What is Small Charity Week?

Small Charity Week is a campaign to empower the UK’s small charities to have an even greater impact on society, and to address the challenges they face.

Throughout the week, our colleagues at National Council Voluntary Organisations will provide training and events for small charities and create a national conversation about the vital role of small charities in strengthening communities across the UK.​​

Because when small charities are stronger, the communities they support are stronger too.

Thank you to all those small charities in Merthyr Tydfil supporting our communities.

Explore the Small Charity Week events calendar

Events (smallcharityweek.com)

Book onto Small Charity Week events and access one-to-one support sessions. Some are online and some in person, please note some are chargeable. Webinars will be recorded and if you are unable to attend there will be an opportunity to access the recording soon.

Who are Sense?

A charity that has been established for over 60 years, Sense has developed an unrivalled depth of knowledge, skills and expertise to help people with a broad range of complex disabilities, and those who are deafblind, learn to communicate and express themselves. We believe that no-one should be isolated or unable to fulfil their potential. We help people to develop the skills to enjoy everyday things like having a conversation, enjoying friendships and living independently.

Virtual Buddying project

The Virtual Buddying project is open to anyone with a disability aged 5 years and over that may be experiencing isolation or loneliness.

The project works by matching a disabled person with a virtual buddy for a weekly call online or over the phone. Some matches choose to keep their calls to a social chat whilst others like to build skills together such as cooking and playing instruments.

Virtual Buddying helps reduce isolation, improves self-esteem and confidence, helps improve communication, social and independent living skills and gives all our buddies something to look forward to every week!

 For more information:

• Watch what Virtual Buddying means to Chapman and his buddy Gabriella
• Check out our website and sign up for a buddy
• Learn more about volunteering with us

Get in touch:

Lauren Heath – Virtual Buddying Project Coordinator

Email: lauren.heath@sense.org.uk                 

Phone: 07876 870949

Voluntary Action Merthyr Tydfil are pleased to host an information session with Disclosure and Barring Service. The session will give greater understanding of getting the right checks done in a timely manner, with safer recruitment of volunteers and paid staff.

DBS Disclosure Workshop Presenter: Carol Eland – Regional Outreach Adviser – Wales

25^th June 2pm to 4pm via Teams

DBS supports employers to make safer recruitment decisions by processing and issuing criminal record checks and by maintaining the Adults’ and Children’s Barred Lists.

To book your space contact karen.vowles@vamt.net

Volunteers play a vital role in enhancing the lives of vulnerable people. Recruiting or bringing new people into the organisation, whether as volunteers or into paid roles, is an opportunity to take a preventative approach to check whether they are safe and suitable to join you.

This means organisations have to adopt sound practices to help minimise risk. Good recruitment and selection practices include the use of application forms and checking references and qualifications, which should be detailed in your organisation's policies and procedures.

The use of Disclosure & Barring Service (DBS) checks plays a part in your overall approach to safeguarding and your organisation's safer recruitment policy. There are rules about when it is appropriate to use DBS checks and if you’re not sure whether to carry out a check, you can use the DBS eligibility tool.

The Disclosure & Barring Service offers ‘identity checking guidelines’ on:

• how you can establish the true identity of an applicant through the examination of documents
• the documents required for volunteers from the UK, and those from overseas, and
• what you must do as part of the ID-checking process

We will be hosting an online ‘Safer Recruitment’ workshop with Carol Eland from the DBS Outreach Service on Tuesday 18 June 2024 at 1 pm, which is free to attend. If you are interested in attending this workshop please email safeguarding@wcva.cymru to register your interest.

If you would like to read the entire above news article you can do so by logging in to your WCVA account and heading to the news section, if you aren’t a WCVA member but would like to, this how-to guide will help you with that.