2022 was undoubtedly a tough year for recruiting, with a candidate-driven market meaning employers had to fight harder to attract the best talent. If your organisation is currently recruiting, or soon plans to, it's important to brush up on market trends and ensure you're equipped with the right information to make important decisions, such as what salary to offer, and the application process. This is where Charity Job comes in handy. Alongside their helpful Salary Checker Tool*, they have recently released their 2023 Salary Report. The report uses data from nearly 70,000 jobs posted on Charity Job in 2022, and looks at recent market trends as well as providing candidate insights. It also details the most common vacancies and employee benefits, and breaks down the data by size of organisation and experience level, whilst examining how trends have changed since 2019. Importantly, it also examines what matters most to candidates. Use this report to inform your recruitment decisions by understanding market trends, and ultimately, ensure your workforce is fairly compensated and strong. In doing so, your organisation is better placed to retain and attract the talent it needs to thrive. Click here to download the report. If you're a candidate, Charity Job also has lots of great resources to help with your job search, such as templates tailored to specific charity job types, guides on how to move into the charity sector from the private sector, as well as short courses to boost your skills. *The Salary Checker is an up-to-date tool which can be used to benchmark your offers against market trends and ensure you align with industry standard. You can tailor the Checker to benchmark against organisations of a similar size to yours, and search by a variety of job titles. Click here to access the checker. Please note, you must be signed in to Charity Job to use the Salary Checker. Registration is free, quick and easy.

Charities in Bath and North East Somerset (B&NES) will come together on Friday, 1st September to help celebrate, promote and inform local volunteers - past, present and future! Bath and North East Somerset Third Sector Group (3SG) supports charities, community groups and social enterprises across B&NES with over 220 members in its network. Alongside HCRG, St Mungo’s and Apex Hotels, it will be hosting a Volunteer Fair, a first for the local infrastructure organisation. If successful, 3SG hopes that this pilot initiative will gain traction for an annual event, helping to support organisations in need of volunteers and to encourage residents to come along, find out more - and potentially sign up to offer their skills for charities that need them. 3SG’s Director, Becky Brooks, said: “We often hear from the members that we support that it is difficult to find volunteers. We hope that by organising this event, everyone can come together to have really meaningful conversations around what volunteering can do in our area, be it a one off, hour of your time or a longer term commitment. “Sometimes people would like to volunteer, but are unsure of where to go, so it will be great to showcase all of the amazing charities that we have here in B&NES and ways in which local people can be involved. How much stronger would our area be if we all volunteered more? “3SG exists to support the local Third Sector, so our focus is always on strengthening and finding solutions where possible. We can’t wait to welcome everyone to the Apex Hotel on 1st September.” Over 40 charities have signed up for the event, which will include fun, interactive stalls, insightful talks, discussions and workshops throughout the day. All are welcome and entry is free! Local residents and businesses are encouraged to come along, meet local charities and engage in the workshops, which includes a discussion on corporate social responsibility and meaningful connections, nurturing volunteers and ways in which we can offer volunteering for those with little time. The Volunteer Fair takes place on Friday, 1st September from 11 am - 4pm at the Apex Hotel, Bath (BA1 2DA). Entry is via Charles Street for the Conference Centre, rather than the main hotel entrance. All welcome to this free event! For more information on 3SG, membership and its forthcoming events, visit: 3sg.org.uk Press release: 15th August 2023 Becky Brooks, 3SG Director

3SG welcomes new employee, Alfiya! We're really excited to announce a new addition to our team - Alfiya - who has taken over from Miles Lloyd as 3SG's new Project Manager. As the 3SG membership continues to grow, with over 215 local organisations now part of the network, we are excited to be starting a new chapter as a team whilst continuing to offer support in a range of ways. Alfiya’s official first day was yesterday, so our Operations and Content Coordinator, Emma, took the opportunity to ask a few questions to find out more about Alfiya and her motivations behind joining 3SG. You can read the full Q&A below: What are you most looking forward to doing as part of your role? I am very excited to be part of the team. I am looking forward to meeting new people and help charities to do the amazing work that they are doing. Tell us a little bit about yourself (Where you live or are from, studies, Hobbies etc) I am originally from Mumbai, India. I moved here to do my masters degree in International Development with humanitarianism from the University of Bath. I fell in love with the city and decided to move here permanently. I am a big fan of all good things in life so I like animals, books, food, movies, plants, travel, and the list never ends. What interested you about working for 3SG? Have you had any previous involvement/experience with third sector organisations? I genuinely believe that it is really important to leverage your talents to enhance the third sector services and positively impact communities. I have previously worked with Editors for Impact, and got to learn a lot about the third sector, which made me more intrigued about the amazing work charities do. I love meeting new people and make meaningful connections and 3SG gives me the opportunity to do so. Tell Us a Fun Fact About Yourself? I both fence and crotchet in my free time. What Hobby or Habits have you developed during lockdown? I picked up baking during lockdown and I haven't dropped it yet. So there's always bread, cookies or cake on me! What is your favourite film or book? My favourite movie is 3000 years of Longing which is based on my favourite book - The Djinn in the nightingale's eye by A.S. Byatt. Alfiya is keen to get out and about and meet many of our wonderful members; if you'd like to invite Alfiya to visit your organisation, please get in touch at alfiya@3sg.org.uk or call 01225 683087.

