Voluntary Action Camden Newsletter – 6th January 2023

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

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

We 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.

Free Digital Skills and Leadership Training 

London South Bank University, with funding from the European Social Fund, is offering free digital skills and leadership training to employed Londoners, with a focus on supporting those living/working in deprived areas, or who are subject to digital exclusion. The training, which is OCN Accredited, is aimed at both smaller employers/groups who cannot afford to upskill their workforces, as well as individuals who struggle to access and/or fund their personal development due to physical or mental disabilities.

Learn more here

Link UP London: Developmental Support in 2023 

Are there any potential improvements your charity or social enterprise is looking to make in 2023? Link UP London provides access to bespoke Skilled Support for charities, social enterprises and community groups for FREE. Link UP Volunteers have industry specific knowledge in areas of crucial importance to any charitable organisation’s development, such as finance, legal, human resources, communications, data analysis, social media, and much more.

Click here to book a chat, or click here to register your place

Single Homeless Project: Peer Mentoring 

Single Homeless Project are delighted to announce that they are accepting applications for their peer mentoring training & volunteering program.

To receive an application pack, or to find out more about the opportunity, please click here or contact peermentoring@shp.org.uk

Completed applications must be returned by 5pm on Monday 30th January.

Good Work Camden Education and Training Fair 

Friday 13th Jan at Old Diorama Arts Centre: 10am – 2pm

Good Work Camden is hosting an Education and Training Fair, open to all residents to meet with local education and training providers. It’s a great chance for anyone to find out more about the opportunities available for them to upskill.

Register your free place here

Startup School for Seniors 

On 13th January, Startup School for Seniors is launching a new eight-week online course, ‘Developing your Creative Business’, alongside their award-winning Startup School for Seniors programme. The course is an opportunity to turn your passion into a business venture. Fully funded places are available for Londoners aged 50+.

Learn more here

Family Learning Awards Now Open 

 The Family Learning Awards from Campaign for Learning celebrate creative, innovative and inclusive learning. This year, there are four categories in which you can enter your family learning activity, event or initiative. Applications are open to any UK organisation working with families. The awards are free to enter and close on 31st January 2023.

Learn more here

ORT Jump in Camden 

Due to recent funding, ORT UK’s flagship programme JUMP, a career-related mentoring programme aimed at Year 12 students, is expanding into Camden! The aim of the programme is to ensure that participants are better informed about their future career and educational options by identifying their strengths and gaining the confidence to take the next steps in their career journey.

Learn more here

Birkbeck Career Pathways Workshops 

Want support with deciding your next career steps? Have a career in mind but unsure how to achieve it? Birkbeck is hosting free in-person and online career workshops throughout January, designed to give people without a degree space to reflect on their life and goals.

Find a workshop here

North London Cares Vacancies 

North London Cares are hiring for the following vacancies.

Social Clubs Coordinator (FT) – £28k

Outreach and Engagement Coordinator x2 (PT) – £15,680

Learn more and apply here

Royal Free Charity Vacancy 

Royal Free Charity are hiring a Young Volunteer Programme Coordinator. The post is 37.5 hours a week over five days, and pays £25,000 – £30,450 per annum, subject to skills and experience.

Learn more and apply 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

Women’s Safety in Camden Survey 

Camden Council would like to hear the experiences of all women and girls in Camden to understand how safe you feel living, working and travelling around the borough. The results of the survey will help the Council to work out the right steps to improve the safety of all women and girls in Camden.

The survey is confidential and takes about 15 minutes to complete. To have your say, click 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

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

London Plus: Community Resilience Fund 

London Plus is working with the Greater London Authority to deliver the community resilience fund. Grants will be awarded for community and voluntary sector infrastructure organisations.
The deadline for applications is 5pm on Wednesday 25th January 2023.

Learn more here

The Span Trust Funding 

Closing date: 27th January 2023

The Span Trust seeks to fund London-based projects by awarding grants between £5,000 and £20,000 that will alleviate poverty, disability, age or ill health, and advance urban regeneration through the improvement of the built environment.

Learn more here

BBC Children in Need Core Costs Grant
BBC Children in Need is offering core cost grants to support essential organisational and administrative spending. Core costs include key expenses required to keep your organisation running. This funding stream has no application deadline – you can apply at any time.

Learn more here

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

Other available funders include:

• Camden Giving
• Grants Online
• My Funding Central
• Idox Camden 4 Community
• VAC main funding page

Camden’s Evening and Night Time: Citizens’ Assembly 

18th and 25th Feb and 4th March 2023

Camden Council is inviting residents to join a Citizens’ Assembly about Camden’s Evening and Night Time. Participants will develop a vision for the future of Camden’s evening and night time and make recommendations about how the Council, businesses and Camden’s communities could achieve this vision.

Learn more here

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.

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 £15 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.

MoreLife: Tier 2 Adult Weight Management Service 

A new tier 2 adult weight management service, delivered by MoreLife, will be launching at the beginning of January in Camden and Islington. For Camden and Islington residents (or those registered with a GP in either borough), the service will be delivered in-person and online. Lasting 12 weeks, the programme will take a psychologically-informed and evidence-based approach to weight management.

Individuals can self-refer into the service now by calling 0333 222 1333. An online self-referral form will be available soon.

Learn more here

SMK National Campaigner Awards 

Nominations for the SMK National Campaigner Awards are now open. Each year, SMK celebrates the best campaigns and campaigners. What all nominees have in common is the determination to secure a specific change that will make things better.

Learn more here

Past Voluntary Action Forums: Resources

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

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

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