Entries for the Pie Bake Off below:

Congratulations to the winners:

​1st Place - Ann Pearson (Image 3)
2nd Place - Annette Patten (Image 8)
3rd Place - Tanya Langmead (Image 6)

Today is Chinese New Year, and the year of the Ox! We've prepared a little info on what it's all about and how you can participate. Download here.

This week's story time book is 'Room on the Broom' written by Julia Donaldson.

Salary: £18,000 to £22,000 FTE per annum, plus contributory pension scheme

Location: Cedarwood Centre, Avon Avenue, Meadow Well, North Shields NE297QT

Working hours: Full-time, 37.5 hours per week, usual hours are 09:00-17:00 Monday to Friday. Occasionally weekend and evening work will be required, for which TOIL will be given.

Holidays: 28 days, Bank Holidays (includes Christmas closure days) FTE

Term of contract: 12-month fixed term


The Cedarwood Trust is a regional charity supporting communities of high deprivation through innovative practice, pastoral care, education, training, and research. Our vision is a world in which children, young people and their families are effectively supported to build on their own strengths to achieve their goals in life. We care in three main ways:

1. Researching the systemic underlying causes of Poverty.
2. Developing, piloting, and evaluating new, cost-effective interventions for individuals and families facing complex difficulties.
3. Supporting the local authority and combined authority to improve their practice, through the collection and evaluation of outcomes data.

Community is at the heart of everything we do; we are committed to discovering and understanding the best way to help residents, families, and professionals. We believe our impact comes from partnership and collaboration. Cedarwood Trust works in close partnership with a wide range of service providers, voluntary sector partners and local authorities. Demonstrating “best practice” in creating the best and safest conditions for community work. We aim to achieve this in ways that could be emulated by any organisation seeking to do right by communities, residents, individuals, and families. This means that all staff need to be appropriately trained in ensuring children and vulnerable adults are safe (Safeguarding), our staff are safe (Health and Safety), our information about people is safe (Information Governance) and that we include everyone equally irrespective of their identity and background (Equality and Diversity).
The Centre values diversity and aims to have a workforce that reflects this. We encourage applications from all sections of the community.

Overview of the post
Under the leadership of our CEO Wayne Dobson Cedarwood Trust has rapidly expanded its service provisions and is one of the fastest growing small charity in the region at this time. With a strategic emphasis on raising income from a variety of sources, including statutory funds, trusts and foundations, corporates, major donors, and community fundraising.
Including tendered contracts, in last 2 years the CEO has secured over £1.2 million.
 
The focus of this post is to support revenue funding, particularly from statutory funders, tendering for contracts and applications to Trusts and Foundations. The post-holder will be involved in supporting some areas of fundraising from corporates, major donors, and community fundraising. The role combines generating new voluntary income and maintaining our relationships with current funders (approximately 70% of time to be spent on generating new income from trusts and statutory sources, and 30% of time on overseeing current grants and communicating with current funders).

Purpose of the post
Working closely with the CEO and the Senior Management Team the post- holder will support with meeting income targets and developing and maintaining relationships with Trust and statutory donors and prospects.

Duties and responsibilities

Statutory grants and tenders for commissioned services

• Lead on the Department of Health’s and Department of Education’s annual grant
• rounds and any other government grant rounds which are eligible to apply for (including but not limited to National Lottery Community Fund)
• Effectively oversee the bid writing process to ensure that all required documentation is collated and submitted to deadline.
• Developing and writing proposals to foundations and statutory bodies.
• Coordination of statutory bid responses, at both PQQ and ITT stages.
• Supporting project and research teams on complex bids.
• Keep abreast of new rounds being announced, communicate with the wider team about timelines and oversee the bid identification process.
• Attend information events and feed back to staff team.
• Work closely with management to find the best project matches for each round.
• Liaise with project managers to complete application forms, including budgets.
• Oversee the process of reporting to funders.
• Attend grant negotiation and review meetings and oversee the process of grant and contract set up.
• Effectively manage multiple funding deadlines to ensure no key opportunities are missed.
• Oversee a timetable of progress reports for all grants and oversee the preparation of financial reports and budgets in collaboration with the Finance Team.

