I’m not talking to you anymore, Mr Blackbird

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I have an allotment. I love my allotment; I was lucky enough to get it just before lockdown and it provided a great place to go when there was no-where to go. Being in the open air and close to nature after a day’s work is a brilliant way to relax and let my mind wander after hours of intense concentration.

In June, some of the birds get very brave and come close whilst I’m weeding to find bugs and worms for their young. Last week a blackbird came so close I grabbed a worm in my hand (gloves on!), held it out, and waited very patiently for it to come and take the worm out my hand. It hopped within inches a few times and fluttered away, but the third time he snatched it, flew a few yards away, pecked it once, then flew onto my strawberry patch, and you guessed it, ate my first ripe strawberry of the season!

I leapt up and scolded him as I would a naughty child. How dare he?! I’d just given him a lovely fat, juicy worm but he rejected that. Maybe, like most of us, he has a sweet tooth/beak. Needless to say, I immediately netted the strawberry bed.

The next day I went to the allotment and was passing the strawberry bed when I saw Mr Blackbird’s Mrs in the strawberry bed. I was incredulous! How did she get in there? I tried to un-net a section to allow her out but she squawked her way up to the other end of the bed and escaped though a tiny gap.

I thought I’d safeguarded my strawberries but it made me look afresh at my netting technique. I went round the bed tightening and weighing down the net so there were no gaps.

How are the safeguarding procedures in your Village Hall? Are there any gaps? Do you need to “tighten your nets” to ensure you are protecting those most vulnerable?

If you want to make sure your netting is secure, come along to our online Community Building and Village Hall network meeting on Wednesday 25 January 10am – 11:30am where we will be exploring what trustees should know and do regarding safeguarding in village halls. There will be a chance for you to ask questions and share good practice with others in a similar role .

I also recommend looking at our  safeguarding resource, which provides a checklist for essential and good safeguarding practices in your organisation.

 

Hilary Ashton, North Yorkshire Development Officer

Finance and Treasurers Network meeting – Insurance for charities 19 January 2023

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Do you know if you have enough insurance in place for your organisation to cover every eventuality?

Charities, just like all businesses, need to safeguard their assets. Ensuring that you have the correct insurance in place is one of the ways you can do that.

Charities come in all shapes and sizes and their insurance needs will vary accordingly. What your organisation does will shape the kind of insurance you need. Here’s some food for thought when considering insurance:

  • Do you have contact with members of the public?
  • Do you offer a service or advice?
  • What is the structure of your organisation?
  • Do you have employees and volunteers?
  • Do your trustees need indemnity insurance and what is it?
  • Do you own buildings and are they hired out?
  • Do you own vehicles or specialist equipment?

There’s a lot to think about in terms of insurance especially when you consider that charities are evolving all the time. It’s important to regularly review your insurance policies to ensure you have the right cover for your current situation.

How can we help?
Community First Yorkshire is hosting a network meeting for finance staff and treasurers on 19 January 2023 where we will be looking at insurance for charities.

A representative from McClarron Insurance will be joining us at this meeting to talk through the types of insurance charities may need to consider and to answer your questions.

There will also be an opportunity to explore this and any issues you’re currently facing with peers and to raise any issues or concerns you may have about any aspect of finance in your organisation.

If you have any specific questions you would like to put to the network, please submit these before the meeting.

Book your place here.

5 things you should know about community building hire agreements

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If you were renting out your property, you would very sensibly ask potential tenants to sign a rental agreement. It’s common practice to have one so that both parties know what is expected of them.

The same applies to hiring out your village hall – having a hire agreement is an important part of protecting your vital community asset.

  1. 1. Why you need a hire agreement

Whenever a community building or village hall management committee hires out any part of its premises, it is important to have a written agreement in place so that both the management committee and the hirer know their rights and responsibilities.

  1. 2. Start by putting together a hiring policy

This should include a summary of all the decisions the management committee makes about the various aspects of hiring out your building. You should revise and review your policy regularly to keep it up to date and relevant.

  1. 3. What to include in a hiring policy

Your policy should include an explanation of the booking secretary’s role and responsibilities; when discounts or special rates for hirers are available; information about bookings, such as ensuring that hirers book enough time for setting up and clearing away; any other issues, such as whether to charge for village consultations or public meetings.

