Welcome
Welcome to the Growing Care Farming newsletter for November. We are getting closer to the end of what has been an extremely difficult year and sadly the news does not bring us much to be cheery about. With further lockdowns either currently in place or close to coming into force, many care farms are once again battling with a desire to remain open and accessible for the people they support and with their obligation to contribute to the national effort to reduce the infection rate. We have already heard from a number expressing their intention to remain open, but we would love to be able to share a more coherent picture across the network. It would be really appreciated if you could take a second to click here and complete a quick survey to let us know what your plans are regarding opening over the next month or so - and we'll share what you tell us over the next few days.
On a slightly more upbeat note, we were very excited on Friday to finally do our prize draw, which we offered as a thank you for those who took part in the annual survey way back in March. What a different place the beginning of the year now seems! As for so many people, Covid has had a significant impact on how Growing Care Farming has been able to work, and the annual survey and draw have been casualties of change and uncertainty. We are delighted though, that the report and overview have now been published and are available here, along with all the other surveys published since 2007. We had hoped to run the draw as part of Social Farms & Gardens' 40th anniversary celebrations this year, but sadly this has not been a year for partying. Our Regional Care Farming Manager, Deborah Evans, pulled on her boots and got a couple of helpers and ran a low-tech draw with all the names in a woolly hat, live on Twitter on Friday. Check out Elsa the cat and Willie the pony in the background! Congratulations to Greave House Farm Trust, Huckleberries Nurture Farm CIC and Pathways Care Farm (Pathways will appear on Channel 5 news this Wednesday too, so keep your eyes peeled!).
And finally, poultry farmers should be on high alert after cases of avian influenza (bird flu) have been reported on a poultry farm in Kent and one in Cheshire. The cases were confirmed this week and all 13,480 birds at the two sites will be humanely culled to limit the spread of the disease. For more information on biosecurity, measures to prevent it and how to spot signs of avian influenza visit the GOV.uk site.
In this November newsletter we will cover:
As you know we have several threads within our Growing Care Farming work and we thought you'd like to know a little bit more each month about what's been happening.
Quality Assurance via the Code of Practice
We now have a downloadable leaflet on the Code of Practice which is available on the 'Introduction to the Code' section of the GCF webpage. This gives a synopsis of the Code and the top 5 reasons on why it is a good idea. It's downloadable so you are welcome to share it - which would in turn assist us in spreading the message behind the Code! In other news, we recently held the first of our new free Code of Practice Online Q and A Sessions. These sessions are an opportunity for anyone who has enrolled in the process but not yet received approval, to ask questions or get help on certain parts of the application form. One of our Code assessment panel, Noelle Wilson hosted this first event, supported by Pearl Cousins, Code of Practice Administrator and provided some useful tips to attendees to help get their application forms completed. These sessions will be taking place approximately every 2 months so if you weren’t able to attend the last session, the next one has been provisionally scheduled for Wednesday 13th January 2021, 10:30 – 11:30. Keep an eye out in this page and as booking details will be posted here in due course. For those who would like to learn more about the Code, please contact Pearl on [email protected] or have a look at our webpage.
Training
We are launching the online 'blended learning' versions of our client-specific courses - consisting of information, resources and narrated presentations, with two topical live sessions and Q&As featuring trainers and a care farmer experienced in working with the particular service-user group. Each course will cover assessing local demand, establishing relationships with potential referrers, the specific benefits of care farming for this service user group and more - including developing your farm site to make it accessible and compatible for activities and users, learning the specific benefits of care farming for the service user group and creating suitable and meaningful activity sessions.
We’re thrilled to announce that three of these courses are now available to book:
- ‘Care Farming and Mental Health’ - course will run from the 6th – 20th November, and is designed for those wanting to deliver care farming or green care services for people living with mental ill-health.
- ‘Nurturing Young People with Anxiety and Depression’- course will run from 20th November – 4th December, and will explore how care farming can be provided to help meet the needs of young people with anxiety, depression and wider mental health support needs.
- 'Care farming for Learning Disability and ASD' - course will run from 4th - 18th December, and is for those who would like to offer regular, structured services to people with a Learning Disability or ASD as part of a health, social care or education programme.
You can register for the above courses, and our other training opportunities, on our website here: https://www.farmgarden.org.uk/gcf/training. Registration for ‘Developing Alternative Provision on Care Farms’ will be available soon, so watch this space!
Resources & Networking
We continue to run our virtual networking meetings on the third Thursday of every month and have really enjoyed seeing old friends and meeting new faces. We'll continue these until we can resume any face to face get togethers, but we are looking to shift the day and time from January to ensure that those that find a Thursday morning difficult have chance to join us. We've also been developing new case studies particularly looking at how different commissioning pathways work. The first is now up on our webpages, looking at how dementia support is offered at Beetlebank Farm, but there will be more to come over the coming weeks. Remember that all of our GCF themed webinars to date are available to access from our webpages and YouTube channel if you've missed them.
Advocacy
Over the last few months face to face meetings may have ground to a halt, but the GCF team have still been busy advocating on behalf of the sector remotely, attending meetings and promoting care farming on various platforms. Our Care Farmng Development Manager, Dr Rachel Bragg presented at a 'virtual care farm visit' organised by Natural England for colleagues in NE, Defra, Rural Payments Agency, Public Health England, NHS England, Department for Health and Social Care, National Academy for Social Prescribing, Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, and The Arts Council – and was ably supported by Julie Plumley from Future Roots and Mark Coulman from Hall Farm Eastoft. We have also been attending a variety of meetings about social prescribing too, promoting care farming and green care as an ideal option for social prescribing whilst at the same time highlighting the need for sustainable funding for service providers. We are assured that plans are afoot to examine this issue more fully. In the same vein we have also been promoting care farming in discussions around ELMS (Environmental Land Management Scheme) to highlight how care farming can be considered a 'public good' provided by farmers - many care farms received funding for care farming via Higher Level Stewardhip in the predecessor Countryside Stewardship scheme and we are keen to see this continue via ELMS.
Webinar Survey
As our GCF themed webinars have been so popular over the course of the last 6 months we have decided to continue them into 2021. We are keen to find out what the hot topics are that need addressing, so we have put together this very quick survey so you can tell us more about what would be useful to you! The more people complete this the better we can support your needs, so please do take a minute to pop your ideas across - Complete the webinar survey here.
Join our winter Twitter campaign using #Carefarmchristmas
The idea behind #carefarmchristmas is to celebrate life on care farms throughout December on Twitter. Care farms don't stop for Christmas and continue to provide essential services to people as well as caring for the animals and sites throughout the festive period. We want to celebrate the service users, volunteers, staff and animals - and bring a bit of care farming joy to the general public this winter!
Join us to celebrate this wonderful work, by:
- Sending photos and videos of your care farm at Christmas - tinsel on a happy pig, mistletoe between two love struck chickens, a festive moment between service users and staff, a cold frosty morning on the farm - whatever you like! All you need to do is tag @GrowCareFarming and use the hashtag #carefarmchristmas
- We are also looking for 12 care farms to be involved in our '12 days of Christmas' celebration - where we are seeking photos and videos themed around the 12 days of Christmas (with a twist!). These care farms will be featured daily on our Twitter page with a link to their work plus their photo/video. To find out more please contact [email protected]
Tuesday 10th November 2020, 12.00pm - 1.00pm - SF&G webinar - What you need to know before signing a lease
Social Farms & Gardens is pleased to invite you to attend a free 1 hour lunchtime webinar at 1.30pm on Tuesday 10th November 2020. If you are interested in taking on some land for your care farm or green care venture then this webinar is for you. Our Welsh Government funded Community Land Advisory Service Cymru has commissioned Joel Woolf, a partner and agriculture specialist at Wright Hassell LLP solicitors who will take us through the potential ptifalls and things to look out for before signing a lease for your project or venture. Although this webinar is funded by the Welsh Goivernment the session is suitable for all.
