ILM Highland launches new IT Support Service to local businesses, charities and social enterprises

Following on from the recent success of refurbishing IT equipment and providing a community-based PC repair service; local social enterprise ILM Highland has now launched an IT Support Service for local businesses. This new IT Support Service is tailored to meet the needs of small businesses both in the private sector but also in the social enterprise sector.

Under this new IT Support Service, ILM’s expert and fully qualified staff offer both a Reactive Maintenance Programme and a Proactive Maintenance Programme. The Reactive Maintenance Programme is for those customers who do not wish to pay a monthly retainer fee for IT Support services. This is a cost effective way to seek help with the majority of IT related issues. We offer services such as: General System Support, Virus/ Malware Removal, Network Setup, Broadband Support, Printer/ Scanner support, Hardware Faults and Software Faults. We also offer data recovery and secure data erasure services.

ILM’s Proactive Maintenance Programme offers increased peace of mind. This service protects your data and network and is for those customers who require a more robust IT Support service. The Proactive Maintenance Programme is ideal for business critical services and data security. ILM will arrange site visits to ensure your systems are up to date and are functioning correctly. The regularity of these visits is decided by you. This allows you the ability to control the cost of the support service whilst ensuring you know that your network is regularly maintained and inspected.

For further information or to request a quotation, please visit ILM’s website www.ilmhighland.co.uk or email helpdesk@ilmhighland.co.uk or call us on 01349 884774. 

Inverness Museum and Art Gallery: Childrens' Summer Programme

Everything begins this coming weekend with a FREE activity that involves the opportunity to find out more about Loch Ness’ most famous resident as well as a chance to spend time with a local author and storyteller who knows more than a wee bit about our watery friend!

Wee MacNessie: FREE Children’s Storytelling and Craft workshop,  for children aged 5 – 8 years.
Saturday 29th June, 11am – 1pm, Room to Discover at Inverness Museum and Art Gallery

Come along and celebrate this year’s 80th anniversary of the first modern sighting of The Loch Ness Monster, with Pauline McKay, local author of childrens’ storybooks.  Find out the museum’s fossils that give us clues to Nessie’s past neighbours, create your own Nessie art and hear stories of Wee MacNessie’s Highland adventures.

With family connections to Loch Ness and having lived beside this world famous landmark for 17 years, Pauline draws on the landscape and the daily life of the Loch for inspiration.  ‘Wee MacNessie’ is a humorous and endearing reinvention of our much-loved monster.

This Workshop is FREE, but BOOKING IS ESSENTIAL, as places are limited.  Last few places left!
To find out more and to book your place contact Cait McCullagh atcait.mccullagh@highlifehighland.com<http://ntexchcas3owa/-CSCO-3h--redir.aspx?C=E3KLrl9REE2IsoFqXYSe5wjpORYrKNBIZSA84qBNEKmDho9uIsqoknFsThJAZeBuAoSu9W13tnM.&URL=mailto:cait.mccullagh%40highlifehighland.com> or 01463 237114


July – August Summer Fun at IMAG

The following workshops are offered as part of the High Life Highland Summer Activities Programme, full details of which can be found atwww.highlifehighland.com/summer<http://www.highlifehighland.com/summer>   Full booking details are given below the list of activities on offer:

All of the workshops take place from 1pm – 3pm and cost £3.50 per child.

Tues 2nd July, Make your own Time Machine.
Get to know Inverness Museum, discover the Highland Timeline and make a personalised clock for your bedroom.

Thurs 4th July, Design a Pictish Shield.
Listen to Pictish stories, explore our Pictish Symbol Stones and make and decorate your own shield.

Thurs 25th July, Really Wild Masks.
Get really close to the Highland Wildlife at Inverness Museum, take part in a Wildlife Trail Treasure Hunt and design and make your own ‘Really Wild’ mask.

Tues 30th July, Recycled Beasties.
Take a close up look at the museum’s collection of insects using our amazing video microscope and then make a ‘recycled’ beastie of your own!

Thurs 1st August, Weaving Magic.
Learn about what people in the Highlands wore in the past and then weave your own Pictie, Viking or Jacobite inspired cloth!

How to book:

PHONE BOOKINGS can be made via the dedicated summer bookings line on 01349 860 840 (until Friday 5th July) they can also be made to any HLH leisure centre listed as a booking site http://highlifehighland.com/summer/where-to-book

IN PERSON bookings can be made at HLH leisure centres and community centres. Centre opening times can be found at the appropriate venue page -http://highlifehighland.com/leisure-facilities or http://highlifehighland.com/community-centres

WEB BOOKINGS can be made via www.highlifehighland.com/summer<http://www.highlifehighland.com/summer> - High Life members who wish to book online will need to know the MEMBER ID and PIN number of the person / people they are booking for. This can be obtained from your local HLH leisure centre, or from the call centre number.  Non-High Life members do not need a member ID or PIN number.

