Voluntary Action Camden Newsletter - 27th January 2023

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VAC Weekly Newsletter
27th January 2023

VAC Membership
Join VAC as a member and become part of a network committed to connecting and amplifying the voice of the Voluntary and Community Sector in Camden.

Membership is free, click on the link box above and sign up today

Highlights

This week we spotlight our new VAC Consultancy Service, which provides voluntary and community organisations in Camden with expert support and advice.

We also have information on a range of other local events and opportunities from around the Camden area.

VAC Consultancy Service

Are you looking for expert support and advice for your Camden VCS organisation? The VAC Consultancy Service can offer help in the following areas:

Grant and funding applications.
Governance and policies.
Volunteer recruitment and management.
Building connections and influence.

And much more! If you have a question, we can help you find the answer you need.

Learn more and apply for support here

Camden Youth Safety Multimedia Competition

This annual competition aims to raise awareness of the issues affecting the safety of young people in Camden. It is part of Camden Youth Safety Week, which will be held this summer. Up to 10 organisations will receive a maximum of £500 each to develop their multimedia project.

Camden Council invites expressions of interest for creative or multimedia projects, based on the theme of ‘Keeping Children and Young People in Camden Safe’, before 27th February.

Learn more here

Free Immigration Law Advice Clinic

Weds 15th Feb at St Pancras Community Association: 2-4:30pm

An immigration solicitor from The University of Westminster will deliver a short presentation on an aspect of immigration law and follow with a Q&A session. Come with your questions about immigration and get advice. No registration necessary.

Warm Hub at West Hampstead Community Centre

West Hampstead Community Centre offers a free warm space to anyone who needs it. They are located on 17 Dornfell Street, NW6 1QN. The Warm Hub is open Monday to Thursday between 12:00 and 14:00. Everyone is welcome.

Remembering Dr Beryl Gilroy

Friday 3rd Feb: 7:30pm
The Community Association for West Hampstead is hosting a Zoom talk about the first Black Headteacher at West Hampstead Primary School. Darla Jane Gilroy tells the story of her mother, Beryl Gilroy, pioneering teacher, writer, psychotherapist and Camden’s first black headteacher, drawing on her unique memoir, ‘Black Teacher’.

Stratford East Theatre Ticket Offer

2 for 1 tickets are available for How Not To Drown, the true story of 11-year-old unaccompanied asylum seeker Dritan Kastrati. The offer is valid for Band A and Band B tickets for performances on Thurs 26, Fri 27 and Sat 28 Jan.

To claim this offer, click here and enter promo code THICKSKIN241 at checkout.

Camden Council: Free Co-Working Space

Camden Council has partnered with LABS to offer up to 10 free co-working spaces to start-ups, SMEs and established businesses in Camden. The aim of this scheme is to support growth and break down one of the barriers between business owners and their goals.

Learn more and apply here

SPCA Volunteer Fest

Thurs 2nd March: 11am – 1pm at St Pancras Community Association

Get the experience you need to further or start your career by volunteering with the SPCA. Come to the Volunteer Fest this March to hear from volunteers about the benefits of their roles at the centre, from meeting new people to upskilling in the area they’re interested in.

Coram’s Fields: Nursery Spaces Available

Places are still available at Coram’s Fields Nursery for children starting this year. The nursery provides full-day childcare for up to 36 children aged 2-5 years old. The team delivers high-quality childcare with access to their seven-acre park.

Learn more here

Community Café Manager Vacancy (PT)

Manage and run our Community Café and team of volunteers and help promote it within the community by arranging activities within the café setting.

Our new Community Café will provide a warm space, healthy eating options at a low cost, as well as a range of other community benefits such as reduced social isolation and skills development.

Learn more here

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

VAC Cost-of-Living Crisis Resource
VAC recognises that the cost-of-living crisis is a huge concern for families, businesses, and the Voluntary Community Sector.

