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It’s completely free to sign up to be a member, and membership ensures you will be first to hear about all of the services we offer to the voluntary sector. 

Celebrating Trustees’ across Camden – Annual thank you event in 2024!!!
Camden trustees are integral to the local VSCE and critical to the quality of community service provision in the borough. They devote time, energy and effort, for free, to  help thousands of charities and community groups across Camden. Our annual celebration event is a chance to give back to our trustees and say a huge thank you for all the hard work they do. It’s also a chance for trustees to come together, meet new faces and discover new connections in the borough.
Keep an eye out for a date, likely to be end of Jan / early Feb (don’t worry, we will post it in the newsletter and in our Trustee Network email group!).

Grants and Funding

If you would like help with finding grants or your funding applications, either get in touch for a conversation or fill in our form to request our support.

Christmas Treats
Check out VAC’s christmas tips and treats at the bottom of the newsletter!

Events and Training section

In a year of tightening budgets and exceptionally difficult circumstances for many, there is encouraging news from UK Community Foundations, whose report demonstrates nationwide commitment to philanthropy throughout the year. The annual report shows evidence that there is an increased determination to tackle social inequity through charity and community foundations.

Choose the right NHS service for you and your family this winter

NCLICB are urging people to take extra care and to access NHS services wisely ahead of the festive period and during the upcoming strike action by junior doctors taking place from:
•    7:00am on Wednesday 20 December – 7:00am on Saturday 23 December
•    7:00am on Wednesday 3 January – 7:00am on Tuesday 9 January 2024
The strikes are likely to have an impact on some NHS services and see some appointments disrupted.
However, please attend your booked GP or hospital appointments unless you are told otherwise.
Click here for more advice on how to access NHS services if you need medical help during the strikes.

Charity shop shows sustainability saving
Katharine House Hospice in Stafford is demonstrating the impressive power in buying second hand purchases, with a till display showing total sustainability savings versus new products. Find out more here. 

NAVCA conference on the future of local infrastructure
NAVCA are now selling tickets to their annual conference in May next year, in which a host of topics are on the agenda, including volunteering, local infrastructure and leading positive change in the voluntary sector.

Every week VAC checks various sources for the latest funding opportunities relevant for Camden groups.
You can visit our website for a round up of the latest opportunities added this week:  Search for Funding – Voluntary Action Camden (vac.org.uk)

If you need help sourcing or applying for funds, get in touch with our consultancy service, free for all Camden groups!

Routes out of Homelessness campaign from Land Aid
With 3 funding streams aimed at creating opportunities for young people to avoid homelessness, Land Aid are accepting applications from 8th January onwards, from charities looking for grants to support relevant projects.

GambleAware fund for women and minority communities
GambleAware have opened a new programme, targeting additional burdens of harm faced by women and minority religious and ethnic communities.  Find out more here. 

Food & fuel poverty charities: apply for funding from Utlita
A new £5 million fund from Utlita giving is dedicated to help households across the country suffering from food and fuel poverty. Check if your charity meets the application criteria here. 

Camden 4 Community – Funding alerts and news for the VCSE 
Search for Funding – Voluntary Action Camden (vac.org.uk)                                                                  

VAC UPCOMING TRAINING:
Open to VAC Members only
If you are a voluntary service or group delivering services in Camden and are not a member of VAC, please join here: https://vac.org.uk/get-involved/membership

Upcoming safeguarding training 
For all VCS organisations, supplementary, faith schools and groups delivering services to under 18’s in the borough.
In partnership with Camden’s Safeguarding Children’s Partnership:

An Introduction to Safeguarding in the Community.
Wednesday 17th January 2024: 10am – 12pm
Face-to-face: Crowndale Centre.

Introduction to Safer Recruitment.
Tuesday 23rd January 2024: 10am – 11.30am
Virtual – Online.

Online Safeguarding and Social Media’ Workshop (In partnership with Camden Prevent and Lightbulb Learners)
Thursday 8th February 2024: 10am – 12.30pm
Face-to-face: Crowndale Centre.

Please keep an eye on the VAC newsletter for more face-to-face and online workshops coming in January – March 2024:

•    Accredited Community First Aid Training
•    An Introduction to Safer Recruitment.
•    Women and Girls Personal Safety.
•    An Introduction to Online Gaming and Gambling Harm.

Winter Holiday Activities and Food programme

The Camden Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) Winter programme will run from 27 December 2023 to 5 January 2024 and is open for children and young people aged 5 to 16 who live in Camden and are eligible for free school meals.
The programme offers free, fun activities and nutritional education – from learning to make healthy meals, to creative activities, including photography, drama, arts and crafts, and sports such as football and basketball. A free hot meal is included as part of each day’s activities. The Camden HAF programme is co-ordinated by Young Camden Foundation on behalf of Camden Council, with funding from the Department for Education.
To find out more and book your places, visit haf.youngcamdenfoundation.org.uk, or if you have any questions please email info@youngcamdenfoundation.org.uk

Touch Project vacancies:  

– Director of a Wellbeing CIC
Are you a skilled professional who knows how to grow a flourishing social enterprise?  Do you want to help people improve the quality of their lives by improving their wellbeing naturally?  Can you help a start-up find its professional audience?
Touch Project offers weekly wellbeing workshops, and want to offer corporate team building and wellness events to fund their social project. 
– Volunteers
Women / nonbinary volunteers at weekly wellbeing workshops on Thursday evenings & last Sunday afternoon of the month.