There are also a number of all age and adult workshops and events planned for the summer – autumn months.

A Short Break Workshop for Carers of Adults, including Young Adults, with Learning Disabilities and Autism

Smithton Free Church

      26 June 2013

      10.15 – 1.45

ORGANISED BY

Young Adults Group – small group of carers who live in the South & Mid Operational Unit area in conjunction with partners from NHS Highland, The Highland Council and Connecting Carers.

SPEAKERS

Dina McLintock – carer and member of Young Adults Group

Nigel Small – Head of Operations, South & Mid Operational Unit, NHS Highland

Representative from Shared Care

PURPOSE

For people caring for young people and adults living in the Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey, Drumnadrochit and Mid and Easter Ross areas.  An opportunity to engage with partners in NHS Highland, The Highland Council and each other regarding short breaks (formerly known as respite) and the need for an increased range of short break options that will meet the needs of the cared for person as well as the carer.

PROGRAMME

10.15am - Registration and coffee

10.40am – Welcome and setting the scene

11.00am – Workshop 1

11.45am – Refreshments

12.00pm – Workshop 2

1.15pm – Summary and next steps

1.45pm – Close

TO BOOK A PLACE

Please contact:

Liza MacFarquhar

Change Support Team

John Dewar Building

NHS Highland

Hilghlander Way

Inverness

IV2 7GE

Phone:  01463 706 738

E-mail:  liza.macfarquhar1@nhs.net by 19 June ‘13

IF YOU CANNOT MANAGE

If you are unable to attend but wish to know the outcome of the workshop, please contact as above.

KEEPING CHILDREN SAFE - CHILD PROTECTION TRAINING COURSE

Getting it Right in Child Protection: An introduction

This short course is a basic introduction to Practice Guidance and Child Protection for all staff, including volunteers, who have any contact with children and families. The course is provided in a range of locations and is open to early years workers, sports and leisure groups, religious groups etc. free of charge.

Wed 26th June 2013: Lairg Community Centre, Main Street, Lairg, Sutherland 6.30pm – 9.30pm

Wed 14th August 2013: The Education Centre, Castle Street, Dingwall 6.30pm – 9.30pm

Thurs 22nd August 2013: Charleston Academy, Assembly Hall, Kinmylies, Inverness 6.30pm – 9.30pm

Mon 2nd September 2013: MacPhail Centre, Mill Street, Ullapool, Ross-shire 6.30pm – 9.30pm

Please book online via our website at www.kcs-highland.org.uk

If you do not have internet access, call Dawn Lawless on 07547390105

Any other enquiries, please email: highlandkcs@gmail.com

TAX HELP for older people

TAX HELP for older people

This is a free service provided by Tax Volunteers, a UK registered charity, to all older people (approaching 60+) who have a net household income of £17000 a year or less.

www.taxvol.org.uk                                                            

Alex Stewart – Regional Co-ordinator for Scotland:  My role in addition to promoting the services of the charity is to deliver talks to various organisations and groups etc.  I can be reached at stewart286@hotmail.com

District Partnerships

The next meeting of the Inverness West District Partnership will take place on Friday 21st June at the Merkinch Community Centre between 10am and 12pm.  

The public or interested groups are welcome to come along and observe the meetings.

Nairn Book & Arts Festival

Nairn Book & Arts Festival, their wonderful line up for September is at - http://nairnfestival.co.uk/.  They are running a Tweet Competition - stories up to 140 characters long ("tweet" size).  Also, there is going to be a debate on Scottish Independence with Fergus Ewing and Danny Alexander in attendance.

NAIRN CEILIDH GROUP

The popular Charity Ceilidh Season continues every Thursday throughout the summer at 8.00 pm in the Highland Hall of the Nairn Royal British Legion.  Admission £3.00, all welcome.  All monies raised divided to charities in Nairnshire - http://www.nairnceilidhgroup.org.uk/

Guardian Article - Volunteer Centres

We have been alerted to this pertinent article from the Guardian 'Voluntary Sector Network' entitled 'How Can Volunteer Centres Become More Sustainable?'. We thought others in the network may find it of interest and some of the points raised may resonate with your experience. The article can be found by following this link: http://www.guardian.co.uk/voluntary-sector-network/2013/jun/05/volunteering-centres-sustainable-revenue 

'Play Your Part' - Children 1st

Children 1st has put together a really interesting film called 'Play Your Part'. They asked volunteers to send in videos about what volunteering for Children 1st means to them, and this is what they came up with: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U307a-qZTxs&feature=youtu.be A fantastic project which really gets across what volunteering for Children 1st means to the people involved.

