Voluntary Action Camden E-Bulletin - 22nd July 2022

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VAC Weekly Newsletter
22nd July 2022

VAC Membership
VAC aims to help develop and connect the VCS in Camden to ensure each group is able to reach their own potential and collaborate with one another.

We also work to advocate on your behalf.

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

Highlights

This week we spotlight the comprehensive VAC directories of Voluntary and Community organisations, services and activities in Camden.

We also have information to support those in need during the cost of living crisis, a new VAC vacancy and much more from around the Camden area.

VAC Directories

Did you know that there are more than 1200 charities and not-for-profits operating in Camden? As an organisation working in Camden since around 1850, we have developed strong and trusted relationships with the hundreds of community organisations and the residents they serve.

We hold some comprehensive directories of information on voluntary and community activity in the borough to help you find and connect with organisations and local projects.

Learn more here

Cost of Living Support in Camden
We are all feeling the impact of the rise in the cost of living. We have collated a range of links below to help people to manage some of the challenges associated with the higher cost of living:

Home (shine-london.org.uk) – save money on energy bills
https://findfood.camden.gov.uk
Help With the Cost of Living | London City Hall
Free and impartial help with money, backed by the government | MoneyHelper
WISH Plus – Camden Council – Energy efficiency advice and income maximisation checks

Host a workshop as part of Camden’s SEND strategy consultation
Camden Council’s Draft Local Area SEND Strategy is now out for formal consultation, which runs until 22 September 2022. The full draft strategy, a summary and easy-read versions, plus a survey where you can have your say, can be found here.

As part of the consultation, the team would like to visit your voluntary and community organisations for a one-hour workshop with parents and carers. We can provide a small budget to support sessions, including refreshments or staff costs, to help facilitate conversations. To express an interest in this, please email us at sendstrategy@camden.gov.uk.

Ethical Property Foundation support
Every year London’s property advice charity the Ethical Property Foundation supports dozens of small voluntary groups with free online advice, training and signposting support from experienced property advisers. You might need help with an issue with the roof, the lease, basic premises management or negotiating with the landlord.
If you need support with your premises, whether rented or owned, click here to learn more

Family holiday activities on Hampstead Heath
Join Heath Hands for free / low cost holiday family activities on Hampstead Heath. There is a £3 suggested donation for some activities, but this is optional if that is unaffordable.
Find out about wild flowers, trees, go pond dipping, and more!

For more information, please click here

Families for Life: Community Champion training
This free 6-week programme starts on 13th September and runs until the 18th October at Crowndale Centre, 218 Eversholt St, from 10am – 12pm.

Camden Health and Wellbeing Team is recruiting volunteers for the Families for Life Community Champion training. It is for existing volunteers, parents, carers and whoever else might be interested in becoming an inspirational volunteer.
On this programme you will build your skills and knowledge to help you form strong local connections to support healthy lifestyle programmes available in Camden.

For more information please email Syria Chowdhury on syria.chowdhury@camden.gov.uk or call 07734 603060

Jubilee Hall Trust’s Run for Your Life event
Saturday 10th September.

Run, jog, or walk the spectacular trails of Hampstead Heath for 10K, 5K or 2K and take in views of the capital!
From elite runners to families with little ones, you’ll be started in waves to get the best experience. It’s chip-timed and you’ll receive a medal at the finish line.
A friendly community atmosphere where people of all ages are welcome to join in.

To register, please click here
If you have any questions, please contact Louise@jubileehalltrust.org

Runnymede Trust and friends race equality and migrants rights summit
2nd – 4th September

Runnymede Trust and friends are calling communities together to participate in a major race equality and migrants rights summit in Leeds on the 2nd – 4th September. It which will feature 50+ interactive sessions including world cafes, workshops, poster walls, an incredible show and much much more.
Together we can have the challenging conversations, celebrate our successes and work together to effect transformational change.

For more information, please click here

VAC Vacancy: Resilience Network Alliance Manager
Deadline: 08 August at 23:30

The Mental Health Resilience Network Alliance has been established to lead, coordinate and deliver early intervention and prevention services to the people of Camden. The Alliance is part of an integrated system, which works with multiple partners across Statutory, Voluntary Community Sector, Social Care and Primary Care Networks.
This is a new and unique role and requires someone with excellent leadership skills who can bring partners together to drive positive change.

To learn more and apply, please click here

Vacancy: Development Sports Coach – Girls Football
Deadline: 26th July at 11.59pm

This is an exciting opportunity to join the Camden Sport and Physical Activity Team at Talacre Community Sports Centre to support children and young people develop and maintain positive attitudes to sport and build physical activity into their daily lives. We are committed to using sport to inspire, motivate, educate and improve the health and life chances of young people in Camden.

