Waveney Community Forum cvs - here to help

Waveney Community Forum cvs exists to help the hundreds of voluntary and community groups across the area. It covers young to older people, those who like amateur dramatics to those who care for others, from Park Friends groups to Befriending and Rotary Clubs - all with a wide range of causes and purposes. Members receive information and support, from start up to development and funding advice, from our four Community Development Officers (CDOs) across Waveney.

Claire Taylor-Crisp is our North Lowestoft Fairshare Trust CDO
Janet Peachey is based in Beccles
Julia MIller is based in Southwold
Bernard Mukuya is our new Mental Health Black and Minority Ethnic Community Development Officer, based in Lowestoft.

If you would like to talk through your ideas about a new or existing community project contact the Forum. Membership of the Forum is free. Groups and organisations can sign up now to receive a quarterly newsletter, regular email bulletins, access to funding information, one to one support, networking and training information, access to the Forum's resource centre meeting/training room, presentation equipment including overhead and multimedia projectors, television, DVD and VCR players.

To join the Waveney Community Forum contact us or click here www.waveneycf.org.uk/files/Membership form.pdf for an application form.

Staff and Trustees at our AGM in June 2008

NEW WAVENEY PARTNERSHIP TV COORDINATOR APPOINTED

Annette Bowler has been appointed as the new coordinator for Waveney Partnership Television. Her background is from the Tourism industry working previously for Bure Valley Railway, Norfolk Tourism and currently the Press officer for the Norfolk National Gardens Scheme.

The appointment is an initiative from the Waveney Local Strategic Partnership to raise the profile and the remit of the television screens to local organisations and the local community. She will be the point of contact for voluntary and community groups who want to find out more about the TV screens or how to put news about their organisation or activities onto the screen.

New Black and Minority Ethnic Community Development Role

My name is Bernard Mukuya, I am 31 years old, I was born in Zimbabwe and at the age of 22 years I moved to the United Kingdom where I embarked on Mental Health Nursing training and in 2004 I gained a Diploma in Health Education (Nursing) Mental Health. Since May 2005 I have worked as a Registered Mental Health Nurse in Norfolk. I reside in Great Yarmouth and quite familiar with Norfolk and I am improving my knowledge and information about Waveney and Suffolk.

I joined Waveney Community Forum (cvs) on the 3^rd of November 2008 in the role of Mental Health Black and Minority Ethnic Community Development Officer. I am based in the Waveney Community Forum office in Grove Road, Lowestoft. In my role I will be working in partnership with other organisations to reduce and eliminate ethnic inequalities in mental health service experience in Waveney.

I will work with black and minority ethnic communities in order to better understand what help they want and need, and improve the primary care services they receive. In other words, I want to support members of the BME communities to have a better quality of life. I am still familiarising myself with the new post and new ideas and suggestions are welcomed. I look forward to meeting people and working with you. Please do contact me on 01502 582201 or email This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it . Thank you.

Include your Community Events on our Suffolk-wide Calendar

We have linked up with other organisations who support the voluntary sector in Suffolk to create a shared online events calendar. This means that the events calendar on this website features events and activities all over Suffolk, a comprehensive calendar of voluntary sector activities and events for Suffolk. If your organisation has an event you want to include on the calendar, please click on "events calendar" and then click on "add event." Then simply fill in the details and your event will be featured on the websites of six Suffolk voluntary sector support organisations.

Council for Voluntary Service

Along with the 360+ members of the NAVCA (National Association for Voluntary and Community Action) http://www.navca.org.uk/about/ we engage in:

Development - of voluntary services in response to needs.
Liaison – between voluntary organisations for mutual support and co-ordination and between voluntary organisations and authorities for the exchange of information and the building of partnership.
Representation – of voluntary sector concerns and promotion of their interests.
Provision of services – practical support and training.
Being a strategic partner with statutory agencies – review of Compact, Best Value, Strategic Partnership, and so on.

Until 14 June 2006, NAVCA was called NACVS (the National Association of Councils for Voluntary Service).

NAVCA's 360 members work with 140,000 local community groups and voluntary organisations which provide services, regenerate neighbourhoods, increase volunteering and tackle discrimination, in partnership with local public bodies. In supporting the voluntary and community sector we help to combat poverty, disadvantage and discrimination, and improve the quality of life for communities, groups and individuals.