Pembrokeshire Voice Llais Sir Benfro Contents Issue / Rhif 65 Winter / Gaeaf 2014 Deadline for the next edition is: 20th February 2015 Email: [email protected] Pembrokeshire Association of Voluntary Services Cymdeithas Gwasanaethau Gwirrfoddol Sir Benfro 36 - 38 High Street, Haverfordwest, Pembrokeshire, SA61 2DA 36 - 38 Y Stryd Fawr, Hwlffordd, Sir Benfro, SA61 2DA Tel: 01437 769422 Fax/Ffacs: 01437 769431 1 Foreword 2 News from the Board 4 Volunteering 9 Policy Engagement 13 Governance & Funding 15 Social Enterprise 19 ICT 23 Foreword MERRY CHRISTMAS, HAPPY HANUKKAH AND MARI LWYD! This festive edition of Pembrokeshire Voice provides an opportunity to look back at the highlights of the past few months, as well as a chance to look ahead at what awaits us in the New Year. The last couple of months have seen some notable events in the PAVS calendar. At the beginning of October, around 40 representatives of third sector organisations met with Pembrokeshire County Council officers and elected members as part of the public consultation on Council savings. In the context of the need to save around £50 million over the next four years, there was constructive discussion with some innovative and creative ideas for new models of service delivery. The PAVS Annual General Meeting provided a further opportunity to “Re-Imagine Public Services” (see separate report) in advance of a second meeting with Pembrokeshire County Council, scheduled to take place sometime in January. On 10th November, PAVS hosted a workshop at its office in Haverfordwest to discuss the development of a local Third Sector Scheme and associated Codes of Practice for funding and volunteering. Simultaneous workshops were also held in CAVS and CAVO, the County Voluntary Councils for Carmarthenshire and Ceredigion. All three satellite workshops included a live webcast link to the PAVO (Powys Association of Voluntary Organisations) annual conference in Builth Wells to hear keynote speeches from the Chair of the Powys Local Service Board and Paul Dear, Head of the Third Sector Unit within Welsh Government. Participants in the CVC workshops were also able to take part in the question and answer session that followed. The technology held up well and we hope to do more of the same in the New Year. The annual Pembrokeshire Funding Fair took place on 18 th November, with the usual mix of funder exhibition stands and a programme of workshops on sustainable funding and fundraising. The Fair was well-attended with excellent feedback from funders and participants alike – see report later in this newsletter. On the negative side, the past few months have seen the end of two European funded projects in PAVS. Collaborative Communities finished at the end of June and the RDP Axis 3 project providing ICT development support to voluntary and community groups finished in November. Three more projects are due to finish in March 2015 which place jobs at risk and threaten future service delivery. Welsh Government has confirmed a minimum 4.2% reduction in core funding for CVCs and volunteer centres – further cuts might still be announced. There is also increasing pressure from Welsh Government for CVCs to enter into merger arrangements across the new public service boundaries proposed by the Williams Commission. Despite reductions in funding and the move towards regional working arrangements, PAVS is making every effort to secure the local delivery of support for voluntary and community groups in Pembrokeshire. Read the Annual General Meeting report later in this newsletter for more details of the Board commitment to sustain local service delivery. Although the future is challenging, there is good reason to remain optimistic. PAVS is a member of Arwain Sir Benfro, the Pembrokeshire Local Action Group (LAG) facilitated by PLANED which has responsibility for the LEADER element of the new Rural Development Plan funding programme. LAG members have all contributed to the publication of a Local Development Strategy (LDS), submitted to Welsh Government at the end of September. Although formal approval from Welsh Government is still awaited, the LDS provides a framework for investment of LEADER funding from 2015 onwards. The Strategy focuses on developing a robust local infrastructure for service delivery based around community 2 Foreword associations, town & community councils, elected members, community buildings, community transport and active citizenship. We are looking forward to working with PLANED and other LAG partners to deliver the outcomes of the LDS. The Pembrokeshire third sector is also well-positioned to provide the new models of service delivery that are needed in the present economic climate. This is evidenced by the new PIVOT service delivered and designed by a consortium of third sector service providers including Age Cymru Pembrokeshire, British Red Cross, Care & Repair and PACTO (Pembrokeshire Association of Community Transport Organisations). The service, which is funded through the Intermediate Care Fund, helps reduce unnecessary hospital admissions by providing access to a package of support, primarily provided by local voluntary and community groups. Since July, this new service has prevented over 130 unnecessary hospital admissions which not only saves the Health Board money but also delivers better outcomes for the people concerned. The PIVOT service is just one example of the way the sector can respond to meet service needs. PAVS looks forward to working with third sector providers and statutory partners to find more innovative solutions to service challenges in 2015. This edition of the newsletter contains the usual mix of interesting and informative articles which we hope you find useful. Happy reading – and very best wishes for Christmas and the New Year to you all. Sue Leonard Chief Officer John Gossage Chairman ‘Have Your Say’ Pembrokeshire County Council Consultations Pembrokeshire County Council maintains an ongoing programme of consultations on its website at www.pembrokeshire.gov.uk . Current consultations include a review of policy for rate relief for registered charities and community amateur sports clubs – closing date 27/2/15. Pembrokeshire County Council would like views on: 1. Whether we should withdraw some or all of the discretionary element of mandatory rate relief 2. The principle of retaining some or all of the discretionary element of mandatory tax relief for local charities and CASCs whilst withdrawing some or all of this discretion for national charities 3. If we adopt a principle of favouring local organisations, we would like your views on how this should be done : A local organisation is any organisation whose registered office is within Pembrokeshire? A local organisation is a Charity or CASC whose area of benefit is Pembrokeshire only? How do we decide if organisations are local if they are also part of a federated structure such as: Citizens’ Advice Bureaux; Age Cymru or People First? 