VAC Weekly Newsletter
8th October 2021

Highlights

Health Inequalities in Camden; Warm Welcome Toolkit Launched; Join the Camden Community Framework Co-production Alliance; Google Training; Have Your Say on Accommodation Services for Vulnerable People; QCCA Parental Courses  + Newsletters + Resources + funding + jobs + volunteers & more

Feature 

Warm Welcome toolkit: A free guide to running activities with older people.

Older people say that being offered a Warm Welcome is essential when encouraging them to take part in activities and remain connected in their communities.
Ageing Better in Camden worked with older members, delivery agencies and Ageing Better friends around England to produce the Warm Welcome Toolkit. It offers activity providers information and resources which will support them to run welcoming activities. Click here to view and download the Warm Welcome toolkit. You can also download the Warm Welcome toolkit summary and video.

Do you want to be at the heart of changes planned for community Mental Health Services? 

Co-production partners required for the Camden Community Framework Coproduction Alliance
Would you like an opportunity to make a difference to community mental health services?  We are a group of local people, professionals and commissioners working together to redesign mental health services in the community. 
We want Camden residents with experience of mental health services to join us.  We welcome creative perspectives and common sense to help create a joined-up service that meets people’s mental health needs in the community.
We are particularly keen to hear from people who can contribute wider views – for example from Carers, Black, Asian and minority ethnic communities, people of different cultural and religious backgrounds, people who have disabilities, people from the LGBTQ+ community and young people.
Interested? Please email Maureen.brewster@advocacyproject.org.uk by 5pm 25th of October. Deadline for applications is 5pm Monday 25th of October. Interviews will be held on Friday 29th October.

Google Training Session for Camden VCS

19 November 2021  9:00 – 13:00
Location: Our Kings Cross Office – Six Pancras Square, London N1C 4AG
Find out how to make the most of Google, YouTube,  Google Analytics, Training the Trainer and more.
Virtual or F2F: F2F with an option to dial in. Please fill in this form to reserve your space.

Do you have experience of homelessness or rough sleeping? In the past, have you used any of Camden’s hostels, refuges or supported accommodation?

Camden are looking for people with lived experience of homelessness or rough sleeping and who may have previously used our shelters/refuges or supported accommodation to be part of panels (with other people who have used services) to help decide on future accommodation services for vulnerable people in Camden.
You must have had experience of homelessness or rough sleeping to take part.  We are keen to hear from people representing diverse backgrounds, preferably resident in Camden. We are also looking for women who have used women’s services (eg domestic violence services). 
The Borough of Camden and FLIC will provide training and support and you will receive a £10 voucher per hour for your input to meetings and panels which will take place online.
To register your interest or find out more – please email Bex Oldham boldham@hshp.org.uk or phone 07799 700594 by 22 October.

QCCA Parental Courses

Mental Health Awareness Course for Parents @ QCCA:
Are you a parent or carer who is concerned about your mental health or the mental health of your child? Do you want some tips on how to help?
Please contact: – sarah@qcca.org.uk Call: 02072676635
Please contact to book your space – Lunch will be provided!
Saturday 16th October from 9am – 3pm
Wednesday 20th October from 10am – 4pm
World Sight Day Event @ QCCA:
Do you want to learn more information about eye health and how to look after your eyes? We have many stalls so come along with your family down to QCCA for information, fun and games, snacks and much more! 
Date: Thursday 14th October 2021
Time: 2:00pm – 5:00pm.
Please contact – sarah@qcca.org.uk Call: 02072676635

Newsletters

Creative Lives
Healthwatch Camden
Scene and Heard
Coram’s Fields Newsletter sign-up
Young Camden Foundation
AWN
Volunteer Centre Camden
West Euston Project (WEP)
 

National

NCVO Almanac

The 2021 edition of NCVO’s UK Civil Society Almanac provides a comprehensive overview of the facts and figures related to the voluntary sector.

See the Funding pages on VAC’s website for all the latest information.
Access the Idox Camden 4 Community grant search here.
 

Camden Future High Streets Crowdfund: Up to £35k available for your local projects

A new crowdfunding programme has been launched by Camden Council in partnership with Spacehive. Through Camden Future High Streets Crowdfund, you can pitch for up to £35,000 to help fund your local project.  Find out more at the upcoming workshop: https://www.spacehive.com/movement/camden/news and upload your idea by 27th October.

