Exchanging Notes Resilience Programme

The Exchanging Notes Resilience Programme is designed in response to the cost of living crisis. Autumn 2023 programme to be announced soon. Places are free to attend.

Upcoming events

Self-Awareness and Self-Care Workshop - Tuesday 25th April and Friday 9th June, 10am-3pm

In this workshop we will encourage a pro-active approach to wellbeing and resilience and raise awareness of the causes and symptoms of stress. Our partner Music Support will run two workshops with the same content. Each workshop has a 1.5 hour follow up session to keep you on track.

Sign up Friday 9th June - https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/516856089477 with follow up session Thursday 10 August 10am - 11.30am.

Bookkeeping - Wednesday 7th June 10:30am-12pm (low places)

In small charity finance, nearly all roads lead to bookkeeping. In this session we will revisit how to keep a simple cashbook which records our income, expenditure and allocates these to our grants. We will also look at the pros and cons of using a bookkeeping platform such as QuickBooks Online.

Financial controls - managing operational financial risk - Wednesday 14th June 10:30am-12pm

At a time when there are so many risks to our organisations that are beyond our control, it makes sense to ensure that the things that we can control are running smoothly and effectively, and we are not wasting precious resources.

Cashflow forecasting - keeping the lights on - Tuesday 27th June 10:30am-12pm

Cash keeps the lights on. It's as simple as that. Learn how to prepare a simple cashflow forecast to make sure we don’t run out.

Past events

Peer 2 Peer Networks

Facilitated by qualified Coach and Mentor Kerry Tottingham, these small group networks will bring together people in similar roles across the country to share issues, challenges, ideas and aspirations. The series of five sessions will provide an open space for discussion, with topics determined by the groups themselves. They will provide a supportive space to be inspired by others, resonate with their experiences and learn from their approaches.

Funding during a Cost of Living Crisis - Tuesday 21st March 11am-12:30pm (now fully booked with a waiting list)

Led by charity consultants By The Waves, this interactive workshop will help you tap in to key trends and maximise your existing and future funding opportunities. After the workshop, attendees will have the opportunity to apply to be part of small group funding coaching network.

Music Support Helpline

Music Support runs a free-to-access listening service managed by mental health-trained peers. Open Monday to Friday 9am - 5pm, they offer crisis support, referrals, signposting advice and funding guidance for inpatient and outpatient treatment.

Helpline number - 0800 030 6789

HR Surgery - Thursday 20 April 10:30am - 12pm

Got an HR issue or question and need help from an HR expert? Submit your questions in advance, and have them answered by Greg and Bendy from Theatre People. This workshop is designed to support small scale employers who don’t have access to professional HR support, and will cover a wide range of HR-related topics.

Financial Foundations programme

A series of five workshops taking you through all the basics you need for strong financial foundations. Designed for non-finance experts, these workshops are delivered by Embrace Finance. They are specialists at working with small organisations to build confidence, by explaining finance in a clear and jargon-free way. This programme has been designed as a series, but most sessions can also be accessed in isolation.

How to budget for sustainability - Thursday 4th May 10:30am-12pm (low places)

Budgeting when things are uncertain is tricky. However, there are ways that we can make it easier. In this session we will revisit good budgeting principles, explore ways to manage uncertainty and talk together about the very real challenge of having to do more with less.

Costings 101 – from unit cost to full cost recovery - Thursday 18th May 10:30am-12pm

Costing plays an integral role in building financial sustainability. In this session we will revisit unit costing and how it can help us with full cost recovery and how we can use this to build sustainability over the longer term. If you would like to take part in Costings 101, we recommend that you also sign up to 'how to budget for sustainability' which will complement this session.

Youth Music Network