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VISIBLE WORKSHOPS COMING TO A TOWN NEAR YOU...
A community organisation seeking to meet the greater demands of accountability from Funders, Local Authorities and worried about future funding?
A Local Authority, Local Infrastructure Organisation or a Housing Association seeking to find ways to encourage community organisations to be more publicly accountable and sustainable for the future?
Come along to your local Regional Information Day to find out from Community Matters how Becoming Visible – the national operating standards for community organisations could help turn you into strong prosperous community organisations for the future.
The Visible Communities Programme is running a series of Regional Information Days across the country between November 2008 and March 2009.
28th Nov - Redhill Methodist Church and Centre, Gloucester Rd, Redhill, RH1 1BP
4th Dec - Arbury Community Centre, Campkin Rd, Cambridge, CB4 2LD
8th Dec - Community Links, 105 Barking Rd, Canning Town, London, E18 4HQ
11th Dec - Hudawi Centre, Great Northern St, Huddersfield, HD1 6BG
14th Jan- Community Action Southwark, 8th Floor, Hannibal House, Elephant and Castle, SE1 6TE
20th Jan - Bridgewater YMCA, George Williams House, Friarn Ave, Bridgewater, Somerset, TA6 3RF
27th Jan - Bullion Hall, South Approach, Chester-le-st, DH2 2DW
9th Feb - Voluntary Action Sheffield, The Circle, 33 Rockingham Lane, Sheffield, S1 4FW
16th Feb - The Brickyard Community Centre, Old Brickyard, Carlton, Nottingham, NG3 6PB
17th Feb - Whitstable Community Umbrella Assoc., St Mary's Hall, Oxford St, Whitstable, Kent, CT5 1DD
19th Feb - Priory Centre, 78 Priory Rd, Downham Market, PE38 9JS
13th March - CVS Rochdale, Partnership House, Sparrow Hill, Rochdale, OL16 1QT
26th March - Heaton Community Centre, Trewhitt Rd, Newcastle Upon Tyne, NE6 5DY
27th March - Sydni Centre, Cottage Square, Off Marloes Walk, Sydenham, Leamington Spa, CV31 1PT
For the brochure and booking form please click on the following link: Visible Info days 4pp v2.pdf
Phone 020 7837 7887 or email gail.bullen@communitymatters.org.uk
Treboeth Recognised by Swansea Council
On the 21st November 2008 Swansea community centres and volunteers will be honoured for dedicated service by Swansea's Chief Executive, Paul Smith.
Treboeth Community Centre is working towards becoming a Community Matters accredited Visible Community. In recognition of their commitment and progress towards this national standard so far, they will be awarded the Council's own Visible Recognition Certificate.
Cllr Alan Robinson, Swansea Council's Cabinet Member for Community Regeneration, said: "Community centres play a key role in all the communities they serve by offering facilities where groups and organisations ranging from drama clubs and youth clubs to historical societies and lifelong learning classes can meet.
Swansea Council owns and helps to run 35 community centres across the city. Please see the following link for more info: www.swansea.gov.uk/index.cfm?articleid=22647
CERTIFICATE PRESENTATION AT CONFERENCE
West Oxford Community Association were formerly presented with their Accreditation certificate by minister Phil Hope at the Community Matters Annual Conference last week.
Centre Manager, Richard Grant
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See below for more details.
WEST OXFORD COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION ACCREDITED!
West Oxford Community Associ
ation has become only the fifth community organisation in the country to achieve the Visible Communities™ kitemark, with the award ceremony taking place on Monday 8th September 2008.
The assessment day took place on the 13th of June at the Centre, which is a bright modern building fifteen minutes walk away from the city centre.
The assessors were given a tour of the Centre, an opportunity to see the activities being held throughout the day, and a full list of members, trustees, volunteers, local councillors, and community police officers to speak to in order to build up a full picture of how the Association meets the required standard in each of the seven VISIBLE areas. The assessors were also shown a great variety of evidence including policies, meeting minutes, posters and photos, all of which convinced them of the Community Association's case to be awarded the kitemark.
The Association was found to be truly dynamic with strong leadership within its trustees, demonstrating good practice on many levels together with a willingness to learn. The assessors were impressed with the Association's efforts to involve all sections of the community, and their willingness to seek new ways of increasing their inclusiveness. Of particular note was the Association's role during last year's floods that hit West Oxford particularly badly. They worked in collaboration with the local emergency services and the Council, to provide a safe centre, and a point of information, for those affected. The Association has built on these partnerships to put together a strategic plan should West Oxford suffer from flooding again.
Richard Grant, the Centre manager told us:
"Going through the VISIBLE process was an opportunity to sort out all those things which we know we should do, but which have a tendency to stay on the back burner. The file that we produced for our accreditation is a fine snapshot of local history and a great example of the variety of activity that community associations generate. I am proud to have been through the VISIBLE process, but most of all I am proud of how the WOCA team performed on the assessment day."
Community Matters and the Visible Communities™ team would like to thank everyone who took part in the assessment day for all their hard work and enthusiasm.
A LOCAL FOCUS ON VISIBILITY an interview with Bev Wells
Bev Wells is the VISIBLE Communities Development Worker for Sefton CVS, a licensed local agent. Bev's post is being funded by a Big Lottery grant over four years as part of Sefton CVS's 'Focus on Visibility' project within the Developing Communities Team.
Past experience has shown that few VCFOs spontaneously take part in formal schemes to improve the quality of their work unless it is a condition of eligibility for funding. Bev who started work with Sefton CVS in January says "The VISIBLE Communities ™ is a good framework to take organisations through". Her role includes intensive work with groups mentoring them through the VISIBLE quality standards process.
