Guidance
- Harassment suffered by Muslims
- Advice Portal for ethnic professionals and employers
- Equality Practice Survey commissioned by MENTER
- New Community Engagement Strategy consultation
- Faith Friendly, practical quality assurance system
- Refugee Council On-Line Information Service
- The Economic Case for Cohesion
- Faith and governance: The Charity Commission report for all faith-based charities
- 2007-08 Citizenship Survey: Community cohestion topic report
- You are invited to participate in FaithXchange
- The Diocese of Hereford has launched a Toolkit - A Community Development Approach to the Use of Church Buildings
- Duty to Promote Democracy: Equality impact assessment
- Stronger Together (NGLN report)
- Serco Welfare to Work
- The Refugee Integration and Employment Service is looking for volunteers and mentors in the region
- Free Faiths IT Helpline for the East of England
- Community Empowerment: events in the region
- The Cambridge Community Knowldege Exchange: new iniative from University of Cambridge
- Interfaith Facilitators Online Community
- Churches and Faith Buildings: Realising the potential
- A Future for Community Development
- Making the Most of Your Money
Harrassment suffered by Muslims
Equality and Diversity Forum is currently researching specific examples of harassment suffered by Muslims in public
sector services and closed environments (i.e. in a range of settings from prisons, mental health, residential/community care,
education and hospital services). If anyone has any examples that they know of, or have documents available in their
libraries or names of regional papers that hold this kind of information please contact EDF directly on
info@edf.org.uk
Advice Portal for ethnic professionals and employers
Diverse Ethics Ltd has launched a new web portal to help Britain find new ways out of the recession, through tapping
into the strength and creativity of its ethnic professionals. The portal encourages employers to utilise this resource,
and professionals to bring their cultural and ethical values to the workplace. The portal contains advice, interviews and resources.
Diverse Ethics Ltd. is a Social Enterprise, based in Colchester, Essex. The portal can be accessed at:
www.diverseethics.com
Equality Practice Survey commissioned by MENTER
Please take time to complete this short survey of employers operating in the private, public and the third sector.
This survey is being conducted to find out more about current equality practice in the East of England Region.
By completing this survey you will help shape future services and employment practice in the region.
The survey takes less than ten minutes to complete and you will be entered into a prize draw. To access the survey:
please click here.
For more information contact:
equalitiesintheeast@googlemail.com or visit
www.menter.org.uk
New Community Engagement Strategy consultation
New Community Engagement Strategy consultation
Cambridgeshire County Council, intend to ensure that people in Cambridgeshire have the skills and confidence
to take part in decision making, and to be able to shape their local area and the services they receive,
whether they live in a rural community, a market town or a city. The public consultation on the draft
strategy closed on 24 November 2009. Those living and working in Cambridgeshire were invited to take part. Information
about the results of the consultation - and the draft documents can be seen by visiting the Cambridgeshire County Council
website:
click here
Faith Friendly, practical quality assurance system
Faithbased Regeneration Network will shortly be running a pilot of a faith-friendly, practical quality assurance system
that will be useful in both developing their organisations and also in demonstrating their value to the world outside.
FbRN is currently inviting faith-based groups to be one of six pilot organisations. To act as a pilot please contact them
on 020 7471 6791 or
valr@fbrn.org.uk
Refugee Council On-Line Information Service
An on-line resource containing comprehensive and regularly updated information on the asylum process, support and entitlement. It is available by subscription only and is aimed at anyone working with refugees or those looking to gain knowledge about the sector. Easy to use, authoritative and up-to-date, it contains information on the entire asylum process from beginning to end. Annual subscription fees 2009:
To subscribe, email: subscriptions@refugeecouncil.org.uk
The Economic Case for Cohesion
This Communities and Local Government (CLG) study looks at the available evidence on the economic
benefits of building cohesion. It reviews evidence for crime, fear of crime, education, employment,
health and economic investment. For further information visit the CLG website:
click here
Faith and governance
The Charity Commission has published a report for all faith-based charities to
help them establish strong trustee bodies and good practice. You can access the report on the Charity Commission's website by
clicking here
2007-08 Citizenship Survey: Community cohestion topic report
This CLG report provides an in-depth examination of community cohesion, attitudes towards the
neighbourhood and the local area, belonging to the neighbourhood, fear of crime, social networks and
peoples' interactions with people from different backgrounds. For further information visit the CLG website:
click here
You are invited to participate in FaithXchange
FaithXchange is a new network for researchers, research-minded practitioners and policy makers working in the area of
‘young people and faith-based social action’. The network is hosted by the Faiths and Civil Society Unit at Goldsmiths College in partnership
with DeMontfort University. More information including details of a forthcoming meeting at Derby Multifaith Centre see:
www.fbrn.org.uk./news/you-are-invited-participate-faithxchange
The Diocese of Hereford has launched a Toolkit - A Community Development Approach to the Use of Church Buildings
The Toolkit will take churches through the whole process of opening up their church for wider community use. Most of the material is of
equal relevance to this region and any form of community building both in a rural or urban setting. The Toolkit can be downloaded from the
Diocese of Hereford website
by clicking here
Duty to Promote Democracy: Equality impact assessment
Local authorities have a duty to promote understanding of local governance systems and
opportunities for members of the public to be involved. This CLG review assesses the impact this
policy will have on different equality groups. For further information visit the CLG website:
clcik here
Stronger Together
This New Local Government Network (NLGN) report suggests that the Government’s current scheme
on tackling extremism is alienating Muslim communities and should be reviewed. NLGN is calling for the
£45million scheme to focus on tackling all extremism – including far-right – rather than just focusing on
Islamic extremism.