When you have your policy in place, you can then move onto drafting the hire agreement.

  1. 4. What to include in your hire agreement

The hire agreement should have two parts.

Part one includes the details specific to a particular booking and part two describes the standard conditions of hire which are the same for all bookings.

Having a comprehensive agreement which is signed by hall representatives and the hiring organisation before an event should ensure those using the building fully understand the requirements of the management committee.

  1. 5. Where to find out more about hire agreements

If you want to find out more about what to include in the hiring policy and agreement for your community building, come along to one of our Community Building Network meetings in November. These meetings are for trustees managing community buildings across North Yorkshire and give you a chance to ask questions and share good practice with others in a similar role.

How much do you know about menopause?

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I’m not sure which button I’ve inadvertently pressed on my phone but I now regularly receive reminders that this is the International or National Awareness day/week/month for… well lots of worthwhile and, in some cases, intriguing causes. Personal favourites have included 4 July ‘Eat an Extra Dessert day’ and 7 July ‘World Chocolate Day’.

October is World Menopause Awareness Month, with Menopause Awareness Day UK taking place on 18 October. Menopause, the biological stage in a woman’s life that occurs when hormones change and eventually menstruation stops, is medically defined as the ‘day’ a woman has not had a period for 12 consecutive months. This is something I hadn’t realised until I took part in Menopause Champion training earlier this year. I also hadn’t realised that menopausal women are the fastest growing workforce demographic in the UK, particularly in the voluntary and health sectors.

So how much do you know about menopause?

Here‘s a little quiz that was part of the menopause training I went on that was used to prompt discussion about our own awareness.

Why not grab a cuppa and a few minutes and see how much you know.

You will have to mark your own answers and there are no prizes but you may know more than you realised and it could help raise awareness of aspects of menopause and support, if needed, for family, friends and colleagues experiencing their own unique and often intriguing journey through this time.

1. What’s the average age of menopause in the UK? (answer in years)

2. How many people are affected by menopause symptoms at work? ( ? / 10)

3. How many women experience menopause symptoms? (? /4)

4. Name five symptoms of the menopause?

5. What is perimenopause?

6. What percent of women go through early menopause?

7. Why might someone go through an early menopause?

8. What are the three key hormones that play a part in the menopause transition?

9. Name at least three lifestyle changes someone should consider to support themselves through menopause? (up to 3 points)

10. What is andropause?

The answers are below.

How did you do??

I’ve come to learn from my own, and talking to others, that everyone’s menopause experience is different. We all have different views, philosophies and medical histories that will determine our unique journey.

Brain fog can lead to some frustrating and funny moments., Flushes can arrive at the most inconvenient of times, and disturbed sleep –well that can be very challenging not only for the person experiencing this symptom but also those around them. It’s often hard to feel experienced, knowledgeable, empowered, capable and fabulous but that’s what we are. The hot flushes are after all really just power surges!

If you would like to find out more about menopause there are a wealth of resources available, particularly during Menopause Awareness month. Humber and North Yorkshire Health and Care Partnership are running a festival of events around menopause, or why not take a look at the menopause hub on Henpicked’s website here?

 

Answers

1. 51 – 8 out of 10 menopausal women are in work at this age and have a life expectancy of 83. In fact, this is likely to be a half-way point of life for many women as there is a one in six chance of living to be a 100.

2.  Eight out of 10.

3. Three in every four.

4. Difficulty sleeping, insomnia or fatigue, hot flushes during the day or night, low mood, depression or changes in mood, nervousness, worry or anxiety, reduced ability to concentrate or focus, problems with memory recall, migraines or headaches, aches and pains, urinary issues, e.g. increased frequency, and this is to name just a few.

5. The time leading up to menopause.

6. 5% before the age of 40.

7. POI (Premature Ovarian Failure)/Surgery/medication.

8. Oestrogen, progesterone, testosterone.

9. Exercise/diet/quitting smoking/reducing alcohol/extra calcium/vitamin D/supplements.

10. Andropause is the age-related decline in hormones men go through. In an otherwise healthy male, they would not normally experience menopause-types symptoms as the change in hormones is much slower and a gentle decline. However, there are conditions such as testosterone deficiency syndrome and hormone therapy for things like prostate cancer treatment that could bring about menopause type symptoms. We also need to understand that not everyone experiencing menopause identifies as a woman but may still have the appropriate biological make-up to experience menopause.

Increasing a charity’s income by charitable trading: a treasurer’s point of view

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Your charity has identified that it needs to increase its income but is not sure how it is possible.

You have considered a number of income streams. You’ve applied for grants, you’ve had donations from a few local businesses and you run a really successful bingo night on the first Friday in every month, but still your income is not enough to cover the ongoing maintenance costs of the ageing building.

The building is located in the heart of the village on a popular route for walkers in the area, and at one of your board meetings an idea starts to develop – what about opening a café in the annex which is currently rarely used? The idea starts with selling teas, coffee and a few cakes on a Saturday but quickly snowballs with suggestions of ‘why only a Saturday?’, ‘what about bacon sandwiches on a morning?’ and ‘we could do salads for lunch!’.

After the initial enthusiasm for the idea, thoughts turn to the practicalities of how the charity trustees can make their ambition of opening a café a reality, and what legal issues they need to consider. You start looking at the rules governing charity trading and quickly discover that as a charity, the ability to trade is limited, because making money is not in itself a charitable purpose, even if it is done to support the charitable activities of the organisation. To carry out trading activities you will need to set up a trading subsidiary. This is a separate company that is usually owned by the charity, and donates the bulk of its profits to the charity via gift aid.

But there are still so many questions:

  • What trading can charities do?
  • When must a charity set up a trading subsidiary?
  • How can a trading subsidiary pay funds to its parent charity?

Fortunately, you know where to look to find these answers. The following websites are particularly helpful:

Now that you have all the information you need, it’s time to talk to the charity’s accountant. They have lots of experience of working with voluntary sector groups and you’re confident they will be able to give her the expert help you’re looking for.

The accountant proves invaluable and the trustees can now open that café they dreamed of safe in the knowledge that they are fully compliant with all legal requirements.

 

If you want to find out more about the issues charities need to consider if they plan to carry out any trading, come along to our next Treasurer’s Network Meeting on 13 October.  These network meetings are for both new and experienced treasurers of voluntary community and social enterprise sector organisations across North Yorkshire.

Making biscuits contributed to my wellbeing

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Bake Off 2022 is on our screens and this week is the ever-popular Biscuit Week.

Our development officer, Andy Ryland, was inspired by his baking experiences to share how baking biscuits can generate feelings of positive wellbeing.

Here’s what he had to say:

“I am not sure what prompted me to consider making macaroon biscuits. It may have been fond memories of the ones my mum used to make for family teas. It might even be the taste of the small ones you are sometimes given with a coffee after a meal in a restaurant, or perhaps just the fact that they are a delicious biscuit I can enjoy.

Anyhow, a few weeks ago I looked up an online recipe and even for someone like me, who has never made biscuits before, the recipe looked surprisingly simple.

My first attempt was, surprisingly, quite a success and I have gone on to make more batches and even branch out to making variations to the recipe (all very adventurous!).

So how has the making of biscuits helped my wellbeing?

Through reflecting on this, I have realised that the process ticks many of the boxes of what is called the Five Ways to Wellbeing.

  • Being in the Moment
  • Learning something new
  • Giving to others
  • Social connection
  • Physical exercise

Being in the moment is very much about concentrating on what one is doing. So worries or negative thoughts are replaced by thoughts relating to the activity in hand – such as following the recipe.

For me, making biscuits has been about acquiring a new skill and this has been immensely satisfying.

The creation of something attractive to give to friends or colleagues is also a very satisfying experience and gives pleasure to the soul. In turn, this creates the opportunity for social connection.

Regrettably, there is only a limited amount of physical exercise involved in the process of making the biscuit (although I could replace my electric whisk with a hand whisk). However, it has distracted me from watching the TV, which I think is a good thing.

If you are like me, you may not be an experienced cook, but if you want to experience the joy of a little creative baking, do have a go. Perhaps you could find something that trigger positives memories from your childhood or another memorable moment.”

