Giving World are here to help charities get the goods

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Giving World are here to help charities get the goods they need to the people that need them. We redirect business end-of-line, surplus and discontinued stock to the most deprived communities in the UK.

They have a wide range of products available to support your beneficiaries, including clothing, toiletries, baby products, toys, bedding, kitchen equipment and other household items, books, crafts and ambient foods.

Their website is regularly updated with new stock so register here (no charge) to receive stock updates and access goods as and when you need them. https://products.givingworld.org.uk/register/user

Goods can be collected directly from us, or we can arrange delivery at cost – you will only pay for transport.

If you would like more information, please call us on 0116 251 6205 between 9.30 am-4 pm Monday-Thursday and 9.30 am-12.30 pm Friday. You can also send an email with any queries to admin@givingworld.org.uk.

The easing of lockdown

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Central Government has moved forward on its roadmap regarding the easing of restrictions. However, there is much evidence to suggest that COVID is far from over, and yesterday we witnessed the highest number of new infections within the UK for some time. At VIN we are taking a very cautious approach to this easing of restrictions. Most staff are still working from home, and the office is supported by a skeletal staff still observing a rota. It is very unlikely that we will open our doors until September. Each VCSE organisation has to look at the easing of restrictions through their own lens. What might be right for one organisation might not be right for another: And against this rests the spectre of a further lockdown which has not been ruled out by either Government or their Scientific Advisors. So my plea is to be careful and work with your staff and volunteers, doing what’s right for them whilst preserving the organisation. It’s a tricky balancing act. Here are some hints and tips though:

  • Continue to observe the social distancing guidelines.
  • Get staff and volunteers to test regularly.
  • Set in place some form of rota if your premises does not allow for social distancing easily.
  • Continue to wear masks and update your hygiene protocols.
  • Keep abreast of guidance.

We all know that we will be living with COVID for some time to come me and perhaps even forever. There will be times when staff or volunteers succumb (even if they have been double vaccinated) and this on occasions may be problematic for the organisational function. However, the sector is a people business. They are our assets, so let’s make sure we look after them.

Operational Strategy 2024-2026

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Review

Our original strategy focussed on an initial two-year period (from My 2021 to May 2023) on the basis that in Northamptonshire, Unitary Transformation had only just begun in earnest. Little did we know at that stage the implications of a new Integrated Care System (Or ICS) which has added a further even more complex transformation piece across the County. Much of what we originally wrote still stands. The situation in relation to the VCSE in general is challenging, exacerbated by COVID of and now a Cost-of-Living crisis against which many VCSE organisations will have to adapt, develop, or alter even more to survive and thrive.

VIN will continue to do what it can to support the smaller VCSE organisations of which there are many. How we do this will be subject to constant review and moderation, based upon our income streams. We will also do as much as we can to advance the cause of the VCSE within the ICS, and ensure that engagement with communities is engagement as opposed to the presentation of already agreed policies and approaches.

We have therefore tweaked our strategy very slightly, and looked towards a further 12 months where hopefully the ICS will have consolidated an approach through the Well Being Forums and the many Local Area Partnerships.

We will also continue to attempt to diversify our income portfolio, which is always easier said than done. In Infrastructure, we do not have the luxury of a myriad number of front facing projects which appeal to a wide donor base, but we do have some, and we will look to extract the maximum efficiency from these. We will also seek a West Northamptonshire Infrastructure Contract, which has been sadly missing since 2017.

I hope you enjoy revisiting our strategy.

 

 

Thorplands place-based social action

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Place Based Social Action (PBSA) is about people coming together to solve the problems that are important in their communities, and Voluntary Impact Northamptonshire (VIN) is working with communities to support them to create the changes they want to see, and encouraging collaborative planning and working together.

Social Action is a way for communities to build on the strengths, and address local priorities, in their communities. It involves people giving their time and other resources to do this. This can be in a number of ways, from small neighbourly acts to volunteering or developing community owned services and assets.
Alongside this, both the government and local service providers are committed to moving to local, place-based design and delivery, so PBSA also provides opportunities for communities to be involved with, and influence, the services they receive

Through the Thorplands Place Based Social Action programme, VIN will work with residents to identify, prioritise and then deliver the change they want to see locally – whether that is further developing what is already good, creating new projects, or tackling issues and problems.

Have your say

If you are a Thorplands resident and haven’t yet completed a survey, please do so. This is your chance to say what matters to you, and to make sure that any support offered is for the things you really want to see happening.

You can find the survey here you will see that the Group ID box says vin-thorplands. If it doesn’t, please go here, and type vin-thorplands into the Group ID box – without this information, your replies won’t be included in the results.

The questionnaire consists of 14 questions about the physical and social elements of Thorplands, and is quick and easy to complete. There are also two questions are about priorities: the first asks which of the issues you have identified you think are priorities, , and the second gives you a chance to say which actions, if any, you would like to be involved with in regard to those priorities.

You will see that the questionnaire is completely anonymous, so we are only using it to gather how much interest there is in different activities. However, if you would like to be kept informed about the next steps, please do drop Jackie McQueen an email at pbsa@voluntaryaction.org.uk. When you have completed the final section, please remember to click finish.

Free annual health check for people with learning disabilities

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Does your group work with people with learning disabilities?

Did you know that anyone aged 14 or over who is on their GP’s learning disability register can have a free annual health check once a year?

Current take-up of these checks in Northamptonshire is lower than it could be, particularly among people from BAME communities with learning disabilities. We have put together some information on the health checks which you can circulate to your staff and clients as appropriate – You can access the information here

If you have any queries or feedback about the checks, please contact Becky at becky.thornton@voluntaryimpact.org.uk

Our humble beginnings

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Voluntary Impact Northamptonshire, previously known as Northampton Volunteering Centre began in 1990 as Northampton Volunteer Bureau.

Over the years we have grown significantly not only by the size of our team but also in the services that we offer.

In 1990 Northampton Volunteer Bureau was set up to help match people with suitable volunteering opportunities and likewise help charities to find volunteers. Our humble beginnings started a little way down the road at 21 St Giles Street with our official opening with the Mayor in February 1990.

We have since moved offices to accommodate our growing success and built 15 St Giles Street in 2002 which is now home to our community schemes and central office to deliver services for volunteers, the voluntary and community sector throughout Northamptonshire and much more.