What does this
mean for you and your organisation?Well, if you haven’t heard already, this is an excellent opportunity
for any voluntary, community or social enterprise organisation to tap into a
broad range of free advice and expertise, which, if appropriate, can be
tailored to meet your needs.At
the last count over two hundred organisations across
Norfolk
have sought and accessed assistance through the project since its launch
last November. The over arching aim of Seamless Support is to develop you
and your group’s skills to strengthen and enhance the vital services that
you deliver.Further more this
is an opportunity to gain an increased awareness and understanding of how
becoming a social enterprise could improve your group’s sustainability.
Who’s involved in the
project? Alongside
our-selves at WNVCA, there are Norwich and Norfolk
Voluntary Services, Norfolk Rural Community Council and The Guild, working
in partnership to deliver Seamless Support across the whole of the county.The project itself is funded by EEDA (East of England Development
Agency) through the Investing in Communities fund.Each of the four partners has particular knowledge and skills which
will be of benefit to all organisations working within the voluntary and
community sector.
What is
available and how is it delivered? There are four main delivery
methods open to organisations joining the project.
Firstly, one to one support from a
development officer
Secondly, training sessions delivered
by one or more of the partner agencies covering a range of topics from
action planning for the future to effective fund raising
Thirdly, up to three hours of coaching
from a pool of experts who can help you tackle a particular problem such
as developing a business plan
Lastly, there is also a bursary scheme
which has £500 available per group to help build skills and knowledge
and in turn move away from short term, grant reliant funding.
How do I access this support? By contacting either
Ian Francis (Development Officer) here at West Norfolk
Voluntary Community Action (01553 760568,
ianf@westnorfolkvca.org) or one
of the partner agencies involved if you are not based in the Borough of
Kings Lynn or West Norfolk.There is
also a website to visit (www.seamlesssupport.co.uk)
where you can see the current list of training available, read the
comprehensive guidelines for bursary applications and access more details
including contact information on the other agencies involved.Remember this service is free,
there is no joining fee and no
costs attached to the services on offer, all we need is your verbal
agreement and group contact details for you to access what’s on offer.
voluntary
organisation
