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The official magazine for the voluntary and community sector in Eastbourne, Lewes District and Wealden.
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The official magazine for the voluntary and communitysector in Eastbourne, Lewes District and Wealden.
VIEW3Budget Cuts:e impact on the sector and how we can respond
On beingchair, page 5
VolunteeringGoes Local,page 10
FreeMentoringProgramme, page 11
Plus...
and much more inside...
Winter 2015
3VA supports community groups, voluntary organisations andindividuals to improve quality of life across the Eastbourne, LewesDistrict and Wealden areas. Providing a range of practical supporton issues ranging from charity governance, funding and finance topromotion and start-up, some of our successes during Quarter 2(July to September 2015) included:
• coordinating an Awards4All Funding Fair in Polegate thatwas attended by 41 participants representing 33 groups.
• helping 13 new groups establish themselves (9 in Eastbourne,1 in Wealden District and 8 in Lewes District.
• providing expert one-to-one support to 77 groups (39 inEastbourne, 19 in Wealden District and 19 in Lewes District..
• providing funding advice to 51 groups.
Connecting voluntary sectorgroups to resources andeach otherSuccesses from July to September 2015
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“3VA was diplomatic and influential in encouraging us to look afresh at our core aims andobjectives, the efficiency and effectiveness of our activities as well as move to developing aconsultancy arm of the charity, which had caused some concern amongst some trustees. It wasuseful to have him present to answer questions around the feasibility of setting up a tradingsubsidiary and to clarify certain issues as how the charity may be able to benefit from its profitsbeing gifted back.”
Of our services, Jo Evans of Rotherfield Saint Martin said:
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Winter 2015 3View Page 3
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Icons made by Freepik from www.flaticon.com
51
Autism Stress Alert Ditch the Slippers
Eastbourne FoodbankEastbourne Open Award Centre
Egrets Way Project/Ouse Valley CycleNetwork
Memory Lane EastbourneSeaside Advice Centre
St Johns PreschoolUckfield Community ResilienceWaldron Neighbourhood Watch
Welcome to our newest members!
To find out more about these members or becoming a member yourself, pleasevisit www.3va.org.uk/content/membership.
Page 4 3View Winter 2015
In the second of a new series of articles, we feature one of our amazing members and show howwe’ve worked together to make an impact.
Breaking Down Barriers aims to raise awareness of the importance of promoting diversity and equalityacross public, private and third sector workplaces and the wider community. After initially setting up as anunincorporated group it quickly became clear that there was considerable interest from a range oforganisations in how they could create a more effective environment of inclusion and acceptance. To helprefine and develop the overallvision of the group BarbaraRowe contacted 3VA foradvice on legal structures andbusiness planning.
Barbara said:
“After running Breaking DownBarriers for several years as asole trader, it had developedand gained a good reputationfor the service it was providingbut my business knowledgewas limited. The aims of thebusiness had always beensocial and the next step was to make it more formal and become a CIC. This is where 3VA came in and thehelp I have received from them pre and post transition has been invaluable. Having 3VA’s Karl Parks as asupport worker has given me the confidence I need to move forward and develop and grow the businessand put my new ideas into practice. I feel the support has been properly tailored to suit my needs and Karl’spatient approach has, at every step, made me understand the reasoning behind his recommendations andsuggestions.”
3VA worked with Barbara to identify potential partners for the project and encouraged her to attend theSocial Enterprise East Sussex conference to gain more insight and understanding around finance andsustainability issues for community interest companies. Intensive support was provided on developing arobust draft business plan, thinking about how to measure the impact of the service and building links withSussex Police, local secondary schools and engagement with the commissioning prospectus. In addition,contact with Volunteer Centre East Sussex was made to explore relevant aspects of good practice aroundrecruiting volunteers for prospective work involving volunteer mentors.
Barbara continued:
“[3VA] has been brilliant in providing me with up to date business information and networking ideas. I felt soalone and my confidence was low prior to 3VA’s involvement and Karl has helped me to focus on what Ireally want to achieve with the business now I am so fired up and ready to set about changing people’s livesfor the better. The support from 3VA is helping me to create a business model that will be sustainable andsuccessful.”
3VA has also provided additional advice and support regarding potential funding sources to create adedicated office space for the CIC and developing pilot projects based on the gaps and need evidenced todate.
Would your social enterprise benefit from advice or support? Get in touch with 3VA today!
Breaking rough:How 3VA is helping Breaking Down Barriers overcome obstacles
Winter 2015 3View Page 5
eyeOn being the chairExpert
A former director once said of Steve Thornett that“he gets the plane off the ground and then figuresout how to land it.” So, following a successfulcareer in commercial sales and marketing, it wasperhaps no surprise that Steve seized theopportunity to be involved with ESF despite havinghad no contact with the voluntary sector prior toretirement.
“I had no experience working with volunteers, butmy business ethos served me well. I like to get onwith things and make themhappen.”
Steve has certainly beenactive as chair, overseeingtremendous growth by ESF,which recently surpassed1,200 members, anddeveloping its focus on localissues, awareness-raisingand signposting services thatculminates in the annual andvery successful Good LifeShow presenting a widerange of lifestyle information and demonstrationsfor the over 50s and disabled people.
Steve has also helped to increase ESF’s influenceby collaborating with partners like East SussexCounty Council and NHS Eastbourne, Hailshamand Seaford CCG and participating in a number ofstrategic partnerships including East SussexSeniors’ Association and Eastbourne BoroughCouncil’s Equality and Diversity Group.
“I enjoy being at the heart of the community anddoing something to the best of my ability. My role isvaried and involves administration, marketing,advertising, public relations, attending events andproduction of newsletters and oversight of thewebsite.”
Through Steve’s involvement in the community, hehas come into contact with all types of people and
feels that being open-minded and accepting –including those with whom one doesn’t necessarilyhave an immediate rapport – is important.
According to Steve, some of the other qualities of agood chair include being a self-starter, havingclarity of vision and being prepared to get on withthe job at hand. A successful chair also needs to bea steady hand. In quoting Rudyard Kipling’s famouspoem ‘If,’ Steve said:
“If you can keep your headwhen all about you are losingtheirs...yours is the Earth andeverything that’s in it.”
Considering everything thatSteve has got up to over thelast eight years, taking overthe role of chair for ESFcould be a daunting task. Notin this case, however, asSteve explained:
“I don’t expect the new chairto follow in my footsteps, but I am more than happyto mentor him or her if they want to be mentored. Ijust want to see ESF continue in good health,continue to achieve its aims and to pursue newones.”
Although Steve is keen for someone to help himland the plane that he’s been piloting, it may bemore accurate to view this transition in a slightlydifferent perspective: the next chair of ESF has aunique opportunity to fly with a seasoned co-pilotand steer the organisation upward to new heights.
If you’re interested in finding out more aboutEastbourne Seniors’ Forum or might be interestedin serving as its chair, please contact SteveThornett at [email protected] or on 01323479 846.
Since its inception in 2007, Steve Thornett has served as chair ofEastbourne Seniors’ Forum (ESF), an independent body run byolder people for older people. As Steve looks ahead to June 2016when he will step down from his role, he kindly agreed to share thebenefit of his experience in this edition’s Expert Eye.
The impact on the sectorand how we can respondLast year’s annual report from the Director of PublicHealth in East Sussex was dedicated to acomprehensive review of the theory and practice ofcommunity resilience; it looked at what assets acommunity possesses and whether or not thoseassets can be built upon to address health andsocial problems.
The report found something that we in the sectoralready know – that our many contributions formone of the key cornerstones of resilientcommunities.
Across East Sussex, there are a huge number ofsmall to medium-sized voluntary and communityorganisations that do what our sector has alwaysbeen good at – spotting gaps, trying out new andinnovative ways of tackling problems and doing it allon a small budget.
Relying on the self-sufficiency of communities hasbeen and is now clearly part of the strategydesigned by the county council and the clinicalcommissioning groups (CCGs) to mitigate theeffects of reduced budgets, including ‘GoodNeighbour’ schemes that are designed to deliversome preventative social care services locally.
As budget cuts for social services continue,however, where does this leave the sector?
The latest cuts have included a £1.6 millionreduction in preventative health and social careservices. For those organisations directly funded byEast Sussex County Council, these cuts threatenvital services that support people with mental healthproblems, people needing extra support to liveindependent lives, support for men who are lonelyand isolated and those who are attempting to breakdependency on drugs and/or alcohol. Especiallyconcerning are cuts that impact not only a specificservice, but in fact the very existence of anorganisation – particularly those that have alreadyseen funding cuts from elsewhere. Inevitably, the
loss of these preventative services – as well as thedirect, acute services provided by the county council– will place more pressure on those that remain.
Voluntary and community groups not directlyaffected by the cuts (e.g. small to medium-sizedorganisations) will not escape the fall-out from theloss of preventative services both in the statutoryand voluntary sectors. Many communities andgroups have stepped up to the challenge of doingmore to help themselves and their more vulnerablemembers. There is, however, a huge question markover the extent to which they can cope with yetmore need. Many rely on volunteers to deliverservices and there is a limit to what you can askvolunteers to do.