We are excited to share the news that the BaNES Community Awards will be returning in 2023/24 to celebrate the valuable contributions made by the individuals, businesses and organisations in Bath and North East Somerset. This year, there are ten categories and the winners will be invited to a special event hosted by The Chair of the Council. As a token of appreciation, a plaque acknowledging the winners of the Awards, will be erected in a community setting dedicated to their work. Read the guidance notes and details about how to nominate here, and if you have a nomination to submit, please do so here by Friday 8th September. Find out more about last year’s Community Award Winners 2022/23. Community Award Categories Category 1 - The Peter Duppa-Miller Award: This Award acknowledges the commitment and service provided by a Town or Parish Councillor within the Bath and North East Somerset area. It was established in memory of Peter Duppa-Miller - a dedicated advocate for rural communities and parishes in the Bath and North East Somerset area who sadly passed away in 2015. Category 2 - The Beryl Dixon Community Leader of the Year: The Beryl Dixon Community Leader Award recognises individuals who have demonstrated outstanding leadership qualities in advancing equality and championing the rights of marginalised groups. Whether they are paid employees or dedicated volunteers, this award seeks to honour those who have made a significant impact in promoting equality and inclusivity within the groups and services they support. The Award is named in memory of the late Beryl Dixon MBE – a passionate advocate for Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) communities who sadly passed away in 2017. Category 3 - Charity of the Year: This Award will be given to a charitable organisation in Bath and North East Somerset that provides outstanding services in support of residents and the community of Bath and North East Somerset. Category 4 - The Willson Volunteer of the Year Award: This Award will acknowledge volunteers who have made an exceptional contribution to the community. The Willson Volunteer of the Year Award is named after Jenny Willson, a former employee of Bath & North East Somerset who sadly passed away in 2023. Jenny was known for her leadership in promoting health and wellbeing initiatives within the community. Category 5 - Young Volunteer of the Year This Awards will acknowledge a young volunteer (under 25) who has made an exceptional contribution to the community. Category 6 – Volunteer Team of the Year: This Award will be given to a volunteer team that have made an exceptional contribution to the community. Category 7 – Young Volunteer Team of the Year: This Award will be given to a young volunteer team (under 25s) that has made an exceptional contribution to the community. Category 8 – Carer and Young Carer of the Year: These Awards will recognise individuals who go beyond in caring for children and adults in Bath and North East Somerset. Nominees do not have to be residents of the area, but they must support someone who lives there. Category 9 - Green Business Leader of the Year: This Award will go to a business that has demonstrated leadership in addressing the climate emergency, actively contributing to achieving carbon neutrality in Bath and North East Somerset by 2030 and supporting their customers in adopting lower carbon lifestyles. Category 10 – The Healthier Business Award: This Award will go to a local business that has enhanced the health and wellbeing of their employees. Examples might include staff volunteering programmes, wellbeing days, support for carers etc.

BaNES Council are happy to announce that the Bath and North East Somerset Strategic Evidence Base has been updated and republished, and meets their requirement to produce a Joint Strategic Needs Assessment for the local area. You may recall the release of the Bath and North East Somerset Strategic Evidence Base last Summer, and its republishing in March 2023, which told the story of Bath and North East Somerset through its data. These documents are designed to be used to support decision making and strategic planning across the area, and may be of great use to those making funding applications. This information can be used to support and strengthen applications. The Strategic Evidence Base is an evolving document and presents their best understanding at the current point in time. This useful resource provides detailed insight into areas such as population, health, inequality, growth, emissions and housing. Find out more here.

