23rd June 2010
Gingerbread Times July 2010 pdf.
22nd June 2010
Would you and your family like to appear in a 60-minute film for BBC2? Read below to find out more.
The BBC Documentaries unit is making a 60-minute film for BBC2 about British families going on holiday in the UK this summer. If you are interested in finding out more about the documentary, we’d love to hear from you!
The Documentaries unit makes a range of different programmes, from Child of Our Time to Louis Theroux, and the acclaimed BBC1 documentary about injured soldiers, WOUNDED. As part of our remit, we produce an award-winning strand of documentaries for BBC2 called WONDERLAND which features different aspects of contemporary British life, and this particular 60-minute documentary would be on television later this year as part of the Wonderland strand.
We are looking for families who are going on holiday in the UK in July or August, but our crew would not film the family on the holiday itself. Instead we will film families travelling to and from their holiday destination and then we will lend the family a small camera that they will use to film their holiday. We would like to see the holiday experience through the eyes of one, or perhaps two, children in the family so we will teach the children how to use a small video camera for them to make a short video diary of their holiday. Some of these diaries will then hopefully appear in the completed film on BBC2.
At this early stage we are making contact with as many families as possible, even though in the final film we will have to narrow down the number of families who take part. It would be great to talk with you about the film we would like to make, and how we would make it, as well as finding out more about you and your holiday plans. We hope taking part in the film will be a lot of fun, and will afford us a warm, engaging and entertaining glimpse into modern-day Britain. At this stage there would be no commitment at all to taking part.
If you would like to be considered or for more information please contact Assistant Producer Marco Crivellari: marco.crivellari@bbc.co.uk or 0208 008 2862.
8th June 2010
Marks and Start June 2010 Training Programmes Have started today!
   
Are you a lone Parent? Do you want to return to work?
Would a package of work preparation training followed by two-weeks' work expereince with Marks and Spencer help you to reach that goal?
Yes then contact:
Christina 028 9023 1417 email: christina@gingerbreadni.org for training programmes that are available in September 2010
24th May 2010
Debt Action NI is a project that offers free, confidential, face to face debt advice services across NI. There are 19 money and debt advisors in 13 Council areas providing 600 hours of debt advice on for example credit card debt, mortgage arrears, rent arrears bank loans, store cards and so on. Gingerbread hosts one of the workers in Ballymena – contact us for more details or go to:
www.debtaction-ni.net
Seán Ó Neill
Advice Manager
10th May 2010
The Department for Social Development launched the most recent Welfare Reform Bill for consultation on 12 April 2010. The Welfare Reform Bill 2010 has a significant implication for one parent families.
The Bill introduces a ‘work for your benefit’ philosophy and focuses on the use of sanctions to achieve this. It also proposes increasing the pressure on lone parents to seek employment. The Bill will require lone parents whose youngest child is less than seven years of age to actively seek work as a condition of benefit entitlement. The Bill also proposed changes to how and when Community Care Grants and Budgeting and Crisis Loans are awarded with the compulsory introduction of identifying suppliers for the provision of goods and services rather than claimants being awarded the money to buy items themselves.
Gingerbread disagrees with many of the sections laid out in the Bill and below is a copy of our response to the Department for Social Development outlining our objections.
Please 'click' here to read the document and if you have any comments regarding e-mail: marie@gingerbreadni.org
A full copy of the bill is available on the Assembly’s web-site – http://www.niassembly.gov.uk/legislation/primary/2009/welfarereform.htm
Thanks
Marie Cavanagh
Gingerbread NI
Director
29th April 2010
Marks and Start return to work programme for Lone Parents
The next programme will begin on June 7, 2010 at the following locations:
• Donegal Place, Belfast
• Forestside, Belfast
• Sprucefield, Lisburn
• Fairhill, Ballymena
• Abbey Centre, Newtonabbey
• Crescent Link and Foyleside, Derry/Londonderry
• Bangor
• Coleraine
• Omagh
Call Christina on 028 9023 1417 or christina@gingerbreadni.org for more details and she will arrange a one-to-one meeting. We expect demand to be high, so do hurry.
27th April 2010
Child Safety Week, 21-27 June
The Child Accident Prevention Trust (CAPT) is offering a free Child Safety Week toolkit with information about how to get involved. Serious childhood accidents can cause injuries that take months or years to heal. Children from the poorest families are far more likely to suffer serious accidents than children from better off families. The psychological damage caused to children and their families often lasts a lifetime. Yet many accidents take just a moment to prevent. Sign up by visiting the CAPT's website
13th April 2010
Gingerbread Times April 2010 pdf
.
