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

Illegal Money Lending and Loan Shark Awareness raising event
Monday 3rd March 2025, 6.00pm - 7.30 pm, WBC Office, Market Street , Newbury, RG145LD, Free, No booking is required.

Co-production Training
Thursday, 20th February 2025, 9.30am-4.30pm, The Broadway House, Newbury, Cost - £20
Monday 3rd March 2025, 9.30 am - 12.30 pm, Shaw House, Newbury
For Voluntary sector
• Increased understanding of the background and context of co-production
• Increased understanding and knowledge of the WBC definition, principles and outcomes of co-production
• The opportunity to share thoughts and feelings about co-production
• Improved knowledge and confidence about how to put co-production into practice
To find out more about how you can use co-production to work together with us to help your community, and access free training and resources, please contact rhys.lewis@westberks.gov.uk.
Once trained, you'll receive: A detailed step-by-step guide to co-production with links to the most useful and up-to-date guidance from other organisations "How to do co-production" templates and resources that include all the bespoke tools and resources you will need

Grants Fundraising
Monday 10th March 2025, 9.30 am - 11.30 pm, on-line, free
Grants Fundraising has changed over the past few years.
The new course takes us back to the basics by considering what has changed, and delivers the new essentials required to maximise your confidence in grants fundraising, and minimise time wasted.

Essential HR Skills Workshop
Training from The HR Dept Newbury and South Oxfordshire
Wednesday, March 12 · 10am - 3pm , Online.
Cost: £50 per person + VAT and Eventbrite ticketing fee.
It is important to make sure you understand what HR administration is required for your employees. There are important details and considerations relating to new, existing, and exiting employees.
This informative and interactive workshop will help you to understand more about general HR principles for your business and deliver your HR responsibilities effectively and in line with your obligations.
You will leave the workshop with an understanding of what type of administration is required at each stage of an employee's journey and how this can help the business.
We will cover:
- Recruitment
- Holiday, sickness and other absence
- Disciplinary and grievance process
- Inducting new starters and probationary periods
- Storing personnel records
- What to do at the end of employment
By the end of the session you will understand your key responsibilities and be able to manage important HR processes within the business.

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

Thursday, 20th March, 9.30am-1.00pm, The Broadway House
The Suicide First Aid course gives learners the knowledge and tools to understand that suicide is one of the most preventable deaths and some basic skills can help someone with thoughts of suicide stay safe from their thoughts and stay alive. Suicide rates have been increasing with men accounting for 75% of the statistics. But when faced with someone who is suicidal many of us wouldn’t know what to do. In the same way that taking a first aid course prepares you for when you are faced with someone who has had a heart attack the West Berkshire Suicide Prevention Action Group (WBSPAG) believes that people should be trained to be equipped to address suicide.
- The course is interactive friendly and empowering
This course will be delivered by our suicide prevention outreach worker Sue Bennett.
Cost £20

First Aid at Work, Level 3
Thursday 27th March 2025, 9.30 am - 4.00 pm, The Broadway House, Newbury. Cost £70
Exclusively for staff and volunteers at local charities and VCSE organisations. Accredited, certificates provided.
- Responsibilities and reporting
- Assessment of the situation
- Dealing with an unresponsive casualty
- Basic hygiene in First Aid
- Burns, Minor injuries
- Epilepsy
- Resuscitation
- Anatomy
- Bleeding control
- Choking, Shock

Monday, 31st March 9.30am-12.00pm, The Broadway House,
Free training
Theories of grief
- Understanding reactions to bereavement according to age
- Importance of providing this support
- Ways to support bereaved children and young people
- Having sensitive conversations
For anyone working with children and young people.
Cost - Free

Corporate Fundraising
Monday 7th April 2025, 9.30 am - 12.30 pm, on-line, free
Corporate Fundraising. Looking beyond ‘charity of the year’, this session introduces the potential of partnering with local businesses, and how to find the ideal match for a productive venture…or two…or more.
The online help sessions will take place every 3rd Monday of each month with hourly sessions starting from 11am and ending at 3pm.
Individual one-to-one sessions are also available online or by telephone at other times.
Individuals who wish to participate in the help sessions need to e-mail to book a place and a time
help@s-b-s.org.uk or telephone 0800 7720723

Family Transitions Triple P parenting course
This group assists parents who need extra support to adjust and manage the transition from a two-parent family to a single-parent family. It focuses on skills to resolve conflicts with former partners and how to cope positively with stress. Groups are run monthly.
To book your place, please call or email : 01635 503090 RPC@westberks.gov.uk
National Trainings

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.