We are collating information and resources to help community groups and residents in Camden navigate through the crisis. To find out more, click here

Energy Bills Discount Scheme

The Government has announced a new Energy Bills Discount Scheme (EBDS) to run from 1 April 2023 for eligible non-domestic consumers in Great Britain and Northern Ireland. The scheme is available to all non-domestic contracts, including voluntary sector organisations and charities. The discount will be automatically applied.

Learn more here

Proposed Updates to the Euston Area Plan

Camden Council is consulting on proposed updates to the Euston Area Plan (EAP) – a planning document that will help to shape the future of the Euston area. The Council wants to hear your views on the proposed updates to the EAP. You can review the suggested changes and share your views online via the Council’s Commonplace website here

Local Newsletters:

SHAK
Young Camden Foundation (Funding Newsletter)
Young Camden Foundation (Events and Training Newsletter)
AWN (sign up)
London Sport (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)
Abbey Community Centre Newsletter
Heath Hands
UCL Volunteering Service Newsletter (sign up)

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

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

VAC have been funded by Google to provide up to £300 per quarter for small organisations looking to book one-off spaces to work in or to hold community sessions and training, and up to £600 for the ongoing rent of office and hot desking space.

It is available to small voluntary or community sector organisation with income under £150,000 a year looking to book a venue in Camden.

To find out more, please click here
or get in contact with Ricky at Rsingh@vac.org.uk

Camden Community Vaccine Project: Round 2

VAC and the C4 Consortium are inviting community groups and organisations in Camden, including unincorporated associations, to design new and expand existing initiatives to encourage vaccine take-up in the borough. This includes tackling misinformation surrounding the COVID-19 vaccine and other vaccine programmes.

If you are interested in applying for this funding, or would just like to find out more, please click here

Migrant Advice and Support Fund
Closing date: Monday 27 February at 9am
The Mayor of London is offering funding to frontline organisations providing specialist advice and/or holistic support to migrant Londoners.
Learn more here

Sports England: Small Grants Programme

The Small Grants Programme seeks to develop opportunities for communities to get more people physically active. New projects will be supported through providing National Lottery funding of between £300 and £15,000.

Learn more here

YCF Winter Community Fund

Young Camden Foundation’s Winter Community Fund aims to support children and young people in Camden during winter 2022/23. In January 2023, YCF is reopening this fund on a rolling basis, with a focus on funding short projects during the February half term.

Learn more here

Love Camden: Community Festival Funding

Closing date: 28th February 2023

Camden Council are delighted to announce that they are opening funding applications for local Community Festivals and Events. Applications are welcome for grants of £200 to £2,000.

Learn more here

Building Strong Communities Fund

Closing date: 13th March 2023

The Mayor of London is offering funding for London equity-led voluntary and community sector organisations to enable communities to shape their recovery from COVID-19, through community-led projects that help meet certain outcomes.

Learn more here

London Community Energy Fund

Closing date: 5th February 2023

The London Community Energy Fund provides much-needed support to get community energy projects up and running and deployed faster to reboot the economy and benefit hard-hit communities.

Learn more here

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

Other available funders include:

VAC Free Safeguarding Training Courses

What better way to start the new year than refreshing your organisation’s essential safeguarding skills?

VAC is offering 2 FREE safeguarding training sessions over the coming months:

Virtual Introduction to Safer Recruitment for Small Organisations and Community Groups

Tuesday 21st February 2023: 10am – 11:30am

Safeguarding Advanced: Developing Knowledge and Understanding (in-person)

Wednesday 22nd March at Saint Pancras Community Association: 9:30am – 3:30pm

Aimed at increasing existing safeguarding knowledge for those who have had no safeguarding training in the last two years and need a refresher.

Designed for volunteers, supplementary schools, VCS groups and organisations delivering services to under 18’s and their families in Camden. Lunch and refreshments provided.