For the Rotork Community Challenge, the University of Bath Students Union Volunteering team works in collaboration with Student Experience Officers from the School of Management by connecting charities to student groups, delivering training, and offering support to both students and charities throughout the projects. Students have 8 weeks to complete the challenge set by the charity, which could be a fundraiser, a social media campaign, an event or any other project that would be feasible in this timeframe. The University of Bath SU are currently looking for 'challenges' set by local charities to commence in October, and are accepting applications until August 22nd 2023. At the end of the project, the group with the most votes from the panel of judges (which includes staff working in the charity sector, from the University and Rotork), win a monetary prize for their charity. The Rotork Community Challenge is an incredible opportunity for students and charities to connect with the community, reach new demographics and make a difference. The project involves small teams of students volunteering their time and skills in October and November to add value to local charitable organisations, whilst helping the students to develop their employability skills. The University of Bath SU are now looking for a new set of ‘challenges’ that will allow up to 15 teams, each consisting of 6 or 7 students, to get involved with. Here are just a few examples of some of the brilliant projects that students completed: Held 4 fundraisers for Genesis Trust, raising £560 in person and £268 online Created a marketing strategy for the Energy Sparks Twitter feed based on research, increased followers through an in-person stall, and led social media campaign over the 'Big Energy Week' Designed a recipe booklet based on donated ingredients for Foodcycle Created a promotional video for Homestart, researched crowdfunding platforms and held an awareness-raising stall to direct people to the crowdfunding campaign Opened a new Instagram account for Dorothy House Furniture Shop, creating 53 posts, reels and stories which showed engagement by 832 people over 4 weeks Click here for the Application Form - Please complete the form giving us as much detail as possible about the challenge and the benefits for your charity or community group. You may submit as many projects as you like but each one must be on a separate form. The application deadline is 22 August 2023. Read more about previous successful charity projects here. If you have an idea for your charity and are interested in finding out more about how to get involved with the 2023 Rotork challenge, please get in touch with us at volunteers@bath.ac.uk

The £76M Community Organisations Cost of Living Fund has been launched this week. The fund will support organisations across England to deliver critical frontline services. Organisations will be able to apply for funding to maintain or expand critical cost of living services from now until the end of March 2024. Applications will be for amounts between £10,000 and £75,000. The funding is ONLY open to frontline organisations running critical services in communities, in at least one of the follow areas: food and emergency supplies - food and other 'banks' emergency shelter - homelessness services safe spaces - domestic abuse services and youth services warmth - warm spaces / hubs financial and housing advice. Applicants MUST be able to demonstrate both increased costs and increased demand. The fund is part of the £100M for charities announced in the Spring Budget. It will be administered by the National Lottery Community Fund. More information here. The application window is now open and will close at 12 noon on Monday 16 October 2023.

Whether it's purchasing the essentials for the day-to-day running of your charity, special items for projects, or products that your service users and clients need most, shopping is undoubtedly expensive. Especially at the moment, and especially for voluntary groups with already stretched budgets. Below we have collated a selection of businesses, charitable initiatives and other places that currently offer free or discounted products to charities and community groups. This is by no means a comprehensive list, but one that should help point you in the right direction and provide some support to those smaller charities without the existing knowledge, connections or time to hunt for bargains. The below includes both well-established, national platforms, as well as more niche and local initiatives. In Kind Direct - A charity that donates new, unused consumable goods, directly from manufacturers. They send out regular bulletins detailing new products, and have a catalogue you can browse. Products are heavily discounted - on average by 80% - and include household goods, toiletries, clothing and other miscellaneous items. Find out more here. Giving World - Saving brand new items from landfill and redistributing essential products to registered charities and community groups, to pass on to their service users. Simultaneously granting a new lease of life to perfectly good items, and alleviating poverty for beneficiaries. Non-profit organisations can become members and request free products here: https://www.givingworld.org.uk/get-products/ A Good Thing - A non-profit organisation matchmaking businesses with surplus products, with charities who need them. They have a handy app which makes it super easy to request donated items, everything from IT equipment for staff, to office furniture, or meeting space. The service is free and aims to help charities of all sizes. Find out more. Collecteco - A Bristol-based organisation helping companies to donate furniture and equipment to good causes across the U.K. Sign up to their mailing list to discover available items, or simply send Collecteco your wishlist, and they'll get in touch. The items and service are free, and low-cost delivery can be arranged if you're not able to collect the items. Learn more here. Neighbourly - Also Bristol-based, Neighbourly connects local charities and community groups with surplus food, toiletries and household goods. The platform is free to use, and also connects you with businesses that have volunteer time to spare, as well as products and money. Find out more here. B&Q Community Re-use - A B&Q programme to reduce waste and put surplus products - ranging from pallets, to tables, and tiles - to good use via donation to local good causes. B&Q work with Neighbourly. Read more here. HomeKIT by Share and Repair - Local Bath-based charity, Share and Repair, take in used and donated household appliances, whip them back into tip-top shape with the help of their skilled volunteers, and redistribute them through their partner charities, to those in need. If your service users could benefit from this scheme, why not get in touch here to see if you can partner with Share and Repair. Bloody Good Period - If your charitable group works with asylum seekers, refugees, and others unable to afford period products, get in touch to become a community partner with Bloody Good Period. Once you are part of the network, your organisation will be able to request free, high-quality period and menstrual health supplies for your service users. Find out more here. HelpFinder by Charity Excellence Framework - This is not an organisation directly offering free products, rather a comprehensive and extensive resource hub designed for you to search for any free or probono service or product your charity may need. This could be anything from software and hardware requirements, to raffle gifts for your fundraising events. You need to register (which is free) to use the resource, which you can view here. If you know of any other organisations or initiatives offering free products to charitable groups, or if you have a specific request, please get in touch via contact@3sg.org.uk

