booking is essential.

Delivered by DeVA Partner, South Hams CVS, this forum is an opportunity for

Volunteer Managers in South Hams to network. The forum will focus on recruitment of

volunteers. The New Year often sees people thinking about what they can do to help

their local communities and often they look at volunteering opportunities, so the

beginning of the year you can see an influx in interest to volunteering.

Volunteers Managers Forum (Ottery St Mary) 30th November 2017 11am to 1pm . This forum is free to attend but booking is essential.

Delivered by DeVA Partner, Action East Devon, this forum is an opportunity for

Volunteer Managers in East Devon to network. The forum will focus on Safeguarding.

Steven Dixon, Workforce Development Advisor – Responsible for all Adult Safeguarding

Training will deliver a workshop on Safeguarding Adult Awareness. Covering changes

from the Care Act 2014 including terms, definitions, types of abuse and reporting.

United Against Dementia Workshop (Newton Abbot) 4th December 2017 12.30pm to 4.30pm including a light networking lunch

The workshop is free to attend but booking is essential This is a Torbay and South Devon Locality Workshop being delivered by DeVA Partner, Teignbridge CVS and Alzheimer's Society. It will explore options for improving support to those with dementia, their carers and their families.

Volunteer Organisers Forum (Teignmouth) 5th December 2017, 2pm to 4.30pm. This forum is free to attend but booking is

essential.

Delivered by DeVA Partner, Teignbridge CVS, this forum is for all (paid and unpaid)

volunteer coordinators and managers in Teignbridge to network. The forum will focus

on recruitment. This is an excellent opportunity to network, to look at good practice,

and to troubleshoot.

Introduction to being a Trustee (Totnes) 15 January 2018 1pm to 4pm £15 for Voluntary Groups in South Hams, £25 for other voluntary groups

Delivered by DeVA Partner, South Hams CVS, this workshop is for anyone new to

becoming a Trustee of a charity or considering the role.

We're building vibrant, healthy communities.

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Don’t forget you can find us on Twitter and Facebook to keep up to date with all the latest news.

Follow us on Twitter @Devon_VA Like us on Facebook Devon Voluntary Action

DeVA supporting CAN—Connecting Actively to Nature

Connecting Actively to Nature is an exciting new

initiative from Devon’s Local Nature Partnership.

The five year programme is being developed to

support older people in Devon and Torbay to

connect actively to nature thanks to £500,00 of

National Lottery funding from Sport England.

Devon Voluntary Action is delighted to be a

partner in this exciting new project.

This vital project aims to be both innovative and

forward-looking. It is estimated that 122,000

people aged 55 and over in Devon and Torbay

engage in less than 30 minutes of physical

activity each week.

“The ‘Connecting Actively to Nature (CAN)’

programme in Devon will help over 3,000 inactive

people to discover the combined benefits of a

more active lifestyle with the psychological

benefits that being outdoors in nature brings”

Hannah Colston Senior Development Manager at

Active Devon is managing the CAN programme

on behalf of the Devon Local Nature Partnership

The first steps include research via a short survey

to help identify priorities.

For more information on the programme visit

https://www.activedevon.org/can

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S 4 The Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service

“These highly sought after Awards speak volumes for the strength and value of the voluntary sector in Devon as well as giving national recognition to the marvellous achievements of this year’s Award winners. I very much hope that these Awards will act as an inspiration to all voluntary groups and volunteers in the county and encourage yet more nominations to made.”

David Fursdon, Her Majesty’s Lord-Lieutenant for Devon.

The QAVS was announced in 2002 as part of the celebrations for The Queen's Golden Jubilee. It is made annually to recognise publicly and reward outstanding achievement by groups of volunteers working within local communities. Many different types of voluntary organisations have won the award. This year in Devon we have FIVE winners from across the county.

Groups can be nominated at any time by, for example, beneficiaries of their work, members of the public, representatives of public bodies, or other voluntary groups. Nominations are assessed by a regional committee before being passed to a national committee for final selection and recommendation to The Queen. Winners are announced in June each year.

Winning groups receive a certificate signed by The Queen and an award of engraved crystal for display at the group's main place of operation. The Awards are presented on behalf of The Queen by the Lord-Lieutenant.

