Join YouthBorders for our members only Policy Support Session. This session is for lead volunteers, managers, trustees or management committee members. This session will offer an overview and introduction to this policy area:- Equal opportunities

In the session you will be provided with high level suggestions for areas of inclusion in your organisational policy. The session can be followed up with 1:1 policy development support specific to your group. Participants should bring along their current policy to the session.
To find out more and to book your place CLICK HERE

• NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN THAT AN EXTRAORDINARY GENERAL MEETING (EGM) of the members of YouthBorders will be held on Thursday 23^rd September 2021 at 5pm.  
• NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN THAT THE ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING (AGM) of the members of YouthBorders will be held on Thursday 23^rd September 2021 at 5.15pm.   

• There are no longer any limits on overnight tent/room occupancy
• There are no longer any limits on expedition group size indoors or outdoors
• There is no longer a requirement to maintain ‘bubbles’ between groups from different schools/organisations on the same site
• Scottish Government advise that youth work providers do not undertake international visits at present
• It is recommended to youth work providers that staff and young people aged 12+ taking part in an overnight visit be invited to undertake a Lateral Flow Device (LFD) test two days before the visit

• Keeping children and young people safe
• Improving health and wellbeing and reducing inequalities
• Targeting support to maximise life experience and opportunities, ensuring inclusion
• Increasing participation and engagement

1. Celebrate the role of the third sector and volunteers during Covid-19
2. Build awareness locally and nationally of the role and impact of TSI’s
3. Invest in the capacity and reach of the third sector in local decision-making
4. Build on the opportunities that have come out of Covid-19
5. Review funding for TSIs

The Overlooked report includes the following recommendations to improve rural youth work provision in England:

1. A Rural Action Plan for youth services co-designed with young people
2. Comprehensive map of youth services and out of school activities in rural areas (Census)
3. More community transport options needed, including capital funding for mini-buses, mobile youth services and digital technology
4. Access to free data to bridge the digital divide.
5. Unlock and release funding, invest in community assets (England’s 10,000 village halls are at the heart of rural communities, yet the year up to April 2020 over 1/3 of village halls had reduced their youth work offer)
6. Strengthen statutory guidance for local authorities and funding to secure a baseline of youth provision
7. Include an annual plan with clear statements regarding who is setting out to achieve what aims, secured by the local authority and working through local partnerships.

• 1st September - Pick a Partner - nominate an organisation or youth worker for the incredible work they've done
• 2nd September - Take to the Floor - celebrate by sharing your creative content to promote your youth work organisation, youth workers and young people
• 3rd September - Crackin' Blether - share your stories of the past 18 months; what's motivated and inspired you - tell your tales of life-changing youth work.
  
  Find out more from YouthLink Scotland.

The Realising and Recognising Children’s Rights (RRCR) Youth Work Resource has been adapted by the sector over the years to make it fit for purpose and at the start of 2021 and in partnership with Education Scotland and Scottish Government we are now excited to offer the first digital version of this updated course.

Join YouthLink Scotland on 1 September from 10am to 1pm to explore what children’s rights are, why we have those rights, what the articles are and provide space for personal reflection in relation to what you or your organisation is already doing or what could be changed in the future.

Online booking.

This episode features Jahnine Davis and Nick Marsh, founders of Listen Up, where we explore intersectionality and its application within safeguarding practice. Ineke Houtenbos, a senior consultant at the NSPCC, leads the discussion around:

• what intersectionality is
• why intersectional thinking is important in safeguarding
• the impact of not taking an intersectional approach when working with children and young people
• the challenges in capturing intersectional experiences during assessments
• how you can apply intersectional understanding to your work and develop your social care practice.

CLIMATE CHALLENGE: 1.5 DEGREES FILMS Free Online Workshops Open for Registrations
Film Access Scotland to invite a team member to our Free Online Filmmaking and Animation Workshops! They are running from 6th of September 2021 for organisations to train representative members or volunteers in their team with a £200 paid bursary for their time to learn and teach filmmaking or animation using mobile phones and make a 90 second film about climate change.

The workshops run for 6 weeks and the film challenge will be open until December 2021, which gives you the opportunity to get support from us and make more films with your group to submit and have a chance to win awards and get involved in COP-26 screening events.

This is a great opportunity for professional development and training of your staff members or volunteers. Please find more information here

Accreditation available at SQCF level 3, you will be asked to do some portfolio building in your own time.

Duration: 5 days mandatory

• Part 1: 20th September, 10am - 1pm, Introduction to Youth work and Hi5 and Dynamic Youth Awards
• Part 2: 22nd September, 10am - 1pm, Leading games, creative evaluation and youth participation
• Part 3: 27th September, 10am - 1pm, Child Protection Awareness
• Part 4: 29th September, 10am - 1pm, First Aid Ready
• Part 5: 4th October, 10am - 1pm, Completion of awards

Covid-19 Work Place Testing for Third Sector Organisations
Third sector organisations with ten or more employees (which can include formal volunteers) can now sign up for asymptomatic workplace testing. This will help to identify emerging Covid-19 cases and stop transmission as Scotland moves beyond level 0.

Organisations can adopt an ‘LFD Collect’ model and distribute testing kits to employees, or establish their own asymptomatic test site (ATS) model in workplaces. The testing offer will initially be in place until the end of September 2021.

Organisations can check their eligibility and get involved by visiting Coronavirus (COVID-19): getting tested in Scotland.

