Voluntary Action Camden

£270m Green Heat Network Fund Launches in Spring 2022

About the Fund

The new £270 million Green Heat Network Fund, announced by the government today (Tuesday, 7 September), will only support low-carbon technologies like heat pumps, solar and geothermal energy in the roll out of the next generation of heat networks which will enable more towns and cities to take up this tried and tested technology from 2022.

Application Deadline

It will be open to public, private and third sector applicants in England, will open for applications in April 2022 and is anticipated to run to 2025.

More Details

Please click here for more details.

Introduction to Cybersecurity for Small Charites and Voluntary Groups

 

Training outline:

Cyber attacks to charities with an income under 100k went from 13% in 2018 to 19% in 2019. That cost an average of £9,470 to charities that lost data or assets after breaches. (Cyber Security Breaches Survey 2019, conducted for the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport). This session will introduce you to the fundamentals of cyber security, best practice, the 2021 threat landscape, and give you practical, actionable information on how to protect you and your charity from cyber criminals.

Learning outcomes:

  • By the end of the session, attendees will have learnt:
  • How to ensure that the devices they use conform to best practice;
  • Antiviruses, firewalls, spam filters;
  • What to look out for when receiving suspicious emails;
  • Social engineering;
  • Common fraud;
  • Where to find more in-depth advice and guidance.

Short bio:

A director of Blue Lizard, a social enterprise providing IT services to charities, Esther Regenwetter has over 20 years’ experience in the IT industry. Having spent time both in the commercial and public sectors, she settled early on for the third sector and has a keen interest in protecting charities from criminals.

Other Resources

If you would like to know more about cybersecurity, either get in touch for a conversation or fill in our form to request support from us.

Community Links Volunteers

Community Links Volunteers support social prescribing by:

  • Talking to residents in GP practices and other community settings and signposting to community-based activities
  • Promoting healthy activities and lifestyle
  • Providing ‘chat and link’ support to residents who need more time to connect with social and community activity, or to residents waiting for other health services
  • Helping out as Covid Test Buddies and Vaccine Centre Stewards, and joining up as Camden Health Champions to promote other local initiatives

As a Community Links Volunteer you will receive training and support to develop your knowledge and skills. You will gain valuable insights into the changing health environment, and experience that can help professional development or put your existing skills to great use! Many of our volunteers have progressed into health-related  training and employment.

Apply to Volunteer

You can view a role description here and become a Community Links Volunteer by filling out our online enquiry form here.

Free Data from Vodaphone

About the Fund

You can apply for free Vodafone SIMs, each loaded with 20GB data plus unlimited calls and texts to be used over 6 months. You can use these however you like. Multiple SIMs can be requested and repeat applications can be made if the organisation has a range of digital exclusion projects. Applications will be reviewed and a decision to support made within 30 days. SIMs will be issued within 30 days of a positive decision and are ready for distribution from 1 September 2021.

Application Deadline

SIMs are available until 1 November 2022, or until the supplies run out.

More Details

Please click here for more details.

Safeguarding and Physical Security in Community Settings

In the August edition of VAC’s Safeguarding Podcast, Dianne Carlton-Ogunyemi our Community Safeguarding Lead talks to John Bayley – founder and Managing Director of HA9 Consultancy Ltd about: “Safeguarding and physical security in community settings”

John Bayley retired from the Metropolitan Police Service in 2014 with over 40 years of policing experience.

This included community policing and schools, gang crime, domestic violence, fraud investigation abroad, the Soham Murder Enquiry and counter terrorism to name a few.

Currently working in partnership with Camden and the Home Office, HA9 has now extended their activity to support all community groups and voluntary organisations, including supplementary schools, faith groups and charities.

In the podcast they discuss the importance of risk assessments, supervision and fire safety, safer recruitment and CCTV; plus John makes some recommendations on personal security, access control and identifying strangers.

 You can listen to the podcast below:

OTHER RESOURCES

HA9 also offers training and workshops on grooming and safety online. http://www.ha9consultancy.co.uk/

Made by Thames Valley Police, John uses the following video in his interactive safeguarding training. It tells the powerful story of a 13 year old girl who was groomed online.

 

For information on this training, physical security or other safeguarding support for your organisation, please email john directly at: john@ha9consultancy.com

Useful websites and resources:

Fire safety and risk assessment templates for your organisation.

Are you a voluntary organisation, group or supplementary school delivering services to under 18’s in Camden? 

If so, please contact Dianne Carlton-Ogunyemi at dogunyemi@vac.org.uk for safeguarding training, guidance and support on keeping children safe.  

Pan-London Grants Programme Invites Service Delivery Proposals

About the Fund

London Councils represents London’s 32 borough councils and the City of London. It is a cross-party organisation that works on behalf of its member authorities, regardless of political persuasion.

London Councils manages a pan-London grants programme on behalf of its member authorities. The current programme, which has invested £6million a year since 2017 on combatting homelessness and tackling domestic and sexual abuse, is due to end March next year.

More Details

Please click here for more details.

We Make Camden Social Action Fund

About the Fund

The “We Make Camden Kit” gives money and support to Camden residents and community groups who have great ideas for their communities.

Application Deadline

We are now accepting applications and the fund will be stay open on a rolling basis for 1 year.

More Details

Please click here for more details.

COVID-19 Response Funding for UK National Heritage Assets

About the Fund

The £40 million COVID-19 Response Fund, distributed by the National Heritage Memorial Fund (NHMF), is open for applications.

Applications will be accepted from charities, non-profit organisations and public sector organisations with responsibility for an asset of outstanding importance to the UK’s national heritage which is at risk due to the impact of COVID-19.

Application Deadline

Applications may be made at any time until the fund’s final closing date of 30 April 2023.

More Details

Please click here for more details.

19th May Voluntary Action Camden Forum: Manifesto for the Camden VCS – what does the sector need now?

This forum wasn’t recorded.  We discussed a number of manifesto proposals set out in this presentation:

Voluntary Action Camden Forum Manifesto Presentation

You can contribute your ideas to our wall of ideas here:

https://padlet.com/info15870/iup02p5lpx1bkcbg

 

Agenda:
1.11.00 Intro and welcome (Kevin)
2. 11.05 Membership (Donna) Voluntary Action Camden Membership Presentation
3.11.10 Why these things? (Kevin)
4.11.15 Group Work (shared on Padlet) https://padlet.com/info15870/iup02p5lpx1bkcbg
a. Each group take 4 items
b. Clarify, debate, decide
c. Anything missing?
5.11.35 Feedback and discussion
6.11.50 Prioritise
7.11.55 Next steps how to get involved (Donna)
8.12.00 END

 

Thanks to all those who took part:  Participants List

 

We agreed to revisit this work at the September Voluntary Action Forum on 15th September.

£3m Homelessness Winter Transformation Fund to Open in Early May

About the Fund

The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) will provide a £3 million grants fund to enable community and faith groups to develop accommodation options that are self-contained, Covid-secure and dignified, to be ready for people sleeping rough by winter 2021/22.

The fund aims to change the way projects are run to help transform people’s lives by offering a route off the streets and, ultimately, to reduce rough sleeping.

Application Deadline

Winter 2022

More Details

Please click here for more details.

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