Voluntary Action Camden Newsletter – 30th June 2023

Membership is free, click on the link box above and join us today

We also have our usual range of information on events and opportunities from around the Camden area.

Voluntary Action Camden and Volunteer Centre Camden are delighted to announce the launch of the Camden Trustee Network.
Our first event is titled ‘Good Governance in Difficult Times’.

This is an online event taking place from 5 – 6:30pm on Tuesday 18th July. It will be hosted by Keith Morgan from Voluntary Action Camden and Dominic Pinkney from the Volunteer Centre Camden.
They will be joined by Hilary Barnard from HBMC / HBRL Consulting as our guest speaker who will be sharing his thoughts on the subject, followed by a Q&A, discussions and an opportunity to network.

VAC and VCC recognise the enormous importance of trustees, and the immense contribution they provide to our sector. The Camden Trustee Network aims to bring together trustees from different local VCSE organisations to share their experiences, skills, knowledge, and ideas, and to facilitate peer support.

The event is open to trustees from across the Camden VCSE, for more information and to register, please click here

The  VAC AGM is happening this Tuesday, if you would like to register to join us, please click here
*Please be aware of the temporary closure of the Kentish Town Tube station as it may affect your travel plans – for full details see the News section below.

The Homecoming: Camden’s Windrush 75 Celebration
Free event happening at Talacre Town Green on Sunday 25th June: 12pm to 6pm.

Immerse yourself in a day filled with live music performances, showcasing the talents of local artists, engaging workshops on carnival and the history of sound systems, delicious Caribbean food vendors, arts and crafts stalls, and so much more.
The event has an amazing line up of artists, celebrating the vibrant cultural heritage and contributions of Camden’s Caribbean community.
Learn more here

Guide Dogs for the Blind talk
6th July: 1pm, Pancras Square Library

Have you ever wondered how Guide Dogs navigate? Or how they keep both themselves and their handlers safe?
If so, why not come along to this talk by Dave Kent on his 45 years working with these incredible guides.
You can also find out how to get involved in volunteering with us.
You can register to attend this free talk here

Camden Carers Open day
Friday 14th July at Greenwood 11am to 3pm

For the launch of our Health and Lifestyle Consolation external evaluation please join our trustees and staff to hear about the work we do.
This will be an opportunity to speak with carers about the services that are important to them and the current challenges they are facing, find out more about the services we offer, meet Camden Carers staff and Trustees, network and have lunch.
There will also be a selection of reports about carers available to take away
The launch of the report will be at 12.

If you are able to join us or have any questions please email allegra@camdencarers.org.uk

98 stackable chairs – Open to Offers!
Lauderdale House (Highgate Hill, Waterlow Park, London N6 5HG) have 96 stackable chairs available, they have a black metal frame with red fabric on the seats and backs. The condition of the red fabric varies, but is generally good (they have been used for weddings as recently as this month!).
We are open to offers for the chairs, and you are welcome to come and have a look at them before making an offer. They need to be removed on or around 13th July, however, as we will need the space for the new chairs.

The all-important specs:
Frame Width 50 cm.
Frame from front to back 52 cm.
Seat height 46 cm.
Overall height 84 cm.

Contact: Nathan Rasdall, marketing manager on nrasdall@lauderdale.org.uk or call 020 8348 8716

Free training for careers in coffee with Well Grounded
Beginning on 25th July

Well Grounded’s next free 4-week coffee course, based in Camden, will be beginning soon. It includes barista skills and qualification, employability training, and a work placement.
This in-person training will be taking place at their Camden base (but is open to people from any borough).
There is also a 1 day course for Camden residents taking place on 13th July. Please email for more information on this.
Contact info@wellgroundedjobs.co.uk or apply via Google Forms.

Queen’s Crescent Community Association (QCCA) vacancy: Fundraisers
QCCA in Gospel Oak is looking for two fundraisers to job share. One will look after Trusts, Funds and Foundations. The other will oversee Corporate Partners, Events and Individual Donors.
You will report to our CEO Foyezur Miah but work together on creating and delivering a three-year fundraising strategy for the charity.
If you are interested in one of these positions, please send a CV and covering letter to jobs@qcca.org.uk, or to ask for more information.

