Voluntary Action Camden Autumn 2020 Update to Members and Subscribers

Autumn 2020 Update to Members and Subscribers

17th November 2020

Responding to Wave 2

After a brief slowdown in August, the Autumn returned to high levels of activity as everyone prepares and responds to the second Covid wave.

The Council’s Covid response teams, Care Navigation and Social Prescribing and VCS led neighbourhood hubs are working hard planning the Wave 2 response.

Data sharing, neighbourhood coordination, food supply, ​and other support for residents are being coordinated across the borough.  VAC will use the weekly e-bulletin and the Voluntary Action Forum to keep you up-to-date. Don’t forget to keep your entry in the Covid-19 Community Directory and Map up-to-date.  Please check your entry and let us know of any changes.

Collecting Your Stories

At the September forum we discussed how to tell the story of the sector’s responded to the pandemic  – so we are collecting your stories about how you responded.  The responses will be used to tell the story of how vital the sector is in supporting Camden through these challenging times.  You can click here https://www.tfaforms.com/4863725 to put your story in writing or contact Len Lauk (llauk@vac.org.uk) if you would prefer to be interviewed. 

Food Insecurity

The pandemic has revealed the challenge for many of food poverty.  Food has been a major aspect of the response – from emergency food parcels at the beginning to Iftar meals, help with food shopping and now a focus on more long-term sustainable options.  Public Health are leading on the development  of a Food Poverty Strategy and VAC has devoted two Voluntary Action Forum meetings to the issue, the last one on 21st October.  If you are involved in food in any way please complete the council’s food survey.

New Faces

We welcome a new Cabinet Member for the sector Cllr Anna Wright, Cabinet Member for Promoting Neighbourhoods and Communities, known to many in her previous role as Deputy Director of Healthwatch Camden.  Phillip Vaughan has taken over from Moira Ugoji as Community Response Strategic Lead and Zubair Matin is now Community Response Manager.  Andrew Hinchley has finished his secondment to Head of Community Partnerships Team and this is being covered by Rachel Kelly as well as her role as Head of Community Safety and Emergency Management.  The Community Partnerships Team is reduced and more personnel changes may follow as the council rotas staff around to deal with the second wave and simultaneously keep as many services open as possible this time. The participation team is continuing to maintain contacts with the Mutual Aid groups. The NHS reorganisation in April this year is still bedding in but the main message for this lockdown is that the NHS is open for business and people are encouraged to access NHS services as needed.

New Bodies and Structures

The start of the Voluntary Action Forum coincided with the start of the Pandemic and we’ve now held 12 Forum’s so far this year with over 400 participants.  Forums are now monthly on the 3rd Wednesday of the month at 11am.  Email Ricky to go on the mailing list. The next Forum is on 18th November.

At the start of the pandemic the council started to convene aregular  VCS Leaders Meeting  – now called the VCS and Community Partners Meeting.  It’s currently chaired by Carole Stewart, Director of Community Services.

In June the council set up a group to report on BAME Disproportionality and they have set up a BAME Disproportionality VCS Communications Group.

The council have partnered with the UCL Institute for Innovation and Public Purpose to set up the Camden Renewal Commission. Details and list of commissioners here

VAC is working with partners to bring Health Inequalities work together.  If you want to get involved contact Dianne Carlton Ogunyemi to get involved.  More details coming soon.

Pulse Survey

The new VCS Emergencies Partnership is a new partnership between local VCS organisations (via the CVS network – VAC’s sister organisations) and national charities.  It aims to check the pulse of the sector weekly; improve collaboration between national and local organisation and bring in additional resources to local areas in exceptional situations.

Please take a look at the survey (page 10 onwards) and for the areas that you have knowledge about, let us know how we should respond.

Finally, the next Voluntary Action Forum is on Wednesday at 11am – come along!  Sign up at Eventbrite to get the zoom link.

Kevin and the VAC Team.  Alex, Dianne, Donna, Hasel, Len, Mandira, Manuella, Ricky and Zubair.

Our mailing address is:
Charlie Ratchford Centre, Belmont Street, London, NW1 8HF

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