IiC Action - Community and Voluntary Service Mid and North Beds
This programme offered accredited and non-accredited training opportunities and intensive advice for the voluntary and community sector in Bedfordshire and Luton. Each partner delivered a number of one-day, two-day or four-day courses in key locations in Bedfordshire and Luton, to improve the capacity of local voluntary and community organisations.
Partners in the project were:
1) CVS Mid and North Bedfordshire
2) Voluntary and Community Action South Bedfordshire
3) Voluntary Action Luton
4) Bedfordshire Adult Community Learning
5) Relate Bedfordshire and Luton
6) SEAD Ltd
The CVS holds information on over 3000 local groups, many of whom have indicated their training and development needs. The overall training needs of the voluntary and community sector are assessed as part of a CVS annual survey, and other partners are also responding to training demand from their clients. It was determined that the demand for one-day courses is high, but funding to run such a project is very limited.
Therefore all the courses were designed to improve the skills of those working in the voluntary and community sector, which would in turn build the capacity and improve the performance of their organisation.
The programme met the varied needs within the sector for training that is short and to the point, but also the need of others who require more intensive training and advice.
The project activities were:
- 30 one-day courses on a wide range of voluntary sector issues.
- Four two-day ICT courses delivered in partnership with the Adult and Community Learning, focussed especially on the needs of those working in the voluntary and community sector.
- One four-day accredited training course to equip members of the voluntary and community sector with skills for volunteering in the community.
- Four sessions of intensive advice to groups identified as requiring extra support.
The project outcomes were:
- Working with Adult and Community Learning to deliver courses in the voluntary sector venues helped continue to break down barriers between the voluntary sector and statutory learning providers.
- This has continued to build stronger relationships for future activities.
- Especially on IT courses, delegates were able to go back to their own organisations to train others.
- Four groups received intensive advice and support following training courses.
- 405 learners passed through the training programme (against a profile of 186).
The programme offered a mixture of customised support and general provision, catering for the diverse needs of the local sector which continued to help break down some of the barriers between the voluntary and statutory sectors, who worked more closely together to provide quality training and learning opportunities across Bedfordshire and Luton.
Contact for the project is:
Jan Warnier
Community and Voluntary Service Mid and North Beds
43 Bromham Road
Bedford
MK40 2AA
Tel: 01234-354366
Email: jan@cvsmidandnorthbeds.org.uk