By Andy Ryland

Please send us your stories and pictures of your bakes, and why the recipe evokes positive memories for you by emailing info@communityfirstyorkshire.org.uk. We’d love to share them on our social media channels.

We have a wide range of resources on our website to help your mental health and wellbeing on our VCSE Wellbeing Hub toolkit.

What does a good volunteer experience for the over 50s look like?

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Earlier this year the Centre for Ageing Better launched their review into the importance of volunteering and community contributions in later life. They have been partnering with NCVO to embed best practise recommendations for organisations supporting people aged over 50 with volunteering.

Why it matters

Ageism is the most common form of discrimination in this country and as we get older we, or someone we know, are increasingly likely to experience discrimination based on our age. Most of us know that one of the main benefits of volunteering is the increased wellbeing of the individuals involved. Unfortunately, due to barriers associated with poor health or low incomes that, although not limited to, can be exacerbated by age, it is those who would most benefit from volunteering who are least able to participate.

However, ask many people what a traditional volunteer looks like and you will often hear the word – retired. Hopefully anyone who is actually involved in supporting volunteers knows that there is no such thing as a traditional or typical volunteer, but organisations wishing to attract and recruit new volunteers have often targeted those of retirement age. The perception is that they have the skills and time to give back to their communities in a meaningful way and can usually be relied upon to get things done.

With an aging population, increased and competing demands on peoples’ time and for all ages a desire to fill their time with experiences that are meaningful to them, the importance of maintaining focus on what makes a good volunteering experience for older volunteers should not be underestimated.

What are the benefits?

From an organisational perspective, older volunteers have life experience. They will have skills, knowledge and a level understanding of life – a richness – that many younger people will not yet have had time to acquire. If they are retired, they also potentially have more free time – however this does not mean that they will or can fill this time with volunteering. The motivation for volunteering for this age group is often the opportunity to be social, and group or people centred volunteer roles and tasks are often very popular.

For older people volunteering has many benefits. Ageing Better’s research found that volunteering can increase feeling of connectedness, gave people a sense of purpose when many feel a bit lost after a life of work, and increased self-esteem. People who volunteer said they felt happier as a result of volunteering and felt valued; this in turn led to decreased risk of depression.

Further information

 

If you would like any further information about volunteering or volunteer support please get in touch with us at info@communityfirstyorkshire.org.uk or phone 01904 704177.

“Happiness is made from small moments of joy!” 

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A blog about the impact of employer supported volunteering and the difference it can make to the people you work with.

Earlier this month the Community First Yorkshire team volunteered at the Yorkshire Arboretum. We interviewed our information officer, Stella Antoniou, who in work hours is found behind her computer not out in the wilds of Yorkshire!

Q: Where did you go?
A: We volunteered at the Yorkshire Arboretum, a stunning landscape of parkland, lakes and ponds, with a collection of more than 6,000 trees from around the world.

Q: What did you do?
A: The first half of the day we separated into two teams and our task included gathering yellow rattle seeds – believe me they truly seem like pop-corn! To tell you the truth, I have no idea which group gathered the most rattle seeds and I hope nobody tried to eat them! The second half of the day was focused on weeding and clearing growth from around young trees. I was Lizzie’s chopping master assistant in removing grass around the trees. As far as I know I didn’t uproot any tree and Lizzie can confirm this. The day rounded off with delicious coffee and cake at the Tree Health Centre.

Q: What did you enjoy most about the day?
A: That’s so hard to answer! I simply loved the whole day. Everything was amazing, from enjoying the lovely weather to being among trees and lovely people, looking at the blue sky, and enjoying the smell of nature. And how can I forget the cakes we had at the end of the day? In a nutshell, it was a brilliant day outdoors, enjoying nature and having fun with colleagues. How rejuvenating! I also worked on my gardening skills, which are very close to zero!

Q: How does what you did, positively impact the charity?
A: Aesop’s saying will summarise this: “No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted”.

Volunteering has positive impact both for individuals and for the organisational culture as a whole. What we did at the volunteering day helped with acquiring and practicing new skills, reaching more beneficiaries, raising awareness about the organisation’s profile, contributing to supporting others in the community, improving our health and wellbeing, raising awareness of volunteering, enhancing the recognition of the value that volunteers bring to the community, and setting the example of being environmental friendly.

