Practical training sessions a real hit with Carers

Newsline
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Issue 43
March 2015
the newsletter for Slough’s voluntary and community groups
Practical training sessions a
real hit with Carers
The Carers’ Training Programme introduced in January was well
attended by Carers and received very positive feedback. These free
short training and information sessions catered for all types of
Carers across various venues in Slough, providing both practical
and emotional support.
Course Organiser Bobbi Johal said: “Carers have commented that
they are so appreciative at the way the programme has been
tailored to fit around their already busy lives, and gives them real
practical support in coping with the challenges of
Carers Providers Forum
their responsibilities.”
Monday 9th March
10.00am - 12.00pm (with lunch)
Feedback from Carers attending courses included
29 Church Street Resource Centre,
the comments: "It was valuable and beneficial to
29 Church Street, Slough, Berkshire, SL1
hear and learn about other people’s experiences
1PL
and coping strategies" and "it was useful recognising
signs and symptoms of high level stress”.
Slough Council for Voluntary Service is
co-ordinating a new Carers Providers’ Forum.
Sessions included ‘Essential First Aid’, ‘Managing
The development of a provider forum within
the Stress Bucket’, ‘Carers Rights’ and ‘Coping
Slough will provide an essential link between
when Caring gets Hard’.
Slough Borough Council, Health, and other key
strategic players including the third sector to
The pilot three month training programme was
ensure that services are strategically
funded by Slough Borough Council and
developed to meet the needs of local people in
administered by Slough CVS. Our training partners
line with local plans and the national agendas
included St.John’s Ambulance, Slough Borough
including the Care Act.
Council, Citizens Advice Slough and Berkshire
Healthcare Foundation Trust.
Details at www.sloughcvs.org/events.php
SCVS Networking Lunches
A series of monthly lunches
communicating the Health and
Social Care Agenda to your
Group.Come and network with
other groups and members of the
statutory sector.
Booking details at
www.sloughcvs.org/events.php
9th March
13th April
11th May
8th June
13th July
10th August
SCVS is the Slough Council for Voluntary Service
Slough Council for Voluntary Service is registered charity No. 1069086 and company limited by guarantee, registered in
England No. 3523907. It is a member of the National Association for Voluntary and Community Action and the National
Council for Voluntary Organisations.
Looking forward to this year’s
Slough Voluntary Sector Awards?
It’s on
Friday 20th November
Add it to your diary now!
Details of how to nominate will be provided in the
next issue of Newsline in June.
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The Care Act 2014
From April 2015, care and support in England is
changing.
There will be:
•
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•
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•
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new national level of care and support needs
that all councils will consider when they assess
help they can give people
new support for carers
deferred payment agreements for care home
costs
a focus on prevention and wellbeing rather
meeting needs at point of crisis
a legal framework that places adult
safeguarding on a statutory footing
improved access to information and advice and
independent advocacy and signposting for
independent financial advice.
Further information at:
http://www.slough.gov.uk/health-and-socialcare/the-care-act.aspx
Slough CVS will be running a session on the Care Act
at one of its Monthly Lunches:
www.sloughcvs.org/events.php
Tax Allowances and
National Insurance
From 6 April 2015 the basic personal allowance for
under-65s goes up from £10,000 per year to £10,600
(£204 per week, £883 per month). Basic rate tax
remains 20%, higher rate 40% and additional rate
45%.
Consultation launched on child poverty
in Slough
Deadline for responses 27 March 2015
Over 8,000 children across the borough
are living in poverty.
Slough Borough Council is leading on the
development of a local child poverty
strategy (and action plan) which aims to
reduce child poverty rates across the
borough as well as reduce the impact of
child poverty on children, young people
and their families.
slough-consult.objective.co.uk/
portal/child_poverty_consultation_
partners
Safeguarding and volunteers
Organisations who involve volunteers
need to ensure they have an effective
approach to safeguarding in place. They
should also consider what level of
safeguarding is appropriate to the
activities their volunteers are involved in
and what approach to take in relation to:
•
Recruitment
•
Training
•
Supervision
•
DBS checks
NCVO has produced a Guide on
Safeguarding for volunteer involving
organisations available to download at
http://knowhownonprofit.org/people/
volunteers/keeping/safeguardingvolunteers which aims to help you think
through developing a comprehensive
approach.
From 6 April 2015 the national insurance lower
earnings limit (the lowest level of earnings that can
Newsline Contributions
count towards entitlement to statutory sick pay and
statutory maternity, paternity, adoption and shared
parental pay) is increased from £111 to £112 per week. Thank you to everyone who contributed to
From 6 April 2015 employers are exempt from secondary class 1 (employer's) NI contributions on earnings
up to a new "secondary earnings threshold for under21s" (£815 per week, same as the upper earnings
limit) for employees under the age of 21.