Book here
Tuesday 17th November 2020, 2.00pm - 3.00pm - GCF Themed Webinar - Surviving the winter; activities and tips for the cold winter months.
Although some of our members have managed to re-open this summer and autumn by making maximum use of their outdoor spaces, many are now facing questions around how they can continue to deliver their services as winter approaches. In this themed webinar we will present advice, hints and tips from experienced care farmers and community gardeners as to how to keep your service users, volunteers and staff safe, warm and engaged during this most difficult season for working outdoors.
Book here
Thursday 19th November 2020, 10.30am - 11.30am - GCF Online Care Farming Network Meeting.
As it is not possible to meet face to face at the moment, we have set up these friendly and informal monthly meetings as a chance to see and meet other care farmers in person but remotely! These network meetings provide an opportunity for care farmers, prospective care farmers, commissioners, GCF team and anyone else with an interest in care farming to come together and discuss any issues they feel are relevant. They are also an opportunity to share experiences and learning and make new contacts. It will also offer an opportunity to discuss subjects highlighted in the GCF Themed webinars in more detail. The meetings are not regionally based, they are open to anyone involved in care farming regardless of where they live.
Book here
Wednesday 16th December 2020, 2.00pm - 3.00pm - GCF Themed Webinar - Governance: How should I set up my care farming enterprise?
In this themed webinar we will address the complexities of possible governance options for care farms, community gardens and other green care service providers. This is something that many members raise with us, so the webinar will highlight the importance of the right governance set up, the various options available and the advantages and requirements of each. The session will be led by SF&G staff with support from Karen McGarrity, Development Officer for Redcar & Cleveland Voluntary Development Agency who has extensive experience advising and supporting the establishment of community groups and charitable enterprises. Karen is also a trustee of a local youth charity.
Book here
Thursday 17th December 2020, 10.30am - 11.30am - GCF Online Care Farming Network Meeting
As it is not possible to meet face to face at the moment, we have set up these friendly and informal monthly meetings as a chance to see and meet other care farmers in person but remotely! These network meetings provide an opportunity for care farmers, prospective care farmers, commissioners, GCF team and anyone else with an interest in care farming to come together and discuss any issues they feel are relevant. They are also an opportunity to share experiences and learning and make new contacts. It will also offer an opportunity to discuss subjects highlighted in the GCF Themed webinars in more detail. The meetings are not regionally based, they are open to anyone involved in care farming regardless of where they live.
Book here
If you're interested in any GCF webinars but can't attend, please don't worry as all webinars are recorded and uploaded to our website here and YouTube channel for you to access whenever you want.
Peter Cruddas Foundation
Registered charities in England and Wales can apply for funding for projects that help disadvantaged and disengaged young people in England and Wales. Priority is given to projects designed to help disadvantaged and disengaged young people in the age range of 16 to 30, to pursue pathways to Education, Training and Employment with the ultimate aim of helping them to become financially independent. There is no minimum or maximum amount and projects can be funded for more than one year. The next closing date for applications to the Peter Cruddas Foundation is the 1st March 2021.
Read more - Peter Cruddas Foundation
DM Thomas Foundation for Young People
Applications are received for quarterly deadlines from registered charities (and CIC's). There is approximately £200,000 available to distribute each quarter. Applications working in the areas of education or health with one of our four chosen focus groups are selected or considered:
- Children and young people with disabilities
- Children and young people who are sick in hospital
- Children and young people who are life limited (requiring palliative care)
- Children and young people who suffer from mental health issues.
If favoured, grant applications for up to £5,000 can be approved by the Director, up to £10,000 can be approved by the Grants Committee, and applications for more than £10,000 are recommended to the Trustees for final approval. The Foundation is a small charity and generally will not make awards of over £30,000 (per year). Funding can be requested for up to 2 years for any particular project.
Read more - DM Thomas Foundation
Grants to cover running costs for small charities.
Grants of £300 to £2,000 are available to small charities to help them to pay for with running and core costs. The funding is available to registered charities (CICs are excluded) working in the areas of literature, arts and heritage; social welfare; environmental causes and animal welfare; education and training; and healthcare.
The funding is being made available through the Marsh Christian Trust. The Trust focuses on providing funding which could help small organisations pay for various running costs, such as volunteer expenses, training days, equipment maintenance and other core outgoings. Their funding strategy is to provide long-term core funding for such costs, as they understand that many of the organisations they support depend on unrestricted income in order to meet their operating needs. Grants are unrestricted and range from £300 - £2,000. Successful new applicants can expect to receive a grant at the lower end of this scale.
Applications are considered on the basis of the organisation’s financial position, performance against charitable aims and objectives and the ratio of voluntary income against fundraising expenses. The Trust aims to build long-standing relationships with successful applicants and, subject to an annual review, continue its support over time.There are no application deadlines. Examples of the support given include core costs for Compaid, a digital skills centre in Kent that supports people with disabilities and sensory impairments and Glassdoor, an organisation that offers shelter to the homeless in London.
Read more - Marsh Christian Trust
Funding to support Charitable Equine welfare organisations affected by the Covid-19 crisis
Grants of up to £5,000 are available to help small and medium-sized charitable equine welfare organisations which have experienced unprecedented financial and operational challenges as a result of the coronavirus crisis. The Petplan Charitable Trust has joined together with World Horse Welfare and the National Equine Welfare Council (NEWC) to create a Covid-19 Equine Rescues Emergency Fund to help smaller equine welfare organisations whose primary focus is the rescue and re-homing of equines. Priority will be given to NEWC members and those smaller organisations that have not received emergency funding from other emergency funds. The average grant is expected to be around £2,500-£3,000. The deadline for this round of applications is the 15th January 2021.
Read more - Covid-19 Equine Rescues Emergency Fund
Grants to support those with mental health issues
The Gamesys Foundation is a newly formed charity, set up by the Gamesys Group to alleviate Mental Health Issues. Funding is available to charities and other not-for-profit organisations with an income of more than £50,000 who support individuals suffering from mental health issues, as well as those who focus on research in the mental health field. The Foundation will also consider funding for other types of organisation so long as they can be proven to have an impact with regard to mental health, support, and treatment. Funding comes from both corporate contributions and employee initiatives. There is no minimum or maximum grant amount and applications can be made at any time.
Read more - Gamesys Foundation
The Ireland Funds Great Britain - Short Deadline for letters of enquiry (6th November)
Not-for-profit and charitable organisations that are based in Great Britain and on the island of Ireland and that have an annual income of less than £1 million are invited to apply for grants of between £1,000 and £10,000. Projects in the following areas are eligible for funding:
- Community Development:
- Positive mental and physical health.
- Community integration.
- Sport and leisure opportunities.
- Protection of the natural environment.
- Supporting vulnerable members of society.
- Education:
- Increasing access to third-level education.
