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Llais Sir Benfro

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

Deadline for the next edition is: Wednesday 28th May 2014 Email: enquiries@pavs.org.uk

Contents Foreword 2 News from the 4 Board Volunteering 7 Learning & Development 10 Social Enterprise 12 Governance 14 Funding 17 News from other Groups 17 ICT 19

Issue / Rhif 63 Spring / Gwanwyn 2014

Pembrokeshire Voice

Volunteer Award Winners from 2013 - Ben Fulton and Laura Owens

The 2014 Awards Ceremony will take place during

National Volunteers’ Week on 5th June when Volunteers and their Managers will get together to

celebrate another successful year!

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Foreword

This is PAVS’ first newsletter of 2014 and, looking back over the past three months, we can report that this year has started in the same way as the last one finished – very busy! As you will recall from previous editions of the newsletter, Welsh Government carried out a consultation last year on its relationship with the third sector in Wales. The outcome of the “Continuity & Change” consultation was positive in that Welsh Government re-confirmed its commitment to the sector and to the Third Sector Infrastructure Partnership of WCVA (Wales Council for Voluntary Action); County Voluntary Councils (like PAVS) and Volunteer Centres. To date, Welsh Government has only confirmed a one-year funding agreement for the intermediary bodies that make up the Third Sector Infrastructure Partnership, with a funding reduction of 2.16%. This follows a cash reduction last year of 8.75% and a flat-lined budget for the previous two years. Despite the funding reduction, PAVS has submitted a Delivery Plan for 2014-2015, which commits to delivering funding, development, ICT and volunteering support; representation, citizen voice and policy engagement, and all the facilities offered by the Pembrokeshire Centre for Voluntary Action. From 2015, Welsh Government will be distributing the Infrastructure funding at a regional level. PAVS will need to work with other CVCs to produce a regional delivery plan, setting out what services will be delivered across the region. We are currently working closely with PAVO (Powys), CAVO (Ceredigion) and CAVS (Carmarthenshire) as Third Sector Support Mid & West Wales. However, it is not yet clear what regional footprint will be used for the allocation of the Infrastructure funding in future – something we wait to find out! Some of the confusion around regional footprints has arisen as a result of the report of the Williams Commission into public service delivery and governance. The report was published in January and made a large number of recommendations, including a reduction in the number of Local Authorities from the current position of 22 down to 10, 11 or 12, depending on what option is chosen. If accepted, the recommendation would be for Pembrokeshire and Ceredigion to merge, possibly with Carmarthenshire, and for Powys to remain on its own. More information about the outcome of the Williams Commission is included later in this newsletter. For now, we continue to work on a regional basis across Mid & West Wales where it makes sense to do so but we remain totally committed to delivery of services at a local level. In fact, PAVS new ICT system (installed just before Christmas) allows us to access e-mails and files remotely. We intend to make use of this flexibility by starting to work in more outreach locations across the County, getting closer to the voluntary and community groups we support. Still on a regional theme, PAVS will shortly be introducing Info Engine, an on-line searchable directory of services specifically designed for the third sector by PAVO (Powys Association of Voluntary Organisations). The directory is set up so that organisations can upload and update information about the services they deliver, with support from CVC officers if needed. The information can then be used by individuals, other groups and professional practitioners looking to access voluntary and community services and activities. CAVS and CAVO have also bought into Info Engine, which means that it will be an invaluable regional directory of services across Mid & West Wales. We believe this resource will be welcomed by the Mid & West Wales Health & Social Care Collaborative, the Dyfed Powys Police Commissioner’s Office and the Regional Learning Partnership – and we know that local service commissioners are very excited by the prospect. The directory is funded by Convergence ESF funding, via a project managed by Carmarthen-shire County Council – definitely a regional success story!

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Sue Leonard Chief Officer

PAVS is now a signatory to the Welsh Government Sustainable Development Charter, thus making a public commitment to sustainable development principles and practice. Following a recent accreditation visit, we are pleased to report that PAVS has retained the Green Dragon Level 2 kitemark. This accreditation recognises the efforts we make to minimise waste, recycle, reduce carbon emissions, and generally operate in as sustainable a way as we possibly can. PAVS is supporting the work of Wales’ Commissioner for Sustainable Futures, Peter Davies, who is heading up a national conversation – The Wales We Want. Please see the article later in this newsletter to find out why this conversation is important and how you can get involved. Sue is a member of the Third Sector Skills Strategy Group, which is one of the sub-groups reporting to the national Third Sector Partnership Support Council. One of the priorities for this group has been to encourage Welsh Government to recognise that it needs to make an investment in leadership and management in the third sector, in the same way as it has done for the public and private sectors. One outcome of this work has been to forge closer links with Academi Wales, which offers a wide range of leadership and management training primarily to the public sector. Academi Wales has recently offered a number of free courses for the third sector and we hope there will be more to come. PAVS offers a wide range of courses for voluntary and community groups – read on for details of courses that are coming up in the next few months or visit our website www.pavs.org.uk for more information. With summer just around the corner (allegedly), our thoughts are already turning to Volunteers Week at the start of June. The hugely popular Pembrokeshire Volunteer of the Year Awards ceremony takes place on 4