To learn more and apply, please click here

Likewise vacancy: Community Programme Lead
Deadline: 11th August before 9am

Likewise is looking for a dynamic, creative and caring Community Programme Lead to join our team. You’ll be primarily responsible for our programme of community activities and events at our wellbeing hub in Camden.
The Likewise Community Hub offers a safe space for people to explore a range of wellbeing activities and events, whilst creating opportunities for connections, relationships, belonging and support.

For more information and to apply, please click here

Single Homeless Project vacancy: Co-production Leads
Deadline: 4th August

Single Homeless Project are looking for passionate, motivated people to be Co-production Leads, to support people with lived experience to influence and shape the systems that support them.
Each role has a particular focus, one on leading SHP’s organisational approach to co-production, and the other to support a Camden-based transformation of homelessness services to embed co-production in local systems change.

If you want to know more and apply, please click here

A Space for Us Opportunities
There are 2 current opportunities in a Camden community museum

Front of house paid role, 2 days week in August.
This role will be responsible for a friendly ‘front of house’ for a small museum in Somers Town.
There is also an opportunity to volunteer as part of the front of house team, Wednesday – Saturday. Expenses and lunch will be provided.

Both roles will provide opportunities to learn about local history and running a museum. It is also a chance to develop skills in research, community engagement and online work, while meeting a wide range of people.
For more information, please contact diana@aspaceforus.club
To apply, please send a CV and availability to the same email address

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

Local Newsletters:

SHAK
Latin American House
Young Camden Foundation
AWN (sign up)
London Sport (sign up)
Somers Town Community Newsletter

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

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

Are you a small voluntary/community sector organisation with income under £150,000 a year and would like to book a venue in Camden?

VAC have been funded by Google to provide a fund of up to £300 per quarter for small organisations looking to book a space to provide for their work group / activity / community session.

Find out more here
or get in contact with Ricky at Rsingh@vac.org.uk

Funding to Support Long-Term Recovery from Gambling-Related Harms
Rolling Fund

GambleAware, the leading charity working to keep people safe from gambling harm, has launched two major funding programmes to focus on enabling people to sustain their recovery from gambling harm and to help communities who have been most affected by the cost-of-living crisis.

For more details, please click here

Disability Justice Fund
Application Deadline: 3rd October 2022

This is A £3 million fund from Trust for London and City Bridge Trust to advance strong, vibrant, diverse and sustainable Disability justice, equity and inclusion in the UK.

For more details, please click here

Home Office Launches Support for Victims and Survivors of Child Sexual Abuse Fund
Application deadline: 12am on 25th July 2022

This is funding for voluntary sector organisations in England and Wales providing nationally accessible support to victims and survivors of child sexual abuse.
The Home Office is inviting voluntary sector organisations, either as a single organisation or multi-organisation consortium, to apply to this three-year, £4.5 million fund.

To learn more, please click here

Greene King Grants
Deadline 14th August 2022
This fund aims to support and promote grassroots sport within local communities by supporting people and projects that run sports activities that positively impact the local community and would tangibly benefit from funding in the short-term.
Individuals may nominate a sports club or organisation to receive a cash grant to continue delivering sports activities. Grants of up to £3,000 are available

For more information, please click here

Camden Giving: We Make Camden Kit
Rolling fund

In partnership with Camden citizens and Camden Council, Camden Giving are funding great ideas that will make Camden a better place.
The ‘We Make Camden Kit’ gives money and support to Camden residents and community groups who have great ideas for their communities. Residents and community groups can apply via Camden Giving’s website to receive up to £1,500 to deliver ideas that make a difference for the community. Residents can also receive support with insurance, safeguarding and connections to make their ideas a success.

For more information and to apply click here.

Launch of Government’s VCSE Health and Wellbeing Fund 2022-25
Application Deadline 5th August 2022: 9am

The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC), and NHS England and NHS Improvement (NHSEI) are seeking applications from VCSE sector organisations for the next round of the Health and Wellbeing Fund.
The theme of the 2022 to 2025 fund is women’s reproductive wellbeing in the workplace.

For more details, please click here

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

Other available funders include:

Forest Bathing (nature mindfulness) session for Visually Impaired People
2pm, Thursday 22nd September
Meet at Hampstead Heath Overground Station, South End Road, NW3 2QD. No booking required.

Forest Bathing, a leisurely walk in a forest or woodland, is a great way to de-stress and focus your senses as you walk through nature.
VIPs and assistance companions welcome.
The walk, led by Heath Hands, will last about 1.5 hours: it will be at a very gentle pace and it won’t cover a lot of ground as there’s lots of stopping to pay attention to things along the way, plus there will be benches to rest any weary legs.

For more information phone Rosemary at Visually Impaired in Camden on 07980 328 959 or email rosemary@somerstown.org.uk

Hillview Festival 2022: Date for your diary / Book a stall
2pm-9pm on Saturday 3rd September

This family festival is free, open to all and takes place in the leafy courtyards, and surrounding streets of the Hillview Estate, Whidborne Street, King’s Cross WC1H.
The culturally diverse programme is full of local artistes, music, dance and other performances, as well a puppet theatre, a pop-up Ceilidh, drop in arts, dance & circus skills sessions, a community marketplace and more!

