Voluntary Action Camden Newsletter – 13th January 2023

Membership is free, click on the link box above and sign up today

We also have information on a range of other local events and opportunities from around the Camden area.

VAC Free Safeguarding Training Courses 

What better way to start the new year than refreshing your organisation’s essential safeguarding skills?

VAC is offering 3 FREE safeguarding training sessions over the coming months:

Virtual Introduction to Safeguarding for Volunteers and New Starters 

Wednesday 25th January 2023: 10am – 11:30am

Register your place here

Virtual Introduction to Safer Recruitment for Small Organisations and Community Groups 

Tuesday 21st February 2023: 10am – 11:30am

Register your place here

Safeguarding Advanced: Developing Knowledge and Understanding (in-person) 

Wednesday 22nd March at Saint Pancras Community Association: 9:30am – 3:30pm

Aimed at increasing existing safeguarding knowledge for those who have had no safeguarding training in the last two years and need a refresher.

Designed for volunteers, supplementary schools, VCS groups and organisations delivering services to under 18’s and their families in Camden. Lunch and refreshments provided.

To register your place, or for more information, contact Dianne Carlton-Ogunyemi, VAC Community Safeguarding Lead at dogunyemi@vac.org.uk

SHAK Community Volunteering 

The South Hampstead & Kilburn Community Partnership is looking for community volunteers. Volunteers will help SHAK direct people towards the services available to them, including advice on housing and benefits. SHAK offers free IAG Level 1 training on 23rd and 24th Jan 2023, continuous support and a volunteer toolkit with useful online resources.

For more information, click here or contact SHAK on 02073727021 or info@shakonline.co.uk

Somers Town Future Neighbourhoods 2030 

Thursday 19th Jan: 12pm – 3pm at St Pancras & Somers Town Living Centre

Somers Town is hosting a workshop to help create a long-term plan for Somers Town as part of the Mayor of London’s Future Neighbourhoods 2030 programme. It will be a chance for everyone to decide how Somers Town might be in the future, and how Somers Town can help to tackle the climate crisis.

To book a place email info@thelivingcentre.org with your contact details, or for more information email sarah@somerstown.org.uk

Young Persons Resilience Workshop  

Wednesday 18th Jan: 4pm – 5:30pm

SPCA is proud to be hosting the Amy Winehouse Foundation Resilience Training Workshop. Aimed at young people aged 14-18, it will be an informative session with a view to help them to make safer choices around drugs, alcohol and their wellbeing.

Register your place here

Henna Asian Women’s Group 

Henna Asian Women’s Group provides a platform for people to connect through hybrid services, including exercise, music & singing, ESOL, art & crafts, Henna Support Group, Chai with Henna and the Wellbeing Hub. A hot meal and warm space are provided on Mondays and Wednesdays to support local residents in Kilburn and beyond during the cost-of-living crisis.

For more information, call 0207 372 9860

Free Arthritis Action Clinic 

Monday 23rd Jan at Central YMCA Club

Central YMCA Club have partnered with Arthritis Action to offer a FREE Open Clinic to people living with Arthritis. The open clinic provides practical advice on how to reduce the pain of arthritis through self-management and lifestyle choices.

Click here to book your free, 15-minute session with dietitian Martin Lau

Energy Bills Discount Scheme 

The Government has announced a new Energy Bills Discount Scheme (EBDS) to run from 1 April 2023 for eligible non-domestic consumers in Great Britain and Northern Ireland. The scheme is available to all non-domestic contracts, including voluntary sector organisations and charities. The discount will be automatically applied.

Learn more here

Proposed Updates to the Euston Area Plan 

Camden Council is consulting on proposed updates to the Euston Area Plan (EAP) – a planning document that will help to shape the future of the Euston area. The Council wants to hear your views on the proposed updates to the EAP. You can review the suggested changes and share your views online via the Council’s Commonplace website here

Camden’s Evening and Night Time Citizens’ Assembly 

Closing date: 20th January 2023

Camden Council are inviting residents to join a Citizens’ Assembly about Camden’s Evening and Night-Time. Participants will develop a vision for the future of Camden’s evening and night time and make recommendations about how the Council, businesses and Camden’s communities could achieve this. The Assembly is on 18th Feb, 25th Feb, 4th March 2023.

