Voluntary Action Camden e-bulletin 7th April 2017

Camden Giving’s KX Fund; Camden Patient and Public Engagement Group Meeting; Camden Council Adult Social Care Consultations – last chance to have a say ; Money Management, Financial Literacy and Gambling Related Harm; Books Beyond Words Book Club FREE Training; Trustee Training; RADA Elders Taster Workshop; IKWRO spring newsletter; Camden Federation of Private Tenants (CFPT) News + funding, jobs, volunteers, events, training, offers and resources.

Camden Giving is a new and exciting way for everyone in Camden to play a part in making Camden a fair and equal place for us to live, work and play. We are bringing together businesses, residents, community organisations and the public sector to support projects that make Camden a great place for everyone. One way we are doing this is by making grants to local organisations to help them do what they do best. Camden Giving’s KX Fund is open now until the 28th April for applications from organisations who do work in and around Kings Cross and Somers Town, the fund will help organisations to enhance to benefits of the Kings Cross Development and mitigate some of the negative effects.
“Camden Giving is working with partners from businesses, charities and the public sector, the collective impact of these groups will be really significant.” – Natasha Friend, Director Camden Giving
Full details about the fund and how to apply are on the Camden Giving website.

Camden Patient and Public Engagement Group (CPPEG) meeting
The next CPPEG open meeting is on Monday 10 April 2 – 4pm. Everyone in Camden is invited to attend – whether you are a PPG member, a Camden resident, or a healthcare professional, please do join us.
At Conference room, St Pancras Hospital, 4 St Pancras Way NW1 2PE
We will be discussing:
~ How we will support people with autism in Camden over the next five years
~ Patient experience at the Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust
~ The results of the CPPEG elections
If you have any questions, please email engagement@camdenccg.nhs.uk, or phone 020 3688 2456 (Becky) or 020 3688 1755 (Martin).

Camden Council Adult Social Care Consultations – last chance to have a say
Camden are consulting on two specific proposals – day centres and financial contributions (paying for care) – until 9th April 2017 and need you to tell them what you think.
Both consultations end on 9th April. Easy read questionnaires can be found on the dedicated webpages along with an online survey. If you require hard copies or copies in additional formats, please email ascchanges@camden.gov.uk

Money Management, Financial Literacy and Gambling Related Harm
Betknowmore UK are currently delivering a free workshop that aims to raise awareness around money management, financial literacy and “Gambling Related Harm”. The workshops can last from 60 to 120 minutes for group sizes between 4 to 24.
Through this workshop we will be cultivating skills and knowledge on how to best manage your money (debts, budget, savings, bank accounts, loans, credit cards, legal risks related to debts… etc), together with ways to protect yourself and others from the devastating growing social issue that is gambling addiction.
Find out more at www.betknowmoreuk.org email: brigitte@betknowmoreuk.org or call 0800 066 4827

Books Beyond Words Book Club FREE Training
Elfrida Rathbone Camden, St Luke’s Church and Books Beyond Words are collaborating to offer a free half-day introduction to facilitating a Beyond Words book club. Across the country, people with learning disabilities are meeting in small groups to discuss their experiences using the stories they discover in Beyond Words books to help make sense of their lives.
Thursday 27th April, 1.00 – 4.00pm @ St Luke’s Church Meeting Room, 7 Dowdney Close, NW5 2BP
To book your place e-mail: training@booksbeyondwords.co.uk

Governance in the Voluntary and Community Sector
18 May 2017 – 22 June 2017 6 Thursday evenings 17:30-20:30 in Camden
A short evening course for trustees/management committee members or anybody who is interested in developing the knowledge and skills required to be a member of a governing body in the voluntary or community sector. Ideal for new trustees as an induction, for experienced trustees who want a refresher and for those just starting out as trustees. The course is a partnership between VAC and Mary Ward. Full details at the Mary Ward website.

