Voluntary Groups
Worried about Amazon Smile closing? Join easyfundraising!
With the news that AmazonSmile is closing soon, we want to remind you that easyfundraising is a great alternative.
With easyfundraising, your organisation receives free donations from more than 7,000 online retailers instead, including eBay, Tesco, Argos, Sainsbury’s, John Lewis, M&S and Trainline.
It’s free to set up and use and is already trusted by 170,000 good causes around the UK. Find out more: www.easyfundraising.org/uk/community
Open Day to Promote the Calderdale VCSE Sector – Apply by January 12th
The VSI Alliance is holding an Open Day at the Resource Centre, 8b Hall Street, HX1 5AY on Monday 23rd January between 1 and 6pm.
The event is designed to showcase the work of the VCSE sector in Calderdale and highlight vacancies, volunteering opportunities and trusteeships that are available throughout the sector.
This event may be a good opportunity to support guests with the completion of job applications for vacancies at VAC as well as holding first interviews where appropriate. If you are interested as an organisation in following this approach, please contact VSI and to ensure that there is space available for you to do this.
If you are interested in attending as an organisation to showcase your work, volunteering opportunities and job vacancies, please email Engagement@cvac.org.uk
Meet the funder : Free funding webinar from easyfundraising – January 24th
Is your voluntary organisation looking for unrestricted funding? Come along to this informal session to find out how your voluntary group, CIC, social enterprise, church, school, sports club or charity can use the free easyfundraising platform to receive donations unrestricted funding when your volunteers, staff and supporters shop with leading retailers.
What to expect:
- A live demonstration of how it works
- Instructions on how to get your organisation set up
- Tips on how to raise as much as possible
- A Q&A session with Community Fundraising Manager Becky Coleman
Date: Tuesday 24th January
Time: 12.30 – 1.15pm
Register to attend: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZAud-qvpjoqE9R9GDQHnF1Q8600l2YsbdUk
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.
easyfundraising offer to run exclusive sessions just for your organisations/members. To find out more, contact Becky Coleman
Office furniture and supplies giveaway to charitable and community organisations
Surplus to Purpose, a Leeds based charity would like to share with third sector organisations that they have office furniture and stationary supplies available to you, free of charge or a donation if you are able.
Everything offered on a first come, first served basis. You can view the stock or arrange a collection by appointment only.
For more details, contact Surplus 2 Purpose directly:
Surplus 2 Purpose:
w : https://surplus2purpose.com/
f : https://www.facebook.com/Surplus2Purpose/
VSI Alliance news : Local business offering voluntary help this summer
VSI Alliance wish to share that a local business has approached them and are interested in offering some time over the summer to support a local charity or not for profit group.
The company wishes to help with any aspect of manual work needed, from gardening to decorating or another project if you have one in mind, ideally over the weekends in the summer.
They could prefer to donate this time to an organisation based or operating in Sowerby Bridge or the Upper Valley area.
If you would like to know more, please email Charlie at charlie.johnston@vsialliance.org.uk
Staying Well Awards ceremony
Way back in January 2020, Staying Well set out to hold an awards ceremony to celebrate the fantastic work their volunteers and groups are involved in.
Without all the wonderful things going on in our communities to reduce loneliness and isolation and keep people healthier and happier, Staying Well could not do what they do.
Staying Well want to take this opportunity to say thank you. The people of Calderdale nominated over 100 groups, organisations and individuals across the borough who are all working and volunteering to make our communities a better place.
A panel of judges selected winners in 10 categories:
1. Staying Well Lower Valley Award
Christ Church, Hipperholme
___
2. Staying Well North & East Halifax Award
Men United
___
3. Bringing People Together Award
Sheila Jackson, Shakeela Zaman
___
4. Staying Well Upper Valley Award
Tuesday 2 O’clock Club
___
5. Staying Well Central Halifax Award
Raziea Yousaf
___
6. Calderdale Cares Award
Bankfield Surgery Practice Health Champions
___
7. Contribution to Community Resilience Award
Calderdale Friends of Dorothy
___
8. Dedication to Communities Award
Shabir Hussain
___
9. Outstanding Individual Award
Kevin Sheils
___
10. Active Calderdale Award
George Watson
___
The COVID pandemic may have prevented Staying Well from holding the party they had in mind, so instead they have made a film to celebrate and highlight all those who were nominated and won awards, showcasing the brilliant groups and activities they are involved in.
Congratulations to everyone! You can watch the video here https://youtu.be/3rQOYtfBoNs to see just how awesome the people of Calderdale are.
If you would like more information on Staying Well, please visit www.stayingwellhub.com
VSI Alliance VCSE Winter Directory 2021/22
The VSI Alliance are producing a Calderdale Winter Directory of all the Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise (VCSE) Sector support and services available to individuals over the Winter months. This may be promoting part of your regular service delivery or it may be Winter specific work the VCSE are providing.As examples, the Winter Directory is aiming to include information on Mental Health Support, Wellbeing Sessions, Physical Activity, Food Support Services, Social Groups etc.The directory has a very tight turnaround to collate the information so apologies for the short deadline for information. To include your organisation or specific service, please complete the Microsoft Form via the link below by 1pm on Thursday 16th December 2021.
https://forms.office.com/r/6Ur17PEX94
If you wish to discuss further, please email emma.worsley@cvac.org.uk
Would you like to help give away £70,000 to voluntary and community groups in Calderdale?
Calderdale Council’s Small Grants scheme gives away small grants of up to £3,000 to voluntary and community groups all over Calderdale. This year we are giving away £70,000 to a range of community initiatives and voluntary sector projects.
These grants are awarded through a Small Grants Panel, made up of Calderdale Councillors and representatives from voluntary groups, community groups and groups which represent communities of interest.
These voluntary and community sector representatives are appointed for two years, and we are now inviting nominations for representatives to serve on the Community Grants Panel from April 2016 to March 2018. Each organisation can nominate one person as a representative.
If you feel that you or someone else in your organisation would like to be a member of the Small Grants Panel, and you have not already received a nomination form, please contact the Grants team via email to grants@calderdale.gov.uk
Deadline for nominations is Monday 22 February, following this if more than three nominations are received we will go to a ballot, with the successful new Panel members announced in April 2016.
If you have any questions around the Small Grants Panel or Small Grants Scheme please contact Steve Martin on 01422 392317.
Calderdale Lower Valley blog 