Voluntary Arts Briefings

135 - Gift Aid and tax effective giving

Gift Aid is an easy way for voluntary arts groups that are registered UK charities to increase the value of their donations by reclaiming the basic rate of tax. This briefing will dispel some of the myths and show how easy it is to make the most of the scheme. Since we published VAN Briefing 54 in April 2001, a number of changes have been made to Gift Aid, details of which are also included here. This Briefing was published in June 2010.

Please note: The new coalition Government has indicated possible changes to the Gift Aid scheme, but is yet to privide details of these. We will keep you updated on any further developments via the Voluntary Arts England e-news.

134 - Welcoming speakers of different languages

This briefing offers some practical tips on how to welcome speakers of different languages to your voluntary arts group – as potential arts or crafts participants, volunteers or management committee members – and to help ensure that communication difficulties do not become a barrier preventing them from taking an active role in your group. This Briefing was published in June 2010.

133 - Putting your arts or crafts group on the map – ten ways to get noticed

This briefing lists ten cost-effective ways to help you increase the impact and reach of your group’s public profile. It will be especially useful to small volunteer-led arts and crafts groups that don’t have paid staff, official premises or even a marketing budget. However, the principles will apply to arts organisations of all sizes. This Briefing was published in March 2010.

132 - Child Protection Part IV – Children and vulnerable groups

Briefing 109 (published in September 2007) described the measures introduced in England and Wales between 2004 and 2007 to help protect children. This briefing brings that information up-to-date as of March 2010, providing details of the newly established Independent Safeguarding Authority and the steps you need to take under the new Vetting and Barring Scheme for the protection of both children and vulnerable adults. This Briefing should be read in conjunction with Briefings 82, 83 and 109. This Briefing was published in March 2010.

131 - Community Benefit - measuring the impact of arts and crafts activity

This briefing gives you an overview of the various ways you can measure the quality and impact of your activities, explains who might be interested in hearing about them, and provides guidance on how you can communicate this in ways they will understand.

This Briefing was published in December 2009.

130 - Developing European links and opportunities

The most successful voluntary arts and crafts groups are those that have the strongest networks, and yet we often find ourselves confined by our national borders. If we turn our attention to the rest of Europe, however, we discover a wealth of voluntary and amateur arts and crafts activity – a pool of potential partners, information sources and funding opportunities. This briefing will help you get started on that journey.

This Briefing was published in December 2009.

129 - Taking the next step from informal group to registered organisation (pdf - 163k)

Most voluntary arts groups come together simply to provide an opportunity for members of their community to participate in their chosen art or craft form. If the group is successful and members wish to expand its activities or take advantage of a wider range of opportunities, then they often find that they need to formalise the set-up of the group by becoming a registered organisation. This briefing provides you with an overview of things to consider before taking the next step.

This Briefing was published in September 2009.

128 - Events checklist - disability and access (pdf - 149k)

Providing opportunities for people with all types of abilities isn’t simply about meeting legal requirements. It is about making decisions on all aspects of your activities that ensure as wide a range of people as possible are involved. This briefing includes a simple checklist which we think covers the most important issues surrounding disability for voluntary arts events.

This Briefing was published in September 2009.

VAE Briefing - National Indicator 11: Engagement in the Arts (pdf - 178k)

National Indicator 11: Engagement in the Arts is a Local Government target which measures the percentage of the adult population in a local area that have either attended an arts event or have participated in an arts activity in the past 12 months. This Briefing gives an overview on why the target was created, how it is measured and what it means to voluntary arts groups and organisations.

This Briefing was published in August 2009.

127x - Understanding and creating accessible PDFs (pdf - 2099k)

This supplementary briefing is an introduction to the issues faced by disabled users in accessing and using PDF documents. It contains practical information about creating accessible PDFs using two common word processing packages - OpenOffice Writer and Microsoft Word. It also provides some basic information about professional packages and how to commission accessible PDFs from designers.

This BriefingXtra was published in June 2009.

127 - Working with groups of other art or craft forms (pdf - 130k)

Many voluntary arts groups are part of well-established ‘communities of interest’ – they have strong links with other groups practising the same art or craft form as they are. However, groups may be less aware of the multitude of other art and craft forms that are out there. This briefing highlights some of the main reasons your group might choose to work with groups of other art and craft forms.

This Briefing was published in June 2009.

126 – Engaging with freelancers (pdf - 141k)

Whatever your art or craft form, this briefing is designed to help you think through the process of hiring a freelance artist or facilitator. Appointing a freelancer can be a great opportunity to bring a fresh perspective to your group - one that can have lasting positive benefits.

This Briefing was published in June 2009.

A copy of the checklists featured in this briefing are available in Microsoft Word (.doc) format here. This is free to download so that you may use it again and again.

Checkboxes for use with Briefing 126 (doc - 54k)

125 - Fostering a long-term relationship with occasional volunteers

Many voluntary arts and crafts groups and organisations, no matter what their size, run occasional or one-off events such as festivals, exhibitions, performances and summer schools. As a result, they are likely to need extra help on a short-term basis. This briefing will look at ways to engage with occasional volunteers (those that provide the short-term support) so that they will be more likely to volunteer for you again in future and act as advocates and supporters of your work more generally. This Briefing was published in March 2009.

124 - How to make sure your group is still here in ten years’ time

'Sustainability' is a buzzword that has come to mean many things – at its simplest it just means 'continuing to exist' or 'sticking around'. This briefing takes a holistic look at some of the things voluntary arts groups might want to think about to help ensure that they are still here in ten years’ time.


124x - Making your group even more environmentally-friendly

Whatever their budget, size or art form, everyone can make positive changes, big or small, to make their group or organisation more environmentally sustainable. This BriefingXtra (to supplement VAN Briefing 124) will provide you with some simple ideas on how to do this. BriefingXtras are created and printed especially for voluntary arts lead and umbrella bodies, but are available here for download for everybody. These Briefings were published in March 2009.

123 - Free and low-cost IT tools

The proliferation of the web has resulted in a huge number of free and low-cost alternatives becoming available. This briefing looks at some alternatives to standard software, and some other tools that you might find useful.

The final section of the briefing describes ‘open source’, the process by which many of these free and low-cost IT tools are produced, and suggests some ways in which the open source ethos can be applied to your other activities. This Briefing was published in December 2008.

122 - Reaching out to new audiences

The process of getting new people in through the door, and the lasting relationship you have with them once they’re in, is called 'audience development'. This briefing explains how the principles of audience development can be useful to your voluntary arts group. This Briefing was published in December 2008.

121 - Incorporation and recent changes to company law

This briefing will provide a reminder of what incorporation means and an outline of the main changes brought about by the Companies Act 2006 in the UK. The final section will look at the status of company law in the Republic of Ireland. This Briefing was published in September 2008.

120 - Voluntary and community sector jargon

The voluntary and community sector in the UK and Ireland has its fair share of jargon and acronyms unfamiliar in everyday language. This briefing will explain some of the most common ones currently in circulation

119 - Useful information and contacts for setting up and running a voluntary arts group

If you are setting up a voluntary arts group, this briefing will provide you with a space to record the names and contact details of helpful people and services.

118 - Insurance for voluntary arts groups

This briefing will guide you through the different types of insurance available, and help you find the right balance between low cost and adequate protection.

117 - Social Enterprise

This briefing gives a basic introduction to the concept of social enterprise, offers examples of how it can work for you in an arts environment, and lists key considerations if you are thinking of starting your own.

116 - Trustees and Fundraising

If you are a trustee or committee member, chances are that fundraising will be high on your agenda sooner rather than later. Whether you have to do the fundraising yourself, or have staff to do it, this briefing aims to give you an overview of your role in relation to fundraising, and how to address the issue strategically.

115 - Attracting Business Sponsors

This briefing will help you think about potential partnerships from a commercial point of view and make your sponsorship package as attractive as possible to potential business sponsors.

114 - The latest developments in web technology

This briefing is designed to guide you through the maze of new web technologies and suggest some practical ways you might like to take advantage of them to help you further the aims of your voluntary arts or crafts group.

113 - Welcoming people with a learning disability to the voluntary arts

This briefing will consider the ways in which you can make what you do more relevant, fun and inclusive for people with a learning disability.

112 - Why should I become a trustee?

There are many benefits to being a trustee, but people often focus on the responsibility and demands of the role. Yes, there is responsibility involved, but for any sensible person this needn't be onerous. In fact, there is so much to gain from being a trustee that it really would be worth having the pluses on the tip of your tongue and be able to spell them out in your marketing and recruitment literature.

This briefing will help you get started! Please feel free to pass it to potential trustees or copy it (as a whole or in parts) into your own recruitment literature. All we ask is that you credit Voluntary Arts Network and let us know how you have used it – along with any successes!

111 - How inclusive are you? A checklist for voluntary arts groups

This briefing is designed to help you to increase the range of people who participate in your group, with a checklist of simple things you can do to achieve this quickly and easily. It is not a comprehensive list, but rather a tool to get you thinking about how you might like to approach the issues.

110 - Whose Board? Whose Agenda? Including disabled and deaf people in your management committees

The last few years have been historic for disabled and deaf people. After decades of lobbying, campaigning and direct action, there is legislation in the UK and Ireland to underpin disabled people's right to equal access. This briefing is a short 'rough' guide to including disabled and deaf people on your board, management committee or advisory group.

109 - Child Protection Part III – An Update (England and Wales)

Briefings 82 and 83, published in September 2004, introduced a number of child protection procedures and recommended some simple ways of putting them into practice. Since then, new legislation has been introduced to help clarify the responsibilities of all those working or volunteering with children. This briefing explains the ramifications of these changes and suggests a range of precautions to help you ensure the safety of every child that comes into contact with you or your organisation.

108 - Health and Safety in Offices - Assessing the Risk

Every employer has a legal duty to ensure that their workplace meets minimum safety standards under Health and Safety legislation. This briefing looks at the practicalities of making your office a safe place to work, explains how to undertake a simple risk assessment and offers a checklist to help you identify potential hazards.

107 - Annual Reports

Do you simply think of your annual report as a way of accounting for your spending? It actually presents your organisation with a far greater opportunity. It's a chance to show your best work to the world, to communicate your key messages, thank your supporters, acknowledge the hard work of your volunteers and staff, present your future plans and win over the hearts and minds of your readers – who could be your future members or funders.

106 - Community Interest Companies

This briefing explains the nature of this type of company and considers its advantages and disadvantages in comparison with other organisation types.

105 - Health and Safety in Offices - Fire Safety

If you run a charity or voluntary organisation, if you are self-employed or if you employ others, you are legally obliged to take reasonable steps to reduce the risk of fire. This briefing will provide an overview of the rules along with some practical instructions on how to do so.

104 - Older People and the Voluntary Arts

This briefing aims to help local volunteer-led arts groups ensure that participation by older people in their activities – whether as creators of artwork, set designers or organisers – is meaningful and of the highest possible quality.

103 - Health and Safety in Offices - Electrical Equipment

This briefing explains how, by conducting regular checks and tests, you can control electrical risks and prevent accidents.

102 - Accounting for Worth

This briefing is designed to help everyone in this diverse sector acknowledge our worth, both to ourselves and to others. Whether you are a volunteer, organisation, community group, freelance worker or policy maker it provides a context and a rationale for claiming the true economic value of the voluntary arts.

101 - What's happening with the Licensing Act 2003?

This briefing provides an update on the Act since its implementation, and helps organisations avoid some of the pitfalls that have arisen in the first twelve months of its operation.

100 - Let's celebrate! - recognising and rewarding our worth

This briefing takes a look at why we, as individuals, artists, managers, groups and organisations, should take time out to reflect on our activities, projects and work in general, recognise our milestones and successes, and reward all those involved in making these possible.

99 - Lobbying politicians and policy makers - an introduction to influencing

This briefing looks at what it means to lobby and considers ways in which even the smallest group can effect better decision making by politicians and policy makers.

98 - Consultation – making it work for you

This briefing explains what consultation is about, outlines the benefits of both contributing to and organising consultations, and offers tips to help voluntary arts groups to be effective at both. The information will be useful for a wide range of organisations, from local arts groups developing new projects to local authority arts officers consulting on new plans.

97 - What do I need to know about Copyright?

This briefing explains your rights as a copyright owner, along with your responsibilities when using the copyright material of others. It also provides contact details of relevant legislative organisations and central licensing bodies.

96 - Networking; not just nattering

This briefing looks at seven keys to successful networking that apply whether you are a small arts group or a major production company.

95 - Big Lottery Fund, 2006-2009

The Big Lottery Fund, (BIG), launched in 2004, has now set its new programmes for 2006-2009 and will be giving out more than £2.3 billion during the three year period. Most of the programmes have already been launched, though a handful will launch later in 2006. This briefing gives a summary of the funding schemes nation by nation, and offers details and useful information to help you along the way.

94 - Cultural diversity and the voluntary arts, an inspirational opportunity

This briefing looks at the importance of cultural diversity to the voluntary arts as a concept extending beyond issues of race and equality. It considers the subject from a philosophical stance, discusses why it matters, looks at its interpretation in practice and shows what voluntary arts organisations can do to demonstrate and promote cultural diversity in their work and artistic activities.

93 - Displays and exhibitions for voluntary arts organisations

Displays, or exhibits, give the chance to really promote your services and activities, and to show yourselves in your best light, do a demonstration, raise awareness, fundraise or sell your work – all while being with the general public. This briefing will show you how to do this through examining the different purposes for a display, the types of displays you may want to consider, venues you might exhibit in and a range of spaces you will need to think about.

92 - Computerised accounting

This briefing looks at whether or not now is the right time for your organisation to consider computerising its accounts and the software options available. It also offers a few handy tips to help ease the change over.

91 - How to write a successful funding application

Applying for funding is something that almost all voluntary and small organisations need to do. However, writing a successful funding application is like a good recipe - it depends on a few key ingredients coming together well.

This briefing covers what you need to do to research and prepare information about your project in order to communicate clearly with your funder. It also shows how to complete an application form and write a letter of application.

90 - Young Adults and Voluntary Arts: Three models to promote participation

Based on the Young Adults & Voluntary Arts (YAVA) project, managed by Voluntary Arts Ireland, this briefing uses three models to address issues of engaging younger people in the voluntary arts. It is helpful for both voluntary arts groups looking to recruit and retain younger people and those looking to work in partnership with younger people's groups.

89 - Cashflow Forecasts

Knowing and managing the flow and movement of cash is something that every organisation should be doing, regardless of size. In the second of VAN's finance series, this briefing looks at the importance of cashflow forecasts, how to make one, and how to use it to your advantage.

88 - Glossary of Accounting and Financial Terms for the Voluntary Arts

The first in VAN's finance series, this briefing series covers common terms you might across when dealing with finances and accounting. We feel that to understand the basics of accounting it is important to first become familiar with the terminology. This glossay is an excellent starting point.

87 - Applying to Trustfunds (updated)

The first thing to remember is that all trusts are different, it is not enough to write off a standard letter. Eight out of ten applications for funds from trusts fail because they are outside the guidelines. Charitable trusts in Britain give away about 500 million a year. This briefing looks at the basics of applying to trusts, such as: 'When do I apply?', 'How do I choose who to apply to?', 'How do I impress the trust with my proposal?', 'What are the basic things trusts need to know?' and 'What do we do now that we have the money?'

86 - Making your website for everyone

This briefing takes a look at the different groups of users and technologies you will need to consider, and offers guidelines and tips to help you create an accessible website. Web accessibility is a much discussed topic at the moment. This is partly because since part III of the Disability Discrimination Act came into force in 2004, service providers are having to consider making reasonable adjustments to the way they deliver their services. This is so that everyone, including disabled people, can use them. Creating an ‘accessible website’ addresses this concern directly, as websites are a service that organisations offer. It also ensures that your site takes into account the many and ever expanding ways all people access websites, be it through an assistive device or even a mobile phone.

85 - Taking the voluntary arts into education

Artists working in schools can be a highly successful partnership, and one that has great impact. This briefing outlines the main issues surrounding the artist/school partnership and will help guide you through the process of working in a school.

84 - Artists in Hospitals: Guidelines for the voluntary arts

This briefing looks at what artists need to consider in order to work in a hospital environment, at no matter what stage - interested, starting a programme, or already working in one. Working in hospitals is a wonderful opportunity for artists, whose benefits extend beyond themselves to the patients, visitors and the staff. Produced in partnership with the National Network for the Arts in Health (NNAH).

83 - Child Protection: Part II - Putting Child Protection into Practice

Part II of this briefing examines how to put the child protection practices outlined in Part I into action effectively, creating a safe environment for all involved.

Important addendum to Child Protection: Part II – Changes to the portability service - November 2007 (pdf - 93k)

82 - Child Protection: Part I - An Introductory Guide

Part I of this briefing looks at the background information on the key issues and legislation that needs to be considered when dealing with Child Protection. It gives a broad overview and outlines the need for a Child Protection Policy and Implementation Procedures.

81 - Effective Meetings

When a meeting works well, it can generate great ideas and add enormous value to the work and environment. With a little extra care, thoughtful planning and good management, you can ensure all your meetings are inspiring, efficient and enjoyable. This briefing looks at ways to help you do exactly this.

80 - Monitoring & evaluation

This briefing looks at effective ways to monitor your work, evaluate what you do, and share results with your organisation’s partners, funders and staff. Monitoring and evaluation (M&E) is increasingly becoming a standard requirement of most funding bodies to demonstrate how well organisations are doing and what’s working for them. M&E is often seen as time-consuming, unrewarding, and a job for professionals, but done well, it can be another creative and enjoyable aspect of your work and an invaluable system for improving your services. By following our guide, you will be able to treat it as an integral part of what you do, using resources and skills you already have.

79 - Licensing Act 2003

There's been a lot of concern and confusion about the modernisation of the licensing laws in England and Wales. This briefing aims to demystify the issues, outline the facts and help clarify what organisations need to do to comply with the Act.

78 - Creating a Financial Risk Policy

While earlier in briefing 72, we looked at risk management in a general sense, this briefing looks a step further at financial risk - one of the most important areas to consider. It focusses on what is meant by financial risk, how to identify risks, estimate their probability and potential consequences, and how to take action against risks. It also looks at how to draw up appropriate financial policies to reduce risks, including the importance of reserves.

77 - How to... write a press release

The press release is the most basic and cheapest tool for getting your organisation to the attention of the media. This is a page of newsworthy information you prepare and send to the newspapers. Don’t be daunted by the prospect of writing a press release; simply convey the essential information in a clear and well presented way, following the guidelines offered in this briefing.

76 - A guide to good design

All groups, no matter what size or stage in their development, will need to create promotional material at some stage in order to tell people who they are, what they do and to promote their activities. In order to be taken seriously they will also want this material to look professional, competent and eye-catching. Good design for promotional material is a skill that can easily be learnt. This briefing takes you through the main points to consider when producing any kind of leaflet, flyer or poster, to help you to produce good, well-designed material.

75 - Planning a marketing campaign

If you want people to take part in your activities, marketing is an essential and inherent part of what you do. It is about communicating with people who are interested in what you are doing, giving them access to something they want, and building a closer relationship with them. Marketing campaigns are designed to generate a response i.e. getting people to come to a performance or an exhibition, having new member sign up, attracting donations, enlisting volunteers or changing how people think about your organisation. This briefing sheet will explain how to plan such a campaign to get the most out of the money you spend promoting your activities.

74 - Publicity Explained

Voluntary arts organisations need to promote themselves and their projects in order to increase their membership, encourage people to participate in their activities and events, increase their audiences, build a good reputation and gain credibility for their work. This can seem like a daunting task especially if you’ve never done it before. ‘Publicity explained’ offers a step-by-step guide to making the task easier and more manageable no matter what size organisation or group you are.

73 - Writing for the web

A website is a fast and effective way of getting your message across to thousands of people. While many of us get bogged down in the importance of the appearance of a website, quality web design should be all about making it as easy as possible for the visitor to find, access and read the information they are looking for. Writing for the web is very different to writing for print and is a demanding task for writers. You have to grab the attention of your readers in just a few seconds, or you can lose them very quickly. This briefing looks at ways to make it easier for you to do this – and so increase your chances of attracting – and keeping – your visitors.

72 - Risk management for charities - a good opportunity....

Risk management is now a legal requirement for charities with a gross income of over £250,000. However, the Charity Commission feels that smaller charities should also establish a risk policy as a matter of good practice to demonstrate the charity’s account ability to its stakeholders (funders, general public, clients, etc). The obligation to consider and take steps to reduce risk is not new; trustees have always had aduty to safeguard the charity and its assets. What is new is the duty to say they have done so.

71 - Help! I’ve been invaded - how to deal with computer viruses

We have all heard of, and dread, computer viruses. There are now morethan 30,000 known strains, some benign and harmless but others destructive with the ability to damage or completely destroy your data. Since new computer viruses are being written all the time it’s important to understand how you can be exposed to them and what you can do to protect your computer. This briefing aims to help you do just that!

70 - Charity Trustees - what do they do? Part II - Managerial, legal and financial roles and responsibilities.

Part 1 of this briefing looked at who the trustees of voluntary organisations are and what responsibilities and roles they take on in general. This briefings looks in more detail at the managerial, financial and legal aspects of the role.

69 - Charity Trustees - what do they do? Part I - An overview.

Trusteeship is a valuable and interesting opportunity for individuals to contribute to a civil and democratic society. However the task is not an easy one. This briefing takes a broad look at the central role trustees play in determining effectiveness and accountability.

68 - Organising a weekend event.

The secret of a successful event is careful planning it's all in the detail. You may have booked the best speakers in the world but if your delegates queue in the rain while reception desk staff search for name badges and registration documents you'll be off to a bad start - and a bad name.

Don't go it alone. Organising a conference can be very hard work. In fact, conference organising has become big business - there are organisations that specialise in doing just this. But with a good plan and thinking ahead you can create a really successful event.

67 - Risk assessment for event organisers

Common misconceptions:
risk assessments only need to be done for large events; risk assessments only need to be done by professional event organisers; risk assessments are complicated; I don't understand risk assessments; I don't have to worry about risk assessments.

This guide is intended, in particular, for voluntary or amateur event organisers who do not have access to the range of training and support available to their professional counterparts. Its aim is to offer a simple and basic explanation of risk assessments to help you to organise a safe and well run event. It is not intended to be an exhaustive guide.

Briefings 63, 64, 65 and 66 celebrate voluntary artists and Volunteers Week:

66 - Recognition

65 - Reward

64 - Retain

63 - Recruit

62 - Local Strategic Partnerships - improving quality of life

With government agendas focusing on the social, economic and environmental ''well-being'' of people, this is a good time to reinforce what the voluntary arts can do for society. As voluntary artists and artist-run organisations we already know the benefits of participating in the arts, but are the policy and decision makers aware of them?

61 - Just how safe are you? Health and Safety for voluntary arts organisations

This briefing describes how to go about managing health and safety in accordance with the rules and regulations, and how to go about putting a health and safety policy together. In order to do this you will need to examine your organisation's particular health and safety issues, right from your commitment to health and safety down to the fine detail on how to minimise the risk of, for example, an accident with a saw or a sewing machine.

60 - 'Statement of Purpose' - your mission

'If you don't know where you are going, you might not get there.' Essentially, your statement of purpose communicates why your organisation exists, and who it serves. Having a clear statement that is a summary of your organisation's purpose will not only help your organisation communicate what it does and why, but will also help it to be consistent in what it does and how it does it. This will be immediately useful to members, potential members, funders and policy makers.

59 - Value and Values in the Voluntary Arts

In November 2001 VAN and CIRCLE organised a European Round Table Volunteers at the Heart of Culture, the theme of which was 'culture, civil society and volunteerism in Europe'. This briefing is the text of an uplifting and inspiring speech delivered by François Matarasso, renowned researcher and author of Use or Ornament. Matarasso challenged the current conventional division of the arts into 'amateurs' and 'professionals' as being inadequate to understand the rich, complex and often contradictory arts ecology that currently thrives in Britain. He paid tribute to the enormous importance of the voluntary arts to our economic, social and artistic life, and in so doing emphasised that existing ways of thinking about voluntary and professional practice are seriously flawed because they do not reflect, still less take account of, this contribution.

58 - Participatory Planning Involving Your Stakeholders

All organisations should have a 'business plan' guiding their work for the next one to five years. However, plans can be interrupted by a crisis or demands for change. they then need to be reviewed and altered to meet the new circumstances. Traditionally, organisations have relied on their management committees to guide the planning process and set targets for future performance. Increasingly, however, organisations are now including their stakeholder groups in the planning process. This briefing will consider who stakeholders are, how they can be involved in the planning process and how their views can be included in creating plans for future activity.

57 - Effective Management Committees

An effective management committee can make the difference between the success and failure of a voluntary organisation. However, it is not uncommon for a management committee to experience difficulties at some stage in its life. This briefing examines what can go wrong and why, and looks at ways to help make management committees more effective.

56 - Telephone Conferences - Networking made easy!

A Briefing in collaboration with Community Network, a registered charity which provides a telephone conference service for other charities and not-for-profit organisations. It is the only charity offering this service. The Briefing describes a business meeting as an example, outlines the advantages and disadvantages of telephone conferences and offers suggestions to help you organise them effectively. (Telephone conferencing is sometimes also referred to as audioconferencing or teleconferencing)

55 - Constitutions Clarified

A short overview of constitutions, different legal structures for groups, the diffrences between them and pro's and con's of each one.

54 - Gift Aid - making subscriptions go even further

Raising funds can be one of the most daunting tasks that an arts organisation undertakes. One small way to add to your pot is to encourage our subscribers too give their subscription under the Gift Aid scheme.

53 - Creating Clear Print - reaching the blind and partially sighted

Gives guidelines on how to create Clear Print in order to reach those experiencing sight difficulties. It will also help organisations comply with the DDA.

52 - Goods and Services- Part 2 Accounting for your Goods and Services

Once you have your goods and services - your stocks and assets, how do you account for them? A basic guide to developing procedures for accounting purposes, and an explanation of depreciation.

51 - Goods and Services- Part 1 Acquiring your Goods and Services

What goods and services might an organisation need in order to function effectively? How to decide whther to buy or lease and how to establish a purchasing policy

50 - Action Learning - an introduction

What goods and services might an organisation need in order to function effectively? How to decide whther to buy or lease and how to establish a purchasing policy

49 - Become a master of change!

How to make organisational change work for you!

48 - Taking on Paid Staff - (2)

Good practice in Selection and Induction

47 - Taking on Paid Staff - (1)

Good practice in Recruitment

46 - Data Protection Act 1998

A guide to the DPA

Note:

Also see Web Briefing 1 - Data Protection Act 1998 (supplement to Briefing 46)

• All recruitment and selection procedures and data storage procedures should comply with new codes. See www.dataprotection.gov.uk/dpr/dpdoc.nsf
• For organisations wanting to carry out a data protection compliance audit, a free CD ROM Guide to Data Protection Auditing is available. Order from 01625-545 700 or via www.dataprotection.gov.uk/dpaudit
• There is also an Employment Practices Data Protection Code, which will eventually be in four parts.
• The first part, on recruitment and selection sets out benchmarks for good practice e.g. applicants/potential applicants must be made aware throughout the recruitment process how the employer will use information provided, etc. When information is later transferred to a personnel file information irrelevant to the ongoing employment relationship must be deleted. The second part covers management of personnel records i.e. how to store personal data about employees and job applicants, how individuals can apply for their records, and penalties for non-compliance.

45 - How do I Create an Equal Opportunities Policy?

A step by step approach to creating your own Equal Ops policy

44 - Disability Discrimination Act Part III

How will this affect arts organisations?

• Also - Village Halls and the Disability Discrimination Act
• Many voluntary groups have expressed concern that when Part III of the DDA comes into force in 2004 community facilities such as village halls will have difficulty meeting these duties and will have to close. The Disability Rights Commission (DRC) has made it clear that this is not the case. Community facilities and village halls need to increase their accessibility for disabled people it must be understood that the DDA only requires what is reasonable for any particular service provider.
• Both the DRC and ACRE (Action for Communities in Rural England) understand the financial difficulties many halls face but say that even small changes can make a big difference. The DRC aims to give practical advice on improving accessibility within the financial resources available. More info at www.drc-gb.org/drc/InformationAndLegislation/Page382b.asp

43 - Active Communities - voluntary arts doing it already

Explains the Government's Active Communities Initiative and outlines why the voluntary arts fit the agenda.

42 - Culture Makes Communities

Francois Matarasso's (author of 'Use or Ornament'[see booklist]) speaks about the contribution of the arts to community development.

33 Putting the Voluntary Arts on the Agenda

What does Devolution mean to the voluntary arts, and how can we be sure we are not forgotten.

32 - So, what's so Great about the voluntary arts?

50 Points to Make to Policy Makers & Funders.

28 - Eventful Planning

A practical checklist for use when planning Arts Events

27 - Statistics for Arts Participation

Figures from 'Across the Learning Divide' a NIACE report giving statistics on those participating in the arts and crafts by age, gender, socio-economic status and region (England, Scotland and Wales).

26 - Who Me, A Treasurer?

Outlines roles and responsibilities of the treasurer.

24 - Increasing and Maintaining Your Membership

How to make new friends and keep your old ones!

23 - Incorporation

How to become a Company Limited by Guarantee, a Limited Company or an Unincorporated Association.

22 - Getting Charitable Status

How to become a charity.

21 - Making Committees Work for You

Explains what a management committee is, what it's for, the role of the secretary, chair and members, and how to evaluate whether or not it's working.

19 - Designing and Producing Your Newsletter

A guide to producing your newsletter on a computer.

15 - Strategic Planning

Explains what how to involve all your members in planning, what planning involves, how to put together a plan, set goals and achieve them.

14 - Writing Words that Work

Copywriting tips for publicity and promotions

12 - Raising Funds Locally

Fundraising tips for small groups and organisations.

11 - Get Into Print

Help with working with the Press.

10 - Access

9 - Feasibility Studies

Other briefings

Other briefings

Briefings listed here are currently being reviewed or have been discontinued

13 - Planning a marketing campaign (see no. 75)
18 - Equal opportunities (see no. 45)
20 - Applying to trustfunds (see no. 87)
25 - Evaluation - How was it for you? (see no. 80)
40 - New Deal (discontinued)
41 - Lottery funding 1999 (discontinued)