News from elsewhere

Merton Council has seen an improvement in the cleanliness of the borough's streets following investment in its street cleaning service and improved street monitoring. However, the council acknowledges there is still much work to be done for our residents.

Merton Council will be celebrating Merton's textile heritage with its River and Cloth exhibition from 17-23 September at Merton Abbey Mills.

Skills consultations: Minister John Hayes launched two skills consultations in July, Skills for Sustainable Growth and A Simplified Education and Skills Funding System and Methodology.

• Skills for Sustainable Growth - This outlines the BIS vision for skills and seeks views on key areas of policy including adult and community learning (see pages 24 to 26) and also on how to measure success.
  
• A Simplified Further Education and Skills Funding System and Methodology - This consultation also seeks views on how to get more voluntary and community sector organisations involved in providing and advocating for learning.

The overall aim of the consultations is to ensure smarter investment in the development of a skilled workforce to promote economic growth. The content of the two consultation documents is of much relevance to the third sector, both as an education provider and as a growing workforce; short synopses of the consultations are below. ACEVO and the Third Sector National Learning Alliance are hosting two events to produce a joint response to these consultations - in London on the 14th September and in Sheffield on the 17th September, both from 2pm - 4:30pm. NAVCA is pleased to be hosting the Sheffield event and will also be submitting a response on behalf of members. The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills will be at both events.

Please email Nick Carey (nickc@acevo.org.uk) if you are interested in attending either of these events, stating the event you would like to attend.

Synopses of the consultations

In the policy consultation, the government is keen to ensure that there are incentives to prioritise support for disadvantaged learners. A simple training offer is to be created for the unemployed, bringing together the various training options currently available. Training providers are encouraged to make the most of alternative sources of funding, such as the European Social Fund, to supplement mainstream provision with additional training in “employability skills” such as self-management and team working. Greater freedom is also to be given to colleges and training organisations to help create a system which is more responsive to learner and employer demand. This will require a joint approach with employers, requiring strong leadership and co-operation. Key policy initiatives include a personalised system of learning accounts to help guide learners through further education; simplification of the skills system, with fewer national bodies; a reinvigoration of adult and community learning; and the replacement of specific targets with broader indicators.

In terms of funding, the government are keen to ensure greater flexibility in providers’ budgets and management structures. This will be produced via a greater focus on outcomes, such as delivering jobs for learners, and cost-effective systems with minimal government intervention. Greater financial simplification is to be achieved through a single route of obtaining public funding, with fewer bodies and processes involved. The consultation will explore how to significantly reduce the number of contracts which currently exist through the introduction of a system of minimum contract levels and an approved provider list. This will increase the scope for sub-contracting in order to retain smaller providers. The consultation also explores a number of ways to incentivise providers to support disadvantaged learners/underrepresented groups, such as a premium for learners in particular categories (e.g. benefit claimants); a premium for flexible provision targeted at the unemployed; an additional outcome payment for those supported into work; measurement of engagement with the disadvantaged included in assessments; and a greater reliance on each provider’s engagement with the community.

A new government skills strategy will be published following the findings of the Comprehensive Spending Review and the end of the consultation period on 14 October. It will be essential for the sector as a whole to feed into the strategy in order to ensure that high-quality training opportunities are available for the sector’s workforce and that public investment benefits disadvantaged learners.

1 September 2010

GCSE results are out, and with sixth form provision opening at Cricket Green School, Bishopsford, Ricards Lodge, Rutlish and Raynes Park high schools within the next week, young people in Merton have more options to consider than ever before. Last week many of Merton's young people took to the enrolment desks, choosing to continue their post 16 education in the borough.

Merton Council unveiled today a fully renovated New Wimbledon Theatre, completing a two-month programme of works on the century-old theatre's façade.

This year's Celebrating Age Festival 2010 launched today (Friday 27 August) at SavaCentre in Colliers Wood.

Public spending cuts and the voluntary and community sector:

This paper was prepared by NAVCA Chief Executive Kevin Curley for NAVCA’s Cuts Seminar held on 25 August 2010 in Birmingham.

Public spending cuts and the voluntary and community sector (Word, 210 KB).

Merton schools have had another good year of results in GCSE exams with 8.6% more students achieving 5+GCSEs A*-C, exceeding 2009 national average by 7.8%.

A' level results are out and young people in Merton are celebrating success.

Skills consultations: Minister John Hayes launched two skills consultations in July, Skills for Sustainable Growth and A Simplified Education and Skills Funding System and Methodology.

• Skills for Sustainable Growth - This outlines the BIS vision for skills and seeks views on key areas of policy including adult and community learning (see pages 24 to 26) and also on how to measure success.
  
• A Simplified Further Education and Skills Funding System and Methodology - This consultation also seeks views on how to get more voluntary and community sector organisations involved in providing and advocating for learning.

NAVCA will be submitting responses to both consultations based on the views of our members - by the end of 14 October 2010.

We would urge members to submit their own responses as well as we know that quantity of responses matters to government.

We will also be working with the Third Sector National Learning Alliance in holiding consultation seminars in partnership with ACEVO to give TSNLA members a chance to talk to Skills Funding Agency and BIS officials.