The West of England Combined Authority (CA) is launching a new range of funding this summer to meet the diverse skills and employability needs of our residents. They invite you to get involved and apply. All funding aims to meet Metro Mayor Dan Norris’s key priorities and address priority needs set out in the regions Employability and Skills Plan. The fund has several priority areas, one of which is communities, which may be of prime interest. Flexible Skills Funding: The first funding round opening later in July and has around £2 million available to meet priority gaps in skills provision across the region. They will be looking to fund initiatives in the following areas: Modular Training: Funding for in-work skills initiatives to support residents to gain qualifications and training through modular training addressing local skills needs for cross-cutting themes in our economy including; digital skills, green skills, and sector specific leadership and management Apprenticeship Support: Initiatives which increase apprenticeship starts and completions and which increase engagement from a variety of target groups, parents and employers. This can include supporting employers to successfully manage an apprentice through the apprenticeship and through the end point assessment to ensure successful completions. Community based support: New programmes which engage the most vulnerable and economically inactive in our communities facing multiple barriers to accessing mainstream training and employability services. Programmes will provide high levels of individualised support and wrap around support through community partnerships to support residents to progress into positive skills/training, employability and volunteering outcomes. NEET and Pre-NEET support: New programmes which provide intensive individualised support for individuals to grow in confidence, access wrap around services such as health and wellbeing and progress into positive skills/training, employability and volunteering outcomes. Funding will be made available from UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) and Mayoral Priority Skills Fund. WECA will be launching the funding with a market engagement event on 27th July. You can sign up to this event and subsequent networking events around the different funding themes on the website here: Flexible Skills Funding - West of England Combined Authority (westofengland-ca.gov.uk) Funding will be awarded in the Autumn 2023 and activity will deliver until March 2025. Other funding available this summer from the West of England Combined Authority – People and Skills Team: Multiply: The CA is making further funding available to employers and providers to deliver the Multiply Programme. This programme offers easy access to free courses and initiatives that can help develop individuals’ skills and confidence in numeracy. It also provides an opportunity for employers to collaborate with providers to deliver free, fully funded numeracy skills to their employees. The training is funded through the Department for Education's (DfE), National Skills Fund and forms part of the Government’s Lifetime Skills Guarantee, helping adults 19+ gain Skills for Life. This fund is currently live until 10th July. Further details are here: Multiply – year two - West of England Combined Authority (westofengland-ca.gov.uk) Skills Bootcamps: The CA is making further funding available to employers and providers as part of the wave 4 Skills Bootcamp initiative to deliver specialist training covering 7 key sector areas. This fund will launch on the 10th July with a market engagement event. Details of the fund and to sign up to the market engagement can be found here: Skills Bootcamps (Wave 4) - West of England Combined Authority (westofengland-ca.gov.uk) Adult Education Budget – Open Application Process: This fund will open soon. Look out on the website for further information: Adult education - West of England Combined Authority (westofengland-ca.gov.uk)

Locality has published its latest health and wellbeing report, Going further together: The role of VCSE organisations in neighbourhood health ecosystems. It examines the critical role of VCSE organisations in neighbourhood health ecosystems. The report highlights: Factors for success in involving VCSE organisations in the delivery of health services and promotion of good health within neighbourhoods. Recommendations for the health system to embed this learning in neighbourhoods across the country. Recommendations for local VCSE organisations to improve their partnership working within neighbourhood health ecosystems. It also aligns with and builds upon recommendations of recent publications, such as the Hewitt Review and the King's Fund report.