Organisations with less than 10 employees can encourage their workforce to collect LFD test kits from a local pharmacy or COVID-19 test site, or order online for home delivery.

• Thursday 16th September 2021, 9.30-11am
• Tuesday 29th September 2021, 6.30-8pm
• Tuesday 12th October 2021, 3-4.30pm

• Monday 30th August 2021, 2-4pm
• Thursday 2nd September 2021, 9.30-11.30am
• Wednesday 6th October 2021, 6.30-8.30pm
• Wednesday 20th October 2021, 3-5pm

Applications to become an #IWill Ambassador are now open!
These are young people aged 10 – 20 who are campaigning, volunteering or fundraising to make a difference in their communities.  

Each year, the #IWill movement recruits 50 young people aged 10 – 20 as #IWill Ambassadors. The movement celebrates the impact these young people are having in their communities and gives them a platform to spread their message and get other young people involved. They also play an active role in shaping the movement going forward.  

Do you know a young person leading change? 

For more information, you can nominate a young person you work with HERE. Applications close on 3rd October

• using and managing passwords
• protecting their devices
• dealing with suspicious messages

• Demonstrate that they have the employability skills to support individuals to apply for jobs or further training (CV, Interview, Job Search and college applications, etc.)
• Proven knowledge of the barriers people face in moving towards employment or further training
• Show experience in delivering training to small groups of individuals
• Have confidence in working with clients in an informal environment
• Be confident in creating, maintaining and securing up to date records

Volunteer Centre Borders - Development Officer
Volunteer Centre Borders is looking to recruit a Development Officer on a fixed term contract: 35 hours per week (job share considered).

Period of contract: Immediate start until 31st March 2023, with possible extension, subject to funding. Salary: £19,000 per annum.

The post is based at VCB's offices, outreach bases and remote working, as appropriate.

Please see Job Description here for more details and a Person Specification here.

If you would like to be considered for an interview, please download the Application Form here and send your job application form to s.robson@vcborders.co.uk

Closing date for applications is 3rd September 2021 with interviews being held on 14th September 2021 via Teams/Zoom video link.

Courses leading to formal or recognised qualifications will be favoured, however other courses will also be considered where you can demonstrate how the skills and knowledge gained will realistically support you in securing or retaining a job. Undergraduate degrees and post graduate courses will only be funded in exceptional circumstances. Apprentices can also apply, provided it is for a cost you cannot claim back from your employer or another agency.

Courses supported can be on a full time or part time basis and may be:

• Apprenticeships
• Modern Apprenticeships
• Foundation Apprenticeships
• SVQs
• NCs
• HNCs
• HNDs
• short vocational courses

To find out more click here

• Connecting people: Supporting projects to help people reach their potential or which bring people together. Projects may be about overcoming barriers or promoting sustainable development to benefit communities experiencing social isolation or disadvantage.
• Connecting planet: Funding projects to enable people to engage with and protect nature, or which support habitat and wildlife restoration. This supports wellbeing, builds community cohesion, and ensures wildlife and ecosystems can thrive for generations to come.

Charities can request funding from from £5,000 to £25,000 and funding should be spent within six months of being granted.

Contact Standard Life Aberdeen e-mail or Website

The deadline for applications is 20 September 2021.

Scotland’s stories reflect who we are and shape how others see us. 2022 gives us the opportunity to work in partnership to further harness this powerful means to engage and thereby inspire locals and visitors to discover, celebrate and share their own stories of Scotland.

National Lottery - Together for Our Planet
Together for Our Planet will open for applications on 1 September 2021 and will close to applications at 5pm on Thursday 18 November.

Although the fund will be open for all, groups that haven’t received our funding previously will be a priority so we’re contacting networks and organisations in advance to help support those who may not have applied to us before. We’re also focusing on groups and communities who are currently likely to be further from the conversation on climate action, and/or more likely to be directly impacted by climate change.

Together for Our Planet will offer eligible groups funding of between £1,000 and £10,000 for projects that meet at least two of the following criteria:

1. Supports the development of longer-term climate action within communities
2. Encourages communities to plan for the climate emergency - to consider what climate action could mean to them and why it matters.
3. Celebrates the importance of community-led climate action and encourages more people to get involved.
4. Builds resilience in communities that are hardest hit by climate change.
5. Provides jobs, skills or training opportunities for communities which support climate action.

More information about the fund is on our web-page and groups will be able to apply on-line from 1 September here: APPLY NOW

• Developing Life Skills
• Building Stronger Communities
• Improving Mental Health
• Developing Employability Skills
• Reducing Crime and Anti-Social Behaviour

Please visit their website for more information and to check for updates on future grant rounds and other funding streams when they are finalised.

Organisations wishing to apply should make sure they meet their minimum standards for grantmaking, and read the guidance carefully before applying.

A couple of things to note:

• Due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, they have temporarily broadened the types of applications they accept. Applications are not limited to one specific project and a request can be made for organisational running costs. They are committed to supporting voluntary groups with these types of grants.
• They want to fund organisations who can tell them why they are best placed to deliver their work, so applicants must be able to tell them about:
  • Their well-established links with young people
  • The skills and expertise they have for the work they are requesting funding for
  • Their track record delivering the work they are requesting funding for. This is especially important for applicants for their Main Grants Programme
  • How they work alongside other organisations in their local community

If you or any of the organisations you support have any questions about submitting an application, please contact them and they will be happy to help.