If you would like a stall or for further information, please email hillviewfestival@gmail.com
The programme is still being tweaked, but to see the line up so far, please click here

Camden Carers and Wandsworth Carers Centre Workshop
Dates: 10.30am-12pm on 27th July, or 2pm-3.30pm on 29th July

Camden Carers and Wandsworth Carers Centre a holding a free, online workshop for health and social care professionals in Camden across three dates in July. Please choose the date that works best for you.
The workshop will focus on how to support unpaid carers from LGBTQ+ communities and ethnic minority communities.

For further information and to sign up, please email anna@camdencarers.org.uk

Free 6 Weeks Digital Media Training at the SKY TV Campus, West London from MAMA Youth Project
Deadline: Monday the 8th of August

Calling all young creatives living in London aged 18-30 with a passion for creating compelling content and a desire for a career in media.
Apply now for 6 weeks of free intensive digital media training with BAFTA winning company, Licklemor Productions. Lunch and travel expenses provided.

For more information and to apply, please click here

Volunteering with VAC! Join our Community Links Team
Are you able to commit to at least 2 hours per week and interested in supporting people in your community to access health and wellbeing services?

Community Links Volunteers are a part of the Care Navigation and Social Prescribing Service in Camden. They support social prescribing in a variety of ways including signposting residents to community-based activities, helping with referrals, motivating users to connect with new interests and activities, accompanying residents to appointments and introducing them to a range of different opportunities in Camden.

For more info and to apply, please click here
Or contact Mandira Manandhar on mmanandhar@vac.org.uk or 020 7284 6573

Trustee recruitment: Old Diorama Arts Centre
Deadline: 10am on Monday 5th September

Old Diorama Arts Centre, the arts creation and community centre in Euston, is on a journey of change, with a new vision, nurturing artistic and local Regent’s Park ward communities.
We’re looking for up to 4 new Trustees, particularly including those with experience working in the Camden community sector.

For more information, please click here.

Office volunteer opportunity at Heath Hands
Heath Hands currently have an opening for an office volunteer.

This is a flexible and varied role, including tasks such as social media, newsletters, database management, event coordination, website editing, retail support etc.
This is a great opportunity to gain office experience in a friendly team working in beautiful surroundings on Hampstead Heath!
The ideal person would be available for at least ½ day a week on a weekday, on an ongoing basis but there is some flexibility.

For more info and a chat, please contact info@heath-hands.org.uk

Elfrida Rathbone Camden (ERC) vacancies:

Family and Community Services Manager
Deadline: 1st August
Elfrida Rathbone Camden are looking for a Family Services Manager to lead and co-ordinate our Family and Community Services projects. The post is full-time (35 hours per week), and is a fixed term contract for 24 months.

Family Development Worker
Deadline: 1st August
We are also recruiting a Family Development Worker to work as part of a multidisciplinary team working to improve outcomes for children. The post is either full-time (35 hours per week) or four days a week.

For more information and to apply for either role, please click here

Pascal Theatre Company Vacancy: Social Media Officer for a Camden Women’s Heritage Project (part-time)
Deadline: 27th July

Pascal Theatre Company are looking for a part-time freelance Social Media Officer to create engaging posts and publish them on the Company’s media accounts. The post holder must be used to creating and diffusing imaginative images and subtitles. Excellent writing skills are vital.
The position is part-time and much of the work will be remote but the candidate must be able to attend occasional meetings and events in Central London.

For further information, please contact Sally: sally@pascal-theatre.com

Camden Vacant Spaces programme pilot – Market Research Survey
Camden Council is launching market research for an exciting opportunity for a 600m² space on the Hilgrove Estate, the pilot project of the Vacant Spaces Programme.
Camden is keen to understand who is interested in spaces on estates, for what purpose and what support they might need.

Please find the document here, with the survey link on the final page.

If you would like to discuss the opportunity further please contact Jenny at jenny.dunn@camden.gov.uk

Early Bird £10 & £15 Tickets Offer for The Darkest Part of the Night at Kiln Theatre
There is an allocation of £10 and £15 tickets from Kiln Theatre for the world premiere of The Darkest Part of The Night
These tickets are available for all performances until Saturday 13th August.

To book, please call the Kiln Theatre Box Office on 020 7328 1000 or go online here and use the promocode BID.

Past Voluntary Action Forums: Resources

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

Got an item for the e-bulletin?

Send your item to social@vac.org.uk by noon on Thursday for publication in the following day’s edition. The e-bulletin comes out every Friday. Submissions should be 50 – 75 words. Please send plain text or a format that can be copied (ie not embedded in an image). Send links to documents rather than attachments. Make sure to include contact details.