Forced Marriage & Honour Based Violence Training
The session is aimed at developing an understanding of forced marriage and will cover:

 Definition of Honour Based Violence.

 Distinguish between a forced marriage and an arranged marriage.

 Recognise key warning signs of forced marriages.

 Supporting someone experiencing Honour Based Violence and/or Forced Marriages.

 Understand the legal position including Forced Marriage (Civil Protection) Act 2007.

 Understand the role of different agencies working in the field and learn about other sources of help.

Who is the training for?

Any body that works regularly with children and adults including:

 Social Workers
 Education Staff
 Police Officers
 Health Professionals
 Voluntary Sector
 Community Development Officers

If you require any further information please contact me by return email  shahidachoudhry@aol.com or on 07968 771 449.

‘TRAIN THE TRAINER’FREEDOM DOMESTIC VIOLENCE PROGRAMME
 

What is the Freedom Programme?
 

The Freedom Programme is about male violence to women, and is delivered by trained and skilled practitioners undertaking direct work with families, and women who have experienced domestic violence during the course of their life. Reports to the police indicate that the majority of domestic violence is perpetrated by men against women within the home, and as a direct result 2 women a week are killed at the hands of their partner or ex-partner in the UK. 

Who should attend the ‘Train The Trainer’ Programme?

• Refuge Support Staff
• Community Support Workers
• Social Workers
• Police Officers
• Community Outreach Staff
• Floating Support
• Counsellors
• Probation Workers
• Health Visitors
• Community Trainers

Further details:

If you are interested in finding out more about the programme please call Jeanette Mulcare on 0121 772 0613 or Shahida Choudhry on 07968 771449.

• Guys - are you passionate about creating a dream home in an inspired style, but never been given the chance

• Are you full of ideas but not got the funds?

• Girls – do you and your partner spend every trip to B&Q arguing over which colour of paint will work at home?

• Or have you just moved into your partner’s place and think you need to put your personal design stamp on it?

• Would you like a cash injection of £10K to help create your dream home?

NB: To apply you must be the owner or mortgage payer at the property. You should not be living as a tenant in a rented property or be part of a shared ownership scheme that requires another party’s consent to carry out any form of alteration (large or small).

Following the success of this leadership development programme for Muslim Women in 2009, the National Muslim Women’s Advisory Group have decided to rerun this programme in 2010 with the Political Skills Forum. It sits alongside other government initiatives to increase the number and develop the capacity of Muslim Women in public positions.

Why?
There are at least 800,000 Muslim women living in Britain today but they are under-represented in positions of influence in British civic society including roles such as school governors, magistrates, local councillors, MPs and public appointments. The Muslim Women’s Advisory Group therefore wants to provide the support to increase the skills, knowledge, and confidence, of Muslim women to enable more to seek positions in civic society and public office

Who is it for?

The project “Play your Part Make your Mark” is aimed at:

1.)     women that are already starting to get involved in public life in order to give them the extra support that they need to progress as far as possible as well as ;

2.)      women who have not yet put themselves into the public sphere but who want to do so.

What’s on the programme? :

-       A residential weekend at a leading UK university which will focus on developing networking and communication skills and giving the participants the opportunity to meet with a range of existing mentors and role models such as  established magistrates, councillors, school governors and public appointment recruitment specialists.

-       A follow up residential weekend comprise of two specialist days. The first will specialise in the finer skills of power and influence, pace and timing, leadership and teamwork, adapting to new environments, knowing your strengths, broadening your vision, courage and caution and preparing to lead change. The second day will develop public speaking skills such as negotiation and debating.

Applications for this programme are now open. The form is attached with this email and applications should be returned by Midday, Friday March 5^th to the contact given at the foot of the form.

Job Title:                              Mosaic West Midlands – Programme Support Officer

                                                (Fixed Term- West Midlands)                    

Department:                         Mosaic

Background

Mosaic was founded by HRH The Prince of Wales and convened in November 2007 by Business in the Community, one of the Prince’s Charities, to challenge the growing concern around the issues facing young Muslims living in deprived areas of Britain. Today Mosaic operates nationally in London, the West Midlands, East Midlands, Yorkshire & Humber, and the North West as a set of initiatives championed by Muslims aimed at raising aspirations and providing opportunity. Support is increasingly gathering internationally.

Mosaic works towards a more integrated and thriving society where all individuals, regardless of background, are supported in realizing their potential.