Do you want to improve wellbeing naturally? Would you like to improve your wellness education, life skills, boundaries & consent? Touch Project is run by NHS workers, and offers platonic touch, hugs & cuddles as a fun form of healing. You do not ever have to touch or be touched. Based near Euston. Please call or text 07932737813 and speak to Kathy for information on either vacancy.

Henna Asian Women’s Group vacancy: part-time Project Support Worker (3 days/21 hours)
Looking for a person with a South Asian language, good administrative and social media skills; empathetic understanding of the issues experienced by and impacting women from the South Asian diaspora. This is a 12-month contract (possibility of extension, depending on funding). For more information, an application form, job description and personal specifications, please email info@hennaorg.co.uk.

Part time Community Animator – OK Club, South Kilburn 
Connecting with local people to build community in South Kilburn.

This is a new role that will use an asset based community development approach, engaging with the passions, gifts and skills of local people and developing the OK Club as a community asset. You will be someone who loves imagining possibilities and working towards enabling others to turn ideas into reality.
Closing date 8th Jan 2024. Job description can be found here.

The Children’s Society has a new role in their new Wellbeing Hub
They are looking for a:
– Service Manager, 35 hours per week – details can be found on the website. Closing date: 31/12/2023.

Volunteering in Camden survey
VCC want to identify the latest volunteering trends and challenges in Camden. This anonymous survey will help VCC to focus their support in the areas that are needed the most. It will take approximately 2-4mins to complete: Survey

Digital Connectivity
City Hall are looking into how to improve digital connectivity and how public spaces could be better designed to improve digital connectivity. Email digitalinfrastructureLPG@london.gov.uk to take part in the discussion.

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 (sign up)
Castlehaven Community Association (sign up)
Heath Hands
Age UK Camden (sign up)
Somers Town People’s Museum
Calthorpe Community Garden

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

Christmas Treats!
We asked our team for a round up of their favourite Christmas-related activities, and they didn’t disappoint. Single-handedly hoping to overturn the negative stereotype of bad Christmas songs, here are VACs favourite treats.

Hasel loves:
Christmas film: Home Alone 1 (and 2)
Christmas song: Wham! – Last Christmas
Christmas recipe: Christmas cake
Last-minute present idea: A box of chocolates or zentangle art therapy book

Alex loves:
Film: Planes, Trains and Automobiles, In Bruges
Song: Otis Redding – Merry Christmas Baby, Kate Bush – December Will Be Magic Again
Recipe: Christmas ham, Delia style or crispy style

Mandira loves:
Film/tv show: “Pain Hustlers”, “ All the light we cannot see” and Korean reality competition show “Physical 100”
Last-minute present idea: Mug, candle, customised photo book

Dianne loves:
Film/tv show: Leo (Netflix animation / comedy with Adam Sandler), Physical (Apple TV series with Rose Byrne), Swarm (Amazon Prime TV Series, absolutely outstanding with Dominique Fishback – very dark).
Song: Jazz: Christmas Vibes – Warren Wolf, Merry Ole Soul – Duke Pearson, Modern: Snowman – Sia, KIDZ BOP – Christmas Party! Album (My 10yr old’s suggestion)
Recipe: Snow Globe Cocktails
Last-minute present idea: Personalised Dairy Milk Chocolate Bars
Recommendation: 7 things to do with unwanted gifts

Nasrin loves:
Film: Candy Cane Lane or Wonka
Song: Bing Crosby – It’s Beginning to look a lot like Christmas
Last minute present idea: Last Minute Gifts | Next Day Delivery Gifts | Buyagift

Donna loves:
Christmas reading: The Lost Rainforests of Britain, Guy Shrubsole
Relaxing: Waterlow Park in Camden
Song: The Pogues & Kristy Maccoll – Fairytale of New York

Vania loves:
Film: Bill Murray’s Scrooged, Die Hard & Home Alone

Duncan loves:
Film: The Fisher King (ok this is not strictly a Christmas film but it feels like Christmas)
Song: Greg Lake – I Believe in Father Christmas
Recipe: Gingerbread Stuffing
Last-minute present idea: Cinema membership

VAC Festive Opening Hours

Voluntary Action Camden will be closed from 24/12/22 – 3/1/23.

The Community Links team will also be closed from Friday 22nd and will return on Tuesday 2nd January – Please note Camden Care Navigation and Social Prescribing is not an emergency service. For urgent support please contact Camden Council on 0207 974 4444.

On Friday 5th January, the newsletter will be replaced by a quarterly update from our CEO, Keith Morgan,

The regular newsletter will resume on Friday 12th January 2024.

Wishing you a very Merry Christmas from Keith & the VAC team: Alex, Dianne, Donna, Duncan, Hasel, Lola, Mandira, Nasrin, and Ricky and all the Trustees and Volunteers.

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

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