4. Whether we should prioritise our financial support to registered Charities or to CASCs? Further information and a copy of the response form and other consultations can be found on the ‘Have Your Say’ page of Pembrokeshire County Council’s web site. 3 News from the Board In July, Cllr Keith Lewis joined the Board as a Special Advisor, having been nominated by the Leader of Pembrokeshire County Council as the Cabinet member with responsibility for the third sector. Since his appointment, Cllr Lewis has made a valuable contribution to the work of the Board, and we look forward to working closely with him in future. In October, Board members and PAVS senior officers attended training on the new Statement of Recommended Practice for Charities Accounting delivered by Shirley David from BEST. The session focused on the requirements of the new accounting standards and reinforced the need to demonstrate community benefit in the Trustees Report. In addition to PAVS Board meetings, Trustees have attended meetings of the Pembrokeshire Voluntary Sector Liaison Group; the Mid & West Wales Regional Leadership Group and the Wales Association of County Voluntary Councils. PAVS bids farewell to long-serving Board member Long-standing PAVS Board member, Beryl Thomas-Cleaver, took the difficult decision not to stand for re-election at the Annual General Meeting on 5th December, making way for a new Trustee to join the Board (see AGM report for full details). Beryl has been a member of the PAVS Board since the Association came into being in 1997. After 9 years of service, the Constitution required Beryl to stand down from the Board for a period of at least 12 months, but she stood for re-election at the earliest possible opportunity! Beryl’s commitment to PAVS and to the good governance of the Association has been second to none. PAVS Chair, John Gossage, said: “On behalf of the whole Board, I would like to express sincere thanks to Beryl for her extraordinary contribution to PAVS and the work of the Board. As Chair, I could always rely on Beryl to challenge when appropriate; give praise when due and always to champion the Pembrokeshire voluntary sector. Board meetings will not be the same without her and I know I speak for all Board members in wishing Beryl all the very best for the future.” Sue Leonard, PAVS Chief Officer, expressed her sadness at Beryl’s decision to step down from the Board: “Beryl is definitely one of a kind, completely committed to voluntary and community groups in Pembrokeshire, and a loyal member of the PAVS Board. Over the years, she has given up a huge amount of time to help PAVS, particularly in the early days when she got the organisation up and running. On behalf of the whole staff team, I would like to thank Beryl for her hard work and dedication over the years – she will always receive a warm welcome here at PAVS.” Beryl Thomas-Cleaver 4 News from the Board ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING - REPORT PAVS Annual General Meeting (AGM) for the year ended 31st March 2014 took place on Friday 5th December at Crundale Community Hall. Around 65 people attended the event, which combined the business of the AGM with presentations and workshops on the theme of Re-Imagining Public Services. The session ended with an excellent seasonal buffet and an opportunity to chat with colleagues and catch up on the news! The business of the AGM started at 10.30am with Chair, John Gossage, welcoming everyone to the meeting. The Minutes of the previous AGM held in December 2013 were presented and adopted as a true record. Bernie Scourfield, Trustee with Special Responsibility (TSR) for Finance, presented an overview of the Association’s accounts for the year under review. It was noted that gross income for the year had risen by £87,681 (8.57%) to £1,110,719 and that this had been due to an increase in restricted funds, primarily the BIG Lottery Community Voice programme. It was further confirmed that resources expended had increased by £116,372 (11.16%) to £1,158,826 resulting in a deficit of £48,108 before transfers. Following transfers, there was a small deficit for the year amounting to £9,107 which was met from general reserves. The TSR Finance stated that PAVS had ended the year with reserves (general funds) amounting to £226,969. It was noted that the Board had also set aside £65,000 to ensure continued delivery of funding and governance support services (£45,000) and to pump-prime the development of community benefit projects (£20,000) in 2014-2015. Overall, the TSR Finance was pleased to confirm that the financial position of the Association remained strong. However, it was noted that PAVS faced difficult financial challenges in light of core funding reductions and the closure of European funded projects. In response to a question from the floor, the TSR Finance explained that general reserves were calculated on the basis of the amount of money needed to manage an orderly wind-down of the Association and cover all redundancy and pension-related payments. It was noted that the target level of reserves for the period under review had been set at £240,000 so there was a shortfall in the actual reserves position. Alun Evans from Messrs Bevan & Buckland (PAVS’ Auditors) formally presented the accounts. He drew attention to the fact that the pension liability had significantly reduced when compared to the previous year due to strong market performance of investments. 5 News from the Board It was noted that the improvement in the actuarial valuation of the pension liability had resulted in a positive balance sheet for the Association. Mr Evans confirmed that the finances of the Association were well-managed by professional and well-qualified members of staff within the Finance team, and recommended that the accounts for 2013/14 be received by the membership. This was agreed by all present. The Chair, John Gossage, then presented the Annual Review for 2013/2014, which once again highlighted the excellent work carried out by PAVS staff over the reporting period. He paid tribute to the work of the whole staff team under the leadership of Chief Officer, Sue Leonard. The dominant theme of work for 2013-2014 had been the Welsh Government review of its relationship with the third sector in Wales under the banner Continuity and Change. John expressed his thanks to all who had participated in the review, particularly those organisations who had taken the time to submit their own responses. The voice of the Pembrokeshire third sector had certainly been heard! The outcome of the review had been broadly positive, with Welsh Government re-affirming its commitment to the sector and reiterating its belief in the vital contribution to community resilience and the vitality of civil society made by local volunteers. John explained that the momentum towards regional working was growing ever stronger, with the outcome of the Williams Commission pointing the way to fewer Local Authorities in Wales. However, the view of the Board was that PAVS should remain a local organisation delivering local services, working closely with CVCs across the region where it made sense to do so. He went on to outline the potential role of town and community councils and the third sector in filling the gap that would open up between merged Local Authorities and local citizens and communities. John then paid tribute to the excellent work of the PAVS Board and expressed his regret that long-standing Board member, Beryl Thomas-Cleaver, had decided to stand down: “Good governance is absolutely essential to the long-term success of any organisation. So I am deeply indebted to the Trustees who served on the Board during this year which ended in March 2014. They freely give their time, skills, knowledge and experience for the benefit of the Association. I remain wholly confident that the Board will continue to provide a strong strategic lead to PAVS in the year ahead, which promises to be very challenging. Beryl Thomas-Cleaver has given many years of service to the Association since its inception, including having chaired the Board, but in recent months she has found the state of her health to be an increasing barrier to doing the job in a the way she would wish. She has therefore decided not to offer herself for re-election, and whilst I respect her decision, I shall also miss her trenchant contribution to board meetings where I feel that she has always kept 6 News from the Board us collectively in touch with perspectives that are widely shared throughout the county and which we would ignore at our peril. A formal vote of thanks to Beryl was proposed from the floor and