Denbighshire Voluntary Services Council (DVSC)

Denbigh Town Plan is published in draft form - please respond

2011-12-01T17:29:00.000Z

Just had a call from Mark Dixon at Denbighshire County Council to say the draft Denbigh Town Plan is on the County web site and they are keen to hear from as many people as possible as to what they think. There is no closing date to this consultation as it is open ended in that the plan will be ongoing and dynamic .
The link to the plan as follows:

http://www.denbighshire.gov.uk/en-gb/DNAP-8P4GTS

I have had a quick look at the plan and had hoped that the Third Sector i.e voluntary, community, social enterprises , charities etc would have had a greater stake in the delivery of the actions given there is vibrant third sector in Denbigh as evidenced by the work of the local groups and organisations. Maybe in time that will change . It just feels quite top down in its delivery mechanism.

Families First is coming - any day now

2011-12-01T14:26:00.000Z

Attended the Children and Young Peoples Partnership this morning and we agreed to the final document which sets out the service specifications for the 9 different project themes under Families First. That document will be on our web site within the next 48 hours and of course Suzanne at our office in Ruthin will be able to mail it out or email to those that are interested.

Deadline for returning tenders has been agreed at 31.1.12 and so now is the time for all those organisations out there that are thinking of bidding to start developing their ideas as the service specification document is quite clear as to the amount of money available and the service required.

We are here to help anyone through the process so please just phone or email whenever you are ready but please don't leave it too late.

Families First funding - are you ready ?

2011-11-16T18:53:00.000Z

Just seen some paperwork that Suzanne has been crafting in readiness for next week. Next week will be the start when third sector organistaions will be invited to meetings where the details of the Families First tender programme will be unveiled.

So the question is - are you ready ? as time will be tight for you to submit a tender fully costed and thought through. DVSC will be on hand to help and we are looking to see if we can buy in extra help and support because if there was ever a time that third sector organisations need help it is now.

I know this blog is short and sweet but this is a "heads up" rather than a detailed explanation of the programme as that will come next week.

North Wales Regional Leadership Board - where is Third Sector?

2011-09-14T18:34:00.000+01:00

For those that know me they will probably say that its not very often that I am stuck for words but I was asked a question last week and for which I could not give an answer. The question was not could I give the winning combination for the next Lottery draw on Saturday because if I could anticipate the winning numbers I know which worthy causes in Denbighshire would qualify for the windfall but the question was more mundane namely - Who actually sits on the North Wales Regional Leadership Board and what do they do /discuss.? When I explained I don't know because Third Sector do not have a representative on the Board there was a quick supplementary in the form "Why is the Third Sector not on the Board ". Now that's where I stumbled as I have no idea at all as to why the sector is not represented - we have asked in fact we did submit a formal request many months ago . The individual who asked me the question was obviously well briefed in the issue as they quickly rattled off the following statistics which were intended to highlight how significant the third sector is :

So for completeness here are the stats for North Wales only:

16,035 third sector organisations actively work across each of the 6 County areas. (WCVA stats)

If you extrapolate the figures I have for Denbighshire as being fairly typical across North Wales you will find that in total we have :

120,000 volunteers delivering huge range of services from housing through to community safety, lifelong learning, youth clubs, old peoples clubs etc etc - the list is endless.
27,000 paid staff who support the thousands of volunteers mentioned.
Annual income of £420 million raised by a variety of methods from local jumble sales, coffee mornings through to contracts and service level agreements with statutory bodies.

So as you can see the Third Sector is a significant provider of public services across the whole range from community associations/ organisations, voluntary organisations, social enterprises, not for profit bodies, cooperatives , self help groups, charities, faith groups, housing associations and mutual organisations.

Therefore as the person posed the question to me I would simply like to pose the same question to the members of the Regional Leadership Board who I understand consist of the following.:

Chief Executives of each of the 6 County Councils
Chief Executive of Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board.
Chief Officer of North Wales Fire and Rescue
Welsh Local Government Association representative
Welsh Government representative.
Chief Constable of North Wales Police ( who I understand is Chair of this Board although not completely sure)
plus etc etc - not sure of any others and as I am not on that Board and so I can't be absolutely certain - what I do know for 100% certainty is that Third Sector are not there.

I hasten to add I am not bidding to be the North Wales representative on the Board as without doubt we have tremendous talent and expertise within the sector and I am sure there will be someone or possibly two who would welcome the opportunity .

If anyone reads this blog I would welcome your thoughts and please be honest in that do you think Third Sector should be on the Regional Board and have some part to play in the strategic direction that public services will take in the future or is it best left to the statutory agencies?

Corporate Governance in the Third Sector - whats happening?

2011-09-06T18:04:00.000+01:00

Third Sector and governance arrangements has been in the news lately and it brought home to me a conversation I had with a Trustee on the telephone a few weeks ago in Denbighshire. The discussion related to the training we offered around roles and responsibilities of Trustees and the Trustee in question felt it was wrong for us to charge £20 a head for such training even though I explained the costs of that training were far higher than £20 and that we were subsidised by the Welsh Government to run the course. He acknowledged the course content and trainer was first class but questioned why a small struggling voluntary organisation should pay the money. As you can imagine it was an interesting debate and by the end he said he would write in so that his views could be presented to DVSC Trustees. Given I have not received that letter I can only imagine that on reflection the Trustee felt that our training was worth every penny . During the conversation I went through the various issues that Trustees needed to be aware of and the consequences of non compliance both in terms of the impact on the staff , Trustees and volunteers if the processes were incorrect and equally important the reputational risk for the organisation. As someone politely reminded me a few years back it takes years for a business/voluntary organisation to build up its reputation but can take just 5 minutes to lose it.

So on this subject I would urge all Trustees and future Trustees to please sign up to County Voluntary Council training courses because the sessions have been written with you in mind to ensure that you continue to provide effective , value for money services that are accessible by all. Please refer to our web site and you will see a range of training sessions we offer supported by a variety of trainers.

Rhyl regeneration - have you seen the strategy document?

2011-08-23T17:05:00.000+01:00

Denbighshire County Council issued a strategy paper last week for consultation on Rhyl regeneration. You have until end of this month i.e. a whole two weeks to respond.

I appreciate its not a long time to consider such an important topic but I would urge everyone that reads this blog ,and who has an interest in Rhyl and its future, to respond by reading the document and completing the on line questionnaire. It is very important that the Council hear your views as Rhyl is undergoing a change to meet the needs of the local people and just as importantly to ensure that the local community is involved in those changes and for the third sector that means all 200+ voluntary and community organisations participating in the design and delivery of public services so that the services provided are relevant to the local communities.

To see the strategy on line please follow this link : http://www.denbighshire.gov.uk/en-gb/DNAP-8KRKE7

Community Voice - progress to date

2011-06-20T14:38:00.000+01:00

We have had two public meetings so far. One in Ruthin on the 14th and we had 15 attending and had a very lively session coming up with plenty of ideas and email addresses being quickly exchanged as individuals could see the benefits of sharing project ideas between now and the 20nd July i.e. the closing date

The second meeting was in Llangollen on the 16th and to be honest I was a little apprehensive as Emyr had told me earlier in the day that only two people had indicated they were attending. So as I jouneyed down to Llangollen I felt we could be doing a one to one . What a lovely surprise to find we had 10 people attend and the room was buzzing again with ideas and collaboration suggestions.

It was suggested by a Llangollen attendee that we produce a note of all the ideas we have had to date and share with everyone because already organisations in the South could see benefits in linking with similar organisations in the North thereby strengthening the project ideas and bringing all the skills and best practice together. That list is to be emailed to all attendees today and will be added to following our last public meeting in Rhyl this Wednesday. Already we have about 20 people coming to Rhyl and so its pleasing to report that take up across the County has been good.

The DVSC staff have been magic in that they have all promoted the scheme and taken part in the public meetings . Their enthuisasm is infectious.

My thanks also to Rhyl Journal who have promoted the Community Voice programme and I understand Denbighshire Free press will be doing a similar feature this week.

For individuals and organisations who are not able to attend the public meetings we have asked them to submit their expressions of interest and to date I think we have had about 7.

We are in the process of establishing a steering group to consider all the expressions of interest with a view to putting together a £1million bid to Big Lottery. Membership of the group is broad in that it consists of Trustees of DVSC, Local Service Board members and organisations and individuals from the community. We have designed this scheme adopting the "bottom up " methodology which means the ideas for the bid come from the community with the community deciding which ideas go forward to Big Lottery. DVSC are simply facilitating the sessions and making the tea and bringing the biscuits along to the meetings.

I will keep you all posted but so far its looking good that we will have a good bid going off to big Lottery

Business sponsorship - done that and worn the tee shirt

2011-06-15T12:09:00.000+01:00

Whenever I talk about business sponsorship I inevitably get a groan saying "Oh we have tried that but in this financial climate getting money out of anyone is practically zero".

So it will probably come as a surprise to you that we do have successes and therefore its not surprising that Big Lottery have funded for us a 3 year period to roll out our ideas in partnership with 5 other Voluntary Councils across North Wales.

To give you an idea as to what is possible through building up relationships locally as well as having a credible voluntary organisation delivering valued and much needed services in the community I will tell you a story of one of our most recent case studies. They always say your latest case study is the one you most remember and so here goes.

Late last year an organisation came to us asking for help with what in effect was a business review. So we took them through their business plan making changes as we went and eventually coming up with an action plan which identified in the main the organisation had outgrown their existing premises and needed to move to support their increased clientelle. The business plan came up with a couple of options and the two we focused on were buying a property or securing a long lease at a competitive rate. Now this is when we set to work on finding business sponsorship by approaching various organisations that we had established a relationship with and eventually came across a business that had exactly what we were looking for in terms of property. Following negotiations we came up with a "cracking" deal for the vol org and for the business in that we played to the objectives of the business as well as the vol org in that we knew why the business was so keen to let the building. Having secured the building which is huge, that vol org is now in a position it can sub let bringing in extra income to support their core activity and this income win is over and above the rental reduction they secured following their move to a larger building - a double win . Now the vol org are in the building and are confronted with requirements for a new kitchen, ICT , complete decoration and other bits and pieces and probably totalling in all to about £10,000 capital spend and yes you have guessed through the sheer endeavour of that vol org and their staff and embracing the business sponsorship ethos we have been promoting they have secured another 4 business sponsorships which pays for all the work to be carried out.

Throughout this story did you notice I did not mention a cheque once - simply because no money changed hands aside from the rent which I am not liberty to disclose for confidentiality reasons.

What has all this activity meant to the bottom line of this vol org - well they will enhance their bottom line on an annual basis by £15,000 and that is recurring revenue gains plus as I mentioned they have secured a one off capital sum of about £10,000.

Maybe not great amounts of saving but bearing in mind this is just one voluntary organisation and we have other success stories in the last 16 months we have been operating. If we can do this on a small scale in Denbighshire what could be achieved across Wales added to which we have built up lasting relationships with those businesses because they do not feel pressured to dig deep into their pockets instead if they have free materials , spare office premises, volunteer time then that is the currency we will gladly accept because ultimately as a society we are all doing our bit to help improve the quality of lives of everyone in our community.

Watch this space for another case study. I had hoped we could publish our evaluation report of our first 16 months of business sponsorship activity but unfortunately we still need clearance from the funder that supported that initial pilot project.

Reputational risk and emails

2011-06-12T14:29:00.000+01:00

Everyone knows that it can take years to build up a good reputation amongst your clients and key stakeholders but it can literally take hours to lose it.

So how does this fit with emails? Well we had an experience a few weeks ago where an enthusiastic member of our staff sent an email to a distribution group drawing attention to the perceived shortcomings of one of our key stakeholders. You can imagine the resultant email I received from the quite rightly aggrieved individual.

Thankfully all was not lost and I think we are now the best of friends again but it just shows that sending emails on the spur of the moment can have repercussions of lasting significance. Thankfully a quick apology in this case to all on the distribution list and a fair bit of grovelling to the injured party has saved the day.

However it is a salutary lesson for us all - before sending a controversial email the answer is to have a break , go for a coffee and come back and re-read the email and only then send it when satisfied that it reads OK.

DVSC celebrate success for North Wales venture

2011-05-28T19:38:00.000+01:00

DVSC have just heard that their bid for £810,000 has been approved. The money will fund a project that involves all 6 North Wales Voluntary Councils which is aimed at bringing businesses closer to the voluntary and community organisations in each of the 6 Counties. The model to be adopted in the project is the one that was successfully used by DVSC in Denbighshire over the last 17 months and which in one case has had stunning results for example the organisation managed to secure the support of 5 local businesses and it has meant that their "bottom line" has improved by nearly £20,000 a year for the next 10 years and that has happened in the main through "in kind" support rather than a straight cash donation. It was amazing that once the organisation secured the first business deal , which I played a part in, the rest of the businesses came knocking on the door in quick succession.

I am looking forward to this new North Wales project as I am sure it will prove to strengthen our communities and of course we will be creating jobs - 8 in total.

Oh and before I forget - where did we get the cash? - well its thanks to Big Lottery - so thankyou very much Big Lottery and as you can imagine they have an open invitation to visit us in Denbighshire as we would like to secure even more money to support local regeneration initiatives. In fact we are currently working on something which we hope to go out to consultation very soon and I hasten to add it is something different to the Community Voice programme.

When is a job not a job?

2011-05-28T19:25:00.000+01:00

Answer: When it is less than 16 hours a week .

How did I come to that conclusion? It follows DVSC taking on a few contracts involving Wales European Funding Office and the EU. We are told that for the people we place in work they must work at least 16 hours a week if we are to secure payment for the support services we have provided in the run up to them gaining work.

Given ,I thought, that we were all encouraged to help people into work the fact that there is a minimum threshold of 16 hours a week cuts right across the spirit of what is intended as we find that for many venturing back into work after many years at home caring for elderly parents or bringing up children or similar the prospect of going straight into 16 hours work each week is daunting. Far better to start with say 5 hours a week and build up to 16 or more. That's what I call progression and giving the right support to people.

So that means if we find employment for someone less than 16 hours it doesn't count but you can imagine for the individual concerned and their immediate and possibly extended family it is a big difference.

Also when you consider the current financial climate there are many employers who are now looking to take people on for a limited number of hours as their budgets will not stand longer hours.

So I call on all politicians and the community at large to lobby for change so that we can all celebrate the gaining of work irrespective of number of hours worked.

10% cuts all round - cheers Denbighshire County Council

2011-04-05T00:22:00.001+01:00

Its been some time since my last blog but as you can see from the title of this blog things are happening in Denbighshire the extent of which is having a significant affect on the operation of many third sector organisations. The 10% cut imposed by the County Council relates to the Voluntary Organisations grant paid to a number of organisations across the County. Yes in fairness the Council have said the saving of 10% will be fed back into the third sector by way of commissioning new services but tell that to a vol org who will not be applying for funding from the new services pot but will still have to tell their vulnerable clients and users - sorry we are having to modify our services to reflect a cut of 10% to the revenue funding and as well absorb the inflationary costs which are expected to be around 4 to 5% this year. All in all not good news. How do I know this is happening , well just listen to the conversations I have had over the last few weeks with third sector organisations and of course closer to home I have looked at the finances of our own NEWCIS carers project. Clearly the mood music has changed since late last year when we were told to expect cuts of 25% over 4 years and in fact the Community Forums reaffirmed the extent of those cuts. I attend the Forums as a member of the LSB and along with others said that times would be tough, little did I know then how tough they really would be . At that time a cut of 10% in year 1 was not even on the cards. However we are a resilient bunch in the third sector and I just hope that despite the cuts we can continue to deliver what the public have come to expect - quality services with a smile. Smiling of course may start to fade as we move into next financial year as we have been told there is a 4 year plan of austerity measures rather than just the one. What really hurts is when we hear of another County Council not a million miles away from us awarding their vol orgs 2.5 % extra this year compared with last - perhaps I should ask them which money tree they have cultivated as I think we could do with a similar horticultural trick here in Denbighshire. Added to which we have not yet had the grant confirmation letters from the County Council confirming the new amounts and so we are continuing to pay staff without any documents to hand confirming we have the where with all. I am sure the auditors would have something to say to the Trustees in light of these unsatisfactory circumstances.

Meanwhile so that I don't get completely absorbed with cuts and austerity I have listed a few other things which I have been working on. Mainly my work is around partnerships and meeting third sector groups around the County rather than concentrating on any one subject area such as older people, carers , children etc and so my notes below will therefore be quite varied.

Rhyl City Strategy- as member of the Board I get to see the work they do and its fantastic. They have achieved record results with their Future Jobs Fund in finding permanent employment for a great many of their placements. They have also successfully piloted , only one in Wales, their Fitness to Work Service and most recently have boldly submitted a CAT (Community Asset Transfer) application to Big Lottery in respect of the Little Theatre Rhyl. Plus loads more.

We have all talked about redundancies over the last few months and of course nobody likes the process when people have to leave . Well lets not forget what disciplinary procedures are like also. I have been involved in helping a local vol org with grievance and disciplinary issues as well as listening to colleagues of mine in other Counties talking about negative decisions coming out of Employment Tribunal. Needless to say our constant encouragement of vol orgs to be "fit for purpose" in terms of all governance issues is as true today as it has ever been if we are to avoid unnecessary grievance, disciplinary and employment tribunal hearings. Not only do they take up a lot of officer time but they do leave a cloud over the organisation for some time.

Funding- well its great the Big Lottery recognise the value of County Voluntary Councils when it comes to community engagement and so we welcome with open arms the Community Voice Programme. In fact there is a meeting with the Lottery today to take things forward. Lets hope our bid for the £1 million is successful in Denbighshire and given Emyr Williams is leading on it I feel we are in very safe hands .

Talking about safe hands I am equally confident with Lindsay's proposed consortia approach on the Improved Future Lives programme - deadline for expression is May but here again Lindsay is on the case.