Find out more here or complete their Commonplace survey here

LIFT: Intro to Coding Course 

Application closing date: 5th February 2023

LIFT Intro to Coding is a 6-week beginner’s programme designed to equip you with the knowledge and skills you need to start a career in the thriving world of software development. No prior coding experience is needed. You will gain core skills in software development and build a portfolio to show to prospective employers.

Find out more here

Newsletter Submissions
Please send any information (approximately 50-75 words long) that you would like included in our weekly newsletter to social@vac.org.uk

VAC Cost-of-Living Crisis Resource
VAC recognises that the cost-of-living crisis is a huge concern for families, businesses, and the Voluntary Community Sector.

We are collating information and resources to help community groups and residents in Camden navigate through the crisis. To find out more, click here

Women’s Safety in Camden Survey 

Camden Council would like to hear the experiences of all women and girls in Camden to understand how safe you feel living, working and travelling around the borough. The results of the survey will help the Council to work out the right steps to improve the safety of all women and girls in Camden.

The survey is confidential and takes about 15 minutes to complete. To have your say, click here

Local Newsletters:

SHAK
Young Camden Foundation (Funding Newsletter)
Young Camden Foundation (Events and Training Newsletter)
AWN (sign up)
London Sport (sign up)
Fitzrovia Community Centre
Coram’s Field Community Newsletter (sign up)
CAWH Newsletter
St Pancras Community Association (sign up)
Castlehaven in Bloom (sign up)
Abbey Community Centre Newsletter
Heath Hands
UCL Volunteering Service Newsletter (sign up)

If you would like your Camden VCS newsletter added to this list, please email social@vac.org.uk

VAC administered Google Grants
The VAC administered Google Grants scheme is still ongoing.

VAC have been funded by Google to provide up to £300 per quarter for small organisations looking to book one-off spaces to work in or to hold community sessions and training, and up to £600 for the ongoing rent of office and hot desking space.

It is available to small voluntary or community sector organisation with income under £150,000 a year looking to book a venue in Camden.

To find out more, please click here
or get in contact with Ricky at Rsingh@vac.org.uk

Camden Community Vaccine Project: Round 2

VAC and the C4 Consortium are inviting community groups and organisations in Camden, including unincorporated associations, to design new and expand existing initiatives to encourage vaccine take-up in the borough. This includes tackling misinformation surrounding the COVID-19 vaccine and other vaccine programmes.

If you are interested in applying for this funding, or would just like to find out more, please click here

Origin Housing: Community Fund
Closing date: 20^th January 2023
Origin Housing awards grants of up to £2,000 for projects that address a need in the local community and benefit their residents. Origin Housing resident groups, local voluntary and community groups, charities, social enterprises and any not-for-profit organisations can apply.
Learn more here 

NFP Research: Small Charity Research Award 

The Small Charity Research Award is an opportunity for a charity with an income under £1 million / €1 million to receive a £10,000 research project for free. The nfpResearch team will work closely with the successful charity to design a research project to fulfil your charity and research objectives.

Learn more here

Community Action Fund 

The Community Action Fund provides one-off grants between £2,500 and £20,000. These grants are available to grassroots organisations that are building the power of their community and campaigning for long-term change.

Learn more here

BME Youth Together Fund 

BME Youth is inviting clubs, groups, associations and organisations to apply for Together Fund to deliver sports and physical activities to culturally diverse communities, disabled people, lower socioeconomic groups and people with long term health conditions to improve their health and wellbeing.

Learn more here

London Plus: Community Resilience Fund 

London Plus is working with the Greater London Authority to deliver the community resilience fund. Grants will be awarded for community and voluntary sector infrastructure organisations.
The deadline for applications is 5pm on Wednesday 25th January 2023.

Learn more here

The Span Trust Funding 

Closing date: 27th January 2023

The Span Trust seeks to fund London-based projects by awarding grants between £5,000 and £20,000 that will alleviate poverty, disability, age or ill health, and advance urban regeneration through the improvement of the built environment.

