hvoss AGM 2022

We had a wonderful afternoon at this year's AGM which saw over 70 people in attendance.

After the business of the meeting we were treated to presentations from all of the projects that hvoss supports. It was wonderful to share all of the hard work that our team have put in over the last 12 months.

Thank you to everyone that was able to join us at The Shell Store - we look forward to working with you all further over the next 12 months.

If you were unable to attend the meeting, we do hope to see you next year. Please find a link to our Annual Report below:

"An excellent AGM - full of information and decisive. Small segments of some of the different organisations was inspirational."

"It was especially nice to use a venue with such an interesting historical Hereford link"

"Great venue, very professional, light and airy and provided excellent networking space."

Did you know Membership to hvoss is free?

hvoss is your local community and voluntary sector support service. We provide invaluable information, guidance and support to volunteers or people interested in volunteering, community groups, charities, voluntary organisations and individuals in Herefordshire.

We also represent the community sector through our members, including developing constructive discussion, commissioning arrangements and partnership working on members’ behalf with stakeholders, all of whom are committed to a strong and resilient community in the county. 

Becoming an hvoss Member

Membership of hvoss is open to any individual, community group or organisation who shares these values and is keen to work together and promote the value of the community and voluntary sector in our county.

These are challenging and difficult times for our sector, so hvoss offers you the opportunity to be part of an organisation that will represent your views and concerns and advocate on your behalf with stakeholders, including the local authority and health.

From April 2021 to March 2023, membership of hvoss is free

As an hvoss member you will also be able to access benefits, resources and specialist knowledge that will support you, your organisation, community group or charity.

Count Your Hours

As we enter a new month, this is your kindly reminder to submit any volunteered hours you, or your organisation or group have clocked up during the month of October... 

Why are we running the Count Your Hours campaign?

Over recent weeks we have received a few questions about the purpose of the Count Your Hours campaign so we thought we would take some time to tell you a bit more about how the invaluable information we are collecting may be used, going forward...

As an infrastructure organisation, we exist to represent, advocate and be leaders for the voluntary, community and social enterprise sector. By gathering data about the number of hours that are given voluntarily across our county over the course of a year, hvoss are able:

• To recognise the number of hours given voluntarily across the county.

• Highlight areas where volunteered hours are higher or lower than others.

• To inform new strategic and programme developments involving volunteering. 

Please be assured that:

• hvoss would not take ‘ownership’ of any hours you submit as part of this campaign. We whole-heartedly support all the incredible work, time and skills that volunteers give across our county and it is our mission to support you and highlight and champion the work you do. Scroll down to find out more about how we can highlight the voluntary work you do.

• Your personal data will never be shared outside of the organisation without your permission.

This is the first year that hvoss have run a Count Your Hours campaign and we are aware that there may be some innovative changes we can make to how the data is collected. We value your input and feedback so please do not hesitate to get in touch if you have any comments or thoughts you would like to share.

Warm Welcome

We are delighted to announce that our weekly Open Door (to be renamed Warm Welcome) at The Venue in Ross on Wye is to become a Warm Space as part of the Warm Ross from Ross Community Development Trust. 

Warm Welcome is available to all - no questions asked - on Wednesdays from 10am-2pm. A friendly, informal drop-in for advice, support and a place to keep warm. 

Join Milly and Susi each week for:

Homemade soup, hot drinks, phone charging, flask filling, donation & collection point for warm winter items, and more!

This Project is funded by the UK Government through the UK Renewal Fund.

Did you hear Will on BBC Hereford and Worcester?

Our Chief Executive, Will Lindesay, spoke to BBC presenter Tammy Gooding last week about a national lack of volunteers. You can listen again using the link below - skip to 2hrs 20mins 30secs.

Trustees' Week 2022

7-11 November

Next week sees the return of NCVO's Trustees' Week - now in it's 12th year!

Do you have a current vacancy for a Trustee to join your Herefordshire based organisation? Let us know about it by emailing the details of your vacancy to [email protected] and we will share on our website and across our social media channels during Trustees' Week.

New to trusteeship, or looking to hone your skills? Book your place on NCVO's free Trustees' Week webinars - find out more by visiting their website:

Could your charity fundraising be boosted by up to £50,000 from the Aviva Community Fund?

