Cranfield Trust is exploring the development of a management learning programme to develop charity leaders of the future.
Cranfield Trust to explore development of new management training programme for charity sector and invites research proposals
Cranfield Trust is exploring the development of a management learning programme for leaders and managers of small to medium size voluntary organisations to develop charity leaders of the future.
The national charity and leading provider of pro bono management consultancy, mentoring and online learning to social welfare charities, is inviting proposals from organisations to undertake the feasibility project from April 2023. The research project will explore available management training for small to medium sized charity leaders and managers, their interest in taking up existing training opportunities, and the potential for the development of a management training programme for the sector.
Amanda Tincknell CBE, CEO of Cranfield Trust, is leading the project. Amanda said:
“There is a great deal of training available in the voluntary sector, and more widely, but through our extensive work with charities we have seen that there is little training geared to people developing their careers in the voluntary sector, to help them develop management skills early in their careers, or to help Chief Executives and senior leaders in smaller charities refresh their skills or fill skills gaps. Most voluntary sector staff do not take a great deal of general management training, and prefer training that is specifically developed for the voluntary sector market.
“Much of the specialist voluntary sector training is geared to leadership and strategy, not management, so middle managers or emerging managers do not have many specialist voluntary sector learning opportunities. Some of the training available is also relatively high cost for smaller charities meaning it is not affordable, even more so in the current cost of living crisis which has hit charities as hard as the rest of the country.
“We are incredibly grateful to the Masonic Charitable Foundation for generously supporting Cranfield Trust with a grant to undertake this research, which will allow us to explore the feasibility of establishing a relevant, flexible and cost-effective management learning programme with an academic partner for leaders and managers of small to medium size voluntary organisations to help develop charity leaders of the future.”
Cranfield Trust is looking for a contractor to deliver the research project, to start from mid-April, with the aim of reporting to the Trust’s management team in early September and to the Trustee Board in October 2023.
The deadline for submission proposals is by end of day on Monday 20 March 2023. Interviews will take place in the week of 27 March 2023. Proposals and questions should be submitted to: amanda.tincknell@cranfieldtrust.org
We know small grass roots organisations play a vital role in their community, making positive change and improving people’s lives every day, but the challenge for many is having the appropriate safe and inclusive space to bring people together and deliver their fantastic work.
Asda Foundation will be investing over £500,000 for this grant in 2023 to support bigger, long-lasting community projects within local communities where local people can be together and thrive.
Grants will be between £10,000-£25,000 and the application window opens on 6th February with funding announced in June 2023.
The grant criteria will focus on investing in community spaces and places and projects must fall into at least one of the following categories:
1. Building Repairs
2. Building Development
3. Outdoor Development
Read the full Group Guidance here. If you have an eligible project in mind, speak to your local Community Champion at your nearest Asda Superstore for more information.
The Lower Thames Crossing Community Fund has been opened to support local charities and community groups near the proposed Lower Thames Crossing.
Through this funding, organisations can apply for grants of up to £10,000 to deliver schemes that:
Encourage physical activity and increase public use of local green spaces
Improve the health and wellbeing of local communities
Improving signage and/or way-markings to increase accessibility for walkers, cyclists and horse-riders
Help communities to connect with their heritage
Support local communities to secure permanent employment in the wider Lower Thames Crossing potential supply chain
Increase the use of technology to help local communities better understand the Lower Thames Crossing proposals and inspire future careers in construction.
Responsibilities will include:
• Developing networks of stakeholders
• Proactively seeking new income streams from private and public sectors
• Securing grants and contracts
• Growing income from fundraising and donations
• Demonstrable financial outcomes
You will need to be:
• Passionate about supporting adult and young carers
• Driven by results and impact
• Able to support and motivate staff and volunteers
• Highly organized and proactive
• Able to work flexibly and independently across Essex
The Maternity Pledge provide support for the transition into motherhood, otherwise known as matrescence.
They do this through our workplace pledge and unique Matrescence Packs.
The Maternity Pledge aims to change this.
Our workplace pledge and complementary handbook encourage employers to support pregnant employees and new mothers, and our Matrescence Packs provide unique information and tools to help employees have a positive birth and navigate their own matrescence. Our Matrescence Club for new mothers supports them during their maternity leave with good mood content, wellbeing advice and coaching tips to help them transition back into the workplace. Put together, the commitment of the pledge and tools that accompany it help your business to value its employees and have a productive and positive workplace.
You may be managing your first maternity leave as an employer or already have maternity practices in place. Wherever you are in your journey, by joining The Maternity Pledge you can proudly display and demonstrate your support and commitment to making your workplace one that values pregnant employees and new mothers.
