members

Ready to level up your marketing? Training & Tea in February is for you!

At DVA, we understand the challenges charities, community groups, and VCSE organisations face when it comes to marketing. Whenever you broach the subject there’s always a ton of questions. How do you get it right? We’ve got you.

That’s why we’re excited to announce the return of Kevin Karaka from The House Outside for our Marketing Masterclass Training & Tea series, starting in February 2025.

Following the success of last year’s series, Kevin is back by popular demand to deliver a fresh set of 45-minute, bite-sized sessions. These free sessions are tailored to help organisations like yours strengthen your marketing skills and make a real impact in your communities.

Meet Kevin Karaka, guiding you from purpose to impact.

Kevin Karaka is no stranger to the challenges faced by the voluntary sector. With years of experience as a marketing expert and a dedicated member of the VCSE community, Kevin combines his professional expertise with a deep understanding of how charities and community groups operate.

Kevin’s approach is practical and relatable, drawing from his work supporting organisations to articulate their missions, engage their audiences, and make their marketing work smarter, not harder. He’s passionate about helping groups achieve their goals by using clear, impactful communication and accessible marketing strategies. Last year, his Marketing Masterclass series was highly praised by attendees for its engaging, easy-to-follow format and actionable advice.

What’s in Store?

💡 Articulating Your Organisation’s Vision & Mission – 4 FEB 2025
Learn how to define your vision and mission, why they matter, and how to use them to inspire engagement and build support for your cause.

💌 How to Run a Newsletter People Actually Engage With – 11 FEB 2025
Discover why newsletters are your most powerful marketing tool and how to create content that your audience will actually read—and act on! From structure and format to content tips, Kevin will walk you through practical strategies to maximise engagement.

🎨 Creating Content to Inspire, Educate, or Entertain – 25 FEB 2025
Not sure what to post? Learn about the three types of content you can create, how to tailor them to different platforms, and how to repurpose ideas to save time while keeping your audience engaged.

✍️ How to Write for Effective Communication – 4 MAR 2025
Unlock the secrets of persuasive writing! Kevin will share actionable frameworks, copywriting tips, and even how to use AI tools to make your communications clearer, more compelling, and more impactful.

Who Should Attend?

This series is perfect for anyone in Derbyshire’s VCSE sector—whether you’re new to marketing, looking to refresh your skills, or want to better articulate your organisation’s work. Find great answers to how to market what you do and see the benefits.

Why Attend?

  • Gain Practical Skills: These 45-minute sessions are short but packed with actionable advice.
  • Boost Engagement: Learn strategies to make your marketing more effective and build stronger connections with your audience.
  • Tailored for the VCSE: Designed specifically for charities, community groups, and not-for-profit organisations in Derbyshire and Derby City.
  • Free for DVA Members: As part of our commitment to supporting the VCSE, these sessions are completely free for members of VCSE groups in Derbyshire and Derby City!

Book you place now and make marketing work for you!

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Master Fundraising in Challenging Times – Training & Tea with DVA

Facing the Future Together: Introducing DVA’s Fundraising Masterclass
With the recent cuts to discretionary funding announced by Derbyshire County Council, charities, community groups, and voluntary organizations across Derbyshire face an unprecedented challenge. At Derbyshire Voluntary Action, we’ve heard the concerns of our members loud and clear. The question is: how do we keep delivering vital services with reduced financial support?

In direct response to the needs of our members, we are thrilled to launch our Fundraising Masterclass Training & Tea series, kicking off in January 2025. This series is designed to equip VCSE groups with the tools and confidence to unlock new funding opportunities, align their missions with funder priorities, and craft standout applications that make an impact. Join us online for a bitesize training session that will set you up for the year!

Meet Your Trainer: Anna, Fundraising Expert
Anna has always been interested in how we can make a real difference to the world. When she began working for Citizens Advice in 2006 she started to learn more about what was needed in communities, and came up with the same issue again and again. “So how do we make these things happen?” Her work is the answer to that question.