The rising cost of living is putting extra strain on individuals, communities and the causes that support them. The need is greater than ever, and funding isn’t stretching as far. With our additional £2 million Cost of Living Boost, the Aviva Community Fund will support the causes helping those who need it most.

If you’re one of those organisations working tirelessly to meet cost of living challenges, apply to the Aviva Community Fund today and we’ll match every individual donation you receive up to £250*.

Domestic Abuse and Older People

TUESDAY 8 NOVEMBER 2022 (9.30 - 12.30)

Online – via Zoom



Aims:

• To raise awareness and increase the understanding of domestic abuse in later life
• To raise awareness of adult family violence and Dementia in cases of domestic abuse
• Recognise and explore some of the barriers that older victim/survivors may face when seeking support for domestic abuse
• Developing subject knowledge through case studies and identifying best practice methods of protection and incident response
• To provide an overview of the Specialist Domestic Abuse Service that West Mercia Women’s Aid provides.

Direct Booking Link: Event : Domestic-Abuse-and-Older-People - 17588 (herefordshirecpd.co.uk)

If the Booking period has closed, please email [email protected] to enquire about a place.

Domestic abuse and the Rural context

TUESDAY 13 DECEMBER 2022 (09:30 - 12:30)

Online – Via Zoom

Aims:

• To develop an understanding of how coercive and controlling behaviour and isolation impacts on rural victim/survivors of domestic abuse
• To raise awareness of the gap in service provision in rural areas and the barriers to accessing support
• Developing subject knowledge through case studies and identifying best practice methods of protection and incident response.
• To provide an overview of the Specialist Domestic Abuse Service that West Mercia Women’s Aid provides.

Direct Booking Link: Event : Domestic-abuse-and-the-Rural-context - 17609 (herefordshirecpd.co.uk)

If the Booking period has closed, please email [email protected] to enquire about a place.

Culture Camp: Cross-sector collaboration

This session follows on from the Innovation Agency's Coaching Academy's Culture Camp on 24 August, which was about exploring culture in our integrated care systems. Fruitful cross-sector collaboration is a fundamental part of their success.

In this session, you will:

• learn about the foundational theories/concepts that can help you build a culture for productive collaboration,
• learn from system colleagues who are improving outcomes for people in their communities by working together,
• hear about practical strategies and methods for successfully collaborating across sectors,
• explore questions, barriers and opportunities for applying this learning to your current work.

Who should attend

This session is for health and social care professionals, especially those in leadership positions. We also welcome interested staff from voluntary, community, faith and social enterprise (VCFSE) organisations.

Joining

You can register for your FREE ticket to this online event until 5pm on Monday, 28 November. Joining instructions and links to resources on the Future NHS collaboration platform will be sent to you on Tuesday, 29 November.

Data Orchard presents

The joy and pain of data: A CEO's perspective

Wednesday, 16 November 2022, 11:00am -12:30 pm - Online Webinar

For many CEOs and other leaders, autumn is a time of reflection on the past and what the future holds.

It’s AGM season, where the reports on the previous year’s activity are shared and people talk about what the year(s) ahead will look like. Behind the scenes, there will have been much squirreling to gather data for the occasion....and bringing all that data together can be quite a challenge.

As a CEO or senior leader, planning and steering your organisation towards the future is a core part of the job, and data is a crucial resource.

This special webinar for CEOs and other leaders of charities and social enterprises will provide an opportunity for you to:

• Hear inspiring stories from charity CEOs who have improved with data in their organisations
• Find out about the benefits data can bring to your services, beneficiaries, staff and running of your organisation.
• Get practical tips on how to get your organisation started on its journey to get better with data

The event will include a panel discussion and Q&A to explore CEO perspectives on data, your challenges, and ideas.

Online Bid Writing for Charities and Community Groups Course

Get Grants Online Bid-Writing Course will give you practical support to improve your grant fundraising success and inspire you to become a more confident grant fundraiser. In attending our course, you will access expert insights, crucial information, and friendly advice that will help you increase your organisation’s income through grant funding.

Online Developing Your Individual Giving Course

Get Grants Developing Your Individual Giving Course will give you practical solutions and ideas for growing your charity’s income through support from individual donors. By developing an individual giving offer, organisations can diversify their income, strengthening resilience and sustainability (which is needed now more than ever).