Veolia Sustainability Fund

Have you got an idea for a project to improve Camden’s environment? Apply to our waste partner Veolia’s Sustainability Fund.
You could receive funding, resources or volunteers for a project that enhances biodiversity, promotes recycling, protects the environment, or uses recycled, reused or reclaimed materials.
Find out more and apply here by 31 October

Rainbow Lottery – supporting LGBTQ+ good causes

Rainbow Lottery, the weekly lottery that raises money for the full spectrum of LGBTQ+ good causes totally, openly and exclusively. Find out more at the website.

City of London Open Space (Deadline Soon)

Grants of between £2,000 and £15,000 are available to help voluntary organisations and registered charities on projects that address the following themes:
• Connecting communities with their green spaces
• Improving the conservation value of the green spaces
• Improving our knowledge of the biodiversity of the green spaces
• Improving mental health through the use of green spaces
Application deadline: Monday 11 October 2021.
More information: www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/centralgrantsprogramme

Build Up Fund: Youth Crime Prevention and Capacity Building Grants (Deadline Soon)

Camden based organisations working with children and young people can apply for grants of between £500 up to £3,000 to address their training and capacity building needs in three distinct areas:
Youth crime prevention
Collaborating or sharing best practice on youth crime prevention schemes
Organisational sustainability.
Deadline for applications: 10 October 2021  Find out more and apply here.

St Giles Charities

Grants are available to improve the educational opportunities of children and young people from birth to 25 years old who are resident, or attending an educational institution, in the area of benefit (Bloomsbury, Holborn part of Covent Garden). £3k to £10k.  Full details and how to apply on the website.

Free Data from Vodaphone

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. SIMs are available until 1 November 2022. Full details and how to apply here.

Mayor of London’s Sport Unites Fund

The Sport Unites Fund is offering grants of up to £50,000 for projects that use sport and physical activity to address one or more of these priorities:
~ Helping the most inactive people be more active
~ Improving people’s mental health and wellbeing
~ Decreasing isolation/loneliness
~ Strengthening connections in your local area and across communities
~ Reducing serious youth violence
Deadline: 12th November 2021. Find out more here.

We Make Camden Social Action Fund

Camden Giving has been awarded £90,000* to deliver the We Make Camden Social Action Fund. Organisations and individuals can apply for grants of £500-£1,500 for initiatives that support:
~ Social Action in the 4 mission areas (see below)
~ Social Cohesion
~ Local responses and solutions to challenges/ issues/ needs
In addition to the small grants, people can access support to apply, and you don’t need to be an incorporated community group or organisation to apply.
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 to receive up to £1,500 to deliver ideas that contribute to the four Camden missions:
~ Food poverty and sustainability
~ Diversity in positions of power
~ Health and sustainability of estates
~ Opportunities for young people

NAVCA Funders List

A useful list of small trusts and foundations most useful to small charities.

Lists of Emergency Funders

• Civil Society 
• Ian McLintok’s LinkedIn blog
• NCVO’s funding central site is currently free for non-members. 
• Charity Bank 
• Grants Online

VAC Events

Keep in eye on our Events Calendar to book and for more info.
 

Camden Voluntary Action Forum

The forum is open to all Camden voluntary and community  groups and organisations, community activists, social entrepreneurs, volunteers and anyone interested in local voluntary action. The Forum currently meets monthly online on the 3rd Wednesday of the month at 11am. The next Forum is 20th October and will focus on Health Inequalities – full details and bookings at Eventbrite (note there is a choice of limited numbers of in-person tickets or zoom tickets).

Past Voluntary Action Forums: Resources

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

Safeguarding Courses:

Check back for details soon.  Meanwhile you can listen to the latest podcast –
Safeguarding and Physical Security in Community Settings
Dianne Carlton-Ogunyemi our Community Safeguarding Lead talks to John Bayley –  of HA9 Consultancy
Topics include community policing and schools, gang crime, domestic violence, fraud investigation etc.



More details on the VAC website: https://vac.org.uk/events/

Managing Allegations about Members of Staff (LADO) Briefing

1st December 2021 — 2.30pm-4.30pm  Online
Aims:
~ To gain a greater understanding of the role of the LADO
~ To know how to make a LADO referral when concerns are raised
~ To gain an understanding of the LADO process following referral
This event is suitable for all multi-agency professionals working with Camden children and families. Details
 

Thriving Communities webinars

Sharing the Evidence – what you told us is important and what we have found
9 November 2021, 3-4pm Register here

Youth Arts for 13-24 yrs

Wednesdays 6-8pm starting 13th Oct
at Holborn House, Holborn Community Association
Book online here
or email chloe.plumb@holborncommunity.co.uk for more information

KOVE Events

Walk on Wednesday 13 October – a Stroll by the Serpentine, starting at 1.30 and stopping for refreshments at the Serpentine Lido café.
KOVE  have 10 tickets for both the Foundling Museum in Brunswick Square, which we will visit on Wednesday 20th, including free entry to a special exhibition, and on Wednesday 27th we will visit the Garden Museum at Lambeth Palace.
Contact Deborah Knight debk113@outlook.com or www.Kove.org.uk
 

Recovery College

Recovery College celebrates 7 years.  Autumn term has started but many courses are still open. Face-to-face courses are planned for October. Find out more and register on the website.

