EVENTS AND TRAINING

The Community Recycling Network UK and London Community Recycling Network Annual Conference and Exhibition

Wednesday 4 and Thursday 5 June, Central London.

Social enterprises and community sector organisations are essential to the development of the UK's green potential, this two day conference and exhibition will give your company unrivalled access to those organisations who will help realise this future.

Book your exhibition space today, 0117 942 0142, email events@crn.org.uk for more information

The programme

Two days of discussions, keynote speakers, facilitated workshops and networking designed to inform and entertain the community waste sector and those who work with them. Plus a full evening programme of dinners and entertainment for more informal business and networking opportunities.

Headline event topics for 2008 include:

Accessing commercial recycling opportunities;

Community finance and resource credits;

Working with new partners;

Achieving transformation;

Support for developing organisations.

National Programme for Third sector commissioning Roadshow 2008

Various dates & venues from 13 March - 19 June

Public procurement and third sector involvement. Understand how third sector procurement processes can get the best from the third sector

Voluntary sector: £95 + VAT

Public Sector: £195 +VAT

http://www.bipsolutions.com/events/pptsi_08/index.html

Community RePaint Event

30 April, Stirling

The day will include presentations and interactive workshops from existing schemes and Community RePaint.

£10 per delegate

Contact: Joyce Walsh, joyce@crns.org.uk , 01786 469002, http://www.crns.org.uk

Sustainable Action in Your Community Conference

10 April, Bodmin

This event organised ReZolve Kernow and Cornwall Waste Action (CWA) provides practical advice on how to start up, promote and run community based sustainability projects that will make a real difference to Cornwall's challenging social and environmental concerns.

£300 cash prize will be awarded to help one lucky group take their ideas forward.

Community/voluntary orgs: £10

Public/private sector: £30

Recycle Week 2008

Monday 2 - Friday 6 June

The national campaign will be taking place during this week & Recycle Now have a host of ideas for events you can run locally to tie in with it.

http://www.recyclenowpartners.org.uk/

Lets Recycle Recycling & Waste Forum 2008

16 & 17 April, Birmingham

http://www.letsrecycle.com/rwf/

Government subsidised Level 2 NVQ Qualifications

There is a new offer available to allow your staff to access the Level 2 NVQ qualification for free during the period of February to May 2008.   The two NVQ's on offer are Customer Service and Business Administration.  

Contact: Shane Jones on 020 7619 8300 or email shanej@prevista.co.uk

Train to Gain

Train to Gain is the single point of access for businesses of any size including voluntary, community and social enterprise organisations.

The Learning and Skills Council's Train to Gain service provides free impartial, independent advice on training to businesses across England. It can help businesses improve their productivity and competitiveness by ensuring that employees have the right skills to do the best job.

Train to Gain gives you access to a skills broker who will carry out a needs analysis of training within your business and help you assess what skills your business has now and what you will need in the future.

Contact: 0800 015 55 45

http://www.traintogain.gov.uk/

Safer Recruitment training
Free Safer Recruitment training funded by the Children's Workforce Development Council & delivered by Safeguarding Children Training Service for the Voluntary and Community Sectors. Safer recruitment and employment practices. Beneficial to all organisations, particularly those employing staff or using volunteers, to work with children.

13 May Sheffield

22 May Sheffield

19 June Sheffield

30 June Sheffield

Info: Deborah Somerset-Malia or Jane McClaren on 0114 3211715.

Gain a better understanding of how the Waste Electronic and Electrical Equipment Directive affects your business - free business breakfasts
These WEEE breakfast events are aimed primarily at business but others are welcome to attend

27 March, Stevenage
8am – 11am
Contact: Heidi Seary on 01223 411699 heidi@crn.org.uk

Improving Reach media training
Media Trust
12 free courses available in 2008

The project provides free communications and media support for small to medium sized charities and voluntary organisations that work with the following priority groups: black and minority ethnic; migrant and/or refugee; isolated rural; and faith.

