After a week of high-level discussions between charity leaders and national government, it’s sadly all too clear that amidst the COVID19 crisis our political leaders are not taking the threat to the charity sector and its millions of beneficiaries seriously enough. We must now mobilise every voice so that the message gets through loud and clear to all politicians, the press, and the public. If you’re feeling frustrated, scared, or just wondering what to do, don’t worry, you’re not alone! You can make a difference by putting that energy into action! Many charity infrastructure bodies have now put out guidance and assistance.
Sobus has received feedback from several organisations on service delivery and their concerns in the present COVID 19 crisis. Many organisations are having to scale down services for a variety of reasons whilst others are facing increasing demand. Most organisations will also face financial pressures during this period. Funding is obviously critical and funders are beginning to respond to this situation. The GLA and City Bridge have created an emergency fund for community and voluntary sector organisations. “The emergency scheme will be coordinated by London Funders and will be available to organisations facing immediate financial pressures and uncertainty because of the coronavirus. These include increasing demands for services, higher staff absences, fewer volunteers and lower donations.” More details will be available next week on the London Funders website: https://londonfunders.org.uk/ Sobus is also in contact with local funders and appraising them of the situation and will keep update local organisations on developments. There is also guidance for the Charity Sector from the government during the COVID crisis: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/coronavirus-covid-19-guidance-for-the-charity-sector Sobus would like local organisations where possible to forward any updates on services, or initiatives in addressing needs in the current situation.
The National Council for Voluntary Organisations (NCVO) has published information and guidance about coronavirus intended to help community and voluntary organisations and volunteers to decide next steps they may need to take in light of the spread of the covid-19 virus. Their page is updated daily with the latest government advice and what this means for voluntary organisations, as well as signposting to useful information from other organisations.
Grants of between £500 and £10,000 are now available to charities, CIC’s, CIO’s and voluntary organisations working for the benefit of communities or beneficiaries within the City of London and its housing estates across London. The Stronger Communities Fund is part of the City of London Corporation Central Grants programme and has been separated into the following sub-themes: Developing stronger neighbourhoods and communities; and promoting community health and wellbeing. There are two grant rounds a year and projects must be completed within a twelve-month period. The closing date for applications for the current funding round is the 24th April 2020. Click here
Working from home offers people more flexibility and were you a remote company, you could build a culture where people set their own hours and work at their own pace. However, under these circumstances, you may decide it is important that people maintain their normal office hours and are expected to be online and responsive within those hours. