Are any of the Turbo-Charging Skills Courses free?
I am an unpaid part-time volunteer with a voluntary organisation based in Lancashire, do I qualify for a subsidised place?
What is 'Greater Lancashire'?
My organisation is not based in Lancashire, can we get a subsidised place on a course?
I don't have a Degree, will I be able to get a place on the Post Graduate Certificate in Voluntary Sector Management?
Why do we have to supply our governing document and annual accounts?
Will you refund my course booking?
Will you deliver courses at local venues?
My organisation delivers training to voluntary sector organisations in Lancashire, will you consider funding us to deliver our course?
I work as a private consultant with voluntary sector organisations in Lancashire - will I be eligible for a subsidised place on a course?
Are any of the Turbo-Charging Skills Courses free?
No, as a general rule you/your employer will be asked to make a contribution to the costs of the course. However, all courses are heavily subsidised, particularly for small organisations. In exceptional circumstances (such as a brand new community group with no funding or a small organisation undergoing a crisis that we feel our programme could particularly assist with) we hope to operate a discretionary bursary scheme in the future. Any organisation experiencing such circumstances should use the Contact Us form in the first instance.
I am an unpaid part-time volunteer with a voluntary organisation based in Lancashire, do I qualify for a subsidised place?
Yes, all of our Turbo-Charging Skills courses are open to bookings from volunteers. We hope that all courses will have volunteers enrolled.
What is 'Greater Lancashire'?
We use the term Greater Lancashire to descibe the area covered by Lancashire County Council and the two Unitary Authorities of Blackburn with Darwen and Blackpool. Organisations based in any of these areas are eligible for subsidy as part of the programme.
My organisation is not based in Lancashire, can we get a subsidised place on a course?
Unfortunetely not at the current time, unless your organisation is currently active within the Greater Lancashire area. The terms of our grant from the Big Lottery Fund mean that we can only currently support organisations in Lancashire. Organisations need to have operational staff and/or volunteers based in Lancashire and have a base/contact address in Lancashire to be eligible for subsidy. If you are based outside of Greater Lancashire please use the Contact Us page to get in touch with us - we are happy to explore with you how we might be able to assist you in meeting your needs.
I don't have a Degree, will I be able to get a place on the Post Graduate Certificate in Voluntary Sector Management?
In most cases yes. We have worked very closely with our provider (Edge Hill University) to open up access to as many people as possible who want to study the course. If you don't have a Degree but have another qualification at Level 4 or Level 5 that has involved extended writing and critical thinking and has touched one of the Certificate's themes it is likely that you will gain entry without any further requirement. If you don't have a Level 4 or Level 5 qualification like this then you will be asked to write a 750 word personal statement to demonstrate your experience and ability to undertake critical thinking and extended writing.
How long does it take to complete the PG Cert in Voluntary Sector Management?
Most learners will complete the Certificate in 9 to 12 months, which generally means studying one Module at a time for about 3 months. It is possible to complete it in less time if you wish to study more than one Module at once. You may also take longer to complete if you wish, but all study must be completed by Summer 2012.
Are there any compulsory modules for the PG Cert?
No, learners can choose any three of the four available modules. Successful completion of any three Modules results in the achievement and award of the Post Graduate Certificate.
Why do we have to supply our governing document and annual accounts?
It is a condition of funding that we have to be satisfied that we are only using Big Lottery Fund money to support genuine community, voluntary, faith and charitable organisations in Greater Lancashire, this is why we ask for your governing document. Our programme agreed with the Big Lottery Fund also priortises subsidy to the smallest groups and organisations with the smallest budgets. We therefore require a copy of your accounts to verify the budget of your organisation.
Will you refund my course booking?
In the majority of cases your booking is binding and will not be eligible for a refund. We will, however, consider a deferment of your booking to a future course (if this is possible) or a transfer of your booking to another colleague (as long as they also work in Lancashire). In the unlikely scenario that your are not accepted for admission by the course provider we will refund your booking. Please visit the Terms and Conditions link (on the right) for further information.
Will you deliver courses at local venues?
Yes, we do plan to offer courses at a variety of locations particularly during 2011 and 2012. We will need to be satisfied with venue quality, accessibility and cost but please Contact Us to discuss this. We will need a minimum of 12 learners on any course to make local delivery viable.
My organisation delivers training to voluntary sector organisations in Lancashire, will you consider funding us to deliver our course?
Our funding from the Big Lottery Fund is currently fully-allocated to specific courses and we would need to formally agree any changes with them, so it is unlikely that we would be able to fund additional courses at the current time. However, we are interested in learning how our courses can link to other provision, particularly with regard to the programme themes of governance, human resources, strategic planning, business planning, financial planning and networking. We are also very happy to consider entering in to a mutual marketing partnership where we agree to promote each others courses. Please use the Contact Us page to get in touch.
I work as a private consultant with voluntary sector organisations in Lancashire - will I be eligible for a subsidised place on a course?
No, not unless you come to a firm agreement with a specific voluntary sector organisation that your application is linked to them and their development. All learners are required to undertake applied assignments that mean working on the organisation's development so that the organisation benefits as well as the learner. If you come to such an agreement, your application will need to name the organisation as beneficiary and detail their postal address. In such cases we are likely to ask for written confirmation of the arrangement from the organisation concerned.