Neath Port Talbot Council for Voluntary Service

The search is on for the best of the region’s businesses, as the Swansea Bay Regional Business Awards 2011 were launched at Morgans Hotel, Swansea. More than fifty members of the Swansea Bay business community gathered to launch the third annual Swansea Bay Regional Business Awards sponsored by city law firm JCP Solicitors. With six categories, the Awards will highlight and recognise the achievements of businesses and entrepreneurs who go the extra mile to attain extraordinary success and inspire others to achieve their potential. The awards which are organised by Swansea Bay Partnership are free to enter for any business located within Neath Port Talbot, Swansea and Carmarthenshire.

Nomination forms for the 2011 Awards are available online or from the Swansea Bay Partnership Office on 01792 545066 / awards@swanseabaypartnership.com

The Office for Civil Society (OCS) in the Cabinet Office is calling on communities across Wales to nominate outstanding local voluntary groups for next year’s Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service, the MBE for volunteer groups. Nominations for the 2012 Award should be received by 30th September 2011 therefore those who know of the great work, or indeed have benefited from a voluntary group’s hard work in Wales, should nominate now. Successful groups will be announced on 2nd June 2012. Further information and nomination forms can be found by visiting: www.direct.gov.uk/thequeensawardforvoluntaryservice or by calling 020 7781 2397.

Established in celebration of Her Majesty’s Golden Jubilee to recognise outstanding local community voluntary groups, the Award has now recognised more than 850 groups. Groups from many different backgrounds undertaking a range of diverse activities have felt the Award’s benefits which include – attracting more volunteers, increased awareness of the group to potential funders and of course helping to raise morale amongst existing volunteers. Case studies can be found by Clicking Here. For details of all The Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service winners or to download a nomination form in pdf, visit the website.  If your group would like assistance with completing the nomination forms, please contact us on info@nptcvs.org.uk or 01639 631246.

Organisations and individuals can now enter the Social Enterprise Awards, the nationwide competition that celebrates the work and achievements of the UK’s most inspiring and successful social enterprises.

The Social Enterprise Coalition is working in partnership with the Social Economy Network in Northern Ireland, Scottish Social Enterprise Coalition in Scotland and the Wales Cooperative Centre in Wales, to deliver the awards.

More information is available on the Social Enterprise Coalition website where you can also register your interest in Voice11.

A second round of the Youth Opportunities Bank in 2010/2011 has just taken place with six projects having been funded:

• Neath Boys and Girls Club received £425.76 for football training equipment
• Clarewood have been awarded £500 towards a greenhouse and various pieces of gardening equipment and seeds
• £224.94 has been awarded to SNAC
• £305 has been awarded to Port Talbot Air Cadets
• Afan FM have received £499 for a portable PA system
• Neath Port Talbot Tigers have been funded a total of £260

Gaynor with her daughter Nia Richards

A community champion was among those recognised at a higher education awards ceremony. The event was hosted by Neath Port Talbot College, a fully accredited member of the University of Glamorgan, for graduates who studied in the borough.

More than 150 students and 400 guests attended the Princess Theatre in Port Talbot to mark their academic achievements.

At the ceremony, Gaynor Richards, director of Neath Port Talbot Community Voluntary Service (CVS), was awarded a Chancellor’s Medal for her exceptional services to the college and community. Mrs Richards, who was a former governor on the board of NPTC, was born in Upper Cwmtwrch and has a joint history/English degree, a business degree and a masters in management from the University of Glamorgan.She was appointed as the first executive director of Neath Port Talbot CVS in 1997 and was instrumental in transforming the organisation from four staff to 43, and increasing its assets from just over £2,500 to £2.2m. The organisation has been directly involved in attracting around £30m of grants to the communities of Neath Port Talbot.

Mark Dacey, principal of NPTC, said: “We are delighted that Gaynor has been awarded the Chancellor’s Medal. She has helped achieve recognition for the role of the voluntary sector locally and nationally, ensuring that the sector gets the respect and resources it deserves.

Article Source: Wales Online Website

Gaynor Graduating