Networking events for Village Hall Trustees and Volunteers

After the success of our coffee mornings it has been suggested we try an evening networking event so that trustees who have commitments during the day are still able to get involved and network with other village hall trustees and to hear from some interesting and relevant speakers.

Our first evening event will take place on Wednesday 27th June 2018 at 18:30 till 20:30, this event is hosted by Swaffham Prior Village Hall, High Street, Swaffham Prior, CB25 0LD.

Our discussion topic for the evening will be based on funding and delivering a major renovation project at your hall.

We also have another coffee morning event taking place on Wednesday 11th July 2018 – 10am till 12:30 at Gorefield Community Hall & Sports Pavilion, Wolf Lane, Gorefield, PE13 4NE.

The discussion topic will be ‘How to write a fire risk assessment for your village hall’ and the speaker will be a representative from Cambridgeshire Fire & Rescue Service.

If you are interested in attending either or both of these events please book your place as soon as possible.  To book simply drop me an email by clicking the link: lisa.chambers@cambsacre.org.uk or give me a call on 01353 865048.

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FREE training for community groups and clubs – run by CCVS

To book or for further information on either of the above events please contact Cambridge CVS directly on enquiries@cambridgecvs.org.uk

 

PAT testing training event – book today

We are working in partnership with Quick Test to provide a training session for trustees,  volunteers and employees to take part in PAT testing training.  For more information on this session please contact Karen at Quick Test directly on the details shown above.

 

Top 10 funding tips!

One thing that we constantly need when running a community building is funding!  So see below 10 top tips that may help you when thinking about filling in funding application forms.

1. Do your homework – Funders have to reject a large number of application they receive because the applicants didn’t read the guidance properly.
2. Make sure you are ready for success – Think carefully about how you will manage the project and the finances.  Tell the funder how you are going to do it.
3. Ask for help – there are lots of organisations (including Cambridgeshire ACRE) that can offer help and guidance – also the funders themselves.
4. Be clear – about your project and what you want the money for.  Remember the funders know nothing about your project, so make sure you get the key message across.
5. Keep it short and simple – You should be able to describe your project on a couple of sheets of A4 paper.  Tell the funders the need for the project, what you are going to do and how it is going to make a difference.
6. Mix and match your funders – You may not find one funder to deliver the whole project so breaking it down into smaller sections is a good idea.  Write a list of all the elements which make up the overall project so funders can see exactly what it is they are funding.
7. The project budget – it is vital to show that you have thought out how the money will be spent, showing good value for money.
8. Don’t be discouraged – Ask the funder for feedback if your application is rejected, they may be able to give you advice to apply again.
9. Remember your responsibilities to feedback – All funders will require an account/evaluation of how you have spent their money.
10. Credit your funders – It is a good idea to display at your hall or on your website the names and if possible the logos of your funders.

If you are interested to hear more about funding and managing a renovation project, why not join us for a members evening networking event taking place on Wednesday 27th June 18:30 till 20:30 at Swaffham Prior Village Hall.

Booking is easy just contact me on lisa.chambers@cambsacre.org.uk for more information.

 

 

What a week!

This week has been amazingly busy for us, on Wednesday we held our Village Hall & Community Building Conference.  Over 60 delegates attended along with 14 amazing trade stands for trustees to visit.

Our speakers covered important areas of discussion such as insurance and valuation, becoming a CIO and modern design and re-modelling of village halls.  We also heard about the history of village halls in Cambridgeshire and the long standing support that ACRE has provided in the County since 1924.

The feedback has been amazing from both attendees and stall holders, so that means we had better start planning next years event!

Can I thank everyone who took the time to come along and I am so pleased that so many of you found it useful and worthwhile.

See you next year!

 

#ACREnetwork village halls advisers national conference.

The ACRE Network of specialist advisers for village halls and similar community buildings will hold their annual training event in Peterborough.

ACRE is pleased to announce that Norris & Fisher (Insurance Brokers) Ltd and Ansvar Insurance will, once again, be the main sponsors.

The event will take place on 23rd and 24th April and is a great opportunity for national colleagues to come together to increase their knowledge and network.

To read the full press release click the link below:

http://www.acre.org.uk/news/2018-04-16-network-of-rural-advisers-head-to-the-city-of-peterborough

 

Only 4 weeks to go!

Have you booked your place yet for the Village Hall and Community Building conference?  Click here to find out more details.

Over 35 of you already have!  It aims to be a great day full of interesting subjects all relevant to running a hall and ensuring you are ‘fit for the future’.

If you have any questions or would like more information about booking a place please get in touch by either phone (01353 865048) or email.