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Feature Articles

Here we provide a series of in-depth feature articles, focussing on issues which are relevant for local groups

20 Feb 2012
Central Ward Community First
Following a lively meeting on Saturday 18th February a panel of residents has come together in Central ward in Worthing to guide the new Community First programme. They will develop a plan setting out a strategy for improving the area using funding allocated by government to support local projects, activities and initiatives that will enhance quality of life for people in the ward. They will draw up priorities using a range of information including existing data on needs and local issues as well as their own consultation and appreciative enquiry. more
03 Feb 2012
Actively Meeting Needs
Over the past week we have worked with voluntary groups active in the fields of arts, housing, disability support, children & young people and older people's services.This was a pretty typical week but it demonstrates that voluntary organisations are doing their bit to keep the community healthy, active, independent and creative. more
27 Jan 2012
So what about this week?
The countywide Building Stronger Partnerships (BSP)  group agreed this week to feed information into the 'third sector working group' at the County Council especially to try and improve the clarity of guidance around quality assurance required of charities who seek to contract with the county council and around the issues of ownership of intellectual property arising from those contracts. This is aimed at helping to address the inconsistencies curently existing which make the tendering process more fraught than it needs to be. more
20 Jan 2012
Oh Blog it!
Lots going on so here is a quick round up of what we have been up to recently and some plans for the next few weeks. Good meeting with the Skills for Care focus group in Worthing last week with groups that work with adults in the community, looking at neighbourhood engagement work with adults. Where this is increasingly delivered in neighbourhoods rather than at centres that people come to, voluntary and community groups do more outreach often using volunteers. more
19 Jan 2012
It's a New Year
Happy New Year to all voluntary and community groups and people trying to improve or strengthen their communities. The signs are that 2012 is going to be a hard year, perhaps tougher than some of us has ever known it. This will affect the ability of groups in Worthing to raise funds to keep going, it could mean that the number of people able to freely offer their time to volunteer reduces and it could mean that staff, trustees and existing volunteers in charities experience unprecedented stress levels. more
19 Dec 2011
Great Training Opportunities
Between January and March in a 'get it while you can' flourish there are some good local training workshops available for voluntary and community groups. These include Fundraising, Health & Safety, Introduction to Budgeting & Bookkeeping, Food Safety, Creating a Website, Supporting & Motivating Volunteers and Emergency First Aid. Given that it may not be easy for us to replicate such a good range of courses like these we advise all groups to take advantage of these while it's possible to do so. more
12 Dec 2011
Drawing on Reserves
A poll shows that more than a quarter of charities have had to use reserves in the past year to keep services going and many have also cut services. The Charity Finance Directors Group have warned that where levels of reserves were strong for charities at the start of the recession that this reliance will not be sustainable for long. A local casualty that many CVS's in West Sussex have worked with is the Brighton-based Working Together Project. It is both sad and shocking that they have announced their closure in March. more
08 Dec 2011
Neighbourhood Action Plans; come and find out!
Hope you are not busy on 13th December because from 10am - 12 noon Adur & Worthing Councils are holding a meeting to launch the Neighbourhood Action Plan for Central Worthing, at 12.30pm - 2.00pm its the Christmas Voluntary Sector Forum (with hot lunch) which will be about funding for voluntary groups and at 2.00pm - 4.00pm is the council's launch of the Neighbourhood Action Plan for East Worthing (see our community events listing on this site for all details). more