VAL partners with Gambit Insurance Solutions

For over fifty years, VAL has been helping voluntary and community organisations across the region to thrive, empowering them to deliver vital services for some of the most marginalised and hard-to-reach communities. By partnering with Gambit Insurance Solutions, VAL is strengthening its offer to thousands of local charities, providing access to practical insurance expertise and resources designed specifically for the third sector.

Through this new collaboration, Gambit Insurance will be offering charities advice and insights across a wide range of areas – including risk management, trustee protection, cyber and data security, and key insurance topics such as Employers’ Liability and Public Liability cover.

As part of the partnership, Gambit Insurance will also be providing free charity insurance health checks, helping voluntary and community organisations review their current cover, identify potential risks, and make sure their policies accurately reflect the work they do and the people they support.

Ajay Mistry, Co-Founder of Gambit Insurance Solutions, said:

We’re incredibly proud to be partnering with VAL to support the brilliant network of charities and community groups across Leicester and Leicestershire.

Our mission at Gambit has always been to make insurance simpler, fairer and more supportive for charities. Working alongside VAL gives us the chance to do exactly that – helping local organisations save money, reduce risk and focus more of their time on the people who rely on them.

Kevin Allen-Khimani, Executive Manager, Chief Executive of VAL, added:

We’re delighted to be partnering with Gambit Insurance Solutions. They have a deep understanding of the charity and voluntary sector and share our commitment to supporting community organisations to be stronger and more sustainable.

This partnership will bring real value to our members – offering tailored advice, free insurance reviews and access to specialist expertise that many charities might otherwise struggle to find.

More information about the partnership, including details of how to access free insurance reviews, is available through VAL’s website.

About Gambit Insurance Solutions

Gambit Insurance Solutions is an independent, Leicester-based insurance broker specialising in the charity and not-for-profit sector. The team works with charities of all sizes – from small community groups to large regional organisations – providing tailored advice and insurance cover that reflects the unique challenges of working in the voluntary sector.

In addition to insurance broking, Gambit supports charities with a range of free resources, including risk assessment templates, funding updates, and practical guides designed to help charity leaders manage risk and build resilience.

University Mental Health Cafes Online Briefing

NHS Leicestershire Partnership Trust (LPT) are looking for new café providers to deliver the University Mental Health Cafes at the University of Leicester, De Montfort University and Loughborough University.

On online briefing session is scheduled for Monday 16 June at 11am via MS teams for you to attend to find out more about this opportunity or if you have any questions.

Click this link to join the online briefing session.

You can either add the link to your diaries or contact lpt.transformationteam@nhs.net for a meeting request to receive a calendar invitation.

Application packs are now ready. If you would like to receive an application pack and are already a member of the VCSE Alliance, please contact lpt.transformationteam@nhs.net

The closing date to submit your application is Monday 30th June 2025, 10am.

If you have any questions about this opportunity but you are unable to attend the webinar, please contact lpt.transformationteam@nhs.net

Raise funds through online shopping with easyfundraising

As part of our commitment to provide funding advice and support to voluntary groups and charities in Leicester and Leicestershire, we are now working in collaboration with fundraising website easyfundraising to help your organisation generate additional income.

It’s a very simple idea – register your organisation as a good cause with easyfundraising and you will be able to collect free donations when anyone connected to the organisation shops online with 4400 well known retailers including Amazon, eBay, Argos, John Lewis, Trainline, Booking.com, Currys, Aviva and Waitrose and Direct Line

It’s free to register and use. With many more people shopping online these days and traditional face to face fundraising methods still on hold, this is an easy way for your volunteers and supporters to raise money for your organisation safely from home through their normal online shopping.

easyfundraising has enabled good causes to raise £34m to date, including £4m in 2020 alone. Your organisation does not need to be a registered charity to use easyfundraising and it is open to voluntary organisations of all shape and size.

The benefits

  • Free to register and use
  • Regular, on-going revenue stream for your organisation
  • Easy to set up and requires minimal management

Getting started

All you need to do is create an easyfundraising page for your organisation. It’s free and quick to set up and requires very little ongoing management. You can set up your page here. You can also find out more in this preparation guide to registering your fundraising page.

If you have questions and would like to speak to someone before signing up, please contact becky@easyfundraising.org.uk who will be happy to help you.

Round 1 SHIRE Community grants programme 2021-22

Voluntary, Community & Social Enterprise (VCSE) Sector organisations, along with Town & Parish Councils, will be able to access a range of grants for community based projects and activities that are specifically focused on improving the lives, health and wellbeing of vulnerable and disadvantaged people and communities in Leicestershire.

Eligible organisations can apply for one of five different types of SHIRE Community Grants in 2021-22:

  • Small Grants (maximum £3,000)
  • Large Grants (minimum £3,001; maximum £10,000)
  • Capital Grants (minimum £1,000; maximum £10,000)
  • Match Funding (minimum £3,000; maximum £10,000)
  • Partnership Grants (minimum £5,000; maximum £25,000)

They are particularly interested in funding services, projects and activities that will:

  • Improve the lives, health and wellbeing of vulnerable or disadvantaged people and communities in Leicestershire
  • Provide community-based early intervention and prevention solutions which help to reduce demand on Council and other public services
  • Complement existing services already being delivered

The application process, guidance notes, and details of the grants officers, whom they encourage you to contact to check your project is eligible in principle, can be accessed here.

Moto in the community trust grants

The funder encourage applications within the following remit;

  • You are a charity or community school within a 15 mile radius of a Moto site . One of their local sites is Moto Castle Donington.
  • You have opportunities for Moto staff to be involved with your group/school
  • You are happy to support your Moto site with their fundraising events

There are 3 ways to apply for funding.

  • If you are already an approved Community Partner or Adopted School with an existing relationship with a Moto site.
  • If you are the Regional/Site Operations Manager or Charity Champion of a Moto site wishing to apply on behalf of your Community Partner or Adopted School.
  • If you are a Community Organisation or School within 15 miles of a Moto Service Area wishing to apply for direct funding.

There are guidance notes and application forms for those 3 ways, which can be accessed here.

 

Places of Worship (POW): protective security funding scheme

The places of worship (PoW) protective security funding scheme is a government commitment in the 2016-2020 hate crime action plan. This scheme is intended to reduce the risk and impact of hate crime at places of worship and associated faith community centres.

The scheme provides funding for protective security measures, such as CCTV, fencing, and intruder alarms, to places of worship and associated faith community centres that are vulnerable to hate crime.

The scheme is open to all faiths, apart from the Jewish community.

(The Jewish community are not eligible for funding from this scheme as a separate commitment was made to fund security measures at Jewish community sites through a grant administered by the Community Security Trust.)

You can submit an application for the installation of up to 3 protective security measures

The maximum government funding available to any place of worship or associated faith community centre is £56,000 for the installation of the protective security measures. However, this does not include any costs associated with planning permissions or consents, and does not cover any preparatory work identified at survey stage to facilitate installation (such as clearing the grounds).

Further information including details of how to gather evidence of your site’s vulnerability to hate crime and application form can be accessed here.

Celebrating 2019 and looking forward to 2020

Now we’re all back at work and trying hard to keep to our new year’s resolutions and avoid all that leftover office chocolate, we want to take a look back at the last year as well as looking ahead to some of the things we’re excited about in 2020.

January

In January 2019 the Work.Live.Leicestershire (WiLL) project launched, aiming to help people in rural areas throughout Leicestershire to overcome barriers to training, employment, and well-being. VAL is one of nine delivery partners on the project, which is led by Vista.

February

In February the YES Project hosted an awards event to celebrate the progress of some of the young people on the project. It proved to be an inspiring afternoon hearing the award winners’ journeys; the barriers they’ve overcome, their achievements and plans for the future. The ten award winners were decided by each of the YES Project’s Delivery Partners.

