The VSTU Links Page

Local Links

The Albert Centre offers a service for anyone who feels they may have a problem relating to Alcohol, Drugs, Tranquillisers or any other dependency.

Cleveland Housing Advice Centre provides advice and assistance to the homeless and badly housed community of Cleveland. CHAC negotiates with private sector landlords to secure temporary / permanent accommodation on behalf of the homeless.

Disability North is an independent voluntary organisation working though-out the North of England, based at the Dene Centre in Newcastle upon Tyne. We offer free and confidential services to disabled people of any age including children and older people, their families, carers and workers.

Grove Hill 2000 is a resident led community development company serving the Grove Hill and Beechwood wards of Middlesbrough. With everything from Citizens Advice Bureau to Computer Training, Karen's Cafe, Playgroup, Conferencing Facilities, Employment Advice Surgery and more.....

Langbaurgh Women's Aid is a voluntary organisation which is run by women for women and children. L.W.A. offer confidential emotional and practical support to any woman experiencing abuse within the home.

Middlesbrough Activity Resource Centre (M@RC)
M@RC is a one stop shop providing information, advice, activities and support for 16-25 year olds. M@RC makes this information accessible through Leaflets & Journals, The National Youth Agency Database, The Internet, CD ROMs and of course our staff.

Owton Fens Community Association was founded in 1985 by members of the local community and aims to provide, promote and develop opportunities for disadvantaged groups/individuals living in the southwest of Hartlepool.

The Richard Hind Centre offers many different education and leisure courses for young and old alike. This regularly updated site also has links to other community and educational websites.

SkillShare is made up of people who would like to help voluntary groups in Hartlepool. Skillshare members come from both voluntary and statutory organisations with a wide understanding of the different needs of voluntary groups.

Studio 64 Middlesbrough's community recording studio was set up by Middlesbrough Music Collective in 1986. It currently employs a Development Worker, a Training Co-ordinator and a Studio Manager and benefits from several volunteer studio technicians. Because we're a community managed studio - run by members of the local music community - we can afford to keep our rates low, in addition to putting our profits back into the studio.

The main purpose of TROCN is to celebrate, by the award of credit, the learning achievements of adults. TROCN accredits many different types of learning offered at a variety of venues throughout Co Durham, Tees Valley, Hartlepool, Redcar & Cleveland and SW Scotland.

The Tees Valley Informatics Partnership (TVIP) was set up in 1998 as part of a strategic drive to put the area at the forefront of developments in the Information Age, an era based on information and communication technologies.

National Links

Charity Commission
The Charity Commission is here to give the public confidence in the integrity of charities. We are a UK government department responsible to the Courts for our decisions and to the Home Secretary for the way we use our resources.

City & Guilds
City & Guilds is the leading provider of vocational qualifications in the United Kingdom.

Directory of Social Change
DSC is an independant voice for social change, set up in 1975 to help voluntary and community organisations become more effective. We do this by providing practical, challenging and affordable information and training to meet the current, emerging and future needs of the sector.

DfEE
Department for Education and Employment Website.

The Industrial Society
The Industrial Society campaigns to improve working life and is the UK's leading authority on best practice at work. The Society believes that sustainable business results go hand-in-hand with fair people management practices. All our activities focus on the creation of an effective partnership between employers and employees - a partnership based on the acknowledgement of mutual responsibilities.

Institute of Management
The mission of the Institute of Management is to promote the art and science of management.

Investors in People
Investors in People is a national quality standard which sets a level of good practice for improving an organisation's performance through its people.

Management Charter Initiative
The MCI's mission is to shape and promote management and development, particularly competence-based management development, for the benefit of both organisations and individuals.

National Council for Voluntary Organisations (NCVO)
The National Council for Voluntary Organisations (NCVO) is the umbrella body for the voluntary sector in England.

NEBS Management
NEBS Management offers a comprehensive range of nationally and internationally recognised qualifications to meet the needs of todays managers at all levels.

NOCN - National Open College Network
The National Open College Network is one of the largest awarding bodies in the UK. It offers awards to adult learners, and in particular to those people for whom more traditional qualifications are inaccessible or inappropriate. NOCN operates a national credit framework through 31 local Open College Networks (OCNs) based across the UK.

OCR
In January 1998 UCLES and the RSA Examinations Board launched a new examining body - OCR - with a mission to support the work of teachers and lecturers and to provide the best possible qualifications for their students. OCR offers everything you need for a complete range of high quality academic and vocational qualifications, including:
AS and A Level, GNVQ, Key Skills, GCSE, Certificate of Achievement, 'Own Brand' Schemes, NVQ.