Voluntary Sector Training Alliance
Supporting the voluntary sector
The Volunteer Centre West Berkshire and Connecting Communities Berkshire have partnered together to provide a training resource for the voluntary sector in West Berkshire.
Training isn’t always about developing new skills, our workshops will help you to better understand problems you may be having and will support you with planning and implementing solutions to them. Please contact Rachel or Tim to discuss further.
If your training need is not being met please let us know what course you are looking for. Please fill out this form to let us know your training needs.
Local West Berkshire Training
Schools Navigators Wed 4 December, 2.30pm–3.30pm
Mentoring from NEET to EET Wed 11 December, 2.30pm–3.30pm
Fundraising Success for Community Buildings: Part 2
Wednesday 11th December 2024, 10.00 am - 12.00 pm
We discuss “evidencing the need” when making funding applications. The funder needs this community-based evidence to assess the demand for your project, the wider support for it in the community, and the way you involve your community in project design will directly impact on your fundraising success. It benefits your committee too as well, because input from local residents can inform decisions, as well as boost fundraising, and may be a great source of practical and technical help.
Feedback from funders tells us that this community consultation is often missing in applications. This session will look at simple ways you can collect evidence and stories to make the most compelling case in your funding applications. We will look at how you can run social media polls, user group surveys, face to face surveys.
- “Use CCB's simple” community consultation tool to collect evidence and identify community-led support and design for your project.”…
- Learn how to develop your bespoke consultation
- Who will you survey? where, when and how?
- How to understand, use and share the feedback you get
Managing Risk in Your Community Building
Thursday 30th January 2025, 10.30 am - 1.00 pm, Englefield Village Hall
In this session we will consider Risk in all its forms.
People, Law & Governance, Money, Property, Reputation. We will also have a Royal Berkshire Fire & Rescue Service presentation and learn how new legislation applies to our buildings.
Risk is often a topic which focuses solely on Health and Safety, or a crisis. We will take a more holistic approach to the range of risks for halls.
9.45 - 10.30 am - 2025 Annual General Meeting
If you cannot attend the AGM please arrive at 10.30 am for brunch and networking.
Training will commence at 11.15 am - 1.30 pm
Trustee Training
Tuesday 17th March 2025, 7.00 pm - 8.30 pm, Online
We will cover:
- Roles & Responsibilities
- Working well as a committee
- Who can be a trustee
- Standing for election/nomination and resigning from office
Capability Development Programme: Creating Financial Sustainability
03/12/2024
on-line training
Presenter: Marcus Lees-Millais, Moore Kingston Smith Nonprofit Advisory
This webinar focuses on how to build financial sustainability. It starts by measuring any funding gap that exists and then looks at ways to close that gap, utilising better cost recovery, fundraising, social enterprise, and other tools. Marcus will explore Income and Expenditure, Reserves, the Balance Sheet, and Cashflow to provide focused learning on the different aspects of your organisation’s finances.
To find more and book https://dunhillmedical.org.uk/event/capability-development-programme-creating-financial-sustainability/
Capability Development Programme: Developing Research Capacity and Collaboration
28/01/2025
on-line training
Presenters: Professor Robin Miller and Dr Kelly Hall, School of Social Policy, University of Birmingham.
This webinar focuses on how community-facing organisations might engage in research to generate evidence of their impact, develop evidence-informed services, and secure additional funding. Robin and Kelly explore key research issues including research ethics, funding applications, collecting and using data, and the involvement of people with lived experience in research.
To find more and book Capability Development Programme: Developing Research Capacity and Collaboration - The Dunhill Medical Trust
National Training
The Centre for Voluntary Sector Leadership (CVSL), an Academic Centre of Excellence in the OU Business School. It provides learning opportunities and resources to help you develop and strengthen your leadership practice in the voluntary sector.
Courses include:
Developing leadership practice in voluntary organisations
Level 1: Introductory Free Course 15 hours study
This course provides an opportunity for people who work within voluntary organisations, as paid employees or staff, to develop energetic, practical and thoughtful leadership practice.
Collaborative leadership in voluntary organisations
Level 1: Introductory Free Course 24 hours study
This course will help you to reflect on and develop collaborative leadership practices that will make a difference. It is aimed at people who work within voluntary organisations as paid staff or as volunteers, or for people who work regularly with voluntary organisations, such as public sector staff or politicians.
Involving Volunteers
Level 1: Introductory 14 hours study
This short course on volunteering has been developed by Volunteer Scotland and the Centre for Voluntary Sector Leadership (CVSL) and the main driving spirit comes from the volunteer’s perspective. The course is about the essential things you need to consider to ensure a positive experience for individuals engaging in volunteering.
Free Safeguarding Awareness Training for Workers
Who Enter People's Homes
Free Safeguarding Awareness Training for Workers
Who Enter People's Homes
Recognise the signs of possible abuse and neglect in homes you visit and help keep children safe
Do you know how to recognise the possible signs of child abuse and neglect?
Every day, thousands of children and young people are normally seen by lots of different adults like family members outside of the home, teachers, health and social workers and neighbours.
Due to COVID-19 and social distancing measures, children and young people are spending much more time at home and we know isolation can put some children at a greater risk of abuse and neglect.
Postal workers, delivery drivers and workers who regularly visit homes are well placed to spot any emerging safeguarding concerns or signs of possible abuse and neglect.
To support you, we're temporarily making our paid-for online safeguarding course (It's your call) free for you to access.