was unanimously supported by all present. Finally, John thanked PAVS’ funders, partners and members for their support during the year without which the Association would not have been able to function and flourish. PAVS Chief Officer, Sue Leonard, added her thanks to the Trustees, staff team, members and funders for their support during the year: “I would like to thank the Board of Trustees for their support and guidance during the year and for their help in making difficult decisions. I am particularly grateful to John Gossage who has once again put an extraordinary number of hours into the role of Chair. In addition to the schedule of Board meetings, John has attended local, regional and national meetings and has also taken the time to phone me on a regular basis for a catch-up on PAVS’ news. I have very much appreciated his wise counsel and practical hands-on support during the year. “I also want to pay tribute to the hard work and dedication of the whole staff team. PAVS is only as good as the staff we employ and thankfully we have well-qualified and experienced staff across the whole organisation, many of whom have been with us for more than 10 years. I am grateful to you for everything you do and for your ongoing support. “Finally, we have once again appreciated the support offered to us this year by our members and colleagues in the voluntary sector and by our partner organisations who support and fund us. We look forward to continuing to work with you all.” The Chair then formally presented the Annual Review 2013/14 to the members and it was unanimously agreed to accept the document. It was proposed and unanimously agreed that Messrs Bevan & Buckland be re-appointed as auditors for the financial year 2014/15. The final item of business was the election of Trustees to the Board. The Chair explained that one-third of elected Trustees had to step down from the Board each year, but could stand for re-election to a maximum term of nine years. This year, Beryl Thomas-Cleaver and Simon Preddy had been required to step down from the Board, with Simon wishing to stand for re-election. It was reported that PAVS had received one other trustee nomination from a member organisation Dale Community Forum, who had put forward Rosemary Mecklenburgh for election to the Board. It was unanimously agreed that Simon Preddy and Rosemary Mecklenburgh should be elected to the PAVS Board for 2015. There being no other business, the AGM concluded at 11.05am 7 News from the Board Immediately following the AGM, Sue Leonard introduced the session on Re-Imagining Public Services, which followed on from the Pembrokeshire County Council Savings Consultation meeting with the third sector in October. Two case studies presented by Jane Slade (Age Cymru Pembrokeshire) and Helen Murray (PLANED) demonstrated how the third sector could contribute to public service delivery and community resilience. Jane described the PIVOT service, funded by the Welsh Government Intermediate Care Fund and delivered in partnership with British Red Cross, PACTO and Care & Repair. She reported that, since launching the new service in July, PIVOT had supported 133 people to remain in their own homes rather than being admitted to hospital. Jane Slade, Age Cymru Pembrokeshire Helen described the process that had started with a community visioning event and action plan and had led to the demolition and re-building of The Regency Hall in Saundersfoot. She paid tribute to the hard work of volunteers in the community and to the many partners and funders who had come together to make the new hall a reality. The Hall had been designed to incorporate services, such as the library, playgroup, etc and provided an invaluable resource for community-led service provision. Helen Murray, PLANED Following the case studies, participants moved into one of four workshops covering services for children and young people; environmental services; Age Friendly Communities and designing a sustainable local service delivery infrastructure. All workshops generated lively and constructive discussion and lots of good ideas. The conversations continued over an excellent seasonal buffet, which brought the event to a delicious close! A full report on the Re-Imagining Public Services event will be published shortly and will form the basis of a further meeting with Pembrokeshire County Council scheduled to take place in January. 8 Volunteering PAVS Volunteer Ceri Price receives her well-earned Treats for Time reward Ceri Price is one of our most recent volunteers to compete 50 hours and receive her Treats fro Time reward, volunteering here at PAVS helping with reception duties and administration. Ceri enjoyed a massage with Pembrokeshire Massage, also our most recent business to join the scheme as a Treat Provider. Ceri joined the PAVS team in the Summer and has been an enormous support to the administration department. Ceri said: “Having been in business and run multi million pound projects for more than 20 years, I eventually became unwell. Having not been able to work for 2 years, I was very scared of getting back into the work place. I heard of an opportunity to volunteer with PAVS and it is the best move that I have made this year. I was very nervous about meeting the team, learning to operate the switchboard and trying to put names to faces etc but I was made very welcome, supported fully until I was ready to make each new step forward and now after 4 months it feels as though I have always been here. Some days I still get poorly but if I am unable to work, the team are always very understanding and kind. My selfconfidence is definitely improving and it is helping me to get some structure back in my life. I also registered with the Treats for Time incentive scheme which enabled me to claim a treat to the value of £50 once I had completed 50 hours volunteering. I used my treat to have 2 hours of massage with Pembrokeshire Massage which is a wonderful luxury that I wouldn’t have been able to afford since being off work. I would highly recommend volunteering to anybody and particularly with PAVS who are so kind, supportive and encouraging.” 9 Volunteering Integrated Offender Management (IOM) is an approach aimed at the management of priority groups of high risk offenders. The aim of IOM is to help local delivery partners: Jointly reduce crime Reduce levels of re-offending Improve public confidence in the criminal justice system; and Tackle the exclusion of offenders and their families This multi-agency approach involves partner agencies working together to offer clients support and encouragement to stay out of trouble, as well as providing assistance to gain the necessary training and skills for a brighter future. However it is not a soft option for such offenders and they are placed under no illusion that they must face up to their responsibilities and stop their offending behaviour or face the consequences! The scheme offers individuals support with the following issues: Accommodation Drug and alcohol misuse Children and Families Health (mental and physical) Finance, benefits & debt Attitude, thinking and behaviour Employment, training and education There are 4 IOM schemes within Dyfed Powys: Transform / Trawsnewid in Carmarthenshire New Road / Ffordd Newydd in Ceredigion Cleddau in Pembrokeshire PROP (Powys Reducing Offending Project) in Powys Each scheme has a co-located hub (2 in Powys) staffed by dedicated IOM Police and Probation officers who work jointly to manage the individuals on the scheme. Potential clients are identified through multi-agency referrals and scored using a Selection and Scoring Matrix to assess their suitability. Once accepted onto the scheme an Initial Needs Assessment will be undertaken to allow the clients to identify what they believe are the issues that