30th March 2010
Established by Gingerbread NI, the lead agency working with and for lone parents and their children, Possibilities NI provides high quality training, mentoring and consultancy services to companies and individuals in Northern Ireland and throughout Europe. The services focus on workforce development and supporting disadvantaged groups into employment.
Possibilities NI is seeking to appoint two voluntary board members with top level expertise in business finance, sales and knowledge European markets (Transnational working).
Board of Directors (Voluntary)
Possibilities NI is managed and supported by a voluntary Board of Directors comprising of professionals working in relevant fields. We aim to develop a lively and active Board and are hoping to recruit new enthusiastic members to assist the social enterprise and complement the existing skills on the board.
Board members must be able to:
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Provide high level thinking, advice and leadership to ensure that Possibilities NI continues to develop strategically whilst maintaining core values (support lone parents)
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Attend and actively participate in monthly board meetings
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Knowledge of the social economy and community & voluntary sectors is beneficial but not essential
As a board member you will have the opportunity to:
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Help promote and develop a unique organisation in Belfast who work with people who want to get jobs and qualifications and with those that support them to do so
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Contribute to the leadership and direction of the organisation and to its policies, practices and activities
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Gain new skills and knowledge working with a diverse group of committed individuals
Do you: Have the skills required to make a difference working on a Voluntary Board of Directors?
If so, then why not become a member of Possibilities NI Board of Directors.
To request an application form and job description for the above posts, please contact: Karen McCann on 028 90 231417 or email karen@gingerbreadni.com
Alternatively you can download an application form from our website by visiting www.possibilitiesni.com
17th February 2010
Possiblities NI are launching their new website!
Gingerbread's training Social enterprise Possibilities NI has a new website about to go live, for more information on Possibilities NI please visit www.possibilitiesni.com
16th February 2010
Restart of interest to other European countries
A few years back, Gingerbread's Possibilities Project, delivered through the EU Equal programme, successfully developed an innovative coaching and support package for lone parents returning to work. The feedback from lone parents was very positive and many who took part went on to find work, set up a business or go on to further education or training. Elements of the package were mainstreamed into a former Department for Employment and Learning (DEL) pilot programme called 'Pathways to Work- Work Preparation Programme for Lone Parents'. http://www.delni.gov.uk/index/press-releases/press-releases-oct-dec-2007/lone_parents_making_employment_opportunties_possible.htm
This has now led on to the development of 'Restart' which offers group training, one to one coaching and work experience opportunities with local employers to lone parents returning to work. Restart is delivered by Gingerbread's social enterprise, Possibilities NI, and is now available through the Department's Steps to Work programme. Restart is also proving of interest to agencies in other European countries and we hope to have the opportunity to develop this work with partners in Europe in the near future.
The possibilties project produced a number of reports which described activities of the project and the views of lone parents taking part on a range of issues relating to training and employment.
  
11th February 2010
Marks and Start 2010 Training Programmes
Are you a lone Parent? Do you want to return to work?
Would a package of work preparation training followed by two-weeks' work expereince with Marks and Spencer help you to reach that goal?
Yes then contact:
Christina 028 9023 1417 email: christina@gingerbreadni.org for training programmes that are available in Belfast and Ballymena. Click here for more information, dates and locations.
Maria 028 7137 7066 email: maria@gingerbreadni.org for training programmes that are available in the North West. Click here for more information, dates and locations.
8th February 2010
Calling all Members - do you need to update your contact details with us?
Many of our lone parent members contact details are out of date. This negatively effects communication between Gingerbread and their lone parent members. If your address, telephone and/or email address is not updated with us you may not receive mailouts from us, including the 'Gingerbread Times' and we can not contact you by phone in relation to training programmes and events that our lone parent members are being invited to.
If you think you may need to update your contact details, please email Gingerbread's Membership Officer Mairead- mairead@gingerbreadni.org or phone 028 9023 1417.
19th January 2010
Make sure you’re correctly licensed!
Did you know that you can be fined up to £1,000 if you are caught watching TV without a licence?