So, if you know one or even more voluntary groups who you think deserve recognition, please consider making or encouraging a nomination.

Further information can be obtained from the Cabinet Office website www.qavs.direct.gov.uk to make an on-line nomination or by calling 020 7271 6206 or, for local help and guidance, please call the Devon Lieutenancy Office on 01392 383042.

Devon County Show Stewards

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5 Charity Commission appoints new Chief Executive

Helen Stephenson CBE has been appointed as the next Chief Executive of the Charity Commission and

took up the post on 18 July 2017. She brings a wealth of experience of senior leadership to the role

having previously served as Director and Deputy Director of the Office for Civil Society, and has filled

senior roles at the Big Lottery Fund and the Shaftesbury Society.

She has also been chair and trustee of the National Childbirth Trust, and was part of the Advisory

Council of the National Council for Voluntary Organisations.

She left her position as Director of Early Years and Childcare at the Department for Education , a role

she held since 2017.

New Minster for Civil Society Appointed

Following the snap general election held in June 2017, a new minister for civil

society had to be appointed after Rob Wilson failed to be re-elected.

Tracey Crouch MP was officially confirmed by the Department for Culture,

Media and Sport as having added responsibility for civil society to her existing

role as sports minister. John Glen MP has taken over heritage and tourism

from Tracey Crouch and has become undersecretary of stat for the arts,

heritage and tourism.

The appointment was welcomed from across the sector but as there is no longer a minister solely for

civil society was also met with some expressions of concern. Crouch is however involved with a

number of charities including president of RSPCA Medway West, patron of the Medway branch of the

National Osteoporosis Society and vice president of the Kent branch of the Campaign to Protect Rural

England all of which will stand her in good stead for her expanded role.

https://www.gov.uk/government/ministers/minister-for-sport-tourism-and-heritage

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6 Join in our new volunteer recruitment campaign

We have new volunteer recruitment campaign to encourage those in employment to volunteer. This campaign is funded by Big Lottery Fund aimed at getting more people who are working and have key skills to volunteer and help support organisations to build their capacity.

The campaign will use case studies of people volunteering now to inspire others to get involved and share their skills in IT, finance, social media, management, marketing and media.

As part of the campaign we will also share our learning about running campaigns with all groups across Devon.

If you are looking for volunteers with any of these skills make sure you have registered the volunteer opportunity on Volunteer Connect Devon, our dedicated online volunteer recruitment system. This is where the campaign will be directing potential new volunteers to.

http://www.devonva.org/involving_volunteers

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We can help you connect with the

right volunteers.

Advertise your volunteer

opportunities for FREE* at

www.devonva.org/volunteer

* A registration fee will apply to private profit making organisations

Looking for volunteers?

Here are some of our top tips on

recruitment:

1. Have a recruitment policy for volunteers

This should cover the same items as for paid

staff and include equal opportunities and

expenses.

2. Role Description

Be specific. If you are looking for certain skills,

outline them. Also ensure any role-specific

requirements are stated such as a DBS check

and the timescales involved.

3. Advertise the opportunity

Advertise for volunteers including on Volunteer

Connect for free. Ensure all staff and existing

volunteers are aware of the advert and can

answer questions from prospective volunteers.

4. Be Flexible

Volunteers are not paid and you may need to

adapt a role around their circumstances.

5. Give Feedback

If a person has shown interest in your organisation

but is unsuitable for the role let them know you

appreciate their interest and explain why they

were unsuccessful at this time.

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8 Organisations wanted for Community

Payback Placements

The South West and Wales Community Rehabilitation Companies

would like you to consider how your organisation might benefit from

and help deliver a range of Community Payback activities across

Devon.

This represents a unique opportunity to work within an ever

expanding Restorative Justice agenda whilst enhancing a range of outcomes for the service user,

local communities and wider political and social agendas.

So what does this mean in practice?

Essentially, they are looking for organisations to offer Community Payback placements. Community

Payback is first and foremost a punishment, depriving offenders of free time and should be seen by

the public to be a credible punishment which provides positive reparation to the community.