Betsi Cadwaladr Health Board - normally Lindsay goes to these meetings in her role as Health and Social Care Facilitator but I have been invited to the Improving Service User Experience Committee as the CVC rep for North Wales. That's an experience in itself. I thought we had long agendas although I am told the first meeting I went to was exceptionally long - nothing to do with me honest. I have to say that despite the reorganisation of the Health Board everyone around the table was very focused on their area of work and all working to tight deadlines and budgets and they could , I think, have been forgiven for being distracted with all the changes and the continuing uncertainties over staffing numbers etc but they weren't. Its a credit to their professionalism that its business as usual "full steam ahead" and it gave me confidence that should I have to go into hospital at any time in the future I would be in safe hands.

Nothing is ever straight forward, there is always change for example we are now working with the County Council in reviewing the Voluntary Sector Liaison Group which means the membership in terms of numbers is likely to change which means fresh elections, followed by interviews , followed by induction and then we can crack on with the action plan we had prepared earlier. Well that's progress for you although I have to admit that the new format will I feel be of much greater benefit to both the Third Sector and the County Council in that the Leader of the Council is taking a direct lead and interest in the VSLG soon to be called TSLG short for Third Sector Liaison Group. Its great for us to have the Leader of the County Council take as part of his portfolio the "Third Sector " element. I am expecting great things.

Keeping my fingers crossed for later today as the 5th April is the date I hear whether our bid to Big Lottery for £800K plus has been approved. If it has we will then have a project that supports the 6 CVC's across North Wales working with businesses and local third sector groups. Who knows we might be able to get Sir Richard Branson or even Lord Sugar up to see us. Of course the 5th April is I think the last date to top up your ISA and so if anyone has any spare cash why not donate it to our Clwyd Community Chest instead because with the added gift aid tax relief we could make great use of it across the former County of Clwyd. We have been thinking of looking at accessing funding via legacies but to date have not taken this forward as it does feel a bit morbid although when I spoke to someone about 6 months they were really keen to make sure that their prospective legacy to the Community Chest would reach those parts that it was intended for. Someone did suggest that I network with all the undertakers in the area - now there's a thought.

Looking forward to Syd Badland's investiture on Wednesday. Syd has been ,at long last, recognised for his volunteering work across Denbighshire and is to be presented with the MBE by H.M. Lord Lieutenant of Clwyd Mr Trefor Jones. It will be great joyous celebration and I know we all wish him well and we look forward to seeing him around the area continuing to support what seems like hundreds of organisations.

Redundancies - funding cuts now beginning to bite at DVSC

2011-01-28T14:49:00.000Z

This is not a good week. I have already had meetings with one member of staff explaining that due to a cut in the funding the post will be terminated 28th February 2011. The officer in question , Sarah Breeze, has already emailed the various voluntary and community groups and explained that the Rural Development funding is ending and that she will finish on the 28th February just 4 weeks away. This is bad news for the community as many of the groups are midway through their development projects and Sarah has provided an invaluable service to them. This is not just me saying it but the groups that have told me directly how much they value Sarah' support, knowledge and expertise . I live in hope that just maybe the funding cut will be lifted but clearly that is now a decision that is being taken elsewhere many miles from Denbighshire.

Now starting to look at our funding stream profile for March and beyond and again I can see Cymorth is now ending for us and so again I will be having a conversation with another staff member which will lead to just one outcome namely redundancy as we have no other alternatives on the horizon. The solution here will be looking for funding from sources other than Welsh Assembly Government and Denbighshire County Council and to that end we have already made a number of submissions and working on others as it is clear that the role of the officer is highly valued and the outcomes we have been getting were very significant and making a huge difference to the lives of the people in the communities.

Aside from Cymorth there are funding issues with both Denbighshire and Flintshire County Councils given we operate a carers service across both Counties as well as delivering Voluntary Council activities in Denbighshire. Its not surprising that we are talking about cuts as the Councils themselves are being subjected to cuts by WAG although I was always hopeful that our services would be seen by the locally elected members as having a priority particularly around the work we do with carers and children and young people. Democracy will prevail and as history shows there will be winners and losers and sadly for us the losers will be the carers and children and young people although we will persevere to see if we can secure funding elsewhere or perhaps and/or persuade the funders to look kindly on our services and avoid the cuts - after all Councils revenue budgets this year are being cut by just 1.6% or so.

I know we are not alone in this period of austerity and it would be good to hear how other third sector organisations are coping as they are in total employing a significant number of people . At the last count in Denbighshire alone the third sector was employing over 4500 full or part time and I think that figure marks them as employing more people collectively than Denbighshire County Council .

Here's to next week and I hope to have better news as I am expecting to hear the results of one of our funding bids to do with safeguarding children and young people and also have a meeting with Big Lottery relating to our ground breaking bid for a North Wales project ,in collaboration with the other 5 County Voluntary Council's , around working closely with the business sector which we piloted in Denbighshire last year.

One thing you can say about the third sector - there is never a dull moment , always plenty to do and people to see .

When can a building be too secure? When it locks out the Chief Executive Officer

2011-01-19T17:11:00.001Z

I have often wondered how secure our building at Naylor Leyland really is. Well I can tell you from personal experience to day that it is secure and also without the security fob it is impossible to gain access to the office area. Luckily tonight when I managed to lock myself out it wasn't too cold and whilst all the staff had left for the day I was fortunate in that Gareth came to the rescue as he returned following a visit to a voluntary organisation this afternoon. Had it not been for Gareth I could have been here for hours, cold and hungry.

So its a lesson I will remember " Always keep the security fob on my person".

A positive from all of this is that I can report to our premises sub committee in two weeks time that the security at our building is robust.

Denbighshire County Council and Cymorth funding- good news

2010-12-10T15:56:00.000Z

Just received a letter from Sally Ellis , Chair of Denbighshire's Children and Young People's Strategic Partnership in which she confirms that " for the majority of schemes currently funded under Cymorth , their "fit" with the new grant criteria i.e. Families First will not be completely clear. In order to avoid uncertainty it is proposed that for these schemes, existing Cymorth funding is continued until the end of September 2011, to allow time to establish a new commissioning process and to maximise continuity"

This is good news because currently the situation was stark namely all grant funding was to cease 31st March 2011 which in effect would have resulted in the closure of some much valued and needed voluntary organisations.

Meanwhile Sally Ellis confirms that members of the DCC partnership Support Team will contact all grant receiving organisations over the next few weeks to discuss which categories their project lies in and whether or not there will be a possibility of additional funding until September 2011.

Of course what the communication is also saying implicity that for those organisations that will not qualify under the new funding regime there will an opportunity , following discussions with members of the Partnership Support Team , to seek alternative funding to continue operations essentially 9 months notice to look elsewhere.

Denbighshire appointments to WCVA Board

2010-12-09T09:27:00.000Z

I have just received news that three DVSC Trustees have just been elected to the WCVA Board. This now takes the number of DVSC Trustees sitting on the WCVA Board up to four.

Mrs Eurwen Edwards OBE, BEM - re-elected 2010
Mrs Nerys Biddulph , MBE - current member
Mr Mike Denman - elected 2010
Mrs Hilary Stevens - elected 2010

Congratulations from DVSC Board are extended to the four Trustees and I am confident that the views of Third Sector organisations in North Wales will definitely be raised at WCVA.

Spending cuts in Denbighshire- Welsh Assembly just announced the DRAFT revenue settlement

2010-11-26T11:02:00.001Z

I have just seen the announcement from the Welsh Assembly Government (WAG) regarding next years funding for the County Councils in Wales.

The documents are on our web site and they make for interesting reading and no doubt there will be a number of commentaries from various people explaining what all this means.

The immediate figure that caught my eye is that the cut in Denbighshire in cash terms amounts to 1.6% next financial year and once inflation is added the cut for Wales as a whole next year is 3% and for capital a massive 25%. The actual revenue figures from WAG are shown below. Interestingly Cardiff Council gets a slight increase?

Also on reading the draft statement they refer to the fact that the budgets social services , schools and health have been protected i.e. no reduction and in fact there is reference of a 3% increase over the next 3 financial years for social services. The draft budget statement I have also copied below. It will also be on our web site

WELSH LOCAL GOVERNMENT SETTLEMENT 2011-12

Provisional
Shown in £000's

Unitary authority              final AEF*      provisional AEF      %          change Rank

Isle of Anglesey                   94,941             93,327          -1.70%               9

Gwynedd                         170,793           167,889          -1.70%               9

Conwy                             146,973            144,474          -1.70%               9

Denbighshire                    138,654             136,378          -1.60%               8

Flintshire                          188,000             184,804          -1.70%               9

Wrexham                         162,981             160,983          -1.20%               3

Powys                             181,537              179,270          -1.20%               4

Ceredigion                     101,601              100,863          -0.70%               2

Pembrokeshire                162,556               159,792          -1.70%               9

Carmarthenshire               252,260              249,090          -1.30%                5

Swansea                          302,447               297,991         -1.50%                7

Neath Port Talbot            199,799               196,402          -1.70%               9

Bridgend                          181,168               178,546          -1.40%               6

The Vale Of Glamorgan    153,100              150,497         -1.70%               9

Rhondda Cynon Taf                349,476        343,535           -1.70%               9

Merthyr Tydfil                           87,652          86,162           -1.70%               9

Caerphilly                               255,158         250,820          -1.70%              9

Blaenau Gwent                        110,245        108,370           -1.70%               9

Torfaen                                    131,759        129,519           -1.70%               9

Monmouthshire                          97,757          96,095            -1.70%               9

Newport                                 197,564         194,205            -1.70%               9

Cardiff                                    394,807         395,006              0.10%               1

Total Unitary Authorities        4,061,228     4,004,022            -1.40%

2nd Communiqué      Draft budget statement

You may recall that in August Welsh Ministers and WCVA wrote to you about the

process for setting this year’s budget.

In that letter, Welsh Ministers reaffirmed their commitment to the important role the

sector plays in advocating for those in need and in delivering services, and to

communication, dialogue and forward planning at this challenging time.

Ministers also agreed to:

· Provide indicative allocations over the same period as the Welsh Assembly Final

Budget

· Give as much notice as possible to any significant changes in funding

· Give as much time as possible to adjust to any changed circumstances

· Encourage other funders to do the same

· Assess the impact of Ministerial budgetary decisions on the third sector

· Ensure active engagement and dialogue with the sector in planning at all levels in

advance of the difficult financial times ahead

· Encourage replication of good practice across Wales

· Encourage discussions with your funding contacts

Since then, Ministers and WCVA have arranged a number of opportunities to discuss

the budget, including Ministerial meetings, Third Sector Partnership Council and

WCVA’s Funding Conference and regional policy events.

We are now writing to give you information about the Draft Budget.

Draft Budget November 2010

Overall, organisations will be aware that the Welsh Assembly Government budget

settlement represents an average real terms revenue reduction of 2.2% per year over

the four year period (i.e. allowing for inflation), and an average real terms capital

reduction of 11.9% per year over the four year period. For the first year, the real terms

revenue reduction is 3%, and the real terms capital reduction is 25% – so the financial

context is challenging across the public sector.

You may be aware that the budget has three levels.

The Main Expenditure Groups (MEGs) are aligned with Ministerial Portfolios and the

2011/12 and onward revenue budget is compared with baseline figures for 2010/11 as

at the Supplementary Budget approved by the Assembly in July, with additional MEG to

MEG transfers.

                                                    £ 000s              2010/11      2011/12     2012/13      2013/14

Health and Social Services                                   5,867,797 5,867,797   5,867,797   5,881,565

Social Justice and Local Government                   4,406,846   4,330,899    4,333,266    4,382,460

Economy and Transport                                         597,490       589,848       584,528      587,237

Children, Education, Lifelong Learning and Skills 1,694,551    1,673,464    1,682,035   1,705,286

Environment, Sustainability and Housing                  383,750       375,409        369,486     371,050

Rural Affairs                                                            126,560      123,722        121,818     122,338

Heritage                                                                   138,962      136,007        134,114     134,726

Public Services and Performance                                48,968        46,705          45,029       42,890

Central Services and Administration                          350,588      334,517        323,451     308,718

These figures show that the Welsh Assembly Government has:

· protected funding for schools and skills by an additional 1% above changes to the

Wales DEL, and protected the education spending within the Revenue Support

Grant in the Social Justice and Local Government MEG in the same way;

· protected the overall health and social services budget from cash reductions in

2011-12 and 2012-13 with a small cash rise in 2013-14;

· In housing, we have targeted support for the most vulnerable in our society by

mitigating the impact of the cuts on housing revenue budgets, most notably

Supporting People;

· extended the same degree of protection to social services as we have to schools,

skills and secondary and community healthcare, which means that funding for

social services allocated to local government in the Revenue Support Grant will

rise by more than 3% across the next three years; and

· confirmed our upfront commitment to maintain investment in universal benefits -

free prescriptions, free school breakfasts, free school milk, concessionary fares

and free swimming. Budgets for these areas will grow by 3.7% over the three

years.

Consideration of potential equality impacts has informed decisions at two levels: the

corporate decisions made by Cabinet on overall allocations between major spending

areas, as well as the decisions made by individual Ministers on the more detailed

allocation of funding within Ministerial portfolios. The process of considering equality

issues does not stop with publication of the Draft Budget. Ministers will be doing further

work where appropriate, to take equality issues into account in detailed spending and

delivery issues within the allocations published in the Draft Budget. In addition, we will

be reminding local authorities and sponsored bodies that they need to give due regard

to equality impact in the decisions they take in spending money allocated by the

Assembly Government.

Third Sector funding

Each Main Expenditure Group is further divided in Spending Programme Areas (SPAs)

and each SPA is divided into Actions.

Most spending on the third sector is not visible within the published budget but sits

within an Action with a wider purpose.

WCVA and WAG will provide a more detailed breakdown of Actions relevant to the

sector next week, but in the meantime, organisations directly funded by the Assembly

Government can contact their funding contact to ascertain the relevant Action within

which they sit.

It will then be possible to compare the Draft Budget with the July Supplementary Budget

to assess any change in capital or revenue. This will not necessarily reflect any change

for individual organisations but it will give a specific context for subsequent discussion

and decisions.

The Draft Budget will now go immediately to the Scrutiny Committees of the National

Assembly of Wales. Equalities issues have been considered in the preparation of the

Draft Budget and these will be considered by the Equality of Opportunity Committee.

The Scrutiny Committees will report back to the Finance committee on December 6

2010 and it is anticipated that the Final Budget will in Plenary on 8 February 2011.

We are also aware that many organisations receive their funding from local authorities,

Local Health Boards or through third party funders and are keen to avoid any delays in

decision making.

Local government will receive its provisional settlement on 23 November and a similar

process will take place with final budgets published in March 2011.

Both Ministers, WCVA and CVCs are monitoring the situation and encouraging good

practice in ensuring sensitive and forward looking decisions.

For example, a number of local authorities are entering into discussions with the sector

in their area about the funding situation, not only to keep organisations informed, but

also to discuss options for service delivery and new ways of working together.

There is similar joint working within health. For example, Hywel Dda Health Board is

working collaboratively with the County Voluntary Councils in its area to ‘co-design’

what the Third Sector role can become as part of the whole health, social care and

wellbeing system.

Finally, both Ministers and WCVA are aware that we are only at the beginning of the

transformation of public services and that the work on citizen voice and innovation will

require strengthening.

We welcome examples of innovative practice which can be fed into the work of the

Innovation and Efficiency Board. These could include Third Sector services that:

· Focus on prevention or early intervention, avoiding or reducing much greater public

expense over a relatively short period of time

· Draw in additional resources (financial and human) to provide more value for people

and communities

· Build capacity in communities to take their own action and enable people to support

each other and promote well-being

· Are indispensable in that no other agency or group of agencies could credibly

provide the service offered

Ministers have asked officials to write with further details of budget proposals affecting

Actions relevant to the sector.

Jane Hutt AM Carl Sargeant AM

Minister for Business and Budget Minister for Social Justice and Local Government

Welsh Assembly Government Welsh Assembly Government

Win Griffiths Graham Benfield OBE

Chair Chief Executive

Wales Council for Voluntary Action Wales Council for Voluntary Action

Volunteer Advisory committee meeting and a property and funder issue

2010-11-03T23:27:00.001Z

Attended the volunteer centre advisory today. I haven't been to the last few meetings as I know Gaynor, the Volunteer Organiser , has everything in hand but I thought I would go today to explain the organisational review that DVSC is undertaking. This review is probably now featuring on agendas of most public service bodies given that spending cuts are on the horizon and as such we have to make sure that our organisation is able to manage post April 2011. I think I was able to reassure the members of the advisory that the cunning plan we had would , once implemented, help DVSC continue to deliver a quality volunteer support service to everyone in Denbighshire. We also talked about our difficulties around computer software, developed specifically for the volunteer centres in Wales, that we had been battling with over the last 8 months but regrettably we are close to abandoning in favour of software from England. Our testing of the English software will be completed by the end of this month and if the results are favourable i.e. the system will produce the stats we need as well as the management information required by our funders and the advisory committee then it will be all systems go and we will buy the software and transfer all data across.

Computer systems seem to be current pressing issues for DVSC given that we are also implementing a contact management system and take up by staff is somewhat patchy . I know recording activity isn't the greatest job in the world but we do have to evidence to our funders exactly what we are doing as well as having systems that staff can share so "the left hand really does what the right hand is doing". I am sure we will get there in the end.

In terms of our priorities I was also reminded the other day that there are one or two issues in our business plan that will require our attention if we are to remain on target one of which is the acquisition of new premises in Rhyl. Hopefully the Rhyl property will be finalised before too long so that we have a more secure base for our staff to work from. Talking about property I was chatting today to a voluntary organisation about their property experience and I was saddened to hear their story as clearly through no fault of their own they have been left high and dry with their refurbishment plans following a change of heart by the funder in what seems like a moving of the goalposts. We are currently helping the organisation to secure funds from other sources but I have to say the original funder will be desperately in need of some terrific PR to overcome the negativity arising from this property experience. The lesson that has been learnt is that the organisation failed to secure in writing the offer from the funder which set out the terms under which the funds would be made available and the match fund requirement. Apparently what scuppered the deal was the match funding component changed which meant that the voluntary organisation would have had to find hundreds of thousands of pounds more which clearly it couldn't in the short time available and so the offer was withdrawn by the funder. My advice has always been and will continue to be "get it in writing" , it doesn't matter even the written word is in an email because it is still in writing and dated and is beyond dispute if challenged at a later date. I mention email because of the ICT age we are now living in. This is simple hard headed business advice. In this particular case the whole re-development of the building has been put back, by my estimates, at least 5 years as the amount of money we are talking about is in excess of £500,000 added to which the inconvenience to the users of the building.