Info: http://www.mediatrust.org/improving-reach

WRAP Recycling Managers Training Programme
Courses are aimed at recycling and waste managers in local authorities and those from not- for-profit/community organisations or private waste management companies who are directly involved in delivering and managing local authority recycling services.

See also additional courses including:
Working with the Community Course, Recycling Collection Systems for Flats and Estates

http://www.wrap.org.uk/local_authorities/training/index.html

Social Enterprise: Winning with 2012
This is a national project funded by the Office of the Third Sector (OTS) and is comprised of a partnership between Social Enterprise London (SEL) and Social Enterprise Coalition (SEC). The project aims to optimise the involvement of social enterprises across England in the development, delivery and legacy of the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Events taking place across England offer organisations the opportunity to build business partnerships as well as providing a forum for sharing best practice case studies and emerging 2012 developments.
http://www.sel.org.uk/2012/

CIWM Waste Awareness Courses
The course provides an introduction to waste management and gives delegates the knowledge, understanding and skills to improve the management of wastes. So far Community Waste Network East has trained 180 delegates with some of the courses being provided in-house as well as at public venues.
 
Cost: £40 community and charitable sector, £100 local authorities, £125 for business sector

27 March, Suffolk

Contact: Heidi Seary - heidi@crn.org.uk or tel: 07966 450426

Women & Work: Sector Pathways Initiative
Raising Skills and Unlocking Potential. To help in the up-skilling of women in the energy and utilities sector, Energy & Utility Skills is offering sector employers the benefit of a highly subsidised Women & Work: Personal Development Programme, designed to equip women with the tools they need to help with their career development. This opportunity is currently available to employees working in England only.

http://www.wrap.org.uk/local_authorities/training/index.html

Environmental Conservation (Community Recycling) Level 2 NVQ

This NVQ is designed for:

•  Waste operatives

•  Community Recycling - Local Authority or voluntary sector recycling operatives or technicians and kerbside collection staff

•  Shop floor staff/operatives

The NVQ aims to improve an individuals understanding relating to waste management and ensures that they are competent to segregate, store, transport, recycle and dispose of waste in accordance with organisational policies, procedures and applicable legislation. This qualification also supports sites waste management licences.

EMS are approved providers with A4e employment in Yorkshire and Humberside, East Midlands, West Midlands, London and the North East and can offer 100% funding for level 2 NVQ's in Community Recycling. To discuss eligibility criteria: Tel:   01246 418913, info@em-solutions.co.uk   www.em-solutions.co.uk

Every Action Counts
Every Action Counts is a Defra initiative (England only) focused on enabling community and voluntary organisations to look at the wider sustainable development issues within their organisations. The programme covers resource use, energy, ethical shopping, sustainable transport and caring for your local environment.

CRN UK and FRN are both involved in this initiative and as part of this we encourage your community group to become involved as well. Please register your organisation at www.everyactioncounts.org.uk to access the available advice and the list of easy steps to benefit your group.

Interested in free training?
Do you have any volunteers or members of staff who may be interested in becoming a Community Champion? One aim of the Every Action Counts programme is to recruit 'Community Champions' who will work through action plans with organisations to help them develop more sustainable practices.
Champions will be equipped to work voluntarily with a variety of community organisations to look at sustainable development within an organisation and to run through a toolkit to identify changes they can make.

Community Champions will attend a FREE two day accredited training course. Part of this training will focus on presentation and facilitation skills as well as training on wider sustainable development issues.

Course dates will be set as required and BTCV (who are delivering the training and community champions initiative) will adapt dates to suit. For example, if a group register together they can arrange dates and location to suit.

To register and further info: www.btcv.org/communitychampions
When registering your organisation or as a Community Champion, please indicate you have heard of this initiative through the Community Recycling Network.
Contact: Lizzy White via eac@crn.org.uk