Camden Mela Celebrates 50th Anniversary of Bangladesh Independence

Sunday 17th October
For further information and stall booking please contact Cllr Nasim Ali OBE 07852 223403 nasim.ali@kcbna.org.uk #melaUK www.camdenbangladeshmela.org
 

Patient survey on the COVID booster and Flu vaccines

NCL CCG are planning a winter communications campaign and would like to hear views from residents on receiving the Flu and COVID booster vaccines. We have created a short survey so that we can better understand the issues that will inform patients’ decisions.

The Zen Project, Healthy Minds, and Mind Camden present a Day Long Celebration of Wellbeing

Thursday 14th October, 11am – 4pm, 19 – 37 Highgate Road, NW5.
Workshops, short guided zen sessions, guided meditation etc. Find out more and latest locations at the website.
 

Autumn Volunteering Fair

Thursday 14th October 12 – 2.30pm
On Zoom.  There are still 3 places for Camden organisations at the VCC/VAI fair.  Contact Marta marta.aparicio@vai.org.uk

Do you have regular conversations with Local residents and want to make a bigger difference to their lives?

Making Every Contact Count (MECC) is about spotting opportunities in these conversations to deliver additional support and improve their wellbeing.
We are offering refreshed online courses
~ Good conversations – Supporting COVID-19 recovery: 2 hour course
~ Basics of Motivational Interviewing: 3 hour course
Bookings: camdenmecc.org.uk /islingtonmecc.org.uk.
Bespoke sessions: meccsupport@smgateway.co.uk

“Talk for Transformation” Autumn event dates

At a Taster session, you will get a glimpse of the Programmes, get to network with new colleagues and  decide if our 4-day Full Programme is for you:
Friday, Oct 8th 3PM-5PM, please register at Eventbrite link.
Thursday, Nov 4th 3PM-5PM, please register at Eventbrite link.

Camden Adult Community Learning

Offers free courses to residents aged 19 and over, both online and in community venues across Camden. Enrol now for the Autumn.
Courses are relaxed, friendly and are aimed to help local people get back into work, overcome isolation, improve their mental health, develop their skills – or learn something new and exciting.
For a full list of autumn courses go to www.camden.gov.uk/adultlearning and then follow the link to www.webenrol.com/camden.

Kilburn Older Voices Exchange trustees seek to appoint a new Chair

Kilburn Older Voices Exchange (KOVE) is an established charity in north-west London (primarily Camden & Brent). We want to appoint a new Chair and trustee to help manage our small staff team and support the Trustees and Steering Group to plan and prioritise our support and development work.
A commitment to the full citizenship of all older people will be essential. You will succeed two distinguished predecessors, Barry Peskin and the late Ags Irwin, and bring a comparable level of experience gained in business, public service, education, the arts, community work, or the provision of care. An experience of managing staff or of using small budgets to maximum effect is vital.
If you share KOVE’s ambitions, please get in touch. We look forward to hearing from you.
Contact: melwillwright@gmail.com
 

Art Link Worker – UCLH 

University College London Hospitals are looking for a Band 5 Art Link worker to work with the outpatients department to identify if patients will benefit for Art prescription and assist with patient wellbeing. 
The role is available immediately until the end or March 2022 and is mainly community based working with primary care/social prescribing. Full details here.

Community Association for West Hampstead seeks Manager 

£24,000 per annum inc. LW (FTE £40,000)
for 21 hours/week plus 3% contributory pension
Enjoy multi-tasking, meeting people, making a difference?
We are seeking an energetic and motivated Manager to lead our small but active Community Association in the next phase of our development.
Closing date: 5pm Monday 25 October 2021
Interviews: Friday 5 November 2021
For recruitment pack email info@cawh.org.uk or ring 020 7794 3729
We are committed to welcoming people from the widest possible diversity of background, culture and experience.

