 It was great to see so many of you at the NAVCA conference a couple of weeks ago. These things are always a bit stressful to put on, but the buzz in the room, the relationships and connections that were built, and knowledge shared really did speak to the power of local infrastructure. If you missed it, there will be a summary report out soon. One consistent thing we hear at conference is that members value space to think about the big issues which can not get enough time in our day to day working life. Climate change is a topic which often comes up – it's big and scary, what impact can we have anyway, and how do we know where to start? We are delighted to be working with Dr. Siobhan Laird, trustee lead for Environmental Sustainability at NAVCA member Voluntary Action Sheffield, to run a short carbon literacy training course, which will set you on the path or push you further along the path of making a difference. This really is something we all need to be focusing on, and this course gives an excellent, practical, focus to our actions. Volunteers Week next week is as ever a big part of our collective calendar. We have loved hearing how you focus on inclusive volunteering, and inspired by the action you have taken. See more below, with a guide pulling it all together to follow next week. I hope you have a great week, enjoy the activities you’re putting on, and celebrate volunteering in all its guises. Do tell us what your plans are. Finally, we want to share the sad news that Judy Robinson, who was NAVCA Chair until recently, died suddenly on Monday night. She was known to many from a long career in local infrastructure, and the voluntary and community sector, in the North West, Yorkshire and the Humber, and nationally. She was an amazing woman who died in a place she loved with good friends. She was a powerful advocate of communities and social justice, she fought for what she believed in, with energy and commitment. She will be remembered by many. We will in the coming days think about how we can pay tribute to her, and all she achieved for the voluntary sector. Contents: Monthly roundup Events Carbon Literacy training for NAVCA members NAVCA Climate Network - Working with Grassroots Organisations Volunteers Week: live podcast on inclusive volunteering Local election results - impact of Reform representatives Resources and support Volunteers' Week 2025 Charity Commission updates guidance on recruiting trustees Free humanitarian education for young people Policy A New Relationship: Building a Covenant for Civil Society & Government RVS digital volunteering platform Opportunities We're looking for a designer! We're looking for strategic comms support around health Monthly roundup Did you know that the NAVCA website is home to hundreds of resources, as well as a platform for members to network and chat with one another? Here's what you might have missed over the past month. Join the conversation The Connect area of the member hub helps members connect with one another and share their experiences and advice. Here are some of the latest conversations - log in to the NAVCA website to join the conversations. Ethical bank options for Climate Action (VCSE) Networks - any ideas? Do you have any experience with recording podcasts? Corporate volunteering structures - share your experience Resources
Download all member resources here. Use the search function to find specific topics, or browse by folder. Events
Carbon Literacy training for NAVCA members Discover how to reduce your organisation's costs, improve energy efficiency, and address your community's concerns about climate change by reducing your greenhouse gas emissions. This accredited carbon literacy course will enable you to identify greenhouse gas hotspots in your organisation's activities alongside practical solutions to reduce them. This interactive course covers energy use, travel, food, appliances, digital services, and finance. Climate action is a critical challenge for all VCSE organisations. This course provides essential starting points for organisations that want to tackle the climate crisis: • Talking to people about climate change and small steps that they might take; • Developing ideas for policies for your organisation that will reduce your carbon footprint. The course will be run by Dr. Siobhan Laird, Trustee Lead for Environmental Sustainability at NAVCA member Voluntary Action Sheffield and Carbon Literacy Facilitator, approved by the Carbon Literacy Project. The course costs £160 and will take place on 18 and 19 June (3 hours per day). You will receive carbon literacy certification upon completion of the course, including some independent study. You can book your place here. NAVCA Climate Network - Working with Grassroots Organisations - Weds 11th June, 3pm-4:30pm Our next Climate Network meeting, taking place on 11th June, 3pm-4:30pm, will focus on the topic 'Working with Grassroots Organisations'. With a presentation from Leeds-based Together for Peace (https://t4p.org.uk/), we will look at the challenges and learnings that come from creative, inclusive collaborative working with organisations of various sizes, and how to engage small organisations in particular around climate issues. You can register for this session via the Member's Hub Events page here. Volunteers Week: live podcast on inclusive volunteering As you unwind from a busy Volunteers Week, join us on 12 June (12pm - 1pm) to reflect on the week and discuss how we can make volunteering more inclusive in our communities. We'll be joined by Ciara Devlin, CEO of Breaking Barriers (a charity that supports refugees into meaningful employment), Holly Notcutt, Head Of Partnerships and Impact at Volunteering Matters, and more panellists to be confirmed. The session will be a live podcast hosted by Chris Wade, founder of Time for Impact, and Matt Cobble, Head of Volunteering at the MND Association. We know that NAVCA members are at the centre of making volunteering more accessible and inclusive in your local communities. We would love you to join us to hear from external organisations and learn something new. Sign up via the NAVCA website here (Lunch and Learn - Volunteers Week live podcast). Local election results - impact of Reform representatives We're hosting a meeting for NAVCA members to consider the impact of Reform