Membership Services

Topics covered in this section:

» VAEF and the National Association of Councils for Voluntary Service (NACVS)

What can we do for you?
» Funding
» Practical Support
» Training and Development
» FAIR'S FAIR Newsletter
» Liaison and Representation

» How can your organisation join us?

Local Compact
» What is a compact?
» What is its purpose?
» Why have a Compact?

VAEF and the National Association of Councils for Voluntary Service (NACVS)

VAEF is affiliated to the National Association of Councils for Voluntary Service (NACVS) and undertakes five core functions:

• Development – Identifying local need, working with others to develop appropriate action and working strategically to benefit the local voluntary and community sector.
• Liaison – Helping to maintain links with a wide range of voluntary and community organisations and promoting cross-sector relationships.
• Representation – Enabling the local voluntary and community sector to present its views to statutory and public sector bodies through consultation, networking, fora, seminars and workshops etc.
• Services and Support– Funding information and advice, training, legal financial, management and constitutional advice and information, meeting space, newsletters and mailings.
• Strategic Partnership – Working with the Local Strategic Partnership (LSP), helping to develop the voluntary sector compact, participating in neighbourhood regeneration and working with other statutory bodies at a strategic level.

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What can we do for you?

Funding Advice and Information Resource

The FAIR Project team offer their support and advice for all your funding issues. This service is free to members of Voluntary Action Epping Forest. Please contact the FAIR team on 01992 564515, or fair@vaef.org.uk.

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Practical Support

We offer practical services to groups including photocopying, equipment loans and special mailings.

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Training and Development

By working with Voluntary Sector Training we can support groups to access a wide variety of courses, training sessions and events. These courses cover various issues and topics relevant to the needs of local groups. They range from one-off training sessions to accredited courses.

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FAIR'S FAIR Newsletter

We produce a quarterly newsletter FAIR'S FAIR for member groups. It includes information on our activities and new initiatives, funding and training, local, regional and national news.

The FAIR'S FAIR newsletter is only available to members of VAEF. If you would like to become a member and receive a copy of this please contact ngavens@vaef.org.uk. The previous issues of FAIR'S FAIR are available to download or view in the 'Publications' section of this website.

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Liaison and Representation

We work to maintain links with a wide range of voluntary and community organisations, plus cross-sector links within the District and across Essex. VAEF is also involved locally in partnerships and fora to enable the voluntary and community sector to present its views on various topics, through consultation, networking, seminars and workshops.

VAEF hold quarterly voluntary sector forums on various issues affecting the District and the voluntary and community sector. To find out more about these and when they are being held contact ngavens@vaef.org.uk

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How can your organisation join us?

Voluntary Action Epping Forest is a membership organisation, governed by our members, over 150 voluntary and community groups across the Epping Forest District. Our members nominate and elect our Board of Trustees, they benefit from a wide range of services and most importantly they become part of a network that Voluntary Action Epping Forest works hard to represent. Enable us to make the local voluntary and community sector stronger by joining our network.

We charge an annual subscription for affiliated membership and always welcome new members. For more details contact us or email a completed membership form to ngavens@vaef.org.uk and forward on the membership fee if applicable.

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Local Compact

What is a Compact?

It's an agreement between the statutory sector in an area and the voluntary sector (including small community organisations and social enterprises) to work together with openness and trust, treating one another fairly and considerately.

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What is its purpose?

It reminds statutory organisations of how they can help or frustrate voluntary organisations, and reminds voluntary organisations of how their actions can be helpful or awkward for statutory people. It encourages working together fairly and with respect. It provides principles and specific commitments against which work can be checked, and a network for spreading best practise while resolving and learning from problems.

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Why have a Compact?

Nearly all compacts consist of a core text plus codes of practice. The core text sets out general principles and a vision. The codes deal with particular subjects such as volunteering and set out principles and some specific commitments. For example, if you're familiar with the basic thinking behind the Compact but you're facing some difficulty on procurement of a service, you can concentrate on checking the Funding and Procurement Code. The codes of the Essex Compact are:

• Funding and procurement
• Marginalised Groups
• Public Engagement
• Volunteering

The Compact for Epping Forest will improve the working relationship between the sectors, by formalising the relationship. The Compact recognises the complementary roles of each sector in the development of citizenship, a sense of community and the creation of a just and inclusive society.

The Epping Forest Compact will be updated in line with the new Essex Compact.

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