Trusts and foundations

• Take a lead on writing key grant proposals for trusts and foundations including liaising with the Finance department to create budgets for applications.
• Effectively manage multiple funding deadlines to ensure no key opportunities are missed.
• Forge and maintain successful relationships with Trust funders through regular contact with grant managers.
• Oversee and manage the reporting process to ensure that all funders receive regular updates as per their requirements.

Other income

• Build other non-statutory income streams such as corporate, community and major donor giving.
• Write proposals for other income streams and attending meetings as required.

Planning and reporting

• Support the Finance team in the preparation of Annual Accounts and ensure that all funder information is correct.
• Maintain an overview of and monitor the Centre's revenue income.
• Support on producing quarterly performance dashboards for the Board of Trustees.
• Organise and chair regular Finance and Fundraising meetings to ensure ongoing liaison and monitoring of current grants and to agree timescales and work plans for budgets of new grants and funder reports.

Line management

• Recruit volunteers and interns, where appropriate.

Information management

• Ensure all activities adhere to Data Protection standards.
• Develop and maintain oversight of systems to support all fundraising activities, including managing and reporting grant income.
• Maintain oversight of filing systems for all grants and donations, design new systems as required to improve efficiency.

Other duties

• Build strong and collaborative relationships across the Cedarwood Trust to ensure excellent understanding of our work to our funders and supporters.
• Gain support for all fundraising activities from trustees and staff.
• Continued Professional Development

The post-holder will be required to take part in the Cedarwoods annual review and will be supported to continued professional development to support the post holder in this role.

Meetings

The post-holder will be required to attend and participate in the staff meetings and to work at events which may take place outside office hours.
 

Other

• To maintain an awareness of and actively follow and promote the Cedarwood policies, including Equal Opportunities, Health and Safety, Safeguarding and Information Governance.
• To complete all mandatory training, including but not limited to Safeguarding, Health and Safety, Equal Opportunities, and Information Governance, within the required timescales.

To be noted

This is not an exhaustive list of tasks; the post-holder will be asked to undertake any other ad hoc tasks commensurate with the scope and purpose of this post.
​
This job description reflects the present requirements of the post, and as duties and responsibilities change/develop, the job description will be reviewed and be subject to amendment in consultation with the post-holder.

The post-holder will be required to have a DBS disclosure which the Cedarwood Trust will apply for. The Cedarwood Trust is a member of the Fundraising Regulator. As a member we are committed to the highest standards in fundraising. As part of your role, you will need to follow the Fundraising Regulator’s Code of Fundraising Practice and standards.

Please email louise@cedarwoodtrust.com for application pack and if you require assistance or experience difficulties in applying. Please note all our posts require candidates to have the Right to Work in the UK at the time of applying.

Contract duration
Fixed term 12 months

Closing date for applications
Midnight, Monday 22nd March 2021.

Notification of interview
Shortlisted applicants will be notified no later than 2nd April 2021.

Please note due to volume of applications expected, we will be unable to notify unsuccessful candidates.

Interviews
Interviews will be held in April 2021 subject to COVID-19 restrictions.

How to apply
Please email louise@cedarwoodtrust.com for application pack and if you require assistance or experience difficulties in applying. 

We are unable to accept CVs and kindly request no contact from agencies.

Chef Adam working with Nurture Academy student, Danielle to make Minestrone Soup at the Cedarwood Trust. The soundtrack was provided by John Metcalf.

Get more info on the Nurture Academy and how to join here.

To celebrate Burns Night 20201, we'll be hosting a live-streamed event for everyone at home to take part in a Burns Supper from 7:00pm, Monday 25th January 2021.

​To join us via Microsoft Teams, click here.

What is a Burns Supper?
A Burns supper is a celebration of the life and poetry of the poet Robert Burns (25th January 1759 – 21th July 1796), the author of many Scots poems. The suppers are normally held on or near the poet's birthday, 25 January, known as Burns Night (Scots: Burns Nicht; also called Robert Burns Day or Rabbie Burns Day). However, in principle, celebrations may be held at any other time of the year.