- Ensuring equality of access to a broad range of educational opportunities for people of all ages.
- Arts and Culture:
- Supporting cultural awareness and understanding.
- Increasing access to art forms and collections.
- Community arts initiatives.
During the current funding round, applications are also encouraged for projects that respond to issues related to the coronavirus/COVID-19 crisis. There is a two-staged application process and initially applicants are asked to submit a Letter of Enquiry that
outlines the proposed project no later than 11pm on 6th November 2020.
Read more - The Ireland Funds Great Britain
The Grocers' Charity
The Grocers’ Charity typically provides one-off grants up to £5,000 for U.K. registered charities working in the areas outlined below. Please follow the links to read the specific criteria for each;
Applications will NOT be considered from:
- Places of worship;
- Educational establishments (schools, colleges, universities);
- Individuals;
- Charities whose beneficiaries are overseas;
- Non-UK registered charities (not regulated by the Charity Commission);
- Charities with a turnover of over £500,000, except for Health/Medical Charities (up to £15m turnover).
Deadlines for an initial enquiry:
- 14 November (if invited, 2nd stage application decisions are in March)
- 10 January (if invited, 2nd stage application decisions are in April)
- 9 March (if invited, 2nd stage application decisions are in June).
Read more - The Grocers' Charity
Animal Welfare Emergency and Normal Funding Schemes
The Jean Sainsbury Animal Welfare Trust supports charities that work:
- to benefit or protect animals
- to relieve animals from suffering
- to conserve wild life
- to encourage the understanding of animals
Coronavirus Emergency Funding - The Trust continues to accept emergency applications for help with running costs due to the effects of Covid19 on fundraising. See the Emergency Applications page for the criteria for emergency funding and the emergency application form.
Normal Funding Process - The normal funding application process is also open with the first deadline for applications being 15th January 2021. Please go to their Applications page
9th November 2020 - Autism a Hands On Approach Online Conference
The 'Autism - a Hands on Approach' conference has proved extremely popular and has become firmly established in the ‘Stockport’ autism calendar as an event where parents, carers, professionals and autistic individuals have a chance to meet up, listen and network. The contributions from speakers with lived experience are an illuminating and valued part of the day. They aim to provide a wide selection of information, generally having a very varied audience and are aware that everyone has their own particular interests and issues.
They have been fortunate over the years in attracting many world renowned speakers in the field of autism and this year is no exception. Tickets are £50 for professionals, or £20 for parents carers and those with autism.
Read more - Autism Online Conference
Monday 9th November 2020, 10.00am - 11.30am - Virgin Money Foundation 2020 Masterclass: Social Impact.
Join GLT Partners for this free masterclass exploring three areas of tracking, recording and reporting that you should consider, if you aren’t already, on top of your standard outcomes measurement in order the help evidence your social impact;
- Health and wellbeing - mental health (internal and external)
- Equality, diversity and inclusion
- Partnerships, relationships and collaborations.
Book here - VMF 2020 Masterclass
Wednesday 2nd December 2020, 10.30am - 11.30am - NCVO/Zurich Webinar: Steps to building organisational resilience – key things to consider
Since the start of this year charities have had to deal with huge levels of change and the associated risks that this brings. A move to an increasingly digital way of working and a reduction in funding caused by Covid-19, coupled with a challenging global risk environment, pose real risks to their long-term resilience. To respond to future challenges, charities must be able to adapt to a changing environment. This webinar will explore key considerations for making your charity resilient, including financial sustainability, reputation and governance. We will also explore good practice and identify quick wins to support your charity’s continuous improvement.
Book here - Steps to building organisational resilience
Fully Funded Learning Curve Courses available across most of England (excluding Liverpool City Region and Bristol/Gloucester)
Learning Curve Group have a wide range of training courses including an updated infection control course, behaviour that challenges, children & young people's mental health, dementia care, learning disabilities, understanding autism and many more. These courses are available fully funded to learners who are;
- 19+
- have lived in the UK or EU for at least 3 years
- are not on any other government funded programme
- who have not previously accessed for funding for the same course
For a full list of the courses available visit www.LearningCurveGroup.co.uk. For more information on how to sign yourself or your staff up to these courses please contact Stephen Hind at Learning curve on [email protected] with how many people you are looking to put forward.
Health Education England - Free online courses
HEE have a huge range of online training available free for NHS professionals and those working or volunteering to improve the population's health.
Read more - HEE courses
Bitesize Funding Fair - Northumberland County Council's Community Chest Scheme
The aim of the Community Chest Scheme is to support community groups, organisations and Parish Councils to deliver activities which contribute to achieving the Council’s ambition for Northumberland. The Community Chest Scheme will support one-off initiatives that are:
- seen as valuable to the area
- are not able to secure mainstream funding from the council or other sources
They do this by giving one-off grants of up to £5,000, but not exceeding 75% of the actual costs, i.e. you will need to find at least 25% from your own or other sources. Projects that specifically help the community to recover from the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic may apply for up to 100%. Parish Councils can apply for the first time in 2020/21 for projects that help their communities to recover from the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic. The next deadline is Friday 15th January 2021. Full details are available on NCC's website.
The Council are hosting two opportunities to enagage and ask questions;
- Thursday 19th November; 11am - 12 noon. Book here
- Tuesday 8th December; 6pm - 7pm. Book here
Join the meeting up to half an hour before the start time. Grab a coffee, check your sound and video is working and have a chat with other attendees. Presentations will start soon after the advertised start time.
- Iain Hedley, Community Regeneration Officer at Northumberland County Council, will give an overview of the fund and application process, including answering any questions you may have.
- General funding discussion - opportunity to ask Iain any general questions about the Community Chest, share your experiences of this or other funding opportunities or ask Northumberland CVA's Funding Officer, Marc Johnson, any funding related questions.
Free Fundraising Course (East Riding of Yorkshire)
East Riding Voluntary Action Services (ERVAS) are running a Beginners Guide to Fundraising on Wednesday 18th November 2020, 10am - 12pm. The course will cover the basic tools of fundraising, with a general overview of the many methods available to any VCSE organisation. The emphasis of the training is to allow participants to explore sustainable sources of funding as part of a long term fundraising strategy. The course will take place through Zoom.
Course aims:
- To provide an overview of fundraising methods
- To outline the regulation of fundraising
- To provide guidance on developing a fundraising strategy
Book here - Beginners Guide to Fundraising
Low Cost Training with Community Matters Yorkshire
Community Matters Yorkshire's autumn training programme still has a few courses available during November & December;
- 17th Nov Effective Bid Writing - Do you struggle writing successful funding bids? This session will take you through the key practical steps in describing the essential elements of your project, to tell funders what they need to know.
- 3rd Dec Operational Plans - The uncertainty of the past few months has required many of us to think on our feet and quickly adapt our services and projects to deal with the pandemic crisis. There has never been a time when it has been more important to take a step back, review, access and then plan the way forwards.
- 9th Dec Simple Marketing - This workshop we will look at marketing - things you can do on a shoestring to promote your organisation, and some tips to possibly improve what you do already
To book places either go to the associated eventbrite page or contact [email protected] All courses cost £5 a place and will be delivered online via Zoom.
Do you work closely with Care Homes in Lancashire?