A new seven-year strategy to improve the health and wellbeing of residents in Bath and North East Somerset and address inequalities has been launched. The Bath and North East Somerset (B&NES) Joint Health and Wellbeing Strategy: Our Vision for 2030 sets out four priorities which together will help people have the best start in life, live well in caring, compassionate communities, and make it easier for people to live physically and emotionally healthy lives. It will pilot new models of healthcare like Integrated Neighbourhood teams, to make it easier for residents to access the right care and support when and where they need it; focus on affordable warmth support for those people living in homes most at risk of cold and damp and provide intensive support for disadvantaged children who are doing less well at school. These are all actions that evidence shows will help improve health and wellbeing outcomes for people living in B&NES and help establish the right foundations to reduce some of the unfair outcomes some residents experience. The four priorities set out in the strategy are: Ensure that children and young people are healthy and ready for learning and education – so that all children get the best start in life and have the same chances to live healthy and well lives. Improve skills, good work and employment – working to reduce the impact of poverty, low wages and poor-quality work on our health and wellbeing. Strengthen compassionate and healthy communities – so people feel supported and less lonely in our communities. We also want residents to be better equipped with the right resources to maintain and improve their own physical and mental health. Create health promoting places – affordable, warm and safe housing is central to good health and wellbeing. We want to work to make sure our wider built environment is designed and built to make it easier for us all to be healthy and well. Bath and North East Somerset follows the national trend of increasing numbers of children and young people receiving support for social, emotional and mental health needs – and pressures on the health care system have made it challenging for residents to access the care they need. The difference in life expectancy between the most deprived and least deprived areas of B&NES is eleven years for women and seven years for men. Residents have played a key role in identifying the priorities through public consultation held in Autumn 2022. The Health and Wellbeing Strategy is led by the B&NES Health and Wellbeing Board and will be delivered through partners that work together to improve the lives of residents. Councillor Paul May, Chair of the B&NES Health and Wellbeing Board, said: “This new strategy sets out an ambitious challenge for the next seven years: to improve the health and wellbeing of residents and tackle inequalities. “We want people to feel supported in our communities so that they can improve their overall health. An important part of this is making sure that health and care services can be easily accessed near people’s homes. We also want to ensure that wider issues such as jobs and housing are meeting people’s needs, because we know that people with lower incomes are more likely to report their health to be poor and also that work can impact health and wellbeing. Affordable, warm and safe housing is also central to good health and wellbeing and is a priority to be tackled. “The strategy will give our partnerships a common language and act as a point of reference for all organisations that support the health and wellbeing of residents in B&NES. Thank you to everyone who has had their say to help shape this important plan.” The priorities are also based on information from the B&NES Strategic Evidence Base, previously known as the Joint Strategic Needs Assessment or JSNA. They draw from information gathered by partners from health, social care, local authority, higher and further education, public services, and community and social enterprise groups. The Health and Wellbeing Board has worked to make sure that the strategy influences and is influenced by the B&NES, Swindon and Wiltshire (BSW) Integrated Care Strategy, the B&NES Economic Strategy, the B&NES Local Plan, and the BSW Health Inequalities Strategy. This strategy sets high-level direction for the B&NES Integrated Care Alliance. Detail of how partners will deliver the strategy is set out in a separate Implementation Plan. The Bath and North East Somerset Health and Wellbeing Board is a statutory forum where political, professional, clinical, and community leaders from across the local authority, care, health, Third Sector, higher and further education and the wider system come together to set direction to improve the health and wellbeing of their local population and reduce health inequalities. The Board is a key mechanism for driving joined up working at a local level.

Small Charity Week is an annual celebration of the amazing work of small charities across the U.K. The aim is to raise awareness of the invaluable contribution of small charities, promoting their activities and providing the recognition they deserve. Small Charity Week runs from Monday 19th June - Friday 23rd June, with each day focusing on a different theme*. Many of our members at 3SG are small charities - defined as those with an annual income of under £1 million - and as part of our celebrations for the week, we will be spotlighting a few of them, so keep an eye out on our social media! Small Charity Week is hosting a jam packed schedule of free events throughout the week, with topics ranging from fundraising and partnerships, to charity comms, utility bills and staff management. There's something on the agenda for every small charity, and with expert speakers from successful charities delivering many of these short courses, you're sure to learn something new and useful. They have also collated a list of other events happening during the week in support of Small Charity Week. Together, there are almost 100 free events available. Find out more here. Small Charity Week also have a plethora of helpful, on-demand webinar recordings available, including the basics of Health & Safety for your charity, and employing your first member of staff. Check them out here. Elsewhere, Cranfield Trust will be hosting two Charity Contact days over Small Charity Week. These are two days dedicated to supporting charities to identify and tackle the challenges they are facing with free, expert advice and immediate guidance. Appointments are available with experienced volunteers for free, throughout Tuesday 20th June and Wednesday 21st June. Find out more. The Directory for Social Change will be unveiling some new research on the use of small grants to support charitable activity. Join the discussion and find out more on June 22nd. Be More Digital have also put together a blog on activities that teams can do to mark each day of Small Charity Week; read the blog here. The sector has well and truly come together to offer an amazing range of events and training to support small charities, this Small Charity Week. Make sure to get involved and take advantage of all that's on offer! With the recent closure of the FSI, Small Charity Week 2023 is brought to you by NCVO and Lloyds Bank Foundation. *See daily themes below