Bev tells us that the first six months have been very positive and excellent progress has been made in promoting the initiative with organisations and supporting them. She has been working intensively with two groups who have identified themselves as community anchors and will use the VISIBLE accreditation to evidence their community anchor status. She is supported by her colleagues who specialise in 'organisation and skills development' and 'funding and sustainability'.
Bristol City Council launches support for Visible
A new small grants scheme to support community 
buildings seeking to achieve the Visible Communities Standard was launched by Bristol City Council at their Community Assets Conference on the 21st May 2008.
The conference included: a keynote address by Barry Quirk CBE; a presentation about VISIBLE and the small grant scheme, by Liz Cleverly; four workshops on 1) 'Is your organisation ready?' 2) 'Finance for your capital project' 3) 'How can Bristol best engage in the Asset Transfer agenda?' and 4) Community Land Trusts.
Please see the following link for more details:
http://www.bristol.gov.uk/ccm/content/Community-Living/Community-Centres-Facilities/community-assets-conference---resources-page.en
Charity Commission award for Visible Standards
The Charity Commission have awarded Community Matters formal recognition and endorsement of our Visible Communities™ standards for community organisations. We are one of only a handful of organisations to receive the endorsement. It comes with a special Members Quality Standard logo which 
we will be able to use in connection with the standards and can also be used by all members who have achieved the standard and been accredited by us. Community Matters are delighted with the endorsement which we hope will give confidence to community organisations, local authorities and other interested parties thinking of adopting the Visible standards.
4th December
VISIBLE goes fourth
Horndean Community Association in Hampshire has become the fourth organisation in the country to achieve the Becoming Visible standard for community organisations. The organisation, based in the grade 2 listed Merchistoun Hall has worked hard over recent years to develop a strong and effective management structure and a wide range of activities for local people. S East Regional Coordinator, Stephanie Linham said "They are a true community anchor organisation, making a real difference to the community they serve, full of innovative ideas and enthusiasm". Senior Manager of the Association, Brendan Charles said "The buzz here at HCA is tremendous. Sometimes it takes something like this just to remind ourselves on so many levels: how supported we are, how well thought of we are, what we have achieved, yet so much we still have to do".
6th November
Community Anchors
Becoming Visible is the national standard for multi purpose community organisations. Organisations can initially achieve the Community Matters kite mark thus demonstrating that they have reached the minimum operating standards. This will set them on the way to becoming a Community Anchor.
There is currently no 'official definition' of a community anchor although the community Alliance (bassac, Community Matters, DTA) has identified what it sees as the core characteristics of a community anchor in its brochure 'Transformation through Community Anchors' http://www.communitymatters.org.uk/docs/Community_anchors_leaflet.pdf and the are all fully covered by the Becoming Visible standards. The Department for Communities and Local Government are currently developing an investment programme to support an England wide network of sustainable community anchors and Community Matters will ensure that our Becoming Visible standards remain appropriate to the model identified in this programme.
1st October
VISIBLE Communities Accreditation Scheme Launched
Today, Community Matters are launching the accreditation programme for their Visible Communities™ quality standard following a pilot scheme which saw three awards being made to Cutteslowe Community Association in Oxford, Foresight in Grimsby and West Hampstead Community Association in London.
Click here for more details on the scheme.
30th August
'Becoming VISBLE' Area Clinics Autumn 2007
A series of Area Clinics is being held across England between October and December 2007 with the purpose of helping community organisations to get started with using Becoming Visible. The Area Clinics will cover · Becoming Visible - where are we at? An update on the programme nationally.
· Getting started with Becoming Visible – strategies and ways to get started. Including how to undertake the self assessment process and draw up an action plan
· Accreditation – going for the kitemark. What's involved, what do the indicators really mean and what is an acceptable standard for pieces of evidence Clinics are free but there is a cost of £8 to cover lunch and refreshments . Click here for more information about the Area Clinics
22nd August
Second VISIBLE Award Made
Grimsby based community organisation, Foresight has become only the second organisation in the country to be awarded the Visible Communities™ kitemark for standards and achievement. Foresight is a community based organisation working with people with visual impairment and their families and was set up by a small group of volunteers in only 1999. Since then they have won several local service contracts and their army of volunteers are now supported by a small staff team. The award was part of a double celebration for Foresight which also received the Queens Award for Voluntary Service on the same day. At a special ceremony put on by the organisation and attended by 120 local volunteers, members and dignitaries, Foresight Chair, Val Winn was presented with the Queens award by Deputy Lord Lieutenant, Tony Worth.
11th July
First Centre Achieves VISIBLE Standards
Community Matters are delighted to announce that the first kitemark award under its Visible Communities™ programme has been made to Cutteslowe Community Association in Oxford. Cutteslowe is part of Community Matters pilot accreditation programme and was assessed against the standards in May this year. The assessment included a rigorous review of documentary and oral evidence against the 28 core indicators in the Becoming Visible workbook. A recommendation was then made to a moderator from Community Matters National Executive Committee who made the final decision.
All those involved were hugely impressed by the standard of service achieved at Cutteslowe in what is actually a very small community centre. Community Matters Chief Executive, David Tyler, who was an observer for part of the assessment said "I was struck by the sheer commitment of the staff and volunteers at Cutteslowe and the fact that despite fairly modest resources, they were tackling head-on the most profound needs on their estate. It was clear to me that as well as having services of the highest standard, Cutteslowe are great innovators and their Trustees were still full of great ideas to bring the whole community together".