As a sector, we have few options open to us. Weneed to do what we can to mitigate the worst effectsof cuts on the most vulnerable while simultaneouslymonitor their impact so that we can demonstrate todecision-makers and politicians of theconsequences of their actions.
In typical voluntary sector fashion, eachorganisation that stands to be directly affected bythe cuts is proactively responding in its own way. Inan effort to facilitate this process, 3VA and ourpartners RVA and HVA are looking at how we canbest support these organisations by, for example,offering advice about identifying alternative sourcesof funding, exploring partnership working ,collectively monitoring the impact on clients andfeeding the findings back to decision-makers andthe sector as a whole.
In the coming months we will also be looking at howwe can support the wider sector as the impact ofthese changes is felt.
For further information contact: Adam Chugg [email protected] or Jenny Watson [email protected] or by phone on 01323639 373.
by Jenny Watson, Development and Representation Manager
Who’s AffectedEast Sussex County Council has had to save £28 million on adult social care since 2013. The cutslisted here form part of the next set of savings which will total £40 million over the next three years.The services that they are cutting are often preventative services which they are not obliged toprovide by law.
Types of services being cut include advice, representation and advocacy, health and wellbeing,housing support, support for independent living, self-help and peer support, social care, support intoemployment and arts.
Winter 2015 3View Page 7
People to be impacted
n Mental health and dementia
n Older people, older peopleand disabled
n Single homeless peoplewith complex needs,homeless people withcomplex needs
n Young people atrisk, youngmothers at risk,domestic violence
n Long-termconditions,physical disability,HIV
n Learning disability and autism,mental health and learningdisabilities, sensory impairmentand vulnerable adults
27%22%
20%
19%
8%
3%
These figures include directservices funded by Adult SocialCare as well as funding throughSupporting People, intended tohelp people live independently. Itis not possible to attribute exactamounts to the voluntary andcommunity sector from theSupporting People funds as thefigures are not broken down.
SpeakUp Forum supports representation and is aplatform for networking in East Sussex. For more detailsSpeakUp’s website is www.speakupforum.org.uk, oryou can follow Speakup on Twitter @SpeakUpForum.
Support for VCS to access Building BetterOpportunities Funding
Throughout 2015, SpeakUp Forum’s focus hasbeen directed toward the Building BetterOpportunities (BBO) programme, ensuring thatthe voluntary sector in East Sussex is informedabout the large funding opportunity provided bythe European Social Fund through South EastLocal Enterprise Partnership (SE LEP) and match-funded by Big Lottery Fund. The programme willprovide a total of £16 million to the SE LEP area.
The BBO funding goes to projects that supportpeople furthest away from the job market withspecific focus on the following target groups:disabilities and long-term health, mental health,carers, older people, lone parents and those withdifficulty sustaining employment. Whilst thefunding is open to applications for grants fromorganisations across all sectors, it is very wellsuited to providers from the voluntary andcommunity sector.
It was our role as one of the project developmentfunded organisations to ensure the sector in EastSussex was informed and able to buildpartnerships with relevant lead organisations tobid for BBO funding. Apart from regular briefings
directed at the sector through a variety ofchannels, SpeakUp Forum organised two eventsin preparation of the opening of the fund. Thefirst event, held in Hastings in May, aimed to raiseawareness and clarify burning questions of thesector in regard to the funding. The followingevent in Ashford in August involved networkingto bring together potential leads and deliverypartners for the SE LEP South area (East Sussex,Kent & Medway), which we hosted together withIMAGO.
SpeakUp Forum directly communicated with over80 organisations throughout the projectdevelopment phase and reached out to over5,500 individuals through newsletters.
The deadline for the first round of applications forthe BBO programme in the SE LEP area was on 30November. For more information on BuildingBetter Opportunities visit the SpeakUp Forumwebsite. SpeakUp Forum will continue toinfluence SE LEP on behalf of the sector in EastSussex to ensure voluntary and community sectororganisations will be included in relevant futurefunding strands.
by Anke Thurm, Project Support Officer
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Mark your calendars!
SpeakUp Forum ispleased to announce that
the next Big Event willtake place on
Wednesday, 6 July 2016.2016
Volunteer Cente East Sussex (VCES) is a countywideservice offering support and advice to groups thatinvolve volunteers in any aspect of their work andindividuals interested in volunteering. You can followVCES on Twitter @VolCenES.