In preparation for the general election next year, NCVO and ACEVO want to ensure that charities and voluntary groups have their voices heard and their needs understood. To do this, they are creating a manifesto for charities and volunteering which will help engage parties across the political spectrum. This will be a resource which will give charitable groups the confidence and tools to campaign effectively, engage politicians and best represent communities and causes. NCVO and ACEVO want to ensure the manifesto represents the diversity of the voluntary sector, and are therefore calling upon charities and voluntary groups of all sizes to contribute and have their voices heard. Anyone working or volunteering for a U.K. charity is invited to attend an online or in-person event to share feedback, and speak to the Chief Executives of NCVO and ACEVO about your organisations priorities. Online - Wednesday 12th July, 11:00 - 13:00 - Book here Alternatively, you can email feedback to policy@ncvo.org.uk or policy@acevo.org.uk. Find out more here.

From the State of the Sector survey, a large number of organisations mentioned they needed help with more volunteers. With students returning to campus, SU volunteering is on the hunt for new volunteering opportunities to empower our students to support the local community. We have an online volunteering portal where Charities and Non-profits can create an account and recruit volunteers. You can see what we are already advertising here: www.thesubath.com/volunteer/browse Create your own account You can create an account and login here: www.thesubath.com/volunteer/providers/login if you are not sure if you already have an account email the team on volunteers@bath.ac.uk Useful Term dates to know · Term 2 is running from 7th February until 25th April. These are the best dates to have volunteers as we will have the most in Bath during that time. · After Exams some students maybe around for the summer plus others will want to volunteer virtually. Summer Holidays start on 6th June. · Most students will be in exams from 9th May – 5th June Useful advice · The main reason activities are slowed being added to the system are due to issues with recruiting dates. Note: Text in graphic is copied at the end of the post for accessibility * We try to fit opportunities within terms or for the academic year. We find students don’t apply for opportunities that straddle academic years as it involves a long summer period where they are not in Bath. We can advertise summer opportunities separately and We can start recruiting over the summer for October 2022 activities. ** We limit recruitment of roles to no longer than a month (Exceptions made in the holidays to be a bit longer) We do this so that the page is constantly up to date. · We are predominantly looking for volunteering activities but we can advertise fundraising opportunities if they are linked to an event or existing activity. We cannot advertise for students to the fundraiser of their own back on your behalf, as these clashes with what Bath RAG do for the Big 4 Grant – which is now accepting applications until the end of Feb. Get in touch Please get in touch with SU Volunteering if you want to discuss any possible opportunities, as we could also facilitate student-led projects; Volutneers@bath.ac.uk Accessibility Text from in article graphic. Box 1: The top box is used if it’s a one-off volunteering date. i.e. Tree planting Sat 12th June Box 2: Use this field if it's ongoing. * see notes below Box 3: Display dates are how long you will be able to see the advert on our site. We match the end date to the application deadline below. Box 4: Application deadline. We try to only advertise opportunities for 3-4 weeks. We do this as we see it as a recruitment drive and we want to keep the page fresh. ** more info below.

Knowing how to successfully recruit and retain indispensable volunteers is key to the smooth running of the third sector. Likewise, volunteering opportunities should be accessible to all. Building a cooperative, inclusive and mutually-beneficial volunteer programme may sound like a daunting task, so Get Out Get Active's step-by-step guide is here to help you. This handy 7 point guide offers a roadmap of advice and insight to get your volunteer programme thriving. Taking the time to plan out what your objectives are, what your volunteers can expect, how they'll be supported and why they're needed, are just some starting points the guide covers. Click here for the full guide and more details on volunteering.