Mosaic’s key concerns, as outlined by its founder, are twofold. Firstly in supporting young Muslims and their peers between the ages of 5 and 25 years old who, through no fault of their own, lack access to opportunities in order to maximize their potential to make a positive contribution to society. Secondly, to address the misunderstanding that has arisen between the Islamic and Western worlds in recent years.

• To stimulate greater levels of volunteering through a network of partners and, where appropriate, direct delivery
• To nurture and promote talent in Muslim communities, providing positive role models to young Muslims and society
• To promote leadership, teamwork, and civic engagement based on addressing key social issues of social importance in the UK and beyond

Our Programmes

• Mentoring

o   Primary schools - supporting girls aged 9-11 years and their mothers, to raise the young girls’ aspirations and empower mothers to be better able to support their daughters.

o   Secondary schools - Mosaic matches volunteer mentors with young Muslims and their peers aged 11-18 to raise aspirations and provide access to opportunities around the UK.

o   Muslim Young Offenders - providing support during the vulnerable period of transition back into society.

• Media Network - bringing together media professionals to inspire young Muslims to consider it as a profession, support communities in promoting their stories, and offer networking opportunities.

• Speakers Bureau  - a wide range of Muslim role models available to speak on a variety of subjects.

• International Summit Mosaic - an innovative leadership development opportunity, designed to bring together young emerging leaders from across the Muslim world.

Purpose

The West Midlands Programme Support Officer is responsible for supporting the West Midlands Regional Manager in the implementation and delivery of Mosaic activities in the West Midlands areas of Walsall (in the first instance) and Wolverhampton, and convening and supporting the Walsall and Wolverhampton local delivery group. The role will also include support to the West Midlands Regional Manager on wider Mosaic activities and objectives.

The role includes delivering and maintaining Mosaic’s mentoring and volunteering

programmes across up to 10 schools and colleges, deployment of Speakers Bureau members, development of the Media Network and all other domestic programmes across the Wolverhampton and Walsall areas of the Region.   In addition, the post-holder will also be responsible to support the delivery of other programmes such as the Mosaic Stars youth leadership programme, the Mosaic Enterprise Challenge and Musical Conversations project.

The post-holder will be the public face of Mosaic in the sub-regions, representing Mosaic across the public, Third Sector and community groups. 

Please note, this role is to work specifically in the Walsall area, in the first instance, but will develop to include Wolverhampton as the activity of Mosaic West Midlands expands in the region.

This role will include administrative and general support to the region, including local network events and liaison with members of the national Mosaic team.

Reports to

The post-holder reports to the West Midlands Mosaic Regional Manager.

Main Responsibilities

• To have responsibility for supporting the West Midlands Regional Manager in the implementation and delivery of Mosaic activities in the West Midlands areas of Walsall (in the first instance) and Wolverhampton, in line with the Mosaic Strategic and Business Plans, including,
  • recruitment and support of registered Mosaic volunteers in the sub-regions;
  • operational delivery of the Mosaic volunteering programmes in the region, providing guidance, assistance, tracking and evaluation, regular visits in line with national, regional and local targets;
  • supporting other Mosaic projects, such as the Enterprise Challenge and Prisons project; and,
  • promotion of other Mosaic centrally-run initiatives, such as Speakers' Bureau, Media Network, national events, etc.
• To develop a relationship with the wider BITC regional team (alongside the West Midlands Regional Manager); developing a close relationship with the Regional Director and the other BITC colleagues.
• To deliver optimal performance in relation to operational standards, financial budget, customer service and people management in the sub-regions in line with BITC and Mosaic standards.
• To support with the overall administration and coordination of Mosaic in the West Midlands region, reporting to and supporting the West Midlands Regional Manager

The post holder may be required to carry out other duties that are reasonably to be considered as within the scope and purpose of the job and the aptitudes of the job holder.

Other

Following the unprecedented success of the Operation Black Vote & Ministry of Justice Magistrates’ Shadowing Scheme, a series of free one day seminars entitled, ‘A Judiciary for All’ are being organised in regions across the country.

The aim of the seminars is to help improve Black and other minority ethnic (BME) representation within the magistracy and increase awareness within BME communities about the work of the courts.  

The free seminars will provide individuals considering applying to the magistracy with the knowledge and understanding of the role of Magistrates and the work of the Criminal Justice System. Led by experienced Magistrates’ and court officials, the seminars will outline the roles and responsibilities of a Magistrate and individuals will have an opportunity to deliberate sample cases, discuss the application process and court tours will be available in some areas.