th June. This event is the ideal way to celebrate

volunteering and the achievements of individual volunteers of all ages. This newsletter has more information about this event and how you can nominate someone you know for one of the awards. Make sure you check it out – and book your place! Summer also brings the Pembrokeshire County Show and PAVS has already started organising the Community Zone, a marquee that showcases voluntary and community groups in the County. More information is included later in this newsletter but places are going fast, so you’ll need to act quickly if you want to take advantage of this opportunity to promote your group to the hundreds of potential volunteers visiting the showground. This newsletter contains the usual mix of interesting articles and useful information – we hope you enjoy the read

Foreword

http://www.pavs.org.uk

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At its first Board meeting of the New Year, PAVS Board members received a presentation from Chief Officer, Sue Leonard, on Planning for the Future. The presentation included an overview of the financial challenges that lay ahead, with the closure of five European funded projects by 31

st March 2015.

The Board has approved a draft master budget for the financial year 2014-2015, which draws on PAVS’ reserves to make sure that the Association is able to continue to deliver front-line services to support voluntary and community groups in Pembrokeshire. It was agreed that every effort should be made to secure alternative funding within the next twelve months. PAVS’ new Welsh Language Scheme was also presented to the Board for approval. The draft Scheme is supported by a detailed implementation plan and will be the subject of consultation with a wider stakeholder group before being finally adopted. PAVS is working closely with the Welsh Language Commissioner’s Office on the development of the Scheme. John Gossage (Chair) and Bernie Scourfield (Trustee with Special Responsibility for Finance) represented PAVS at the quarterly Regional Leadership Group meeting, which brings together Board members and Chief Officers from the four CVCs across Mid & West Wales. These meetings provide an excellent opportunity for Board members to share information and plan collaboratively for the future. PAVS Board members have also attended meetings of the Voluntary Sector Liaison Group; Wales Association of County Voluntary Councils and other events, such as the launch of the national conversation “The Wales We Want” at the Millennium Centre in Cardiff.

News from the Board

Join the National Conversation: The Wales We Want The proposed Future Generations Bill (previously the Sustainable Development Bill) will help tackle the inter-generational challenges Wales faces in a more joined up and integrated way - ensuring Welsh public services make key decisions with the long term wellbeing of Wales in mind. The proposed Bill is being introduced by Welsh Government in summer 2014 to ensure that the public sector is focused on delivering the long term goals for the future. By engaging with the people of Wales through the national conversation, there will be a better understanding of the challenges that people face in their everyday lives as well as their families and communities. The conversation will not just help build up public awareness about the Bill but will lead to an interim report in June 2014 coinciding with the

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proposed Future Generations Bill being introduced into the National Assembly. A report on behalf of future generations will be published in March 2015 which will reflect the goals for the Wales We Want. By setting goals all of us in Wales can make a common commitment and take a shared responsibility towards achieving them and the "Wales We Want". There are lots of ways to get involved with the national conversation. You can complete an on-line survey; join the conversation on Twitter, Facebook and Pinterest; keep up to date with news through the regular campaign blog and join the on-line debate. You can also register as a Futures Champion on behalf of your group, download a starter pack, and get people talking! For more information about The Wales We Want national conversation and how you can get involved, visit www.thewaleswewant.co.uk. Let’s get Pembrokeshire voices heard!

News from the Board

Williams Commission: Report of the Commission on Public Service Governance and Delivery In April 2013, the First Minister established the Commission on Public Services Governance and Delivery. The Commission lasted 8 months, commissioned specific research, held 9 public sessions, and received 133 written responses and 120 hours of oral evidence. PAVS fed into the oral evidence when the Commission visited Haverfordwest last year, and also contributed to the third sector response co-ordinated by WCVA. The Commission reported on 20

th January 2014 and found a “need for a step change in the

performance and delivery of public services in Wales”. The Commission made a total of 62 recommendations under 5 main headings:

Complexity Scale and Capability Governance, Scrutiny and Delivery Leadership, Culture and Values Performance and Performance Management

