Welcome to July’s vInfo summer is sort of here and I hope you have lots of exciting projects planned for young people over the summer break. Do let us know what you have planned, we can advertise it for you or put a case study, about one of your projects, on our website – have you checked out our case studies section yet? There are some great stories there, including our Youth Action Team’s volunteering event during Volunteers Week.
Thanks to all those who came to our ‘Young People – making it count through the Reward and Celebration of achievements’ training session at the beginning of the month for the wonderful feedback and a big thank you to Jen Lowthrop, from the Young Achievers Award, Tim Leaman, from ASDAN, and Stella Baynes, from UK Youth, for giving some amazing presentations. It was great to see you all there and I’m glad you all enjoyed it and found it useful. I hope you have all taken loads of ideas back to your organisation and are planning to implement some new schemes.
If you couldn’t make it or you would like a refresher take a look at our website.
vinspired National Awards NOW OPEN FOR NOMINATIONS
Nominations are NOW OPEN for vinspired’s National Awards; you can nominate anyone aged 16-25 years old who volunteers. So if you know some incredible young people here is your chance to give them the recognition they deserve.
Young Achievers Award NOW OPEN FOR NOMINATIONS
The Young Achievers Awards celebrate young people who have shown innovation or creativity in their volunteering; demonstrated leadership in creating and developing projects; used their energy, commitment and enthusiasm to raise awareness; created something worth replicating elsewhere and inspired others; demonstrated a willingness to develop their talents into new areas.
As well as recognising the achievements of exceptional young people, the Young Achievers Awards offer young people 12 months of support and development opportunities, enabling them to realise their passions and make an even greater impact in their communities.
FUSE arts festival for young people in Kensington Gardens
FUSE is London’s most ambitious one-day free arts festival designed with and for young people. Thirty-five of London’s most prestigious arts organisations from across the London boroughs of Westminster and Kensington and Chelsea will be offering performances, theatre workshops, dance classes, and art classes on a number of stages and marquees in Kensington Gardens this SUNDAY 25th JULY.
We are going to be there, so if you are planning on attending come and find us for a chat – we have a tent not far from the performance tent. See you there hopefully! If you know young people who are going tell them too.
Evening Standard Dispossessed Fund
The evening standard has £1 million in small grants available for communities across London. It is available for charities who are working to tackle the causes of the grinding poverty behind London's Dispossessed. Not-for-profit voluntary and community groups are invited to apply for grants of between £250 and £5000.
They are inviting applications for projects on the following themes:
· Training and educating people who have dropped out of mainstream education
· Getting people into work such as through apprenticeship or mentor schemes
· Fighting gangs, knife and gun crime
· Improving mental and physical health and well-being, such as through sports clubs and helping carers
· Addressing other manifestations of poverty such as homelessness, pensioner poverty or the working poor
Capital Community Foundation: Grassroots Grant
Capital Community Foundation's Grassroots Grant has up to £5,000 available for small community group to help build thriving local communities, bringing people from different backgrounds together and empowering them to achieve change. Your group must have been active in your local area for at least one year before you apply, with an annual income of less than £30,000. This can relate to your last financial year or be taken as an average over your last three financial years. Applications for capital costs are welcomed.
To be eligible groups have to be based in one of the following boroughs; Bexley, Bromley, Camden, Greenwich, Kensington & Chelsea, Lambeth, Lewisham, Southwark or Westminster.
The next deadline for applications is Friday 13th August 2010.
University of Westminster are offering charities the chance for free video production until August!
Small London-based charities that would not have the resources to create their own productions are eligible for this offer. The students are trained in campaigning and fundraising films for charitable organisations and will produce films between 30 seconds and six minutes long. The charities will be given full editorial approval and will be free to use the finished productions on their own websites.
Interested charities should contact Mr Ged Maguire, Senior lecturer in TV Production for further information: g.maguire@westminster.ac.uk
Our website's resources section offers the volunteer manager everything they need to know about involving young people in their organisation, useful websites and forums, and case studies on the experiences of young people, it’s worth a look.
ASDAN
ASDAN are offering full – day workshops on their programmes and qualifications in volunteering:
· NEW Volunteering Short Course
· Community Volunteering Qualification (CVQ)
Cost: £175 + VAT for the first delegate and £124 +VAT for additional delegates.
The next London training date is: Tuesday 16 November at Regent’s College, London, NW1.
Youth Achievement Awards
UK Youth are offering a one-day training course aimed at anyone who is new to or currently considering delivering the Youth Challenges and Youth Achievement Awards with young people.
Course Objectives
At the end of this course, participants will be able to:
· Use the Youth Challenges and Youth Achievement Awards in a youth work setting
· Assist young people to identify and plan their challenges
· Assist and support young people in gathering evidence and portfolio building
· Work within operational and administrative guidelines
· Understand the Award group process
· Understand the process of internal and external moderation and the assessment processes for the Youth Challenges Award and Youth Achievement Awards
· Understand the differences between the Youth Challenges available, and their relationship to the different levels of the YAA
Cost: £130.00 + VAT per delegate
The next London training date is: Tuesday 28th September
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