Calthorpe Community Garden vacancy: Administrator
Calthorpe Community Garden is seeking an experienced and driven office administrator to take ownership of business stream management as well as the charity’s office tasks.
This is a full time (fixed term contract) six month role with an aim to develop into a long term position at the charity, so we are looking for someone who is ready to become part of the team!
To learn more and apply, please click 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

Camden Mela 2023: Celebrating the beauty of our culturally diverse community

The famous Camden Mela has been announced for 2023, promoting sustainability, community cohesion and better health.
It will be held on Sunday 2nd July: 12pm – 6pm on Coram’s Fields (93 Guilford Street, London, WC1N 1DN)

Arts & crafts, food stalls, live music & dance and a funfair come together at this community festival celebrating the richness of British cultural diversity. A marquee will provide health information and advice and there will be plenty of free family activities to keep kids busy.

Entry is free and every year 4000-5000 people attend
To learn more, please click here

Temporary Closure of Kentish Town Tube Station Information
Starting on Monday 26th June and lasting for approximately 12 months the Kentish Town Tube will be temporarily closed for improvement works. Kentish Town Thameslink station will remain open for use, and you can also reach Tufnell Park Tube station by bus or a short walk from Kentish Town station. No major disruptions are expected on these alternative routes during the station closure.

TfL are also using a new app and web tool called SitePodium to send updates and share progress. You can access the project page here
For further questions, to share concerns, or to sign up for email updates, please email KentishTownTubeStationProject@tfl.gov.uk
You can find further information, including detailed travel advice, here

VAC Consultancy Service
Contact us today if you need advice or support to develop any aspect of your established or aspiring Camden voluntary and community sector organisation.
Learn more here

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

Funding opportunity for places of worship
The protective security schemes for places of worship provide funding for places of worship and associated faith community centres that are vulnerable to hate crime. Through these schemes, vulnerable places of worship can apply for physical protective security measures, such as CCTV, secure fencing, and intruder alarms.

SAFE are delivering 2 free webinars to guide you through the process on Wednesday 28th June at 2pm and Monday 10th July at 7pm
To register for these webinars, please click here

Suicide Prevention Funding
The government is due to make available a £10 million grant fund for suicide prevention VCSE organisations in England across 2023-24 to 2024-25.

The broad purpose of the fund will be two-fold. Firstly, to support the VCSE sector to meet the increased demand, in part brought on by the Covid-19 pandemic and the Cost of Living crisis. Secondly, to support development of innovative preventative activities/services aimed at people at elevated risk of suicide.
The aim is to launch the fund in the coming months.
If you are interested, please sign up to the “Find a Grant” portal, so that you receive notifications once it is launched. You can do so here

Voter ID Grants programme
As you may be aware, the Elections Act (2022) has come into force and brings with it unprecedented changes to our voting rights. Your support is needed to continue to reach under-registered and under-represented Londoners who could be disproportionately impacted.
GLA polling shows that almost 1 in 3 Londoners (32%) are still unaware of the forthcoming photo ID requirement in order to vote.

The GLA is launching phase two of the impartial Voter ID public awareness campaign. The campaign is run in coordination and collaboration with the Electoral Commission, all London borough electoral services and a broad civil society coalition.
Learn more here

Camden VCS Future Grants Programme Update
Camden Council will shortly be launching three exciting new funds, with funding due to go live from April 2024. The three funding streams are:

Community Partner Fund: providing long term funding for key VCS community partners in Camden. This is an investment in the whole organisation and for organisations who are embedded in our communities.
Community Impact Project Funds: project funding to work together to tackle some of the biggest social challenges faced by Camden’s communities.
Organisational Foundations Funds: including organisational development grants and funding for organisations who lead the capacity building of the sector.

A summary report outlining the approach that lead to the design of these funds can be found here
Details of these funds will be posted on our website and through our newsletter. For the latest announcements, please register here
If you have any upcoming network meetings we would be happy to attend and speak about future grants, please email vcs@camden.gov.uk

Hilden Charitable Fund Now Accepting UK Applications
Deadline: 4pm on Friday 7th July

The Hilden Charitable Fund is an endowed grant-making foundation and a registered charity. They fund smaller UK-based organisations delivering projects within the UK to support social justice and to tackle disadvantage in specific areas of focus – providing unrestricted, core or project funding. They also fund projects overseas in Malawi, Tanzania and Uganda.
For more details, please click here

Night Shelter Transformation Fund
Rolling deadline
The government has announced a £3.3m funding boost for night shelters across England.
Shelters will use the funding, which is part of the Night Shelter Transformation Fund, to provide more beds and support services to homeless people.
To learn more, please click here

Engaged Environmental Science funding
Closing date for outlines: Wednesday 20th September

NERC Engaged Environmental Science funding opportunity is open for exemplar projects that demonstrate excellence in engaged environmental science research.
We welcome: •    environmental science research responding to both scientific and public needs •    equitable partnerships with charities and other intermediaries •    leaders in public engagement with research
Applications successfully shortlisted at outline stage will be provided with a partnership bursary and invited to submit a full application.
For full information, please see the UKRI Funding Finder and register for the webinar on Monday 3rd July 2023 at 11:30am.