VCES service delivery has changed a little sinceOctober. Volunteer Centre group support (i.e.advice on volunteer recruitment, support andmanagement) is now being provided by VCES incollaboration with our partner councils forvoluntary service 3VA, HVA and RVA. So, whereyou would normally have contacted LeeShepherd for all VCES organisation supportmatters countywide, we now have a team ofpeople delivering these services locally.
All five contacts now provide a one-stop-shopadvice service that combines CVS and VCESsupport. We hope that this will improve theexperience that you have of our service, whilstalso making our delivery more efficient.
Where advice for individuals is concerned, thesituation remains much the same, with our firstresponse being to direct enquirers to theVolunteers page of the VCES website, or ourprinted Your guide to volunteering booklet(available in libraries and other public spacescountywide). And then secondly, with ourVolunteering Advisor, Brenda Bruzon, providingadvice over the telephone and by email toenquirers countywide for those who need extrasupport. Local expert help is also available inRye and Uckfield through our partners, RVA andUckfield Volunteer Centre.
by Brenda Bruzon, Volunteering Advisor
www.vces.org.uk
Volunteering Support Goes Local
These are now your local contacts for groupsupport:
EastbourneMaureen AnsteyCommunity Development Officer, 3VA Tel: 01323 419 788Email: [email protected]
Lewes District and enquiries from groups with amulti-region/countywide presenceLee ShepherdVolunteering Development Officer, VCESTel: 01273 483 832 or 07535 992 638Email: [email protected]
HastingsPeter ThorpeDeputy Director, HVATel: 01424 444 010Email: [email protected]
RotherSam StoneCommunity Services Coordinator, RVATel: 01424 217 259Email: [email protected]
WealdenKarl ParksCommunity Development Officer, 3VATel: 07944 473 010Email: [email protected]
Please see the VCES website for informationabout the recent restructure and changes toDo-it.
Page 10 3View Winter 2015
Chairs’ Lunch: Top Tips on WritingGood Surveys
The last Chairs’ Lunch for 2015was held on 28 October at thelovely Chalk Farm Hotel inWillingdon.
The first speaker was MartinFelstead from Sussex WildlifeTrust, who talked about the work ofthe organisation, including the 30nature reserves that they managein Sussex. He also explained theireducational work at Seven Sistersand about their plans for a newproject in Eastbourne.
The main topic was Top Tips onWriting Good Surveys, for whichwe were lucky to have DavidHumphreys, CommunicationsResearch Analyst with EastSussex County Council. Hisexcellent presentation was clear,concise and full of very useful tips.The main themes were keep thelanguage simple, clear andsentences short. Ensure peopleknown what you want to find outabout and encourage more peopleto respond by keeping the surveyshort. The lively discussion thatfollowed David’s presentationreinforced how much peopleenjoyed it.
The Chairs’ Lunch is an opportunityfor chairs or trustees to gettogether, network, catch up withpeople and meet new friends, plustime to discuss what is happeningin the 3VA area.
The Chairs’ Lunch meets threetimes a year and the dates for 2016are 9 March, 6 July and 19 October2016. If you have not attendedbefore watch the e-Newsletter fordetails of the March 2016 meetingand how to book a place.
3VA AGM Results
We at 3VA would like to express our sincere gratitude to all whoattended and participated in our recent AGM in Lewes on 26November. The number and variety of member organisationsrepresented was hugely impressive.
We certainly hope that the experience was both enjoyable andbeneficial and we thank you for your unique contributions duringthe event.
Just to recap what happened at the AGM, particularly for thosewho weren’t able to attend:
1. The minutes of the last 3VA AGM were agreed to be a true andaccurate account and were approved by our members.
2. There were no matters arising.
3. The trustee’ report and accounts for the year ended 31 March2015 were voted and approved by our members.
4. New trustees voted by our members and appointed for 2016are Byron Stevens, Joerg Bruuns and Roger Simmons.
5. Chris Strutt was successfully re-elected.
6. Plummer Parsons was voted and approved by our membersas 3VA appointed auditors for their third and final year.
7. There was no other business. The meeting closed at 4:30 pm.
You can view a copy of our Annual Report 2014-15 online or,alternatively, contact us and we’ll be happy to post a hard copy toyou.
If you have any questions or feedback, please feel free to contactus at [email protected] or on 01323 639 373.
by Maureen Anstey, CommunityDevelopment Officer
The Health andWellbeingVisits ProjectWe’re here to help olderpeople be healthier,happier and safer in theirown homes.