Operation Black Vote is providing this unique learning opportunity to anyone who has a desire to become a Magistrate to play a full and positive role within our public institutions. 

The seminars will run from January to June 2010 in the following areas:

• West London – Saturday 20th February 2010
• City of Manchester – Saturday 17th April 2010
• Birmingham – Saturday 24th April 2010
• East London   – Saturday 22nd May 2010

To request a booking form, please visit the Operation Black Vote website: www.obv.org.uk or contact Merlene Carrington by telephone on 0208 983 5430 or email: mag@obv.org.uk quoting ‘Regional Seminars’ in the subject field.

Do you have a long-term illness that affects your daily life?

Do you want to learn how to deal better with your illness?

Expert Patient is a training course lasting six weeks (2½ hours per week), designed to help you live with a long-term illness.  It is open to patients and their carers, if they have one.  Courses run through the year: we can tell you when the next course starts.

You will meet other people who live with long term illness and develop new skills, techniques and support networks.

Hear MY Voice will be conducting a series of consultations with young people aged 16-25 years around the West Midlands in December 2009 and January 2010. The broad question we will be asking is:
 
'What is it like to be a young Muslim in Britain today?'
 
Beyond this broad question, it is up to the young people taking part as to what issues they wish to speak about. Hear MY Voice would like to include as many diverse voices as possible from a range of backgrounds and ages. The results of the consultation will be compiled in a report and will directly influence how the rest of this project will develop.
 
How You Can Get Involved and What We Will Do
 
If you are able to bring together a minimum of 10 young people at a venue of your choice for 1 hour, we will come along and ensure that the young people are engaged in a fair, equal and relaxed manner. We will also provide pizzas and refreshments after the consultation!
 
Please call Faeeza on 07535 703 567 to set up a suitable time and place. I am flexible with timings- and can do evenings and weekends if it is easier for you.
 
 

Skills for The Future Programme Opens for Applications (UK)

The Heritage Lottery Fund’s (HLF) has announced that the new Skills for the Future programme is now open to applications. This is a new £5million grant programme that will deliver up to 1,000 paid training opportunities for people across the UK seeking a career in heritage. It will not only support traditional conservation training but also a wide variety of skills needed to engage people with heritage and utilise new media and technology. The programme is open to applications from organisations and partnerships – for example of community and voluntary organisations, professional bodies and learning and training providers and will provide grants of between £100,000 and £1 million for projects which provide paid training placements to meet a skills gap in the heritage sector, and fully support trainees to learn practical skills. To support applicants the HLF is running a number of pre-application workshops in December and January. For more information on these please click on the link below.

The closing date for applications is the 19th March 2010.

4th Round of the Youth Sector Development Fund Launched (England)

The Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) has invited voluntary and community organisations, charities, social enterprises and cooperatives, etc to bid for a share of up to £10m to raise the aspirations of young people from disadvantaged backgrounds. The fourth round of the Youth Sector Development Fund (YSDF) will focus on supporting the aims of the Government’s Information, Advice and Guidance (IAG) Strategy published last month, by raising the aspirations of young people from disadvantaged backgrounds. DCSF are particularly interested in proposals that will develop mentoring provision and enable young people from families with low aspirations to experience the professions and higher education. Partnerships with schools and colleges are acceptable but they should focus on students with low aspirations rather than a whole-year or class approach. The grants available will normally range between £200,000 and £500,000. Organisations already receiving YSDF funding and support are not eligible to apply for this funding round. Around 25 third-sector organisations are expected to benefit from the fund.

The closing date for applications is the 4th February 2010.

http://ysdf.ecotec.com/index.asp?pID=13

Volunteer Management Programme (England)

Capacitybuilders has announced that it is now seeking expression of interest from Training Providers under Strand C of its Volunteer Management Programme. Strand C is a bursary scheme that will support volunteer management skills development. This call for proposals is for training providers to deliver existing skills development products targeting people who manage volunteers. Proposed product/s may involve some or all of the following elements; modular courses; classroom based activity; peer support; mentoring or coaching; distance learning opportunities; workplace activity allowing participants to embed learning within their day to day practice. The total amount of funding available will be approximately £900,000. Bursaries will become ‘live’ in April 2010 and Capacitybuilders would expect product delivery to commence by early May 2010. All bursaries funds must be used by 31st March 2011. To be eligible training providers must operate in at least four of the Governments nine regions.

