CVS News

The East Sussex County Council Cabinet agreed on 15 November to review its day services to ensure people get what they need in modern, fit-for-purpose buildings.

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From 1 January 2012, all Blue Car Badges will be printed and supplied by one company nationally. This will make them harder to forge or alter.

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To see January's Volunteer Opportunties go to http://www.hastingsvoluntaryaction.org/?q=node/601

Active Student is the University of Brighton’s volunteering service, which promotes volunteering opportunities for community, not-for-profit and public sector organisations . Could you benefit from a student volunteer to help with a specific project or the more general running of your organisation?
The Hastings Campus of the University offers a wide range of degree courses including Media Production, Applied Social Sciences, Business, Computing, Education, English Literature, Community History, Biology, Maths (see www.brighton.ac.uk/hastings for the full range). Through Active Student your opportunities will reach students who want to volunteer in addition to their studies, and students who are doing a Community Participation and Development module as a part of their course.
Active Student aims to promote safe, supported and rewarding volunteering opportunities for students, and will provide support and guidance to organisations if required.
To find out more about registering your volunteer opportunities with Active Student, please contact:
Tel: 01273 644145
Email: volunteering@brighton.ac.uk
Website: www.brighton.ac.uk/volunteering
 

The University of Brighton campus in Hastings is offering a free learning programme to people over 50 in the Hastings area.
Suitable for those that have never experienced Higher Education before, the free 22-week course starts in February and students attend at the campus in Havelock Road, Hastings, two days a week. http://www.brighton.ac.uk/hastings/courses/open-access-to-knowledge/
 

The Compact is a voluntary agreement that sets out shared principles for effective partnership working between the government and voluntary and civil society organisations in England. A new report from the National Audit Office has examined its implementaition and whilst it found some good examples of effective work criticised the Office for Civil Society for failikng to provide effective and consistent leadership accross all Govt departments on this issue. A copy of the report can be found here http://www.nao.org.uk/publications/1012/national_compact.aspx

 

The number of people employed in the voluntary sector fell by almost 9 per cent from the third quarter of 2010 and the same period in 2011, equating to a loss of 70,000 jobs, according to figures released today.
The number of people employed in the public sector fell by 4.3 per cent during the same period, while the figure for the private sector increased by 1.5 per cent.
The findings come from an analysis of data from the Office for National Statistics’ Labour Force Survey, a quarterly survey of 60,000 UK households. The analysis by the Third Sector Research Centre, the National Council for Voluntary Organisations and Skills – Third Sector found that the number of people employed in the voluntary sector fell from 793,000 in the third quarter of 2010 to 723,000 in the same period last year – a reduction of 8.7 per cent.
The number of women employed in the voluntary sector fell by 10 per cent over the year, while the number of men fell by 5.4 per cent. Certain regions suffered larger cuts than others, with the North East, London, the South East and Scotland particularly affected.
The data also showed there was a decrease of almost 3 per cent in the median gross hourly pay for voluntary sector roles, from £10.29 per hour to £10.00 per hour. In both the public and private sectors there was a pay increase over the same period.
Sir Stuart Etherington, chief executive of the National Council for Voluntary Organisations, said the findings were "deeply troubling" and that they provided "robust evidence that spending cuts are hitting the voluntary sector disproportionately".
"With diminishing resources and fewer staff, voluntary organisations are facing a perfect storm and will struggle to meet the increased demand for their services that began with the recession of 2008," he said.

 
"The sector is playing its part by looking for efficiencies or more innovative ways to deliver services, but government must play its part too. In particular, it is essential that government at all levels make cuts intelligently and with adequate notice, in accordance with the Best Value Guidance for working with the voluntary sector."
Keith Mogford, chief executive of Skills – Third Sector, said the reduction in average pay in the sector was a serious cause for concern.
"The sector’s ability to retain a well-motivated and talented workforce will be critical to its ability to meet the future challenge of delivering higher-quality services to more people with fewer resources," he said.

Hastings Chinese Association will celebrate 2012 Chinese new year (year of dragon) on 29th January, it will hold this event in Priory Meadow shopping centre, 11-3pm, dragon dance, martial art, Chinese dance, singing; Chinese paper dragon and herbs medicine to sell etc.
All people welcome
 

HVA have just developed a searchable directory of Voluntry and Community Organisations, which can be viewed at:
http://www.hastingsvoluntaryaction.org/index.php?q=civicrm/profile&force=1&gid=10
 

The most recent volunteer opportunities can be found at http://www.hastingsvoluntaryaction.org/?q=node/601

Please download the December 2011 E-Bulletin below

Earlier this year RVA joined other local organisations in writing to East Sussex County Council to oppose the closure of the centre and argued the case for keeping community space for older people available particularly in Bexhill which has the highest proportion of over 80's in the country.

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We are pleased to inform our members that in November 2011 Rother Voluntary Action was awarded the NAVCA (National Association of Voluntary Community Action) Quality Award.

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Paper versions of the ever popular HVA Annual Review and Year Planner have now been posted to member organisations. A  PDF dowload version is available at the following link - http://digbig.com/5bfeam a limited amount of further copies are available from our office at Jackson Hall.

The Mayor of Hastings Cllr Kim Forward is to hold a coffee morning at Hastings Town Hall to mark World Aids Day. People are invited to come along and find out more about HIV, THT and local sexual health services. This event will be followed by a short walk through the town centre wearing red ribbons to help raise awareness of the day.
Come and join us!
For further details, please contact Daniel Murray at Terrence Higgins Trust on 01323 649 927, email daniel.murray@tht.org.uk

International White Ribbon day is taking place on 25, November 2011. Thousands of people around the world are making a commitment to play their part in standing up to condemn domestic violence. Details of events in Hastings can be found on the Hastings Borough Council website at :
http://www.hastings.gov.uk/environment_planning/safer_hastings/domestic_...

Horizons is holding its christmas fayre on Friday December 9th at Four Courts Community Centre
Sydney Road St Leonards TN38 9DE, doors open 12.30 - 4.30 A great chance to get a christmas gift and try your luck with our raffle, Tombola,
 book stall and a yummy cake stall plus lots more,Tea, coffee and cake available. Bring the children to see Santa

Come along and pick up a course list and find out what Horizons has to offer.
For further information please contact Horizons on 01424 204136

Details of the December Forum can be found at http://www.hastingsvoluntaryaction.org/?q=node/461

Please download below

The East Sussex Compact is the document that sets out the principles for partnership working between the public sector and the voluntary and community sector in East Sussex.

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