The Basis Project blog

Web development training in Leeds

A very enjoyable day in Leeds on Saturday running the website training course that I've been piloting.

A lot of interest and enthusiasm from everyone who attended, confirming my belief that a website can be a real benefit to refugee community organisations (RCOs).

As well as discussing what makes for a good website, we also looked at Weebly.com, one of the free online website building tools - another is Yola.com. For organisations with little or no money to spend, these tools offer one of the best ways to get a site up and running.

The Chadian Community Centre, who attended the London training in September, have (with a little help) set up a site using Weebly - it will be interesting to see if any of the Leeds RCOs do the same.

Free monitoring and evaluation training - Brighton

The following training run by the Basis Project is open to all organisations, including those not currently working with the Basis Project. Places are limited, so please book in advance.

Monitoring and evaluation for small organisations  - 6 November, Brighton

Training from the Basis Project in partnership with the UNI Network and Black and Minority Ethnic Partnership (BMECP) .

Venue: Clarendon Centre, 47 New England Street, Brighton, BN1 4GQ .
Date: Friday 6 November 10.00am to 3.45pm
Cost: Free

To book a place please contact Beatriz Fernandez on BeatrizF@refugee-action.org.uk or call 07776454237.

Web training - London

The Basis Project held its first website development training session this week. Seven people from five refugee community organisations attended and we'll now be following-up to help them take the next steps to set up a site or develop their existing one.

 
If you'd like to know more, you can download the training notes (pdf).

And this chapter from web design expert Steve Krug's book provides an excellent overview of many of the issues we discsussed. 

Free fundraising training - Brighton

The following training run by the Basis Project is open to all organisations, including those not currently working with the Basis Project. Places are limited, so please book in advance.

Writing winning fundraising applications
(Useful for those who have little or no experience fundraising)

Run by the Basis Project in partnership with the Black and Minority Ethnic Community Partnership.
Facilitator: Beatriz Fernandez (the Basis Project and Refugee Action)
Venue: Clarendon Centre, 47 New England Street, Brighton, BN1 4GQ .
Date: Friday 4 December 10.00am to 3.45pm
Cost: Free.

To book a place please contact Beatriz Fernandez on BeatrizF@refugee-action.org.uk or call 07776454237.

“Action – Reflection – Action”

By Alain Munyangabe, Basis Project Training and Development Support Worker

Last weekend on 27 June 2009, Beatriz Fernandez, South East Organisation Development Officer for the Basis Project, facilitated an event for Reading Refugee Support Group (RRSG) in Reading.

It was in fact a discussion on what RRSG should prioritise for the next two or three years. Her methodology made me think either of Paolo Freire with his very popular education methodology on the cycle Action- Reflection- Action, or Appreciative Inquiry as a way of thinking, seeing and acting for powerful, purposeful change in an organisation.

After introductions, Beatriz asked Jean Carroll, the chair to explain the background of the organisation to the participants who were: trustees, volunteers, staff members and service users.

After this, Beatriz had already prepared the flipcharts on everything they do: Case work, event support, refugee awareness, outreach services, and so on… the interaction was so interesting that some clarifications were sought from staff members on how they do things.

After a cosy lunch under the sun and trees on the RRSC roof terrace, I conducted a short energiser exercise that made everyone use their body as if they were jungle drums.

I divided the attendees into three groups and focused on three areas: clients they work with, services they provide and the new services they may deliver in the future. Although an agreement was reached on what to prioritise, this event was only the start of a process of client engagement and work planning for RRSG.

Throughout the day the issue of how service users can be more involved was raised. The service users present hailed the work of RRSG and insisted on being involved in the activities of the organisation. One said that being called to attend the event was an honour and she caused laughter when she said that she came because she received a direct phone call and not a letter that could have ended up in the bin!

The day closed at 3.30pm and the feedback was very positive. Beatriz was thanked for the way she facilitated the day and the participants enjoyed the opportunity to explore the future of their organisation.

Training in Brighton – roles and responsibilities of the Management Committee

A day in the life of an Organisational Development Officer, by May Macnair (Basis Project Assistant)

As the Basis Project Assistant my role is very varied – I’m the main contact for the national team, I work on areas of project development, send out Refugee Community Organisation (RCO) e-news, and so on.

To learn more about the work of our Organisational Development Officers (ODOs), I decided to shadow one of Beatriz Fernandez’s training events - she covers the South East region. So, I hopped on a train to Brighton for the day and arrived at the Friends Meeting House, where all sorts of workshops were taking place.

Flashing studio lights indicated a photography workshop, a boy liquidising what looked like beetroot and chocolate was a ‘raw food’ workshop, I later found out, and, of course, there was the ‘roles and responsibilities of the management committee’ training which was why I was there. I met the Oromo Community of Brighton, a local Ethiopian RCO, that run a women’s group, a youth group, and education and language classes. Coincidently I was wearing my blue and white striped Ethiopian scarf which, of course, they recognised straight away.

We started the session by throwing around balloons, believe it or not! Balloons don’t have an obvious link with learning about the roles and responsibilities of the management committee… but they are a great way of starting the day off joyfully, and making people relax.

We then went around the group, introducing our names, what they mean, where they come from, and whether we like them or not. Once everyone knew each other, with the help of an interpreter we discussed the expectations of the day and what each member of the group wanted to get out of it. Beatriz then introduced the background of charities and community organisations, their legal structures, and the pros and cons of being one. I learnt that all charities must register if they have an income of more than £5,000 a year. I also learnt about Members of organisations, and their role in representing the community.