The closing date for submitting expression of interest is 1 pm on the 8th January 2010.

Funding to Fight Fuel Poverty (UK)

The ScottishPower Energy People Trust's is currently accepting applications for projects that help combat fuel poverty. Applications are accepted from not-for-profit organisations and groups such as children’s charities, local community groups, support organisations, housing associations, local authorities and others. The maximum grant available per project is £100,000 for projects lasing for up to three years. The type of projects that could be  supported include:

• Crisis funding for women and children needing emergency accommodation.
• Vulnerable young people setting up their first home.
• Benefits health checks or income maximisation to help households that aren't claiming all the benefits to which they're entitled; or are not eligible for current government grants or funding because they don't receive the appropriate benefit.
• Energy efficiency measures and advice, for example, a scheme that aims to improve the energy efficiency of homes by draught proofing, insulating and offering energy efficiency advice.
• Research, for example, a research project that aims to understand the link between fuel poverty and health.

There are four application deadlines every year. For more information on application deadlines and how to apply please click on the link below.

http://www.energypeopletrust.co.uk/

New £1m Rural Community Transport Enterprise Programme (England)

The Community Transport Association (CTA) and the Plunkett Foundation have announced a new three year Social Enterprise Rural Community Transport Development Fund. The new fund will offer grant/loan packages to eight organisations around England to enable them to significantly grow their contract income and to become more sustainable. The funding package will consist of £30,000 grant aid; £55,000 loan funding; and £37,000 (approximately) support-in-kind comprising business and development support and co-learning from other participants provided by the CTA and Plunkett over the life of the programme. The funding, totalling almost £1 million, has been secured from the Esmée Fairbairn Foundation, the Department for Transport, the Commission for Rural Communities and Futurebuilders England.

The closing date for applications is Monday 4th January 2010.

Austin and Hope Pilkington Trust Grants  Programme (UK)

The Austin and Hope Pilkington Trust awards grants to charitable organisations in the United Kingdom and overseas. The trustees welcome applications for projects within the following areas for the next three years. These categories are then repeated in a three-year rotation:

• 2010 Children, Youth, the Elderly and Medical. For this year only Medical Research projects dealing with the ageing population will be considered. The other priorities - Children, Youth and the Elderly - as well as other non-research based medical work are still welcome;
• 2011 Music and the Arts, Overseas (Deadline for applications 1st June & 1st Nov 2011);
• 2012 Community (Deadline for applications 1st June & 1st Nov 2012). Due to the overwhelming number of applications received, the trustees have decided to consider within the Community category applications ONLY from charities working with: Homeless; Addiction; Asylum and Refugees; Sexual and Domestic Abuse; Prisoners and ex-Offenders).

If your charity’s work falls within one of these categories and would like to be considered for a grant, please submit an application by 1st June or 1st November only in the appropriate year. Grants are usually between £1,000 and £10,000, with the majority being £5,000 or less. Exceptionally, grants of up to £20,000 are made, but these are usually for medical research projects. Previous grants awarded include a grant of £5,000 towards a resource centre providing advice and training for workers dealing with mental health in rural areas and £5,000 towards a project aimed at behavioural programme for persistent young offenders.

Biffaward Small Grants Programme Now Open (UK)

Biffaward, one of the largest landfill communities fund scheme has announced that they are now accepting applications through their small grants programme, for projects that enable communities to improve local amenities and to conserve wildlife. Grants are of between £250 and £5,000, but projects must not cost more than £10,000 in total. To be eligible projects must be site-based within ten miles of a Biffa operation and 10 miles of an active landfill. Biffaward seeks to support access and improvements to amenities such as furnishing community buildings; cycle paths; recreational facilities; playground equipment; park improvements; access improvements to nature reserves. They will not fund equipment or running costs. Some projects that have benefited from Biffawards small grants in the past are: Evigton village green, on the outskirts of Leicester; and Avon Wildlife Trust to make improvements to Willsbridge Valley Local Nature Reserve in Bristol.

Applications can be submitted at any time.