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

We all have a responsibility to keep children and vulnerable adults safe. This introductory course is designed for volunteers and new staff who work both directly and indirectly for organisations or groups delivering services to children, young people or their families in Camden.
This training is suitable for anyone requiring the equivalent of a Level 1 safeguarding introduction; including volunteers, play and support staff, etc.
Learn more and sign up here

Pride
Pride in London is returning on Saturday 1st July.
The UK’s biggest, most diverse Pride. A home for every part of London’s LGBT+ community.
To find out everything you need to know about this year’s event, please click here

Camden New Town Community Festival
Saturday 15th July: 3.30 – 7.30pm and Sunday 16th July 12.00 – 7pm

On Saturday 15th there is Jazz, Folk, poetry and an open mike.
Sunday 16th is a Family day, with a parade, arts and crafts, children’s activities and much more.
Both days will be held at Camden Square Gardens, with the family day including the Playcentre.

If you would like to book a stall, volunteer or make a donation please contact the Festival office on 020 7485 6827 or email festival.mlcc@yahoo.co.uk

Community Health event
15th July: 12pm-5pm
Camden Council, in partnership with NHS colleagues from Brondesbury Medical Centre, are holding a Community Health event on Saturday 15th July, 12pm-5pm in Cumberland Market, Regents Park NW1 3QH

This event will bring together and highlight all aspects of health which will include education, physical activity, NHS health checks, family activities and many more to be confirmed.
It is an opportunity to bring people together to open up the conversation of health and wellbeing and get people engaged in health services.
There will be various all age workshops, and entertainment as well as health and wellbeing related talks and activities.

UCL Community Research Network Boost Your Research + Evaluation! Mixer Event
UCL are bringing together small and grassroots voluntary and community organisations at Kentish Town Community Centre on Thursday 6th July: 5:30 – 7:30pm.
You will be able to meet organisation leaders in the same position as you, connect with UCL researchers and academics and learn about our support network with training opportunities and tailored support.
If you have any questions please contact molly.mccabe@ucl.ac.uk, or, to register, please click here

EcoCounts Workshop
1st July: 11 – 2pm at Finsbury Park, Space4
Join EcoCounts for an interactive climate workshop where we will delve into climate action & explore effective strategies for making a difference.
We want you to come with your lived experience and your ideas for action, to help us build strategies for a sustainable future.
This is open to all
To learn more and sign up, please click here

‘Enhancing delivery leaders for tomorrow’
4th July: Old Town Hall (29 The Broadway, London E15 4BQ) from 9:15 – 4pm, free to attend.

This early summer conference, organised by Compass Wellbeing CIC, is especially for parliamentary, NHS and local authority leaders and our partners in the voluntary, community and charitable sector.

The presentations, discussions and life course workshops will focus on how we can work in partnership to harnessing the power, influence, connections and passion of the voluntary and community sector in delivering crucial services to our communities.
Keynote speakers will include Marie Gabriel, chair of the North East London ICS, and Paul Calaminus, CEO of East London Foundation NHS Trust.

Each VCS organisation has been allocated a free space at the conference. Please register here and enter your unique access code.
If you don’t know your access code or are requesting an additional space for a colleague please email conference@compasswellbeing.co.uk to join our waiting list.

Free Bereavement Awareness training
Camden and Islington are running a free Bereavement Awareness training on 3rd July to anyone working in Camden.
Bereavement can leave people vulnerable and isolated, but an empathetic early response can help greatly. The course helps reduce stigma and give people the confidence to talk with bereaved people in a simple and empathetic way.
Courses are very popular and fill up fast, to secure your place, please click here

Mama Youth Project: Media Employability Training
10th – 12th July or 14th – 16th August
Join Mama Youth Project at the Sky TV Campus, London to learn about the key skills required to enter a career in the media. There will be 2 days of free training followed by a 3rd day which is paid.
To learn more about eligibility, deadlines and to register your interest, please click here

Learning Disability Network London ‘Spotlight On’ Event
Thursday 13 July at The London Canal Museum, 6.30-8.30pm
LDN London would like to invite you to the first of our ‘Spotlight on’ events: a series of talks designed to raise awareness about important issues related to learning disabilities.
The topic of our first event is:
The Abuse of people with learning disabilities: ‘Assessment and treatment units – a scandal in plain sight’.
We will focus on the injustice of people with learning disabilities still being locked up in assessment and treatment units and how we can change this.
We have a fantastic line up of speakers for you: Alexis Quinn, Sara Ryan, George Julian and Amanda Topps. They will tell their own stories, give their expert opinions on the subject and open the floor to questions and debate.
For more information and to book tickets please click here