make them offend, as well as providing them with an opportunity to highlight their needs. Following this, an individual Action Plan will be developed. The main benefits of IOM are that it: Improves compliance Offers assistance to keep away from crime Helps criminal justice agencies execute the sentences of the Court more effectively Strengthens communications to victims Improves information sharing between agencies about an offenders risk and needs Improves public confidence Some of the agencies involved in IOM are: Dyfed Powys Police Wales Probation (CRC & NPS) 10 Volunteering Local Authority (Housing and Social Services) Community Safety Partnerships Housing Associations Job Centre Plus / Careers Wales HM Prison Service Drug Intervention Programme and Community Drug and Alcohol Teams Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service; and Hywel Dda University Health Board The schemes are also looking to engage with voluntary agencies to provide individuals with opportunities to undertake voluntary placements / work experience, diversionary activities and peer mentoring or counselling. Husband and Wife Pat and Roy Thomas Volunteering Story Pat and Roy Thomas have combined service of over 100 years. They have seen many changes during their service, in training, introduction of new services to the Red Cross, and many organisational restructures which has brought the organisation to a new and advanced level, to where we provide a very professional service. Roy joined British Red Cross Service in 1957 and Pat joined in 1970 the year they were married. Roy was a British Red Cross Commercial and Members Trainer & Assessor for twenty two years, travelling throughout Pembrokeshire, training and assessing candidates for first Aid competencies. They are both involved with Events First Aid duties, at various public events, and occasionally providing first aid cover all over Wales. Pat and Roy won the Over 25 Pembrokeshire Volunteering Award Volunteering They were privileged to be part of the First Aid cover at the Olympics at Weymouth 2012. They might be at a huge stadium concert one week, then a village fete the next but whatever the event, they are ready to help as soon as things go wrong. In the event of an accident or emergency, they are on hand to provide practical and maybe life-saving help. Due to the specialised high level delivery of training at Red Cross, they were able to set up a Community First Responder Scheme in St David’s in conjunction with the Wales Ambulance Trust, dealing with life threatening emergency calls in the community. The nearest Ambulance Station is twenty five minutes away providing there is an ambulance at the station. The Ambulance Control decide on the call categories when dealing with the 999 calls 11 Volunteering - when calls are deemed to be life threatening (Cardiac Arrests, Haemorrhages, Seizures or Unconsciousness) Ambulance Control Staff will alert and mobilise the Community First Responder Team. During their ten years of service as Community First Responders, they have dealt with many lifesaving interventions, numerous cardiac arrests and to date have saved two lives. This is an additional voluntary service they provide to the community whenever they are required. One of the most memorable Community First Responder calls they attended was to a collapsed male who was on holiday from England with his wife. He had suffered a cardiac arrest. Everything possible was done to revive the patient. The local GP attended but could not save the patient’s life. After everything was over, Pat and Roy noticed the wife was on her own and their care of duty kicked in. They took her to their home so that she could have some peace after the ordeal of losing her husband. Roy drove her late husband's car initially back to their house. After a long while they offered to take her to Withybush Hospital to see her husband in a more peaceful setting. They then made sure she had a hot meal and drove her back to where they were staying at Laugharne. Her family travelled down from Oxford and Pat and Roy remained with her until her family arrived so that she would not be left on her own. The normal duration of a Community First Responder call is around 1 to 2 hrs. This call lasted almost ten hours. Pat and Roy are currently the Wales Volunteer Council representatives for South West Wales. (Pembrokeshire, Carmarthenshire & Ceredigion). This includes giving volunteers a voice and an opportunity to influence local and national issues. They help to develop the Red Cross locally as a vibrant and attractive organisation. Each representative is there to ensure that relevant issues are raised and communicated between the council and the volunteers they represent. They arrange Forums each year, which enable volunteers to come together to discuss local and national issues, and celebrate their achievements. Pat and Roy are an inspirational couple, totally devoted and dedicated to the British Red Cross. They are highly valued members of the Red Cross, generous with their time and extremely passionate about their volunteer work. St David’s community has benefitted greatly from the Community First Responder service they set up. They continue to make a difference to people’s life’s led by their deep care and commitment to helping others. Nothing is ever too much trouble for Pat and Roy and they are always willing to help and are always smiling. 25+V – The new rewards scheme for over 25s PAVS Volunteering Pembrokeshire has launched a new pilot project to recognise people aged 25 and over for their volunteering. Certificates will be awarded for 50, 100 and 200 hours of volunteering, accrediting their contribution to the community. The scheme will reflect the Millennium Volunteer Scheme which has formally recognised volunteering for 14 to 15 year olds since 2000. If you would like to find out more or would like to backdate up to 50 hours or 3 months of volunteering to get your first certificate then get in touch with Caroline White, PAVS Volunteering Coordinator on 01437 769422 or email [email protected]. 12 Planning & Policy Engagement Pembrokeshire Single Integrated Plan Annual Review 2013- 2014 The Single Integrated Plan 2013-2018 sets out the issues which are important to Pembrokeshire and how organisations will set about tackling the issues. The Annual Review should tell us whether the plan has made a difference over the last year. The review is a self-assessment of the progress made during the first year of implementing the Plan. Whilst the review has taken place within the context of greater than expected public sector spending cuts, it also points to stronger relationships being formed between organisations. The report highlights examples of the projects and developments that have taken place during 2013-14 towards achieving the six stated outcomes of the strategy: • Children, young people and families have the opportunity to fulfil their learning potential and to live healthy and happy lives • Pembrokeshire has a competitive, productive and sustainable economy • People in Pembrokeshire enjoy an attractive, sustainable and diverse environment • People in Pembrokeshire are healthier • Children and adults are safeguarded • Communities in Pembrokeshire feel safe The review describes the progress in delivering each outcome. It captures the work done and identifies the emerging issues and priorities for 2014-2015, illustrating the impact made through case studies. The annual score card at page 46 provides an indication of whether performance has improved, stayed the same or declined over the last 12 months. In looking to the future, identifying priorities for 2014-2015 also involved feedback from the voluntary and community groups (third sector) expressed at the annual Public Services Day in Pembrokeshire. A particular challenge to future planning is the extent to which the recommendations of the Williams Commission will be implemented and the implications this may have for partner organisations and LSBs. The future role of Local Service Boards will also be influenced by the development of the Wellbeing of Future Generations (Wales) Bill. This Bill proposes to make LSBs statutory bodies as Public Service Boards in each Local Authority area, be more prescriptive regarding the membership of LSBs and make the next edition of Single Integrated Plans statutory Well-Being Plans from 2018. The Single Integrated Plan, and the 2013-2014 Annual review can be found on Pembrokeshire County Council’s web site www.pembrokeshire.gov.uk PAVS currently represents the third sector on the Local Service Board and most of its partnerships. Further information can be found at the PAVS web site : www.pembs-networking.org.uk/localserviceboard.html 13 Policy Engagement Investors in Carers A Carer is someone, of any age, who provides unpaid support to family or friends who could not manage without this help. This could be caring for a relative, partner or friend who is ill, frail, disabled or has mental health or substance misuse problems. Anyone can become a Carer; in most cases becoming a Carer is not out of choice, it just happens. The Investors in Carers scheme is a framework of good practice, designed for GP Practices in the Hywel Dda University Health Board area. GP practices can support Carers in their county. Help for Carers could be provided by Social Services, local Carers Project or any other Voluntary Organisation supporting Carers, or the Carer just meeting like-minded people and having a life outside their caring role. In Pembrokeshire the GP surgeries have nearly all (the last one is currently being assessed) successfully gained and revalidated their Bronze award. Solva Surgery receiving their Bronze award at the St Davids Dementia Friendly Communities launch event (left to right) Sue Lewis (HDUHB County Director for Pembrokeshire), Councillor Mike James (Carers Champion for Pembrokeshire County Council), Helen Phillips (Senior Receptionist) and Lucy Harries (Practice Nurse) from Solva Surgery, and Sian Marie James (HDUHB Board Vice Chair). Many surgeries have now established a Carer Lead or Champion, someone who can act as an in-practice contact point for Carers. Pembrokeshire has set up a network of Carer leads which helps support Carers and share information about support and events for Carers. The first Pembrokeshire Carer Lead network event took place in September where participants learned more about identifying Carers and the support services that are available to Carers. Hospitals, Pharmacies and Schools The Investors in Carers scheme is also piloting work with community pharmacies, hospital wards (including older adult mental health) and is working on the pilot for schools and colleges. This will mean that more Carers can be identified and signposted to support. The first Pharmacy to gain their Bronze award in Pembrokeshire is St Davids Pharmacy. Presentation of their certificate here made to St Davids Pharmacy (left to right) is Sue Lewis (HDUHB County Director for Pembrokeshire), Mair Phillips & Helen Cuesta from the pharmacy, Councillor Mike James (Carers Champion for Pembrokeshire County Council) and Sian Marie James (HDUHB Board Vice Chair). 14 Policy Engagement You can register as a Carer Part of the IiC scheme is to encourage Carers to register with their surgery. If you are a Carer and would like to receive any help and support then ask at your surgery to fill in a Carers registration form. On this form you can choose to register with your GP surgery as well as to have a referral for further help and support, this could be to sign up to a regular Carers Newsletter, an Information pack or a Carers Needs Assessment. Further Information For further details of the scheme and the work that is being done for Carers in Pembrokeshire please contact Julie Campbell, Investors in Carers Development Officer (based in PAVS) on 01437 769422 email [email protected] Governance & Funding Alcohol & entertainment licensing updates for voluntary organisations. There have been recent updates to licencing legislation which will affect voluntary groups, see www.sandy-a.co.uk/legal.htm for further information. Changes include the following: New community and ancillary sellers notice (CAN) for small-scale provision of alcohol at community events Home Office consultation until 9 December on a new community and ancillary sellers notice (CAN) covering voluntary organisations, charities etc providing alcohol ancillary to an event, to people who have paid for the drink or have paid or made a donation to attend the event. At present such provision, even if the drink is described as free or complimentary, requires a premises licence or temporary event notice. The CAN will provide a light touch alternative. www.sandy-a.co.uk/activities.htm#alcohol-can Temporary event notices (TENs) From January 2016 the number of temporary event notices that can be used in a calendar year for the same premises will be increased from 12 to 15. www.sandy-a.co.uk/activities.htm#alcohol-ten Personal alcohol licences Under changes in the pipeline, personal licences for the sale of alcohol will last indefinitely, rather than needing to be renewed every 10 years. But beware: the Deregulation Bill bringing in this change has not gone through Parliament yet. If it is delayed, licences issued in February 2005, at the start of the licensing regime, may still need to be renewed. www.sandy-a.co.uk/activities.htm#alcohol-personallicence Locally set licensing fees Awaiting outcome of consultation in early 2014 on fees under the Licensing Act 2003 (for premises licences, temporary event notices and club premises certificates) being set by local authorities rather than centrally. www.sandy-a.co.uk/activities.htm#licensingact-fees Regulated entertainment (music, dance, plays, film shows, indoor sports events etc) Exemptions from licensing that have been in the pipeline for more than a year are likely to come into effect on 6 April 2015. www.sandy-a.co.uk/activities.htm#entertainment-deregulation 15 Governance & Funding Guidance on organising Community Events The Cabinet Office have issued The "Can Do" guide to organising and running voluntary and community events, aiming to dispel myths about regulations that do and don't apply to such events. Its seven sections cover: Planning an event: objectives; planning and sharing the work; bookings, permissions and licences that might be needed; safety, access issues and insurance; budget; publicity; planning the day or days in detail; after the event. Licences and other permissions: raffles, lotteries, bingo and race nights; entertainment; alcohol. Keeping organisers, volunteers and participants safe: general issues; fire safety. Food safety: making sure food is safe; when food has to be labelled. Road closure. Insurances. Sources of specialist guidance for community events; street parties; fireworks displays and Chinese/sky lanterns; cycling events; road running races; car treasure hunts; the Big Lunch; Our Big Gig; children's play. The Can Do guide is on the Gov.uk website via tinyurl.com/nsoe5ug. HMRC News Tax and VAT HMRC has rewritten and integrated its guidance on VAT for charities. This guidance cancels and replaces guidance which has been in place since January 1995. The VAT Notice 701/1: Charities is available on the www.gov.uk website. Joint registration between Charity Commission and HMRC delayed Plans for the Charity Commission and HMRC to set up a joint registration process for charities are likely to be delayed until 2016, the Commission has said. The Commission also said it hoped to have a new searchable