EU Launches Call for Proposals to Promote International University Cooperation (UK)

The European Commission has launched a new call for proposals under its new Tempus IV Programme (2007 – 13). The aim of Tempus IV is to support projects that facilitate cooperation in the field of higher education among Member States of the European Union (EU) and partner countries in the surrounding area. Tempus support two types of actions. Joint Projects, which are based on multilateral partnerships between higher education institutions in the EU and the partner countries. They can develop, modernise and disseminate new curricula, teaching methods or materials, boost a quality assurance culture, and modernise the management and governance of higher education institutions. Structural Measures, which contribute to the development and reform of higher education institutions and systems in partner countries, to enhance their quality and relevance, and increase their convergence with EU developments. Institutions and organisations which may participate in the Tempus Programme range from higher education institutions and organisations through to non-academic institutions and organisations such as non-governmental organisations, companies, industries and public authorities. The total amount of funding available for this call for proposals is €53.8million and the financial contribution from the Commission cannot exceed 90% of the total eligible direct costs.

The closing date for applications is the 9th March 2010.

The Will Charitable Trust (UK)

The Will Charitable Trust is currently seeking applications from registered or tax exempt charities in the UK for projects that support services for blind people; and people with learning disabilities. Grants awarded tend to fall within the range of £5,000 to £20,000. The total amount awarded varies from year to year according to available funds. As a guide, in the year 2006/07, 45 grants were awarded totalling £539,300. Previous projects supported have included a grant of £10,000 towards the costs of launching a new mobile service which aims to reach blind people in remote area; and a grant of £11,500 to help towards the cost of setting up a work Skills Enterprise Scheme to provide training and work skills to 8 people with learning disabilities with a view to enabling them get employment.

The closing date for applications is the 31st January 2010.

In addition, the Trust also makes grants for projects that provide services for people suffering from cancer, and their families; as well as projects that conserve the countryside in Britain, including its flora and fauna.

Applications for these should be submitted between June and the 31st August 2010.

The Energy and Communities Collaborative Venture (UK)

The Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) and the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) have announced the launch of a call for proposals via its new 'Energy and Communities Collaborative Venture' programme. This £7.5 million initiative aims to advance understanding of issues surrounding energy use within communities with a view to contribution to the Government's green house gas emissions targets. The call invites applicants to address a broad range of research challenges such as community ownership, energy innovation, policy, governance and social movements. The call encourages active engagement with community organisations and other community stakeholders. As such applicants are encouraged, where appropriate, to demonstrate how they will engage with relevant organisations and groups. There are no constraints on the amount of funding that may be requested although it is unlikely that individual awards will be made for less than £20,000. Projects may last for up to 5 years.

The application deadline is the 11th March 2010.

http://www.epsrc.ac.uk/CallsForProposals/EnergyAndCommunitiesCollaborativeVenture.htm

Media Programme - New Call for Proposals (UK)

The European Commission has issued a new call for proposals under its Media programme. The objective of the Media Programme is to support the European Audiovisual Industry. The aim of this call for proposals is to support the development of digital interactive content complementing an audiovisual project (drama, creative documentary or animation) specifically developed for at least one of the following platforms; internet; PC; console; handheld device; and interactive television. The total budget available for this call for proposals is €2 million. The maximum financial contribution which may be awarded is between €10, 000 and €150 000. The financial contribution awarded will in no event exceed 50 % of the eligible costs submitted by the producer (60 % for projects presenting an interest in promoting European cultural diversity).

Applications must be submitted no later than the 12th April 2010.

Bursaries To Support Exchange Between Artists’ Groups and Networks (UK)

Artists' groups and networks can now apply to NAN's Go and see bursaries for up to £500. The aims of the bursaries are intended to reflect the NAN mission: to promote the aspirations of artists and the development of practice through peer dialogue and exchange. The next deadline for applications is the 1st March 2010. Projects supported in the past include; Basement Art Project, a contemporary art network led by London based artist Yu-Chen Wang with a group of international artists, curators and researchers, will travel to the Netherlands to visit four artist-run spaces; and Post, a group of seven professional women artists who live and work on Merseyside, will go to Linz, Austria, European Capital of Culture 2009, to undertake further research with comparable groups and individual female artists for Novas, an exhibition to coincide with International Women’s Day in March 2009.

Government Announces £33 Million in Grassroots Grants (England)

The Government has announced that over £33 million in grants have been given to over 13,000 charities and voluntary organisations in the first full year of the Government's Grassroots Grants scheme. The £130 million scheme, launched in September 2008, is aimed at helping small voluntary and community organisations provide much needed help in their communities and reach out to the most vulnerable people. Grants have been spent on a range of community activity from healthy food parcels for deprived communities to social activity for carers - helping communities to thrive and deal with the individual challenges that face each local community. The programme which is administered by local Community Development Foundations, will run until March 2011 is still open for applications. Small and local community groups with annual incomes below £30,000 can apply for the grants of between £250 and £5,000.