March

On 1 March 2019 the GREAT Project held their annual showcase event, Changing Lives Together, to celebrate the achievements of some of our participants both past and present. Over 100 delegates attended from various organisations across Leicester and Leicestershire, including project partners.

GREAT Project team members at the GREAT Project Showcase event, March 2019

In March VAL was awarded £18,200 through the £3 million Connect Fund programme to promote social investment, a means of funding which could be vital to the future of the local Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise (VCSE) sector.

April

In April VALUES launched a new site at Danbury Gardens Extra Care in Humberstone, Leicester. The new site means that even more people can access VALUES services and get support. VALUES has been helping people with learning disabilities to make friends, learn new skills and have fun for over 20 years.

VAL published an Economic Impact Report, detailing the financial impact that we had on Leicester and Leicestershire in the previous financial year.

May

In May, VAL ran its first funding fair of the year in Melton. 15 funders ran stalls for over 135 attendees, and the event was opened by Cllr Pam Posnett, Chair of the County Council and Melton.

June

Volunteers Week is a national celebration of all things volunteering, taking place every year between 1-7 June. As the Volunteer Centre for Leicester and Leicestershire, VAL took an active role in promoting volunteers week across the city and county, including multiple events, free drop-in sessions, a Volunteer Fair and a thank you event for our own volunteers.

The GREAT Project reached its target of 500 participants after a huge amount of hard work by the project team. It also launched its #BehindEveryGREATMan campaign to recruit more male participants.

July

VAL welcomed the National Youth Agency, one of very few national charities based in Leicester, who moved their offices to Newarke Street after leaving their previous office space.

In July the YES Project learned that it had been nominated for the National Lottery’s 25th Birthday Awards, a huge honour to be recognised alongside 9 other projects in the Community and Charity category.

August

In August we released our Annual Review for 2018-19, covering some of the highlights of the previous year.

We also held a stall at the Belgrave Mela where we talked to members of the public about volunteering and supporting the local community.

September

In September we were thrilled to find out that our YES and GREAT Projects had received funding extensions to 2022, enabling both projects to continue helping people across Leicester and Leicestershire to overcome barriers and find work, training or education.

We also hosted Future Focus, VAL’s annual conference for the voluntary sector. This year was our 7th Future Focus, and one of our biggest and best yet. The conference was opened by Dr Nik Kotecha, Director of Morningside Pharmaceuticals, and closed by Melanie Mills, Director of Big Society Capital. Over 120 delegates attended eight workshops, plus VAL’s Annual General Meeting.

October

In October VALUES opened the Sandwich Station, a training shop for VALUES clients to learn work skills and gain experience in a real-life environment. Jon Ashworth, MP for Leicester South, officially opened the shop and the opening was featured on GEM 106 and East Midlands Today.

People with learning disabilities standing outside a sandwich shop

We also welcomed the Dutch Embassy, who hosted a Brexit information event Dutch citizens living in the UK, which was livestreamed on Facebook.

November

On 5 November VAL held its first ever Voluntary Awards for Leicester and Leicestershire. The awards celebrated local individuals and organisations for their contribution to the local community. 11 awards were handed out overall in a ceremony hosted by Rupal Rajani and sponsored by Morningside Pharmaceuticals, with award categories sponsored by various local businesses and charities.

Winners for Woodhouse and Woodhouse Eaves Good Neighbour Scheme pose with their award

Every year Trustees Week celebrates the work that Trustees across the country do and highlights why they are so important. VAL supported Trustees Week in 2019 by sharing the experiences of our own trustees and holding sessions for potential trustees as part of the Leicester Business Festival.

December

In December we held our second Funding Fair of 2019, with over 130 attendees for the event hosted by Leicester City Council.

It was also announced that the WiLL project will be extended until December 2020.

Finally, six members of VAL staff gave up their valuable free time on 23 December to support LOROS with sorting out their donations and creating Christmas cards for LOROS patients.