Its strange how issues tend to come in pairs such as computer software and now property matters because apart from the new Rhyl premises I am now deep into negotiations with regard to another property venture which has come out of nowhere over the last two weeks and to be honest I thought that our accommodation needs in that particular area would have to be put on hold due to lack of finance and suitable alternative premises. It looks like we will know by the end of this month whether DVSC will have a firm offer which I can then put to our Trustees for their consideration. If not we will be back to the drawing board. I would like to say more but I can't due to confidentiality reasons but if it does go ahead I think the deal will surprise a few people.

Engagement Gateway - latest

2010-11-01T22:54:00.000Z

Had some pleasing news this morning when I got into work and that is our recent tender in partnership with G2G Communities has been successful. So after the 10 day cooling period we will be getting down to discussing with WCVA the delivery of the project which is all about training in the community. A really exciting venture and I am sure there will be good take up from everyone in Rhyl as that is where the project will be based .

I am now turning my attention to areas south of Rhyl for regeneration activity and see Denbigh as the next area just waiting for development and again with the right partners I am sure there is much we can do. That's not forgetting other areas of Denbighshire but given our capacity is limited we do have to pace ourselves if we are to deliver meaningful projects across the County. Oh yes and before I forget we haven't given up on the idea of establishing a permanent presence in Rhyl , its just producing the feasibility study is taking a little longer than expected. I am hoping it will be completed by next month so that we can start the new year off with a clear plan of action. Of course if there are any philanthropic funders out there who might just have a few hundred thousand pounds in loose change don't forget DVSC is always keen to help share the burden and relieve you of the cash as a permanent location in Rhyl will cost.

Finally I thank you all for your comments on my blog and am heartened that there is so much support out there for us which we really do appreciate. Suggestions are also very welcome and so why not have a look at our new strategic/business plan on our web site and let us know what you think. I am told we are being very ambitious in these straightened times and so what do you think?

Interviews with funders

2010-10-29T01:22:00.000+01:00

Whenever the time comes to talk to funders about bids we have submitted there is always an element of anxiety creeping in on two counts . Firstly will I be able to convey to the funder the rationale behind the bid and back it up with hard evidence rather than emotional passion and do justice to the hours spent by officers of DVSC in putting the bid and additional paperwork together. Secondly have we raised the expectations of the community , our customers, to a point that we cannot deliver thus putting at risk our reputation in the community which I would like to think is currently of a very high standing. Finally lets not forget that whilst we are here to serve the community there is always inevitably a strong underlying desire to support the staff and volunteers of DVSC and secure additional money so that the excellent work they do continues as I am firmly of the view that DVSC staff including our carers service NEWCIS deliver day in day out an excellent service to the community and do so through a sense of public service because if salary was the main driver, to be honest, they would have left DVSC many years ago and probably moved in to the private sector.

So against this background when I came into work this morning to take a call from BBC Children in Need I wasn't quite sure how it was going to develop. Well , 75 minutes later , I think when I put the telephone down I had managed to convey the message and that our bid around Safeguarding children and young people in Denbighshire , if successful would make a difference. What has encouraged me throughout the process is that the bid whilst penned by DVSC staff mainly Suzanne Bradley the architects of the bid are the young people themselves who will benefit from the funding we can draw down. Its easy to talk about empowerment and engagement but when you actually do talk to young people or whoever the beneficiaries are likely to be its a powerful experience because you find yourself simply developing a real project around real people's lives and so no longer does it become a bid around the various strategic objectives contained in the various documents scattered around the County . Naturally you would expect that the project outcomes map with those strategies as the strategies have equally been based on the needs assessments carried out but in the final analysis what makes the bid process very real and potent is the hard evidence you gather in talking directly to the community and setting down their experiences, their environment and their aspirations. I suppose for me that's when I can see how we can make a difference together.

I know the question I will be asked is "Will DVSC get the money" . Its hard to say because there is so much competition for the money and there will equally be other deserving projects elsewhere in Denbighshire and beyond. However I remain positive and take the view that if isn't Children In Need this time then it will be another funder who will see that the project we have proposed will have an impact in Denbighshire and allied to other projects currently operating in the County our proposal brings real added value. For me its about bringing in as much investment as possible into the County to give our communities every opportunity as we all have hopes for the future and if we can help in some small way then I think that DVSC will have gone a long way to achieve their strategic objectives and overall mission.

So by 10.15am this morning the interview was over and my attention had by then turned to the 12 noon deadline set by Conwy County Council with regard to the submission of a PQQ for an advocacy project and fingers crossed that our submission would arrive by courier before the deadline because again we had spent a fair amount of time putting a submission together which I think builds on the expertise and knowledge of the DVSC staff around advocacy. We will know whether we have been successful within a month and thereafter that's when the work starts in putting together a detailed tender.

Has today been any different to other days , well in one way it has because its not everyday we deliver bids to deadlines or talk to our funders but most days does involve us working with third sector organisations in helping them develop their services which inevitably at some point involves funding. Tomorrow for example I have two important meetings in Rhyl and Denbigh with two third sector organisations and a number of statutory bodies and both schemes revolve around developing proposals that will support the respective organisations for years to come. If all goes well it will be pleasing to report sometime in the next 12 months the outcomes.

And finally I have to finish our 6 monthly report to WAG with regard to our activity and so I have had everyone in the office counting what they have been doing such as how many volunteers have we interviewed and placed, how many organisations have we helped with training, funding etc , how many carers have we helped , how many strategic partnerships have we attended, providing case studies demonstrating the difference we have made even to the point of tracking how many enquiries we have had by email, telephone, personal callers , letter etc - that last number is staggering and just demonstrates the demand placed on our service and this is all activity before any tough spending cuts start to take effect. What will the demand on our services be like once the cuts start to impact? The deadline for this report is the 31st October and yes we will deliver on time.

Funding - some good news- lobbying does work

2010-10-21T18:29:00.000+01:00

Just heard that the 100% cut to our Millennium Volunteering (MV) funding has been cancelled. This means we can now bid for the £5000 for the next financial year. Given all the bad news about public spending cuts its so easy to become despondent and for staff to lose that spark. I think from this experience we have just had around the MV scheme its highlighting the power of lobbying in raising the awareness of the decision makers as to the impact of the cut i.e. what effect it will have in the community . In our case the hundreds/thousands of organisations and young people who have embraced the MV scheme so enthusiastically and delivered some fantastic volunteering activities within our local communities.

Long may MV continue.

Looking for a job?

2010-10-13T00:39:00.004+01:00

I know people say finding a job is difficult and its true. However I do get on a regular basis job adverts which I pass on by email to people within Denbighshire who have asked me for job vacancy details. If you want to be added to that confidential email list then please let me know by phone or email.

Who knows by joining the list you might find work sooner than you think.

Spending cuts - the big debate

2010-10-13T00:15:00.005+01:00

The local Council , Denbighshire County along with North Wales Police, Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board, Coleg Llandrillo and Fire Service are all going to have to find savings from within their budgets.

How they find those savings will in part be based on what the residents want to see happen and so to find out what the community of Denbighshire really does think and where the axe should fall the County Council and the Health Board have opened up on their web site an opportunity for people to comment on where savings can be made. Letters can also be sent to them.

I would urge everyone to email or write in so that the Authorities concerned clearly understand the priorities that you , the public, believe are the most important otherwise decisions will be made with which later on you may disagree with. We live in a democracy and so please exercise your democratic rights.

For our part we will be making comments and encouraging the Authorities to increase the number of opportunities where the Third Sector can bid to run public services as we know the Third Sector can deliver good quality, efficient and effective services and in times of financial difficulty I would like to think the Council and other public bodies will see the gain from working closely with us. If anyone doubts the Third Sector's ability to deliver value for money services please let me know and I can produce a list of services already outsourced in this County. I am sure when you see the list you will agree with our point of view. Clearly we should not see the only viable alternative as being private sector, without question the Third Sector has a big part to play.

Spending cuts are on the way

2010-10-04T11:14:00.002+01:00

I know , spending cuts are on every one's lips but I thought you might like to know that DVSC have just been told that their funding is being cut by 100% from April next year with regard to Millenium Volunteering (MV). So let no-one be in any doubt we are not just talking about 25% over 4 years or between 3% and 5% a year cumulatively but there is now a real prospect of total withdrawal.

The MV money we get amounts to £5000 a year and so we will somehow have to find that from other areas given we want to keep the MV scheme as the impact on young people is enormous. Gerry Frobisher has recruited 1500 young people to the scheme over the last 10 years and they have achieved between 50 and 200 hours of volunteering - every one of them. That is a fantastic achievement and we owe it to future generations of young people not to discontinue the scheme.

Watch this space. I am sure that you too have stories of cuts and if you pass on the information I will willingly share as well as providing your organisation with help and support in finding alternative ways of delivering your much much valued services.

The 2011 Census is coming - are you ready for it?

2010-09-16T13:29:00.003+01:00

I had a meeting with Ceri Brooks yesterday who explained how the census would be conducted next year. Ceri is the Census area Manager for Denbighshire, Flintshire and Wrexham.

Good news the census office wants to work closely with the third sector as they have realised how close the sector works with the communities . So much so they are looking to recruit individuals who have a good working knowledge of the communities . This is an ideal opportunity for staff and volunteers of the Third Sector to apply.

By being involved with the census the third sector staff and volunteers will in many cases be helping their very own clients who may be concerned at having to complete a census form. The paid staff will be able to reassure them and importantly help them complete the form very much like we all do with the benefit forms and other various official documents.

So if you are interested why not go on line to www.censusjobs.co.uk or alternatively give me a ring and I will explain in a little more detail as the recruiting agent for the Office of National Statistics is phoning me in the next few days with more information.

And before I forget Ceri did say that if any third sector groups would like her to visit them to explain the census in detail and how its going to work then she is happy to come and meet up with them day or night and talk to the staff, trustees and volunteers. Now there's an offer thats hard to refuse.

Rhyl PACT - whats happening? and its good news

2010-09-16T13:15:00.003+01:00

I am told by some that my approach and style is combative and not conducive to partnership working and by others to be just right. So as they say you can't please everyone all the time. Why do I mention this, well I feel that my campaigning on behalf of the Third sector bore fruit yesterday when the Rhyl PACT was reconvened after a gap of two years and during a period of significant change namely the establishment of the North Wales Regeneration Area (NWRA).

My concern with the former Rhyl PACT which I had made known to Denbighshire County Council , was two fold and which I have listed in the DVSC newsletter at regular intervals:

1.That it excluded the Third Sector apart from myself and as such the membership consisted entirely of officers from the statutory agencies. Not an ideal mix for an inclusive approach to the regeneration of Rhyl.

2. The funding from the NWRA had not permeated down to the Third Sector in the same way as in Baylife in Colwyn Bay.

Well here is the good news and to the credit of Denbighshire County Council they have listened to my concerns and have now re-established the Rhyl PACT and increased its membership to incorporate more organisations from the Third Sector and with the assistance of the Welsh Assembly Government in the form of NWRA have set out the scoring criteria for future funding of capital projects.
So I can see real partnership working going forward where the Third Sector is able to contribute and be engaged in the regeneration of Rhyl given that they can not only assist in the design of the schemes but also deliver as they will be able to access funding .Admittedly it is capital only but nevertheless this is a really good positive step forward.

Are we moving towards new Partnerships in North Wales?

2010-09-11T19:19:00.005+01:00

Now that public funding cuts are on the cards its clear that things will never be the same again , simply because the money won't be there in the same amounts.

So what does that mean. Well all of us are going to have to start to think of how we can save money and spend what money we do have more efficiently. One way that this can happen is by joining forces with other like minded organisations and share back office costs and possibly offices and community centres/buildings. Also it makes sense for us to look at the number of partnerships we have across North Wales and ask ourselves the question why do we want or need so many of them. I know Denbighshire and Conwy have already started , in fact a few years ago, with the Community Safety Partnership and that is working well . So if that can work there is room for more joined up solutions?

Whilst I personally think that reducing the number of partnership meetings that I and others attend is a good thing because logic has it that if the number of partnerships reduces then so should the number of meetings , the concern I do have is that the partnerships by being bigger in terms of geography may start to lose the local touch. By that mean how will the new enlarged partnerships ensure they still have their "ear close to the ground" and thereby respond to the local needs of the population or will they become so remote they will be out of touch with the views of the local people.

Well I think this is where the Third Sector can help given the 1000's of voluntary, community, social enterprises, not for profit organisations who currently work and operate throughout all areas of North Wales. The third sector already very active could strengthen its position as the honest broker in making sure that communities are actively engaged and connected to the new larger partnerships, working hand in hand with the locally elected members.

Will this happen? My guess is yes there will be a reduction in partnerships . When will this happen , well I reckon we will see developments within the next 18 months. Its at that point we will be see a saving in the £'s and will give all of us the chance of investing that saving in front line services which is what we all want as residents right across North Wales.

Older People funding - latest news

2010-08-19T23:14:00.003+01:00

Are you interested in funding to help community and voluntary organisations who support older people?

If so the Big Lottery have two programmes. One is called Advantage and the amount available ranges from £200,000 to £1 million per application and the deadline for submitting a bid is 29th October 2010.

The second programme is called "Lifeskills". This will take the form of a contract rather than a grant and the amounts are variable with a deadline of 30th September 2010

DVSC will be applying for money from both programmes to ensure money is secured and invested in Denbighshire. We will do this by partnering with various community and voluntary organisations and our involvement will be in using our financial and management skills in making sure the money is accounted for and all the rules and regulations are complied thus leaving the community and voluntary groups to have money to deliver local services and activities for the older people - a magical combination.

Anyone who wants to join us please telephone me on 01824 702441 as we would be glad to have you on board.

Dog mess stinks

2010-08-19T23:09:00.004+01:00

I have attended a number of Community Forums over the last 12 months or so and one of the most common complaints by residents is dog mess and inconsiderate people who allow their dogs free and unrestricted access to dumping their mess wherever they like.

I will be writing to voluntary and community organisations in the next day or so asking for ideas as to how we can help solve this problem and as ever will be looking for ideas and I am sure I will get loads knowing how passionate, flexible and creative the voluntary and community sector is.

watch this space...............

Giving money away - why is it so hard?

2010-08-04T21:52:00.003+01:00

I bet you don't get asked this question this very often. Well for the third year in a row we are having to actively publicise the Communities First Trust Fund for West Rhyl. This fund has £20,000 available this year and so far 4 months into the year only £1000 has been allocated. So what about the other £19000. If you know of community, voluntary projects in Rhyl West , then please, please tell them about the Trust Fund. We will give them all the help they need to fill in the form.

And also whilst I am talking about money did you know we have a grant fund solely for youth groups and guess what we have money to give away with that fund also. Just contact Gerry Frobisher at our Rhyl office 01745 369973 and ask him for an application form. The final decision on who gets what is made up entirely of young people aged between 16 and 25 and so I know they are keen to support youth groups in the area and of course that fund applies across all of Denbighshire.

Denbighshire's Integrated Partnership Strategy (IPS)

2010-07-30T22:17:00.008+01:00

Well if you think the above title is a mouthful why not try Results Based Accountability (RBA) which of course as we all know, don't we? is a performance management tool.

Why mention both these? Simple I was invited the other day by Denbighshire Local Service Board together with a cast of what appeared to be thousands to the Oriel House, St Asaph where we were treated to the joys of IPS and RBA. It was as much as I could do to contain my excitement.
Seriously though the Local Service Board are trying to streamline their approach to the various plans and strategies they have which to be fair they should be applauded because when you have four different strategies as at present (Health, Social Care and Well Being, Community Safety, Children and Young People and the Local Development Plan) and many of the actions cut across one another then you might well ask what is the point of them and how much duplication is there?. At least with the IPS approach there will be just one plan - easy , which is what you want if you are seriously planning on tackling the issues in a logical and co-ordinated way.

Where I start to stray is when we are confronted with a "new" performance tool such as RBA which is heralded as the magic solution we have been waiting for not just by Denbighshire but by it seems numerous august bodies across Wales and the UK. Its as if by magic if we embrace this tool then everything will be clear and all our delivery plans and actions will be sorted - if only. At every RBA presentation I have been to the speaker somewhere in the presentation says they are not doing a hard sell on the performance tool, if they really mean that I would like to see a presentation where they are giving the hard sell as I am sure someone like Lord Sugar would equally be mesmerised by their salesmanship prowess.

How many times over the years have we heard about new performance management tools being the answer?

OK , so what did I think of the event at Oriel House. Well if you strip away the RBA discussion then I thought the concept of the one plan was great and Denbighshire should be congratulated. What we should all be doing now is making sure that our own plans are equally smart so that as a Denbighshire partnership we can genuinely provide public services in a co-ordinated way that will be the envy of the rest of Wales - it is possible.

On my way out of Oriel House I heard mutterings of unhappiness about the plan and the view that already there had been a lack of consultation with the community given that this brave new plan was already in full development and was in some way being rolled out at Oriel House for acceptance . The words " community engagement" sprang to mind and it was quite clear that a number of attendees felt that the new plan would be introduced with very little consultation and engagement and that would be a shame given the new plan if built on the back of what the people in our communities want would be "owned" by everyone. Whereas if the plan is developed by a handful of people with low level input from the Denbighshire communities the result will be a plan that will not find favour with the communities and if it is not widely accepted then the plan will not have achieved its objective namely providing the public service partners in Denbighshire along with the people of Denbighshire the opportunity to make a difference and improve the quality of peoples lives right across the County.