Funding for Community Shops (England)

The Village Retail Services Association in partnership with Esmee Fairbairn Foundation and Co-operative and Community Finance have funding available to support the start up  of new Community owned shops in rural areas of England or  to save an existing shop by transfer to community ownership. The funding which will be available over the next three years will provide up to £40,000 per shop. This will be made up of a grant of £20,000 together with a loan of £20,000 from Co-operative and Community Finance.

Eligible applicants will include community based organisations located in rural communities of not less than 300 residents. The community is required to raise match funding through community contributions, which could take the form of share capital, donations raised through community fundraising events and grants obtained from other sources to the same or greater value than the grant requested from the Village CORE Programme. At least some of the funds raised should have been provided by the community itself and not solely through external grants.

The application process commences with a telephone interview with one of the programme managers. If the community appear to meet the criteria within the programme timeframe and if Village Core funds are available, application forms are sent electronically where possible to the main contact person on the committee.  The forms must be returned within 6 weeks of the telephone interview.

Funding for Financial Literacy Projects (UK)

The MSE Charity provides grants to both individuals and constituted community based groups to help fight financial and consumer illiteracy and to educate and inform adults and children about consumer and debt issues. Grants of up to £5,000 are available for group projects such as self-help groups, wokshops and other innovative schemes that seek to educate people about money, debt and consumer issues. Individuals over the age of 18 can apply for a grant of up to £500 to help pay towards a recognised and approved course that will help improve their ability to budget and manage their finances. The grant can be used to pay for financial education course fees and other associated expenses. The deadline for the next round of group applications is the 30th November 2009 and applications for support for individual courses is the 15th December 2009.

Funding to Develop Youth Leadership (England)

The Youth of Today, which is funded and supported by the Department for Children, Schools and Families and Communities and Local Government and aims to support young people make a positive difference to society, has announced that it is now inviting applications through their Reaching Out Scheme.  Youth of Today are inviting applications from voluntary and community sector organisations working with 13-19 year olds for grants of between £50,000 and £100,000 to develop youth leadership opportunities for disadvantaged young people or marginalised groups across England. In particular, the fund is looking to support projects that; enhance the capacity of the voluntary and community sector to provide high quality youth leadership opportunities; support organisations or partnerships to work collaboratively; contribute to the building of a lasting, sustainable infrastructure for youth leadership pathways; work across a wide geographical area.

The deadline for expressions of interest is the 19th November, and for submitting full applications is the 12th January 2010.

Arts Awards (UK)

The Wellcome Trust is inviting organisations and individuals to apply for funding through its Arts Awards. The Arts Awards support projects that engage the public with biomedical science through the arts including dance, drama, performance arts, visual arts, music, film, craft, photography, creative writing or digital media. Applications are invited for projects up to £30,000. The aim of the awards is to support arts projects that reach new audiences which may not traditionally be interested in science and provide new ways of thinking about the social, cultural and ethical issues around contemporary science. The scheme is open to a wide range of people including, among others; Artists; Scientists; curators; filmmakers; writers; producers; directors; academics; science communicators; teachers; arts workers; education officers. 

For small to medium-sized projects (up to and including £30 000) the deadline for applications is  29th January 2010. Decisions will be made approximately three months after the deadline. 

For large projects (over £30, 000) the next deadline is January 2010.

http://www.wellcome.ac.uk/Funding/Public-engagement/Grants/Arts-Awards/index.htm

Esmee Fairbairn Foundation - Food Strand (UK)

The aim of the Food strand is a £3 million funding strand over three years (2008 - 2011) with the aim of promoting an understanding of the role of food in enhancing quality of life. It will prioritise the enjoyment and experience of food rather than its production and we seek to enable as many people in the UK as possible to access, prepare and eat nutritious, sustainable food.

The Foundation are keen to support work which enhances quality of life, this will include the following:

·         Improving access to appropriate, diverse and sustainable food in areas where availability is limited

·         Exploring or enhancing understanding of the impact of food on wider well-being

·         Demonstrating the positive role of food in a social context or how food can contribute to community cohesion

·         Developing leadership in food policy and/or enabling greater connection among currently diverse food-related interests

·         Scaling up effective local or regional practice that deserves a wider platform

·         Strategic or exceptional work that supports the development of sustainable food systems.