Rosemary and Time have some Gardening with Dementia kits, including a set of adapted tools, some bulbs and a booklet all about how to keep on gardening in later life, all in a bright red trug! The first 70 that they have put together are being given away for free (thanks to some funding) with a caveat of feedback to help them develop them further. They are suitable for care homes or people living with dementia at home and are currently only available to anyone in Lancashire. Email Donna Rowe-Green for more info; [email protected]
Green Health Grants to improve health, wellbeing and the environment (Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire, Knowsley, St. Helens & Wigan or Leigh).
Voluntary and community groups and other not-for-profit organisations in Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire, Knowsley, St Helens, Wigan and Leigh can apply for grants of up to £10,000 for projects which contribute towards the conservation, protection and improvement of the environment whilst benefiting the health and wellbeing of local communities. The City Health Care Partnership Foundation is offering funding for volunteer led activities, projects or one-off events which aim to reduce waste and the use of plastics, help to reduce C02 emissions such as sustainable/green travel projects, encourage greener behaviour in young people, preserve/protect wildlife, and help to preserve or reuse water. Applicants must have an annual income of under £30,000 to be eligible. The deadline for applications is 5pm on the 1st November 2020.
Read More - Green Health Grants
Free Training from Halton & St Helen's CVS
Halton & St Helen's CVS with support from The National Lottery Community Fund are pleased to be able to bring together, facilitate and deliver a broad and ongoing programme of support that with the current situation in operating during such difficult and unprecedented times aims to support staff, volunteers and trustees.
- 24th November - Leading Under Pressure - This session will support managers and leaders to lead their teams with compassion and empathy, without losing sight of the business requirements. We will explore how your own communication style and approach can have a positive impact on team members engagement keeping them motivated and productive.
- 3rd December - Negotiating Your Lease Successfully in a Covid World - The Ethical Property Foundation - the property advice charity for the UK voluntary sector - is delighted to offer this free property webinar for non-profit organisations in partnership with Halton & St Helens Voluntary & Community Action. Learning together: To demystify some of the legal jargon commonly used in leases under English Law. About the lease process and how to negotiate the right lease for your organisation. About different types of agreement – lease vs licence. To recognise and manage common risks in lease negotiations. Guidelines to follow when reviewing or terminating your lease.
Book here - Leading Under Pressure
Book here - Negotiating Your Lease
26th November 2020 - Free Safer Recruitment of Staff and Volunteers Training (Northumberland)
Community and voluntary organisations need to ensure safe recruitment practices to help make sure their staff and volunteers are suitable to work with children, young people and adults as part of their commitment to keep children safe from harm. Safer recruitment of staff and volunteers should be a continuing process of improvement within your organisation.
Taking place remotely using Zoom, this session will be delivered by Catalyst Stockton on behalf of Northumberland CVA as part of Safer Culture North East. Attendance is free to Northumberland voluntary and community organisations, and to those operating in other areas covered by the partnership. This session covers how to recruit safely to ensure the safeguarding of children, young people, and adults in the recruitment of staff and volunteers in community and voluntary organisations. By the end of this workshop you will have gained an understanding of: Your organisations' safeguarding responsibilities in recruitment and management, Key safeguarding issues involving staff, Key safeguarding issues involving volunteers, What needs to be included in a robust safeguarding policy and effective procedures.
To register, email [email protected], with the name of this training session in the subject line. You can book only one place for yourself. If you have colleagues who wish to attend, they must make their own reservation. This event is part of Safer Culture North East, a partnership between VONNE, Connected Voice, Durham Community Action, Catalyst Stockton-on-Tees and Northumberland CVA, funded jointly by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, and The National Lottery Community Fund.
Greater Manchester Mental Wellbeing Grants
Greater Manchester Centre for Voluntary Organisations, working in partnership with 10GM, have launched a small and medium grants programmes to support adults from communities of identity or experience, based in Greater Manchester, that may struggle to achieve high levels of mental wellbeing. These grants are in addition to the micro grants already available to voluntary and community groups and social enterprises that will support people to develop high levels of mental wellbeing.
The communities they want to reach are:
• Adults from black Asian minority ethnic (BAME) communities
• Adults living with long term physical and mental health conditions
• Disabled adults
• Socially isolated older people
• Military veterans
• People who are unemployed
• Adults who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, questioning/queer and/or intersex (LGBTQI)
• Adult carers.
Read more - GM Mental Wellbeing Grants
Psychological Support Fund for North Cumbria
North Cumbria Health & Care System and Cumbria County Council have provided a combined total of £180k of funding for voluntary sector organisations supporting people struggling with their mental health during the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. The Psychological Support Fund will be held by Cumbria Community Foundation. The considerable impact of Covid-19, and the subsequent lockdown, has been significant on people’s lives – physically, emotionally and economically. Anxiety, stress and depression are normal reactions to life events such as losing someone, losing your job, or suffering isolation.
It isn’t inevitable that everyone needs clinical intervention and timely support may be better delivered by small, local organisations. Bids for grants of up to £25k which tackle the following areas will be considered:
- emotional wellbeing - impact of anxiety and isolation
- bereavement.
Bids for grants of over £25k which demonstrate a collaborative application from multiple charitable organisations will also be considered. If you are considering making an application please call Annalee Holliday at Cumbria Community Foundation on (01900) 825760 or e-mail [email protected]. To find out more about each strand of the Psychological Support fund please click on the links below.
Read more - Emotional Wellbeing Strand
Read More - Bereavement Support Strand
Free Funding Workshops (Cumbria)
Cumbria CVS are working in partnership with the Imagination Lab and Lancaster University to host a series of funding workshops. There are two different levels available – both designed to help hone your fundraising skills: please choose the one(s) most appropriate to you/your organisation.
- Bid Writing Workshop(s): A 60 – 90 minutes overview presentation on writing a successful bid for funding followed by a Q&A session. It covers why bids can fail, decoding what funders really want, and how to organise your application for clarity and effectiveness. Wednesday 25 November 2pm - 3.30pm.
- Bid Writing Surgery: This is a 3-hour session aiming to allow you to carve out space to write your bid while also giving you the opportunity for a brief one-to-one consultation with Professor Cruickshank regarding any questions you have about your funding bid. Tuesday 17 November, 1pm - 4pm.
To book a place contact [email protected] quoting 'Funding Workshops' in the title of the email.
More info - Cumbria CVS Website
Free Training in Youth Work, Health and Social Care (Oldham)
We have been made aware that training company The Training Brokers is running a number of courses which are free and accessible to people living in the Oldham area. Courses on offer include a number of adult care issues (dementia, dignity, safeguarding), adult and young peoples' mental health awareness, plus youth work and education support qualifications.
Read more - The Training Brokers courses
Funding Available for Firefighting Equipment and Training Courses (Humberside)
Humber Aid have been donated various pieces of new/still boxed firefighting equipment. These are available to local charities, non profit making organisations and community groups - free of charge. They are also pleased to announce that they have scheduled some dates for the following workplace safety courses;
- 20th Nov - Fire Extinguisher
- 4th Dec - Manual Handling
- 17th Dec - Fire Marshall
- 7th & 8th Jan - First Aid at Work
- 15th Jan - Emergency First Aid at Work.
Course places are free to local charities, non profit making organisations and community groups. Places are very limited due to COVID-19 measures.