elected representatives. This session will create the opportunity to share your experiences of areas with Reform elected members; to share what you have seen and its impact on communities, discuss what we know about the wider Reform agenda, and develop and share actions and strategies to counter the impact. The session is for NAVCA members who are in areas with Reform elected representatives, in areas which are at risk of voting Reform, and for others concerned about the impact the rise of Reform has. It is targeted at senior leaders, and will also be relevant to others in roles such as communications and community development. The session will take place on 25 June, 2pm - 3:30pm. You can sign up via the NAVCA website here. Resources and support Volunteers' Week 2025 Volunteers' Week is just around the corner (Mon 2 June - Sun 8 June) and this year they're aiming to thank more volunteers than ever before. Help celebrate, recognise and celebrate all your volunteers and those who impact your life by sharing your stories and celebrations with #VolunteersWeek. Download free resources here, included branded assets, Canva templates, banners and more. NAVCA Inclusive Volunteering Guide Over the past couple of months, we have been reaching out to NAVCA members and volunteer involving organisations to find out what they find most difficult when it comes to making volunteering as accessible and inclusive as it can be. We then reached out to NAVCA members to hear your top tips and stories about inclusive volunteering, which we have compiled into a guide that you can use and share with your networks. We have been sharing member stories on social media all week, and will be launching the guide there next week. Follow us to see all the latest updates! Charity Commission updates guidance on recruiting trustees The Charity Commission has updated its guidance on recruiting trustees. The regulator is encouraging charities to use the guidance to help improve their recruitment and induction practices. The refreshed guidance focuses on practical steps charities can take to connect with a broader range of candidates, and to identify and remove barriers that may put people off applying for the role. The updated guidance encourages charities to write and keep under review their trustee role description and to distinguish between what is required and what can be learnt in the role. It highlights ways to reach more candidates such as posting ads via social media or using organisations that offer trustee finder services. It signposts a range of free resources to help charities reach as many people as possible. The regulator has expanded the induction section of its guidance to help charities not only recruit successfully to the role but also retain new trustees. Find out more here and share with your local networks. Free humanitarian education for young peopleBritish Red Cross is piloting an innovative free programme of humanitarian education for educators of young people aged 11-18 years. Through a blend of digital and in-person CPD sessions, it’s designed to give you the skills, knowledge and confidence to navigate difficult topics in your classroom or youth setting. The initial two courses available are Teaching about War and Conflict and Teaching First Aid. Sign up to the programme to access these free CPD courses, relevant teaching resources that can be seamlessly integrated into your lessons or activities, and ongoing support from our team of experienced educators. Click here for more information and to sign up. Policy A New Relationship: Building a Covenant for Civil Society & Government The National Council for Voluntary Organisations (NCVO) and the Association of Chief Executives of Voluntary Organisations (ACEVO) have published a new report: “A New Relationship: Building a Covenant for Civil Society & Government.” This report includes key findings about the relationship between civil society and government, and makes recommendations for the development and implementation of the forthcoming Civil Society Covenant. These findings and recommendations are based on the engagement activities NCVO and ACEVO conducted in 2024. RVS digital volunteering platform# Royal Voluntary Service are developing a new digital volunteer platform to help VCS organisations recruit volunteers. You can find out more about the platform on the RVS website, and sign up to attend a 30 minute webinar to find out more. NAVCA is currently in conversation with RVS about the platform and how it will operate in relation to local infrastructure, and we will keep you updated. Opportunities We're looking for strategic comms support around health We are looking for support around a dedicated communications campaign that showcases the value of local VCSE organisations in driving community-led health solutions across Integrated Care Systems (ICSs). We have identified the role of the local VCSE sector in health as the starting point for this campaign. We are currently designing a series of visually compelling resources, primarily infographics, to illustrate the sector’s value and impact within Integrated Care Systems (ICSs). These will be designed to promote understanding and increase recognition among a wider range of NHS and local government stakeholders. We are looking for a provider who understands the local VCSE sector, LIOs, ICS-VCSE Alliances and our external stakeholders. We need a provider with experience of developing a strategic approach to communications, who can help us develop a strategic communications plan, give practical advice, support and tools to implement it and be used beyond the period of engagement. Click here to download the full brief. If you can recommend someone, please forward them the tender, and share with your networks. The deadline for submissions is 8 June 2025. We're looking for a designer!We're looking for a designer! We need a series of six infographics that promote understanding and showcase the value and impact of the local VCSE sector within integrated health systems. If you're a fantastic designer with an understanding of the voluntary sector and health systems, we want to hear from you. Download the full brief here, and please share with your networks to help us find the right person. Comments are closed.
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