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Christmas craft fair at Park Lane Garden Centre

October 31, 2017
by Alun Severn
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Better Pathways (the new operating name for BITA Pathways) wins the prize for first announcement of a Christmas Fair event. Congratulations! This, just in…   → Download the PDF flyer.
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SCVO’s ‘Meet the Funder’ event makes a welcome return for 2017

October 27, 2017
by Alun Severn
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This, just in from Sandwell Council for Voluntary Organisations (SCVO)… Having taken a year out in 2016, Wednesday 22nd November sees the return of SCVO’s Meet the Funder event for 2017. With a focus on Social Capital and Social Investment, this year’s conference and
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In memory of Jane Slowey CBE

October 11, 2017
by Alun Severn
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Tributes from across the voluntary and community sector are being paid to Jane Slowey CBE, who died on Saturday 7th October 2017. Many of you will know and remember Jane. She served for thirteen years as the chief executive of The Foyer Federation (whose own tribute is here), but prio
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Health Exchange’s CEO Graham Beaumont announces retirement

October 06, 2017
by Alun Severn
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Graham Beaumont, who many of you will know, has led Health Exchange since its emergence onto the scene ten years ago. Health Exchange CIC was established in 2007 to deliver a radically different, community-led model of health promotion – initially serving the multicultural and diverse
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HS2 announces Community and Environment Fund

September 13, 2017
by Alun Severn
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HS2 in conjunction with the Department for Transport and Groundwork has just announced £40m in funding to help projects aimed at minimising the disruption to local communities arising from phase one HS2 construction. There is an existing Business & Local Economy Fund (aimed specif
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Crowdfund Birmingham — new funding opportunities for community benefit projects

May 10, 2017
by Alun Severn
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Further to this post, we now have further news about Crowdfund Birmingham, the new joint initiative between Birmingham City Council and Crowdfunder. Launched at the start of the year, Crowdfund Birmingham  is a new campaign to help people with good ideas raise the money they
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Transformation and Social Value: Social Prescribing Keynote

March 25, 2017
by Mark Ellerby
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PSIAMS Systems will be hosting a data focussed conference during City Drive Week in Birmingham. The event will feature a range of presentations and workshops on how data is transforming the way the Voluntary and Social Enterprise Sector are responding to change and the needs of commis
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Jericho Foundation secures £440K funding to support victims of modern slavery & trafficking

March 13, 2017
by Alun Severn
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Further to this post, the Jericho Foundation has just announced that it has received £314,000 from the Big Lottery Fund and a further £128,000 from the Esmée Fairbairn Foundation to support its “Labour for Change” project which supports victims of modern slavery. These disad
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The Pump, premier youth hub in East Birmingham celebrates tenth birthday

February 02, 2017
by Alun Severn
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With a music studio, performance space, a dance studio, cyber-cafe, a daycare nursery, room hire, and facilities over four floors with full disabled access, The Pump is the hub for youth work and activity in Kitts Green, in the heart of East Birmingham. And it is celebrating its
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Save Our Support plans second lobby against cuts to services for most vulnerable

February 01, 2017
by Alun Severn
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Birmingham Changing Futures Together is one of the organisations co-ordinating opposition to the cuts currently planned for the city’s various Supporting people services (see earlier post). It has just issued the following statement: I am writing to you asking for your support f
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New centre for ME sufferers opens in Sutton Coldfield

January 18, 2017
by Alun Severn
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On the 26th January the Mayor of Birmingham will cut the ribbon on a new specialist centre for people with ME (Myalgic Encephalomyalitis), Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Fibromyalgia and other similar conditions. The Salus Sanctuary, made possible by a grant of over £300,000 from
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Birmingham voluntary sector mobilises against cuts to services for the most vulnerable

January 16, 2017
by Alun Severn
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We wrote in this post about the PUBLIC CONSULTATION currently underway on Birmingham City Council’s proposed cuts  to its Supporting People and Third Sector Grant Programmes. This would see cuts of £5m this year, rising to £10m in 2018/9. These reductions com
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Midland Mencap mass lobby against disability cuts

January 13, 2017
by Alun Severn
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The further cuts proposed in Birmingham City Council’s 2017 budget — including cuts across all Supporting People services — will hit the most vulnerable groups in the city hard. St Basils has said, “We absolutely understand the extremely difficult decisions tha
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New funding for small charities and VCOs in Birmingham and the Black Country

October 19, 2016
by Alun Severn
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The Heart of England Community Foundation (HoECF) has just announced that its new Birmingham and Black Country Communities Fund is now open for applications. This fund is aimed at small (income under £50,000 p.a.) charities and voluntary and community groups across Birmingham and the
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Roots HR teams up with NCVO to provide HR hotline

October 12, 2016
by Alun Severn
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Roots HR C.I.C has been chosen by NCVO to provide NCVO members with a free HR advice hotline. Chris Taylor, Enterprise Development Manager, NCVO says, “Roots HR offer a flexible HR Advice line service which we are delighted to have negotiated for our members, strengthening our members
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Birmingham Changing Futures Together marketplace event

May 12, 2016
by Alun Severn
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Birmingham Changing Futures Together is a £10m Big Lottery funded programme supporting people with multiple and complex needs. It is holding a marketplace event at which people can find out more about its No Wrong Door Network — providers who are pledged to working together ensu
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Ageing Better in Birmingham fund opens for applications

April 20, 2016
by Alun Severn
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Ageing Better in Birmingham is the BVSC-led cross sector partnership which has been successful in securing an investment of £6m from the Big Lottery Fund to help reduce social isolation of older people. It has just announced that its Ageing Better Fund is now officially open. The fund
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Asset-based community development respiratory clinics — call for EOIs, seed-funding available

January 21, 2016
by Alun Severn
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The Health Foundation recently sponsored a project to develop a new model of Respiratory community clinic that uses asset-based community development approaches to improve wellbeing and reduce the anxiety and social isolation experienced by many individuals with severe Chronic Obstruc
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Early Years health and wellbeing consultation — open forum session dates

January 12, 2016
by Alun Severn
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This, just in from Birmingham Play Care Network… Birmingham City Council is leading a review of the way that Early Years Services are provided in the city. Many providers of early years services are third sector organisations and it is important that the sector engages as fully 
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BPCN opens second scrapstore in Yardley

October 01, 2015
by Alun Severn
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Birmingham Play Care Network has long been at the forefront of the scrapstore movement — using donated ‘waste’ materials from businesses and organisations and turning these into a treasure trove of children’s play materials. BPCN’s first scrapstore operat
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BIRMINGHAM & SOLIHULL SOCIAL ECONOMY CONSORTIUM C.I.C., trading as BSSEC. A community interest company registered in England and Wales with company no. 07992674. Registered office: c/o Anthony Collins Solicitors LLP, 134 Edmund Street, Birmingham B3 2ES | All rights reserved | Copyright 2013-BSSEC | Created by Citizen Click