Want to benefit from free gym sessions and help challenge ageism in physical activity at the same time? The Film Active Project is looking for adults over the age of 60 to take part in a project that aims to tackle ageism in physical activity, particularly the negative stereotypes of older adults. As part of this project, The University of Bath's Department for Health is creating a film to showcase to the physical and exercise industry to prompt them to rethink what is normal for older adults when it comes to keeping active, and encourage inclusivity in the physical activity industry. They have partnered with RBYL Coaching at Pure Gym Victoria Park Bath to offer a free 4-week programme - designed specifically for people aged 60+ to improve their strength and physical condition and have an introduction to what going to a gym could offer, and to feature in a film clip. This is a great opportunity for those who have wanted to try out a gym, but have previously been too hesitant to do so. No filming experience is necessary, and you don't need to be super fit or active - just be willing to get involved and try something new! To take part you need to be over 60, not currently a regular gym-goer, but interested in becoming more physically active. The sessions will run on Friday afternoons in Pure Gym Bath, and parts of the exercise sessions will be filmed. You will be invited to take part in interviews before and after the fitness programme to get feedback from you of your experiences in the gym, and how you get on over the 4-week programme. Read a bit more about the project here. This programme starts on the 27th of May at 1pm. If you or someone you know may be interested in getting involved, don't hesitate to contact Ella Burfitt on emb82@bath.ac.uk or 01225 384387.

You may remember that we have shared previously (view article here) that the BSW ICS intended to have a Board Member on the BSW Integrated Care Board (ICB) with a Voluntary Sector perspective. This is not a representative role as such, but they are looking for someone with a broad knowledge of the sector, particularly in relation to Health and Care. We have agreed though, that in order to join things up, that the successful candidate for this post should also attend the BSW VCSE Leadership Alliance meetings. The information on the role, the commitment and the eligibility can all be found here along with a nomination form. If any of you are interested in applying for this post, you will need to source an appropriate nominator and return the nomination form with supporting documentation directly to the BSW email address provided by no later than 5pm on the 27th May. On behalf of the ICB, a panel convened by the Chair will consider all nominations. If more than one individual is nominated, the panel will select the most suitable candidate for the role. If there are any queries, please contact one of us – many thanks.

We are excited to share that June is ‘The Month of Community’, a campaign which entails many events such as Volunteers' Week (1st-7th) & Small Charity Week (20th-25th) to bring people and organisations together to celebrate everything that makes our communities great! (see news section below)! June will see a month of community events and celebrations across the UK, as we get together to share friendship, have fun and support a variety of charities and causes. Last year, over 15 million people took part in the first ever Month of Community, and this year it’s going to be even bigger and better. So don't miss out, join in this June - whether you want to say cheers to volunteers, connect with your neighbours, support a cause you care about, or simply to say thank you, it's all part of the Month of Community! Continue reading below to find out how you or your organisation can get involved... Partner Campaigns - Quicklinks Neighbourhood Watch Week, 30 May – 5 June Volunteers Week, 1-7 June The Big Lunch, from 2 June The Big Jubilee Lunch 2-5 June Thank You Day, 5 June Carers Week 6-12 June Loneliness Awareness Week, 13-17 June Refugee Week, 20-26 June Small Charity Week, 20-24 June The Great Get Together, 24-26 June How you can get involved - Show your support for the campaign on social media, using the content and graphics below - Include copy in your e-news, blogs or websites to help spread the word! Suggested copy is included in this document, but we can provide additional copy and images to help - Organise your own event! Use our new stamp to help show your event, however big or small, is part of the Month of Community. - Support participating partner campaigns - check out our website for the full list - Supporting other Month of Community events – find out what’s going on in your area Suggested social media posts - Here are a few suggested ideas for social media posts to help make it easy for you to support the campaign - Don’t forget to include #MonthofCommunity in your posts! - Please remember to use an image or video with your post as this will help with engagement - Visit participating campaign websites to find specialised campaign resources for each participating campaign week - If you have any questions about supporting us on social, please get in touch with Thea Bibby at tbibby@edenproject.com Social Media Content TEMPLATE TWITTER POSTS Post 1 This year, we’re proudly part of the Month of Community, and celebrating everything that makes our communities great! Get involved at www.monthofcommunity.com #MonthOfCommunity Post 2 The #MonthOfCommunity celebrates everything that makes our communities great! Whether it’s cheering on volunteers, organising a Big Lunch or hosting an activity for Loneliness Awareness Week, there’s so many ways to get involved. Find out more: www.monthofcommunity.com Post 3 Feeling inspired by #MonthOfCommunity? There’s so much going on in our communities, why not get involved? Find out more at www.monthofcommunity.com (you can also use this to signpost to your own community activity) Post 4: I’m taking part in [The Big Lunch/The Great Get Together/Volunteers Week etc] as part of #MonthOfCommunity, celebrating all the wonderful things happening in [my town]! I’ll be doing [this activity on this date] TEMPLATE FACEBOOK POSTS Facebook option 1: This year, we’re taking part in the Month of Community! The Month of Community celebrates the amazing things happening in our communities, and anyone can get involved. Get involved at www.monthofcommunity.com Facebook option 2: We’re proudly taking part in [The Big Lunch/Refugee Festival Scotland/Volunteers Week etc] as part of the Month of Community, celebrating all the wonderful things happening in [my town]! I’ll be hosting (this activity on this date) and would love to have as many people as possible join us. Facebook option 3: We’re proudly taking part in Month of Community, celebrating all the wonderful things happening in [my town]! There’s so much going on, so why not get involved? Find out more here: www.monthofcommunity.com Use the Month of Community stamps on design assets to show that you’re supporting the Month of Community!