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www.healthandwellbeingproject.org
Free Mentoring ProgrammeAn exciting opportunity has arisen for voluntaryorganisations to benefit from free mentoring –and for prospective mentors to share their skillsand experience.
Mentoring can bring organisations substantialcommercial, public sector or voluntary sectorexperience at a senior leadership level and givesmentors an opportunity to gain experience in aconsultancy while help local voluntary organisationsin a short-term, managed way.
The offer for organisationsMentors will work alongside charity leaders and managers to help resolve specific strategic issues during aone-off three month arrangement. Each mentor is a volunteer who appreciates the particular challenges ofworking in the not-for-profit sector. Their role is to act as a guide so that you can develop solutions and findthe right direction for your organisation. Mentors are not consultants and do not give professional advice,but they are knowledgeable and prepared to share information, ideas and experience in an impartial way.
The programme is free of charge and is designed to help leaders and managers make better decisionsabout their organisation's future. Mentors may, for example, act as a sounding board to help work throughor resolve a current issue or to plan a new development. Mentors won't tell your organisation what to do,but rather will provide a fresh, experienced perspective that will help challenge your thinking and give youincreased confidence about decisions.
The offer for prospective mentorsPeople with skills and experience that could help local voluntary organisations are encouraged to volunteerto become involved in the programme. Projects are short-term and enable people to take on a new projectin a consultancy role while allowing them to maintain flexibility around existing commitments.
How to get involvedIf you would like to find out more or express interest in participating, please contact Adam Chugg, 3VA’sChief Executive Officer, at [email protected].
Share your experiencesHave you worked together with another voluntary sector organisation to meet a particular challenge ormake a change – particularly where skills have been shared between organisations? We'd love to know!Please contact Adam Chugg with your story at [email protected].
3VA Registered Office 8 Saffrons RoadEastbourneEast SussexBN21 1DG
3VA Lewes OfficeBizspaceThe Malling Business Centre112 Malling StreetLewesEast SussexBN7 2RG
3VA Wealden Office79c High StreetUckfieldEast SussexTN22 1AS
01323 639 373 [email protected]: 3VA.CVSTwitter: @3VAsupportVCS
3VA is a Company limited byGuarantee Registered in England andWales Number: 4637252 Registered Charity Number: 1096788
3VA is a member of the NationalAssociation for Voluntary and Community Action (NAVCA) and theNational Council for VoluntaryOrganisations (NCVO).
3VA is supported by East SussexCounty Council, Eastbourne BoroughCouncil, Lewes District Council andWealden District Council.
If you would like to find out about advertising through 3View, 3VA’sweekly e-Newsletter and our websiteplease email [email protected].
3View Editor: Scott Roedersheimer, 3VA Marketing & Information Officer
Notices of publications, events andservices do not necessarily carry anendorsement by 3VA, nor do theyrepresent the view of 3VA.
Contact Details Diary Dates________ Social Media Marketing20 January9:30 am to 12:45 pmCohub, 1 Commercial Road, Eastbourne BN21 3XQ
East Sussex Volunteer Coordinators’ Forum 20 January10:00 am to 1:00 pmVenue TBC in Eastbourne
Writing a Fundraising Bid26 January10:00 am to 12:30 pm3VA Annexe, 8 Saffrons Road, Eastbourne BN21 1DG
Child Protection: Taking the Lead3 February10:00 am to 1:30 pm3VA Annexe, 8 Saffrons Road, Eastbourne BN21 1DG
Trustee Essentials9 February 10:00 am to 12:30 pmFleur De Lys, Hailsham Town Council, Market Street, HailshamBN27 2AE
East Sussex Volunteer Coordinators’ Forum10 February10:00 am to 1:00 pmVenue TBC in Lewes
Emergency First Aid at Work (AOFAQ, QCF Level 2)10 February9:30 am to 4:30 pm3VA Annexe, 8 Saffrons Road, Eastbourne BN21 1DG
Impact Evaluation: Demonstrating the differenceyou’re making23 February10:00 am to 12:30 pm3VA Annexe, 8 Saffrons Road, Eastbourne BN21 1DG
An Introduction to Safeguarding Vulnerable Adults1 March10:00 am to 1:00 pm3VA Annexe, 8 Saffrons Road, Eastbourne BN21 1DG
Chairs’ Lunch9 March12:30 pm to 2:00 pmChalk Farm Hotel, Coopers Hill, Eastbourne BN20 9JD
For further details and to book a place on an upcomingevent, please visit www.3va.org.uk/upcoming.