The merger of local authorities is the most significant recommendation. The Commission puts forward a range of options of 10, 11 or 12 new authorities in order to “mitigate the risks of small scale while not compromising local democratic responsiveness”. It recommends that Powys County Council should join with the Powys Teaching Health Board; that Ceredigion and Pembrokeshire should merge and that Carmarthenshire should remain separate, although there is a further option to combine with Pembrokeshire and Ceredigion. The report suggests that Welsh Government, Local Authorities and stakeholders should agree a programme for merger by Easter 2014; that early starters should be supported and incentivised and that mergers should be completed by 2017-2018. These timescales look very ambitious and are unlikely to be realised. Despite the focus on local government re-organisation, the Williams Commission is very clear that “our recommendations must be implemented as a whole”. One of those recommendations is that public services should be refocused towards prevention and early intervention through a process of co-production. This is good news for the third sector but ……………..

http://www.thewaleswewant.co.uk

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IMPORTANT NOTICE The bad news … over the coming months, a number of European funded projects will come to an end in PAVS which will affect the level of funding we have available for front-line services. The good news … we are making plans to ensure that PAVS will still be able to deliver a comprehensive range of services for voluntary and community groups in Pembrokeshire including:

Sustainable funding support and advice

Organisational development

Governance support for Trustee Boards and Management Committees

Training and development

Volunteering (through Volunteering Pembrokeshire)

ICT development and digital inclusion

Representation and policy engagement

Citizen engagement (through the BIG Lottery Community Voice programme)

Facilities and services available through the Pembrokeshire Centre for Voluntary Action

So, don’t worry if you receive notification that projects are coming to an end. PAVS will still be here to help – just get in touch.

WCVA has published a response paper to the Williams Commission report that welcomes the fact that the “case for co-production is now won” but goes on to argue that Williams focuses on systems and processes, rather than people. The paper states: “The Williams Commission has done half of the co-production challenge but it hasn’t moved beyond the existing comfort zone of the public sector. What we now need is a People’s Commission starting with the same diagnosis, but coming up with recommendations which spell out how to put people at the centre”. The Summary and Full Reports can be accessed via the Welsh Government’s website on www.wales.gov.uk (follow the links to Publications). Be warned – they are both lengthy documents!

News

http://www.wales.gov.uk

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This photograph shows last year’s award winners

(2013)

Volunteering

National Volunteers Week 2014

Letterston Memorial Hall, Letterston, June 4th 2014, 11am - 3pm

It is fast approaching that time of year again when volunteering is celebrated nationally. PAVS is holding its National Volunteers Week celebration event in the traditional way, providing the opportunity for volunteers and volunteer managers to come along and join in with the festivi-ties. Refreshments of tea, coffee and welsh cakes will be available all day including a free lunch, gong bath demonstrations and taster complimentary therapies. The afternoon session features the Pembrokeshire Volunteering Awards which is usually so well attended, it is standing room only. If you would like to attend, please contact PAVS for more information on 01437 769422 or visit www.pavs.org.uk/volunteering/volunteersweek.htm

Pembrokeshire Volunteering Awards 2014

The Pembrokeshire Volunteering Awards is in its 8th year and is steadily growing in popularity.

There are 6 categories:

Young Volunteer of the Year Award (Under 25)

Volunteer of the Year Award (Over 25)

The Mary Sigley Award * - where volunteering has made a huge difference to the life of a volunteer

Trustee Award

Group Award for a group of volunteers working within one organisation (volunteers aged primarily over 25)

Youth Group Award for a group of young volunteers within one organisation (volunteers aged primarily under 25)

The Pembrokeshire Volunteering Awards ceremony is during the afternoon of the PAVS National Volunteers Week event and attracts a huge turnout of volunteers, friends and family.

The event is at Letterston Memorial Hall on June 4th

2014, 11am to 3pm.

If you know of a volunteer or a group of volunteers who deserve recognition for their exceptional contribution of the community then why not nominate them.

Follow this link for a nomination form or call PAVS for more information on 01437 769422.

www.pavs.org.uk/volunteering/volunteersweek.htm

http://www.pavs.org.uk/volunteering/volunteersweek.htmhttp://www.pavs.org.uk/volunteering/volunteersweek.htm

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Volunteering

Pembrokeshire Volunteering Awards 2014

The Pembrokeshire Volunteering Awards is in its 8th year and is steadily growing

in popularity.

There are 6 categories:

Young Volunteer of the Year Award (Under 25)

Volunteer of the Year Award (Over 25)

The Mary Sigley Award * - where volunteering has made a huge difference to the life of a volunteer

Trustee Award

Group Award for a group of volunteers working within one organisation

(volunteers aged primarily over 25)

Youth Group Award for a group of young volunteers within one organisation (volunteers aged primarily under 25)

The Pembrokeshire Volunteering Awards ceremony is during the afternoon of the PAVS National Volunteers Week event and attracts a huge turnout of volun-

teers, friends and family.

The event is at Letterston Memorial Hall on June 4th 2014, 11am to 3pm.

If you know of a volunteer or a group of volunteers who deserve recognition for their exceptional contribution of the community then why not nominate them.

Follow this link for a nomination form or call PAVS for more information on 01437 769422.

www.pavs.org.uk/volunteering/volunteersweek.htm

http://www.pavs.org.uk/volunteering/volunteersweek.htm

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Volunteering

Treats for Time Gives ‘Just’ Rewards

Picture – Sara Andrew - PoM, Richard Neale - NCI Wooltack Point, Marjorie Baker, - NCI Wooltack Point, Caroline White - PAVS, Carrie-Anne and Adam Jones - Halen Mor.

Treats for Time rewards volunteers with a voucher or gift as an incentive for 50 hours of volunteering.

The scheme, which is funded by the Port of Milford Haven (PoM) and administered by PAVS, has been running since June 2012 and has rewarded over 100 volunteers to date. Two such volunteers, Marjorie Baker and Richard Neale who volunteer for NCI Wooltack Point in Dale, have received a voucher for the Restaurant, Halen Moron on Milford Haven marina. Other Treats available are Spa vouchers for Bluestone, Ivy Bridge and St Brides; theme parks - Heatherton, Folly Farm and Manor Park and restaurants - The Grove and the recently registered Halen Mor. Other incentives can be sourced from Pembrokeshire businesses on request. Many volunteers have come to PAVS to find out about Treats for Time and the incentive scheme has encouraged new people to carry out volunteering who otherwise would not have thought about doing something for their community.

If you would like to find out more then contact PAVS on 01437 769422.

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Community Zone 2014 – Discount for PAVS Members There are still some stand spaces available in the Community Zone at the Pembrokeshire County Show (19-21 August 2014). This year we are also able to offer a 10% discount to PAVS Members. Last year over twenty voluntary and community groups had a presence in the Community Zone. A number of the organisations involved had never had the chance to be at the show before and welcomed the opportunity to advertise their projects and activities, with many promoting new services, raising awareness, or encouraging people to volunteer. In the marquee itself there were nine stands which organisations shared or had on a time share basis (one, two or all three days), but everyone agreed it was very worthwhile – with 90% of organisations stating the event was a success for them. Over the 3 days more than 1000 visitors engaged with the different groups. There are a number of stands available for just one or two days, which can be an excellent way to give it a go without committing to all three days. Each stand comprises and trestle table, chairs, and at least 2 tickets per day, there is even a stand-holder refreshment area for hot drinks included!

If you are interested, or would like to find out more please contact Louise Wilkinson at PAVS on 01437 769422 or email louise.wilkinson@pavs.org.uk

Equality and Diversity Explained

Equality and Diversity are frequently used phrases in the voluntary sector but what do they actually mean for community organisations in Pembrokeshire? PAVS held an Equality and Diversity workshop day on 30

th January 2014 to help voluntary

groups and charities in Pembrokeshire demystify the jargon surrounding the Equality Act 2010, allowing the groups to gain a better understanding of the importance of Equality and Diversity in their organisation, and how this legislation should be used to shape the way they work. Theatr Fforwm kicked off the day with an engaging and interactive performance looking at real-life Equality issues previously faced by two community groups in Pembrokeshire, and offering attendees the chance to intervene in, change and discuss the events being played out before them. Next were a series of talks and presentations from speakers including Paul Swann from Disability Wales, Alan Hunt, (Access Officer) from Pembrokeshire County Council and Equality and Diversity trainer, Rebecca Rosenthal, who all have extensive experience and an excellent understanding of Equality and Diversity issues faced by groups and individuals in Wales. Dr Jamie Lewis from Cardiff University was next with a demonstration of the SEREN Equality

mailto:louise.wilkinson@pavs.org.uk

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and Diversity toolkit he and his team have developed, followed by Josh Hoole from the Communities 2.0 project who showcased the new Equality and Diversity iPad app, both of which are free and available to community groups and charities to help them to create a workable Equality and Diversity action plan. The afternoon session was facilitated by Rebecca Rosenthal who led a World Café event, which offered the opportunity for attendees to look at the 9 protected characteristics as stated in the Equalities Act 2010 in more detail. Feedback showed that the ‘World Café inspired some excellent discussions’ and overall, there was an excellent response to both the interactive elements and the talks, which helped embed the learning throughout the day. The event was very well received with participants stating the day was ‘fantastic’ and ‘thought-provoking’, providing a useful opportunity to gather information, network with other organisations and take time to ‘focus on the topic’. This workshop was supported by the Enterprising Communities project, which is funded by the Welsh Government and European Structural Funds (European Regional Development Fund), managed by the Wales Council for voluntary Action (WCVA) and delivered locally by Wales’ network of County Voluntary Councils. If your organization could benefit from making improvements to its Equality & Diversity procedures please contact the Development Team at PAVS for support.

WCVA, Wales Co-operative Centre and Welsh Government have developed an on-line guide to joint bidding.

It can be difficult for small businesses to compete for large public contracts in Wales. This Joint Bidding Guide is about how businesses can work together to form consortia to increase their capacity. This guide is designed to promote consortium tendering for public contracts. It is for anyone involved in the bidding cycle for public contracts, whether as a buyer or a potential supplier.

It is designed to help both public sector buyers and potential consortium members to understand the problems often encountered during a procurement process, and how these can be overcome.

Although the full document is available to download, the Guide has been produced in 18 self-contained chapters. The Introduction explains what is covered in each of the subsequent chapters and their target audiences. The link is wales.gov.uk/jointbidding

http://wales.gov.uk/jointbidding

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Social Enterprise

The CIC Regulator’s Quarterly Report

The CIC Regulator has published its latest quarterly report which is available to download from their website cicregulator@companieshouse.org.uk . Some interesting points include:

800 annual CIC reports were filed during the quarter, which are available to be downloaded from the website

During 2013/14 1831 CICs were approved; 709 were dissolved and 8 were converted

The UK total of CICs to date is 8784, of which 78% are Companies Limited by Guarantee (CLG) and 22% are Companies Limited by Shares (CLS)

Wales has 263 CICs , making up only 3% of the UK total, with 222 CLGs and 41 CLSs

A community interest company is a business with primarily social objectives whose surpluses are principally reinvested for that purpose in the business or in the community, rather than being driven by the need to maximise profit for shareholders and owners. CICs tackle a wide range of social and environmental issues and operate in all parts of the economy. By using business solutions to achieve public good, it is believed that social enterprises have a distinct and valuable role to play in helping create a strong, sustainable and socially inclusive economy. Local successful Community Interest Companies include Value Independence CIC , Green Links CIC, Clynfwyw CIC, Pembroke 21c CIC and Space to Create CIC.

Social Enterprise Showcase

Just as the daffodils are blooming and the sun begins to favour us all again, 8 organisations from around Pembrokeshire embarked on PAVS’s first day tour of Social Enterprises in the north of the county. We met early for a networking over coffee and croissants at Letterston Village Hall to hear from Geoff Jones of the Welsh Council for Voluntary Services about the national perspective. He was positive about the future and the chances of mainstreaming support provision for the sector, as well as the increasing awareness of coproduction as a means of providing public services via the third sector/social businesses as well as the public sector. Geoff described the sector as a vibrant and growing part of Welsh Business across all sectors – from health to entertainment, and in all economic areas where it addresses social, environmental and economic inequalities and market failure. Green Dragon buses – the well known face of PRTA, Preseli Rural Transport Association were next: Emma Lewis’s lively talk and scooter leathers focussed the audience on their rapid success – they doubled in size last year, on their 10

th anniversary of operations. After everyone

advised them they would fail, ‘community transport in a deep rural area of low population will never work’. Now PRTA have contracts across Pembrokeshire and Cerdigion. Emma encouraged trustees and directors to be bold and brave in their decision making on new projects. This has given PRTA new growth and success. For some they are the vital social lifeline for those too vulnerable to get out of their homes alone:

mailto:cicregulator@companieshouse.org.uk

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Social Enterprise

“Finding the people who need us most is the hardest thing (even harder than getting funding)” said Emma. “Some of our passengers are in solitary confinement for the rest of their lives without us, but they have been convicted of nothing. This situation will only increase”. Next we jumped on one of the friendly Green Dragon buses for a short hop to Value Independence in Little Newcastle. To be fair I think most of us had our preconceptions of this relatively new business blown out of the water. They have grown so much in a short time since the start in 2008. They now employ an impressive 15 staff, with 8 more in the wings, have built an impressive number of partnerships across the county and support 40 vulnerable clients ranging from learner or physically disabled, brain injury clients and PTSD veterans. They help the clients with programmes in healthy living, life skills, outdoor skills and personal self-discovery; their ‘pathway’ offers are expanding all the time. Value Independence is definitely a social business to watch out for with a creative, caring and personal approach – ‘hats off’ to this family business. The sun shone for us as the Green Dragon bus set off again for St Dogmaels – followed by Emma on her Green Dragon Scooter – part of their ‘scooters to work’ scheme, for anyone with no access to public or private transport to get to a job. We arrived just in time to browse the weekly Tuesday Local Producers Market. Several of these micro enterprises had started with initial set-up support and subsidy from Hanes Landoch, the SE who has developed and runs the Coach house café, shop education and exhibition facility in St Dogmaels. The Hanes Llandoch enterprise is broad ranging and certainly plays on its unique selling point – the rich and visible heritage of the Abbey, the French order of monks and some of the unusual traditions they introduced hundreds of years ago. This successful community initiative managed to hook their aims and objectives – of revitalising the community, increasing job opportunities and social cohesion - on the valuable historic asset they have in the village. In this way they have managed to create a business which is sustainable [the café and shop] as well as achieve their social and educational aims by accessing support and funding from partners such as Cadw and heritage Lottery amongst others. They have faced many challenges, and every year the books have to balance, but by being brave and creative with new projects and building community loyalty they are feeling positive after the years of recession which hit as soon as they opened in 2008. In 2014 they are hopeful that the glimmers of a national economic recovery are already being felt in the shadow of St Dogmaels Abbey.