Press release from the new Bath and North East Somerset, Swindon and Wiltshire Integrated Care Board. A new collaborative health and care organisation with a responsibility for providing £1.5 billion of services to the people of Bath and North East Somerset, Swindon and Wiltshire has been established. Bath and North East Somerset, Swindon and Wiltshire Integrated Care Board came into being at one minute past midnight on Friday 1 July, following a successful transition from the region’s former clinical commissioning group. Officials from the new organisation will meet during a virtual day one meeting in public to herald its arrival, discuss future plans and answer questions submitted in advance from people living in the local area. The ICB for Bath and North East Somerset, Swindon and Wiltshire is one of 42 others that have been established across England as part of national plans to improve integration between health and care organisations serving the same geography. Following Parliamentary approval, and the subsequent Royal Assent, of the new Health and Care Act 2022, which outlines the need for more effective collaboration and better joined-up working, CCGs have been dissolved to make way for integrated care boards that will bring more cohesion to local health and care systems. Sue Harriman, Chief Executive, Bath and North East Somerset, Swindon and Wiltshire Integrated Care Board, said: “This is day one of a brand new organisation, and it is incredibly exciting to look ahead, and to think of all that can be achieved through genuine integration and real collaboration. “However, while we have big plans, many of which build on strengthening the ties partners forged during the pandemic, today marks only the start of a long journey to truly change how we deliver health and care to local people.” Stephanie Elsy, Chair, Bath and North East Somerset, Swindon and Wiltshire Integrated Care Board, said: “For too long, residents have spoken of a health and care system that feels overly complicated and, at times, confusing, but we now aim to change that by bringing all our various health and care partners together around a single table. “The integrated care board will make it easier for the NHS, local government and voluntary sector to work as one, which in turn should create a more seamless journey of care for patients, especially those who receive help from multiple partners, such as older people who may be visited at home, but still need to attend appointments in hospital or with their GP.” As a sovereign statutory body, the ICB will work collaboratively to improve outcomes in population health, provide better joined-up care, reduce health inequalities and enhance productivity and value for money, while also helping the NHS support broader social and economic development. The board itself will sit within the Bath and North East Somerset, Swindon and Wiltshire Integrated Care System, known as BSW Together. This is a wider network of local health and care organisations that will plan and organise how health and care services can be delivered across the region, while also committing to give local people and communities a louder voice in how services are provided locally. Those organisations that make up the ICS include the region’s three NHS foundation trusts, 88 GP practices and three local councils, as well as the ambulance service, community caregivers, mental health providers and hundreds of local voluntary, community and social enterprise groups. More information about the integrated care board can be found online, either by visiting www.bsw.icb.nhs.uk, or by searching for Bath and North East Somerset, Swindon and Wiltshire Integrated Care Board on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or LinkedIn.

It goes without saying that volunteers are the backbone of the third sector, and their input is invaluable. Over the pandemic, many more people gave up their time to volunteer for good causes. In 2020, half of UK adults at least once (NCVO Almanac 2021). However, volunteers often sit in-between traditional supporters and contracted staff members, so effectively managing them and their needs can sometimes be more difficult. Therefore, volunteers tend to be treated as either supporters or staff, but never both. This handy e-book can help charities maximise the impact of their volunteers and manage them more effectively via the use of a good CRM. As well as helping charities to boost their own performance, CRM's can aid the volunteer experience and therefore help with communication, retention and management of your volunteer operation as well as 1-1 contact with volunteers. The guidebook also offers great tips for attracting new volunteers, and includes a helpful case study from Christian Aid. Find out more and download the e-book here.