Read more - Humber Aid Equipment and training courses
Digital Skills Apprentices offering services (Tyne & Wear & Northumberland)
Could you benefit from the skills of a digital apprentice? As part of the Skills Match initiative by the Community Foundation Tyne and Wear and Northumberland, charitable organisations can apply for support over 12 months from a digital apprentice. Local apprentices from Accenture will provide support in areas such as website design, customer relationship management systems development, and the effective use of digital communication platforms. Eligible organisations can apply by sending a short paragraph summarising the project idea for which they'd like support to Colette Harrison, Sector Support Officer at [email protected].
Social Prescribing Guide & Toolkit produced by Community First Yorkshire
Community First Yorkshire have launched their Social Prescribing Guide and Toolkit to help North Yorkshire's voluntary and community sector navigate the world of social prescribing and join up a community of care.
Read more - Social Prescribing Toolkit
Greater Manchester Moving Oldham Local Pilot Grants
Do you have an idea for a local project which will contribute to increasing physical activity? They are open to any ideas for all groups across Oldham, but priority will be given to activities which involve:
- People in Failsworth and Glodwick (as selected 'Local Pilot' areas)
- Children & Young People aged 5-18 in out of school settings
- People out of work/at risk of becoming workless
- People aged 40-60 with, or at risk of, long term conditions like cancer, cardiovascular disease and respiratory disorders
Any group can apply if you have an activity which might contribute to the above aims. This includes unconstituted groups if they can identify other ways to be sure the funding you receive will be spent on the aims above.
Grant amount: Micro grants are available for amounts up to £1,000 on a rolling programme. Larger grants up to £5,000 are available for decision through community-wide 'Participatory Budgeting' event, as well as up to £25,000 for ideas that have been developed alongside the community as part of the wider Local Pilot work. Contact [email protected] if your project requires more than £1,000.
Read more - Greater Manchester Moving
Green Care groups unite (Norfolk)
Green Care organisations in Norfolk are looking to come together to better promote their services in anticipation of rising health issues as a result of Covid-19. Therapeutic horticulture, care farming, community garden and nature-based groups in the county want to create a Green Care Network that will heighten awareness of what they offer to GPs and clinical commissioners. It is envisaged the initiative could signpost opportunities for individuals looking to move to the next stage of their recovery journeys through Green Care.
Carlyn Kilpatrick, of the Nurture Project at Kettlestone, and Nigel Boldero, who has been involved in various community gardening projects, are heading the efforts to create the Norfolk network. Nigel said: 'We are all conscious of how “all things green” have become so much more important for so many people over the last few months, and the profile of the natural world and our part in it have become more prominent. As we face another period where many people may find themselves in restricted circumstances, and with the prospect of considerable unemployment and rising mental health issues, I firmly believe that Green Care projects and services have a massive role to play and am committed to helping them through the formation of the network.’
It is hoped the hub could also share expertise, resources and ideas between members, potentially via an online platform that would be accessible to the 150+ people and projects already interested in the network. Project collaboration, training and promoting research could also become areas of mutual support and development.
Anyone interested in finding out more, should contact Nigel by emailing [email protected].
5th November 2020, 11.00am - 12.30pm - Supporting Volunteers with Additional Needs training (Staffordshire)
There are many benefits to both volunteers and organisations when you involve volunteers with additional needs. Diverse volunteer teams bring different perspectives and skills to your organisation. However you may be unclear how to recruit or are not sure how to support them well. This training is funded by Staffordshire County Council. To access this session for FREE you must be a member of Support Staffordshire or Staffordshire Council of Voluntary Youth Services. Support Staffordshire reserves the right to charge you for your booking if you are not a member.
Book here - Support Staffordshire
Princes Trust Team - Community Projects Needed for Students (Rugby)
Do you need some help? The Princes Trust Team in Rugby are looking for a community based project for 2 weeks on 29th March - 5th April or 26th July - 6th August 2021. Teams can renovate outdoor areas and gardens, decorate run down interiors, redesign quiet spaces, create specific themed rooms and much more. For further details, please email Georgia Allen, Team Leader - [email protected].
Youth Action Grants (Derbyshire)
Derbyshire County Council has extended its Youth Action Grants programme, making an extra £221,000 available. The grants are aimed at projects for children and young people aged 0 to 19 years and up to 25 years if they have a disability. Eligible organisations include voluntary and community groups, social enterprises and parish councils providing services in Derbyshire. Applications must support the wellbeing priorities in the DCC Council Plan. Applications should be made ASAP as the programme will run until the money has been allocated. DCC have committed to responding to all applications within 6 weeks.
Read more - Youth Action Grants
Funding to Support the Mental Health and Wellbeing of Veterans (West Midlands)
The Armed Forces Covenant Positive Pathways Programme, as listed in the 'General Funding Opportunities' section of this newsletter, is particularly encouraging applications from under-represented organisations in the West Midlands.
Read more - Armed Forces Covenant Positive Pathways Programme
IGas Community Energy Fund (Lincolnshire)
IGas Energy Plc is one of the UK's leading onshore hydrocarbon producers has announced that its Community Energy Fund has opened for applications. The fund covers specific areas of Hampshire, West Sussex and Lincolnshire where the company operates. IGas support projects that make a difference to life in the mainly rural communities where they operate. Organisations that are eligible to apply include community and voluntary organisations that are charitable, educational or benevolent in purpose; as well as local schools. Applicants will need to demonstrate need for their project, real community benefits and value for money. IGas need initial expressions of interest in order to register projects and then require submission of full applications by the 28th February 2021. The grants panel will make its decisions in April 2021.
Read more - IGas Community Energy Fund
Health & Wellbeing Grants (Derbyshire)
South Derbyshire CVS manages a number of small grant funds for voluntary, community and not-for-profit organisations wanting to make a difference to local people and communities. You can apply for up to £2,000 in total. Guidelines and application forms can be found online.
Read more - South Derbyshire CVS Community Funding
Free Mental Health Training (Derbyshire)
The Mental Health Team in Public Health at DCC have been working with various training providers to develop a virtual offer. There are some new dates available and a range of FREE virtual courses including:
- Mental Health First Aid (Adult)
- Mental Health First Aid (Youth)
- Mental Health Awareness
- E-learning Psychological First Aid
For more information visit the following link.
Read more - Free mental health training
The Evelyn Trust – Health and Wellbeing (Cambridgeshire)
The Evelyn Trust’s Small Grants programme is open to health and wellbeing charities in Cambridgeshire. Applications for £4,000 to £10,000 of funding are considered every quarter with no deadlines. The Larger Grants programme offers grants of up to £250,000 to support medical research and health and wellbeing projects in the county. The deadline for larger grants is 30 November.
Project are particularly welcome which;
- Support young people within families with mental health, alcohol, violence or substance abuse issues
- Assist working age adults with long-term conditions and healthcare communities that support these issues
- Enable older people to receive help and support in the community.
Read more - Evelyn Trust
Alfred Haynes Charitable Trust grants (Birmingham)
The Alfred Haines Charitable Trust is a small local grant making charity. The Trust primarily allocates its funds to support local organisations helping people to improve their quality of life. The Trust prefers to make donations towards specific items and does not give to large appeals. The Trustees prefer to support specific projects and concentrate on helping smaller charities based in Birmingham and the immediate surrounding area. They meet quarterly to consider written applications for grants.
The majority of donations are made on a one-off basis. Sometimes the Trust will agree to fund a project annually for up to three years subject to receipt of satisfactory project reports. One off grants are normally in the range of £250 to £2,000. Please check their exclusions list before applying. Also grants are not normally made to individuals.
