A workbook about how to create a learning and development plan for a third sector organisation has been produced by sector support umbrella body NAVCA. The Get Skilled Workbook is aimed at those working with local groups, and can be downloaded from http://www.navca.org.uk/services/learningopps/skild/getskilled - workbook is 1.59MB pdf, with worksheets in Word format. The workbook is based on ‘A Practical Guide to Planning Training and Development Strategies’ by Greater London Enterprises and Gowland Taylor Associates.

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29 September 2008
© VoluntaryNews

A list of the top 25 countryside icons was created for public vote this week from a selection by award winning authors, journalists, photographers and filmmakers including Alan Titchmarsh, Alice Temperley, Michael Palin, Kevin Spacey and Sebastian Faulks. Their diverse nominations include Land’s End, crags, canal boating and post boxes. The top 25 were drawn from 70 icons featured in a new book, Icons of England, published this week by the Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE), which pays homage to the stunning countryside and the historic monuments and locations that set this country apart from the rest of the world. All the icons can be viewed and voted for online, at www.cpre.org.uk CPRE are asking the public to help choose the number one favourite icon of the countryside – either from the 25 selected or by nominating something new. Bill Bryson, President of CPRE said: ‘With difficulty we chose 25 countryside icons for the public vote. And if we have missed out on an important icon then people can nominate a new one.’ Those who take part in the online poll will be entered into a free draw to win one of 5 copies of the book Icons of England signed by Bill Bryson, CPRE President and contributor to the book. Bill Bryson concluded:
‘There is much to celebrate about our wonderful countryside and we would urge everyone with a love of that countryside to forget, for a moment, about the credit crunch or similarly weighty subjects, and help us celebrate what makes this Island a unique and special place to live.’

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12 September 2008
© CPRE

Play your Part is a toolkit for teachers to help encourage pupils to play an active role in community projects; it can be used to support Citizenship, Drama, Geography and PSHE lessons. This site includes ideas, resources, activities and teaching aids designed to raise awareness of sustainable communities, inspire young people to play a part in improving their communities and develop the skills, knowledge and understanding needed to devise and run successful citizen projects. The site has resources in four main areas: What makes a good community; What can we do to improve our communities; Planning and carrying out an active citizenship project; Celebrate and evaluate achievements.

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15 September 2008
© The Academy for Sustainable Communities

Plain English is essential to ensure local government communication is clear and easy to understand. This resource looks at writing plain English in local government. It offers: advice on how to write and edit; advice on how to manage your colleagues’ writing; features and case studies on developing plain English personally and in your organisation; tips on how to deal with tricky grammar and syntax and avoid common mistakes; tests to gauge your plain English ability; a crash course in the plain English basics to improve your writing; useful resources on this and other websites. If you have any feedback, please email our web team: webmaster@idea.gov.uk

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11 September 2008
© I&DeA

Husband and wife Bert and Gwen Harrold, both in their 80s, are among groups of older residents across Essex who are challenging stereotypes – by embracing modern technology and using it to help keep fit and active. The Nintendo Wii is one of the biggest success stories of an ambitious project funded by Essex county council and its partners, which introduces older people in residential homes to computers and the internet. Cllr David Finch, cabinet member for adults, health and community wellbeing, said: “Perhaps the pace may be a little slower than the average teenager but there certainly doesn’t appear to be much difference in the level of enjoyment. “This new technology is a great, if unconventional, way of helping keep older people mentally and physically in tip top condition, thereby improving their overall health and wellbeing – one of the council’s top priorities.”

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10 September 2008
© LGA

London’s small businesses are to get help to bring innovative new products to the market following the launch of ‘Knowledge Connect’ - a new business support programme from the London Development Agency (LDA). Knowledge Connect will enable small and medium enterprises (SMEs) to get in touch with universities, further education colleges and private sector specialists to develop new business opportunities. Knowledge transfer is at the centre of London’s economy enabling the transfer of ideas and skills between the capital’s 43 higher education institutions universities, other knowledge base organisations, businesses and the wider community. This promotes the development of innovative new products and services - enhancing the performance and competitiveness of London’s businesses.

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13 August 2008
© London Development Agency

The Open University has launched a YouTube ™ Channel with over 300 videos to extend its commitment to broadening access to education. YouTube is the leading online video community that allows people to discover, watch and share originally created videos. OUView – at http://www.youtube.com/ou - is now live. Video taken from Open University courses is available on the OULearn Channel and features household names such as broadcaster Sir David Attenborough and inventor James Dyson. Videos cover subjects from arts and history to science and nature, in bite-sized chunks of two to three minutes each. OULife is a channel for The Open University’s staff and students to upload their own videos – from graduation ceremonies to video blogs. The launch includes a series of video blogs where Open University staff and students talk about what they’ve learnt from YouTube.

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4 August 2008
© Open University

From today FE colleges and training providers can tap into a new fund to help them connect with businesses in an innovative and collaborative way. This fund has been created to help England compete in the global skills race – putting the FE sector at the heart of improving the skills of businesses and individuals. It will help unlock the talent of the FE workforce and drive business innovation, enabling FE colleges and training providers to refine and expand the way they manage and deliver their employer training solutions. Finally, it will allow them to learn from their experiences, and share that learning more widely.

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28 July 2008
© LSC

Capacity-building charity Resource Alliance is asking UK overseas aid agencies to share their fundraising expertise with organisations in countries with less developed voluntary sectors. A study by the alliance of fundraising in central Europe shows that a lack of resources is preventing charities in Poland, Slovakia, the Czech Republic and Hungary from developing fundraising techniques and donor databases.

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23 July 2008
© Hannah Jordan, Third Sector

Sheerness played host to Welsh Secretary and Minister for Digital Inclusion Paul Murphy who visited the town yesterday on his first ever trip to a UK online centre. Derek Wyatt, MP for Sittingbourne and Sheppey, took the Minister along to see the 1st Byte @ Sheerness centre on Hope Street. The centre, like 6,000 other UK online centres across England, helps local people get to grips with computers and the internet. Paul Murphy chatted with visitors about their experiences, and met with Centre Manager Clive Elliott and Head of Delivery at UK online centres Rob Tate to discuss local and national digital inclusion issues.

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21 July 2008
© Wales Office