And just a small note on the language you’ll find on the website and in the Matrescence Packs. The Maternity Pledge has made the decision to use ‘mother’ and ‘motherhood’ as inclusive terms. In 2019 UK law determined “Being a mother, is the status given to the person who undergoes the physical and biological process of being pregnant, carrying and giving birth to a child.” At The Maternity Pledge we extend that language to include those who adopt or go through surrogacy as well.
The Pledge.
Fulfil the legal requirementfor pregnancy in the workplace and maternity leave and give my employee the support they need to do their job so they feel safe and secure in their work environment
Create a maternity leave and return to work plan with my employee so they know what to expect before they go on maternity leave and understand that they can make changes to the plan during their maternity leave
Communicate effectively with all my employees about how maternity leave works, how it will affect them and their role in the business
Help my employee maintain an emotional connection with the workplace so they do not feel anxious about being on maternity leave and their subsequent return to work
Support their return to work with as much flexibility and care for their wellbeing as possible
The Charity Commission is launching the next stage of its campaign to raise awareness of core trustee duties and guidance available as the sector faces challenges ahead.
Today (2nd February 2023), the Charity Commission is launching the next stage of its campaign to raise awareness of core trustee duties and the guidance available to charities.
The Commission has developed a collection of short and engaging guidance on issues ranging from safeguarding people to managing conflicts of interest. Dubbed the ‘5-Minute Guides’, the collection serves as a basic toolkit for trustees who are managing the many demands of running a charity.
The latest phase of the campaign, running from 2nd February to 16th March, aims to raise awareness of, and boost use of, the 5-minute guides. The regulator hopes this will increase knowledge and understanding of essential trustee duties. This comes as charities face additional challenges due to cost-of-living pressures.
The Commission’s latest research shows that around 98% of trustees feel ‘very’ or ‘somewhat’ confident in managing or governing their charity but, when questioned on basic role requirements, on average, trustees answered just 7 out of 10 questions correctly – demonstrating a knowledge gap that could lead to unintentional governance failings.
The core suite of 5-minute guides cover the following subject areas:
Delivering purpose – advice on how to use your charity’s governing document, how to deliver on your charity’s purposes and the law.
Managing finances – advice on how to ensure your charity’s money is safe, properly used and accounted for.
Conflicts of interest – advice on how to identify and deal with conflicts of interest in your charity.
Making decisions – advice on how to make valid trustee decisions that are in your charity’s best interests.
Safeguarding people – advice on your responsibilities to keep everyone who comes into contact with your charity safe from harm.
Political activity & campaigning – advice for charities that want to support, or oppose, a change in government policy or the law.
Paul Latham, Director of Communications and Policy at the Charity Commission, said:
We know that this will be a tough year for charities. When approaching difficult decisions, we want trustees to feel certain of the rules in these uncertain times. Our 5-minute guides act as a core syllabus – offering trustees engaging, informative content covering the basics all trustees should know. With advice readily available, we encourage trustees to refresh their knowledge and fill any gaps so that they can best serve their charities – and those who rely on them.
The Commission’s guidance is not yet the first port of call for many trustees. Commission research shows that they often first seek advice from a fellow trustee or colleague (70%) or look online (59%). However, an overwhelming majority of trustees who use the regulator’s guidance find it helpful (94%) and most (89%) trustees who have used the 5-minute guides would recommend them to others.
The previous campaign phase in 2022 saw the percentage of surveyed trustees aware of the 5 Minute Guides rise from 23% to 40%. Furthermore, of the trustees who have read one or more of the 5-minute guides, 39% reported to have taken or intend to take an action as a result of reading them.
Out of hours press office contact number: 07976 942355
The Charity Commission is the independent, non-ministerial government department that registers and regulates charities in England and Wales. Its purpose is to ensure charity can thrive and inspire trust so that people can improve lives and strengthen society.
The Government’s Multiply programme is focused on raising participation in learning and attainment in Maths for adults aged 19 and over.
ECC has submitted an investment plan seeking the maximum allocation of £7.9m, which is the largest of any county in England. Allocation of fund for 2022/23 has been awarded.
This will help address the crucial skills gaps in Essex, which ranked 114 out of 151 local authorities in England – the 38th lowest – in terms of the proportion of 16-64 year olds with an NVQ3 or above.
As a result, Essex has secured the fifth largest funding allocation in the country and the largest allocation for a single local authority.
Essex Multiply Project
Multiply aims to raise participation in learning and attainment in Maths up to NVQ2 for adults aged 19 and over. Failure to attain this level of Maths is often a barrier to progressions to higher learning and in work. Attainment at Entry Level 3 can even bar access into technical apprenticeships at NVQ2. The Multiply scheme will go beyond traditional maths and will also focus on everyday numeracy skills to help adults with household budgeting, debt management, bargain hunting, and with their children’s homework, etc.