Read more - Alfred Haynes Charitable Trust
North Warwickshire FSB membership Subsidy
North Warwickshire Borough Council has just unveiled a new support Scheme for micro/small businesses (companies employing up to 10 people) as part of the Local Economic Recovery Plans. The Council has forged a new partnership with the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) enabling independent businesses and the self-employed to claim significant discount off direct business support. The Council is subsidising FSB membership for new members in the local authority area, opting to pay the first £50 of the usual fee and FSB is waiving the normally required joining fee. That means that you can join from as little as £97, down from a typical £177.
Once businesses take up the subsidised membership, they can access the full package of business support from the FSB which will help firms to manage their HR issues and get to grips with their legal obligations. The full membership package includes:
- 24/7 FSB Legal Protection hotline and online hub of legal documents, employment protection and HR guidance including information on the furlough scheme
- Tax Investigation Protection – members have automatic access to comprehensive and free tax advice and tax investigation insurance
- FSB Workplace pensions – a straightforward and cost-effective solution specifically designed to help small businesses ensure their workplace pension scheme is fully compliant
- Free Business Banking with the Co-operative Bank
- FSB Care – a hotline for business owners to seek advice on support on mental and physical health concerns
- £10k of built-in FSB Cyber Protection insurance to projected websites, databases and email systems
- Debt management and late payment tools to help SMEs to get paid on time and in full
- FSB Funding Platform which makes seeking out available and relevant business funding easy.
The subsidy is available now so If you are interested in finding out more about this offer please email [email protected].
Be Heard project (Cornwall)
Cornwall Advocacy is launching a new project called 'be heard', to support people with learning disabilities, especially around the pandemic, which is affecting this group more than others. If your work with people with learning disabiloities there is a poster to download and display to help raise awareness.
Read more -
10th November 2020, 12.00pm - 2.00pm - Trustee Recruitment Workshop - Getting It Right (London)
If your organisation has struggled to find a broader range of trustees to fill the void in your skills audit, then this workshop will really benefit your group. Funded by the Mayor of London and delivered by Getting on Board, this interactive on-line workshop is suitable for both current trustees and senior staff. The workshop will help you to identify what skills and life experiences are missing from your Board and how to address these gaps with strategic recruitment. The session will provide you with a clear idea of the type of trustees you need, a draft advert/role description, a list of free places to advertise and a plan to ensure that new trustees hit the ground running. The workshop is suitable for current trustees and senior managers.
Read more - Download the flyer here.
17th November 2020, 2.00pm - 4.00pm - POP ideas online workshops: The Difference We Make (Plymouth)
Plymouth Octopus Project (POP) are running this 90-120 minute session to help you prove the difference you make. Proving the difference your social enterprise, voluntary or community group makes is always important and even more so right now. Getting this right can help you attract more funding, support, volunteers, media coverage and inspire your team. Join them for an online workshop on key principles of social impact and learn some tricks, tips and techniques to help you prove the difference you make more effectively. You’ll also walk away with a draft social impact report!.
Book here
4th November 2020, 9.30am - 10.30am - Proving how your Voluntary and Community organisation makes a difference (London Borough of Bexley)
Explaining how you hope to make a difference on one sheet of paper helps you and funders understand what your Voluntary and Community organisation is there to do. This 1 hour session will help you understand how to communicate how you see change happening using a Planning Triangle or Theory of Change. Learn the basics of whether a Planning Triangle or Theory of Change is correct for your group. This session will be held over Zoom by Bexley Voluntary Service Council's Impact Officer, Karen Jefferys. Karen has been working in the voluntary sector for 20 years, 15 of those involved understanding monitoring terms like these and 6 of these years were in the borough of Bexley.
This session is suitable for: Staff and volunteers, Project workers, Person responsible for fundraising, Trustees, Beneficiaries that you want to involve in your work. All of whom can benefit from having a basic knowledge of the subject. Participants will need to know how the terms outputs, outcomes and impact are used in our sector so if participants have not been on the previous Impact in Action course, just get in touch with Karen for an information sheet or 1-2-1 support. BVSC thanks the City of London Corporation’s charity, City Bridge Trust for making this training possible.
Book here
Free training - Social Enterprise for Voluntary Organisations (London Borough of Sutton)
This 3 hour session led by Community Action Sutton will give participants the opportunity to:
- Analyse your organisation’s current charitable purpose or mission and how this relates to the proposed trading activities, products or services
- Identify the social and commercial goals that your social enterprise wants to achieve,
- Outline the proposed trading activities, products or services the organisation intends to develop,
- Identify the most appropriate legal structure and governance arrangements for the new enterprise.
Participants will also have the opportunity to produce an action plan for taking forward a social enterprise idea, that includes:
- Timescales
- Required resources
- Potential Income.
Book here - Social Enterprise for Voluntary Organisations
Funding for the rehabilitation of young offenders (Kent)
Registered not-for-profit organisations in Kent can apply for grants of up to £75,000 for projects that support the rehabilitation of offenders and to help reduce the consequences of their imprisonment. Grants are offered to local organisations working in Kent and national charities currently offering, or planning to offer their services in the county. Collaborative/partnership working is particularly welcome, but consortium applications must be submitted by a ‘lead’ organisations. The funding is being made available through the NewColyer-Fergusson Charitable Trust’s Investing in Rehabilitation programme. This is a rolling programme and applications can be submitted at any time.
Read more - Investing in Rehabilitation Programme
IGas Community Energy Fund (Hampshire & West Sussex)
IGas Energy Plc is one of the UK's leading onshore hydrocarbon producers has announced that its Community Energy Fund has opened for applications. The fund covers specific areas of Hampshire, West Sussex and Lincolnshire where the company operates. IGas support projects that make a difference to life in the mainly rural communities where they operate. Organisations that are eligible to apply include community and voluntary organisations that are charitable, educational or benevolent in purpose; as well as local schools. Applicants will need to demonstrate need for their project, real community benefits and value for money. IGas need initial expressions of interest in order to register projects and then require submission of full applications by the 28th February 2021. The grants panel will make its decisions in April 2021.
Read more - IGas Community Energy Fund
Community Partnership Grant (North Somerset)
Local charities, and voluntary, community and social enterprise organisations providing health & wellbeing services for disadvantaged people in North Somerset can apply for grants of up to £20,000. The North Somerset Community Partnership Grant has been set up by the Quartet Community Foundation and North Somerset Community Partnership to support small community-based organisations which help people disadvantaged by poverty, disability, age, location or culture. Funding will help support groups and their beneficiaries that have been affected by the Covid-19 crisis, supporting new ways of working, and aiding long-term sustainability. Funding will also support other health and wellbeing initiatives, including sports facilities for schools. The deadline for applications is 2pm on the 7th January 2021.
Read more - Community Partnership Grant
Tender Opportunity - Partnership, referral and revenue generation opportunities with Go Train through Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) Commercial Agreement for Employment and Health Related Services (CAEHRS) Framework.(Cornwall)
Go Train are seeking organisations in the VCSE Sector in Cornwall to support the co-design and delivery of locally focused services for groups of individuals with disabilities; health conditions; who are unemployed; or have a barrier to work that will enable them to select, train for, obtain and retain employment.