20 August 2010

The Liberty Festival is an annual event at Trafalgar Square, celebrating the contribution of deaf and disabled people to London’s culture.
Sports and Arts - Working with visual artist Rachel Gadsden and Wheelpower from Stoke Mandeville, an area celebrating collaboration between sport and the arts.
Aerial Zone - A programme of performances, featuring Amici Dance Theatre and Cirque Nova. Plus collaboration between Scarabeus and Candoco entitled 'Heartland'.
Street Arts - A programme of performances including Kazzum, Epic Arts, Rhinestone Rollers and Chutney. Plus 'Tandemonium', presented by Extant, a new performance installation combining music theatre and choreographed tandems.
BSL Interpreted Talks - National Gallery, Trafalgar Square
The Scientific Self: Sir Joshua Reynold's ‘Examination of Himself’. In Gallery 36 at 3pm to 3:35pm with Serena Cant; Claude-Oscar Monet's Irises. In Gallery 43 at 4pm with Jennifer Little
Theses talks are free of charge and there is no need to book.
Children’s Zone - This year’s activities will have an “up in the air' theme with an Icarus character helping participants to harness the power of the wind as they enter a 'Windy Wonderland” area of wind machines, fabric and sound. The Children’s Zone will also include installation work by disabled artists from Arteast. Curated by Emergency Exit Arts.
Cabaret and Comedy - This year’s activities will have an “up in the air' theme with an Icarus character helping participants to harness the power of the wind as they enter a 'Windy Wonderland' area of wind machines, fabric and sound. The Children’s Zone will also include installation work by disabled artists from Arteast. Curated by Emergency Exit Arts.
Music - A music stage at the foot of Nelson’s Column with performances by Yunioshi and Orpheus Centre plus three exciting young bands produced by Heart 'n Soul - The Fish Police, KDNA and Lizzie Emeh. Also extracts from Reasons to be Cheerful; Graeae’s new musical theatre production set during a time of political change with Ian Dury’s songs providing a powerful emotional backdrop.
Dedication to David Morris - There will be a special dedication to the life and work of David W Morris, 1958-2010, who was instrumental in helping to develop and direct the Liberty Festival. The programme will include a 'Chill out zone with films, music and open mike slot, programmed by Red Jesus Productions in memory of David. Supported by Disability LIB (Listen, Include, Build). Everyone is welcome and everything has been organised to be accessible and inclusive. Programme may be subject to change. Look out for further updates in July and August.
Liberty Festival is looking forward to 2012 and collaboration with 'Unlimited', LOCOG’s disability arts, sports and culture programme.
Access information - Liberty welcomes everyone and is organised to be inclusive and accessible. A range of facilities and services are available on the day, including:
· Disability awareness trained stewards
· Programmes in different formats
· BSL interpretation and audio description
· Induction loops at information points
· Wheelchair loan service
· Free TfL Dial a Ride bus from Westminster Tube station to Trafalgar Square
· Free parking nearby for blue badge holders (bookable in advance only, email:liberty@london.gov.uk)
Liberty Festival is organised by the Mayor of London and produced by Greenwich+Docklands Festivals. Thanks to Attitude is Everything, Shape, Artsline, Independent Living Alternatives and Cooltan Arts for their helping in developing this year’s event.

Managing the cuts:

As a follow-up to the Empowering the Voluntary Sector project’s recent cuts briefing, this short paper aim to update on recent casework carried out by its advocacy and legal teams and to provide you with an action plan you can use when faced with cuts. To gain the most from this paper please read in conjunction with the Cuts Challenge newsletter published in July 2010. Managing the cuts, Aug 2010, Aug 2010 (pdf, 83KB) Cuts: to challenge or not to challenge, July 2010, July 2010 (pdf, 94KB)

The Wandle Valley Low Carbon Zone put on a Big Green Sunday show this weekend (15 August) for residents living in the borough's first Low Carbon Zone - Phipps Bridge and Cherry Tree estates in Mitcham.

Merton Council saw McMichael Estate Limited fined at Wimbledon Magistrates Court on 2 July 2010 for fly tipping offences on 25 January this year.

More than 450 children, young people and their families played to their hearts' content last week at Merton's celebration of National Playday 2010.

National Citizen Service:

Justin Davis Smith, Chief Executive of Volunteering England, sent us the following statement for NAVCA members.

Volunteering England is considering how it can best contribute to the design and delivery of the National Citizen Service scheme. Given the broad-based nature of the scheme, we are not intending to bid to deliver the pilots, though we are talking with possible lead delivery agencies about an appropriate role for Volunteering England and the Volunteer Centre network on the volunteering component.

The areas where we feel we can make the biggest contribution are advising on best practice in volunteer management and support and helping to source great quality volunteering opportunities. We also think Volunteering England and the Volunteer Centre network have a role to play in helping the young people who have been through the programme stay in touch with volunteering opportunities, through the setting up of some sort of alumni programme.

If you have further thoughts on how we might contribute please let me know.

More information can be found on the Volunteering England website.

The NAVCA Cuts Event - Wednesday 25 August 2010:

As the coalition government begins the process of cutting public spending to reduce the deficit, our sector is facing difficult times. Every day we hear about deep cuts affecting NAVCA members and we are committed to helping as best we can.

In this vein, NAVCA are organising an event for its members to discuss the cuts and ways that we can collectively respond. In these difficult times, it is more important than ever that we work together to find the solutions.

The event has already been a tremendous hit, becoming oversubscribed within hours of being announced. With an apparent eagerness from our members to contribute to finding solutions, we will be looking at further ways to bring people together to help each other in the future.

The event is taking place in Birmingham on Wednesday 25 August 2010 and, should it prove successful, we will be organising a similar event elsewhere.