Local Community Payback Managers will support your organisation to act as placement organisations

for individuals for up to 12 months and between 40 and 300 hours.

The Community Payback Managers will provide all aspects of risk mapping and support for the

individual and placement organisation to ensure a good fit and successful outcome.

This opportunity will allow you to work with disenfranchised socially excluded and historically hard

to reach service user groups to not only make positive reparation, but to link directly into

employment training and education outcomes as a priority.

It will also enable you to demonstrate your ability to work collaboratively and effectively within the

justice and health agendas whilst also promoting localism.

If you would like to find out more please contact Vikki Russell, Community Payback Coordinator on

01392 473984.

W: http://www.workinglinks.co.uk/content/view/Rehabilitation

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The Charity Governance Code is now in its 12th

year and third edition and is supported and

endorsed by the Charity Commission.

The Code is a practical tool to help charities and

their trustees develop high standards of

governance. Good governance needs to be a the

heart of a charity and is fundamental to their

success. The code should be used for continuous

improvement and be revisited by trustees to

reflect on the principles.

The seven principles of the code are universal

and apply equally to all charities regardless of

size or scope of activities. They build on the

assumption that a charity is meeting its legal and

regulatory responsibilities as a foundation.

New Charity Governance Code—Essential reading for all trustees

However there are different versions of the

recommended practice to reflect and address

some differences between larger or more

complex charities.

They suggest charities will a typical income of

over £1 million a year, and whose accounts are

externally audited, use the larger version and all

other charities use the smaller version.

Charities adopting the code are encouraged to

publish this in their annual report and on their

website.

The bottom line is good governance is no longer a

nice addition but needs to be the norm.

If you think you need support on any aspect of

your organisations governance please contact us

at support@devonva.org to see how we can

help.

W: https://www.charitygovernancecode.org/en

Voluntary Voice

Voluntary Voice aims to develop the voice of the voluntary and community

sector (VCS) in decision making on local and countywide issues through

mandated representatives from the sector influencing strategic

partnerships. There are currently seven strategic partnerships with

mandated sector representatives and a range of Voluntary Voice

Stakeholders available on an ad hoc basis to represent the sector.

For more information about which partnerships attend, who the representatives are and full reports

of the meetings, please visit www.devonva.org/voice_and_influence.

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Voluntary Voice Elections 2018

Voluntary Voice holds elections every two years for mandated representatives and stakeholder

representatives. The next election process is due to start in January 2018.

It is in the interest of both statutory and voluntary organisations that the right people are in the room and that they have a mandate to speak on the behalf of their peers. By having elected representation in the partnership smaller voices can be heard. The process of the election of VCS representatives is as follows: Launch of opportunities - information on roles available outlined Expressions of Interest submitted* Voting by VCS organisations** Results announced (a lead representative and a deputy for each strategic partnership will be

elected as well as a list of stakeholder representative under themes) Training and support offered to representatives *Candidates need to be nominated by their organisation and provide a short supporting statement **If required voting will accepted electronically and by post - (if there is only one candidate for each role then no voting will be required). Mandated representatives attend statutory partnerships and speak on behalf of the voluntary sector. Stakeholder representatives attend meetings, forums and briefings on an ad hoc basis but still speak on behalf of the voluntary sector. Look out for more information on the election including the representative opportunities available for both mandated representatives and stakeholders in January.

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E 11 Latest reports available from the mandated sector representatives:

Safer Devon Partnership - September 2017 update

The Safer Devon Partnership is currently undergoing a

restructuring process and the role of the mandated representative

through Voluntary Voice is part of that process. In February 2017,

the Safer Devon Partnership decided to reduce the size of the

Board in order for it to be more efficient and more strategic.

Greg Davis is the lead mandated representative for this partnership

has been advocating the importance of the voluntary sector in

supporting the delivery of the strategic priorities of the partnership

during the restructuring.

Along side the Safer Devon Partnership Board an Operational Delivery Group has been developed to

support the priorities. Voluntary Voice is currently engaged in this group with Greg attending the

meetings as it develops but is a rather loose arrangement that doesn’t live up to current expectations

of Voluntary Voice.