Personally I don't think the plan has been fully developed and so the opportunity I believe to influence the final document is still there. But its not about what I think , its all about what the people of Denbighshire think and if there are concerns then they should be aired. We live in a healthy democracy and its good that we debate. I am sure if we had been given a powerpoint presentation about how the plan will be developed in terms of timescales and community engagement and the interface with the other statutory plans then I am sure the attendees would have felt better informed. I remember someone at a conference once telling me that if you have one unhappy person they will tell 8 of their friends and colleagues which merely compunds the issue and so the goal is always to have people leaving an event feeling they have been fully involved and informed and that way you reduce the 8 fold problem. To let people walk away not fully engaged is a recipe for future difficulties. Whats the answer? I have seen a few but I won't go into them now but will keep them for a future blog.

Meanwhile to keep the momentum going - what is needed now is for people to contact the Local Service Board setting out their views and on a positive note to say what they can do to help in the engagement process because after all its up to us all not just a handful to get this plan right.

Does your organisation need £25000? - exclusive offer to rural areas of Denbighshire

2010-06-04T18:08:00.003+01:00

I hope the above headline has grabbed your attention, because if you need £25000 for a capital project in the rural area of Denbighshire which will benefit the local community then please talk to us.

We have the money to give away and whats more we will help you with the application.

The contact person at DVSC is Sarah Breeze on 01824 702441.

Councillors Hugh Evans and Rhiannon Hughes - Thank you

2010-06-04T17:46:00.006+01:00

I am sure you are wondering why I am thanking two Denbighshire County Councillors namely the Leader of the Council (Hugh Evans) and Rhiannon Hughes who is a Cabinet member and has third sector in her portfolio.
Well the answer is quite simple and one that many voluntary organisations in Denbighshire will equally be aware of and that is following my meeting with both Councillors, as part of a regular get together, they responded within a matter of days to the concerns I expressed at the delay in the County Council issuing formal funding letters to a number of groups across Denbighshire. That delay had caused the voluntary organisations unnecessary anguish and concern in not knowing whether the funding would come through . It is only when you have written document stating the funding is in place can you be assured despite the many verbal assurances that staff at county hall were giving. This anxiety had been ongoing since we first raised the concern at the February meeting of the Voluntary Sector Liaison group i.e. a full three months before the Leader stepped in and resolved the matter within days.
The Leader and Councillor Rhiannon Hughes told me directly me that if I come across any issues that I am unable to resolve they in the final analysis want to know.
You will recall I mentioned this and other items in my blog dated 23/5/10 and so now the grants issue is resolved we can now move swiftly on to the other items I raised which I list below:

1. Scrutiny committees - I understand there will be an announcement on this later this month?

2. Voluntary Code of funding practice for Third Sector - I am expecting a response from the County very soon. In fact at the next Voluntary Sector Liaison group meeting scheduled for 5th July.

3. Grants to voluntary organisations - resolved by Leader and Councillor Rhiannon Hughes.

4. North Wales Procurement Partnership - this now looks like a watching brief as no major problems , that I am aware of , are happening.

5. Rural Development Board/Partnership - interestingly there are now developments on this at a regional level (All Wales) and today I have been asked if I would attend a WAG / WLGA and WCVA meeting.

6.Regeneration Board - watch this space

7. Collaborative commissioning - I am expecting a response very soon.

8.Rhyl PACT - watch this space

9. Rhyl Shopmobility - I am now preparing a file on this issue which will be subject to discussion with the Authorities.

10. Community Transport - some really positive steps now being taken by Denbighshire County Council in collaboration with Community Transport Association and ourselves (DVSC)

Denbighshire Local Development Plan - are you aware of current situation?

2010-05-25T12:14:00.004+01:00

By now , if you have made representations to the County Council you will have received a letter to say the revised plan is now on deposit at various locations throughout the County as well as being accessible via their web site http://www.denbighshire.gov.uk/. The revised plan takes the form of an alternative site register which details the suggested changes to the original sites proposed for development.

There is no doubt that there has been a lot of activity in developing this plan which of course is still ongoing in that it is expected that an Independent Planning enquiry will take place in the Spring of 2011 following the County Council assessment which is to be debated on the 14th September 2010.

Following the 8 week consultation during October to November 2009 which involved holding surgeries (26 exhibitions) at various venues across the County and printing posters and flyer's the following responses were received:

1068 objections out of a total of 1568 representations of which 536 representations related to Bodelwyddan (502 objections)

So for an up to date picture of where the Local Development Plan is currently please either click on this web link http://denbighddms.wisshost.net/english/ldp.htm

or contact one of the following :

LDP Process and Policy

Angela Loftus - Policy Research & Information Manager
Lara Griffiths - Senior Planning Officer
Catrin Williams - Planning Officer
Claire MacFarlane - Planning Officer
Martha Savage - Planning Officer
Karsten Brussk - Planning Officer
Leo Minnion - Planning Officer
Rebecca Fairbrother - Administrative Officer

IT/Website/Technical and Mapping issues

Dyfan Barr - Team Leader (Research, Information and Local Land Charges)
Ann-Louise Jones - IT Support Officer
Bethan Greene - Technical Officer

For assistance or for further information please contact us by email or phone on 01824 706916
If you would prefer to communicate in writing, our address is LDP, Caledfryn, Smithfield Road, Denbigh, Denbighshire, LL16 3RJ.

Meeting with Leader and Councillor Rhiannon Hughes- The Third sector

2010-05-23T13:39:00.005+01:00

Had a good meeting this week. I submitted a topic list of 10 items and went through them one by one. I have known Rhiannon Hughes for many years and it comes as no surprise that her Cabinet portfolio includes the Third Sector as I know how committed and passionate she is and equally very aware of the issues. The Leader Councillor Hugh Evans is man of great integrity and sincerity and there is no doubt he is committed to change and wants to see the Third sector playing its part in that change. He is equally honest in declaring that whilst DVSC on behalf of the sector wants to see change around the 10 topic areas I submitted , there will inevitably be areas where it will not be possible to achieve agreement but as they say that's life . At least by identifying the areas where we can make a change is a start and as for the sticking points well its back to the lobbying be that a local level or national as clearly there will be instances where the change we require will require legislation. The subjects discussed were:

1. Scrutiny committees
2. Voluntary Code of funding practice for Third Sector
3. Delays re Denbighshire Voluntary sector grants 2009/10
4. North Wales Procurement Partnership
5. Rural Development Board
6. Regeneration Board
7. Collaborative commissioning
8. Rhyl PACT
9. Rhyl Shop-mobility
10. Community Transport

Partnerships can be testing !!!!!!

2010-05-07T20:03:00.004+01:00

I wonder how many times have I heard organisations use these words when the partners they work with prove challenging.
Well the position we (DVSC) are in requires us to have many partners to ensure we can offer the very best service to 1100 plus voluntary and community organisations throughout Denbighshire. Maintaining harmonious relations with partners is not easy particularly when a case I went to see today happens. Clearly in an attempt to maintain good relations with the statutory body, and I don't believe in negotiating in public, I won't reveal the name but suffice to say that the voluntary organisation was telling me today how close they are to the brink i.e. going bust and this is due solely to one of our partners not doing the right thing. I call the problem we have as social injustice and unfairness. Maybe the partner isn't aware of the impact that their actions have had but somehow I find that hard to believe having seen the correspondence sent by the voluntary organisation .

So where does that leave me and DVSC. Simple really we will seek to open discusssions with our partner to see how the voluntary organisation can be saved and their debts cleared so that they can continue to deliver much valued services to the vulnerable people in our society. I don't expect a quick solution but who knows I might go into the office on Monday the 10th to find the partner on the phone with a deliverable solution - who knows. What I do know we will persevere with this case until such time as we secure a result even if that means we draw the Welsh Assembly Government into the discussion because they do believe in Social Justice in fact they have a Directorate named Social Justice and so I do expect a positive result.
Luckily I don't have many cases like this but I do get them from time to time which does mean working in partnership does come under the microscope and at such difficult times the value of a partnership does come to the fore. Namely do your partners run for the hills at the first sign of trouble or do they stand shoulder to shoulder with you and sort out the issue. So far I have experienced the latter which is why I was able to say to the voluntary organisation, with a degree of confidence, don't worry it will get sorted it may take a while but it will be sorted.
And lets not forget we also have partnerships with the third sector and they can also prove equally challenging and so this is not a sector specific issue as sometimes it is so easy to target and criticise the statutory sector without taking a long critical look at organisations a lot closer to home.

Pictures of .....H.M. The Queen and Duke of Edinburgh visit to Llandudno on 27th April 2010

2010-05-05T01:33:00.002+01:00

The link below takes you direct to the 490 pictures taken at the Royal Event on 27th April 2010. Please feel free to download any or all of them

Picasa Web Albums - 10563295386183743...

Ruthin blog - loyalty cards

2010-04-30T13:31:00.004+01:00

It looks like our idea is taking off in Ruthin i.e. our Denbighshire Community Card which is gaining new members on a daily basis has now inspired the Mayor of Ruthin to launch a new loyalty card for Ruthin.

I wish the Ruthin card scheme the very best of luck and if they would like to also join our Card scheme so that charities, voluntary and community groups benefit from discounts right across Denbighshire then please feel free to join. Details on our web site www.dvsc.co.uk/business

Cymorth grant funding - next steps?

2010-04-28T16:21:00.003+01:00

I have just received a copy of a letter today written by the First Minister in which he explains the intentions of WAG from 1st April 2011. It is positive news in that WAG are not intending to transfer the money to Rate Support Grant but rather to be prescriptive in the way money is to be spent next year and the focus very clearly is on one of the strategic priorities of WAG - Child Poverty. Further details will be issued shortly but meanwhile if you would like to see the letter please let me know and I will email you.
Meanwhile I advise groups all the time not to rely on just one source of funding as anything can happen and so for those organisations currently receiving Cymorth I ask this question - Do you have a plan B in case the amount of Cymorth money reduces significantly or worse still the criteria for the grant fund excludes your organisation from applying. If you don't have a plan B why not talk to DVSC today so that we can help you find alternative sources of money because it is never too early to start making applications as please remember most funders will take 6-9 months to come to a decision on your application particularly when you are asking for a lot of money £100,000 + over 3 years

Denbighshire Community Card - have you signed up yet?

2010-04-28T16:13:00.003+01:00

That is a question I now ask businesses and voluntary and community groups alike. To sign up means you will be saving money (voluntary and community groups) or increasing your business prospects (local businesses). More and more businesses are signing up everyday which means a lot more products of all description are available at a discount. We have in excess of 3000 businesses in Denbighshire , so lets buy local and support our community organisations at the same time. As they say this scheme is a "no brainer".
Full details on this scheme can be found on our web site under "Business" so check out www.dvsc.co.uk today and start to reap the financial rewards.

Royal event at Venue Cymru , Llandudno - a good day was had by all

2010-04-28T15:49:00.004+01:00

Llandudno was buzzing yesterday with thousands of people lining the promenade and circulating within Venue Cymru. They were all there to support Her Majesty The Queen, HRH Duke of Edinburgh and Mr Trefor Jones, Lord Lieutenant of Clwyd in celebrating volunteering throughout the former County of Clwyd ( Conwy, Denbighshire, Flintshire and Wrexham). In excess of 400 volunteers attended the ceremony and 120 were personally presented to the Queen and HRH Duke of Edinburgh. At the event Llandudno Town Band were in fine spirits supported by the Llandudno Victoriana Extravaganza which provides a peek into years gone by. In the Arena and to an audience of hundreds and the Royal party the following gave a fine display of their talents :
Ysgol Bryn Elian, Ysgol Glanwydden, Llandudno Town Band, Ensemble Cymru and Llandudno Youth Music Theatre.
I could see around the room that the audience were impressed by the musical talent on display and whilst everyone had their preferences there is no doubt that they performed to a high standard - so watch out X Factor and Britain's Got Talent you have strong competition from North Wales.

To say the volunteers were thrilled is an understatement if the comments I had at the end of the day was anything to go by. They thoroughly enjoyed the occasion . It was an indeed an honour for the volunteers to be acknowledged in such a public way by the Queen and the Duke and I am sure they will cherish the memories of the day for many years to come. It was a real joy to see and hear the volunteers explain to both the Queen and HRH Duke of Edinburgh the organisations they represent and the work they do and how they actually do make a difference within their community to the lives of the young and old alike.

A few of the individuals came up to me at the end of the day and asked whether DVSC would be writing to the Queen and HRH Duke of Edinburgh to thank them for taking time out of their busy schedules to meet and talk to so many volunteers and to look forward to another visit. I will write that letter.

Election bandwagon is rolling

2010-04-09T11:35:00.005+01:00

We have, today, just issued guidance for Third Sector organisations relating to their conduct during the election campaign . If any Third Sector organisation does not receive an email explaining the guidance within the next 3 days please let me know and we will respond by return.

In terms of the election campaign , for our part we will making known to all political parties the issues that we are currently campaigning on which are:

Rural Development Programme (RDP)- there are a significant number of issues ranging from micro management / bureaucracy through to exposing charities , voluntary and community organisations to unnecessary financial risks. To date the Welsh Assembly Government have not been able to respond as it would appear European legislation is required. There is the wider issue also namely how involved are third sector organisations in the delivery of projects funded under the RDP, again this picture is patchy across Wales given that I know of one County Council where they have indicated they do not want to be the delivery agent which really opens the programme to third sector involvement whereas in other areas an opposite view has been taken. In Denbighshire the leads on the eight projects are County Council, Cadwyn Clwyd and Coleg Llandrillo and note there is no third sector lead.

Funding Code of Practice for Voluntary Sector - we currently have across Wales an inconsistent approach by statutory bodies to signing off the code. The Welsh Assembly Government (WAG) have taken a lead by fully committing to the code but equally we require all local statutory bodies to sign up as well. Ideally legislation is required which prescribes that all statutory bodies sign up to the code that has been adopted by WAG without any changes that effectively could dilute the impact of the Code.

Scrutiny Committees - I know that a measure is to be introduced which will encourage Local Councils to co opt third sector representatives onto their scrutiny committees. However what we want is prescription whereby all County Councils , by law, are required to co-opt. Again we would then have a consistent process throughout Wales whereas at present some Councils do and some don't . Unfortunately Denbighshire declined our request for co-option last year.

Procurement and Commissioning

We are actively encouraging all local statutory bodies to commission more of their "in house" public services so that the third sector get the chance to tender for the work.
On this issue I am confident that we will have news very shortly as Denbighshire County Council and their CEO Mohammed Mehmet have been very supportive and so here we are looking for support from all political parties to promote and encourage our efforts locally to step up the commissioning programme.

This list is by no means comprehensive but at least it gives a flavour as to the kind of issues we are trying to address at a local level.

Denbighshire Community Card - what is it?

2010-03-30T22:29:00.003+01:00

Good question and the answer- it is the latest product from DVSC that supports businesses and third sector organisations in a practical and helpful way. How ? Businesses will offer discounts and benefits to all third sector organisations who hold the Community Card and by offering a discount the businesses will increase their trading position by freely advertising via DVSC. For third sector organisations they achieve savings on their purchases and so their limited income goes a lot further.

A real win win.

So the next question is - Have you got your card? If not why not talk to us today - phone 01824 702441 or email office@dvsc.co.uk and you too can start saving money.

Rhyl Community Forum - Monday 29th March

2010-03-30T15:27:00.003+01:00

Meeting held at the Oak Tree Centre and the following issues were raised;

Council are to hold a Towns summit on 20th May 2010 and everyone is welcome to discuss how towns can be supported and invigorated.

Concern expressed over the health agenda and in particular the capacity of Ysbyty Glan Clwyd to cope with demands of the local population which is constantly growing. Reference made to long waiting times. Comments made by concerned residents with regard to Royal Alexandra Hospital given the number of beds has reduced significantly over the last few months. Local Health Board representative explained in detail how they were tackling both the issues . A resident commented how it was extremely difficult to get a Doctor to do a home visit and again the Health Board explained that action was now being taken around a new scheme called Home Enhanced Care Services (HECS) which effectively puts the resources into the home thereby supporting people to live independent lives without the necessity for hospitalisation unless of course the circumstances do warrant an admission. The Voluntary sector confirmed they have 17 voluntary organisations signed up as a consortium to support the HECS project.

Council confirmed the new recycling park will open around September 2010 to which concern was expressed by various residents as to the condition of the roads leading to the recycling park. It was acknowledged that due to the severe winter the roads had deteriorated and the Council had now budgeted to spend £4 million in the new financial year on repair of roads, drainage etc. Question raised as to why mechanical sweepers appeared to be used everywhere , the answer to that being roads can be cleaned far more efficiently.
Parking on pavements and down various roads were causing difficulties for residents and so police will investigate. Council did say that if residents wanted residents only parking that could be an area that could be explored further - door open for residents to Council.
A request was made for their to be a zero tolerance policy on anti social behaviour and the police gave a response as to the actions they were taking to reduce such behaviour. The Council commented that the work of the Community Safety partnership had been widely acknowledged by Welsh Assembly Government and others as being hugely successful in reducing the levels of crime and the statistics supported this fact. References were made to specific properties in two streets where there appeared to be unlawful activity taking place and so the police will now investigate and discuss findings with the residents concerned.
Alley gating had proved to be hugely successful and residents wished to ensure such initiatives remained and it was suggested that any changes would form part of the new West Rhyl masterplan which will be issued later this year.
Question was asked as to when schools are to be open at evenings, weekends and school holidays for community use. Director of Lifelong Learning stated he would talk to Head Teachers about opening the facilities given the new initiative around "Community Focused Schools". Director was asked as to the start time in the morning for Rhyl High and as he didn't know he would find out and report back. A Governor of Rhyl High supported by the Director emphasised the improvements that had been made at the school in the last 12 months or so in that teaching staff and pupils were now positively working towards increased school performance and the tone and mood of the school was uplifting and invigorating. Calls for a primary school in West Rhyl were made but it was declared no plans exist for such a school.

Prestatyn Community Forum- Monday 22nd March

2010-03-30T09:57:00.005+01:00

A lively meeting with a good turnout from the community. Issues discussed as follows:

Tesco development - when is it going to start? Equally concerned that the prospect of Tesco coming to Prestatyn will adversely affect existing businesses in town although the Council took a view that Tesco would increase the footfall in the Town. A comment was made that until a few years ago there were 6 butchers in town, now there is only one. Mohammed (CEO of County Council) agreed to talk to Sir T Leahy CEO of Tesco to see what progress could be made with regard to the development.