To register your place, or for more information, contact Dianne Carlton-Ogunyemi, VAC Community Safeguarding Lead at dogunyemi@vac.org.uk

Volunteer Managers’ Forum

Tuesday 28th Feb at 2pm: Online

Volunteer Centre Camden is hosting a Volunteer Managers’ Forum. Participants will benefit from peer support and networking and can choose the topics to discuss.

Camden & Islington Volunteering Fair

Thursday 2nd Feb at 12.30pm: Online

Want to volunteer in Camden and Islington? Volunteer Centre Camden and Volunteer Centre Islington are hosting a free, online volunteering fair. Participants can meet organisations currently recruiting volunteers, who will ‘pitch’ their volunteering roles in a Dragon’s Den style.

Social Prescribers Innovators Programme
A new initiative is being delivered by the Camden Care Navigation and Social Prescribing Service, hosted by Age UK Camden (AUC) and Voluntary Action Camden.
The project aims to develop volunteering within the service as a way to help retain existing social prescribers and to support successful recruitment to new social prescriber roles.
Contact Mandira at mmanandhar@vac.org.uk if you are interested in volunteering on this new venture.

LDN London: Trustee Vacancy

Learning Disability Network London is proud to have been supporting learning disabled Londoners for over 60 years. They are looking for a new Trustee with the enthusiasm, creativity and commitment to join their board of Trustees.

Learn more here

Education Gardener and Coordinator Vacancy

Closing date: Monday 13th Feb at 9am

Global Generation is looking for someone who is passionate about involving the community in connecting to nature and gardening. As the Education Gardener and Coordinator, you will be responsible for engaging local children, young people, families and volunteers in Global Generation’s outdoor learning projects.

Learn more here

Long Covid Survey
The Community Links team at VAC are working with the University of Southampton to facilitate a study into Long Covid. If you had, or think you had, Covid 3 or more months ago and yet continue to experience symptoms that are not explained by any other health conditions, the study would like to talk to you about your experiences.

Symptoms can include, but are not limited to: exhaustion, memory or concentrations issues, breathlessness, persistent headaches and muscle aches, chest tightness, palpitations, dizziness and sleep disturbance.
As a token of appreciation, a £25 shopping voucher is available for participation.

The Community Links team at VAC can also assist Camden residents with access to the long covid clinic at UCLH.
For further information please contact Nasrin at nrashid@vac.org.uk or Donna Clutterbuck at LongCovid@soton.ac.uk or call/text “Long Covid Research’’ on 07721520243.

Youth Nature Wellbeing Project on Hampstead Heath

Heath Hands is launching a pilot project inviting young people aged 13-16 who struggle with school attendance to take part in nature activities on Hampstead Heath. The new project aims to promote mental wellbeing and practical skills through a combination of hands-on conservation work, nature art activities and forest-school style experiences. Sessions will run in February/March 2023.

Learn more here

SMK Campaigner Survey 2022

The Sheila McKechnie Foundation Campaigner Survey is now open for 2022. SMK wants to hear what the world is like for campaigners and change-makers. Whether you work alone or with others, as a volunteer or employee, they want to hear from you.

Complete the survey here

Henna Asian Women’s Group

Henna Asian Women’s Group provides a platform for people to connect through hybrid services, including exercise, music & singing, ESOL, art & crafts, Henna Support Group, Chai with Henna and the Wellbeing Hub. A hot meal and warm space are provided on Mondays and Wednesdays to support local residents in Kilburn and beyond during the cost-of-living crisis.

For more information, call 0207 372 9860

LIFT: Intro to Coding Course

Application closing date: 5th February 2023

LIFT Intro to Coding is a 6-week beginner’s programme designed to equip you with the knowledge and skills you need to start a career in the thriving world of software development. No prior coding experience is needed. You will gain core skills in software development and build a portfolio to show to prospective employers.

Find out more here

Looking for a previous newsletter entry? Find it in our archive here

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.