Following a comprehensive and competitive tender process in August this year, Go Train is one of only 28 Prime organisations nationally that have been approved and contracted by Government/DWP to manage and mobilise supply chains within local regions under the CAEHRS Framework, over the next five years. Go Train is one of only 16 Prime organisations appointed to the whole of the Southern England Lot area.
Go Train are seeking Expressions of Interest (EOIs) from the Voluntary and Community Sector who are interested in working with us and bringing their expertise and innovation to prepare fresh, flexible and locally focused approaches that puts the customer front and centre of the provision and to create and sustain outcome focused solutions.
Many people face profound barriers to finding, training for, obtaining and retaining employment including disabilities, health conditions and entrenched unemployment and we are looking to bring together local organisations to develop innovative solutions/services/approaches to supporting people to improve their lives.
Covid-19 has impacted the workforce, in particular those people working within sectors, such as hospitality and leisure and who now require extra support and re-training to gain alternative employment, along with this, unemployment amongst the youth continues to rise and must be urgently addressed.
To register your interest please fully complete this short EOI by 5pm on 6 November 2020. This will be the start of your journey and dialogue together and further conversations will be arranged once they have visibility of the DWP’s call off requirements (mini competition details).
To find out more about Go Train, please visit their website: www.go-train.co.uk and if you have any questions or require further information, please email [email protected].
Organic Horticulture Diploma courses (Devon/Cornwall)
Chyan Farm is an organic fruit farm and supports Chyan Community Field which is an educational project training in sustainable farming, community orchard and country crafts. The Farm has a partnership with Circo Kernow and they are developing an organic horticulture diploma. The course isn't currently listed on their website, but if you are interested in finding out more about when it might be available why not visit their website below?
Read more - Chyan Farm
Free mental health training (Bristol)
Thrive Bristol offers free mental health training, funded by Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire Clinical Commissioning Group (BNSSG CCG) and Bristol Public Health, with a range of online courses for people in VCSE organisations, covering topics like building resilience, suicide awareness and bereavement. The courses are running throughout September to December, but many are booked up so move fast if you want to secure your place.
Your group or organisation can also book free private training by emailing [email protected].
Read more - Thrive training
Free radio advertising with Greatest Hits Surrey and East Hampshire
To mark the re-brand of Eagle Radio as Greatest Hits Surrey and East Hampshire, Bauer Media is launching a package of local initiatives to benefit local workers, charities and businesses in the area as they deal with the economic impact of the Covid-19 pandemic. These initiatives include:
- Free advertising airtime for charities, hospices and other not-for-profit community organisations to support them in communicating messages and campaigns as they rebuild their fundraising base post-lockdown.
- A ‘Getting Back to Work’ campaign that will promote local job opportunities both on-air and online. Local employers will be encouraged to submit vacancies for inclusion, allowing them to reach a wide audience of local job-seekers free of charge. Job vacancy bulletins will be broadcast four times a day to local audiences and will be promoted on the relevant Greatest Hits Radio website.
Applications for both initiatives are open now. Employers looking to participate in the ‘Getting Back to Work’ campaign should email [email protected] for more information. Charities and non-profit partners regarding free advertising airtime should email [email protected].
Good thinking - Digital mental wellbeing (London)
This free service provided for Londoners is thanks to London’s NHS, London’s borough councils and Public Health England. Over 120 online resources are signposted to through Good Thinking, including wellbeing information sources; guides to improving mental health; courses on and offline; mobile apps and other therapy approaches suitable for London’s modern, highly-mobile population.
Read more - Good Thinking London
Free Setting up as a CIC Briefing (Bristol)
VOSCUR, the VCSE support organisation for Bristol, is hosting a free training course on 10th November 2020. Becoming a Community Interest Company (CIC) is an exciting step forward for groups or organisations that want to be a business and have social impact. However, you will need to think about some key issues first, to make sure you're doing the right thing for you and your social enterprise. The course is for anyone considering a CIC model for their social enterprise, or for an existing business or charity that wants to convert to a CIC.
This briefing covers why and how to set up as a CIC, and how to run well once you are set up.
What will you learn?
- When a CIC is the best choice for your social enterprise.
- How to choose the right CIC structure for you.
- How to register as a CIC.
- The roles and responsibilities of the Board and Directors.
Read more - Setting up a CIC briefing
Become a BTSE Associate Member (London Borough of Bromley)
If you are already involved in delivering health and social care services, why not join Bromley Third Sector Enterprise’s network of members and be a part of the Bromley Well community of providers. You will also have the opportunity to apply for funding reserved exclusively for associate members. It’s completely free and you won’t be expected to do anything over and above your existing provision – unless of course you decide to!
Read more - BTSE membership
London Resilience Fund
The London Resilience Fund is the Mayor Sadiq Khan’s £1m innovation programme to support London’s businesses and community groups in their recovery from the coronavirus crisis, and to ensure they’re better prepared for future emergencies. The Fund is open to a broad range of public, private and third-sector organisations in London that are looking for solutions to the challenges they are experiencing and who are set to benefit from the innovations.
The fund will support the designing and testing of innovation with grants that enable:
- the creation of tools to help London’s economy
- emerge from the current crisis, and fare better during future stresses and shocks
- London’s community of small businesses and community organisations to adapt, diversify and deliver services in new ways, while boosting their levels of preparedness, awareness, skills and capacity
- positive social change that addresses London’s major stresses – from inequality and food insecurity to poor health and wellbeing
The first round of applications will open in September 2020. Grants of up to £50,000 will be available to support designing and testing these innovations.
Read more - London Resilience Fund
Need help with your charity? (London Borough of Bexley)
Bexley Voluntary Service Council has been funded by the City of London Corporation’s charity, City Bridge Trust, to support Bexley charities with FREE consultancy style work for the next two years.
If your charity needs:
- Increased funding
- Improved evidence of the difference you are making
- Support with re-focusing your work post lockdown, or
- Someone to help you seek practical suggestions of solutions
…then Karen Jefferys, BVSC Impact Officer, is eager to help. She has put together this leaflet for those who would like to find out more.
Read more - Impact In Action
Wessex Water Recovery Fund (South West)
Wiltshire Community Foundation is delighted to be working in partnership with Quartet, Somerset and Dorset Community Foundations to deliver the Wessex Water Recovery Fund across the South West region. For this year only as a response to the challenges faced by local communities Wessex Water Foundation are providing grants that will support local projects strengthening our communities following the coronavirus outbreak.
This fund will seek to support a wide range of local projects across our area. Priority will be given to those that are working to:
- support people in financially difficult circumstances
- help build stronger communities
- support the green recovery with new initiatives
- restoring and protecting nature and wildlife for community health and wellbeing
They particularly welcome applications from BAME groups. Grant are up to £2,500. Only the following organisations are eligible to apply;
- Voluntary and community groups with charitable aims
- Registered Charities
- Not-for-profit and Community Interest Companies - providing they are limited by shares, there are at least 3 unrelated directors the majority of which receive no payment from the company
- Town and Parish Councils
- Schools
All organisations must be based and working in Wiltshire's Wessex Water area. Applicants outside of this area should apply to their relevant Community Foundation. Closing date for applications is 4th December, 2020, with the decisions made in January 2021.
Read more - Wessex Water Recovery Fund
Free Canva essentials course (London)
Want to make your organisation stand out from the crowd but don't have the money or know-how to make it happen? Say goodbye to mountains of text and hello to eye catching publicity materials. Canva is a free online tool that you can use for all of your designs, such as posters, flyers, social media posts, presentations and more.