Concern that there are no jobs for children leaving school , need more industry. Allied to this point the comment was made that Prestatyn is a tourist attraction but there appears to be no action taken to promote and increase tourist trade and activity.

Specific traffic concerns were raised which the Council said it would follow up with the residents concerned. Reference was made to the Coast Road and the speeding at specific times of the day ( morning and night).

Leader of the Council mentioned the Town summit , a conference whereby Council would invite everyone to discuss the future of the Towns and look to see ways in which regeneration initiatives can be taken forward.

Mohammed mentioned that education in Denbighshire is improving as per the recent Estyn report with far better outcomes for the children i.e. qualifications. Council has invested an additional £1.2 million in education as part of the new years budget which starts 1st April 2010. Mention was made that capital grants provided by Welsh Assembly Government is likely to reduce by between 30% and 50% and so the Council has to look to other sources to see how it can secure funding to continue with its capital improvement programme i.e. to improve existing buildings such as schools. The Council are currently looking at its existing assets to identify those that are surplus and which can be sold thereby releasing capital money.

Prestatyn High School welcome the opportunity of involving the community and is actively looking to see how the school can be used out of school hours for community activities. Any thoughts and ideas on this to be directed to the Headmaster Mr Pierce. Comment was made that PE facilities at Prestatyn High are poor which again highlights the issue of more money required to improve the facilities - back to the need for more capital money.

A plea from Youth services insofar as the youth service provision on Dawson Drive is underused and would like to see more young people attend.

Health was mentioned in that concern was expressed at the waiting times at Ysbyty Glan Clwyd, Bodelwyddan and the closure of Royal Alexandra in Rhyl. Jane Trowman from the Health Board explained what action the Board are taking and they were doing everything possible to minimise any difficulties that patients may experience.

Community Forum at St Asaph tonight - a warm and welcoming audience

2010-03-12T00:14:00.004Z

Well I wasn't supposed to be attending tonight as Emyr was down for the slot but owing to last minute illness I stepped into the breach. I hadn't been to the A55 Corridor forum before and so wasn't certain what to expect and to be honest I enjoyed the night as the audience had a good range of questions and certainly challenged those of us who were fortunate enough to be asked questions. The main issues of the evening centred around the local hospital Ysbyty Glan Clwyd and questions around the performance of the hospital and the refurbishment plans and the traffic issues in St Asaph and whether lorries should be encouraged "advised" to travel on the Lower Denbigh road instead of Upper Denbigh road. In the case of the traffic situation there is to be a pilot programme for 12 months to measure the impact of encouraging lorries to travel along Lower Denbigh Road. The fact is that the only real issue is for a relief road to be built but that costs money and takes time neither of which was in the gift of Mohammad (CEO of Denbighshire County Council) tonight. However the fact the Council are shortly conducting a review of St Asaph the question of traffic congestion can be included and as ever if the County Council, Town Council and residents are able to agree on a common strategy them maybe the weight of that strong united voice will persuade Taith ( the transport agency) to move ahead with the relief road much I suspect to the relief of everyone in St Asaph.
The hospital issue is equally complex as you would expect with any large acute hospital that operates 24/7 covering a wide geographical area. Geoff Lang, Director responsible for Primary Care explained what the new Betsi Cadwaladr Health Board was doing to address the performance issues i.e. long waiting times and these waiting times for some patients include waiting outside the hospital in the ambulance until there is room in A&E , for others waiting in A&E to be seen by a doctor and then finally waiting to be admitted on to the ward. Not easy issues against a backdrop of budget difficulties and as we all know we are still working our way out of a recession and have been told that budgets will be under pressure in future years and so it is anyone's guess what the level of cuts might be in future years . Figures of 10% to 15% were mentioned tonight for local government but who can say until after the election.

On balance what struck me about tonight's session is that if the problems were that easy to solve then we wouldn't need the forums. Its because these issues are complex we really do need to talk things through and work up a plan. There is a saying that for wicked / complex problems there will only be clumsy solutions namely there will never be a perfect answer because inevitably as you start to fix the problem in one area you create an issue in another part hence the clumsy solution namely you do the very best you can to address the problem with the least discomfort and irritation to the customers. This won't please everyone . I will leave you with this thought that if there was a perfect solution that satisfied everyone all the time don't you think that the Chief Executive's and Director's would pounce on the solution and implement it straight away if only to show how effective their administration was - nobody likes attending meetings to hear that their service is failing its customers, it goes against the public service ethos that every public service officer believes in otherwise they would have opted out of public service years ago and gone to work elsewhere.

And finally - please ask your friends and colleagues to attend future meetings. Remember there are five more events across the County this month and we are genuinely pleased to meet you all because if we start to talking through the concerns you have in your area the sooner that something that can be done.

North Wales Procurement Partnership - contracts have started

2010-03-06T19:08:00.004Z

I looked on the sell2wales web site , following an alert I received and found that a Learning contract had been let to a number of organisations.

I wonder how many third sector organisations will be adversely affected by this new contract as apart from one I could not see a successful third sector listed. That of course may be due to the fact that no other tenders were submitted by third sector bodies. If that is so, why? Is it because the contracts are North Wales wide rather than County based and that in itself could inhibit some of the local organisations whose remit will be County specific. When I get chance I must talk to Arwel Staples ,Procurement Manager at Denbighshire County Council .

Following concerns regarding this Partnership from a number of third sector organisations I have been attempting to raise the issue with WAG as well as locally and I am afraid without any success as it is quite clear that the Procurement partnership is very focused on reducing costs which of course it can do so on a North Wales wide basis and reduced costs will be welcomed by every North Wales County Council as well as WAG. The effect those new contracts will have on local organisations and local services is anyone's guess but one thing is for sure if these new contracts replace old County wide contracts then there will be pain for the previous suppliers and that pain could result in third sector groups closing down. So we could start witnessing savings on the one hand and on the other increased costs through increased unemployment arising from third sector organisations closing. Its very much watch this space.

Another first for DVSC

2010-03-06T18:53:00.003Z

I was pleased to hear the other day that our new Denbighshire Community Card has now attracted the interest of South Wales organisations so much so they have asked our permission to "franchise" the card. That is great news as it confirms what I have believed for a while, that the new Community Card is a good product. Local businesses and community groups have already confirmed they welcome the new card and so it looks like our subscription rate should start to escalate rapidly which means more members.

Have you signed up with DVSC for the new Community Card?

Volunteering in Denbighshire - whats happening?

2010-03-04T22:44:00.005Z

Yes its an interesting one. I was today directed to Mohammad's blog (Chief Exec of Denbighshire County) and interestingly the hot topics for this month include a volunteers scheme and the avoidance of duplication in services.

Most apt I thought. I warmly welcome raising the profile of volunteering but as for creating yet more volunteer schemes I shudder. How many schemes do we need?. Already WAG fund us to provide a generic County wide volunteer service and for which we received last year over 800 enquiries and placed just over 500 in addition to which I know of the Countryside Services scheme which again provides excellent volunteer opportunities and also lets not forget the Community Justice Volunteer scheme ,the North Wales police scheme and quite a few more but I won't bore you with the details as the list could be lengthy. I think our host organisations which number in excess of 250 would be puzzled as to why we need even more volunteer schemes.

I think we need to take a sharp intake of breath before we consider creating more schemes. The fact is why do we need so many ?, what is wrong with the generic DVSC service? All the feedback I get from various stakeholders, customers and host volunteer organisations are all positive and what is more we find some of the volunteers do obtain work which has got be good for their family and the economy and I think speaks volumes for volunteering. So why should we be establishing new schemes? Lets do the opposite , why not merge the schemes we have , that way we pool our resources and provide a more co-ordinated and joined up service - now let me think where have I heard those words before?

OK , now I have got that off my chest because to be honest when we are encouraged to be careful with spening public money my first thought always turns to duplication of services - Do I need to say more?

Last but not least whilst we are talking about volunteering I had an email the other day from an individual questioning why a particular statutory body ( not Denbighshire County Council I hasten to add) was seeking a volunteer for what was previously a paid position and the enquirer was asking straight out "Does DVSC support that new way of providing services". Well the fact is there is a volunteer protocol namely NO DISPLACEMENT of paid staff by the use of volunteers. I would therefore urge any organisation that is considering engaging volunteers to deliver services for posts previously waged should seriously consider how they comply with the volunteer protocols. The fact that I have had an enquiry to my mind shows that public service delivery agencies are now coming under increased scrutiny which is no bad thing as we are all publicly funded and therefore accountable for our actions.

I would welcome people's views on this and whilst on the subject of blogs thank you all for your emails regarding my previous blogs. I promise I will try and do better and write more frequently because I hadn't realised how many of you sign up to see what I have written.

Rotary in Ruthin- a meeting I went to tonight

2010-02-24T23:10:00.003Z

I was invited to a get together tonight at the Rotary in Ruthin. Nothing like I thought. Loads of people in attendance and all keen to help in any way they could. I was aware of the work that Rotary do abroad but amazed at how much they collect and distribute and their current campaign of eradicating polio in India and other places is to be admired. There is no doubt they are serious in their endeavours and whilst we might think their polio campaign is ambitious I have no doubt at all, after speaking to them tonight that they will achieve their goal within the time limits they have set.

Turning to the local scene one of the speakers started to list all the organisations they have helped over the last 12 months. It was remarkable and I can see now why local people hold Rotary in such high esteem. For our part at DVSC I can see great opportunities for us to work closely with Rotary in Ruthin for the benefit of local voluntary and community groups because our aims and objectives are so similar.

What proportion of people are disabled in Wales - any ideas?

2010-02-22T17:28:00.001Z

Latest statistics showing that Wales has a higher proportion of disabled people than the rest of the UK have prompted disability charity Leonard Cheshire to call on the Welsh Assembly to do more to acknowledge the concerns of such a significant minority.
The charity is launching its manifesto calling for independence, full civil rights and improved public services for disabled people in Wales.
The Maniffesto Anabledd i Gymru will be launched on Tuesday (17th May) at the Welsh Assembly. It identifies seven policy areas that prevent disabled people in Wales from participating fully in society.

The answer to the question is a staggering 24.1% , far more than I expected.

Future jobs fund - young people

2010-02-19T21:54:00.003Z

We are currently in the process of recruiting four young people into various posts at DVSC.

As I am taking the calls from the potential applicants I have to say that if I had the cash and the space I would employ everyone one of them as they have all shown a genuine desire to work and have been keen to learn more about the organisation and also being honest in that they have all checked out that they have the skills to do the work. When it is your first job it can be very daunting when talking to an employer as confidence and self esteem will not be high. Its at times like this I think of my own family and realise as employers we really do have to redouble our efforts to support the young people - after all they just want a chance to show what they can do. I am not alone in holding these views as I have spoken to quite a few employers in the last few days both in private business and third sector and they all share the same views.

So come on - as an employer why don't you take up the offer and apply to join the Future Jobs Fund and give our young people the chance they deserve.

New organisations, new tenders - all keeping me busy

2010-02-19T21:33:00.005Z

I hadn't realised but it has been over a week since I last submitted a blog. It has been hectic this last week. On the one hand we had a tender to submit, a bid to revise and very excitingly a new organisation is about to be launched in Rhyl and we have been helping behind the scenes putting the final touches together.

So firstly the tender - this is a tender that was advertised on sell2wales for the North wales Convergence area. We have put in a a tender to employ a full time ICT development officer who , if our tender is successful, will support third sector organisations across the four counties namely Denbighshire, Conwy, Ynys Mon and Gwynedd. We should hear by end of March. I am hoping we can find space in our offices in Rhyl to accommodate the officer.

Secondly we had to revise the Rural Development project bid - had to show how it will derive best value, tweak the outputs and explain why our bid should win through to the next round which in effect is WAG approval.

One thing that really annoys me is that whilst we are constantly encouraged to avoid duplication and establish partnerships which we try to do I find that other organisations can be so cavalier in this regard and effectively cut right across the work we do and seemingly not care about duplication or collaboration and all apparently with the full knowledge of WAG. Surely something is wrong somewhere, after all duplication in this regard means that public money is not being spent in the most efficient manner. Lets hope someone reads my blog and starts to scrutinise the documents that I see. We have been transparent with all our funding and bidding processes. Now its time for others to follow our lead.

Finally the new exciting organisation that is about to be launched in Rhyl.? I am afraid my lips are sealed as certain arrangements still have to be negotiated. What is exciting about this venture is that it is not only new but has been developed in a way that is quite different to anything we have seen before and very much "bottom up" rather than the usual fudge of top meeting bottom half way.

I also lost a bet this week, my money was on Max doing the deed but instead it was Stacey who finished off poor Archie. What a surprise - what I am talking about ? Eastenders no less. I wonder how many people were watching tonight - 20 million ?

Standing out from the crowd - are you a jockey or a runner?

2010-02-11T20:14:00.003Z

I attended the Public Services Management Wales event yesterday in Llandudno. The objective of the event to inspire people working in the public sector to deliver high quality services.

They had 6 workshops during the day plus some warm up speakers. I was intrigued by a couple of the sessions each lasting two hours one being taming the tigers and the other delivered by Iwan Thomas MBE.

Interestingly both featured sport heavily. The first one taming the tigers was delivered by Jim Lawless who I had never heard of but apparently he is on the motivational speakers circuit. His delivery was humorous and smooth and what he had to say was interesting. Given Jim is a corporate lawyer by profession he was by no means dull and its not surprising he is gone into business on his own as a management consultant. He was talking about the tiger in all of us i.e. that inner voice that holds us back from being brave and ambitious and breaking boundaries to deliver at a higher level. He went on to explain that for him the challenge of becoming a jockey within 12 months was indeed a task that he though would be beyond him but with discipline, perseverance and inner belief and sheer bloody mindedness and to win the bet he did in fact become a jockey by entering an official jockey club horse race. Against all the odds he won through. The story albeit around his journey over the 12 months was simply to illustrate that all of us have the capacity to punch above our weight and make a difference which in turn helps us to stand out from the crowd. All in all it was good fun and I was glad that I attended the session.

I then listened to Iwan Thomas who was Wales's 400 metre runner and who achieved Olympic success. Again by whay of video clips I was amazed at the effort and struggle behind the scenes over many years to achieve his goals. All we usually see is the runner taking part in the heats and finals and coming through and winning, we never see the years of pain and struggle to achieve fitness and along the way manage failure and setback . The video and the talk by Iwan was captivating. Here was a young man that gave his life to the sport and in return achieved huge success that he will remember and cherish for the rest of his life. The lessons that Iwan has learnt will , as he said, support and guide him throughout his life and whilst he isn't running professionally any longer his ambition to succeed is undiminished and I have no doubt that his energy, perseverance will ensure that his chosen career will reap the rewards that he deserves.

Social Services Grant 2010-11 - are we worried?

2010-02-05T22:59:00.003Z

Over the last few weeks I have had a few emails and telephone calls, as have Denbighshire County Council, from voluntary organisations concerned that the deadline for establishing whether they will receive grant from 1.4.10 is to be the end of March 2010 and so if their grant, heaven forbid, is to end as they have all heard about the financial issues affecting Denbighshire they are in a difficult position in managing their operation. That is if paid staff are dependant on the grant then they will have to be served redundancy notices . Also the uncertainty of whether grant will or will not be paid is having the effect of staff "jumping ship" in the expectation that funding will not continue.

For all these reasons and many more I raised the issue on Thursday at the Voluntary Section Liaison Group and Denbighshire County Council gave a guarantee that funding would not be cut without first allowing for an appropriate amount of time to enable the organisation to carry out the procedures required to reflect the change in cancellation of funding. This means that those currently funded will receive funding from 1.4.10 until such time as they are notified that funding is to change.

What Denbighshire went on to say is that they are hoping organisations this time will redouble their efforts to effect efficiency savings so that the amount they request this time is less than last year.

Efficiency savings are fine but please remember let's not go down the troubled road of cutting the amounts requested and still attempting to offer and deliver the same level of service. That is a recipe to disaster which is why WAG issued the funding code of practice in early 2009 in which it pointed that funders must ensure that all projects they fund are funded on a "full cost recovery" basis. To do otherwise is merely to consign charitable organisations and community organisations to financial obliteration i.e. they will go bust and vanish which in turn means the community loses that service completely.

DVSC runs full cost recovery sessions periodically for third sector organisations and so please take advantage of it.

£2600 raised for Parkinsons at Charity Concert held 11th December 2009 - A BIG thank you to all who contributed and attended

2010-01-25T18:15:00.004Z

Do you remember my blog in early December last year promoting a charity concert in Old Colwyn. Well thanks to your generosity and attendance at the event the organisers secured £2600 for Parkinson's.

Thank you all very much. Its amazing how many people read my blog and email and in fact attended the event. So here's to the next concert which I understand will be at the same venue around the same time of year

Funding - Any day we will be told if our Lifeskills tender has been successful

2010-01-24T21:57:00.004Z

Went for interview along with Action for Children, who are our partners in the bid, to Lottery HQ, Cardiff on Thursday.
I went with some trepidation due to the fact I had already spoken to a few third sector groups who had previously gone through the interview process and they explained that it was one the worst grillings they had ever had. That wasn't what I wanted to hear and so you can imagine as we were ushered into the interview room to what we thought would be four interrogators, we were quite anxious.
Well it is pleasing to report that nothing could be further from the truth. We had a wonderful interview and our presentation, intermingled with plenty of humour, went like a dream followed by the questions and answers during which we were word perfect and none us stumbled or fumbled and if I was a fly on a wall I would have said we showed a excellent grasp of the project , had considered all the risks, developed the contingencies and were just ready to start work .

I couldn't fault the Lottery people and I would encourage other organisations to equally submit bids in the future but first please lets get our bid approved - nothing personal.

We shall know by 27th January whether our interview pressed all the right buttons and if we get the thumbs up £657,000 will be on its way to denbighshre to help carers and former carers. So I am asking everyone to keep their fingers and toes crossed.

