Engage Update - 23 September

The entry deadline for the Renfrewshire Chamber annual business awards – the ROCCOs – has been extended to Midnight on Thursday 26 September.  
 
The main sponsor for 2024 is the Renfrewshire Business Support Partnership (RBSP) combining key partners who help shape business support services in Renfrewshire.
There are 17 categories to enter. Entry is free – open to Chamber members based anywhere – and also non-members based in Renfrewshire.
 
You can enter as many categories as you wish. https://www.renfrewshirechamber.com/rocco-awards/award-categories-entry-forms/
 
If you are planning to enter a category(s) – I would be grateful if you could please drop me a quick line to help with organisation – thank you.
 
The categories are:

1. ROCCO Award for Environmental Sustainability – Sponsorship Available
2. ROCCO Award for Innovation & Technology – sponsored by University of the West of Scotland
3. ROCCO Award for Excellence in Manufacturing -sponsored by National Manufacturing Institute Scotland
4. ROCCO Award for International Trade - sponsored by Glasgow Airport
5. ROCCO Award for Community Wealth Building – sponsored by Renfrewshire Council
6. ROCCO Award for Employer of the Year – sponsored by Arnold Clark
7. ROCCO Award for Most Promising New Business -sponsored by Business Gateway
8. ROCCO Award for Family Business of the Year – sponsored by The Malcolm Group
9. ROCCO Award for Journey to Net-Zero – sponsored by Ren Zero
10. ROCCO Award for Young Business Person of the Year – Sponsored by Rolls Royce
11. ROCCO Award for Excellence in Tourism – sponsored by Renfrewshire Council
12. ROCCO Award for Community Champion – sponsored by Engage Renfrewshire
13. ROCCO Award for Outstanding Performing Business 5 or fewer employees – sponsored by Spectrum Service Solutions
14. ROCCO Award for Outstanding Performing Business 5 <25 employees – sponsored by Terumo Aortic
15. ROCCO Award for Outstanding Performing Business >25 employees – sponsored by Altrad Babcock
16. ROCCO Award for Business Leader of the Year – sponsored by Diageo
17. ROCCO Award for Renfrewshire’s Favourite Business – sponsored by Braehead, To nominate your favourite business please email awards@roccoawards.com by Midnight on Friday 4th October. Please include ROCCO AWARD in the subject header. In email include the name of business and why in <100 words they deserve to win. Also include your own name, address & phone number. A shortlist will be announced with online voting open until early November. The winner will be announced on the night.

 
For more info on all the categories / to enter / book a table – please visit www.roccoawards.com – the social media hashtag is #2024Rocco
 
Bob Grant
Chief Executive
bgrant@renfrewshirechamber.com

Winter Connections

Community groups and voluntary organisations are being encouraged to apply for grant funding from Renfrewshire Council to enable them to put on activities for local people from October to March next year. Winter Connections is a network of local places and spaces across Renfrewshire where people can connect with others in their community during winter.

The £75,000 fund is open to local groups and organisations who can offer a community venue, run an activity, or would like to open up their existing activities as part of Winter Connections. Groups and organisations can apply for up to £2,000 to cover costs such as activities, materials, energy, providing food, staffing or cleaning. 

Projects applying to the fund should be: 
• open, free and easy to access 
• inclusive, welcoming, respectful and safe 
• able to offer warm drinks/snacks/food along with activities, where possible 
• able or willing to provide connections to other services and supports. 

The fund is not open to groups arranging one-off activities or events, or projects that charge people for taking part. 

Applicants must also have a written constitution, bank account and be able to demonstrate an understanding of what their local community currently needs. 

Awards will be made from October, and the fund will remain open until all available funding has been used. Anyone considering applying for funding should make sure they read the guidance for the funding and is encouraged to get their applications in as quickly as possible. Any grant received from the fund must be spent by the end of March 2025. 

Please see  www.renfrewshire.gov.uk/winter-connections for more information and an application form

Referral Form
Application Guidance Document

Please pay close attention to the Application Guidance, including the list of eligible Postcodes. 

Please return the completed Referral Form by 27 September by emailing thrive@activecommunities.co.uk or posting it to Thrive Under 5, Station Seven, 7 Quarry Street, Johnstone, PA5 8DY. 

This programme is ideal for young people aged 18-30 who are interested in pursuing a career in the Social Care. The programme is in partnership with Scotia Homecare Solutions, who provide care services across Renfrewshire.
The two-week programme will give young people and insight into the skills required for working within the sector, as well as job shadowing experience with Scotia Homecare staff members, working in the community. The programme will be located in Paisley (location TBC) with guaranteed interviews for live vacancies with Scotia Homecare.
 
Dates for your diary

• Taster Day: Thursday 07 November
• Programme Induction: Friday 08 November
• Course Dates: Monday 11 November – Friday 22 November (09:30 – 16:30, Mon – Fri)

Eligibility Criteria

• Aged 18 – 30
• Not in full-time employment or education
• No restriction on area, however, please note that the course and job opportunities will be based in Renfrewshire, so reasonable distance for travel should be considered.

 Referrals should be made no later than 31 October.

Natalie Keil Natalie.Keil@princes-trust.org.uk

Scottish Recovery Network

Peer Connects free webinar: Embedding a peer support workforce – 8 October 2024
Lived experience roles are an integral part of the mental health workforce. This includes Peer Workers, Peer Managers and Lived Experience Strategic Leads. In this 60-minute webinar, we’re bringing together learning from Scotland and England to explore ideas and considerations around implementing these roles.
This webinar is for local and national Policy Leads working in mental health and wellbeing, third and public sector organisations, and Service Leads and Managers. You can book your free place on Scottish Recovery Network’s Eventbrite channel
https://EmbeddingAPeerWorkForce.eventbrite.co.uk
 
The Big Scottish Peer Support Survey! – Closes 30 September 2024
Scottish Recovery Network want to work with you to make sure peer support gets the positive recognition it deserves. It’s an exciting time as the Scottish Government and COSLA Mental Health and Wellbeing Delivery Plan includes a commitment to championing peer support. To feed into this and to inform our work we would like to get a fuller picture of what peer support looks like in Scotland – where it’s happening, who’s doing it and what’s needed to help it grow. Take the survey The Big Scottish Peer Support Survey! (surveymonkey.com)