The Foundation is interested in work that influences policy and practice across a range of food-related areas. The Foundation expect to support a mix of practical projects that have wide significance, and some research and policy based work.

Previously funded projects include;

·         Community Food Enterprise Ltd which received a  £70,000 grant towards the costs over two years of the continued operation of existing Social Food outlets and expansion of the service into new areas.

·         Local Food Links Ltd, which received a grant of £99,204 towards the scale-up of the Local Food Links hot school meals service in Dorset over two years and to explore the provision of a user-led catering service for older people

Applications can be submitted at any time.

http://www.esmeefairbairn.org.uk/funding/food.html

The Fair Share Trust (UK)

The Fair Share Trust, part of the Fair Share Initiative was created to target areas throughout the UK that have previously received less then their 'fair share' of National Lottery funding. The focus of the programme is medium and longer term revenue projects, not short-term one-off projects, and grants of between £5,000 and £250,000 can be made to almost any kind of organisation (including schools), as long as the work undertaken is not primarily for private gain or individual benefit. Grants awarded must address the three wider aims of the programme, these are; to build capacity; increase social capital; improve ‘liveability’ - and must also meet the local priorities set by the Local Panel.  Each of the Fair Share Trust areas have been given a specific amount of funding in England this is £859,378k per area, in Northern Ireland it is £2,250,000 for the whole programme, in Scotland it is £5,750,000 for the whole programme, and  in Wales it is £3,250,000 for the whole programme. There are 77 Fair Share areas across the UK. Previous projects funded include Kirton Lane Primary School, South Yorkshire, which received a grant of £35,000 to install play equipment in their playground to keep pupils healthy and active. For more information on the programme and to find out which areas are eligible please click on the link below. 

Applications are accepted on a rolling basis and should be made to your local agent (Community Foundation).

http://www.fairsharetrust.org/index.php

British Telecom (BT) Community Connection Awards Round 2 (UK)

BT has announced that they are now accepting applications through their Connection Awards programme round 2. BT Community Connections is an award scheme which enables community and charitable organisations to get online and make use of information and communications technology (ICT). Organisations, working in any field of community benefit, located throughout the UK or Republic of Ireland can apply for a laptop and a year's free broadband connection. There are more than 1,000 award packages available to groups or clusters of groups who can demonstrate how an award will benefit their work and the local community. Award winners in the past have included: silver-surfers; cultural dance groups; conservation organisations; mountain rescue teams; family support groups; healthy living clubs; arts and music groups; sports teams; youth groups.

The next deadline for applications is the 5th January 2010.

The Frank Buttle Trust - Child Support Scheme (UK)

Social workers, health visitors and support workers working for a statutory agency or voluntary organisation can apply for funding through the Frank Buttle Trust to help children and young people in desperate need. Grants are intended to make a positive contribution to their lives when their safety, health or development is at risk. The item (or service) to be funded should be critical to the well-being of the child/young person, and items that are merely desirable, rather than essential, will not be eligible for support. The grants available provide necessities such as; beds; bedding; essential items of furniture; household equipment. The Trust also has an arrangement with Comet for washing machines, cookers, fridges and other white goods that can be delivered directly to applicants. Applications must be made through a statutory agency or voluntary organisation that is capable of assessing the needs of the child/young person, and that can also administer a grant on behalf of the Trust. In the financial year to 31st March 2008 the Trust made 9,481 Child Support grants, totalling £1.94 million.

Applications can be submitted at any time.

UnLtd Sport Relief Awards (UK)

UnLtd, the charity that supports Social Entrepreneurs, is accepting applications under its Sport Relief Grants Programme. UnLtd Sport Relief Awards are funded by Comic Relief and provide opportunities for young people to bring communities together, to help promote understanding and solve problems through sport, arts and recreational activities. The UK wide funding programme is for 11-21 year olds, who are prepared to go the extra mile and use their passion for sport and arts to bring respect and understanding to their communities by setting up their own projects. There are three funding streams that young people can apply for. These are “Try it” which provides grants of up to £1,000 for young people to try out their idea; “Shape it” which provides grants of up to £5,000 to develop ideas; and “Do it” which provides grants of up to £10,000 to grow projects. Applications can be submitted at any time.