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Governance

Charity Commission News New Audio Podcasts To help trustees tackle challenges and prevent problems at their charities the Charity Commission, has published two new audio podcasts, designed to help charity trustees under-stand their duties under charity law. They are available from the Commission’s website and cover:

Internal Financial Controls Conflicts of Interest

Latest edition of Charity Commission News, includes the following topics:

Fundraising Changes to the Annual Return - the 2014 Annual Return will contain some new

compulsory questions including whether the charity: a) Raises funds from the public b) Has a trading subsidiary c) Pays one or more of the trustees for being a trustee d) Has certain policies in place e) Is regulated by a regulator other than the Commission f) Carries out the charity’s purposes predominantly through grant making

Both are available on the Charity Commission’s website www.charitycommission.gov.uk

The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Trustees Good and effective trustees are essential to ensure that your organisation is well governed and able to meet its objectives. More effective trustees will lead to more effective charities, and this, of course benefits everyone.

Broomfield Alexander solicitors have come up with 7 habits that effective boards of trustees should demonstrate and be aware of:

1. Charity boards must be clear about the dividing lines between their job and management’s. Boards govern, set strategies, approve budgets, and champion the cause. The board’s advice may be sought and specific expertise tapped but they are not generally responsible for running the organisation.

2. The relationship between the Chief Executive and Chair is important. There must be respect between them and an understanding of professional/personal boundaries.

3. The board has overall responsibility for its funds, reputation and staff, it is also accountable to its members and its backers.

4. Risk management is crucial. It can be too easy to glance at calculations on a spreadsheet and assume all is well. Trustees need to assess risks with realism and imagination and ensure all bases are covered.

5. Trustees must understand that the role of trustee is a real job. To do it properly takes up more time than you may be initially told. If boards delegate power to specific individuals they need to be clear of scope of delegation and actions should be subject to scrutiny.

6. Boards need a mix of skills, experience and age. Most charities aim to include financial management, legal and media skills.

http://www.charitycommission.gov.uk

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Governance

7. Trustee training and feedback are essential. Training courses often cover the legal aspects of being a trustee but rarely talk about the dynamics and relationships of working with internal management or the politics of working within the roles of a board.

In conclusion being a trustee is not straightforward and at times may seem thankless, it can also be challenging and testing of principles. However, being a trustee can also be worthwhile, interesting and fun as demonstrated by the 1000′s of individuals who carry out the role successfully every day!

WCVA News The WCVA have planned a series of seminars during 2014 aimed at Trustees covering:

‘I’m a charity and I don’t pay VAT – myth or reality’ Auto enrolment – what Trustees need to know Responsibilities when employing people Tendering for Trustees

Full details are available on the WCVA website www.wcva.org.uk

EMPLOYMENT

Auto-enrolment - Helping employers select quality pension schemes The Pensions Regulator (TPR) launched a suite of guides to help employers with limited pensions experience to select a good quality scheme for automatic enrolment.

The Guide for Employers is written without pension jargon and suggests a number of questions to consider when assessing the quality of a scheme under the following headings:

Scheme simplicity

Investment options

Managing investments

Value for money

Your pension provider

Communications

Employers are reminded that the National Employment Savings Trust (NEST), established by the Government, must accept all employers who wish to select it as their automatic enrolment scheme provider. The employer's guide can be downloaded from:

www.thepensionsregulator.gov.uk/docs/employer-select-pension-automatic-enrolment.pdf

Growing your business and keeping it simple

ACAS has been working with businesses in every sector and at every stage in their growth cycle for forty years. They emphasise the importance of employment law and good practice for the success of any organisation. ACAS resources, which have been especially designed to help small firms/organisations to grow, are all available for free from their website www.acas.org.uk

Help for small firms – is a package of tools specially tailored to help SMEs recruit, draw

http://www.wcva.org.ukhttp://www.thepensionsregulator.gov.uk/docs/employer-select-pension-automatic-enrolment.pdfhttp://www.acas.org.uk/

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up contracts of employment, settle in new staff, manage and improve their performance, and deal with any problems

Simple to use forms and policies Model forms and templates.

If you would like some specific advice on issues within your organisation, you can call the ACAS helpline on 0300 1231 1000 for free advice and support.