For further information visit the NGLN website:
click here
Serco Welfare to Work
Would like to hear from organisations interested in partnership working to deliver New Deal Phase 2,
the government’s new flagship employment initiative to support long-term unemployed people into decent,
sustainable work. Community-based organisations will be subcontracted to deliver core elements of the programme,
supporting jobseekers to access and sustain employment, or become part of a network of Specialist Support Providers
to provide additional services to jobseekers with complex needs. For more information, please contact
Serco’s regional partnership manager, Chris Harrison: 07738 896447 or
Christopher.harrison@serco.com
The Refugee Integration and Employment Service is looking for volunteers and mentors in the region
The REIS is looking for volunteers and mentors in the region, to help new refugees integrate into the locality.
For more information contact Tom Daly, Volunteer Coordinator RIES, Refugee Council Eastern Region,
Ipswich IP1 1HT, 01473 297908,
thomas.daly@refugeecouncil.org.uk
Free Faiths IT Helpline for the East of England
To support faith and inter faith groups who want to overcome IT barriers,
the East of England Faiths Council has teamed up with i-TRUST – a social enterprise specialising
in support for voluntary bodies - to provide straightforward, personal advice on IT.
If you need assistance, advice or training, call 07865 971221 between 10am and 12 noon Mondays and Thursdays,
and between 3.00pm and 5.00pm Tuesdays.
Send email queries to
faithsIThelp@i-trust.org.uk
Community Empowerment
The REP is holding a whole range of events on Community Empowerment such as Councillor Briefings,
Learning Events, Project Visits, Training on tools. The events are taking place at different locations across the East of England and are
targeted towards a range of audiences interested in community empowerment issues. A full listing of the events can be viewed at
click here
The Cambridge Community Knowledge Exchange
The Cambridge Community Knowledge Exchange is a new initiative from the University of Cambridge which provides free access
to research for voluntary and community sector organisations. Voluntary and community sector organisations can gain access to
research services free of charge whilst students have the opportunity to apply academic skills in the community. They accept requests
for research on all subjects - including management and strategic planning, policy and legal research, information technology,
community health issues, local history and environmental issues as well as a broad range of social issues.
If you are a VCS organisation with a research need? Contact via email:
ccke@admin.cam.ac.uk
or tel: 01223 764069 or visit:
www.cam.ac.uk/ccke
Interfaith Facilitators Online Community
St Ethelburga's Centre for Reconciliation and Peace has created an online community
for Interfaith Facilitators. It is easy to sign up, you can add background info about yourself on
your profile page, post up forthcoming events, follow discussion threads, create blogs, upload videos,
and arrange the settings so that you don’t get more mail than you want to receive. Visit:
interfaithfacilitators.ning.com
Churches and Faith Buildings: Realising the potential
A new joint publication from the Government and the Church of England to help faith groups
identify sources of funding to make their buildings more sustainable, by enhancing the facilities
and services they offer to local communities. It also discusses faith and local authority structures
like LSPs (local strategic partnerships), and regional bodies, and the reluctance of some funders to fund
faith-based projects. 'Churches and Faith Buildings: Realising the Potential' can be downloaded at
www.culture.gov.uk/
reference_library/publications/5991.aspx
A Future for Community Development
CDF's new report examines how the community development field and profession is likely to be affected by the recession, and after a general election.
The paper explores where the opportunities for community development may lie in the coming years, examining the most likely scenarios for 2010,
particularly from a policy and economic perspective.
To read the report, visit www.cdf.org.uk.
For more information, contact Tom Archer at tom.archer@cdf.org.uk
Making the Most of Your Money
The Financial Services Authority (FSA), the UK’s financial regulator, is offering VCS organisations FREE
financial education programmes to help manage money in the present economic climate. Presentations are available
to groups of a minimum of 20 staff or volunteers and the FSA have suggested that groups may wish to liaise to share
an event if providing sufficient numbers are a difficulty. There is also an interactive CD Rom covering the presentation
and a text of the guide. For details or to book a place email:
mike.bailey@fsa.gov.uk more help available at www.moneymadeclear.fsa.gov.uk
www.whataboutmoney.info or
www.fsa.gov.uk/financial_capability