Funding - Will Third Sector ever get funding? - Rural Development Partnership Denbighshire

2010-01-24T21:41:00.003Z

I attended the Partnership meeting on Wednesday to help determine which of the 30 applications shuld be submitted to Welsh Assembly Government(WAG) for approval as only 7 can go forward. The original Local Development Strategy produced late last year and submitted to WAG for approval highlighted the fact that the projects would be delivered in the main either by Denbighshire County Council or Cadwyn Clwyd. I did comment at the time that I felt the wording would act as a barrier to any other organisation bidding and I fear my comments have come to pass in that of the 7 projects going forward both the County Council and Cadwyn Clwyd are in the main the lead agencies with Llandrillo College leading on one.

The 3 bids that we (DVSC) submitted on behalf of a number of third sector groups and ourselves I am afraid were unsuccessful and I am disappointed for those groups given the time they took to put the information together and in some cases very much at our pleading as they felt that their relatively small bids would not be looked upon kindly.
That said the Partnership did agree to incorporate some of those third sector bids into the main projects and so I am hopeful that the the third sector groups actually get what they asked for otherwise I fear they will become disenchanted with the process and if there is a round 3 will abstain , which of course is not the object of the exercise?

I will know the final outcome next month when the revised projects are submitted back to the Partnership for final approval.

I suppose the last comment must be with WAG and the European Union in that I just cannot believe why they are ignoring the pleas of the third sector and refusing, point blank to agree to advance funding of any bids that are approved. They have been told that the third sector is predominantly run by charities so how on earth do WAG and EU expect a charity to operate a project in negative cash flow - its just unbelievable. Clearly we need a change and I would urge all third sector groups to contact their Assembly Members and European Members of Parliament to explain the straight jacket that is being imposed and the financial risks to which charities are exposed if they successfully bid for Rural funding. This is one barrier that WAG and EU could remove and make a huge difference - why they are failing to do this - I just don't know?

SRA Rhyl - a meeting in February - are you attending?

2010-01-13T12:14:00.003Z

The following is an email I have just sent out to various third sector organisations who I know deliver public services in Rhyl. You are more than welcome to attend - just let Paul Smith know , his contact details are in email below:

Extract of email below

Please note there is a meeting on 8th February 2010 at WAG St Asaph offices starting at 10am and you are warmly invited to attend. Details are contained in the emails below plus the links here provide you with background information to the last meeting in March last year.

https://dvs001.boyns.net/exchweb/bin/redir.asp?URL=http://docs.google.com/Doc?docid=0AQSpwkHd8vxsZGR6c3ZyenJfNDVjM3I3dDJoZA%26hl=en_GB

https://dvs001.boyns.net/exchweb/bin/redir.asp?URL=http://docs.google.com/Doc?docid=0AQSpwkHd8vxsZGR6c3ZyenJfNDRnN2NicmZncw%26hl=en_GB

Please let Paul Smith know if you are attending so that room bookings to cater for numbers can be organised. His email and telephone number is as follows:
Ffôn / Tel 01745 396354 paul.smith2@wales.gsi.gov.uk

Below are 2 emails I have received from Paul Smith who is the WAG officer leading on Community Cohesion

Email 1 - I have now arranged the meeting for the above for Monday 8th February starting at 10:00am till 12:00pm here at the WAG St Asaph offices. I will be forwarding an agenda nearer the date but it will involve a review of the 6th March 2009 meeting notes and workshops along with a discussion on the SRA 2016 Action Plan and how we can work together to implement some of the actions.

Email 2 -I hope that some of you will recall that the N Wales Coast SRA held several meetings in the spring of 2009 around the 6 themes of regeneration – Space for Living, Community Cohesion, Health & Well Being, Education & Skills, Environment & Transport, and Sustainable Economy.

I have been seconded to lead on the Community Cohesion theme and started my new role on November 30th. Caroline Brady has been seconded to work with me in West Rhyl. We are both looking forward to our new roles and working closely with you all on this important regeneration theme for the SRA.

I am very aware that the Community Cohesion group have not met since its initial meeting held on March 6th 2009 at the WAG St Asaph offices. I have attached the notes taken at that meeting by WAG just to remind us all of who attended, what was discussed, and what issues the workshops came up with.

The list of attendees on this email is basically the original list and I am aware that some of you may have changed your role now and/or are aware of some invitees who were perhaps overlooked at that original meeting. Please feel free to let me know if you wish to be taken off the list of invitees – if you wish to remain involved there is no need to inform me.
If you have a more suitable representative of your organisation or know of an organisation that was originally overlooked please inform me.

I have been meeting several community organisations across the SRA ie the Community 1st Partnerships, Conwy Voluntary Services Council, Denbighshire VSC, and WAG officials from other departments, and there are still more to meet. Forgive me if I have not been to see you yet, the Christmas period was soon with us after our secondments

I wish to hold a Community Cohesion Group meeting as soon as is possible to introduce Caroline and myself to you and to review the original March notes. I am also keen to discuss with you the North Wales Coast SRA Action Plan which was launched at the All Wales Regeneration Summit on October 22nd in Llandudno and its implementation

The Community Cohesion theme is included along with some opportunities for investment. The Action Plan can be found on the WAG website if you have not seen it yet.

I will aim for a meeting date in February so as to give lots of notice of the date so that hopefully more of you can attend. It will be held in the St Asaph WAG offices in the first instance but I do wish to use locations around the SRA as we move forward to be as inclusive as possible.
Paul Smith
Community Cohesion Theme Lead - North Wales Coast Strategic Regeneration Area
Department for Transport & Strategic RegenerationLlywodraeth Cynulliad Cymru / Welsh Assembly Government
Ffôn / Tel 01745 396354Facs / Fax 01745 586259 paul.smith2@wales.gsi.gov.uk

Are you helping to tackle economic inactivity and increasing employment? If so please read on

2010-01-13T12:10:00.003Z

I received the following email this morning. Could be an excellent opportunity to network and collaborate on current and future projects. All the best and hope to see you at the event.

From: Dunn, Emma (DCELLS) [mailto:Emma.Dunn@Wales.GSI.Gov.UK] Sent: 12 January 2010 14:17

Increasing Employment and Tackling Economic Workshop - North Wales

It was agreed at the “Increasing Employment and Tackling Economic Framework” event run by WEFO in September 2009 that DCELLS SET ESF Managers would organise regional workshops for all approved Priority 2 projects and referral agencies.
Our first series of regional workshops, to be held in South West, South East and North Wales, are designed to encourage collaborative approaches, provide practical support and share best practice between approved projects.
Maximising the operational benefits these events will generate is dependent on the involvement of National / Regional Project Leads and their local project managers together with other key stakeholders.
I would be grateful if you could complete and return both of the attached forms.
Could you please send the Regional Contact form and return to me by 13 January 2010 so that the further invitations can be sent out.

<> <> <>
Kind Regards
Emma Emma Dunn Department for Children, Education, Lifelong Learning and Skills/ Yr Adran Plant, Addysg, Dysgu Gydol Oes a Sgiliau Welsh Assembly Government/ Llywodraeth Cynulliad Cymru Tel /Ffon: 01792 224532 Fax /Ffacs: 01792 222498 Email /Ebost: emma.dunn@wales.gsi.gov.uk
Replies welcome in Welsh and English / Croesewir Ymatebion Yn Gymraeg Neu Yn Saesneg The original of this email was scanned for viruses by the Government Secure Intranet virus scanning service supplied by Cable&Wireless in partnership with MessageLabs. (CCTM Certificate Number 2006/04/0007.) On leaving the GSi this email was certified virus free.Communications via the GSi may be automatically logged, monitored and/or recorded for legal purposes.Cafodd fersiwn gwreiddiol y neges e-bost hon ei sganio gan wasanaeth gwrthfeirysau Mewnrwyd Ddiogel y Llywodraeth (GSI) a ddarparwyd gan Cable&Wireless mewn partneriaeth â MessageLabs. (Rhif Tystysgrif CCTM 2006/04/0007). Wrth adael y GSI nid oedd unrhyw feirws yn gysylltiedig â’r neges hon.Mae’n ddigon posibl y bydd unrhyw ohebiaeth drwy’r GSI yn cael ei logio, ei monitro a/neu ei chofnodi yn awtomatig am resymau cyfreithiol.

Rural Development Plan - Round 2 - sounds like a boxing contest?

2010-01-12T19:48:00.005Z

You will remember we held a meeting at Naylor Leyland in Ruthin last month to discuss submitting expressions of interest to Denbighshire County Council to secure money for the rural area.

Well at the meeting we had well over 10 organisations present and from which we identified capital projects and have now nearly finalised our submission to the County Council. The grand total that we will be bidding for is £1.6 million and so I would just like to say a big thank you to all those organisations who have come forward with their ideas because without those project ideas we would not be in a position to make such a bid. Added to which there is nothing better than submitting bid ideas that have been developed by the community a real "bottom up" process.

The next step is to secure local agreement from the Rural Partnership Board , of which I am a member together with three other voluntary sector representatives plus statutory and business sector reps , that the £1.6 million bid is appropriate and worthy of recommendation to the Welsh Assembly Government. If it is approved we will be able to start spending the money from March 2011 onwards. Lets keep our fingers crossed.

Spent up !! - Strategic Regeneration Area Scheme - North Wales Coast

2010-01-12T18:55:00.005Z

I met with Paul Smith today from the Welsh Assembly Government who is leading on Community Cohesion throughout the area covered by the North Wales Coastal SRA Partnership which stretches from Prestatyn to Colwyn Bay and South to St Asaph.

It was heartening to hear Paul's strategy of looking and listening and then reacting to the issues in collaboration with the community. There is no doubt that this approach will be of immense importance to one of the key geographic areas , within the North Wales Coastal SRA , i.e. West Rhyl. The residents and third sector organisations want to be fully involved in the regeneration of West Rhyl and the arrival of Paul on the scene will I think provide that very opportunity. I am convinced ,as I was at the meeting that Ann Jones A.M. convened last Friday , that real positive changes will happen in the area and that many opportunities will start to unfold.

One of those opportunities that I had hoped would materialise was the prospect of the availability of capital funding for the third sector to invest in capital schemes which would create a lasting legacy. Unfortunately that is not the case as Paul explained that the capital allocation for the current financial year and 2010/11 has already been committed and so for any third sector organisations looking for financial support , aside from the relatively small amounts in the key fund, will I am afraid have to look elsewhere for funding which is really disappointing because I have been privy to a number of projects that the third sector organisations were developing and I had thought, mistakenly, that the SRA would be able to help. Therefore I can see we (DVSC) will be advising a number of those organisations on alternative sources of funding.

As for the future I wonder whether SRA funding will ever reach the current levels given we only have to watch the news on television and read the newspapers to see that public expenditure cuts will start in 2011/12 . What those cuts will mean for capital investment is anyone's guess but one thing I am certain is that we are in for a period of " severe belt tightening".

One of those organisations seeking help from the SRA was to be ourselves as we want to secure a permanent base in West Rhyl given a significant number of third sector organisations that we support operate in that area . Well now the money has gone we will have to look elsewhere as we are determined to move into West Rhyl and have been energised to do so by the emails and telephone calls we have received from the third sector encouraging us to "set up shop."

Any further news on the SRA will be reported on this blog and in the DVSC newsletter.

What future for the new Rhyl Community Partnership?

2010-01-09T19:31:00.003Z

I would say a very bright one given the number of people attending the meeting on Friday the 8th , chaired by Ann Jones A.M. There was unanimity that the way forward was for the third sector in Rhyl to come together as an Association/ Partnership Board to start working strategically thereby maximising all the available resources. A further meeting is now to be held by Ann Jones, Ann Weir Community Development Agency and Paul Smith representing the Welsh Assembly Government.

I was asked after the meeting why DVSC is not involved in the follow up meeting given our involvement with many voluntary and community groups in Rhyl and my answer is simple - the proposal put to the public meeting did not include DVSC. I am quite happy with the way events are developing and I have every confidence in the new group establishing a framework that can be taken forward by the third sector. DVSC will continue to support everyone in Rhyl as part of its commitment to supporting the Third Sector across Denbighshire.

So for those that did not attend the meeting on the 8th I would urge them all to become involved in future meetings as the prospects for helping to improve the quality of lives for everyone in the area is magnified many times over through us all working together.

Good news for advocacy post- Denbighshire

2010-01-07T15:46:00.002Z

Elfed, the Older Peoples Advocacy Officer, has just told me that our bid to Big Lottery has passed the first stage and we have now been invited to submit a full bid. That is really good news because our current funding finishes in March this year. Whilst the Big Lottery invitation is good news there will still be a funding gap because even if we turn round the bid within a month or two , after undertaking consultation , we won't know if we are successful until about December 2010 which will mean we will have lost our current advocacy officer which will be a blow and significant loss to the project.

Nevertheless onward we go , ever positive as the future slowly unfolds.

Employment Law - no takers for the training

2010-01-07T15:13:00.003Z

Emyr has just told me that the training session we had planned for the 20th has been cancelled as we only had one voluntary organisation interested. I am surprised because when we had this course before and delivered by the same trainer (Peninsula Ltd) who is one of the UK's leading employment law specialists we were inundated to such an extent that we had to limit the numbers attending.

How things have changed. The one thing that hasn't changed of course is the that law around around employment is still as complex as ever with employers being continually subjected to additional pressures in terms of legislative procedures . This course would have enabled the trainer to advise those organisations as to the way forward in being able to deal swiftly and legally with all matters of employment.

If you are reading this blog and you know of any third sector organisation that would like to attend a future training session please let me know as we will be running this again .

Who is the Community Development Agency, Rhyl?

2010-01-05T10:20:00.004Z

Just before Christmas I went to see the Community Development Agency together with Emyr with the aim of making sure that the services we provide to the community of Rhyl and beyond are complementary to that of the Agency's given that resources for everyone are so stretched no-one can afford to be providing services that simply duplicate . At the agency not only do they provide support to local people and voluntary and community organisations through training, helping with establishing community groups including constitutional advice but also help with fund raising and business planning but in addition to all of this they also have an extensive range of resources such as use of 4 computers including Internet access at Station House, Bodfor Street, Rhyl plus they have a full colour photocopier, digital printer, 2 laptops, comb binder, paper trimmer, scanner, laminator, overhead projector, video camera, digital and stills camera, thermal binder, booklet maker, premier rapidfold, guillotine, paper shredder, PA system, folding display systems, badge machine, cassette recorder , portable text phone, sarabec neck loop system and flipchart stands.

The Agency also provides a repair service for ICT equipment and so if you have problems why not phone them up and arrange an appointment just to see whether your computer, printer etc can be repaired.

As you can see plenty of resources available for use by local voluntary and community organisations . So why not phone up the agency on 01745 360260 or visit them at Station House, Bidfor street, Rhyl between the hours of 9.30 am and 3.30pm Monday to Friday . Their web site is www.communityagency.co.uk

Wales Green List 2009: Denbighshire has 1 one of the heroes listed.

2010-01-01T13:20:00.003Z

Congratulations to Iwan Jones, Denbighshire

Below is the extract from the Wales Green list .............

Calon Wen is an award-winning co-operative owned by over 20 farming families from across Wales. It was set up to help dairy farmers who want to sell their milk to local people through their own company to do just that. Calon Wen is also the first dairy in the UK to achieve the Soil
Association Ethical Trade Symbol. Its milk undergoes minimum processing to retain its goodness and flavour and the company aims to secure a long term market for organic milk from Wales by supporting organic processing needs in Wales. We chose Calon Wen because we love the company’s commitment to fair and ethical trading that supports the rural communities where Calon Wen farmers live and work

Anyone wanting a full list of all 52 heroes , please email me.

Congratulations - New Years Honours - Denbighshire

2010-01-01T13:00:00.003Z

Congratulations to the following people for their devoted service to the community:

Derek Bartley - Rhyl

Robert Brooks - Rhyl

Edward Howes - Prestatyn and Rhyl

Winifred Howes - Prestatyn and Rhyl

Future jobs fund - DVSC are taking on 4 new employees

2009-12-24T20:58:00.003Z

Application has been made to Jobcentreplus for four people to join DVSC carrying out various administrative and financial functions across the 3 sites in Flintshire (Mold) and Denbighshire (Ruthin and Rhyl). They will all be taken for an initial period of 6 months. We are hoping that all of the people we employ will find long term employment - that is our new year wish or at least one of them. The other wishes we have passed to Father Christmas.

A community pub - now there's a thought

2009-12-24T16:11:00.004Z

Social Enterprise are two words that regularly trip off the tongue and are uttered by many people and when you hear them you naturally think of food co-ops, furniture recycling and the like. Well I bet not many people think of community pubs , that is a pub that is owned and run by the community. I was told about just such a pub this last week and intend going to visit early in the NewYear because I am sure there are things we can learn that can be used to help support communities elsewhere in Denbighshire. I will keep you posted.
http://www.llanarmon.com/news/view/are_we_all_raven_mad/

One of the issues that this recession is bringing is that more and more of us will have to think of funding other than through grants so the more we can "trade" our way forward the better as that will be the way we will succeed. Trading doesn't always mean buying and selling goods although for a community pub it does mean selling beer etc but for other organisations it will be selling their services to local authorities, local health boards, perhaps local businesses etc because we do have a wealth of experience in delivering much needed local public services and whats more we are far more cost effective than some of statutory colleagues and therefore given half a chance at tendering for the various contracts will prove to be a godsend to many third sector organisations. DVSC are certainly going this route as our very survival exists on that strategy. Of course in going that route it makes sense to join up with fellow organisations in a joint , collaborative tender which provides for a much stronger service as the breadth of experience is that much greater as are the economies of scale. So here again DVSC will be encouraging those organisations that partner up given the benefits of what they call sustainability which in layman's terms means being around and active for years to come.

Finally for those interested in the community pub, it is in Llanarmon and the web link is as follows

http://www.llanarmon.com/news/view/are_we_all_raven_mad/ and of course a personal visit will also help their funds and keep them in business for the local community.