Early Conciliation Scheme from ACAS:

One of ACAS’ roles is helping employers and employees to settle disputes which have resulted in an application to tribunal in order to avoid the time and costs of proceeding to a full tribunal hearing. Under the new early conciliation scheme, ACAS can become involved much earlier, before an application is made to Tribunal. For one month, from 6th April 2014 employers and employees may use the new service if they so chose, but from 5th May 2014 the early conciliation service will be compulsory. Under the new rules, people wanting to go to tribunal will have to use the early conciliation scheme before they bring a claim. ACAS will explore the possibility of settling the dispute between employer and employee for one month. In certain circumstances a further extension of up to 14 days can be given, in addition to the one month, in order to try and settle the dispute. If settling the dispute proves unworkable then ACAS will issue the employee with an early conciliation certificate and the employee will need to submit this when they make their tribunal claim. Whilst the early conciliation is taking place the clock stops ticking on the time limit for brining a tribunal claim, meaning that the usual time limit for claims will now be 3 months plus the conciliation period of up to one month and 14 days. As employers, you need to be aware of this change because when you are contacted by ACAS under the new early conciliation scheme, you will need to decide whtehr you want to settle at this early stage. Some employers may decide to postpone settlement to see if the employee is committed to pursuing their claim as a Tribunal, especially with the introduction of tribunal fees.

(information adapted from Geldards Law Firm - Employment Update March 2014).

TRAINING…………..dates for the diary……………. APRIL Treasurer, Book Keeping & Budgets 24th April MAY Planning and Running an AGM 8th May Top Tips for Social Media Strategy Success 15th May JUNE Project Management Tips & Techniques 12th June Introduction to Volunteer Management 19th June

FUNDING NEWS

Governance

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The annual funding fair in November set the scene for 2014 with large numbers of community groups and organisations seeking funding and support for a wide range of community actions, buildings and activities and this continues to be the case. With this in mind the development team see the provision of information, training and support to community groups as ever more important in the quest for sustainability in all it guises, but especially financial sustainability . By keeping our finger on the pulse and publishing the very latest funding opportunities on our website at www.pavs.org.uk/funding/index.htm we hope to give our clients the edge in making successful funding applications and creating a sustainable future for themselves. To this end we continue to run our full spectrum of training sessions on governance and associated issues. In addition we will be running a quarterly funding briefing which will provide the ‘low down’ on the latest funding information from a range of sources. The funding briefing will be a forum in which funding hints and tips will be exchanged and where participants will be able to discuss the latest news and exchange information and views from a range of viewpoints/perspectives. The most recent funding briefing took place on March 24

th and was well received by those

who attended. Keep an eye on the PAVS website for date of the next one. PAVS is also involved with stakeholders representing the interests of the sector in Pembrokeshire at a local regional and National level. This has been especially important with the emerging EU Structural Funds in Wales 2014-2020. While this programme is technically operational, it takes time to bed in before it becomes clear as to what the priorities and measures will mean in real terms for the sector at a grass roots level. What is clear is that the focus this time round will be on job creation, helping people into work and tackling poverty through a variety of measures. Full details are available at the Wales European Funding Office website at:

wefo.wales.gov.uk/programmes/westwalesvalleys/?lang=en

Date for the Diary : Collaborative Communities conference , Parc Y Scarletts, June 4

th 2014.

Keep an eye on the PAVS website for further information.

NEWS FROM OTHER GROUPS

Fishguard Arts Society Fishguard Arts Society was set up to bring arts to the wider public, and in August achieved its aim. An innovative knitting project that involved the entire Fishguard community, was to revitalise the town and its people. Timed to coincide with the annual Jazz Festival, ‘Knitting Jazz’ was a community-wide knitting project that involved locals, schools, businesses and tourists. Organised by local resident Elizabeth Stonhold, the project started with an incredible 97 workshops, held in locations throughout the town. “In order to prove that big things don’t just happen in big cities, we needed to exhibit the knitting on a large scale,” says Elizabeth. “To do this, we needed a lot of knitters and materials, the support of the local community.” People were asked to knit a small square, in any colour or size, which would then be sewn together and used to adorn objects around the town. In total, 169 different items were decked with knitting, in 40 locations around Fishguard and

Funding News

http://www.pavs.org.uk/funding/index.htmhttp://wefo.wales.gov.uk/programmes/westwalesvalleys/?lang=en

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Goodwick, including benches, railings, bins, trees and many local businesses. “We encouraged people of all ages and abilities to show their pride in their home by knitting a small square,” explains Elizabeth. “In certain venues such as schools, care homes and youth groups, wool was delivered on a regular basis and weekly workshops held there. At one workshop with the sea cadets, we knitted with a pair of giant needles and 16 balls of wool at the same time!” Each workshop was given a special theme, and unique events were planned to keep up momentum and enthusiasm. People knitted along to an opera performance, a short film night, whilst being read stories in the local bookshop, dressed up as gnomes in the local garden centre, and at a picnic in the middle of the stone circle – to name but a few. They even knitted on the ferry over to Ireland and back – teaching the Captain how to knit on the way. A map was handed out to visitors to guide them around the exhibition, and out of 5,000 printed, 4,800 maps were used. According to Elizabeth, the impact on local people has been far-reaching. “By involving the community, including as many as possible, creating a visual display of our love of our home town we were able to show how much Fishguard and Goodwick has to offer and made our town feel positive and proud once again.”

