Hello everyone, Happy New Year and welcome to the latest edition of the South Forum e-newsletter. 

What's featured in this edition.

•      South Forum Directory
•      Climate Awareness Survey
•      Training and Education
•      Funding Information
•      Volunteering Opportunities

Regards Sue Lowe, Administration Officer

If you would like to announce anything or have a feature please contact me on 0191 5228447 or e-mail me on sue.lowe@sunderlandcommunitynetwork.org.uk

South Forum Directory

The South Forum will be producing a Directory of Groups in the early Spring. If you would like your Group to be included in this Directory, please email sue.lowe@sunderlandcommunitynetwork.org.uk with details of your Group, including contact details, telephone number, fax number, address, email address, website details and information on what your Group provides and how people can get involved and anything else you would like included.

These details can also be posted to Sue Lowe, South Forum, Jubilee Centre, Allendale Road, Sunderland SR3  3EL.

Climate Awareness Survey

Since May 2007, Sunderland City Council has been running a climate change awareness campaign across the City. Prior to the launch of the campaign last spring, Kathryn Warrington attended a South Forum meeting to carry out a pre-campaign survey so they could evaluate what the current attitude towards climate change was, prior to the campaign. This campaign is coming to an end and Kathryn now needs to conduct the same survey to ascertain if, and how, people's attitudes towards climate change have changed during the course of the campaign. This survey needs to be carried out between mid February and the end of March and Kathryn has asked if the South Forum members could complete the survey and return it to her.   The survey is available by clicking here. You can contact Kathryn on 0191 553 1535 or e-mail: kathryn.warrington@sunderland.gov.uk

Skills for Life Funding for Northern Learning Trust

Northern Learning Trust has recently been funded to offer Skills for Life (literacy and numeracy) provision to employees of voluntary and community sector organisations within the north-east region click here for the relevant details. The funding is part of a new Government initiative to support VCS organisations in upskilling their workforce. To ensure that your organisation can take advantage of this free provision please contact Jim Staley on

0191 2125812 or by email JStaley@northernlearningtrust.org.uk before the deadline of 25th January 2008.

Community Development Work - Level 4 Higher Professional Diploma  If you are interested in participating in this FREE pilot module, please click here for further details or email Louise Anderson for an application form.

Stamp Out Stigma - Free Equality Training

All applications for funding ask for Equality and Diversity policies and also check the capacity of an organisation.  To make sure your policies, procedures and personnel are up to date with the law, the next Stamp out Stigma course might be of interest to you. Equality Training poster   DArtE 2 day SOS course content Feb 2008  DArtE VOLUNTARY Booking Form Feb 2008

A Slice Of the Cake: Helping Community Groups to Build A Sustainable Funding Future

A course has been arranged for anyone who supports smaller organisations working with children, young people or families, with finding funding on Tuesday, 26th February 2008. at the Castle Gate, Melbourne Street, Newcastle Upon Tyne.   For further details please click here.

Excellence In Sport and Physical Activity Management Seminar Programme

Northumbria University has recently been successful with a funding bid to the HEFCE funded Excellence in Sport and Physical Activity Management project in conjunction with the Manchester Institute of Sport and Physical Activity (MISPA). This is a project whereby CPP is now able to offer a free Capacity Building seminar programme with a series of themed modules that develop to offer a comprehensive support structure for small, local community and voluntary groups (i.e. less than 10 paid or voluntary staff) involved in sport and physical activity, thereby helping to make the organisation more sustainable.   The series of seminars is due to start in February 2008, if your organisation would be able to recommend any small groups in your area that would be interested in taking part, then contact Helen Newcomb on 0191 243 7446 or email h.newcomb@northumbria.ac.uk  Further information can be found by clicking here.

Media Trust Announces New Dates For the Improving Reach Free Media Training

As you may know, Improving Reach aims to provide free communications and media support for small to medium sized charities and voluntary organisations that primarily work with the following priority groups: Black and Minority; Migrant and/or Refugee; Isolated Rural;and Faith.

Media Trust are offering training in 'Introduction to Media' and 'Introduction to Web Design,' in Newcastle and Northumberland (venues to be confirmed). The dates and booking form can be viewed on, and downloaded from, Media Trust's website: www.mediatrust.org/improving-reach

You can also download the booking form to post to the Improving Reach team at Media Trust, 3-7 Euston Centre, Regent's Place, London NW1 3JG or contact them direct on improvingreach@mediatrust.org or 020 7874 7657 or 020 7874 7653

Quality: Choosing Between Different Approaches

Project North East are offering free training to the voluntary and community sectors to provide details of the main quality assurance standards and models, so that they can choose the most suitable one when implementing a quality system in their organisation.  This course is being held on 12th February 2008 at MPH Accessible Media, Pelaw, Gateshead.    The Implementing PQASSO course is being held on 4th & 5th March 2008 at MPH Accessible Media, Pelaw, Gateshead and will help organisations decide if this is the system for them and give them the knowledge and skills to implement the system within their organisation.To book a place on either of the above courses please contact: Debbie Leckey on 0191 261 6009 or email debbie.leckey@pne.org

Big Lottery Fund – Young People’s Fund 2: National Grants Briefing Session
The Big Lottery Fund has arranged a briefing event for its Young People’s Fund 2: National Grants programme on Thursday 24 January, 10am-12 noon at the Big Lottery Fund, 2 St James’ Gate, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 4BE. Young People’s Fund 2 has two aims: to make sure that all organisations which provide services to young people involve them in developing, running and reviewing policies and services, and to help to achieve the five outcomes of the Government's white paper 'Every Child Matters'.  Grants of up to £5 million are available (with an average grant size of £1 million) for projects of national significance that work with young people across England. There is a total of £38 million available and BIG plans to make around 20 grants.

Key aspects of the programme are:
• The focus is on changing the lives of young people by putting them in the lead.
• BIG will only fund projects that involve young people from start to finish.
• Grants will be available for up to five years.
• All projects must have beneficiaries from two or more of the nine England regions.
• Only voluntary and community organisations may apply.

The briefings are aimed at organisations intending to submit an application to the programme. Places will be allocated on a first come first served basis and BIG may need to limit places per organisation depending on demand. To express your interest in attending the briefing email: ypf@biglotteryfund.org.uk

Please feel free to distribute to your friends, family and colleague with their permission.