Merry Xmas and Happy New Year to you all..

2009-12-24T16:05:00.001Z

and thank you all for your kind comments regarding my blog. I will try and keep it going in 2010.

BIG Lifeskills tender has been posted...

2009-12-20T17:57:00.006Z

Well after a lot of effort and tweaking the tender and spreadsheets are completed and we have finally posted the tender for £657,000 which if successful will support 290 carers and former carers over the next 4 years in denbighshire.

My thanks go to Lynne Simpkin from NEWCIS who has put in endless hours of work on the tender and in fact spent all of this week finishing it off even though her contracted hours are only for 21. Also because we need the young carers perspective we have had terrific support and input from from Roma, Julie and Alun from Action for Children. To top it off we have had a lot of information from Brenda at Rhuddlan Environment Group, Denbighshire Citizens Advice Bureau and Clwydfro. Disappointingly Business in the Community were unable to continue to work with us and so we are are grateful to Jobcentreplus for their support in linking us to employers and further education colleges.

Whilst the sum of the tender is great we were under significant cost pressures as the support provided to carers and former carers is by its very nature very labour intensive . However the figure suggested by BIG Lottery of £2272 per carer and former carer has been met in our budget. Its a shame we didn't have the same level as set for care leavers because that figure was £4750 per care leaver a whole £2500 more per person.

Not to worry, we just wait and see the outcome as we should hear by end of January 2010.

Its like buses everything is coming at once.

2009-12-16T18:16:00.004Z

I haven't been out of the office for the last few days and the number of emails I issue have reduced and I am sure people must be wondering why? Well its to do with a number of jobs all with similar deadlines - yesterday.

Firstly we had to submit by end of last week our delivery plan to the Welsh Assembly Government which is a new streamlined report setting out our activities and targets for next financial year coming in total to over 70 performance indicators some of which are output based and others based on outcomes.

Secondly preparing for the Board today a brand new business plan in which we have ,over the last few months , revisited everything from mission statement through to strategic objectives and detailed work programme. We will need , in the New Year, discuss the draft plan with our members, funders and third sector groups generally to check that what we see as the issues and solutions are valid and if need be make changes before going live with the new 3 year plan on 1.4.2010.

Thirdly working on two funding bids. One we are at the invitation to tender stage which is a mammoth of a document asking everything conceivable , that has to be completed by this Friday and sent off by special delivery. The second bid at the PQQ stage (preliminary qualification questionnaire) has to be written and submitted before Xmas otherwise there won't be any turkey for me. Both the ITT and PQQ are related to the Big Lottery Life skills project and projects are valued individually at around £650,000 so as you can imagine the effort has to go in.

Fourthly preparing a document for the Board today to seek approval to secure permanent accommodation in West Rhyl given that we have moved or changed/added offices three times in last 3 years due to growth both at DVSC and NEWCIS. I am pleased to report that the Board have approved the next stage which is to identify the location and carry out due diligence which means putting a business case together and securing the funding which again will take time and energy.

The above are all jobs over and above our day job which is supporting, promoting and developing third sector groups and I have to say the level of enquiries coming through the door is increasing significantly so we must be doing something right because we are getting more and more clients than ever.
I always find the needs of the community organisations fascinating in that for example I met with one organisation just over a week ago and am now helping them develop a community cafe , we are at business plan stage and having done some research I find that a Voluntary Council in South Wales has also opened up a community cafe so luckily for me I have someone that can provide me with a specimen business plan and because they are now open for business can tell me some of the snags they encountered - all in a days work when it comes to helping local organisations .
Tomorrow who knows what we will be asked to help with ?

Funding from Heritage Lottery Fund - Skills for the future - is this funding for you?

2009-12-13T19:46:00.003Z

If you need any help applying just contact us at Ruthin - Emyr will be more than happy to help you. Telephone 01824 702441.

The following is taken direct from the Lottery web site.

Skills for the future Programme budget : £100,000 to £1million
Skills for the Future will fund projects which provide paid training placements to meet a skills gap in the heritage sector, and fully support trainees to learn practical skills.
It will fund traditional conservation training and also the skills needed to engage people with heritage. This could include the skills to deliver education, community participation or volunteering programmes, or to use new media and technology to open up heritage.
Programme priorities
We welcome applications from organisations which can deliver training opportunities in heritage that are additional to current or recent provision. Partnerships – for example of community and voluntary organisations, professional bodies and learning and training providers – can also apply.
We give priority to not-for-profit organisations. If private sector organisations are involved, we expect the public benefit to be greater than any private gain.
Application processTimetable

There is only one opportunity to apply to Skills for the Future. The closing date is 19 March 2010. You can now register and apply online. Awards will be made in May 2010.
Help with your applicationWe will provide help before you apply. Please read our online guidance and complete a pre-application form. We encourage you to attend a pre-application workshop in one of the following locations:
Swansea, on 4 December 2009 FULL
London, on 7 December 2009 FULL
Comber, Northern Ireland, on 9 December 2009
Leeds, on 10 December 2009 FULL
Edinburgh, on 11 December 2009
London, on 14 January 2010
Birmingham, on 15 January 2010
To register your interest in the programme or to sign up for a pre-application workshop, please email your full contact details to: skills@hlf.org.uk

Congratulations to Carl Sargeant A.M. for Alyn and Deeside, North Wales

2009-12-13T19:30:00.006Z

To hear that First Minister Carwyn Jones has appointed Carl Sargeant A.M. for Alyn and Deeside as Minister for Social Justice and Local Government is fantastic news for North Wales and the appointment is well deserved as Carl has worked tirelessly for his constituency and beyond.

I am sure Carl has been inundated with best wishes and at DVSC we would like to add our congratulations to that long list

Vetting and barring scheme to be amended - good news for voluntary and community groups

2009-12-13T12:19:00.005Z

Children's Secretary Ed Balls said he had accepted all the recommendations of an independent review into the plans which would have involved thousands of adults having to undergo.
The proposals triggered a massive public outcry when it emerged adults who give other children lifts to clubs or sports events would have to undergo criminal records checks and register with the Independent Safeguarding Authority (ISA).
The scheme was aimed at preventing paedophiles working with children.
But voluntary organisations said the move would deter volunteers from giving their time.
Under the new plans adults will only be vetted if they come into contact with the same group of children once a week or more, rather than once a month as under the present arrangements.
Teenagers under the age of 18 will also be exempt from registering with the Vetting and Barring Scheme (VBS).
Sources at the Department for Children, Schools, and Families said the fundamental principles of VBS remained intact.
They said that even under the existing rules, parents who made private arrangements to look after each other's children, such as taking them to football, were not affected by VBS.
Mr Balls ordered the review by Sir Roger Singleton, chairman of the Independent Safeguarding Authority, and Sir Roger will publish his recommendations on Monday.
In a letter to Sir Roger, Mr Balls said: "It has always been our intention that mutually agreed and responsible arrangements made between parents and friends for the care of their children should be excluded from the Vetting and Barring Scheme.
"However, some significant concerns have been expressed about the interpretation of one particular aspect of the scheme; the degree of contact with children which should trigger the requirement to register.
"I am reassured by the progress you have made over the past three months.
"I am therefore pleased to confirm that the Government accepts all of your recommendations."
The scheme was recommended after the murders in Soham of Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman by the caretaker at their school, Ian Huntley.

Vetting and barring scheme to be amended - good news for voluntary and community groups

2009-12-13T12:19:00.004Z

LATEST NEWS..............................................

Children's Secretary Ed Balls said he had accepted all the recommendations of an independent review into the plans which would have involved thousands of adults , who currently give other children lifts to clubs or sporting events,undergoing criminal records checks and registering with the Independent Safeguarding Authority (ISA).

Voluntary organisations had said when the original proposals were put forward that the move would deter volunteers from giving their time.

Under the new plans adults will only be vetted if they come into contact with the same group of children once a week or more, rather than once a month as under the present arrangements.
Teenagers under the age of 18 will also be exempt from registering with the Vetting and Barring Scheme (VBS).
Mr Balls ordered the review by Sir Roger Singleton, chairman of the Independent Safeguarding Authority, and Sir Roger will publish his recommendations tomorrow.

Congratulations Barnardo's Denbighshire

2009-12-10T23:14:00.002Z

Yet again another success story for the Third Sector in Denbighshire. Glenys Griffiths and her team have just told me they have been successful with their recent tender in winning the care leavers contract for Denbighshire under the Lifeskills programme run by Big Lottery.

Well done and here's to the next contract coming to Denbighshire to continue the story of Third Sector investment in our communities.

Funding - do you remember the EHRC strategic funding?

2009-12-08T17:15:00.005Z

This was the pot of money managed by the Equality and Human Rights Commission. I have just had the list of successful bidders hoping to see some local third sector organisations qualify. Unfortunately I was disappointed . Only 5 successful applicants in Wales totalling £533,450. Amount awarded across the UK was £ 9,989,534 . In total 61 successful entries. Unfortunately our bid was rejected which is a shame because we will have to close the Advocacy service for Older People in March 2010 and had we been successful that service would have continued.

How many more valued third sector services are we losing due to lack of funding?

Communities First Trust Fund- Rhyl West - money is going fast...........

2009-12-08T17:03:00.004Z

It seems people are reading my emails and blogs by the fact the amount of money available in Communities First Trust Fund has reduced from a few months ago when it stood at £10,000 to the new balance now of £1911.51 and it is still not too late to apply for money. Remember if it is not spent it will go back to Welsh Assembly Government. Deadline is next month.

Just contact WCVA at Cardiff for information. It is freephone number so there is no expense in applying tel 0800 2888 329.

Let me know how you get on, because that way I know people are reading my emails and blog and so it makes it worthwhile in posting the funding news.

Funding to stimulate best practice in bi-lingualism

2009-12-08T17:01:00.002Z

I have just received the following note and so good luck if you apply for money and let me know if you are successful . That way I know it is worthwhile putting the funding news item son my blog.

Following the initial round of applications to the Third Sector Development Fund, a second round will open immediately, with applications to reach us by Friday, 18th of December. The basic aim of the fund is: "To motivate and facilitate third sector organisations which have made a commitment to the Welsh language to enable them to implement imaginative new initiatives in order to develop good practice in bilingualism, biculturalism and the use of the Welsh language." Further details and guidance are available in the attached document. An application form is also attached. Following the first round of applications, there is now obviously a smaller amount of money available in the fund. We are suggesting that any applications submitted are for sums of no more than £2,000 - £3,000. However, if a particularly strong proposal is submitted, the panel will consider applications for sums up to the original £6,000 threshold. If you are considering submitting an application, we would suggest that you contact Morys on 01239 711668 in order to discuss your ideas prior to filling in the application form. You can also contact Gethin at the Welsh Language Board on 02920 878 016.
Closing date: Friday, 18th of December

Morys Gruffydd
Estyn Llaw

01239 711668
mailto:morys.gruffydd@iaith.eu

Are you looking for a good night out on Friday 11th December with proceeds going to Charity

2009-12-04T18:01:00.004Z

If the answer is Yes then the following event is made for you.

Light of Day Charity Concert at The Interchange , Old Colwyn on Friday 11th December 2009 at 7.30pm

Starring no less than the very popular and nationally acclaimed rock star Mike Peters together with Joe D'Urso, Willie Nile, Jesse Malin, Marah

Prices - VIP £30, Normal £15 , On the night £18. Tickets available at the Box Office 01492 514021.

The Charity being supported is Parkinson's Research. Please tell your friends as it is such a worthy cause and whats more a good night will be had by all.

Clwyd Community Chest hand out more cash to voluntary and community organisations. Are you listed below?

2009-12-02T00:05:00.006Z

The follow on question to the above is Why not ?. Why haven't you applied to the Clwyd Community Chest?. The following applicants did apply and they have been given a Xmas present that is a cash grant for them to spend in their communities on those things that are important to them.

If you would also like a cash grant why not go to our web site http://www.dvsc.co.uk/ and download the application forms and guidance notes. Who knows your name could be listed below in the New Year.

Successful voluntary and community organisations in this last round are - and in no particular order;

Cross Border Poets, N EastWales Stanza, Flintshire
Capel Annibynwyr, Waen
Llangollen Tidy Town
Greenbank Villas Residents , Flint
North Wales Superkids
Cruse Bereavement Care, Colwyn Bay
St Asaph/Llanelwy Friendship Youth Group
The Cai Dai Trust
South Denbighshire Community Partnership
Mynydd Isa Field for Youth (MIFFY)
Corwen Beaver Scout Colony
Llandegla Sports and Social
Friends of Llygadog, Corwen
Bedford Street Community Co Ltd

National Assembly Press office wants to hear from Third Sector.

2009-12-02T00:01:00.004Z

Thankyou to Neath Port Talbot Voluntary Services Council for the following:

The National Assembly for Wales’ press office is in the process of compiling a list of third sector organisations in Wales so that it can adopt a more proactive approach to the work of this sector and likewise, so that the sector can be made aware of reports/inquiries being carried out by the Assembly.
The Assembly’s press office is particularly interested in the reports, surveys and accompanying news releases that are produced by organisations in the third sector, because these reports are often not known about until they are issued to the press – by which time it is too late for the Assembly to have any input into their findings.
So, for example, if Barnados were to produce a report about child poverty in Wales, the Assembly would like to see an embargoed copy of the report and get the chair of the relevant committee to comment on it, on behalf of the National Assembly.
Similarly, where one of the National Assembly’s committees have carried out a report and they are issuing a press release, they would like to keep any relevant organisations informed (those who may not have been involved in the inquiry), to strengthen links and make sure that their role is not always reacting but also being proactive.
This will from part of a long-term strategy to create a more inclusive communications strategy between third sector organisations and the Assembly. Ideally, the Assembly the list will be made up of media/press contacts from each organisation, but where this is not possible any contact from the organisation will be absolutely fine.
If you are interested in being added to the contact list of the press office please contact Anna Milewski, Media Relations Coordinator: Anna.milewski2@wales.gsi.gov.uk Tel: 02920 8981

Our Annual General Meeting - Did you attend?

2009-12-01T00:51:00.003Z

Well 97 people did attend and by all accounts they had a good time or at least that is the message that has come back via the staff and Trustees. Many of you have commented on the excellent presentation by Mervyn Cousins , Exec Director of Llangollen Eisteddfod . Well I am not surprised because DVSC only gets the best speakers for its events.

I just want to thank you all for attending and for sharing with us the work your individual organisations are involved in. It is amazing the amount of voluntary and community activity there is in Denbighshire which just confirms the stats in that we have 20,000 volunteers and 4,500 paid staff day in day out delivering public services across the County.

We have been asked about the DVD that was playing throughout the event and there have been requests for copies. We are hoping to put the DVD on our web site for you to download very soon , but if you do want a copy before then please e mail me and we will send a copy to you for a small charge to cover postage , packing and materials.

Local Service Board - Annual Conference - Can you remember what was said?

2009-11-30T23:49:00.004Z

The conference was held last Thursday (26th) at Venue Cymru, Llandudno and the speakers were Emyr Roberts, Gill Morgan, Andrew Davies, Keith Grint and Mary Burrows. In addition there were 8 workshops and each delegate had the option of attending 2.

The first thing I spotted was there was no Third Sector speaker and given the Sector is significant in terms of its contribution to the economic, social, cultural and environmental way of life in Wales I began to wonder what direction the conference was to take. I am sure in common with many others I wasn't surprised at the content of the speeches, probably most of us present could have written them in advance and been quite close to the end result which I guess is a real positive in that merely reinforces we are already singing from the same "hymn sheet" and so the conference was more a team building event rather than an "awakening to the wonders of the LSB".

So being prepared for the "hymn book approach" I was totally unprepared for one of the speakers who had me on the edge of my seat in that when he started to talk it felt I had just been strapped into an F1 Ferrari because the speed of delivery was breathtaking, at least at the beginning or was it I was getting used to the delivery and just about keeping up?

Whatever it was I can still remember today the key messages that Keith Grint put across. What really struck me about the speech , here was a man that said it as it was. It was refreshing to hear him talk about tame problems compared with wicked problems and how solutions to both sets of problems had to be different, added to which whilst collaboration and partnership is the "in thing" he explained that there are occasions we just have to get on with it and overcome our hang up to collaboration because it just isn't appropriate. It was amusing to hear how there can be quite elegant solutions to the tame problems which are text book style whereas for wicked problems the solutions are clumsy and straightaway I could relate that to some decisions I have witnessed over the years but I am sure the decision makers of those decisions would be horrified to hear they were "clumsy" because that may in some way undermine their professional credibility because after all everyone wants to be associated with an elegant decision but probably run a mile from a clumsy one.

How refreshing it was to hear Keith talk , as I am sure in common with many others we are constantly being exposed to the wonders of partnership. As Keith said partnership is fine in its place. Although I hasten to add the word partnership has been so over used in recent years we now have adopted a new word "collaboration" - I wonder how long that will be in our working vocabulary? For many the reality is that we the providers of public services will work with whoever we believe can help in getting the job done rather than laboriously adopting a "box ticking" approach that dictates a range of organisations being invited to the party before any real work is undertaken. I could go on, however I think if you want an enjoyable 30 minutes then I commend going to see Keith or view his PowerPoint although his delivery is a joy to behold as he weaves so effectively his dry sense of humour which magically brings his presentation to life with the numerous anecdotes.

Turning to the workshops I went to see Steve Ray (North Wales Probation ) and Frank Cuthbert . Steve talked about his day job and Frank talked about the new legislation affecting scrutiny and for which I had high expectations given Denbighshire County have recently rejected our advances to join their scrutiny committees. I had hoped that Frank would confirm that the new legislation would prescribe that each Local authority would be required to invite third sector reps, and other sector reps , on to the scrutiny committees. No such luck and so I came away from his workshop quite disappointed wondering what all the fuss was about because the legislation was only going to work for those Councils that had opened up the scrutiny process. So I know now that piece of legislation will have no impact on Denbighshire.