In this short course for beginners, they will :
- look at some essential design principles, including font, colour and layouts
- create simple designs with confidence
- download and share your creations
This is a practical hands-on course. There will be mini tasks set during the course of the presentation. One pre-course requirement; If your organisation doesn't already have a Canva account, please set one up before the training. The basic account is free. You can apply for the Canva Not for Profit scheme here, which will give you access to lots of the paid for features.
This course is for anyone working in a voluntary or community organisation that is responsible for designing and communicating publicity for a charity or grassroots community group. You will need basic to intermediate computer skills but you do not need to be a techie to take part. You don't need to be a designer either!
This is an online interactive live training session. You'll take part in interactive exercises such as breakout room discussions, polls or chat conversations. You will be asked to complete individual technical tasks on your PC or laptop. You will not be able to join this training using a mobile device. It's likely that you will need to either create online accounts or download appropriate software, which we'll tell you about in advance.
Read more - Beginners Guide to Canva
SF&G Competition to win outdoor play equipment from Copper Beech Play!
We have recently launched the first of three photo competitions to win beautifully handcrafted play equipment for your site made by award winning family company Copper Beech Play. This opportunity is open to Social Farms & Gardens members and we are only promoting it to people in the Social Farms and Gardens Facebook Group. Share a post to this group using the hashtag #SFGCopperBeech along with a photo.
The photo should relate to the monthly theme and November's theme is: "Celebrating spaces that support and empower refugees". The closing date is 30th November 2020. Find out more about the competition and the themes for the January and March 2021 rounds here on our website.
Free Online Counselling for Farming People
The Royal Agricultural Benevolent Institution (RABI) has launched a groundbreaking online wellbeing community and counselling service for farming people across England and Wales. It is based around two websites delivered with a specialist online mental health provider – one for adults and one for 11- to 17-year-olds. Users are able to anonymously access farming-related and more generic content, as well as discussion boards, case studies and messaging functions. Other tools include a journal to record and track progress against personal goals, plus tips and articles. The websites include farmer-friendly content that addresses some of the current “complex and varied” challenges such as loneliness, Brexit-related anxiety, animal health and crop disease, and debt.
Read more - RABI mental wellbeing services
Create your own Coronavirus QR code
If you haven't already done it, here is the link to create a coronavirus NHS QR code for your venue.
Read more - Gov.uk Create your own Coronavirus QR code
Blog on handy tools for Fundraisers
Lime Green Consulting have put together the eight (mostly) free online tools for fundraisers. Save time and fundraise with these handy online tools. Some of them will make you scarily efficient!
Read more - Lime Green Consulting Blog
Crowdfunding Support
Crowdfunder have just launched a campaign called #CrowdfunderStartups to help people who have decided that now is the right time to start crowdfunding. There are a whole host of guides, case studies and webinars over here on their website.
Read more - #Crowdfunder Startups
Why are funding applications are rejected?
Although this article is specifically in response to applications from one funder (The Catalyst), it offers a great guide to the most common reasons funding applications are rejected. It even includes tips on how to avoid having your bid turned down.
Read more - The Catalyst Blog
Understanding what insurance you need
McClarrons are an independent insurance broker who offer specialist insurance advice and exclusive rates to our members. They have put together this useful insurance flow chart to make it easier for care farms and other green care providers to see what types of insurance they require.
Read more - McClarrons Insurance Flowchart
The Animal Effect podcast
Prairie Conlon, licensed mental health professional, examines the different ways animals can have an impact on our life. Health and wellness are evolving. More people are seeking out and using holistic and natural ways to improve wellbeing, and animal assisted interventions and therapy are emerging as an incredibly effective resource.
Listen here - The Animal Effect Podcast
Free business skills training to family farms.
Family farm businesses can now register for the Prince’s Trust Farm Resilience Programme which offers free business skills training to family farms in order to maximise profitability and resilience.
Read more - Farm Resilience Programme
Seeking young people's views on barriers to farming
The NFU is seeking the views of young adults aged 17 to 26 on careers in agriculture with the aim to identify any difficulties they face when considering a career in farming, in order to provide relevant advice and support.
Read more - NFU Young People & Agriculture survey
Free Guidance on setting up a charity
The Small Charities Coalition exist to support people who want to make a difference to society. They have produced a simple guide for anyone wanting to set up a charity and can also support on the journey.
More info - Simple Guide for setting up a charity
Free Graphic Design software for non-profits
Canva is a really easy-to-use graphic design platform which enables you to create social media images, short videos, infographics, reports, flyers, brochures and other marketing materials. Like most things there is a free version which has restricted access and watermarks on images - and then there is the "Pro" version which has loads of extra useful features which you would normally you have to pay for. However, Canva now offer the Pro version free of charge for charities.
Apply here - Canva Pro for non-profits
12 Best Twitter Hacks for Charities
Still struggling with those 280 characters? Lost amongst all the Twitterati? Look no further. While the Twittersphere can be daunting, the social media platform is useful for building engagement. Charity Digital has compiled a list of the 12 best hacks for charities.
Read more - Top 12 Twitter hacks
NCVO webinars - Watch again
NCVO has a large back catalogue of webinars to watch again online on a number of useful topics including;
- How to manage operational change in a time of uncertainty
- Decision-making in a crisis: collaboration and merger
- Volunteering in a pandemic: Lessons from volunteering organisations
- Easing of lockdown: practical considerations for managing and supporting staff
- Building organisational resilience: Things for small charities to consider
- Making decisions in tough times
- Board leadership: Supporting your charity though the next phase of coronavirus
- How to manage operational change in a time of uncertainty.
Read more - NCVO online
NESTA toolkit for helping people reach their goals
NESTA is an innovation foundation which has put together this useful toolkit. Now more than ever, there is a need to help people live well in their homes and communities. The coronavirus pandemic has highlighted the importance of diversifying sources of help beyond the hospital, and of drawing on support from friends, neighbours, local organisations and charities to ensure people can live healthy lives. It means thinking more flexibly about what ‘help’ means, and how the right help can make a huge difference.
NESTA have produced this guide which outlines eight characteristics of Good Help, which aims to support practitioners, system leaders (such as service managers, charity directors or commissioners) and any person working in a direct ‘helping’ organisation to:
- Understand the behaviour change evidence that underpins Good Help
- Develop new ideas or adapt offers of Good Help, which can be tested out in their own organisations or local communities.
Read More - Re-imagining help Toolkit
New Female Focused Farming Forum Launches
Home on the Farm is a new online network developed to support females in farming and farming families throughout the UK. The forum is the brainchild of Milly Fyfe – industry ambassador, farmer’s wife and mother, together with the Farming Forum, Farm Safety Foundation and The Farming Community Network (FCN).
Having shared her own experiences of loneliness and isolation in the Farm Safety Foundation’s 2020 Mind Your Head campaign earlier this year, Milly has been working with the Farm Safety Foundation, FCN and The Farming Forum, a thriving online community with over 45,000 active members in the agricultural industry, to create a new online community for females in farming where they can have conversations about issues that matter to them, concerns for their family and the future and share advice and experiences.
Read more - Home on The Farm
Stay safe everyone and keep in touch with us. We love to hear from you!
You can send general enquiries to [email protected] or you can contact Debbie and Rachel on [email protected]
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