Community Action: MK AGM 2018
It’s not too late to RSVP to our AGM – it’s this Wednesday at 5pm! bit.ly/2CxdpdH
LiveLife Event
This event is to introduce the Live Life Team and to inform VCSE organisations how the service will work and answer your questions on the service.
A community referral service that can improve everyday living for people over the age of 18 in Milton Keynes.
The service offers social, emotional and practical help to adults who might be feeling lonely, anxious or just in need of somewhere to go for a chat and feel part of the community. If you haven’t completed the survey please use this link: https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/LiveLifefinal
Social Business Alliance is carrying out this survey on behalf of LiveLife Milton Keynes (facilitated by Age UK MK). If you have any questions please email sue@socialbusinessalliance.co.uk
Please click below to book:
LIVE LIFE INFORMATION SESSION FOR VCSE ORGANISATIONS
Pedalling Culture Passport Launch
In a few weeks time the project will launch a brand new Cultural Routes Passport!
This family focused Cultural Passport is an exciting new programme which will encourage families both living in and visiting Milton Keynes to take on the Cultural Routes challenge and go and discover our cultural gems.
By using this fun method of engagement, we hope to collectively encourage people to discover what Milton Keynes has to offer and to explore new places.
The Passport will run from Dec 1st until Jan 6th and completed passports can enter a prize draw.
If you would like to help spread the word using social media , please do get in touch with nicky@communityactionmk.org she will invite you to the official launch on Nov 22nd so you can find out more or alternatively she can arrange to meet up with you.
Westbury Arts Centre offers exciting opportunity for new trustees
Are you looking for an opportunity to work with a dynamic team to develop a major cultural asset?
Westbury Arts Centre is a creative hub in western Milton Keynes, based in a Grade II listed 17th century farmhouse and barn. The centre currently has 19 studios for artists/ creative practitioners, delivers a programme of exhibitions, workshops and public events across a range of disciplines and including both internal and external artists. There are also spaces available for hire for meetings and events to community and artist groups.
The mission of the charity is:
To be a creative community that engages people of all ages and abilities in active discovery and exploration of the arts, heritage and the local environment.
Westbury Arts Centre (WAC) is about to embark on an exciting period of growth enabling it to move forwards and become the vibrant, multifaceted arts centre that Milton Keynes deserves, serving both community needs and becoming a centre of excellence for creative development.
Over the next five years WAC aims to significantly develop its operations and site to better provide for the population of Milton Keynes. With a focus on arts, design and heritage projects and themes, WAC aims to become a centre for artist development, arts teaching and artist-led socially engaged practice. This will involve fundraising and delivery of a capital development project to provide enhanced facilities including refurbishment of the listed building, conversion of the barn and a new-build to provide gallery and training facilities. We will also make the centre fully accessible for all parts of the community (disabled access, café, safe access to the grounds) and to enable a high quality programme of artist development events including master classes, mentoring and support, exhibition spaces and accommodation for visiting artists.
A major programme of structural repairs has been drawn up to bring the main house up to an acceptable standard and enable us to improve the facilities. The aim is to retain the basis of an artist community but expand it to include a much wider range of creative practitioners and to preserve the special atmosphere of Westbury but underpin it with structural repairs, new facilities and better use of the grounds – so it can become an exciting destination and a resource for the community. Our vision has already been endorsed by a recent Social Value Study and is embodied in our Business Plan.
We are looking for up to three new Trustees to join the Board and bring enthusiasm, energy and experience of fundraising and of development within the creative industries to help us achieve our goals and to make a major contribution to the future development and growth of WAC. The qualities and experience we are looking for include::
- Previous experience of trustee role
- Organisational experience
- Leadership skills
- Capital development funding
- Income generation
- Governance
- Programme development/artistic direction
If you have any of these qualities/experience and would like to be become a key player in the development of a strong arts and heritage culture in Milton Keynes and to have the opportunity to grow an existing organisation into a nationally known arts centre get in touch with us..
For more information about Westbury Arts Centre go to www.westburyartscentre.co.uk where there is a copy of our annual report and of the recent Social Value Study and/or email Caroline Malone, Chair of the Board at admin@westburyartscentre.co.uk. If you are interested please send a CV and statement of interest to admin@westburyartscentre.co.uk – we would be happy to meet for further discussion.
Funding Alert
New funding initiative by Nationwide Building Society to help tackle the Housing Crisis in Central England.
Information, guidelines and how to apply can be found at: http://www.heartofenglandcf.co.uk/nationwide-community-grants/
Grants of up to £50,000 are available to support charities that help vulnerable people with their housing needs.
To discuss an application, please call Heart of England Community Foundation (HoECF) who are managing the grants programme on 024 7688 3297. HoECF will be holding two phone-in Funding Surgeries where potential applicants can speak with a grants officer about their funding needs.
The two phone-in dates will be held on:
- Wednesday 14 November from 10am to 12 noon
- Wednesday 28 November from 10am to 12 noon
To book a slot please e-mail: sue@heartofenglandcf.co.uk