register up and running by Christmas, but that this was subject to external factors which it could not control. And it said it would consult early next year on allowing charities to file their accounts using iXBRL, a system which is already required of larger charities and charitable companies by HMRC. This which would allow charities to file accounts in digital form rather than sending in PDFs or physical copies. Under the current registration system, charities must register with the Charity Commission if their income rises above £5,000, unless they are exempt under one of a number of pieces of legislation, or unless they are a member of one of a number of religious denominations, including the Church of England, which are excepted from registration unless their income rises above £100,000. Charities must also separately register with HM Revenue & Customs if they want to claim gift aid and other tax reliefs. Charities may register with HMRC without being registered with the Charity Commission and many thousands of charities are. To register with the Commission charities must meet three conditions in order to register, and then HMRC separately applies a fourth condition, the management condition or “fit and proper person test”, which checks that senior staff have no record of misconduct in several areas, including fraud or tax avoidance. 16 Governance & Funding More Will – writers prompting clients to leave legacy gifts. More solicitors and will-writers are telling their clients about leaving a legacy than at any time in the last decade, research commissioned by Remember a Charity shows. Researchers produced the report for the consortium of 140 charities, which campaigns to promote legacy giving. It found that 65 per cent of solicitors and will-writers said they ‘always or sometimes’ made the charitable prompt to clients – the highest level since monitoring began in 2002 resulting in a higher proportion of their clients leaving charitable legacies in their wills. The research found that three times as many people left a gift in their will if prompted. The research is based on a telephone survey with 232 solicitors and will-writers. It also found that just over a third of solicitors and will-writers always advise clients of the inheritance tax benefits of leaving money to charity. Rob Cope, director of Remember a Charity said: “There has been a large disconnect between the 35 per cent of adults who say they’d be happy to leave a gift in their will and the 7.3 per cent who go on to do it. “Solicitors and will-writers play a crucial role in informing their clients about this form of giving. This report shows that our campaign is helping to shift charitable prompting to become a social norm, potentially generating millions for good causes a year.” Support for boosting legacy giving is growing. A further 250 solicitors signed up to support the legacy-giving campaign during Remember a Charity week in September, which was supported by the Law Society for the first time this year. The government also changed its gov.uk’s ‘making a will’ pages to directly link to Remember a Charity’s website. The government’s site is actively searched by almost 60,000 unique visitors a month. Charity Commission News Bite size guidance on changes to charity accounting January 2015 will see the application of two new charity SORPs, and a series of blogs have been created to help guide you through the various changes that your organisation may need to make. The blogs, which have been written by the charities and not for profit team at Broomfield & Alexander Chartered Accountants, highlight a number of considerations relating to the two SORPs (Statements of Recommended Practice). From looking at the revised terminology that is now used, to discussing when your implementation date will be and how you might deal with a legacy, the guidance is broken down in to user friendly bite sized updates. The full series of blogs can be found on Broomfield & Alexander's website, so take a look to find out what the new SORPs will mean for you. (WCVA newsletter) Charity Sector Workforce grows by almost 30,000 The number of people working in charities went up by 29,542 according to the accounts and annual returns filed with the Charity Commission in the year to September 2014. September 2014’s figures show that 901,955 people worked in the voluntary sector, compared to 872,413 in accounts filed in the previous year. The Commission figures are updated quarterly, and are historical figures based on accounts filed in the year. Most sets of accounts will cover the years up to March 2013, December 2013 and March 2014. Overall income within the sector rose by more than £3bn from £61.1bn to £64.84bn. Investment gains, which are not considered part of income, rose from £4.7bn to £9.39bn. 17 Governance & Funding There was a slight rise in the number of charities, from 180,692 to 180,847. The number of trustees fell from 945,532 to 943,871. Changes to the 2015 Annual Return The Charity Commission has announced changes to the annual return which will apply when charities report on their financial years ending in 2015. Changes include new question areas, which received broad support in the recent consultation on the Annual Return: In the reporting period, how much income did you receive from: contracts from central or local government to deliver services grants from central or local government? Does your charity have a policy on paying its staff? Has your charity reviewed its financial controls during the reporting period? Regulators urge the public to have a ‘Safe Xmas’ when donating to charity. The Charity Commission has teamed up with the Fundraising Standards Board (FRSB), the self-regulatory body for UK fundraising, to encourage the public to give safely to charities this Christmas by remembering the ‘Safe Xmas’ acronym. Both regulators will also be issuing the advice on social media, which can be found by following #SafeXmas. Christmas is a traditional time for giving and charities work hard to raise money during this time to fund their work throughout the year. The general public give generously to charity and in a survey of people’s giving habits last Christmas, 85% of people said they give directly to charity at Christmas, donating an average of around £40 to the good causes they care about. Almost all collections are genuine, but some people will try to abuse the generosity of others for their own gain. With some charities and supporters having experienced fraud, it is vital that the public know that their donations are going to the right place. The commission and FRSB have come together to issue a few simple tips for giving with confidence this Christmas. Remember #SafeXmas S - search for a charity’s name, registration number and landline on fundraising materials A - ask to see a collector’s ID badge and don’t be afraid to ask questions F - find the FRSB tick logo, showing that the charity’s fundraising is regulated E - ensure the collection device is sealed X - xtra information about charities can be found at www.gov.uk/charity-commission M - make sure clothing collection bags are clearly branded with a charity’s details A - always check email and web links are genuine before donating S - still unsure? Contact your favourite charity direct and donate Paula Sussex, Chief Executive of the Charity Commission, said ‘It’s great to see that people are still extremely generous to charities at Christmas, and throughout the year. We’d like to remind the public that by taking a few small steps when donating, you can ensure that your money goes to the right place. Whilst incidents of fundraising fraud are rare, they do sadly occur. Don’t be put off from giving – instead, help keep charities accountable by using the resources available to make checks when giving this season. Use the online register, ask questions and have a ‘Safe Xmas’ this year knowing you’ve made a difference.’ 