www.fishguardartssociety.org.uk

PATCH News PATCH has been named as the Port of Milford Haven’s Charity (POMH) of the Year. The 180 staff working for the POMH have voted Pembrokeshire’s local food and basics bank their charity of the year. The charity which offers food, clothing and small household items to people in crisis has increased referrals by 100% year on year since opening in 2008. Tracy Olin Project Co-ordinator commented: ‘The Port of Milford Haven have supported PATCH since it was a dream , so this means so much to us. We are overwhelmed that people have voted us to be their first ever charity of the year.’ Tracy said ‘None of this could have happen without our amazing group of 60 volunteers who help in organising parcels for people in financial crisis all over the county – its Pembrokeshire People helping Pembrokeshire People’. Opening Hours:

Milford Haven Monday, Wednesday & Thursday 10-2pm

Monkton Tuesday 10-2pm

Haverfordwest Friday 10-12 (food only)

For full details see our website www.patch.org.uk or

telephone 01646 699275 or 0777 5571431

News from other groups

http://www.fishguardartssociety.org.ukhttp://www.patch.org.uk

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Creating a Facebook page is a great way to promote your organisation, build awareness for your cause, and to advertise events and activity to your members, clients, supporters etc. A Facebook page is NOT the same as a profile so to be clear that you are setting up a page for your organisation or group, just follow the easy steps at www.wikihow.com/Create-a-Facebook-Fan-Page. You just need a Facebook account and then essentially Facebook walks you through the steps and you just fill in the details Building a following and strategically managing your page can be harder but with a few basic guidelines you’ll be building a following in no time:

Post information a few times a week using short and snappy sentences

Include lots of photos of your activity

Share your great stories

Share resources from other websites

Talk to your audience and ask for feedback

Integrate your Facebook with your other online and offline promotional activity

Come & Play at a Drop in Day

The Communities 2.0 team hold drop in sessions for individuals around the county demonstrating new tablets and Windows 8 on the following days and times. Come along and talk to us. Haverfordwest Library Monday 10.00 - 1.00 Pembroke Dock Library Monday 10.00 –1.00 Milford Haven Library Tuesday 10.00 –1.00 Age Cymru Pembrokeshire Work of Art Gallery Friday 11.00 – 1.00 Haverfordwest

How do I Use an iPad?

We are now running iPad introduction sessions! If you know someone who wants to learn how to use an iPad for home or business use then send them to their local library who can point them in the direction of one of our new sessions.

I.C.T.

http://www.wikihow.com/Create-a-Facebook-Fan-Pagehttp://www.wikihow.com/Create-a-Facebook-Fan-Page

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From Charity Digital News

UK charities will hit a ‘digital brick wall’ which will reduce fundraising capability, undermine service delivery and limit their ability to operate efficiently due to a widespread lack of investment and digital literacy, according to new research from Eduserv, a provider of IT services for the charity sector.

The research conducted among 100 digital and IT leaders from some of the leading UK charities has been published in a new report: Delivering Digital Transformation in UK Charities.

It found that 73% of those surveyed thought their organisation would raise less money if they did not fully embrace digital channels. A further 71% said their reputation would suffer and 59% said they did not think their services would keep pace with the needs of those they support.

Although budget was cited as the biggest barrier to digital transformation among 70% of charities, two thirds (66%) said a lack of knowledge of what digital could do for the organisation was a major issue for those surveyed. A risk-averse culture (58%) and lack of understanding at board/senior management level were also cited in the top five barriers to change.

The research found that three quarters of charities (75%) had no IT strategy to support their digital ambitions and that half of digital leads (52%) surveyed said their job was harder because of grey areas around structure and responsibilities in the organisation.

According to John Simcock, Charities Director at Eduserv: “The charity of the future will have digital at the heart of everything it does: from the way it gathers and uses data to the way it improves existing services and creates new services. This won’t happen unless organisations commit to building greater digital capability and orienting their strategy and operations to deliver digital transformation.”

It is good news that 57% of charities plan to address this issue in the year ahead and we hope the report we have published today will help charities navigate this and other challenges they face on their digital journey,” he added.

Sue Blantern Communities 2.0 Circuit Rider

T: 01437 771197 M: 07876 645869

Chris Allman Rural Circuit Rider

T: 01437 769422 M: 07875 235290

Contact

I.C.T.