 | Welcome!"Hello" & welcome to the August 2014 issue of "Serious About Transformation". This is our 5th issue of the eNewsletter & we hope you're finding it a useful additional resource in supporting your work - "thank you" for the very positive comments that we have received so far, they are very much appreciated, but please do let us know (via the e-mail below) if there's anything specific that you'd like to see included in future editions.
In this edition we have some breaking news about our "Pursuing Transformation Tour" and we also highlight a recent report from the Church Urban Fund & Theos about understanding the impact of local churches in deprived communities in England.
To find out more about us, what we do & how we do it, just click HERE & visit us online.
With many blessings,
The IMPACT UK Team
(e-mail us at: team.impactuk@tearfund.org)
| 'Pursuing Transformation Tour 2014'You'll know from previous editions of the eNews that we are planning a series of UK-wide events to support you in exploring a deeper understanding of personal, church & community transformation, enabling you to make a real & deeper difference through your life.
These events begin in Belfast in the autumn, with other dates re-scheduled for early 2015 to coincide with exciting new developments with the IMPACT UK Team's vision & plans for the future. Please do sign-up at our website: www.pursuingtransformation.org.uk in order to receive regular updates as plans progress.
| | Spotlight on Legal "stuff" It is essential that managers and trustees of community projects are aware of their legal obligations and to govern appropriately. Whilst the website of the Charity Commission (England & Wales or Scotland) can provide lots of good "start-up" resources, a good way to stay abreast of legal developments in the voluntary sector is to check news articles on the websites of charity lawyers & there is often an option to sign up for regular updates/briefings via e-mail.
One such regular update service of which we are aware is the "Newsroom" service from Anthony Collins Solicitors. It's free to sign-up but please remember that this is general information only & NOT specific advice. Each case is different & accurate advice must be tailored to the individual case.
 Find out more
| Stories from the "Catalyst" Programme Helen Sloan, General Manager of the Storehouse in North Down speaks about the impact that the foodbank has had on the local community - click on the picture above to see the video.
For more information about the "Catalyst" programme & to make an application:
| Good Neighbours: How churches help communities flourish
In this new piece of research, Church Urban Fund (CUF) & Theos set out to understand the impact of local churches in deprived communities in England; to explore what churches do to support people in their communities & also how & why they do it.
This research project is a "critical appreciation" of what churches offer their communities - it argues that church-based activities offer both breadth of national reach & depth. It shows that: - the Church in England reaches approx. 10m people each year through its community activities, even excluding "familiar" church activities - Sunday services, Christmas, Easter, Harvest, baptisms, weddings & funerals;
- churches reach people in a uniquely relational way, building platforms for neighbourliness & relationships to grow.
Download the full report or the executive summary to read more. | Bits & Pieces...From time to time we come across lots of interesting bits & pieces that may, or may not, be of interest/use to you in your own local contexts.
Below are links to some of what we've come across this month:
Employment Vacancy:
 - TLG is an education charity that partners with local churches to work with disaffected young people who are at crisis point in their education. We are looking for a qualified teacher with a passion to bring transformation to the young people we work with. If you want to see your skills and your expertise make a real difference to disaffected 11-16 year olds in Manchester, then see our TLG Manchester Centre Manager Vacancy.
Find out more
External Services:  - The Cinnamon Network knows that a small amount of money can go a long way in helping a local church start a new community project. We are delighted to be able to offer a Micro-grant programme to any local church that wants to start one of our recognised best practice projects as follows:
- In England: (£1,500) offered by Tearfund's IMPACT UK Team working with the Network under the Government's Social Action Fund;
- In Scotland: (£2,000) with the Peter Vardy Foundation;
- In Wales: (£2,000) with JW Laing Trust;
- In Sussex: (£3,000) with Sussex Police
Find out more
- The Garfield Weston Foundation is a well-established, family-founded grant-making trust. They offer two grant schemes: Large Grants (over £100,000) & Regular Grants (£1,000 to £99,000). Their wide-ranging interests include community charities & groups. There are no specific priority areas but they acknowledge some common themes; those they fund are likely to be "charities that demonstrate quality & excellence with projects that have clear outcomes & benefits, good leadership & sensible business plans". Applications can be made at any time & there are no formal deadlines.
Find out more
------------------------------------------------------------------ - The pros & cons of loan finance: Loan finance: are charities missing an opportunity? It is clearly not a route to be taken lightly & won't be suitable for all, but could be worth being aware of. This article, written for the Guardian Voluntary Sector Network with the help of the CAF Bank, explores the options & outlines the factors to consider.
Find out more
External links are selected and reviewed when newsletter is published. However, the IMPACT UK Team is not responsible for the content of external websites. This is because: - we do not produce them or maintain/update them
- we cannot change them
- they can be changed without our knowledge or agreement.
Some of our external links may be to websites which also offer commercial services, such as online purchases.
The inclusion of a link to an external website from this newsletter should not be understood to be an endorsement of that website or the site's owners (or their products/services). | | | | | | |
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