Greg spoke strongly for the need for the voluntary sector to be part of the Safer Devon Partnership

agenda and it was agreed to keep the voluntary sector informed of what issues are emerging at an

earlier stage so that they can engage in the discussions and feedback through Greg as the mandated

representative.

Local Community Safety Partnerships and voluntary sector engagement was also raised as there is

varying degrees of success around the county. DeVA will take this point forward and see how the

sector can participate at a local level better.

Local Nature Partnership October 2017 meeting

Lyn Winter attended as the lead representative and input into discussions on opportunities to offer

information on good practice and signposting on green infrastructure and natural capitol to the

Neighbourhood Planning process. Lyn also contributed on how to consult widely for priorities for he

next prospectus (2019 onwards), with increased focused on nature and people/communities.

There are two new board members on the partnership: Ian Vosper from South West Water represents

businesses in Devon and Mark Williams, CE of East Devon Council.

The partnership is inputting to the consultation on DEFRA’s 25 Year Strategy and is producing a

Natural Capital Advocacy document which aims to communicate the relevance of Natural Capital to

partners in the Heart of the South West. The meeting also agreed to plan a conference in mid March

2018.

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12 Carers Rights Day

Friday 24 November 2017

Organised by Carers UK, Carers Rights Day

aims to bring organisations across the UK

together to help carers in their local

community know their rights and find out how to get the help and support they are entitled to.

They have published a 'Looking after someone' guide which is for anyone caring for family or friends.

The guide outlines your rights as a carer and gives an overview of the practical and financial support

available. Copy is available to download from the Carers Rights Day web link below.

W: https://www.carersuk.org/news-and-campaigns/carers-rights-day

UK Charity Week 4-10 December 2017

#UKCharityWeek is designed to give the people of the United Kingdom an opportunity to place awareness and fundraising for charities high on the national agenda at a time of the year when people are statistically at their most giving. This will be only the second year of #UKCharityWeek and is organised by Charity Today. W: https://www.charitytoday.co.uk/ukcharityweek/

#Local Charities Day 15 December 2017

#LocalCharitiesDay this year will look to highlight the work of small charities that are making remarkable differences in their communities. This is promoted by Department for Media, Culture and Sport. There is a digital toolkit to download. https://dcmsblog.uk/2017/09/local-charities-day-2017/

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Good Finance is a website and collaborative project to help charities and social enterprises navigate social investment. The site addresses a commonly identified problem from organisations: that social investment is often confusing and complex to understand, with there being too little information available about how and where to access it. The website contains up-to-date content and case studies, a tool to help users assess if social investment is right for them and a directory of social investors and advisers. W: http://www.goodfinance.org.uk/understanding-social-investment

The Norman Family

Charitable Trust

The Norman Family Charitable Trust was set up in

1979 when the family sold the chain of cash and

carry stores in the South West of England. The

idea behind the Trust was to give something back

to the communities which had supported the

business, through grants to charities and not for

profit organisations. The Trust is based in Budleigh

Salterton, where the business began.

Whilst the Trust can make grants all over the South West it tends to focus on the 9 areas in which

there used to be a ‘Normans’ store, and the area local to Budleigh (East Devon and Exeter).

The Trust has recently begun a new financial year and will be making grants in the region of over

£400,000 this year. The majority of grants made are between £500 to £1,000, but have ranged from

£100 to £25,000.

The 7 Trustees have agreed on a new grant policy, details of this and of how to apply, can be found on

the Trust’s website.

W: www.nfct.org

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Fundraising Regulator Launches Fundraising Preference Service

To mark it’s first year, the Fundraising Regulator launched the Fundraising Preference Service (FPS) on

6 July 2017.

The new service will enable individuals to block direct marketing communications from named

charities and is available both online and by phone. It can also be used by individuals on behalf of a

friend or relative.

The FPS will be managed by the Fundraising Regulator who will be responsible for contacting charities

on behalf of the user and requesting that the selected methods of communication are stopped. The

FPS is a key part of the Fundraising Regulator’s remit to restore public trust and confidence in the

sector by ensuring that individuals can easily stop direct marketing communications from a charity.

Individuals have a legal right under the Data Protection Act to prevent processing for direct marketing

purposes and organisations have a legal duty to comply with such a request within a reasonable

period.