This took us up to break time, when we had some young family visitors who popped by to say hello. After the break we moved on to the roles and responsibilities of the management committee, in particular the chair, the secretary and the treasurer. We brainstormed ideas in pairs, and then fed back to the rest of the group. Beatriz emphasised that everyone on the management committee has equal responsibilities to the organisation, not just the chair. To finish off we did a short ‘energiser’ which involved spelling out the word coconut with our bodies, getting faster each time. This certainly put our spelling and flexibility to the test!

I came back from the day feeling much more knowledgeable. The group was so eager to learn and really engaging, asking questions throughout. Everyone inputted to discussions and openly shared their experiences. And Beatriz was an inspiration; she’s a clear, informed and interactive trainer. Given that this was a Saturday. I’m looking forward to seeing her in action on a weekday!

Training - Improving Reach

Training For Work In Communities presents:

Improving Reach For Black and Minority Ethnic Groups

Do you work or volunteer for a Black and Minority Ethnic community organisation in the South East Region? If so, we are here to help you!

We can offer:

• Training in Community Development Work
• Help to assist you in identifying training needs for you and your organisation
• To support you in your development within your organisation
• Training so that you can train others
• Access and information about other Networks and Forums so that we can all share experiences
• Opportunities to influence organisations that are not familiar with the needs of BME communities

This event is free of charge

If you would like more information about this project please contact Ranthir at TWICS on 023 80671111 or email mailto: rrathore@twics.org.uk

Governance and sustainability in Bedfordshire

By Shpetim Alimeta

The Voluntary Sector Refugee Network for East of England (VSRN-EE), in collaboration with Bedford African Community Centre (BACC) and Centre for African Families Positive Health (CAFPH), organised a very successful training day on 2 September aimed at improving the capacity of voluntary and community organisations in terms of sustainability and strengthening governance.

These two crucial areas might not at first look to be directly linked but sustainability and good governance really do go hand-in-hand.

The first part of the training day was on the ‘Sustainability of a voluntary organisation’ and was delivered by Rob Burton, a popular local consultant.

The second part of the day was delivered by me, focusing on the issues and challenges for “Improving your organisation’s governance”.

Both topics generated lots of discussion and it was encouraging to see so many management committee members from organisations in Luton, Bedford and Huntingdon as well as members of staff.

Sometimes, if Chairs can’t attend these kinds of training events, they find it very hard to delegate someone else instead, i.e. another trustee, to come. But it was great to see that, on this occasion, they managed to delegate a substantial number of trustee members from their organisation.

And it was truly inspiring to see trustees from the various organisations showing such willingness to participate in workshops.

The community organisations that attended the training day were of different types and size.

BACC and CAFPH, both based in Luton, not only attended the training but helped to host it. They are established organisations that are now looking to consolidate their development.

The other two organisations in attendance were Huntingdon Community Group (HCG) and Bedford African Community Support Project (BACSP) who are clearly also very active and keen to succeed.

Another successful element of the day was the close cooperation between the VSRN-EE and the Basis Project. And, at the end of the day, attendees were able to participate in a question and answer session with Fazil Kawani, Head of Development at the Refugee Council, on practical matters around the subjects discussed.

The feedback we received was excellent and by the end it felt like we were all one big community sharing common goals across the region.

Shpetim Alimeta is the Basis Project Organisational Development Officer for the East of England.

West Midlands RCO Funding Learning Event - Birmingham 10th October

The Basis Project will be hosting a free training event for RCO’s based in the West Midlands on Friday 10th October. Organisations from Birmingham, Sandwell and Coventry will be in attendance which will be held at the Birmingham Voluntary Service Council in Digbeth.

There will be a choice of four learning workshops:-

1. “Practical fundraising ideas” – an opportunity to pick up tips on other ways of raising money apart from applying to grant giving organisations.

2. “Finding evidence of need for projects” – An examination of how your organisation can find and prove evidence of need to carry out a specific project that requires outside funding.

3. “Meeting the grant funders demands” – This is focused on the things grant funding organisations require. Particularly meeting “outcomes” based funding requirements.

4. “Understanding contracts and commissioning”- This session will be examining what is expected of RCO’s if they wish to enter the growing world of procurement and tendering for services from the Public Sector. This session will be delivered by David Lane from the Institute of Social Entrepreneurs which is based in Camp Hill, Birmingham.

The event will be an opportunity for participating organisations whether established or recently formed to network, learn, seek advice and share knowledge and experiences with facilitators and each other.

Further information:-

David Hirst
Organisational Development Officer
Telephone: 0121 234 1972
Mobile: 07908 952 413
Email: david.hirst@refugeecouncil.org.uk

Understanding public law

The National Association for Voluntary and Community Action (NAVCA) has been in touch to let us know about their project, Empowering The Voluntary Sector, which will be of interest to many refugee community organisations.

Funded by the Big Lottery Fund, it brings together NAVCA and the Public Law Project (PLP) to support the voluntary and community sector to understand the principles and framework of public law. There's a national training programme, a free legal advice line and a quarterly newsletter.

Kevin Curley, chief executive of NAVCA says: "Small organisations often feel helpless when they are informed from on high that their funding is being withdrawn or services are being cut. This project will give them the information and support they need to challenge unjust decisions taken by public bodies. It will help them develop the confidence to engage in a robust dialogue, making litigation an option of last resort to tackle those public bodies that continue to shirk their responsibilities."