With nearly two decades of experience and a proven track record of working with over 30 charities and not for profit organisations, Anna is a powerhouse in the fundraising world. As a seasoned fundraising consultant and bid writer, Anna’s passion lies in empowering small and medium-sized charities to thrive without their own dedicated fundraisers, especially in the face of adversity. She specialises in work tackling deprivation and poverty and currently manages all aspects of grant fundraising for several charities. Anna knows what it takes to secure the funding needed to drive change, and it’s that experience she brings to our members.

Her experience isn’t just about writing bids—it’s about helping organizations see their services from fresh perspectives and making them “application ready.” This series is your chance to learn directly from an expert who’s been in the trenches and knows how to navigate the funding landscape in challenging times.

What’s in Store?

  1. Unlocking Opportunities – Finding grant funding in challenging times 7 January 2025
    Discover how to track and find opportunities when funders close their doors. Learn how to navigate challenging times and uncover possibilities you may not have considered before.
  2. Mission Possible – Aligning with funder guidelines 14 January 2025
    Tired of squeezing your services into narrow funder criteria? This session will teach you how to view your work through different lenses to match funding opportunities effectively.
  3. Vision to Victory – Being application ready 21 January 2025
    Avoid last-minute panic! Learn how to create a plan for upcoming applications and be prepared to tackle deadlines with confidence and efficiency.
  4. The Perfect Pitch – Crafting a standout application 28 January 2025
    From intimidating word counts to vague questions, crafting a funding application can be daunting. This session will help you overcome those challenges and present your work with clarity and confidence.

Why This Matters
The recent funding cuts are a stark reminder of how critical it is to secure the resources needed to sustain vital services. This training series isn’t just a response to the challenges we face—it’s a proactive step toward a stronger, more resilient voluntary sector in Derbyshire.

Save Your Spot
Booking for the Fundraising Masterclass Training & Tea is open now, so be sure to secure your place today. Together, we’ll turn challenges into opportunities and ensure that Derbyshire’s VCSE sector remains to provide hope and support for our communities.

📅 Starts January 2025
📍 Location: Online
💻 Cost: Free for DVA Members

Let’s build the future of Derbyshire’s voluntary sector, one successful application at a time.

Posted in Save Our Sector, TrainingTagged in , , , , , ,

CEO Jacqui Willis warns against funding cuts

Dear Members,

We stand united in our determination to challenge the short-sightedness of the recent cabinet paper and the decision the DCC cabinet is likely to make today.

It is deeply concerning that the views of 91% of respondents, who strongly oppose the recommendation to cut all funding, are being ignored. This decision overlooks the critical role our sector plays in supporting Derbyshire’s most vulnerable communities.

The paper mentions opportunities for collaboration and exploring alternative solutions during the consultation. However, as key infrastructure supporting our sector, we were eager to participate but were told there was no time. The proposed mitigations are based on a fundamental misunderstanding of our sector and the essential role of infrastructure support.

A total funding cut to the Voluntary Sector will be catastrophic and have long-lasting effects. Vulnerable individuals in Derbyshire’s communities, whom we tirelessly support, do not deserve this, especially at a time when our services are more crucial than ever.

The current county council cuts will decimate our communities and irrevocably alter the lives of our most vulnerable. Our sector has always been the safety net for those falling through the cracks of service criteria and health inequalities. What will happen now? How can we move forward in partnership with Derbyshire County Council when our capacity is slashed, or we cease to exist?

All this while Adult Care maintains a large team of assistant directors and is currently recruiting another at over £100k.

We will stand with infrastructure colleagues and others at the cabinet meeting this afternoon. Although we won’t be allowed to comment at the meeting, we will be collectively and formally responding in the days to come.

We will not take this lying down. As the infrastructure supporting the VCSE sector, we are here to be a voice, to protect and advocate for our sector, and to support the creation of partnerships. We will campaign vigorously against these cuts and challenge the decision to ensure that our message is heard loud and clear.

Remember, we are part of the solution, not the problem. Let’s continue to support each other and our communities through these challenging times.

Best regards,

Jacqui

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