Neath Port Talbot Council for Voluntary Service

Following the announcement by the Welsh Government that the CTCFI scheme will end on 31 March this year, CTA Wales has been asked by its members to set up a petition on the National Assembly website to press for the continuation and expansion of concessionary fares on all community transport, on a separate fares basis. They would be grateful if you would consider lending your support to this campaign and also bring this to the attention of your members (individuals and groups) in your area. They realise that not all of them will have online access, but perhaps other members of their families may have. Alternately , also available, are postal proformas’ which can be completed by individuals or a group of people. Naturally, the petition can only be signed once by each person, and it is open for signature until 9 March. Although technically they only have to receive 10 signatures for the petition to be considered, it is important that we demonstrate the strength of feeling on this issue with as many signatures as possible.

• e-Petition
• Postal Petition
• Individual Postal Petition

Free training from NSA see flyer for full details.

The Glynneath Training Centre Is offering a Free Employability Course.  See flyer for full details.

Comic Relief has launched a new grants programme: Managing Money Better. The programme is particularly focused on addressing the many ways in which people over 65 are often disadvantaged due to complexities in understanding financial matters, are often exposed to the dangers of financial abuse, and the difficulties involved in making ends meet while coping with rising prices. The programme will be open for applications from 16 January 2012, with a closing date of 17 February. There will also be a second cycle in April 2012. If you would like to discuss the programme, please contact anyone in the Older People grants team on 0207 820 2000 or visit the Comic Relief website.

Source: WCVA Members E-Briefing

The return to work after the festive break is often very challenging for staff. A variety of factors, including Christmas debt, the cold weather, or the failure of New Year’s resolutions, combine to make this the toughest time of year to get up and go to work.

The Health at Work Advice Line Wales is a free and confidential service that provides small business managers and GPs in Wales with the expert advice they need to help and support staff and patients experiencing health issues in the workplace.

The Health at Work Advice Line Wales offers health at work advice over the telephone. All calls are confidential, advice is free and you can call at any time.

The line will be open 24 hours a day, with our qualified professionals available 9-5 on weekdays. Outside of these hours a call-back service will operate. If our advisors aren’t able to help you directly, they’ll put you in touch with someone who can.

What advice is available?

• Screening and surveillance for early signs of health related issues
• Advice on how deal with staff experiencing mental health conditions and distress
• Professional help on staff unable to work
• Sickness absence and attendance management
• Rehabilitation and medical intervention
• Lifestyle and well-being to maintain health

What are the benefits to employers?

• Keep valued and experienced staff
• Avoid unnecessary recruitment and training costs
• Reduce sick pay costs
• Keep the business productive
• Reduce costs of hiring temporary staff to cover absence
• Reduce pressure on other employees covering for a sick colleague

What are the benefits to employees?

• Improved mental and physical health and well-being
• A managed return to work can help recovery
• More pay in the pocket
• Less risk of long term absence, social exclusion and possibility of job loss

Managers can get information on all aspects of occupational health to support their staff, for example stress management and back pain at work.

Employees can be advised on such issues as how to manage their condition at work, getting back to work after illness and how to reduce the risk of long term absence.

Call now on 0800 107 0900 for advice and support to reduce the impact of sickness absence on the business you work for.

Free, confidential occupational health advice for small businesses in Wales.

For more information please visit www.healthyworkingwales.com

Consolidation of charity law into Charities Act 2011 – to come into effect in March 2012. No new law, just 358 new section numbers and 11 schedules.

www.sandy-a.co.uk/managing.htm#charitiesact-consolidation

Formal and ‘parallel’ reviews of charity law … and the prospect of new legislation in 2018.

www.sandy-a.co.uk/managing.htm#charitiesact-reviews

Charity Commission has just withdrawn sections of public benefit guidance on fee-charging that will need to be rewritten following the upper tribunal decision in the Independent Schools Council case.

www.sandy-a.co.uk/managing.htm#publicbenefit

CIO structure may (or may not) become available for new charities in the first quarter of 2012.

www.sandy-a.co.uk/managing.htm#cio

When/if an implementation date is announced, I will start doing training on CIOs, including how to decide whether the CIO form is right for your organisation, the registration process etc. The training can be delivered for staff of CVSs and similar support bodies that need to advise other organisations, or as open training, or in-house for an individual organisation. If you might want to organise a training session on CIOs and would like to be notified when I start offering them, or would be interested in advice or support for your organisation in deciding whether to become a CIO and going through the registration process, please let me know and I will contact you when it starts looking imminent.

The Big Lottery Fund is making £5 million available to support completely new ideas or approaches that haven’t been tried anywhere else in the UK. BIG is committed to bringing about real improvements to communities most in need but recognises that existing ways of meeting need do not always work and that some needs are new with no ways of addressing them.

Big Lottery Fund will make grants of between £20,000 and £1 million to fund projects that test new ways of tackling emerging and existing social problems. The closing date for round 2 stage one application is 2.00pm on 23 February 2012.

For further information about the BIG Innovation programme please visit the Big Lottery website.

A project to provide advice and support for student sex workers and a project to address racism and far-right extremism in young people are among the range of groups throughout Wales to share in more than £1 million awarded by the Big Lottery Fund today.

Five projects across Wales share in the £1,376,049 awarded under the first round of the BIG Innovation programme, which aims to specifically support projects that test new ways of tackling emerging and existing social problems. The news comes as the programme opens for the second round of applications, with potential applicants having until Thursday, February 23, 2012 to apply for grants of between £20,000 and £1 million for innovative new projects.

See Press Release for further information.

Tuesday 31st January 2012 at Morfa Hall, Rhyl

Wednesday 1st February 2012 at Forge Fach, Clydach Swansea

Lunch and Refreshments provided

These courses are packed full of interesting and informative information about Community Transport and tells you everything you need to know about CT. This course will introduce Officers from organisations across all sectors to Community Transport and will give an insight into how different types of operations are run, from community car schemes through to demand responsive transport. The course will cover the need for CT and the way in which it can form a valid part of an integrated transport system.

So book now to avoid to disappointment, you can do this either on-line, by filling out the booking form and emailing it back to lindsay@ctauk.org or giving CT a call at the Swansea office on 01792 844290.

See flyer for further information.

Neath Port Talbot CVS’ Weekly Bulletin week commencing 9th January 2012 is now available for download.