Coming up in 2020

After such a big year for VAL in 2019, there are a few things we’re really looking forward to in 2020:

  • The launch of our InVALuable Network, an opportunity for charities and businesses to come together and find out how they can support each other
  • VALUES hosting the launch of Mencap’s Round the World Challenge on 29 January
  • The relaunch of our training programme
  • The YES Project’s stakeholder event in February
  • The second annual VAL Awards for the voluntary sector in Leicester and Leicestershire (date to be confirmed)

We’d like to thank everyone who supported VAL in 2019 and we hope you’ll stick around and continue supporting us with all the exciting things we have coming up in 2020!

Melton Space

Melton Space is a non-profit community workshop – that provides social and creative workshop space equipped with a broad range of activities. It is a space to meet, make, fix, create and share ideas & resources.

VAL met the treasurer at the county funding fair in Melton. Previously the organisation had enquired about changing their legal structure but not acted on it as yet.

There was now a pressing need to convert from their existing structure, due to applying for a tender to formally manage a café and visitor centre at the country park at the end of Wymondham Way, Melton Mowbray.

The purpose of the tender, if successful, would enable them to continue to have use of a country park premises where they run a cafe and as a space to meet, make, fix, create and share ideas & resources.

VAL helped the committee consider the incorporated status options, initially by reviewing their existing structure. As a non-charitable unincorporated association, they were able to convert to a Community Interest Company (CIC). Support was given to decide which type of CIC – large or small membership – was appropriate and then completion of the M&AA governing document. Followed by advice on how to take forward a special resolution with members and then completion of the application paperwork CIC 36 and IN01 .

The organisation was successful with their tender and obtaining CIC status.

“I want to thank you for the support and guidance you gave to me throughout the registration processes for Melton Space CIC.

I am grateful for the authoritative advice and the challenging questions regarding the choice of our incorporated status and the completion of the necessary paperwork. I was not looking forward to making the electronic application but once I started everything was very straight forward and I must admit that I was pleasantly surprised at the speed of the approval… less than 24 hours!!”

– Lloyd Stevens, Treasurer, Melton Space

If you are intending reviewing your legal structure, or looking to set up a VCSE organisation, then please get in touch with VAL’s sector support team’s helpline for support We allocate referrals weekly on a Wednesday.  If using the online form, please use the drop down box “support for your voluntary organisation.

Stars of the local voluntary sector celebrated at inaugural Voluntary Awards for Leicester and Leicestershire

Winners for Woodhouse and Woodhouse Eaves Good Neighbour Scheme pose with their award

The awards took place at Leicester’s Morningside Arena and were sponsored by Morningside Pharmaceuticals Ltd, which manufactures and suppliers quality Generic and Branded medicines to the UK and International markets.

The ceremony was hosted by BBC Radio Leicester presenter Rupal Rajani and Voluntary Action LeicesterShire’s Kevin Allen-Khimani. Kevin is VAL’s Executive Manager for Public Sector Contracts and Projects, and he came up with the idea of the VALLs as a way to recognise the important role played by thousands of voluntary organisations across the city and county, and the vital services they provide within their communities.

Kevin commented:

“We were thrilled with the number of entries we had for the VALLs, especially as it’s only our first year, and the calibre of our finalists was outstanding. So much so, that we didn’t envy the judges having to choose just one winner in each category!”

“We wanted the awards to give the unsung heroes in our sector the recognition they deserve and have thoroughly enjoyed celebrating with all our finalists and winners this evening.”

Award winners

VAL received 432 nominations for 11 award categories – the winners and finalists are all listed below:

City Charity of the Year (Sponsored by Action Coach)
  • The Bridge Homelessness to Hope (winner)
  • Hope Against Cancer
  • FreeVA
City Small Charity of the Year (Sponsored by Next)
  • Sound Café Leicester (winner)
  • Leicester City of Sanctuary
  • Team Troupers Dance Academy
County Charity of the Year (Sponsored by Freeths Solicitors)
  • Bodie Hodges Foundation (winner)
  • Norton Housing & Support
  • Menphys
County Small Charity of the Year (Sponsored by BHIB Insurance Brokers)
  • The Well (winner)
  • The Heera Foundation
  • Quorn Mills Park Bowling Club
Trustee of the Year
  • Linda Jones (winner)
  • Eileen Richardson
  • Christine Ringrose

