| Training | Resources | Funding | Effective practice | Policy
This is the e-newsletter from Church Urban Fund (formerly Xchange) with info on events, resources and project ideas for Christians interested in tackling poverty in their community. |
| | Tackling Homelessness Together – 29th March, London
Church Urban Fund is running a free workshop in partnership with Housing Justice to inspire and equip your church to support people struggling with homelessness. You will have the chance to listen to experienced practitioners in the field and meet local activists working in their areas to tackle homelessness. It will be hosted at Hinde Street Methodist Church, home of West London Mission, a charity experienced in a wide range of work supporting people who are homeless. Book your place online. | |  Tackling Poverty Conference – 18 April, Leeds
Tackling Poverty 2012 is Church Urban Fund's annual national conference for community activists, youth workers, clergy and volunteers tackling poverty in their communities. Join others in exploring issues that affect social action. There will be speakers in the morning, including Most Revd and Rt Hon Dr John Sentamu the Archbishop of York, John Bell from the Iona Community and Helen Gatenby from M13 Youth Project, and a choice of interactive workshops. The cost of the day is £10 (including lunch), and you can book conference places online.
| | Building sustainability in the BME women's sector - 6th March, Manchester
The voluntary and community sector faces extremely challenging times, especially the Black and Ethnic Minority women's sector. If you are working in this sector you are invited to come along and join Oxfam at this event, where you can talk to funders about your group or community's needs; learn more about social enterprise, winning contracts and writing successful funding bids; visit funders' stalls to find out about their funding and support; network with other groups, hearing about how they are building their sustainability, and enjoy hot food provided by two BME social enterprises. | | Just Employment - an employment guide for charities
Just Employment includes a wide range of additional resources such as templates and examples of contracts and letters. It is designed to help projects employ both paid staff and volunteers with a duty of care that embraces both the employers' legal obligations, and the moral and ethical standards expected of the faith/third sector. Just Employment was developed by Church Urban Fund and the Dioceses of Chester, Liverpool and Manchester to help and support you. | | Volunteer Coordinator vacancy at Church Urban Fund
Church Urban Fund is currently looking to recruit a Volunteer Operations Coordinator. Further details are available online. | | Refugees into Business
This toolkit is for advisers within Refugee Community Organisations (RCOs) to help them work with refugees who would like to start their own businesses and become self-employed. It forms part of a family of advice materials that aim to assist refugees to set up in business, including Supporting Refugee Entrepreneurs - a toolkit for mainstream business advisers who want to work with refugees. | | Just People? Your church engaging with justice
Community Mission has developed "Just People?", a six-week interactive course bringing together down-to-earth theology, reflection, inspiration and experience with practical exercises. It will help your church or youth group grapple with issues of justice and poverty and think practically about how they can respond effectively as an integral part of their mission. | Cross Pollinate funding event - 24th April, London
Cross Pollinate is a new event designed to connect Christian charities with those who have a heart for giving. A Cross Pollinate evening will see a handful of Christian charities present for 6 minutes each on what they could do with £5,000, followed by six minutes of questions and answers with the audience. There will be an opportunity for the audience and participating charity representatives to mingle and chat over refreshments and a pledging session where guests will be encouraged to discreetly donate funds. Requests by small Christian charities to present should be submitted by 13th March. See the Cross Pollinate website for more details. | | The Wakenham Trust
The Wakenham Trust provides grants to volunteers and small organisations helping to rebuild their communities through, for example, neighbourhood projects, community arts, encouraging young people's involvement, and helping those who are socially excluded. Generally it supports very new, small groups who do not yet employ staff. | | The Drapers' Charitable Fund
The Drapers' Charitable Fund awards grants to help improve the quality of life for people and their communities. It targets the disadvantaged and socially excluded through grants in the fields of education and relief of need. Grants are also awarded in support of textiles, heritage and the arts, and for projects in Northern Ireland. | | Growing church through social action - national survey
Does active engagement in the community help to stimulate church "growth"? This report is based on a national online survey of around 900 Anglican clergy, looking at the extent to which churches are meeting poverty-related needs in their communities, and interviews with a selection of clergy from churches known to be very active in tackling poverty. The findings suggest that churches that are engaging with the poor and marginalised are more likely to be "healthy" and "attractive", relevant and active in their communities. This work was commissioned by Church Urban Fund and conducted independently by Christian Research Consultancy in collaboration with the Church of England's Research and Statistics division. | | Fresh Expressions - emerging forms of church in deprived communities
Working in deprived areas, many Christians have often tried to set up initiatives and projects that support people materially and also seek to connect people to God and the wider church. Church Urban Fund and Fresh Expressions Ltd commissioned a study into how this was being worked out. This report summarises the key issues facing emerging forms of church in deprived communities. | | Setting up a debt advice centre
This short leaflet is an introduction to debt advice centres, how churches can go about setting one up, what is needed to make it work, and what support is available. | | Charity development online toolkit
The Basis Project has developed a comprehensive online toolkit to help charities working with refugees to develop their work. It also contains useful all-round advice for anyone looking for information on financial management, fundraising, governance, and project development. | |
Youth Unemployment: A new report published by the Commission on Youth Unemployment calls for emergency action to help the one in five young people who are currently not in employment, education or training. It suggests practical steps for government such as ensuring there are more job opportunities for young people, mentoring and earlier, targetted help.
Welfare Reform Bill: Proposed changes to welfare benefit - such as the benefit cap, abolition of the social fund, sanctions, and a new civil penalty - are likely to hit the most vulnerable and poor, according to Community Links. Disability benefit cuts: According to charities for the disabled, the level of abuse suffered by disabled people has increased over the last few months. Charities such as the National Autistic Society put such tension down to recent government narratives against "benefit scroungers", illustrated by proposed cuts to disability benefits. There are fears that this will fuel media and public resentment towards disabled people. | |
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