Learn more here

To re-discover funding removed from this list, please see our newsletter archive here

Other available funders include:

• Camden Giving
• Grants Online
• My Funding Central
• Idox Camden 4 Community
• VAC main funding page

Birkbeck Career Pathways Workshops 

Want support with deciding your next career steps? Have a career in mind but unsure how to achieve it? Birkbeck is hosting free in-person and online career workshops throughout January, designed to give people without a degree space to reflect on their life and goals.

Find a workshop here

Free Digital Skills and Leadership Training 

London South Bank University, with funding from the European Social Fund, is offering free digital skills and leadership training to employed Londoners, with a focus on supporting those living/working in deprived areas, or who are subject to digital exclusion. The training, which is OCN Accredited, is aimed at both smaller employers/groups who cannot afford to upskill their workforces, as well as individuals who struggle to access and/or fund their personal development due to physical or mental disabilities.

Learn more here

Social Prescribers Innovators Programme  
A new initiative is being delivered by the Camden Care Navigation and Social Prescribing Service, hosted by Age UK Camden (AUC) and Voluntary Action Camden.
The project aims to develop volunteering within the service as a way to help retain existing social prescribers and to support successful recruitment to new social prescriber roles.
Contact Mandira at mmanandhar@vac.org.uk if you are interested in volunteering on this new venture.

Royal Free Charity Vacancy 

Royal Free Charity are hiring a Young Volunteer Programme Coordinator. The post is 37.5 hours a week over five days, and pays £25,000 – £30,450 per annum, subject to skills and experience.

Learn more and apply here

Single Homeless Project: Peer Mentoring 

Single Homeless Project are delighted to announce that they are accepting applications for their peer mentoring training & volunteering program.

To receive an application pack, or to find out more about the opportunity, please click here or contact peermentoring@shp.org.uk

Completed applications must be returned by 5pm on Wednesday 22nd February.

Long Covid Survey
The Community Links team at VAC are working with the University of Southampton to facilitate a study into Long Covid. If you had, or think you had, Covid 3 or more months ago and yet continue to experience symptoms that are not explained by any other health conditions, the study would like to talk to you about your experiences.

Symptoms can include, but are not limited to: exhaustion, memory or concentrations issues, breathlessness, persistent headaches and muscle aches, chest tightness, palpitations, dizziness and sleep disturbance.
As a token of appreciation, a £25 shopping voucher is available for participation.

The Community Links team at VAC can also assist Camden residents with access to the long covid clinic at UCLH.
For further information please contact Nasrin at nrashid@vac.org.uk or Donna Clutterbuck at LongCovid@soton.ac.uk or call/text  “Long Covid Research’’ on 07721520243.

Startup School for Seniors 

On 13th January, Startup School for Seniors is launching a new eight-week online course, ‘Developing your Creative Business’, alongside their award-winning Startup School for Seniors programme. The course is an opportunity to turn your passion into a business venture. Fully funded places are available for Londoners aged 50+.

Learn more here

Family Learning Awards Now Open 

The Family Learning Awards from Campaign for Learning celebrate creative, innovative and inclusive learning. This year, there are four categories in which you can enter your family learning activity, event or initiative. Applications are open to any UK organisation working with families. The awards are free to enter and close on 31st January 2023.

Learn more here

ORT Jump in Camden 

Due to recent funding, ORT UK’s flagship programme JUMP, a career-related mentoring programme aimed at Year 12 students, is expanding into Camden! The aim of the programme is to ensure that participants are better informed about their future career and educational options by identifying their strengths and gaining the confidence to take the next steps in their career journey.

Learn more here

Link UP London: Developmental Support in 2023 

Are there any potential improvements your charity or social enterprise is looking to make in 2023? Link UP London provides access to bespoke Skilled Support for charities, social enterprises and community groups for FREE. Link UP Volunteers have industry specific knowledge in areas of crucial importance to any charitable organisation’s development, such as finance, legal, human resources, communications, data analysis, social media, and much more.

Click here to book a chat, or click here to register your place

You can find presentations, recordings and resources from past forums here.

Looking for a previous newsletter entry? Find it in our newsletter archive here.

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