Sliding Doors Workshop

 Inverness Inshes Church, Inverness, IV2 3TW 12.30-16.30, Wed 19th June

Our colleagues at VA Lochaber and the Highland Third Sector Partnership have brought together an interactive workshop for Health and Social Care Professionals working with older people (across all sectors) in the Highlands.

They aim to inform, engage and excite participants, using drama to promote understanding towards the impact of Integration, The RCOP agenda and the need for change. For more info about sliding doors please visit: www.valochaber.org/sliding-doors

Attendance is free. Please call 01397 706 044 or email admin@valochaber.org to reserve your place for this innovative course today.

Holyrood Conference - TSI Discount Available

Holyrood are delighted to announce of the 5^th annual Third Sector conference will take place on Friday 13 September in Edinburgh. As Voluntary Action Scotland are supporting the conference Holyrood are offering members, colleague and friends a special 25% discount on each place. In order to book a place at the discounted rate either enter code VA25 when booking online or contact Mark Riding on 0131 272 2136 or mark@holyrood.com

Holyrood's annual Third Sector conference,  will explore how the changing landscape has affected the third sector and look at best practice examples and emerging opportunities that will help shape the third sector as it continues to evolve to better support Scotland's people.

Delegates will hear from key speakers including:

• John Swinney MSP , Cabinet Secretary for Finance, Employment and Sustainable Growth
• Pat Armstrong, Chief Executive, Association of Chief Officers of Scottish Voluntary Organisations (ACOSVO)
• Professor Ron McQuaid, Professor of Work and Employment, Stirling University
• Penny Brodie, Executive Director, LEAD Scotland
• David Robb, Chief Executive, Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator (OSCR)

The agenda can be viewed athttp://thirdsector2013.holyrood.com/

Active Communities Fund - People's Health Trust

People's Health Trust is an independent charity which funds local groups with great ideas in order to create fairer places to grow, live, work and age.

PHT have just opened Active Communities, a funding programme which maybe of interest to groups and charities in your area. They are offering grants of between £5,000-£50,000. The programme closes for applications on Monday 15 July 2013 at 12pm.

Applying couldn't be easier - the form is online (and available in other formats) and there is detailed guidance to support applicants through each step. For more information please visit the website via www.peopleshealthtrust.org.ukor contact Susan Brown or Will Steadman on 0207 697 4021

Reviewing the TSI Common Services

TSI focus group workshop - invitation for expressions of interest

Wednesday 10^th July 2013, 12.30 to 4.00

Robertson House, Bath Street, Glasgow

Voluntary Action Scotland (supported by the Services Quality and Impact Group) is undertaking a review of the Common Services developed in partnership with TSIs and published in October 2012. The intention is to identify improvements that could be made for an updated version for 2014/15*.

The review aims to capture intelligence from the TSI network on what improvements could be made to the Common Services based on the increased familiarity and experience of working with, and delivering towards them. We want to find out: potential improvements to the Common Services; 'other ways' that TSIs are contributing to the delivery of the Common Services; and challenges and opportunities in delivering the Common Services.

Voluntary Action Scotland will facilitate a half day workshop for operational level TSI representatives to inform the review. It is aimed at those working in practitioner roles across the TSI network with good working knowledge of one of more of the 4 Common Service themes. We are now seeking expressions of interest from officers within the TSI network to take part.

Please contact Elaine Gibb elaine.gibb@vascotland.org

* Please note this is about identifying improvements for a 2014/15 updated version of the Common Services. It does/will not affect or change this year's reporting format/process in any way.

Village Halls Networking Event

This is to be held on the 3^rd of July in the Three Villages Hall, Arrochar.

It should be a great day and an opportunity for people running and supporting village halls to get together.

You can find out more and book at http://www.ruralgateway.org.uk/en/node/7490

SLIDING DOORS, Making It Local (workshop for Health & Social Care Professionals)

WHAT IS SLIDING DOORS?

Sliding Doors is an interactive

workshop for Health and Social Care

Professionals working with older people

(across all sectors) in the Highlands.

We aim to inform, engage and excite you,

using drama to promote understanding

towards the Impact of Integration, the

RCOP (Reshaping Care for Older People)

programme and the need for change.

For more information about Sliding Doors,

please visit:

www.valochaber.org/sliding-doors

Where & When?

Inverness

Inshes Church, Inverness, IV2 3TW

12.30-16.30 | Wed 19th June 2013

Attendance & Booking

Attendance is free. Please

call 01397 706 044 or email

admin@valochaber.org to

reserve your place for this

innovative course today.

Voluntary Action Lochaber   01397 706 044   www.valochaber.org