However not all was lost because in Steve's workshop I saw a side of Probation that I hardly knew existed and whilst they demonstrated how effective they had been at partnership and collaboration the amazing bit of news was they had been doing this for years and years , at least since the early 1990's. In effect real pioneers. It was amazing to hear the case studies that Steve talked about and the honesty about how projects were developed and implemented which took me back to Keith Grint and his not so elegant solutions to problems. Steve's presentation which took the theme "Voyage and Vikings" was apt, amusing and riveting. As one lady in the audience commented at the end of the session - Steve really cares about his job and has terrific passion. That I think says it all - passion and caring are the drivers for Steve and explains why he has been so successful over the years in forging strong relationships in the community and delivering outcomes that are sustainable. In truth I could have listened to Steve for a lot longer but as ever lunch was calling and we had to close.

In conclusion I thought the Conference was a success not only for the comments above but also for the networking. Already I have tumbled across possibly another significant avenue of funding for local third sector organisations as well as identifying two new organisations which I think will prove invaluable to the third sector as we continue to deliver public services that are both relevant and of high quality. So all in all it was attending and it was free.

Peoples Millions- a BIG thank you to you all

2009-11-29T16:34:00.002Z

I have just heard from Les Starling, Sustainable Denbighshire that the North Wales Wildlife Trust was a winner on the evening and secured the £50,000.

Les wanted to thank you for all phoning up and voting for the project. Just shows the power of the people when it comes to gaining support for worthy projects.

Here's to the next project and please tell me if you have submitted a project to People's Millions so that I can alert the 1000 plus voluntary and community groups throughout Denbighshire and ask that they phone and support you.

DVSC- New service and staff appointment

2009-11-29T15:53:00.003Z

On the 25th we appointed Jennifer Rowlands an ex banker to the new post of business and third sector officer post who will take up her new post on 1st February 2010. This is certainly exciting times as the post is brand new and offers a new service to both the third sector and businesses.

Great opportunities will start to unfold by encouraging business and third sector to work together. For businesses the prospect of talking to potential customers with a combined annual turnover in Denbighshire alone of £40 million plus must be attractive. For third sector organisations the prospect of collaborating with businesses is equally irresistible given the expertise and knowledge that businesses have could be of great value to the many charities, community groups, social enterprises, not for profit organisations across the County. The opportunities ahead of us are a real "win win" for the community. AND Denbighshire is the only North Wales County to have such an officer - so yet again DVSC is leading the way by pioneering a new idea.

Watch this space as I will be reporting progress as the project unfolds.

Free second hand equipment

2009-11-25T23:59:00.001Z

Did you know that 'Deeside based b2 Business Systems' has a number of second hand photocopiers and printers that are in good working order, available to Charities for free.

They have offices in Parc Menai, Bangor and Deeside Industrial Park.

If interested contact Ian on 01244 837 101.

Yet another useful tip from DVSC. This time I have to thank one of our Trustees for picking up this news item.

Deadline looming for CAT scheme (Community Asset Transfer) - have you applied?.

2009-11-25T23:14:00.003Z

It seems that I have been talking about the CAT scheme for years but in reality I first heard about the idea about 15 months ago. Its just in the last 15 months I have had a lot of people talk to me about their ideas and their plans for the future are really exciting. Whoever said that the voluntary sector was innovative, creative, progressive and prepared to take calculated risks was spot on. In all the plans that have been disclosed to me I can see sustainability both economically, socially, environmentally and culturally and the one key feature that constantly comes to the top of the pile is the overwhelming passion to retain the service to continue not only to meet existing needs of the clients but to expand and reach out into the community to support those currently excluded.

So have you completed your 1000 word document in time. We have completed ours in that we are currently supporting a group in the South of the County and I just hope that Big Lottery look kindly at our application. If not as Arnold is renowned for saying " We will be back".

Good luck to you all and of course if you are not planning to submit this time into the fast track route and need help for the next round don't forget we are always here to help. All you have to do is ask.

See you all on Friday at Llangollen and as it happens Big Lottery will be there alongside the Aggregates Fund.

Children in Need appeal - how do we relate to the issues?

2009-11-20T23:41:00.003Z

Firstly a plug for an event we are holding next week (24/11/09) namely the people from Children in Need are coming to Denbighshire to advise children and young people groups as to the process for securing money. This is an all ticket event and I am afraid all seats are taken. However for those groups that seek funding and who have not been lucky enough to secure an interview I know our resident funding guru Emyr Williams will only be too pleased to help as he is in regular contact with Children in Need.

Going back to my question how do we relate to the Children in Need appeal well I have been in 3 separate locations today - Ruthin, Prestatyn and Mold and I have to say that in all 3 places the individuals and organisations I met both in the statutory, third sector and business were fully behind the appeal and fundraising throughout today and for the past many months. Who said the community spirit was dead?, well I can tell you in Denbighshire and Flintshire it is not only alive but it is flourishing.

In my line of work I meet up with many staff and volunteers in the third sector and given that in Denbighshire 82% of the youth service provision is delivered by the third sector it is not surprising a great many organisations that we help work directly with children and young people. You can see tonight on the television tonight many stories around the difficulties young people have to deal with and perhaps it is hard to imagine that such situations exist close to where we live. Well I can tell you those situations do exist and they are very close to home. When I meet up with third sector organisations it is so inspiring to see the commitment, effort and dedication that both paid staff and volunteers have towards the young people in their care for perhaps the few hours after school or on weekends. Equally seeing the reaction from the young people to that support in that perhaps for the first time in many years they are being helped by adults and their peers who genuinely believe in them , supporting them to fulfil their aspirations, not just for one night or a few days but for as long as it takes. I am constantly in awe of the work of these organisations and I realise how very lucky my children are and how we should continue to support the volunteers who tirelessly year in year out give of their own time unstintingly for the care and support of others without seeking or expecting any reward at all. It is easy to point the finger and blame this or that but that gets us nowhere. The fact is there are children and adults in our society that require a little support, a helping hand and having seen the human kindness in abundance in Denbighshire both today and over the years I am absolutely confident that those in need can be supported and will flourish in years to come. One thing I have noticed is the large number of young people who through having had support in their lives when most in need have returned that help by helping others. That speaks volumes for the young people of today and if you want to see this volunteering in action why not come to one our Millenium Volunteering Award events and witness for yourself the numbers of young people who are week in week out helping others. In Denbighshire we (Denbighshire Volunteer Centre/ DVSC) have now exceeded 1200 young Millenium Volunteers and these are young people who have volunteered a minimum of 50 hours of their time and others in excess of 200 hours.

Returning to the organisations if anyone is interested I would be more than happy to arrange introductions so that you can see first hand the work they do as not only are they looking for volunteers and funding I think it will reassure you that we live in a society that cares and Denbighshire can be justifiably proud of every one of its 20,000 volunteers and 4500 paid staff. I have avoided naming any particular organisation because there are so many.

DVSC thanks you all and will continue to do what we can to support, develop and promote your organisation to sustain your much needed and highly valued community services.

Meet and greet the Betsi Cadwaladr University Local Health Board

2009-11-18T21:36:00.003Z

The 6 North Wales County Voluntary Councils met the Board of Betsi Cadwaladr this afternoon and I have to say it was a really good meeting. Not only were the presentations by Bethan and Sioned from Mantell Gwynedd and Colette from Conwy and Janet from Wrexham excellent they highlighted for us all the diversity the third sector offers in terms of delivery of services at a local , regional and national level. Listening to them today just gives you that inner pride in the third sector and its work and its great at meetings such as today we have an audience namely the Betsi Board who are genuinely interested in our work and what's more keen to get more involved given both our aims are identical and that is to provide our customers i.e. people in our communities with the very best service that enriches and improves their quality of life because lets not forget the health and well being agenda covers everyone one of us and not just those who from time to time may be directly accessing the NHS services. Our work is all about providing a community environment where the dependency on acute services such as inappropriate hospitalisation is reduced. We talk a lot about care in the community and to be fair on my travels around Denbighshire I see a lot of that happening through the work of numerous third sector organisations, who through their 4500 staff and 20,000 volunteers are totally committed. Our aim is and always has been to support and develop those organisations so they are able to continue that much needed work in the community as it is absolutely clear we all want to stay in our own homes and communities and will only reluctantly give up our independence and enter hospital and care homes as a last resort. Only today as I was travelling home from the meeting I was listening to the news and to hear yet another research document being published in which it underlined the desire of people to stay in their own homes which coincidentally linked to passages of todays Queeen Speech which is advocating free home care -means tested of course.
So where do we go from here, well at the end of the meeting we did agree on the next steps so well done Bethan in ensuring as Chair that we did stick to the agenda. The next step will be for the 6 Chief Officers of the Voluntary Councils and the Directors of the Board to meet up and agree a process and develop a plan for effective collaboration.

These are, as stated today, exciting times and all of us have a significant role to play and the outcomes for our communities are enormous . An absolutely irresistible once in a lifetime opportunity, so lets grasp it with both hands and run with it.

RDP meets business guru Geoff Burch

2009-11-13T12:36:00.005Z

I was invited to a meeting last night where Geoff Burch was the after dinner speaker for about 40 minutes. I must be honest I had never heard of Geoff Burch - Richard Branson , Alan Sugar yes but not Geoff. Having said that Geoff was eloquent, descriptive to the point that as I looked around the room he had captured everyone's attention not just for the first 5 minutes but for the 40 minutes which is a feat for anyone in itself. The message was a simple one , namely to remain competitive and to continue to grow the business it is fundamental that the customer's needs comes first so that the customer is likely to return to your organisation and purchase further products and / or services. It was the little anecdotes he came out with to demonstrate how putting the customer at the centre of the operation and encouraging recurring sales brought knowing smiles to many of the faces in the room. You could simply relate some of the stories he was recounting to experiences we have all had in our local shop, garage and elsewhere. He was magic as I half expected a dry, uninspiring 40 minutes listening to a college lecture around some academic research - nothing of the sort he was funny, lively and punchy in the sense his message was clear and consistent throughout his talk. It just made me wonder why he was not in business for himself, although of course after dinner speaking is lucrative in its own right, given I am sure that he could turn his hand to any enterprise.

Would I go and see him again - Yes as I thought his message , wrapped around his many and varied stories, was simply captivating and yes inspiring. I wonder how many left the meeting last night and went back home or to their business and wrote a note " must do better".

Interestingly in the networking session that inevitably occurs before the event properly starts I was talking to a few businesses , mainly SME's (Small , medium enterprises) and its amazing how the issues they face mirror the challenges we face in the third sector . For example they were explaining how difficult it was to secure local contracts . Well funny enough we have being saying the same thing in that where are the local contracts on the sell2wales web site? Thought there would be a lot more ? Also the other spectre on the horizon is the North Wales Procurement Partnership and the concern around that is real in that here we have a new body that will bundle contracts together and look to one prime contractor for the region rather than previously having 6 individual contracts for each County. I know its early days and so far I have not seen the evidence to cause concern but if you read the mission statement of the Partnership it is all about saving money by achieving economies of scale. So whilst ratepayers may gain on the one hand , by virtue of much larger contracts and consequent lower unit costs, they will lose through the loss of income spent locally through local contractors NOT securing contracts and employing local people to deliver local services, this is where the "ripple "effect comes into its own . How many times have I now mentioned "local". Lets hope my fears for this Partnership do not materialise because it could hurt both Third Sector organisations and SME's significantly at a time when we need all the wealth and service creation organisations we can put our hands on.

Peoples Millions - request by Sustainable Denbighshire - please support

2009-11-12T16:42:00.003Z

Just received a request a from Les Starling, Sustainable Denbighshire to vote on ITV on 25th November for the following project. Les has kindly given me information which I have added as links.

If the Wildlife Gardening Project gets most votes on the night we will help community groups and schools throughout North Wales to realize their plans to transform unused, unsightly waste areas into wildlife and people friendly gardens where fruit and vegetables can also be grown.

1. We will work with people of all backgrounds, abilities and ages including youth, children, toddlers and pensioners.
2. We will give people a chance to improve their own local environment.
3. We will give people a chance to grow their own fruit and vegetables and come into contact with nature.
4. We will give people, including teenagers, new skills and knowledge which will stay with them for life.
5. We will help communities create strong community groups whilst having fun.

Documents provided by Les - now links below

http://docs.google.com/fileview?id=0BwSpwkHd8vxsMjE1MjNhNjQtZmFmYi00NWYxLWI4ZGItMjRlOGI0ZWU5YzJj&hl=en_GB

http://docs.google.com/fileview?id=0BwSpwkHd8vxsMTYzY2E5OTYtZTJmZi00NmY1LTkzMzYtODhmMGI5MWE0Zjhl&hl=en_GB

http://docs.google.com/fileview?id=0BwSpwkHd8vxsYTNiMmQxODQtMGY0Ny00NDc1LTljNmEtYzIwYjE5NDVhNDEy&hl=en_GB

http://docs.google.com/fileview?id=0BwSpwkHd8vxsODVmZWE3NWItZWY5Zi00NzEzLTg2ZmItN2YxZDVmYzI0MmZh&hl=en_GB

http://docs.google.com/fileview?id=0BwSpwkHd8vxsMGNlMjQyMjctMmUyNS00ZjNmLTgwYTMtMTRmN2U5ZTc1ZTgw&hl=en_GB

Charitable ICT donations & Healthcare Awards 2010

2009-11-06T17:59:00.004Z

First- Did you know there is a web site which promotes the distribution of FREE IT equipment to registered charities. The site is www.ctxchange.org. Let me know if you are successful so we can publicise the donation and then that will encourage others to apply because sometimes you see adverts such as this and they look to good to be true. Well this is a genuine advert and so good luck. The site also caters for larger organisations i.e. turnover in excess of £5 million where there are discounts off ICT equipment . All in all a good deal for everyone.

Second - The Welsh Language in Healthcare Awards 2010 have just been launched. The aim of the Awards is to share good practice and improve bilingual provision in healthcare. The emphasis of the Awards is on the experience of users. For more information please go to this link ........... www.wales.nhs.uk/welsh and on the page you will see in the left hand panel the words Nominate 2009. Best of luck to you all.
Let me know how you get on and if you are from Denbighshire we will celebrate your award in our newsletter.

Financial pressures in a recession - a new way in Denbighshire?

2009-11-06T16:40:00.005Z

I have written for our next newsletter an article of our (DVSC) plans in addressing the financial issues that are looming namely rising costs and standstill incomes or perhaps cuts in income. For us that means looking at our costs but in doing so making sure we avoid cutting "front line" service that means our staff.
So we are looking at back office costs such as ICT, HR, Finance inc audit and payroll. These are costs which are borne ordinarily by contracting with external bodies . In looking at these costs we have joined an all Wales group consisting of all Voluntary councils and consultants have been looking over our books and will be making recommendations as to the way forward i.e. where we can save money.

By starting this exercise I have started to think a bit closer to home namely what are we doing in Denbighshire to help ourselves and by helping ourselves we will be helping each other. How?

Well there will be a great many of us in the third sector that have HR , ICT and other contracts. What if we started to bundle them together into much larger contracts and let them . You would find that if we went that route the costs per organisation would be a lot less and whats more because the contract size is bigger the supplier would be more proactive in supporting the clients after all the supplier wouldn't want to lose such a good contract on the grounds of poor quality of service. Another feature would be by joining together we could , if we wanted, insist the supplier had to be local which means all the money we spend on the service would remain within Denbighshire that means all our money would be regenerating Denbighshire and therefore in turn helping our communities. The idea is so irresistible I wonder why we are not doing it?

So what are we going to do? Are we happy to carry on paying for services at much higher rates than is really necessary or are we going to club together and all benefit by reduced costs. I have already sounded out our local ICT supplier and he has confirmed that our costs would drop significantly if we were part of a larger contract. Also I have had a meeting with a company called Auditell and they are telling me the same thing.

Doing nothing is not an option for DVSC. We are committed to delivery of quality services at best value. I imagine those sentiments ring true for every third sector organisation the length and breadth of this Country

For those third sector organisations that like the idea of joining a consortium for reducing costs then why not email me or telephone so that we can see what can be achieved with no obligation at this stage whatsoever.

Climate Change Champions Competition 2010 - 2 weeks left - have you applied?

2009-11-05T15:54:00.001Z

Time is running out to enter our Climate Change Champions 2010 Competition. We are looking for 6 enthusiastic young people aged 14-18 from across Wales to become Climate Change Champions for 2010.

The competition will offer 6 young people the opportunity to:
- appear on television and have their own news column and blogs;
- attend events in their local communities and across Wales to communicate the positive actions that people can take in their everyday lives to tackle climate change.

Dafydd Richards, a 2009 Champion, said:
“I have learned a lot about climate change and how it will affect us in the future. It has been a great experience and something that I will keep with me for the rest of my life!””

To see what the 2009 Champions got up to or to find out more information about the competition, visit www.walescarbonfootprint.gov.uk
The deadline for all entries is Wednesday 18 November – so hurry up and apply today!

Rhyl West - £10373.05 still available in Communities First Trust Fund

2009-11-04T15:30:00.002Z

There is still money left in the Communities First Trust Fund for organisations in Rhyl West.

So why not apply today as I am sure nobody wants the money unspent because it will simply revert back to the Welsh Assembly Government .

The criteria for getting the money is very broad and if in doubt why not contact us and we will give you all the help you need because , after all, that is what we are here for.

Funding opportunity - are you interested in joining forces with DVSC?

2009-11-03T21:38:00.003Z

The funding in question is the Big Lottery BIG Lifeskills for economic inactivity. Just received the notice and we have to submit a PQQ by early next month.

We will submit a PQQ if we have third sector partners - so the answer is quite simple do you want to join with us.

So far , following an email I sent out earlier today, I have had one positive response from Rhyl and by positive I mean really positive.
Keep in touch

Rhyl City Strategy - new Non Executive Director appointment

2009-11-03T00:27:00.003Z

I have just been appointed a Non Executive Director of Rhyl City Strategy. I am looking forward to joining the team and indeed feel very honoured to be invited as there is no doubt Rhyl City Strategy have been hugely successful in the town. We (DVSC) have developed a new strategic plan and Rhyl features significantly in that plan and so we are looking forward to working closely with Rhyl City Strategy in the months and years ahead.