Homelessness, faith, community and voluntary sector organisations can now apply for funding of between £10,000 and £100,000 to provide single room and COVID-19 secure accommodation for people experiencing homelessness this winter. The £2 million Homelessness Winter Transformation Fund will award grants to support traditional, dormitory-style night shelter provision and will seek to produce a legacy for the future of winter homelessness support. The Fund is open to organisations in England directly working with people experiencing homelessness, and where more than 50 per cent of beneficiaries are people experiencing homelessness. Applicants must have an annual turnover of up to £5 million. The closing date for applications is the 2nd December 2020 at 1pm. Click here
Social Entrepreneurs in England can apply for grants of between £10,000 and £500,000 to adapt to and grow their services during the challenges of the Coronavirus crisis. In recognition of the pandemic’s disproportionate impact on people from a black, asian or from a minority ethnic background, as well as disabled people, applications are encouraged from social entrepreneurs that have direct experience of the social problems affecting these communities. The funding is being made available through UnLtd, the charity for social entrepreneur’s Inclusive Recovery Fund; and the closing date for applications is 5pm on the 13th November 2020. Click here
The School for Social Entrepreneurs has announced that its Community Business Trade Up programme is open. The programme is open to community businesses in England that exists to improve their local neighbourhood, village or town and who want to recover and rebuild their income from trading and pandemic proof their business. The programme will provide community businesses the support and funding needed to adapt, digitise and diversify their income from trading. Participants will receive a £10,000 Trade Back grant. All community businesses are eligible to apply however, priority will be given to those that are BAME led; located in BAME communities and located in and giving support to very deprived or disadvantaged local communities. The closing date for applications is the 2nd December 2020. Click here
Small Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) -led charities, voluntary and community groups, and social enterprises in England can apply for support to help tackle the disproportionate impact of Covid-19 on Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) communities. Voice4Change England’s Covid-19 Partnership Fund will provide organisations with grants of between £5,000 and £10,000 to deal with emerging issues in the community, as a result of the continuing threat of coronavirus, the need for self-isolation, and potential for further exacerbation of loneliness and isolation. Funding can be used to cover running costs and small capital costs, and support for services such as foodbanks, domestic abuse and violence groups, tackling homelessness, and providing access to technology. The Voice4Change England’s Covid-19 Partnership Fund is due to re-open for applications on the 25th November 2020. Click here
Charities in England and Wales can apply for funding for projects that help disadvantaged children and young people. The funding is being made available through the Masonic Charitable Foundations Early Years Opportunities Grant scheme. The Foundation operates two funding streams. Small grants of between £500 and £5,000 per year for up to 3 years and large grants of between £20,000 and £60,000 per year for up to 3 years. The next closing date for small grants is the 23rd December 2020. The large grants programme is currently closed to applications and will re-open for applications between the 1st February and 5pm on the 31st March 2021. Click here
Local and national charities in England and Wales can apply for grants of between £500 – £15,000 for projects lasting up to three years that support vulnerable and disadvantaged people over 50. To be eligible the charity needs to have an annual income of below £500,000 per year. The funding is being made available through the Masonic Charitable Foundation Later Life small grants programme. The Foundation also offers funding on average of between £20,000 and £60,000 per year for up to three years through its large grants programme. The next closing date for small grants is the 23rd December 2020. The large grants programme is currently closed to applications and will re-open for applications between the 1st February and 5pm on the 31st March 2021. Click here
Businesses across the UK are being invited to collaborate with an academic or research organisation on a Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP), a scheme that helps businesses and not for profit organisations to innovate and grow. Up to £40 million in total is available for part funding of KTPs that will offer businesses the opportunity to access new skills and the latest academic thinking to help them deliver a specific, strategic innovation project. KTPs can last between 12 and 36 months, depending on the project and the needs of the business. The deadline for applications to Innovate UK for this round is the 27th January 2021. Click here
With another national lockdown coming into force across England on 5th November, businesses and self-employed people will be impacted by additional restrictions and closures. These include:
- All non-essential retail venues must close. However, businesses can offer delivery or click-and-collect of goods so you may want to look into this to retain some revenue.
- Hospitality, leisure and entertainment venues must close. This includes gyms, cinemas, and museums.
- Hospitality businesses such as pubs or restaurants can offer delivery or takeaway services only.
- Hotels and hostels can only open to those who have to travel for essential work.
- If you are a business owner, you should encourage your employees to work from home where possible. Those who can’t work from home, such as in construction or manufacturing, can continue to do so in a Covid-secure way.
Please see link to the currently running consultation about the 0-19 Healthy Child Programme in Hammersmith and Fulham – https://0to19healthychildprogramme.commonplace.is/
We are very keen to hear your views and gain your valuable insight, as professionals who support children, young people and families as well as the users themselves, about the current school nursing and health visiting service in Hammersmith and Fulham.
Please use this opportunity to have your say and promote amongst your networks, colleagues and the parents and young people you support.
With your help, last month we reached a huge milestone having successfully saved over 100 tonnes of surplus food from the landfill and offset 350 tonnes of greenhouse gasses in the process. In just 32 weeks since we began our emergency food operation in response to the crisis we have provided 93,000 free meals and 18,000 bags of groceries to residents in need. We have also saved a whopping 102.3 tonnes of food waste by turning surplus food donated via our charity partners and local businesses into delicious and nutritious free meals for local residents.
Volunteering
If you are interested in becoming a volunteer, please register your interest using our volunteer Sign up link or visit our Website.To book a task please respond with your availability and contact our volunteer coordinator Trey – trey@thesmilebrigade.org
Grocery Packers
We need volunteers who can commit to one day per week to help pack fruit, veg and dry goods in the morning from 10am-2pm.
Days Needed: Tuesday, Thursday and Friday.
Location: Clem Attlee Community Hall, Len Freeman Place, SW67TN
Walking Buddies
We’re looking for ‘walking buddies’ – to offer care and support to persons who are vulnerable as the lockdown eases and they are able to go back outside again.
Our walking buddies will support them to regain their confidence in getting out and about again.
Volunteers will support individuals who are socially isolated with very limited social contact with others due to the crisis.
If you are interested in becoming a walking buddy then please reply with your availability along with which locations you are happy to travel to throughout the borough. A car is not required for this role.
Alternatively please fill out our short google docs form to register your interest click here
sobus
20 Dawes Road, London, SW6 7EN
Telephone 020 7952 1230
Email info@sobus.org.uk
Registered Charity No.1071089
and Company Limited by Guarantee. Registered in England No.03471416
Sobus is a new Community Development Agency for Hammersmith & Fulham. It has been created through the merger of the Community and Voluntary Sector Association Hammersmith & Fulham (CaVSA) and the Fulham Community Partnership Trust (FCPT). Building on the strengths of both organisations, sobus aims to provide a wider range of support services for local charities, community groups, social enterprises and start up businesses.