A Space for Us Summer job opportunity: ‘Story Bike Taxi’ promoter
Part time hours 3 days – July/ August Wednesday to Saturdays (possibly of extension)

Are you outgoing? Enjoy speaking to people? Enjoy working outdoors? Why not get involved in an growing intergenerational initiative with a social purpose.
The role’s aim is to promote a new service and general outreach, training will be provided.
You need to be an enthusiastic outgoing person, fit and able to cycle, reliable, well organised, good with all ages, a ‘can do’ attitude, the ability to learn and make local connections, flexible and friendly.
To apply contact: info@aspaceforus.club with your CV and/ or email with experience/ why you’d like to do this, and your availability

Mind in Camden vacancy: Resources Director
Applications are invited for this key leadership role in Mind in Camden, an innovative and highly respected mental health charity.
We are looking for someone with substantial management, administration and human resources experience to manage a small team of staff engaged in providing Admin, IT, HR and Premises support to the organisation.
The post holder will be joining our Finance Director, Operations Director, CEO and Service Managers in the Senior Management team.
We welcome diversity, and applications from experienced Office/HR/Admin Managers taking a step up into a more responsible position are welcome.

To download an application pack, please click here, or phone 020 7911 0822 (24hrs), or email recruitment@mindincamden.org.uk

SHAK Vacancy: Project Manager (part-time, 9 month contract)
Closing date: 2nd July

SHAK are committed to increasing our long-term sustainability by strengthening our systems and processes and becoming more energy efficient.
We are looking to recruit a specialist to review/overhaul and strengthen our finance, monitoring, HR, Admin, ICT/facilities etc systems and processes and train SHAK team members in their use.
To learn more and apply, please click here

Third Age Project Vacancy: Deputy Manager
Closing Date: 2nd July

This is an exciting and rewarding full-time permanent position within a successful grassroots older people’s Charity who will support and act as a successor to the General Manager.
Third Age Project’s focus is in reducing social, economic, and health inequalities and empowering older people in taking on volunteering roles as co-producers of our services.
If you would like to view the job description please email tony@thirdageproject.org.uk
If you are interested, please submit a CV, and covering letter highlighting your skills and experience to the same email address.

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.

Latin American House vacancy
Closing date – 5th July

Level 3 Early Years Practitioner
Level 3 Early Years practitioner to join the team at its bilingual nursery, Centro Infantil Menchu.
The full job description and instructions on how to apply can be found here

Join Good Things Foundation’s Digital Inclusion Network
Good Things Foundation’s London Digital Inclusion Service, Get Online London, is made up of grassroots organisations across London that are all working to deliver digital inclusion support in their local communities.

If you’re a community organisation based in London that is, or wants to support your community members to get online and access the benefits of digital – then joining the service will help you do exactly that. It is free to join and offers a range of free services including:

Access to the National Databank and National Device Bank
Free training and resources
Networking opportunities
Access to our online learning platform, Learn My Way

The National Databank is giving free mobile data (as well as free calls and texts) to people who can’t afford their internet connection. By signing up to the network, you will be eligible to join and start giving out data vouchers.
So, if you’re an organisation based in London that wants to embed digital inclusion support, then participation is free and all you need to do is join the National Digital Inclusion Network
Find out more, and sign up here or contact hello@goodthingsfoundation.org for more information.

CAWH Announcement: Warm Hub temporarily closed
Due to unforeseen circumstances, CAWH are sorry to inform you that the Warm Hub is temporarily closed.
You are still welcome to come in for a tea / coffee and a chat.
They will keep you updated with any news regarding the Warm Hub reopening.

Suicide Awareness and Prevention Resources Page
Camden and Islington Councils have partnered with Islington Mind to develop a suicide awareness and prevention webpage to inform those working in local services.
Bringing a range of resources together in one place, the webpage aims to help local partners to embed their own suicide prevention plans, support and signpost people at risk, and develop their own knowledge of suicide and its risk factors.
To access the page, please click here

Local VCS Newsletters:

SHAK
Young Camden Foundation (Funding Newsletter)
Young Camden Foundation (Events and Training Newsletter)
AWN (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)
UCL Volunteering Service Newsletter (sign up)
Latin American House
London Irish Centre
A Space for us
North London Cares: Upcoming Clubs

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

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

Find presentations, recordings and resources from past forums here

Our mailing address is:
Greenwood Centre, Greenwood Place, London, NW5 1LB

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