18 Governance & Funding WCVA’s new online courses for Trustees In celebration of Trustees’ Week 2014 the WCVA launched two new online trustee training courses. They have been designed specifically for trustees and committee members, and can be accessed for FREE via WCVA’s Learning Zone. As a trustee it is not always possible to attend training sessions or seminars in person due to time or travel restrictions, these online courses mean you can access them when and where you like. As a trustee you have specific duties and responsibilities in running a charitable organisation, amongst which is a legal requirement to approve and submit accounts. This can be a daunting task, the interactive course titled Charity accounts for trustees offers all the help you might need in reading and understanding your accounts. In the constantly changing financial climate, your role as a trustee will also require you to consider and explore different methods of funding for your charity. More and more third sector organisations are exploring tendering for public service contracts, but the world of procurement can seem very complex at times. What role should trustees have in the process? And what are the Board's responsibilities when their organisations tender for contracts? Answers to those questions and more are be given in the introductory course titled Tendering for trustees. It provides step by step guidance about the key considerations of tendering for trustees, and by working your way through the course you can examine the key differences between grants and contracts, explore the process of tendering and improve your understanding of your duty as a trustee whose organisation is bidding for public service contracts. While this interactive online training has been designed specifically for trustees of charities and those who sit on the governing bodies of other voluntary organisations, it will also be relevant for staff who wish to gain a basic understanding of tendering. If you would like to find out more about either of these courses, sign up to the WCVA’s Learning Zone. SOCIAL ENTERPRISE CIC Quarterly report The CIC Regulator has released its latest report which includes: • a review of the last quarter (July – September) • an update on the Office of the Regulator of Community Interest Companies (CIC Regulator) team • details of the events, meetings and awareness raising sessions attended by Sara Burgess, the Regulator of Community Interest Companies (CICs) • profiles of new CICs • funding for CICs • statistics, eg the growth and distribution of CICs, the number of incorporations and conversions and the number of annual community interest company reports received by the CIC Regulator The report is available on the CIC website. Removal of Dividend Cap will encourage an increase social investment. Thanks to regulations that came in to force on 1 October 2014, there is no longer a cap on the maximum dividend that Community Interest Companies (CICs) can pay out on each share. This change, which came about with the publishing of The Community Interest Company (Amendment) Regulations 2014, has been made in a bid to remove complexity and encourage 19 Social Enterprise social investment whilst continuing to protect community assets. The results of a consultation carried out by the CIC Regulator last year found that the complexity of the system in calculating the maximum payments resulted in few CICs declaring dividends correctly, or even at all. Accordingly, the Regulator recommended that the maximum aggregate dividend cap should be retained at 35% of distributable reserves, but the dividend per share cap (which was set at 20%) should be removed. This recommendation was implemented in the amended regulations, and retaining the cap at 35% has ensured that 65% of distributable profits will still be used for the benefit of the relevant community or reinvested back into the CIC. Funding Events Event report – Pembrokeshire 2014 Funding Fair This year we welcomed a wide range of exhibitors to the Queens Hall for the annual Funding Fair. Which this year was funded by the Enterprising Communities and Making the Connections European funded projects. One of the highlights of the PAVS event calendar saw over 80 attending the event to spend time chatting to different funders and exhibitors offering services to the third sector. The event had a slightly amended format with some exciting fringe events including a fully booked Big Lottery Environmental projects workshop and Heritage Lottery Fund surgeries which happened at the PAVS Office the day before the main fair. There were presentations from a range of speakers on topics around the making the most of money theme including an update from Pembrokeshire County Council’s European Team, a talk on social investment from the WCVA and one about using free online tools to arrange events and surveys. The event included a new section of benevolent funders who support with individuals. Thank you to everyone who attended and to the exhibitors and speakers for contributing to the event. A special thank you to Lynne and Daryl at the Queen’s Hall, who both helped to make the event happen and to run smoothly. Funding events 2015 We will be running a programme of funding theme events in 2015 which will include the usual selection of funding surgeries Keep an eye out on the PAVS website for details of these as they are confirmed or sign up to the Pembrokeshire Trustee Network to make sure that you received dates and details. If there is anything specific that you would like to see on the programme then do get in touch. ***Regular funding updates are distributed through the Pembrokeshire Trustee Network, please contact the Learning and Development Team to be included on this list. E-mail [email protected]*** 20 Governance & Funding Fundraising snippets Just Giving has launched “Donate Box” a giving form which can be embedded in your website and links to a Just Giving page to enable donations to be made to your organisation. www.justgiving.com/en/about-us Social Misfits Media has published a new guide to social media fundraising in partnership with Just Giving. The guide entitled “Friends with money – a free guide to fundraising on social media” can be download for free here - http://pages.justgiving.com/friends-with-money.html Getting to know…who’s who of fundraising in Wales Spotlight on the Fundraising Standards Board The FRSB upholds the principles of best practice in fundraising as set out in the Institute of Fundraising’s Code of Fundraising Practice. This is the only UK self-regulatory scheme for fundraising. Any voluntary sector organisation can apply to the FRSB to become a member for a small fee. You are then able to use the tick logo on your website and fundraising documents to show that you are a member. For more information visit their website - www.frsb.org.uk/ Funding snippets Final deadlines for SITA Trust as site bought by new company The SITA Trust has funded some 23 groups in Pembrokeshire to a tune of nearly £600,000. Groups funded were all within a 10 mile radius of the site and recent successes include the Rhos and District Community for their community hall development. Following final deadlines in November and December 2014 SITA will no longer be accepting applications from Pembrokeshire groups. The site is being taken over by the Potter group. PAVS will be in contact with them shortly to find out whether they are likely to have any similar funding available to the community, an update will be published in the next edition of this newsletter and on our website. Santander Foundation – new funding opportunities Santander Foundation has applied the lessons learned