The project aims to offer short courses and support that will help adults to cope with the cost of living, to help their children with their schoolwork, to access employment, and to progress in work. The project aims to whet Essex adults’ appetite for learning through short practical courses that offer maths tools that are useful to residents and families in their everyday lives.
The Government has confirmed the initial grant of £2.4m to ECC to deliver 3,450 opportunities by March 2023. By March 2025, 14,200 residents will participate in education/training: supporting businesses to upskill their workforces, helping parents to support their children’s learning and to offer adults more effective tools with which to manage their money better.
Multiply will support ECC’s objectives as set out in the Everyone’s Essex strategy to support Good Jobs and Future Growth by increasing the skills of Essex residents and workers. It will also support ECCs Levelling Up Essex White Paper which aims to level up priority places and disadvantaged cohorts across Essex. Multiply will also deliver bespoke modules to meet the skills needs of employers in sectors which are set to grow as set out in our Sector Development Strategy and those that are struggling with skills shortages.
Community Grants
Community grants will be awarded for this year’s Multiply allocation and more funding will be available in the subsequent 2 years. Grants are available up to £10,000 per proposal and up to £300,000 is allocated for 2022/23 in Essex.
We are now able to accept community grant proposals from partners /organisations across the Community, Voluntary and Public Sectors to support the following:
Provide community outreach for Multiply – to stimulate demand for learning amongst the most disadvantaged groups that skills providers currently find hard to reach
Triage services to identify appropriate support and training for Essex residents
Referrals to Multiply provision
Provide ongoing support to the adults that you refer to Multiply provision
Enable Multiply provision to be delivered from your premises
Work with local Multiply providers to co-design and co-produce delivery of training
Grants will be based on a minimum agreed number of (40 – 60) adults participating in Multiply.
Closing date for applications is 11th November 2022.
Name of Organisation / Provider
Address of Organisation / Provider
Contact name, telephone and email details
Date of Application
Area/s your proposal will cover
How much funding would you like to apply for (maximum – £10,000 per proposal)
Number of adults your proposal will support
Number of starts on Multiply learning your proposal will deliver (minimum 40-60)
Proposed start date of delivery
Proposed end date of delivery
Additional information
Details of your proposal for Essex Multiply Provider Grant based on criteria outlined above (please outline your project plan below – maximum 1 side of A4)
Since the first Men’s Shed was successfully established in Essex in 2014, we’ve been working with organisations and volunteers across the county to establish many more and help combat the loneliness and isolation afflicting our communities.
But many of the existing Sheds in Essex are now over-subscribed, so we need help to identify premises or organisations that could accommodate more Shed groups for the benefit of their local community.
We work with local councils, voluntary organisations, charities and groups of private individuals to get Sheds off the ground, so if you are interested in having a Shed in your community please contact us and we’ll provide all the support and guidance needed to start a successful Community Shed Group.
The National Youth Agency is passionate about the right of every young person to be able to access the personal, social, and educational development opportunities provided by youth work. As the professional, statutory and regulatory body for youth work in England and with support from the Department for Culture, Media and Support, we conduct an annual National Youth Sector Census to create an accurate understanding of youth sector provision. This helps to inform policy making, commissioning and funding for youth work. By completing the Census:
· It increases organisations’ visibility to Government, commissioners and prospective partners who might benefit from their expertise / services
· It helps to demonstrate a local need for provision and help to get more funding flowing into organisations’ area and supports our work to build the national case for investment in youth work
· By completing the Census, organisations gain access Youth Work One.
· An interactive digital map of current youth work provision which allows you understand the picture of youth work provision in your area
· It only takes 15 minutes to complete
The NYA needs your help to ensure that everyone who delivers youth work has an opportunity to complete the Census and provide a clearer picture of where youth work is taking place and how it is funded. We are hoping that you would be able to distribute this call for action through your networks. I enclose a Comms toolkit which contains email, newsletter, and social media copy that could be used.
Join Renew for an engaging introduction to the world of counselling. Whether you’re considering further counselling study, or you’re looking to improve your interpersonal skills, this course is an excellent platform to increase your understanding.
This course is perfect for people in caring professions or those looking to improve their communication and leadership skills.
Over 12 weeks, we’ll cover:
The professional context of counselling
Communication skills in helping relationships
An introduction to personal development and theory
Classes take place once a week at our Sadlers House counselling centre in Chelmsford.
We’re proud to be known as a centre for excellence for both our counselling and training offer. While Renew is rooted in over 100 years of history, we’re also a dynamic and forward-looking organisation that places high importance on learning and continuous professional development. Our specialist training is exciting, innovative and meets BACP training standards.
Find out more by heading to our website or by getting in touch with our team via info@renew.org.uk or 01245 359353.