Latest News

The RVA Newsletter is Rother Community Times and is produced quarterly. We cover local news and stories for the Rother voluntary and community sector.

Inserts

We send out 250 hard copies and a further 250 via email. If you want to insert a flyer or information sheet our rates are:

RVA members                                       Free

Voluntary organistions (non-members)      £40

Statutory organisations                          £100

Private sector organisations                    £150

Conditions

• charges quoted assume user supplied material
• single sheet A4, A5 or smaller only
• RVA reserves the right to decide whether material is suitable for circulation 
• contact us for deadline dates

Here is a list of partnerships,
meetings and forums where
RVA is active.

• 
  
• Affordable Warmth Steering Group
• AmicusHorizon East Sussex Area Panel
  
• Battle Partnership
• Bexhill and Hastings Local Area Transport Strategy
• Bexhill Regeneration Partnership
• Bexhill School Consortium
  
• Bexhill Town Forum
• Bexhill Youth Council
• East Sussex 0-11 Years Strategy Group
• East Sussex Change Up IDP
• East Sussex Childrens Services Planning Group
• East Sussex CVS Partnership
• East Sussex Climate Change Board
  
• East Sussex Social Enterprise Network
• East Sussex Environemntal Strategy Group
• East Sussex Rural Partnership
• East Sussex Migrant Housing Group
• East Sussex Social Enterprise Network
• East Sussex SpeakUp
• East Sussex CC/VCS Liaison – corporate
• East Sussex CC Adult Social Care/VCS liaison
• East Sussex CC Childrens Services/VCS liaison
• GP Out of Hours service monitoring group
• Hastings and Bexhill Economic Alliance
• Hastings and Rother Social Care Forum
• HIMP
• North Bexhill Development Group
• POPP
• Postern Gate surgery relocation – partners group
• Relateen Steering group
• Rother Environment Group
• Rother Local Strategic Partnership
• Rother Liaison Group (Health and Social Care)
• Rother Race Action Forum
• Rural Rother Youth Forum
• Rother Seniors
  
• Rother Youth Clubs Network
• Rother Transport Action Group
• Rother Yputh Partnership
  
• Rye Access Study
• Rye Partnership
• Rye Town Council Public Services Committee
• Rye Town Initiative
• VOICES
• VOSOP
• Wealden And Rural Rother Partrnership
  

RVA runs and maintains 3 community networks aimed at bringing together voluntary sector and community organisations together to share knowledge information and expertise. They also provide a venue where issues can be discussed and opinions voiced, ultimately feeding back into the Community Plan.

Muddy Boots

Meets once a quarter and serves the Battle and Robertsbridge area and villages. Next meeting here.

Rye Network

Meets once a quarter and serves Rye and Easten Rother. Next Meeting here.

Bexhill Network

Is a network for the Bexhill voluntary sector. Next meeting here.

For more information call 01797 225466 or rvaoffice@btconnect.com

These are projects run by different voluntary and community organisations with support from RVA that can range from assisiting with running the finances, project management or resources:

Bexhill Young Peoples Services Project.

Run by Bexhill Young Peoples' Services, this project aims to run a chill out zone and sports sessions from the Victoria Hall in central Bexhill in 2 location in the deprived wards of Bexhill for young people between 14 and 18. The activities  are planned to cover arts, drama and music to indoor and outdoor sports, weekend activities

Neighbourhood Gardening Project

Run by the Bexhill Community Partnership and Hadlow College, this project has revitalised an underused set of allotments in Sidley and enabled participants of the project to received City and Guilds qualifications in gardening.

Bexhill Reminiscence Project

Run by the Bexhill Community Partnership the reminiscence project is attempting to connect older people of the town with younger people in relaxed and entertaining ways

The Rural Childrens Centre Outreach Project is providing support to mother and toddler groups and playgroups, developing new services such as a Toy Library and Safety equipment Loan Scheme and runs a Community Parent Programme. Currently the project is based at the Rye Childrens Centre Rye, and operates throughout the rural areas of Rother.

For more information contact 01797 229750 or rvaoffice@btconnect.com

RVA is supporting the development of a forum designed to enable older people in Rother to come together to discuss issues of mutual importance, and represent those views to key public sector bodies.More details here

More information from RVA at 01797 229 750 or tina.hall@rothervoluntaryaction.org.uk

Download a report of the Joint Older People's Forums Development Day held in 2006>>>

RVA is supporting the further development of the Rother Race Action Forum to reach members of the community who for one reason or another have not had good opportunities to contribute their viewpoint to key local strategies. Next Meeting here.

AIM

To act as an effective network to co-ordinate, raise awareness, influence and to develop race equality work amongst statutory and voluntary agencies and community groups.

OBJECTIVES

• To develop and maintain strong links with Black and minority ethnic groups, forums and individuals across the district to ensure work is rooted in community planning processes
• To share information on relevant policy, practice, legislation and funding opportunities and promote good practice
• To identify gaps in services and to influence policy and service planning, in particular in relation to the Race Relations (Amendment) Act 2000
• To identify and promote potential new developments and partnerships
• To raise awareness and maintain a high profile for racial equality work
• To facilitate mutual support between members, agencies and groups

• Develop policy and good practice in tackling racist incidents within the framework of the Rother Crime & Disorder Reduction Strategy
• To report to the Rother Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnership as the action group for race equality.

MEMBERSHIP

Open to members of statutory, voluntary and community organisations and individuals who support the aim and objectives of the forum, living or working in Rother. In order to ensure sufficient BME representation, membership will be reviewed on an on-going basis.

Download a report on issues facing the BME community in Rother :

Is your group looking for funds?
If so, RVA can help you.

RVA employs a funding and finance
worker who can help you:

• Locate suitable sources of funding
• Advise on how to write a good fundraising applications
• Assist in writing a clear budget
• Help your group with setting up simple accounting procedures

RVA can help by:

• In-depth advice and guidance from RVA's Development Worker
• Opportunity to search a specialist fundraising database called 'Funderfinder'
• Training on fundraising and/ or related topics

Useful links for funding information:

East Sussex County Council have good up to date information on current funding available from many sources

 They also produce a very good monthly update here

Big Lottery Website - though funding is becoming harder to secure in their main grants programmes

Awards for All - an excellent source of funds for smaller projects (upto £10,000)

governmentfunding.org.uk Searchable database of funding information from government departments

Here is a list of useful "how-to" guides for community
and voluntary groups or individuals thinking of starting a group.

They are intended for guidance and general information, and are not a substitute for professional legal and/or financial advice. Contact RVA for more information

No responsibility for loss occasioned as a result of any person acting or refraining from acting can be taken by RVA.

RVA is a member of the East Sussex Social Enterprise Network. We are happy to provide advice and information to entreprenuers and community groups thinking about starting a social enterprise in East Sussex.

Contact us at 01424 217259 or rvaoffice@btconnect.com or for more information on social enterprise visit the East Sussex Social Enterprise Network website at http://www.essen.org.uk