from the Community Plus grants programme and simplified the application process for central grants and rebranded the two funding streams Learn & Grow and Money Skills. The two new grants programmes are Learn & Grow - which will support activities for disadvantaged people that improve the life, social or employment skills and Money Skills which focuses on empowering disadvantaged people to understand and take control of their money. The other exciting news is that the Community Plus local grants programme has now awarded over 1,000 grants worth more than £4 million and is now awarded monthly instead of every two months. Visit their website for more details on the three programmes – www.santanderfoundation.org.uk/ Or contact Alan Eagle, Foundation Manager at [email protected] 21 Governance & Funding The Esmee Fairbairn UK Collections Fund Open to Applications Grants of between £20,000 and £100,000 are available to museums and galleries in the UK to enable them to focus on time-limited work on collections outside the scope of an organisation's core resources. Preference will be given to proposals that have one or more of the following characteristics: Collections work that is difficult to fund from core or other sources, or is in need of partnership funding. Work at an early stage of development, where wider programmes, such as education and exhibitions, can only be fully developed as the work progresses. • Proposals where it may be difficult to guarantee tangible outcomes. • Organisations that consider the legacy of the work that is funded. Proposals that have the potential to share knowledge with other organisations through partnership working or dissemination. Proposals that have the potential to use collections to make a difference for audiences. The deadline for applications is 2 April 2015. More details here - www.esmeefairbairn.org.uk/ Third Sector Loan Fund Launched for UK Loans of between £250,000 and £3 million, at annual interest rates of between 6% and 12%, are available to support registered charities and social enterprises working to improve the economic and social well-being of individuals, particularly those who are vulnerable and disadvantaged. The funding is aimed across diversified sectors such as, but not limited to: • Jobs • Education and training • Healthcare • Disability services • Children and families • Housing • Criminal Justice • Social and Financial Inclusion • Community Development • Ageing The loans can be used for working capital, growth capital, property purchase or renovation and other capital expenditures. The Third Sector Loan Fund has been set up by fund management company Social and Sustainable Capital (SASC) with financing of £13.5 million from the high street bank Santander, £15 million from the social investment bank Big Society Capital and £1.5 million from the social finance company Social Investment Business (SIB). www.socialandsustainable.com/seeking-investment/third-sector-loan-fund/ Community Foundation in Wales With an increasing portfolio of grant schemes it is always worth checking the Community Foundation in Wales’ website to see if there is anything new available. www.cfiw.org.uk/eng/home Funding Deadlines BBC Children in Need - Small Grants Programme - 1 March 2015 Swansea City AFC Community Trust – SwansAid - 4 Apr 2015 **For the most up to date funding news please visit the PAVS website at www.pavs.org.uk** 22 Information Communication Technology Support has ended for Windows XP Is your organisation still using Windows XP? If so, you could be at risk because Microsoft ended support for Windows XP in April 2014. If you are still running this version, you won't get any more updates for Windows and your computer is at risk from harmful viruses, spyware, and other malicious software, which can steal your personal information. If you are still using Windows XP, you need to either upgrade to Windows 8 or change your system as soon as possible. To upgrade your existing machine your system will need the following minimum specification Processor: 1 gigahertz (GHz) or faster RAM: 1 gigabyte (GB) (32-bit) or 2 GB (64-bit) Hard disk space: 16 GB (32-bit) or 20 GB (64-bit) Graphics card: Microsoft DirectX 9 graphics device with WDDM driver If you are unsure how to check your device, please email our Circuit Rider, Sue, who will contact you and help you to check your PC’s specification: [email protected] SAVE your limited Funds by using TTX! Registered Charities can make big savings on software licences by registering with Technology Trust X-change(TTX) TTX is part of a global network that supplies donated products from most of the major software companies. For example, a Microsoft Office package bought on the open market will cost up to £100. By registering with TTX, the same product would cost an admin fee only of £14.00. Many other products are also available including office packages, cloud solutions and operating systems. www.tt-exchange.org/technology-trust Get Online at Home One route to upgrading your PC or Laptop, or purchasing additional equipment is to make use of the services from Get Online at Home. Originally set up to provide affordable refurbished technology to individuals on limited income, their products are now also available for anyone, including charities, to purchase at a reduced cost even if they don’t qualify for any benefits. All laptops and desktops are Microsoft guaranteed and come with a Windows 7 operating system and are linked to a Microsoft Office online trial. Options to pay for an upgrade to a higher specification are available. Prices start at from £119.00 for non-qualifying buyers. www.getonlineathome.org/ 23 Information Communication Technology FREE Software If you don’t qualify for registration with TTX but need to upgrade your software, there are Free and Open Source (FOSS) options that can provide you with a full office package, compatible with most other software and easy to download. Both Libre Ofiice and Open Office provide a suite of tools that look and feel familiar to anyone who has used office packages. They suites include tools for word processing, spread sheets, presentations and all the most used office products. For more information or to download go to www.libreoffice.org and www.openoffice.org Security Whatever equipment, operating system or software you use, you will always need to make sure that you are protected from anything damaging or stealing your data when using the internet. Make sure that your antivirus is up to date, don’t open links in unexpected emails and use a Firewall. Most Microsoft machines have an inbuilt Firewall but if you aren’t sure what you have or need further information please email [email protected] to discuss your security needs. Cloud! What’s that? The cloud is basically making use of the internet for anything that you want to do. This can as simple as email, such as Gmail or Hotmail, or running a whole organisation online using Microsoft 365. For small organisations, collaborating and sharing information can be a problem when you are dispersed, working from home or have no premises. The cloud can be really useful and providing you have an internet connection you could share documents, pictures and diaries online. Google Drive is free up to a certain level and provides an online office suite with all the familiar tools that can be shared, downloaded or edited on the go. www.drive.google.com One Drive provides free online storage up to 15GB with a stripped back version of Microsoft Office tools that can be used online and shared with others or downloaded. www.onedrive.live.com And Finally! Whatever your needs, and however you work, there will be a solution that fits your organisation! Front cover picture: Gelli, Pembrokeshire 24
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