TV Licensing has contacted Gingerbread NI to inform their members that they have a legal responsibility to have a TV Licence. Put simply, you need to be covered by a valid TV Licence to receive or record television programmes as they are being broadcast. This is the case whether you are receiving the programmes via TV or any other device, such as a mobile phone or a PC. TV Licensing understands that some people can find it hard to pay the annual fee of £142.50 for a colour TV Licence or £48 for a black and white licence in one go. For this reason, there are a number of different ways to pay for a TV Licence, including a payment card. Visit the TV Licensing website for details on how to pay by double clicking the link below.
http://ad-emea.doubleclick.net/clk;215901167;43388418;k
2nd December 2009
Gingerbread Times December 09
9th November 2009
‘Succeeding in Challenging Times’
The training achievements of lone parents from throughout Northern Ireland were recognised during a special Awards event which followed Gingerbread’s Annual General Meeting on Friday 6 November 2009. The Annual General Meeting allowed lone parent members to consider the significant work carried out by the organisation on their behalf over the past year. Members also welcomed the incoming Board who will work with staff on the development of the organisation in the coming year. Hosting the special Awards event at the Holiday Inn Hotel in Belfast, local journalist and broadcaster, Letitia Fitzpatrick, commented: ‘Being a parent is the toughest job there is - being a single parent is doubly tough. It's fantastic to see so many lone parents achieving so much, with Gingerbread's help.’ Sir Reg Empey, Minister for Employment and Learning delivered a keynote address at the award ceremony and congratulated all ofthe lone parents who has worked toward and achieved qualifications.
‘The experience you have gained at Gingerbread will be of great help to you in your quest for future employment. Your efforts and your commitment to your chosen course of training have been thoroughly worthwhile and these awards deserve both our recognition and celebration’, said Sir Reg. The Minister also commended the work of Gingerbread saying: ‘Gingerbread has a long and well-respected track record in helping lone parents into work, dealing with the obstacles and inequalities they face and developing innovative ways of overcoming these. The importance of attaining skills and qualifications inthe current economic downturn cannot be under- estimated. There are considerable long term benefit from skills development for the individual, the economy and society as a whole.’
Over the past year, the organisation has assisted over 140 lone parents to achieve recognised qualifications in subjects ranging from Access to University, IT, Training for Trainers, Mentoring in the Workplace and NVQ’s in a range of occupational areas. Gingerbread’s Director, Marie Cavanagh commented: ‘We are very proud of the fact over 90% of the lone parents that we have worked with have completed their courses, despite all ofthedemands which parenting alone makes on them. Almost one in five have found work while over two thirds went on to further training or education. We deliver six different training programmes including European funded, mainstream and pilot programmes supported by the Department for Employment and Learning. Gingerbread provided support to lone parents including; vocational skills training, childcare, careers guidance, welfare rights advice and work placement opportunities with local employers.’
The Awards ceremony, which had ‘Succeeding in Challenging Times’ as its theme, was also an opportunity to celebrate one of Gingerbread’s newest developments the success of Possibilities NI - a wholly owed subsidiary of the charity and a social enterprise. Possibilities NI provides high quality training, mentoring, and consultancy services to individuals and companies locally and internationally. The revenue generated by Possibilities NI contributes to supporting Gingerbread’s work with one parent families.
Anne Sweeney, Assistant Director of Gingerbread and Managing Director of Possibilities NI said, ‘I am delighted on behalf of the Board of Possibilities NI to be able to gift aid the profits of our first six months trading to Gingerbread. We are pleased with these results and hope to build on these in the future.’
Gingerbread NI would like to highlight that the aim of Possibilities NI as a social enterprise is to raise money for the work of Gingerbread, therefore we would urge all of our members to promote the new company and its services wherever possible. Our trading company Possibilities NI provides; Training for individuals returning to work through DEL’s Steps to Work initiativeTraining for staff within organisations and companies (for example, coaching and mentoring training, equality training etc).
Consultancy and research services locally and throughout Europe. Our new marketing leaflets are now available and our website will be launching within the next few weeks. If any of our members would like to receive a copy of our new Services and Information pack in order to promote the training services that Possibilities NI has to offer please contact Gingerbread NI on 028 9023 1417 or visit www.possibilitiesni.com for more information.
2nd October 2009 Have your Say! Gingerbread often get requests from the media enquiring if any of our Lone Parent Members would be interested in taking part in news articles and T.V interviews concerning issues that affect One Parent Families.
If you are a Lone Parent Member of Gingerbread who would like the opportunity to speak out for lone Parents in NI please email Máiréad- mairead@gingerbreadni.org and have your say! 27th June 2009
‘Group pictured at Gingerbread’s Open Day in Ballymena with Therese Milligan, Lone Parent Support Worker, (centre)’ Gingerbread held an Open Day on Wednesday 24th June at it’s Northern Area Lone Parent Centre in Ballymena to promote its new advice and support service for lone parents across the Northern Health and Social Services Board area. The new service offers a one stop contact point to help guide lone parents through many of the difficult issues that they face and ensure that they are able to take up opportunities available to them. The service offers free, confidential and impartial generalist advice and support to lone parents across a wide range of issues
For more information and full details, 'click here.' |
