| Gweini Post
Jim
Stewart
Gweini
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Issue
49 - 13th June
Events
News
Funding
Policy
Events
1. Spiritual Capital in Cardiff – Sects in the City. This major conference, examining the role that faith has to play in our cities, will be held in Cardiff on Wednesday July 16th, from 1.30 – 5.00pm at County Hall. The conference will launch a report and there will also be time for debate. For further info on this free conference (bookings must be received by July 9th), click here or email gwilym@pollinationcampaigns.co.uk.
2. Equipped to Serve – a conference for Christians working with refugees and asylum seekers is being hosted by Tredegarville Baptist Church on behalf of Cardiff Gweini on Saturday June 28th. Go to the Cardiff Gweini webpage here for all the info on this exciting event!
3. Children in Wales are putting on a series of training events to promote and improve the mental health of children and young people. The introductory course is being held in North Wales (Llandudno) on July 10th and South Wales (Cardiff) on July 11th. For more information on this and future courses, access their website here.
4. Faith in Wales Counting for Communities tour, followed by Local Gweini set-up meeting – Caerphilly, hosted by Elim Caerphilly on June 25th from 7.30 for 7.45 – 9.15pm. Click here for further info!
5. Faith in Wales Counting for Communities tour, followed by Local Gweini next step meeting – Powys, hosted by Welshpool Baptist Church on July 8th (Faith in Wales from 11.30-12.30, ‘next step’ 12.30-13.30). Click here for more info!
6. Trumpet Call VII is taking place in Birmingham on June 21st! Click here for more info.
7. Our good friends ECSR, who work with refugees and asylum seekers, are holding their National Prayer Hour on June 20th, to coincide with UN World Refugee Day. Read more info here.
8. Church Army and the Amber Project are putting on an excellent event called “The Big Issues” on the 18th of October in Llwynapia Community Centre, Rhondda College. Topics covered include – working with people who self-harm, effects of substances and working with ex-offenders. For more info, ring 01685 873 716 or email rhonddavalleyofhope@yahoo.co.uk.
9. Go on, put it in the diary now…it’s the next Gweini Conference on Thursday, October 9th in Blackwood. Read all about it here!
News
1. Wales has become a fair trade nation! It was declared the world’s first fair trade nation by campaigners, for the progress it has made in increasing the availability of fair-trade goods. Read more from the BBC here.
2. An online petition has begun to protest against churches being charged as businesses instead of charities for water rates. Access the government website here.
3. Courses for Communities Cymru – affordable and accessible training for voluntary groups. This is a new programme of training delivered through CVCs, voluntary centres and the WCVA, covering the basics such as: turning ideas into projects, sourcing funding, promoting your project etc. More importantly, the cost is £20 or less! See the website here, or ring the WCVA Helpdesk on 0800 2888 329 for more info on the Courses for communities Cymru programme.
4. Our friends at Theos, a Christian think tank based in London, have just come out with an excellent report entitled ‘Neither Private nor Priveleged’ – all about Christian involvement in the public square and downloadable on their website for free. Read it here.
5. Click here to read the June edition of the Communities First Bulletin, ar gael yn Gymraeg hefyd!
6. Gweini web updates…..All-around-dude Matt Rees, who is doing part of his gap year with us, has written a couple of updates for Dan Boucher’s excellent book Taking Our Place (click here). Also, take a couple of minutes to sign up to Gweini (for those of you short of a few bob there is a free option) with our new online form. The carrot we are dangling in front of you is this – the tenth person who signs up online from this Gweini Post will be offered a cameo role in Gweini the Musical….if it ever gets off the ground!
7. Read the latest hot-off-the-press edition of Gweini News here.
Funding
1. The Dixons Foundation provides community grants focusing on crime prevention, health, employees, regeneration, education and social inclusion. Their Switched on Communities programme offers grants of up to £500 (normally in vouchers) to groups situated near one of the Dixons Group stores/sites. As they do not support religious causes, the projects need to deliver benefits to the general community. The website outlines these eligibility criteria and carries an online application form.
2. The Esmée Fairbairn Foundation makes grants of £29m a year. Their broad aim is to improve quality of life throughout the UK and their primary interests are education, the natural environment and enabling people who are disadvantaged to participate more fully in society. They have recently announced new funding strands: Food: enabling as many people in the UK as possible to access, prepare and eat nutritious, sustainable food. Finance Fund: offering financing to projects or organisations that can demonstrate the need for investment and the capacity to manage the demands of non-grant funding. The website includes funding guidelines and a downloadable application form. For more information email or phone 020 7297 4700.
3. The Joanies Trust is seeking applications for grants in 2008. Grants can support projects working with young people, aged 11-25, within the UK. They average £1000 and applicants must be registered charities. Applications must show strong evidence of how closely applicants consult young people in developing their service, and for any community involvement or local financial support. The Trust will support about 30 charities with average grants of £1000. The Trustees receive ten times the applications they can support, so they underline that applications that are succinct and that give direct answers to the questions in the application form stand a greater chance of success. There is an application form available here. The closing date for applications is 31 August 2008.
4. Kelloggs Active Living Fund provides grants of up to £1,000 to charities, community organisations and schools for activities that lead to people taking part in sustained physical activity. Applications can be made at any time. The fund will give small grants to fund projects and activities that directly lead to people taking part in sustained physical activity. The aim of the fund is to help remove the 'barriers' which stop people being active.
5. The David Canter Memorial Fund offers financial assistance to those working in the crafts - for special projects, travel for specific research and for educational work. Awards are made every other year, each time focusing on a specific craft discipline. For 2008 this will be wood. Grants, which usually range between £500 and £1,000, are available to those who have finished their formal training, and are working full- or part-time, but need funds for special projects such as setting up a workshop, buying equipment, or for research and travel. The deadline date is 19 September 2008. For full details and an application form please write, enclosing a SAE, to Rachel Mackie, The David Canter Memorial Fund, c/o The Devon Guild of Craftsmen, Riverside Mill, Bovey Tracey, Devon TQ13 9AF. Email rachel.mackie@crafts.org.uk.
6. European Union Grants Directory
The annual European Union Grants Directory is available on CD-Rom or online and contains details of over 400 grants available from the European Commission. Grants cover a range of activities: racism, women’s issues, the environment, child protection, education, training, the disabled, human rights, energy, transport and more. Details on how to purchase the guide available here.
Policy
1. We are keen that the Charity Commission’s consultation relating to religion and public benefit doesn’t leave Christians disadvantaged, or ‘behind the 8 ball’ as they say in pool parlance. Read the consultation here and the guidance notes here. We encourage as many of you to respond as possible and to let us know your observations! Closing date June 30th!
2. Proposals to change the structure of the NHS in Wales – read all about it here. This consultation was launched earlier on this month, including the proposal to reduce the number of local health boards in Wales from 22 to 8. It’s all happening! Consultation ends on June 25th – my birthday in case you’re saving for a present!
For
further information on any of the above, email us at
j.stewart@eauk.org
GWEINI:
The
Council of the Christian Voluntary Sector in Wales
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