2 www.gov.uk/rates-and-thresholds-for-employers2015-to-2016
this issue of Newsline. The next issue will be
published in June 2015. We would be really
interested to hear your news items.
Please e-mail contributions to Lorna Allen at
lallen@sloughcvs.org.uk or send to Slough
Council for Voluntary Service, 27 Church
Street, Slough, Berks, SL1 1PL.
Editor: Lorna Allen
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www.fundingcentral.org.uk
The National Lottery
Awards, 2015
Now in their 12th year, the National Lottery
Awards celebrate the hard work and
dedication of people who are using Lottery
funding to change people’s lives.
The public votes for the winners who attend a
star-studded awards ceremony, which is
televised on BBC One. This gives the general
public an opportunity to hear about projects
large and small that have benefited from
National Lottery funding. Winners also receive
a £2,000 cash prize to spend on their project.
Any organisation that has received National
Lottery funding can enter the National Lottery
Awards 2015.
If you want to nominate your favourite project
or enter your own project in this year’s
National Lottery Awards,
visit www.lotterygoodcauses.org.uk or call
0207 293 3599 to find out more.
Education
Endowment Fund
The Education Endowment Foundation (EEF)
exists to fund, develop and evaluate
cost-effective and replicable projects which
address educational disadvantage.
The focus is on supporting projects that show
promising evidence of having a measurable
impact on attainment or a directly related
outcome. They are interested in testing projects’
effectiveness through robust independent
evaluations, wherever possible as randomised
controlled trials. If they are shown to have an
impact, they should be able to be replicated and
scaled up to improve outcomes for other
disadvantaged pupils.
Deadline: 1st April 2015
Email: info@eefoundation.org.uk
Tel: 0207 802 1676
http://educationendowmentfoundation.com/
Funding
Slough Together Walk
Saturday 2nd May 2015
The Rotary Club of Slough
provides all the professional
infrastructure to help you raise
funds from walk sponsorship: promotional
leaflets, easy on-line registration and
sponsorship forms, all arrangements on the
day, walkers’ route maps, and even prizes for
the most money collected.
Full details are on the Rotary Club of Slough
website or via email:
www.sloughrotary.org.uk/walk
info@sloughrotary.org.uk
Music for Alice
Awards of up to £1000 are made twice a year
to enable groups and organisations to
purchase musical instruments and equipment
so that they can improve lives through music.
Awards can be made to any group,
organisation or charity based in the United
Kingdom that has a formerly constituted
character and can demonstrate that securing
funding will enable them to improve lives
through music.
They are targeting two distinct groups.
Our “Music for Youth” award is aimed at
applicants focussed on using music to
improve lives for 0-19 year olds.
Our “Music for Health” award is aimed at
applicants focussed on using music for health
or rehabilitation benefits.
A group can apply for any amount up to
£1000. As long as you are able to
demonstrate the need, the impact and legacy
of the amount of money applied for, it will in no
way affect the chances of being successful.
Deadline: The next round of applications
will be open 1st-31st March 2015 for an
Award made on or before 30th April 2015
www.musicforalice.org.uk/apply/
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News from the Groups
New
Church
launches
weekly celebrations!
A new church serving Slough and beyond
has launched weekly Sunday celebrations.
On Sunday 1st February, more than 50 people
attended the launch of ONELIFE Church,
Slough, which meets from 4pm every Sunday
(with tea, coffee and cake from 3:30pm) at
Trinity United Reformed Church on the junction
of Windsor Road and Albert Street right in the
heart of Slough.
At the launch a special collection was taken,
which resulted in donations of just over £500
each being made to two local charities – Slough
Foodbank, and the Recycled Teenagers who
serve the elderly in Britwell.
Colin Gault, the church’s leader, said: “We
believe that vibrant local churches have a
significant part to play in seeing transformation
brought to the communities that make up our
towns. In addition to our Sunday celebrations
we’ve also started monthly young people’s
socials and next month are starting a free
money management course over 3 evenings,
which is open to anyone, whatever their
financial situation.”
For more information about the church and its
activities, call 08432 895894, email
hello@onelifeslough.org.uk or visit
www.onelifeslough.org.uk
Need a room
to hold your AGM?
Further information is available at
www.29churchstreet.co.uk
Alzheimers Dementia
Support
DROP-IN CENTRES
Come in and have a
friendly cup of coffee
and a chat. Advice
and information is
available on all
aspects of
dementia. Private one
to one talks are also
available.
