In response to a number of requests from people involved in youth work around the region, West Midlands European Network will now provide advice and guidance to people wishing to submit applications to the Youth Exchange priority of the EU Youth Programme. In the UK this programme is managed by the British Council and the ConnectYouth Programme Team is supporting WMEN to provide advice to applicants in the West Midlands.

Are you looking to increase children and young people participation in your organisation? Then the Participation Works consortium has a range of training courses and a consultancy package, ranging from introducing a selection of training methods and tools, through to organisational change and strategic planning to support you.

B.STRONG course at Ladywood Arts & Leisure Centre aimed at organisations unfamiliar with the responsibilities of managing unpaid volunteer workforce.

Participants will examine the main issues involved, e.g. health and safety, payments, recruitment, volunteer agreements and volunteer policies.

For details see the programme and form below.

Richard Burden MP is organising an event for local community groups with Birmingham Voluntary Services Council and the Big Lottery. The event - which includes lunch - will take place from about 9:30am - 1 pm on Friday 11 July at the Elim Pentecostal Church, Weoley Castle, Birmingham.

Newman University College are holding a breakfast meeting on Monday 14 July from 7.45 to 9.30am with Public and Third Sector organisations. Cllr Paul Tilsley, Deputy Leader of Birmingham City Council, is the Guest Speaker, and he will talk about the current challenges facing the Public and Third Sector. The venue is: www.austincourt.co.uk

For more information see the attached leaflet.

VCS Matters is continuing to provide its highly successful training on evaluating outcomes in conjunction with De Montfort University.

Sets of three sessions are offered with alternative dates. Participants should book for all three sessions in their set. If you cannot manage all the dates in any of the sets you may ask the course administrator if there is a space for the relevant session in another set.

Children and young people's services are moving from the grant regime to a commissioning and procurement model which is having a considerable impact on the voluntary and community sector who deliver services. The Initiative for Social Entrepreneurs (ISE) in partnership with VCS Matters are running a series of workshops and training sessions for Voluntary Sector organisations who want to know more about how these changes will affect them and what they can do to increase their skills and knowledge to become ready for contracting.

Midland Heart offer a programme of free workshops to support your personal development and to build happier communities, including:

Domestic Abuse: 9.30am - 3.00pm on Friday 16th May at Holloway Hall

Stress: 9.30am - 3.00pm on Wednesday 21st May at Ley Hill Junior and Infant School

Introduction to Youth Work: June   -  Contact Janice Boyett on 0121 464 9183 or Ashok Patel on 0121 666 5295

Community Development: 9.00am - 1.00pm on Tuesday 17th June at Holloway Hall

Birmingham Children & Young People's Plan?  Brighter Futures?  Integrated Youth Support Services?  What do they mean and how do they effect you?

B.STRONG course at Ladywood Arts & Leisure Centre aimed at voluntary organisations seeking the introductory knowledge and skills to be good employers following "good practice" and within the current legal framework.

Celebrating the launch of Avenues to Equal Play, a new programme to help children facing barriers experience improved play opportunities in schools and increase their access & participation in local communities, Dens of Equality invite you to hear ROS BLACKBURN at Kings Heath Community Centre, Heathfield Road, Birmingham, B14 7DB Tuesday 22 July, 11.45-2.15. Diagnosed with autism at just over one year of age Ros gives valuable insights into the condition.

This FREE one-day workshop follows on from the popular Untangling Governance programme in 2007 and complements the recently published Untangling Governance Guide.

Aimed at middle to senior Managers who have previously been involved in business planning, this one day workshop will demonstrate Governance and Leadership techniques and methods for Strategic Business Planning, as well as facilitating learning discussions.

Developing the skills for strategic business planning will put organisations in a strong, competitive position to tender for public sector contracts.

Come along and join in a summer dance school at DanceXchange!  These fun and inclusive sessions are for disabled and non-disabled dancers aged 13-25.

You'll have the chance to meet new friends, work on your dance moves, and create a performance piece with DanceXchange's very own Dance Artist in Residence!

When: Tuesday 29 & Wednesday 30 July 2008 // 9.30am - 3.30pm
Where: DanceXchange // Birmingham Hippodrome // Thorp Street // Birmingham // B5 4TB
Cost: £25.00

Invite your friends and family to watch you perform on Wednesday 30 July at 3.15pm!

This FREE one-day workshop follows on from the popular Untangling Governance programme in 2007 and complements the recently published Untangling Governance Guide.

Aimed at middle to senior Managers who have previously been involved in business planning, this one day workshop will demonstrate Governance and Leadership techniques and methods for Strategic Business Planning, as well as facilitating learning discussions.

Developing the skills for strategic business planning will put organisations in a strong, competitive position to tender for public sector contracts.

Come along and join in a summer dance school at DanceXchange!  These fun and inclusive sessions are for disabled and non-disabled dancers aged 13-25.

You'll have the chance to meet new friends, work on your dance moves, and create a performance piece with DanceXchange's very own Dance Artist in Residence!

When: Tuesday 29 & Wednesday 30 July 2008 // 9.30am - 3.30pm
Where: DanceXchange // Birmingham Hippodrome // Thorp Street // Birmingham // B5 4TB
Cost: £25.00

Invite your friends and family to watch you perform on Wednesday 30 July at 3.15pm!

Community Lunch Invitation

SWBCA (South West Birmingham Community Association) would like to invite staff, volunteers and board members of your organisation to the fourth of our FREE monthly community lunches, to be held at Hampstead House, Fairfax Rd, West Heath, Birmingham B31 3QY.

A 1 day First Aid Appointed Person course will be run by Future Training 2000 on 31 July in their training centre in Smethwick.

They are running this course specifically for people form the Voluntary and Community sector and there will be a reduced cost. The standard cost per learner is £99, however if there is a group of 10 or more learners this can be reduced to £75 per person.

On completion of the day learners will receive an accredited Appointed Person qualification from the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health.

For more details see attachment below.

This year's National Playday Campaign theme is "Give us a go".  The campaign promotes the benefits of allowing children to manage their own risks whilst playing, and aims to counter the risk-averse ‘cotton wool' culture that can limit children's play.  Playday 2008 falls on Wednesday 6 August.

Working with and Applying to Trusts and Foundations
6, August 2008 - Jurys Inn, City Centre, Birmingham

There are almost 9,000 different UK Trusts & Foundations giving over £2bn each year to community projects and charitable causes. With traditional sources of funding (e.g. ESF) flowing towards Central & Eastern Europe, this one-day WorkShop will help your organisation prepare to exploit a significant area of new funding.

Business Planning is essential to developing and sustaining an organisation in the voluntary, community or social enterprise sector. All social enterprise face the challenge of meeting financial and social targets and this training session will explore how to balance both aims by exploring the principals behind a strong, robust and viable business plan.

Business Planning - The aim of this course is to help you: