Newsletter 3 July 2008

MRHF send out a regular weekly email bulletin on Thursdays, containing information for all our newsletter email group. For the convenience of our stakeholders and for those who might want to find out more about the Forum, we are also publishing that information to the BHA website. Feedback would be very welcome. If you have any information that you would like us to circulate in a future bulletin, please forward it to MRHF by Wednesday 12.00 pm the day before. Please ring us on 0161 872 4600 or email us at mrhf@btconnect.com if you have any queries.

Events/Meetings/Groups:

The Manchester BME Network is undertaking a project for the Manchester Partnership Team on BME residents' involvement in developing local initiatives and Mancunian Agreements. This has involved mapping BME Groups and Organisations across the city (creating a BME Network Directory), understanding your barriers to engagement and alongside this they also want to help the council understand better how to support its teams at ward level in their engagement with local BME communities.

To round off this project the Manchester BME Network will be holding an event 'Making Better Links With The Manchester Partnership' on Tuesday 22 July, 10:00 am - 1:00 pm (including lunch) at the Phil Martin Centre, 137 Princess Road, Manchester, M14 4RE. Where there will be speakers from the Manchester Partnership and City Council, ward co-ordinators will be attending and the findings of the project will be reported upon.

If you would like to attend this event then please fill in the booking form and return to MCCR by e-mail, post or fax.

Download programme/booking form

A celebration of Central and Eastern Europe is taking place at Manchester’s Central Library this Saturday.

The free family-friendly event will include story sessions in Polish and English, a family craft session and entertainment by a Polish singing group. Photographs and archives relating to the history of Manchester’s Central and Eastern European Communities will be on display in the Local Studies and Archives Room.

Central and Eastern European Day will take place at Central Library, Saturday 5 July 11:00am – 4:00 pm.

There will also be information stalls, I.T. sessions, a quiz, prize draw and refreshments.

For more Manchester City Council information visit www.manchester.gov.uk

26–27 July, Platt Fields Park
A two day celebration of south Asian arts and culture with music and all styles of performance from Bollywood to Bhangra. There will be entertainment from locally and internationally renowned artists, sports such as Kabaddi, Indian wrestling and stone lifting, fashion shows, arts and crafts stalls, funfair, street theatre, food stalls and much more. Free.
www.manchestermela.co.uk

- an event organised by MACC and DIN

to be held at the Friends Meeting House on 17 July 4:00 - 6:30 pm

Mathew Smerdon from the Baring Foundation will be the main speaker (click to read his report "Allies not servants" )

See flyer

To book a place please fill in and return the booking form to angela@macc.org.uk

For more information please contact Megan Ohri, the DIN Partnership Development Worker, on 0161 832 9823 or John Butler at MACC

Valuing Older People Big Event, 30 September 2008, Manchester Town Hall

Yes, it’s that time again! Tuesday 30 September sees a return to the Town Hall for the Big Event as part of the Full of Life Festival, now in its fifth year. As ever, the event promises to be a huge celebration!

This year information exhibitions will take place from 10:00 am to 3:30pm in the Great Hall. Many of the spaces have already been filled; however, there are still a few remaining. If you're interested in promoting your service at this event please complete the application form and return to Rachel York (Rachel.york@manchester.gov.uk ). The deadline for applications is Friday 11 July 2008 and stalls will be allocated on a first come first served basis. Please note that any applications received after this date will not be accepted. Your place will be confirmed and further details will be sent out by Friday 8 August 2008.

If you would like more information about the event, please contact Rachel on 0161 234 3547 or at the above email address.

½ day course

By the end of the training, participants will be able to:
Define ‘mental capacity’
Identify who is affected by the MCA
List the five principles of the MCA
Describe the considerations that need to be included when making a ‘best interest’ decision
Explain when an IMCA must be appointed
Define the role of the Court of Protection
Explain the difference between a LPA and an EPA
Distinguish between an Advance Statement and an Advance Directive
Identify the two new offences created by the MCA

This is an interactive training course which includes PowerPoint and DVD presentations, lots of group work and an open forum for discussion about how to put the legislation into practice
Target group: All Manchester City Council Adult Social Care Service staff
All independent and voluntary sector adult social care staff

Number of places available: Minimum 10 – Maximum 30
Wednesdays 9 July or 16 July or 23 July or 30 July 2008 9:30 am – 1:00 pm
Venue: 3rd Floor Victoria Mill, 10 Lower Vickers Street, Miles Platting M40 7SH
Trainer Emma Fowler
Contact person Victoria Willshaw 0161 203 3200 victoria.willshaw@manchester.gov.uk

Information on Sexual Health For Africans living in England
The Do it Right online discussion forum is now live. Watch Kobana’s stories, leave your comment and feel free to be anonymous. http://www.doitright.uk.com/

The National African HIV Conference 2008, "Under the baobab tree", presentations and papers are now available here.

The MIGHEALTHNET project aims to stimulate the exchange of knowledge on migrant and minority health through the development of interactive data bases in each of the participating countries.
Click here for more information

Manchester PCT has recently launched a public engagement programme called “Talking Health”. (See flyer) The idea is to start an ongoing conversation with patients, the public and staff around developing local priorities for the provision of health services.

There is a survey that can be accessed via this web link: www.talkinghealth.net and Manchester PCT wants to hear from all local black and ethnic minority residents!

You will be able to tell them about your:
Perceptions of current NHS services
Views on the key issues for improving health
Priorities and aspirations for health and health services in the future

There is also an automated telephone survey - 0808 2611 501 (free from a BT landline, it takes approximately 6/7 minutes to complete)

Please encourage as many BME people as possible to complete the survey – it is the BME community's chance to be heard! If you would like hard copies of the questionnaire, or more information, please do not hesitate to contact Anurita on 0161 958 4081.

Job Title: Business Development Co-ordinator
Salary: Circa £20,000 with 25 days annual leave
Reporting to: Business Development Manager
Closing date: 23 July 2008 with interviews end of July

Disabled Living is Manchester's oldest and most established disability charity. They provide services for disabled people and their families, carers and healthcare professionals - working to enable and improve their independent living.

Disabled Living are looking for a dynamic and self-motivated individual to join our busy Business Development Team.

Working with the Business Development Manager, the successful candidate will help develop and grow sustainable income through fundraising, grants, legacies, events and building partnerships with both the corporate and statutory sectors.

Experience of working in a team and on own initiative in a fundraising and/or income generating environment along with writing funding applications is desirable.

A commitment to making a difference to disabled people's lives, good communication skills with the confidence to overcome challenges and a flexible 'can-do' attitude is essential!

For more information and a full job specification and application pack please email: jon.menzies@disabledliving.co.uk or call 0161 214 5952 Mon-! Fri (9:00 am-4:30pm). Out of office hours please call 08707 601 580 and leave a message with your full contact details, quoting the above job title.

Part-time: 16 hours per week Shona speaker, 8 hours per week Portuguese speaker
Scale: £8.25 per hour
Based: Zion Community Resource Centre, Hulme
Fixed term until 31 March 2009 with possibility of extension subject to further funding

The post holders will be part of a Helpline team responsible for providing a service to callers on the African AIDS Helpline (AAH). You will also be expected to provide a comprehensive range of over the telephone emotional support to people living with HIV to enable them to live full and independent lives and also provide support to people affected by HIV/AIDS. This will entail taking calls on a wide range of topics in addition to HIV/AIDS and sexual health. Advisors must be able to deal with these calls sensitively, in a non judgemental way and appropriately. Post holders will work on a fixed shift basis but must be prepared to work occasional hours outside this in order to take part in training or to cover absence.

Applicants must be fluent in either Shona or Portuguese.

BHA is an equal opportunities employer and welcomes applications from all sections of society.

All applicants must have permission to work in the UK.
For an application pack, contact Melanie Lathrope on melanie@blackhealthagency.org.uk
or alternatively call 0845 450 4247. CVs will not be accepted.

Closing date for received applications is Friday 11 July 2008

MERCi is one of Manchester's leading sustainable development charities. It runs a range of projects, all aimed at helping people and organisations live and work more sustainably.

They are seeking highly motivated and proactive people to deliver their latest project - 'Sustaining Change' - which aims to create a cohesive network of professional Third Sector organisations who are committed to operating sustainably and willing to share this best practice throughout the Third Sector. The project is funded until 2012 by the National Lottery through the Big Lottery Fund.

Sustaining Change – Project Coordinator
£24,271 Five days week 37.5 hrs with up to 5% matched pension contribution.
To coordinate and manage the Sustaining Change Project. Working closely with partner organisations to set up a network of Third Sector organisations who can deliver support and training around sustainability. Develop toolkits and deliver events, audits and training and promote Third Sector involvement in the project and sustainable development.

Sustaining Change – Network Development Officer
£21,883 Five days week 37.5 hrs (possible job share) with up to 5% matched pension contribution.
To develop and maintain the Sustaining Change Network. Work with Third Sector groups throughout Greater Manchester to promote their engagement in this project and sustainable development . Help develop toolkits and deliver events, audits and training.

Sustaining Change – Admin Worker
£15,810 (£6324 pro rata for 2 days week) with up to 5% matched pension contribution. (With possible increase in hours dependent on additional funding)
To provide administrative support for the Sustaining Change Project and MERCi . Helping with events and volunteers.

For further details and an application form please contact MERCi on 0161 2731736 or visit our web site on www.merci.org.uk . Applications must be received by 14 July. Interviews will be held on 17 (Coordinator), 18 (Network) and 21 (Admin) July.

MERCi: Charity number 1077362 Company Number 3518490.
MERCi is striving to be an equal opportunities employer and welcomes applications from all members of society.

Wednesday 16 July 2008
1:30 - 3:30pm at BASIC, Eccles New Road, Salford, M5 5AP
See details

Manchester PCT is responsible for planning, designing and purchasing health services for those people in Manchester. One part of this role is to make sure that people can access a GP when they need urgent treatment and their own GP surgery is closed. They are currently asking for organisations to bid for delivering this service and would welcome your opinion on how it should be provided in the future.

Please help them by completing the short online survey.