Slough The Drop-In Centre at the Kingsway
United Reformed Church, Church Street,
Slough SL1 1SZ is open on the 2nd and 4th
Tuesday of each month from 10am to 12 noon.
Langley The Drop-In Centre at the Holy Family
Church in St Joseph's Room, Trelawney
Avenue, Langley, SL3 7RE (opposite the
Library) is open on the 1st and 3rd Tuesday of
every month from 1.00 to 2.30pm.
SINGING FOR
PLEASURE
This is a social get
together for people
with dementia
accompanied by
their carers.
Refreshments are
available. This is a fun interactive
activity and a good singing voice is not required.
Langley Sessions are each Monday afternoon
(term time only). Refreshments from 1pm and
singing starts at 1.30pm to 2.30pm at Slough
Mencap, Spitfire Close, Langley.
AAP KI SEHAT SANGEET KE SANG
(YOUR WELL BEING THROUGH MUSIC)
Age Concern, High Street, Slough (Lift to 2nd
floor). A new service for Asian people with
Dementia and their carers. Can help improve
your mood and wellbeing through stimulation.
For further information contact Yasmein on
07543 243613.
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Young volunteers
commemorate the
contribution of Polish
World War Two Aircrew
News from the Groups
Slough based community cohesion charity, Aik Saath –
Polish airmen during the Second World War
Together as One, have been awarded funding by the
Heritage Lottery Fund to deliver a project, in partnership with Bentley Priory Museum and
Mapis Project, which will commemorate the invaluable contribution of Polish airmen and
airwomen during the Second World War.
The Heritage Lottery Fund grant of £49,900 will be used to fund the training of young people in
oral history techniques and research trips to various sites of historical interest, including RAF
Northolt, Bentley Priory Museum and The Polish War Memorial.
The project will also explore the Polish pilot’s contribution to setting up an air force in newly formed
Pakistan. In 1947 a group of Polish pilots led by Air Commodore Wladyslaw Turowicz arrived in
the country and assisted in the creation of the Pakistani Air Force.
Young volunteers leading this important heritage project will record the stories of Polish air crew
and their families. These stories will be shared through a temporary exhibition which will tour
across Slough before going on display at RAF Northolt and Bentley Priory Museum - the
headquarters of Fighter Command during the Battle of Britain.
If you are a young person aged between 12 and 25 and would like to find out more about being
involved in the project please contact Charlotte Williams on 01753 574780 or
charlotte@aiksaath.com or Maggie Sikora on 01344 203007 or info@mapisproject-cic.org.uk
Funding for local reading mentors
Berkshire Community Foundation (BCF) has awarded a grant of £3,100
to local reading charity ABC to Read to fund the recruitment, training and
support of a further 10 volunteers as one-to-one reading mentors.
The grant follows donations of over £12,000 from BCF in recent years, confirming their passion for
and belief in the work that the charity does, working with Berkshire children who are struggling with
their reading.
Marcia Rowlinson, ABC to Read Chief Operating and Development Officer, said: “We are
continually thankful for the support from Berkshire Community Foundation. Their ongoing support
has a tangible effect on the lives of the children we work with and enables us to look ahead at how
we can broaden the impact we have in the area.”
5
ABC to Read is actively looking for new volunteers to benefit from the scheme. Volunteers will be
fully trained thanks to grants such as those from Berkshire Community Foundation.
For more information please visit www.abctoread.org.uk or email abctoread@btconnect.com
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News from the Groups
Meet & Mingle visit Marrakesh
NEWS IN BRIEF
Langley Carnival
Langley Carnival will be held on
Saturday 11th July 2015 at Langley
Memorial Ground 12noon to 5pm. It’s
a great opportunity for local groups to
raise money for themselves and the
community to come together.
Meet & Mingle, a voluntary organisation for women
living in and around Slough organised its very first
long weekend away in January 2015 to Marrakech in
Morocco with twenty-four women from the 200
registered members.
The vibrant culture, beautiful weather, food, spa,
hamman and entertainment were the main attractions of
the trip for the women. The most popular attraction in
Marrakech was the ‘Jemaa-El-Fnaa’ Square, which had
live entertainment including snake charmers, monkey
shows, dances and of course shopping in the souk.
The women enjoyed a horse carriage ride around the
main historical buildings in Marrakech, which was quite
an amusing and exhilarating time for them. Some of
them were brave enough to go up to the Atlas Mountain
for the day which they found very adventurous and
breath taking.
The trip was a memorable, interesting and exciting time
for all of the women who attended, which gave them a
new experience of life to enjoy their own time.
