Welcome to the website of the Gloucestershire Assembly for the Voluntary and Community Sector

This website provides information which supports the development of a strategic voice for the Voluntary and Community Sector (VCS) in Gloucestershire. 

It is designed to be a useful resource for those involved in organisations around the county, whether as volunteer, paid worker, management committee member or partner.

News

 

An evening of awards and celebration at this year’s Gloscars

Almost one hundred guests from voluntary and community groups in the county came together for an evening of celebration last week, at Pittville Pump Rooms, for the first ever Gloscars Awards Ceremony.

The evening, organised by the Gloucestershire VCS Assembly, aimed to celebrate the achievements of the VCS and recognise the hugely diverse contribution that groups are making to the communities of Gloucestershire.  Many organisations present used the evening as a thank you for hard-working trustees and volunteers. 

The awards were presented by Jamila Gavin, a local best-selling author, and trustee of the Summerfield Trust.

Award winners were:

  • Best Governance:  Gloucestershire Action for Refugees and Asylum Seekers
  • Best at Involving Volunteers: Age Concern Gloucestershire
  • Best at Involving Diverse Communities: The Meningitis Trust
  • Best Community Based Activity: Vision 21 “Get up and Grow”
  • Best Partnership/Collaboration: GL Communities
  • Most Innovative Project: Cheltenham Volunteer Centre “Snappers”
  • Thanks for Representing the VCS: Peter Steel, Independence Trust

In these straitened economic times, the role of the VCS in supporting local communities is crucial.  Congratulations to all the nominees and to all the award winners, and roll on next year’s Gloscars!

To view pictures from the event, visit the Flickr website and a list of all the nominees on the Gloscars page.

For more information on the Gloucestershire VCS Assembly, contact Roisin Harte on 01452 522600 or email


Someone else’s office is the place to be!  Compact Shadowing is coming up

Curious about public sector partners?  Want to find out more about a particular voluntary organisation or an area of work?

Then register your interest to take part in the Compact Shadowing exercise later this year.  All you need is to keep a half day free in September or October.   You can either offer to be a host to someone wanting to take up a shadowing opportunity, or you can shadow someone from a different sector yourself – and it’s even better if you do both!

The aim of Compact Shadowing is to increase understanding between the sectors.   Last year, forty people took part.  All participants found it a hugely positive and interesting experience.  One commented:
“I have a greater understanding of the huge amount of knowledge and experience that they [the VCS] can contribute to the strategic planning process”.

So if you are passionate about partnerships and want to take part, contact Roisin Harte on 01452 522600 or email

 

Better VCS Commissioning

The VCS Assembly Team has been funded by the Gloucestershire Primary Care Trust to manage a one-year ‘Better VCS Commissioning’ Project.  The project will be carried out by Resolve Consultancy, a group of consultants with lots of experience, skills, national and local knowledge. 

This project will draw on the views of commissioners and the VCS to develop a VCS Commissioning Strategy that is adopted by the Gloucestershire Conference and implemented across the county.  It will run from June 2009 – June 2010. 

Better Commissioning Workshops

A series of workshops have been organised as part of this project.
The dates of the workshops are:

  • Tuesday 22 September 9:30-1pm at GAVCA in Gloucester
  • Thursday 8 October at Cheltenham Resource Centre in Cheltenham
  • Monday 12 October at GAVCA
  • Tuesday 3 November at GAVCA

For more details, visit the webpage at www.gloshub.org.uk/training.html or contact , 01452 522600

 

Interested in getting heard the voice of unrepresented voluntary and community sector groups?

The Assembly Team has started thinking about the 2009 Gloucestershire Compact annual event to review the effectiveness of partnership working between the public and voluntary and community sectors (VCS) in Gloucestershire.  This year the focus of the event will be the relationship between under-represented VCS groups and the public sector, identifying challenges, opportunities and practical ways to improve outcomes for communities. 

The annual event will be part of the South West Forum’s annual conference in November and is the opportunity for Gloucestershire to show partners from all over the South West, Gloucestershire’s willingness to constructively tackle this issue and make a difference.

The first meeting of a working group to plan this event will be on Monday 6th July 10-12 at GAVCA in Gloucester.  If you would like to attend this meeting contact 01452 522600 stating the name and date of the meeting. For more information contact , or 01452 522600

 

How to represent the interests of Black and Minority ethnic (BME) Children, Young People and their Families

Thursday 9 July 10-12
Gloucester

Are you a BME organisation, and/or does your organisation work with BME children, young people and their families? Are you passionate about improving their outcomes?

The Commissioning Board of the Children and Young People’s Strategic Partnership (CYPSP) oversees important parts of the commissioning and procurement activity of CYPD and the CYPSP, and manages the procurement of 100s of 1000s of pounds of services every year.

Currently, there is no BME voice on this important body, bringing expert knowledge to these activities so that they are inclusive of the needs of BME children and young people.

If you’re passionate about good outcomes for children and young people from BME communities, and would like to find out how you could influence commissioning and procurement undertaken by the CYPSP and CYPD, come to a meeting organised by the Assembly Team (See below)

Would you be willing to be part of an advisory group supporting a representative on the Commissioning Board? The Assembly Team would provide support to this group to set up and run, and would offer ongoing administrative and policy support, and support to a representative on the Commissioning Board.

Want to find out more? Come to the meeting:
Thursday 9 July, 10.00 – 12.00
City Works Alfred Street, Gloucester, GL1 4DF.

If you’d like to attend, please let us know by e-mailing  If you want to discuss this in more detail, contact Bob Lewis (Children and Young People’s Development Worker, Assembly Team) by emailing or ringing 01452 522600.