Volunteer-Led Organisation of the Year (Sponsored by Zinthiya Trust)
  • Woodhouse & Woodhouse Eaves Good Neighbour Scheme (winner)
  • Baby Basics
  • Help the Homeless
Volunteer of the Year (Sponsored by Dluxe Magazine)
  • Emma Hallam (winner)
  • Adrian Key (special recommendation)
  • Capt. Matthew Taylor
  • Azar Richardson
  • Prue Padmore
Social Enterprise of the Year (Sponsored by East Midlands Chamber)
  • Dear Albert (winner)
  • Soulful Group
  • Iconic
Voluntary Sector Ally of the Year (Sponsored by Business 2 Business)
  • Caterpillar UK Limited (winner)
  • Barrie Stephen
  • Nicola Bassindale
Overall Charity of the Year
  • Woodhouse and Woodhouse Eaves Good Neighbourhood Scheme (winner)
Lifetime Achievement Award (Sponsored by Voluntary Action LeicesterShire)
    • Rick Moore (winner)

Find out more

You can read more about the VALLs in the Leicester Mercury, or by following us on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.

If you’re a charity who would like support with anything from recruiting volunteers to funding a new project, or if you are a local business who would like to know more about how you can support our voluntary sector, contact us via helpline@valonline.org.uk or on 0116 257 5050.

Election 12 December

Now that the election has been confirmed for 12 December 2019, the Charity Commission has sent a reminder to all charities of their particular responsibilities in the weeks ahead.

The guiding principle of charity law in terms of elections is that charities must be, and seen to be, independent from party politics.

Charity law applies to all types of charities from ones that are registered with the Charity Commission –unincorporated charities, charitable companies and charitable incorporated organisations (CIO). To charities that are unregistered –charitable unincorporated associations.

The political context for this election is very different from what people may have experienced in the past. It is recommended that trustees read the appropriate Charity Commission guidance, to make sure their charity is complying with the rules.

In the Charity Commission guidance – charities elections and referendums it explains how to steer clear of comparing the views of the charity with those of political parties or candidates taking part in the election.

The key legal principles from their guidance on political activity (CC9)   is that charities should remember:

  • Charities cannot have political purposes, and campaigning and political activity must only be undertaken by a charity in the context of supporting the delivery of their charitable purposes
  • In the political arena, a charity must stress its independence and ensure that any involvement it has with political parties is balanced; a charity must not give support or funding to a political party, candidate or politician
  • A charity may give its support to or raise concerns about specific policies advocated by political parties if it would help achieve its charitable purposes as long as it makes clear its independence from any political party
  • Trustees must protect their charity and not allow it to be used as a vehicle for the expression of the party political views of any individual trustee or staff member or by a party or candidate

The chief executive of the Charity Commission has written a blog called Charities and political campaigning: a reflection on charities’ responsibilities,

In the blog, she states “If charities appear to the public to be engaged in political debate, not because they are representing their beneficiaries or bringing expertise, but because they are taking a position on one side of a political divide, this undermines public confidence in charity as something special, which can inspire trust where other institutions do not.”

The Charity Commission have also published lessons learned during the last election in 2017. This publication includes case studies they dealt with during 2017 election. Such as Scope who sought advice from the commission after the Labour Party’s manifesto referred twice to research carried out by the charity in 2013.

Finally, they advise charities to be aware of the rules on what is called ‘third party campaigning’ under electoral law, which may affect your charity. The Electoral Commission has worked closely with charities to produce Non-party campaigners: where to start, using real-life case studies to provide advice to charity campaigners.

The guidance is for anyone spending significant amounts of money on issues-based campaigns, who will need to ascertain if any of their campaign spending should be regulated.

If your charity would like any advice on this topic, please contact our helpline on 0116 257 5050.

If you are using the online contact form, please select “ support for your voluntary organisation” in the drop down box.