RADA Elders Taster Workshop
A fun workshop led by tutors at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art for people over the age of 60 with an interest in drama and acting.
This is an insightful and exploratory practical workshop that will offer insight into RADA’s weekly Elders Company, for people aged 60+.
Participants will explore drama exercises and games, voice work and movement. Joined by graduates of the RADA Elders Company, attendees will find out more about the Company, the work that is created throughout the course of the year and the tutors and ethos of RADA. The session will be exciting, informal and enjoyable.
The workshop is not for professional actors and no previous drama experience is required.
Tuesday 25 April 1.00pm – 3.00pm Free for participants to attend
Holborn Community Association, 50 Millman St, London, WC1N 3EW
To apply, please contact Andrew Rogers at andrew.rogers@holborncommunity.co.uk

Iranian and Kurdish Women’s Rights Organisation
You can read the IKWRO spring newsletter online.

Camden Federation of Private Tenants (CFPT)
Read the latest CFPT newsletter online here.

Camden Carers Service
Camden Carers Service (CCS) offers advice, support and activities for family and other unpaid carers across the borough.
Help is just a phone call away on 020 7428 8950 or email info@camdencarers.org.uk – read more about our services at www.camdencs.org.uk or www.facebook.com

Healthwatch Camden
View the latest news and views from Healthwatch Camden here.

Camden Capacity Building Bulletin
The February Capacity Building Bulletin is available here.

Ageing Better in Camden
Read the Ageing Better in Camden Newsletter Spring Edition 2017 here

Kingsgate Community Centre, Camden Futures, Camden CCG, VAC, Kings Cross Construction Centre and Camden PA are recruiting. See Jobs and Volunteers section below.

You can join in on Facebook. Like us if you like us.

Follow all the Camden Voluntary Sector news on OneCamden on Twitter.

You can read more about all of these stories on our news page at www.vac.org.uk/new

See the Funding pages on VAC’s website for all the latest information.

Neighbourhood Planning Grants and Support Programme – Final Year
The Department for Communities and Local Development’s £22.5 million Neighbourhood Planning Grants and Support Programme (2015-2018) aims to support local communities that are drawing up a neighbourhood plan for their area.
This is the last year of the funding programme, and Locality, which is delivering the programme, has announced that applications can be made from now until 31 January 2018. It has also announced that expenditure through a grant must be completed within six months or before 31 March 2018,
Locality has announced the following two updates:
~ Modifying the plan after it has come into force: Groups can now apply for funding to modify their plan, irrespective of whether they have already claimed their full grant allocation of £9,000 (or £15,000 for a priority group).
~ Groups undertaking site assessments and housing site allocations: Groups who are undertaking a site assessment for a site allocation, OR groups who are allocating sites for housing or mixed development can now be considered complex – allowing them to apply for additional support for complex groups (technical support and grants of up to £15,000).
Full details at the My Community website.

Young Camden Foundation Small Grants Scheme 2017
The first grants through the Young Camden Foundation are now available to anyone working around the theme of ‘One Camden’. Our aim is to bring together Camden’s diverse communities, especially those who might not otherwise meet and interact.
We are asking for submissions for projects that fit in with this theme through one of the following ideas:
~ Intergenerational Work: Projects that bring together people from all ages, for instance young people with pensioners
~ Volunteering: Projects that offer time and resources to groups or people you normally would not interact with
~ Working with cultures other than your own: This could be with different ethnic groups, cultural groups, or groups with a particular focus such as sports groups working with arts groups.
There will be a total pool of £60,000 available which will be split up into:
~ 1x grants of up to £10,000 in which consortium bids will be strongly encouraged. This project would also need to benefit communities across the borough of Camden (rather than specific areas).
~ 8x grants of up to £5,000
~ 5x grants of up to £2,000
If you have an exciting project that fits into the theme and connects Camden communities, please submit either via the form , or submit a video explaining how your project meets the requirements.
Applications must show involvement by the beneficiaries (those that will benefit from the project, i.e: Camden Young People). Any applications received that cannot show how young people were involved in the process will be rejected.
*Applicants also must be a registered member of the Young Camden Foundation to be eligible for any Grants. Join here: https://www.youngcamdenfoundation.org.uk/form
Full details of the grants and how to apply here: https://www.youngcamdenfoundation.org.uk/grants/

Edge Fund – Social Justice Funding for Grassroots Groups
Now open for the first funding round of the year! We will be giving £40,000 to about 30 grass-roots groups, campaigning against the systems that cause injustice. We are accepting applications from the 7th of March until the 17th April.
We support work run by and for communities facing discrimination and injustice. We fund work carried out by individuals and grass-roots groups in Ireland, Scotland, Wales and England that find it difficult to get funding elsewhere. We do not fund traditional charity work, instead we we support activity that challenges abuses of power and aims to change society by bringing an end to the systems that cause injustice. While applicants may be working on short term reforms, we are looking for applicants that ultimately aim to end or replace unjust systems with a just alternative.
We have not yet funded a group with an annual income over £25,000. The average income of groups we fund is around £2,500. Full details on the Edge Fund website.

Trust for London and City Bridge Trust launch £100,000 Crowdfunding initiative to tackle poverty and inequality in London
In collaboration with Crowdfunder and The Social Innovation Partnership, Trust for London and City Bridge Trust have launched a new £100,000 fund available to organisations using crowdfunding to raise funds and deliver projects which will address inequality and lift people out of poverty in the capital.
The Improving life for Londoners fund will provide up to 50% of the target (to a maximum of £10,000), with projects expected to raise at least the first 25% from the crowd.
The fund is keen to support charitable work that:
~ Provides practical solutions to support people on low incomes
~ Addresses local problems in creative ways
~ Is led by communities that will benefit from the work
If you think your organisation fits, check out our Crowdfunder page.
Do you want to know more about crowdfunding, and how to run a crowdfunding project? You can sign up to crowdfunding workshops online here.

UCL Grand Challenges Small Grants Scheme
Closing date: 9am, Monday, 22 May 2017
Up to £4,000 available for a wide range of research-informed, societally relevant, cross-disciplinary activities undertaken from 1 August 2017 to 31 July 2018
Up to £6,000 is available for proposals that address the GCSC Priority Theme of Urban Mobility, with additional funding from the UCL Transport Institute. Further details
Proposals must address a Priority Theme relating to one of the six UCL Grand Challenges – Global Health; Justice and Equality; Tranformative Tech; Human Wellbeing; Cultural Understanding; Sustainable Cities
Applications must be led by UCL academic staff members (honorary researchers included) at postdoctoral level (or equivalent) or above. Full details here.

Crowdfunding Workshops with Hubbub
VAC and Hubbub are running a series of crowdfunding workshops for Camden organisations.
We will be setting a date for session 3 – Writing your pitch and one-to-one support (Date TBC)
aimed at those ready to start their campaign.
More details on the VAC website: https://vac.org.uk/events/

Leighton Education Project Open for Referrals and Coffee Morning
The Leighton Education Project is a person-centred specialist education provider for young people aged 16 – 25 with SEND. We are currently open for referrals for the 2017/18 academic year! The Project is running a drop-in coffee morning for voluntary and statutory sector colleagues on Friday 14th April 2017, 11am-1pm at Elfrida Rathbone Camden. The morning will be an opportunity to look round the classrooms, meet the team and find out more about what we have on offer.
To RSVP, book a school visit, or discuss a referral contact: rosanna@elfridacamden.org.uk / 020 7424 1615 or sousan@elfridacamden.org.uk / 020 7424 1617

Supersized Volunteering Fair
Our fairs are a perfect way to meet people who want to volunteer in Camden. And they have a 46% recruitment rate. Brilliant!
We are co-hosting our Summer 2017 SUPERsized volunteering fair with our good friends at Volunteer Centre Islington. It will take place in King’s Cross on the penultimate day of Volunteers’ Week 2017.
Tuesday 6th June 12-3pm at Voluntary Action Islington. Book through Eventbrite.

Camden Dementia Action Alliance Conference and “Dementia Bazaar”
Monday 15 May at the Canal Museum, 12-13 New Wharf Road, London N1 9RT.
The morning session (1030-1300, with registration and refreshments from 1000) will focus on the work of the Alliance and will feature a range of guest speakers.
The afternoon “Bazaar” (1400-1600) will be an opportunity for people with dementia, carers and members of the wider community to participate in a range of entertaining activities, as well as obtaining valuable information and advice from Alliance member organisations.
The event will be free to attend. Full details to follow. Contact mark.goodwin@alzheimers.org.uk.

Bengali New Year
The British Library, in partnership with Age UK Camden
Saturday 29 April 12.00 – 15.00 at the British Library Knowledge Centre 96 Euston Rd NW1 2DB
As well as celebrating the New Year, the event will provide local people with a greater insight into what Bengali items there are at the British Library and BL will launch a ‘pop up’ Bengali exhibition that will tour the Somers Town Community throughout this summer.
There will also be live entertainment, celebratory food and a speech from Local Councillor Samata Khatoon.
Please note this event is free to all local residents and community groups but RSVP is essential and children must be accompanied by an adult at all times.
To book your free place contact: Emma Morgan emma.morgan@bl.uk T+44 (0)7595 464 363
or Abul Choudhury abul.choudhury@ageukcamden.org.uk T+44 (0)20 7278 5090

Resilient Families and Early Help training opportunities with the Camden Training and Development Service (TDS)
~ Domestic violence and abuse, 05/05/17
~ Introduction to attachment theory, 08/05/17
~ IT training in eCAF, 11/05/17
For course information and to book please click on the course title. If you require TDSOnline support, please email TDSOnline@camden.gov.uk.

Improve English Reading Writing and Listening Skills
English ESOL Entry level class
Every Tuesday 10am-12pm
KCB Chadswell Healthy Living Centre, Harrison Street, London, WC1H 8JE
Tel no: 020 7713 5545

Recovery College
Recovery College Spring term has started. If you would like to find out more about the courses take a look at the Recovery College Spring 2017 course guide.

Free HR training workshops for Camden voluntary and community groups
Free and will take place between 9.45 and 1pm at the Town Hall Judd Street.
The workshops are for managers and trustees of voluntary and community groups based in Camden.
Managing Difficult Conversations at Work Wednesday 12th April 2017
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/managing-difficult-conversations-at-work-registration-27067711253
The workshops will be run by Shirley Briggs.

Don’t forget that Camden TDS run a full programme of course which are subsidised or free for voluntary sector partner organisations. There is a link to a list of partner organisations on the home page.

Find more Training Opportunities at www.vac.org.uk

Kingsgate Community Centre seeks Customer Duty Officers, Cleaner, Crèche Pool Workers
Based in Kilburn we provide a wide range of services to those in need.
We are currently expanding our team we need enthusiastic individuals to join us would be great to hear from you!
Looking for: Customer Duty Officers, Cleaner, Crèche Pool Workers.
To find out more please visit www.kingsgatecommunitycentre.org.uk/job-vacancies/ or email info@kingsgatecc.org.uk

Camden Futures Seeking Parent Volunteers in the Community
Camden Futures is recruiting parent volunteers to become Community Connectors and support Camden parents accessing community resources. Apply via info@camdenfutures.org.uk or call Francesca on 020 7424 1622 by 25/04/17. Compulsory training will run on 28/04/17, 05/05/17 and 12/05/17.

Healthwatch Camden seeks Chair
Healthwatch Camden is here to make sure that everyone – adults and children – who uses health and social care services in Camden can have their say on services and that what they say makes a difference. To help us do our job, we are looking for more people who live, work or study in Camden to join our board of trustees.
We are looking for one person to become Chair of the board, to replace our founding Chair, who is stepping down after four successful years.
To find out more please visit our website www.healthwatchcamden.co.uk or email info@healthwatchcamden.co.uk

Voluntary Acton camden – Trustee Vacancies
Voluntary Action Camden (VAC) is seeking two new trustees to join its existing board. VAC supports individuals and groups to get involved in civil society and develops ways of sharing good practice and resources. We are looking for individuals who have an enthusiastic appreciation and understanding of Camden’s community sector and who want to see the sector thrive in the coming years. We are particularly interested in individuals with fundraising and marketing experience. If you would like more information, then please go to our website where you’ll find details of the job role and how to apply, together with more information about VAC’s strategic objectives and the work we do. If you would like an informal discussion before applying, please contac Simone Hensby shensby@vac.org.uk

Community Navigator
These innovative posts involve supporting people to become less lonely and to develop more social contact. The successful applicant will join a team of community navigators employed by Camden and Islington NHS Foundation Trust and will support people with enduring depression or anxiety who use mental health services in Camden, Islington or Barnet. These posts are part of a nationally-funded research study. The post holder will feedback to the research team and contribute to developing and evaluating this programme.
The role will require flexibility to meet people at mutually convenient times and to support them in going to community activities. The total amount of work for each post will average out at one day per week: post holders will be paid at this rate on an annualized hours basis. The post is until the end of February 2018, to start in April 2017 or as soon as possible thereafter. Any experience of working in services which support people with mental health problems, or voluntary sector community experience, are both assets for this work.
You can find more information about this post on the NHS jobs website: https://www.jobs.nhs.uk/xi/vacancy/9f27c8ce53a7d619995f3edb43ad7bb5/?vac_ref=914513220

Kings Cross Jobs
You can view a constantly changing range of job vacancies on the Kings Cross website. For the latest news on jobs sign up to job alerts.

Volunteers are needed in GP practices!
Voluntary Action Camden (VAC) would like to hear from you! We are training volunteers to become Community Health Advocates in local GP practices.
• Do you live, work or volunteer in Camden?
• Would you like to support people in your community to improve their health and their access to services that will help them to maintain good health and wellbeing?
• Do you want to develop experience and skills in the field of public health?
• Can you commit at least 2 hours per week?
VAC is offering free Royal Society of Public Health (RSPH) Level 1 training to those who want to volunteer their time to become Community Health Advocates. The RSPH Level 1 training is a two days course, with a 20 question multiple choice test at the end of the second day of training. It could provide a useful skill set and experience for people who may be interested in following a health related career path in the future.
After completing the training, VAC will support local teams of volunteers to act as links between community based services and GPs. You may wish to take advantage of additional opportunities to increase your knowledge, for example smoking cessation, cancer awareness, diabetes etc. In return for your commitment to the project for 2 hours a week we offer support, out of pocket expenses and other professional development opportunities.
For more information, please contact Mandira Manandhar, Health Advocate Volunteer Co-ordinator (Mon, Tues and Thurs) 020 7284 6550/07930669417 or email: mmanandhar@vac.org.uk
Peter Simonson on 020 7284 6550 or email: projectsupport@vac.org.uk
The RSPH training is provided FREE by on the understanding that participants are available to volunteer for the project and able to attend the regular training and support sessions.

Find Jobs and Volunteering opportunities at https://www.vac.org.uk/

The Camden Commission would like to hear from you
Camden council want you to have your say about Camden’s priorities and challenges for the next five years. As the current Camden Plan comes to the end of its five-year lifespan, the Camden Commission has been set up to help shape Camden’s vision for 2018-2023.
The Camden Commission is a group of councillors and expert advisors who will hear from local residents, organisations, and businesses over the next six months to better understand the challenges faced across the borough. The Commission wants to hear from local people, communities and our partners to ensure that our new vision will focus on what people really need and want from their local government.
Organisations or groups wishing to get involved or submit evidence to the Camden Commission can do so in these ways:
~ Submit an idea or suggestion, and see what others have said using our online forum
~ Submit written evidence by emailing us at camdencommission@camden.gov.uk
~ Sign up for email alerts

Camden Consultations
You can find all Camden consultation on the Wearecamden consultation hub.

FREE VAC Membership for Unfunded Groups: Voluntary Action Camden Small organisations with no paid staff and a turnover of less than £1,500 can now join for FREE. To take advantage of this offer just fill in the membership on the online form here.