One attendee commented: "I had a great time in
Marrakech. I really enjoyed the company of the other
ladies on the trip. Had a really good laugh with
everyone on the trip and made new friends. Hearing the
stories of the difference Meet & Mingle has made to the
ladies in the group was truly inspiring! Glad to be part of
it. Already can’t wait for the next Meet & Mingle trip!"
Meet & Mingle is a voluntary organisation for women
living in and around Slough, it aims to help women
socialise, share, learn, be creative, have fun and be
healthy. The group looks after the physical, mental and
social wellbeing of the women in a safe and friendly
6 environment.
The Carnival raises money for two
local groups by hiring out stalls and
selling raffle tickets.
The 2014 beneficiaries were SPICE
and Langley guides. The 2015
beneficiaries will be chosen at our
March meeting.
They are hoping to have line dancers,
SWIPE, a band, a rugby demo and
U9's football this year.
Stall costs: £15 for non commercial
£25 for commercial stalls.
Please contact the chairman Elizabeth
Barnett 01753 539024 for more
details.
Elevate Me
Elevate Me is the place for 16-24 year
olds in Slough to get help, advice and
support on employment, work
experience, volunteering and
mentoring.
Slough Borough Council, local
colleges, Job Centre Plus,
businesses, training providers,
support agencies – have come
together to try to make that journey
easier for you to navigate. They have
pooled their knowledge and networks
to give young people information at
their fingertips.
http://slough.elevateme.org.uk/
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Apna Virsa Celebrates Lohri
Festival 2015
A night of camaraderie
and colour to celebrate
the Indian festival of
Lohri was hosted by
Apna Virsa, at
Riverside Venue,
Heathrow in January.
Dhol players and
Giddha dancers kept
the crowd entertained Giddha dancers & guests
enjoying the bonfire
whilst guests
participated in the age old throwing of sesame
seeds and puffed rice onto the Lohri bonfire for
good blessings and in celebration of newborns
and marriages. Performances from local
bhangra groups Vasda Punjab, Bhangraholics
and Apna Virsa’s giddha learners added the
WOW factor. Guests commented on what a brilliant family oriented event it had been,
showcasing colourful heritage at its best.
www.apnavirsa.org.uk
Slough Older Peoples’ Forum
Thursday 19th March 2015
1.30pm
Kingsway United Reformed Church, Church
Street, Slough, SL1 1SZ
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What do Older People think of Local
Government?
What’s new in services?
What has gone?
The Forum’s move to meeting at Kingsway
United Reformed Church on the 15th January
was very successful and the Forum will be
continuing to meet at Kingsway on the 3rd
Thursday of each month throughout 2015.
Forum membership is FREE, open to any older
(50+) person resident in the Borough of Slough.
Membership forms are available at Forum
meetings or from Marcia Wright 01753 536906
email: wright@marciawright.orangehome.co.uk
Local News
“When things go wrong. . . . .”
The NHS tries to do its best for all its patients,
but things can occasionally go wrong.
Independent Health Complaints Advocacy can
help by supporting the patient-or family member
or friend-through the NHS complaints process –
helping them to communicate clearly what went
wrong and what outcome they are looking for
from their complaint.
Who are we?
SEAP – an independent charity, not part of the
NHS – and provides a free service
What do we do?
Support you with health (NHS) complaints
How can we help?
Provide a self help pack or an advocate who can
help with letter writing, talking to the right people
and support at meetings. The service is free,
confidential, and independent of the NHS. It is
funded by the local authorities.
How to contact SEAP?
Call: 0300 343 5734
Email:Berkshire@seap.org.uk or
jenny.lewis@seap.org.uk
www.seap.org.uk
Come and learn about
the history,
background and
relevance to residents
of Slough.
Thursday, 31st March 2015
11.00a.m - 1.00p.m
(Keynote Speaker followed by refreshments & networking)
SCVS Main Hall, 29 Church Street, Slough,
SL1 1PL
Guest Speaker: Margaret Lenton JP FRSA
Margaret is an inspirational speaker who taught at Slough
Grammar School for 22 years, retiring as Principal in
2010. She is currently Chairman of the Magna Carta
Steering Committee, Slough.
Please RSVP to Ubaid Ullah Satti by 29th March 2015
Tel: 01753 570333 Email: mffoundation@hotmail.com
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Noticeboard
We are looking for community groups and
charities to take part in the NCS programme.
You will benefit from:
If you would like to get involved with NCS and
be part of something bigger, please contact:
Priya Bilkhu:
priya.bilkhu@the-challenge.org
07469 151466
8
Slough Council for Voluntary Service, 27 Church Street, Slough, Berkshire, SL1 1PL
Tel: 01753 524176 e-mail: enquiries@sloughcvs.org.uk