So what we did at Yorkshire Arboretum was a breath of fresh air for Community First Yorkshire and a breath for nature as well! Even helping out with the smallest tasks can make a real difference to the community and the environment we live in!

Q: Why do you think it is a good idea to volunteer as a group or staff team?
A: There are so many benefits to think about when it comes to volunteering as group or staff team. It improves employees’ health and wellbeing by decreasing their stress levels, it pulls together colleagues enabling them to bond and support each other, it gives the opportunity to practice important skills used in the workplace, such as teamwork and communication, and also helps the staff team to connect with the community and make it a better place.

Plus, happiness is made from small moments of joy we experience each day and it is those happy moments that we all remember. Next week or next year we might not remember a day working on our computers, but we will definitely remember the fun we had at the volunteering day.

Special thanks to Ben, Tim, John and everyone involved in organising and supporting us on the day from Yorkshire Arboretum. They gave us such a brilliant team volunteering day – Thank you!

Further information
The Chartered Institute of Personal Development have developed a guide to employer supported volunteering.
For support with everything volunteering please visit our website or contact info@communityfirstyorkshire.org.uk.

They’re small but beautifully formed!

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It’s Small Charities Week – time to shine a spotlight on all the fabulous small charities in our region and the vital work they do to support our communities. And this week we’re BIGGING up the SMALL!

Small charities are specialists, working on a niche project like homelessness, which means they are usually experts. Because they often work locally, they are able to react quickly – take the local response to the pandemic, for example. Because of their expertise and local focus, they are able to build strong relationships in a community and help those hardest to reach.

Think of all the amazing things that go on in your community – your local library, community transport, your food bank. Litter picks, Jubilee celebrations, meals on wheels – all of this support is provided by small charities.

Just because a charity is small, doesn’t mean it doesn’t make a big difference.

Often small charities are limited by their small income – they have big dreams and big ambitions, but the pennies can often make it difficult for them to fulfil them. That’s where we can help.

We want small charities to flourish and continue to provide the vital services that are essential to thriving communities.

How can we help?

We offer free, bespoke advice to small charities in North Yorkshire. Whether you want to find new sources of funding, attract new volunteers, or become a Charitable Incorporate Organisation (CIO) or community interest company (CIC) and access new funding, we’re here to help.

You may want to join one of our networks to share peer learning or help aspiring leaders within your organisation to grow.

Our training programme will inspire you to become a better trustee, get to grips with social media, complete a winning funding application and help you manage your trustees.

Find out more on our website or get in touch. You can email us on info@communityfirstyorkshire.org.uk, call us on 01904 704177 or fill in our online enquiry form.

Give yourself an MOT this Men’s Health Week

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We’ve been through a lot these last couple of years. COVID has not gone away, not at all, but we are beginning to live with it. To do this we need to be at the top of our game, physically and mentally.  So for this years Men’s Health week, 13-19 June, it’s time for men everywhere to give yourselves an MOT. Macmillan estimates that across the UK there are around 50,000 ‘missing’ cancer diagnosis’, meaning that compared to a similar timeframe last year, 50,000 fewer people have been diagnosed with cancer making your MOT all the more important. Find out how to do this here.

Humber and North Yorkshire Health and Care Partnership’s health and wellbeing page also contains lots of resources on Men’s health including recorded webinars with the fantastic Gareth Thomas CBE, famous A&E doctor Dr Alex George and some great local support groups for men. We also have lots of self help guides, resources and signposting.

Please also remember we have lots of fantastic health and wellbeing workshops which you can find details for and book at our booking page on everything from sleep, stress, burnout and financial wellbeing support. Our Sleep Platform holds the recorded webinar from our Sleep Essentials for Men workshop and you can access log in details for this via our booking page.

If you have any questions or want to know about any support available to you please email us at hny.wellbeing@nhs.net

Help us in supporting our male colleagues, family and friends by sharing these resources within your teams and at home.

Resources to help raise awareness

There are plenty of resources from the Men’s Health Forum to help you raise awareness of Men’s Health during this week. Feel free to download, print and share:

 

by Jade Jenkins, Project Manager- Workforce- Health and Wellbeing

Humber and North Yorkshire Health and Care Partnership