Castlehaven is Hiring

We are looking for an experienced Operations Manager to join our dedicated, community-focused team. If you have fantastic organisation skills, love a challenge and want to make a difference in your local community, then this is the role for you!
Find out more about the role and how to apply here

Community Association for West Hampstead seeks Manager

£21,000 per annum inc. LW (FTE £35,000 )
for 21 hours/week plus 3% contributory pension
We are a small, active community association serving the diverse population of West Hampstead in the London Borough of Camden.  We are seeking an energetic and motivated Manager to lead us in the next phase of development.
Closing date: Monday 18 October 2021 5pm
Interviews: Friday 29 October
We are committed to welcoming people from the widest possible diversity of background, culture and experience.
For recruitment pack email info@cawh.org.uk, or ring 020 7794 3729
 

Street Storage Desk Space Offer

Street Storage are looking for 2 or 3 freelancers on a first come first served basis who might need a desk space but who can’t afford to pay high prices or are sick of WFH.
The space would be free but donations always appreciated to cover costs of heating/Wi-Fi and electricity.  The offices are open 9am-5pm Mon-Fri but freelancers might have to be flexible on certain days. We are based just next to Haggerston overground station in Hackney.
Please contact Rachel Woolf on rachel.woolf@streetstorage.org for details

Healthwatch Camden Long Covid Survey

For some people, Coronavirus (COVID-19) can cause symptoms that last weeks or months after the infection has gone. This is sometimes called post-COVID-19 syndrome or ‘Long COVID’. Many people feel better in a few days or weeks and most will make a full recovery within 12 weeks.
If you have been struggling with any of these symptoms for more than 4 weeks after having COVID-19, please complete this survey to share your experiences.

Want to Swap Rehearsal Space for Workshops or Performances?

Kentish Town based actor and theatre maker would be interested in talking with any Camden voluntary organisations who might consider trading rehearsal space for workshops or performances.
I work with 3Worlds, a dramatic improvisation company who create stories live in performance. 
We require space mostly on Monday evenings to accommodate 6-8 actors and in return, can offer workshops for any sized client group and/or performances tailored to suit your needs.
If you are interested  please contact Andy on 07872 965918 or email  astjuk@yahoo.co.uk

Hopscotch’s Afghan Crisis Appeal 

Hopscotch is working as one of the leads with Camden Council and other major charities.
We have, on standby, four Afghan Family Advocates who are professional leads to deliver:-
Essential Cultural Orientation Training for council staff, charities and volunteers so everyone is interacting appropriately and effectively
To act as referral specialists with refugees in a trauma-informed way
Click here to donate.

London Social Prescribing Survey

This survey is to identify the current offers of social prescribing/ identify gaps and see how current offers can be expanded across Greater London.
Please spare 5 minutes to take the survey 

The latest NHSE Guidance on Integrated Care System Development

NHSE has published the latest guidance.  Of particular interest to the VCS are:
“Building strong integrated care systems everywhere: ICS implementation guidance on partnerships with the voluntary, community and social enterprise sector”
“ICS ‘What Good Looks Like’ Framework (Digital & Data)”
“Thriving Places: guidance on the development of place-based partnerships as part of statutory integrated care systems”
View the summary document here with links to all the newe guidance mentioned.

Supporting People with Long-Covid in Camden

The Camden team support people with signs & symptoms lasting for longer than 12 weeks (NICE) to be diagnosed as Long-Covid. They may occur in conjunction with other conditions.  Referrals need to come from GP’s or the Post-Covid clinic at UCLH. They should be sent to, camdenreferrals.cnwl@nhs.net
The Long-Covid team consists of Occupational Therapy and Physiotherapy with a Rehab Assistant to support and  access to psychology if required.
Contact Rob Clarke on rob.clarke6@nhs.net for any information or enquiries.

How to Volunteer and How to Recruit Volunteers in Camden

Volunteer in Camden at Time to Spare.
Volunteer for the NHS at GoodSAM.
Join a neighbourhood Mutual Aid group.
Organisations that are signed up to Time to Spare can now request volunteers through a brokerage team making it much easier to access the volunteers. The brokers can help match volunteers with voluntary and community organisations who have a need for verified/ vetted volunteers. The service will also help to verify or carry out new DBS check with volunteers.
Get support and resources from Volunteer Centre Camden
The council has a  page of resources to help community organisations
UCL are looking for new volunteering opportunities to promote to their students.  Visit their info for recruiters page to find out more.

Keep in touch and up-to-date via the e-bulletin and @onecamden twitter.  We have a comprehensive COVID-19 update page and a resources page.

Got an item for the e-bulletin?

Send your item to knunan@vac.org.uk or info@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.

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