People making change: sharing approaches that work – ICA conference and AGM

Get Connected – Go to Market

Social Return on Investment Practitioner Training 2012

The SROI Network will be holding SROI Practitioner Training in Manchester on 26-27th January 2012.

The course is designed to be taken as 2 days together, and provides training to a level suitable for trainees seeking to become accredited practitioners. It is designed as the first step for individuals considering doing an SROI. No prior experience is required.

SROI is an approach to understanding and managing the impacts of a project, organisation or policy. It is based on stakeholders and uses financial value of the important impacts identified by stakeholders to identify what is important to them. SROI is an approach to understanding and managing the value of the social, economic and environmental outcomes created by an activity or an organisation. It is a framework for measuring and accounting for the value created or destroyed by our activities – where the concept of value is much broader than that which can be captured by market prices. It seeks to reduce inequality and environmental degradation and improve well being by taking account of this broader value. SROI can be used across all sectors – for business, investors, commissioning, and for organisations with a social purpose.

DAY 1 is a practical, step-by-step introduction to the SROI process. We’ll begin with some theory but the process is best learnt by trying it, so trainees will learn how to develop an impact map – the heart of the SROI process – and … Continue Reading

Do Drop in! BA Applied Community and Youth Work Studies at MMU

Get Connected – Go to Market – 24th January 2012

It’s time to get connected with each other.

It’s time to go to market with our purchasers in Greater Manchester.

It’s time to build our supply chains and explore how we can work in partnership.

Come to this event if you want to get ready for the oncoming contracting environment.

Meet the members and board of the Health & Wellbeing consortium.

Decide how your organisation can benefit from, and take steps to involve it in the contracting market.

Guest speakers TBC.

1:30 – 4:30 (including the Inaugural General Meeting of the Greater Manchester Health & Wellbeing Consortium)

Location: GMCVO, Manchester

GMYN Making a Difference Event – 8th December 5pm – 7pm

Click on the invitation below to find out more about how GMYN has helped young people and organisations to participate, develop and achieve in 2011.

GMYN December 2011 event invite

Resilience for Community Groups – free conference

Community North West and the Empowering Communities Project invites community activists, local workers, community groups and small voluntary organisations from the North to come to this Conference to plan how best to organise, campaign and survive.

Chaired by Professor John Diamond, key national speakers from the Carnegie UK, Voice4Change, National Coalition for Independent Action, Community Development Exchange and the national TUC will be challenging the Big Society view that we are “all in it together.”

Professor John Diamond from Edge Hill University will introduce the idea of the need for an alternative narrative to that being given by the Coalition Government in terms of what Big Society means to local communities across the North West.

Keynote Speakers include:
Nick Beddow – Chief Officer CDX (Community Development Exchange)
Nick Wilding – Carnegie UK
Cllr Terry Shields – St Helens
Paul Nowak – TUC National Offi cer for Voluntary & Community Organisations
Vandna Gohil, Director – Voice4Change
Penny Waterhouse and Melaina Barnes – NCIA

All the main speakers will be available to follow live by website if you can’t make the Conference but still want to contribute or ask questions.

For further information and to book a place, visit: www.communitynw.org.uk, or contact Hilda, on 01282 692 323, or email: info@communitynw.org.uk.

futureMANCHESTER

Sustainability festival imagines a ‘futureMANCHESTER’

At venues across Manchester 25 November – 2 December

This November futureMANCHESTER, the city’s festival of all things sustainable and environmentally friendly, will return for a second year with a jam-packed schedule of events, talks and workshops for everyone to enjoy.

The festival showcases the work of Manchester organisations who are working together to make the city a greener, healthier, fairer and more sustainable place to live, work and play. Many of these organisations are also involved in delivering the city’s climate change action plan, Manchester: A Certain Future, and the festival is just one way of publicising Manchester’s ambitious plan and of getting the whole city involved in realising our targets.

With over 30 events across the week there’s something for everyone, from urban gardening workshops to bike maintenance classes, eco-house tours and even a chance to learn how to make your own herbal remedies. And with the vast majority of … Continue Reading

Manchester Early Year’s Consultation Meeting

MACC would like to invite you to a special voluntary sector early year’s consultation afternoon.

This meeting has been arranged to look at the specific impact of the possible changes in the provision of early years on the voluntary sector and for MACC to develop a coordinated voluntary sector response to the consultation.

Manchester City Council are currently consulting on proposed changes to early year’s provision. This consultation includes proposed changes to four main areas:
• The local authority withdrawing from direct delivery of day care
• A new assertive outreach service
• A reduction in hours of early years provision for children aged three and four from 30 hours to 15 hours
• Consultation on the function and use of children’s centres to be used by the wider community

MACC urge all organisations to respond to this consultation individually but the aim of this meeting is to provide a clear coordinated voluntary sector response.

Representatives from Manchester City Council will be there on the day to engage in discussion.

To view the consultation, visit: www.manchester.gov.uk/info/100005/education_and_schools/5178/early_years…

To view the report that went to the overview and scrutiny committee detailing the proposed changes, visit: www.manchester.gov.uk/egov_downloads/5_Early_Years_Report.pdf.

MACC will be sending out a briefing paper by Thursday 10 November to discuss implications for the voluntary sector in preparation for the meeting.

To book a place at the meeting, email: pauline@macc.org.uk, no later than Friday 11 November 2011.

MERCI AGM invite – needs new Board members

Please find attached your invitation to our past, present and future AGM
on Thursday 1st December 2011 at Bridge 5 Mill 4.30pm – 8.30pm

This also gives us the opportunity to say thank you for all the support
you have shown over the years as we celebrate 10 years of the birthday
of Bridge 5 Mill our Centre for Sustainable Living. And birthdays means
parties which means fun, cake, and presents!

On a serious note we are all facing unprecedented challenges over the
next 12 months and we aim for this event to be a positive and productive
one with opportunities to discover new avenues and collaborations.

MERCI AGM invite2011

If any of you would like to offer more help in the development of a
sustainable future please consider becoming a MERCi trustee. Information
is attached.

MERCI Board members advert 2011

MERCI trustee role description agm2011