Vodafone's World Of Difference Programme (UK)

Vodafone is giving people 18 years old and over anywhere in the UK the opportunity to make a World of Difference in the Community. Successful applicants could spend two months working at the charity of their choice. Vodafone will pay the charity £2,500 and the applicant will receive the balance left after the charity has paid all National Insurance and Tax contributions for their placement. Vodafone will also give successful applicants a new mobile phone, with a preloaded SIM. In order for applications to be considered, the applicant will need to; have discussed their intention to apply for World of Difference with their chosen charity and have a plan for what they would like to achieve in their two months with that charity; provide contact details for their chosen charity; be available for an induction day in London either on the 11th January 2010 (for placements beginning on the 12th January 2010) or 12th April 2010 (for placements beginning on the 13th April 2010).

http://worldofdifference.vodafone.co.uk/aboutWOD.html

The Energy and Communities Collaborative Venture (UK)

The Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) and the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) have announced the launch of a call for proposals via its new 'Energy and Communities Collaborative Venture' programme. This £7.5 million initiative aims to advance understanding of issues surrounding energy use within communities with a view to contribution to the Government's green house gas emissions targets. The call invites applicants to address a broad range of research challenges such as community ownership, energy innovation, policy, governance and social movements. The call encourages active engagement with community organisations and other community stakeholders. As such applicants are encouraged, where appropriate, to demonstrate how they will engage with relevant organisations and groups. There are no constraints on the amount of funding that may be requested although it is unlikely that individual awards will be made for less than £20,000. Projects may last for up to 5 years. The application deadline is the 11th March 2010..
http://www.epsrc.ac.uk/CallsForProposals/EnergyAndCommunitiesCollaborativeVenture.htm


Skills for The Future Programme Opens for Applications (UK)

The Heritage Lottery Fund's (HLF) has announced that the new Skills for the Future programme is now open to applications. This is a new £5million grant programme that will deliver up to 1,000 paid training opportunities for people across the UK seeking a career in heritage. It will not only support traditional conservation training but also a wide variety of skills needed to engage people with heritage and utilise new media and technology. The programme is open to applications from organisations and partnerships - for example of community and voluntary organisations, professional bodies and learning and training providers and will provide grants of between £100,000 and £1 million for projects which provide paid training placements to meet a skills gap in the heritage sector, and fully support trainees to learn practical skills. To support applicants the HLF is running a number of pre-application workshops in December and January. For more information on these please click on the "more" link. The closing date for applications is the 19th March 2010..

PHOTOGRAPHS SHOWING THE DIVERSITY OF MUSLIM WOMEN IN BRITAIN REQUIRED

Do a simple google image search and type in ‘muslim women’  and you will generally see the ‘same’ sort of Muslim women.  There seems to be an obsession with what Muslim women wear, especially by the media but many of us are guilty of this too.

Muslim Women’s Network UK want to do something about this and we want to show the diversity of Muslim women in Britain today. 

Diversity in the way Muslim women look is a choice based on a number of variables which may include: status; age, occupation, ethnic origin, culture, society, faith, fashion trends, politics, time and place.  Appearance can also be influenced by peer pressure amongst groups to both ‘cover’ or ‘uncover’ whether at schools, universities or in the workplace.  While some countries legislate on how women should dress either forcing them to wear the hijab or not wear it, we want to celebrate the freedom of choice in Britain by showcasing diverse images of Muslim women.

You may already have images you can send to us or may be a budding photographer and want to go out and take your own photos.  We are looking for photos of Muslim women showing diversity in terms of age, ethnicity, clothing etc. The easiest way is to send us a photo of YOU! Although we’d also love to see older photographs – perhaps of parents and grandparents and their ‘fashion’ trends when they were young! :)

Photographs that will challenge stereotypes e.g. a Muslim woman playing sports, or in various occupations etc are also particularly welcome.

There will be prizes for the best three photos consisting of vouchers worth up to £100.  Photos will be used for an exhibition and will be put on the website and in a booklet which we are developing. 

Photographs will be attributed to the photographer so make sure you include your contact details. 

Please send your photos to: Faeeza Vaid at the Muslim Women’s Network UK on faeeza@mwnuk.co.uk.  Our website address is: www.mwnuk.co.uk

Part of the project is to engage young people in their communities and encourage them to volunteer. I am looking for organisations that would like young people to volunteer, especially girls, and would be happy to be included in our directory of volunteering opportunities for young Muslims in London. We are also currently recruiting for our second year and any organisation that would like to be involved can apply to check for suitability.

Please contact me via email at summereen@muslimaid.org or via phone Monday to Wednesday on 0207 7377 4200 (Ext.224)