Wandle Park's a winner
In case you haven’t already heard the good news:

Wandle Park's a winner. The Friends of Wandle Park and the council are jumping for joy at having won £400,000 from the Mayor of London's £6m parks bonanza. The prize will be used for wide-ranging improvements to the park, including restoring the River Wandle to the surface for the first time in 40 years. There’s more information here: http://www.croydon.gov.uk/
democracy/councilnews/wpwins

Contracts for Mentoring Scheme for young people with learning disabilities - London Borough of Croydon

Croydon Council is seeking a partner organisation(s) to establish and manage a Mentoring Scheme for young people with learning disabilities, mainly aged 16-23.

The Scheme will recruit, deploy and support volunteer mentors.

Interested organisations will be required to demonstrate:

  • Substantial experience in supporting young people with learning disabilities to develop skills, interests, independence and choice
  • Experience of managing and working with volunteers
  • Preferably, experience of operating a mentoring scheme
  • Willingness to have the base for the Scheme in Croydon
    more


 

 

What's New at CVA?

BACK BY POPULAR DEMAND!

Croydon Summer Uni is back for 2009 with twice as many FREE activities and volunteering opportunities for children and young people in Croydon.

Courses available from July - August 09 for people aged 8-25 include;
Skills for Life, Digital Media, Film and Photography, Business and Careers, Music and Performing Arts, Arts and Fashion, Sport, Fitness and Wellbeing

From the first week in June full listing of courses and downloadable application forms will be available from www.cvalive.org and www.summerunilondon.org

Spaces are limited so please look out for publicity in local libraries, schools and youth centres.

Enrol, have fun, learn a new skill – you might even earn a valuable qualification

For more information please contract Nicole Beckford,
Croydon Summer Uni Co-ordinator, Tel: 020 8683 5913,
Email: nicole.beckford@cvalive.org.uk

Grassroots Grants up for grabs!

CVA has £422,000 in small grants to distribute from now until 2011 to small voluntary and community organisations in Croydon. CVA is distributing the grants on behalf of the Government’s Office of the Third Sector. more...

Apply for Office Space at the New CVA Resource Centre

The application form, selection criteria and information on charges, for office space at the CVA Resource Centre can be downloaded here.

Selection Criteria
Application Form
Tariff Sheet
Licence Terms

If you are interested in office space please contact Folake on 8253 7080

Completed applications along with supporting documents should be submitted to:
CVA Resource Centre Application
Croydon Voluntary Action
97 High Street
Thornton Heath CR7 8RY

Questions
If you have any questions, please contact Bhupendra Solanki on 020 8684 3862 or bhupendra.solanki@cvalive.org.uk

Spring Edition Out Now

The Spring edition of our new magazine "CVAlive" is available now. If you have not received your copy and would like to find out about all the work being done in Croydon Please call CVA on 020 8684 3862 to order a copy.

The magazine focusses on the key areas of CVAs work, capacity building, community involvement, volunteering, Policy & Partnerships and Training as well as articles of general interest to the sector, letters, opinions and much much more.

Copies of this exciting new publication are available throughout the borough in Council offices, libraries and at all CVA offices. Copies are free of charge. You can also view the magazine online here (2.8mb)

1000s of Everyday Conversations
with the local NHS

The Croydon Primary Care Trust (CPCT) is developing its strategy for patient and public involvement (known as PPI) in health. A draft strategy called '1000s of everyday conversations' is available. It's been out since May 2008 and has already been discussed by loads of people at many events. Just to give you a hint of what you can find in the strategy here’s the main values that the PCT are planning to commit to:

  • We will build on the best
  • We see PPI as part of the solution
  • We will remove the barriers to engagement
  • We will deepen and extend local partnership work
  • We will tap into what happens at the frontline
  • We will make better use of data about the patient experience (Insight)
  • We will foster a new approach to involvement in commissioning

You can contribute to an online discussion at: www.talk2croydon.co.uk/buzz/patient-and-public-involvement-health.

David Gilbert, the CPCT Interim Director for Patient and Public Involvement, wants to make sure this strategy does not sit on the shelf. There will be lots of work going on to make sure recommendations are followed through with specific opportunities to engage on projects. One of the early projects will be about 'health aspirations' under the banner of 'Do Something Different'.

Croydon Voluntary Action (CVA) is working closely with CPCT to ensure Croydon people and voluntary groups can benefit from this new era of community empowerment in health.

You can contact David Gilbert on 020 8274 6000 David.Gilbert@croydonpct.nhs.uk, www.croydon.nhs.uk/
Or contact Jo Gough on 020 8683 5901 or jo.gough@cvalive.org.uk

Beacon Application - VCS role in service delivery
Croydon Council is currently being pressed for its work in supporting voluntary and community organisations to deliver more services. The Croydon Compact is once again under scrutiny and will be re-visited at the inaugural meeting, early next year, of the new Strengthening Communities Partnership.

Croydon Community Involvement Commitments Out
A new set of principles has been agreed to ensure 'democratic participation' in Croydon. The Croydon Community Involvement Commitments, as the newly published document is called, is part of the Croydon Compact between the local voluntary sector, the Primary Care Trust, and the local authority. Click here to view the full document.

Have You Ever Thought of Volunteering?
There are several new exciting volunteer opportunities at the Croydon Volunteer Centre, from working in marketing and organising events to helpline operators as well as helping to organise Croydon Summer Festival. Click here to find out what opportunities there are. If you are interested in volunteering issues and live in Croydon you may also want to attend the next Volunteer Organisers Forum in February. Visit our Diary Page for details.