The Refugee Council is pleased to announce a series of FREE TRAINING SESSIONS for Refugee Community Organisations (RCOs).

The training will be given by colleagues from the Basis Project and the Development Team and other guest organisations including the National Council for Voluntary Organisations and are aimed at meeting the needs of RCOs in this difficult climate.

All training sessions will last one whole day (from 10am to 4pm), unless specified otherwise below and will be at venues close to transport links in London. To register send your name and organisation details to basis@refugeecouncil.org.uk or return the booking form (Word doc).

Who should attend?
Trustees, staff and volunteers of Refugee Community Organisations. Places are offered at no cost to you, but you have to commit to attend the training courses on both dates.

12th and 19th July, 2011
Before signing on the dotted line – an introduction to commissioning

An introductory course in tendering and procurement run by the National Council for Voluntary Organisations (NCVO) in partnership with the Basis project, for voluntary organisations interested in competitive tendering for public sector contracts.

At this interactive course you will:

• Get an overview of commissioning, procurement and tendering
• Learn about decision drivers and how to sell your services
• Learn about putting yourself forward for work
• Learn about risk, interview and post-tender processes

27th July 2011
“Localism” – what it means to communities

The new Localism Bill will bring about new opportunities for community groups – but many people are uncertain about what it means and find it hard to understand. This day long training workshop will give participants a clear understanding of the three key parts of the Bill including ‘The Right to Buy’, ‘The Right to Challenge’, and  ‘Neighbourhood Planning’ by describing them in every day terms. In particular, the workshop will help participants to relate the bill to their organisations’ own setting and needs.

The workshop will cover the following topics:

• The Right to Buy-which gives communities new opportunities to purchase land and property
• The Right to Challenge-which gives communities chance to open up more council services for bids to run them
• Neighbourhood Planning-which provides neighbourhood organisations new ways to draw up their own local plans.
• The implications of these changes for the work of voluntary sector organisations.

24th August 2011
Collaboration: Why, When, How and With Who?

With the ongoing economic crisis and government funding cuts, collaborative ways of working have never been more crucial for the Voluntary and Community Sector.  This event will be a chance to hear from others who are working collaboratively, share your own experiences and explore what might work best for your organisation.

Please complete the registration form and return to:

Carol Barker at basis@refugeecouncil.org.uk or The Basis Project, Refugee Council, 240-250 Ferndale Road, London SW9 8BB by Wednesday 6th July 2011.