Organisations can find out more about the new FPS at:

W: https://www.fundraisingregulator.org.uk/the-fundraising-preference-service/

Individuals can request communications stop at:

W: https://www.fundraisingpreference.org.uk

The FPS also has a dedicated Freephone number to call on 0300 3033 517 .

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The Certification Programme aims to be the next

significant step in supporting high standards in

public fundraising. It will allow charities and

fundraising agencies to show clear commitment

to delivering excellent fundraising.

It will cover charities with in-house fundraising

teams and agencies who work on direct debit

door-to-door, street, private site and telephone

fundraising through three robust pillars.

The programme works alongside the stronger

regulatory environment for fundraising and

builds on existing measures in place from the

Institute of Fundraising (IoF).

The Certification Programme three pillars are:

1. A detailed member self assessment is

completed covering relevant aspects of

fundraising policies and operations.

2. Members agree to an ‘open-door’ policy on

their training where IoF staff attend

training sessions and provide feedback.

3. Members commit to participate in the IoF’s

fundraiser monitoring work.

A list of those agencies and charities that have

completed the certification process has been

published on the IoF website .

http://www.institute-of-fundraising.org.uk/

regulation-and-compliance/fundraising-

compliance/public-fundraising-certification-

programme/

The Institute of Fundraising

launches a new Certification

Programme for public

fundraisers.

Contactless Donations

Cash is no longer king with card payments over

taking from cash retail transactions in 2016 for

the first time. One of the main reasons for the

decline in cash sales is reportedly the increase in

contactless technology. This now accounts for a

round a third of all card purchases.

Charities are starting to cash in on the contactless trend for donations. Examples include Cancer

Research UK which has five “smart benches” in London that allow people to donate using their

contactless cards. The Blue Cross has attached contactless card machines to the jackets of a team of

dogs to wear at events and Oxfam and NSPCC tested Barclaycard portable payment boxes which

incorporate and chip-and-pin technology. The portable boxes are programmed with set amounts but

can be changed if someone wanted to donate more.

Charities can get in on the action through JustGiving who are trialling their system called TapDonate

with collection buckets which accept cash and contactless donations. Electronic payments provider

Worldpay have also launched an app that allows face-to-face contactless card transactions on a

smartphone without the need for additional payments hardware.

www. devonva.org Follow us @Devon_VA

Action East Devon

Younghayes Centre, 169 Younghayes Road, Cranbrook EX5 7DR

Telephone: 01404 549 045

Chief Officer: Charlotte Hanson

Email: admin@edvsa.org.uk

Website: www.actioneastdevon.org.uk

South Hams CVS

The Cottage, Follaton House, Plymouth Road, Totnes TQ9 5NE

Telephone: 01803 862266

Chief Officer: Jill Davies

Email: cvs@southhamscvs.org.uk

Website: www.souhhamscvs.org.uk

Involve—Voluntary Action in Mid Devon

Sunningmead Community Centre, Lazenby Road,

Tiverton EX16 4AL

Telephone: 01884 255734

Chief Officer: Karen Nolan

Email: office@involve-middevon.org.uk

Website: www.involve-middevon.org.uk

Teignbridge Community and Voluntary Service

36-38 Market Street, Newton Abbot TQ12 2RX

Telephone: 01626 326120

Chief Officer: Sue Wroe

Email: office@teigncvs.org.uk

Website: www.teigncvs.org.uk

North Devon Voluntary Services

Suite 206, Queens House, Queen Street, Barnstaple, EX32 8HJ

Telephone: 01271 866300

Chief Officer: Hilary Burr

Email: admin@ndvs.org.uk

Website: www.ndvs.org.uk

West Devon Community and Voluntary Services

The Fur Room, The Ockment Centre, North Street, Okehampton

EX20 1AR

Telephone: 01837 53392

Chief Officer: Karen Nolan

Email: info@westdevoncvs.org.uk

Website: www.westdevoncvs.org.uk

support@devonva.org Like us Devon Voluntary Action

0845 6099901

01803 849234

DeVA’s Company Number 8711291 and Charity Number 1158671