Running Order of Cedarwood Burns Night Supper

Piping in the guests
To bapgipe or traditional music  – Lara/Ruth (Flute/Fiddle)

Reciting of the Selkirk Grace
(see below) – Stu Simpson

Piping in the haggis
Guests stand to welcome the haggis to the table! -  Lara/Ruth (Flute/Fiddle)

Toast to the haggis
Honouring the most important ingredient of the meal – Pauline/Lara

Burns Night meal
Discussion of the meal/recipes led by Pauline and Lara

The 'immortal memory'
An account of the life of Robbie Burns - Stu Simpson

Followed by Burns's songs and poems from:
Renata Connors, John Metcalf, - Ruth/Pauline/Stu/anyone could do a short poem/song here if they wish.

Toast to the lassies
A traditional thank you to the women involved in the preparations (and a light-hearted homage to Burns's love of women) – Lara Barnes

Scottish/Burns Quiz
Pauline as Quizmaster.

Finale with Auld Lang Syne
Lara leads singalong? (with mics off)

A Burns Supper can be as formal or as informal as suits the occasion and guests are traditionally invited to take their turn in reciting Burns poems or songs during the evening.

The Selkirk Grace
This is recited after the guests have entered the room and are seated at the table and before the haggis is piped to the table.

"Some hae meat and canna eat,
And some wad eat that want it,
But we hae meat and we can eat,
And sae the Lord be thankit."

Traditional menu for a Burns Night Supper– We could publish these ahead of time as part of the promotion for it, so people can prepare a burns supper for themselves if they wish.

Starter: Cock a Leekie Soup
Main course: Haggis with neeps and tatties (turnips and mashed potato)
Dessert: Clootie dumpling or cranachan (a traditional dessert of oats, cream, whisky and raspberries)
Drink: Scotch whisky

The Immortal Memory
The immortal memory is the centrepiece of the evening and equivalent to a wedding dinner speech - the denoted speaker gives a talk on the life of Robert Burns, in anticipation of the songs and poems to come. Although the speech often touches on the highs and lows of Burns's life, it should include a celebration of his home country of Scotland, his literary genius and his love of all things Scottish.

We were recently featured on BBC Look North for the work we're doing for our 'Bringing Back the Stocking' campaign. Check out the video below:

​As the Chief Executive Officer, I am immensely proud of all the residents that have engaged in the Nurture Nourish Thrive service. Each individual journey is a pleasure to be part of, in witnessing people recovery from isolation brought on by the pandemic.  

We have been overwhelmed by the response to the service and the needs it is meeting for people and the team's ability to assist people meet those needs. 

Well done to all, and if you would like to know more on how the team can support your wellbeing and learning, please get in touch.

Wayne Dobson - CEO, Cedarwood Trust

Jamie Driscoll is the Mayor of the North of Tyne Combined Authority who have funded the 'Nurture, Nourish, Thrive' scheme at Cedarwood Trust.

Learn how to make your own home-made Playdough. It's simple, easy and cheap to make. Great fun for all.

Everyone knows I love playdough. Making and playing with it. It has so many benefits in several ways from fine motor skills to language expressions and emotional development. For many it can be seen as messy and expensive especially if bought from a toy shop or supermarket. It need not be though! All it takes is a few simple ingredients. 10 mins and voilà. Super cheap, super easy fun.

Play with it on a table, a waterproof mat or even on a clean hard floor. There is no need for shape cutters, rollers gadgets etc, just a touch of imagination and enthusiasm to get the fun started.

Here are just a few areas of development that can be encouraged with a lump of playdough:
 
Creativity:
From quiet play to dramatic acting PLAYDOUGH can be anything! It’s a fantastic outlet for whatever the imagination desires. 

Fine motor skills:
Squishing, rolling, prodding all help to strengthen hands and their ability to manipulate everyday items such as scissors, laces, pencils…

Socioemotional development:
During play imagination is ignited offering endless opportunities for children to experience both independent and co-operative play. Both help to teach life skills, exploration of abilities, emotions, learn how to cooperate, develop self-control and build friendships.

Speech and Language:
Chat, discuss, describe, animate through play. It all helps to develop expanding vocabulary. There are so many ways to develop verbal, listening communication and comprehension ability through playdough. 

Sensory, Tactile:
Playdough can act like a stress reliever, a bit like a stress ball. Rolling, squeezing, stretching manipulating the dough can help to ease away frustrations. Though its tactile consistency it's all about hands on exploring. Textures can be added in various ways to adapt the feel and nature of the dough. Try it yourself.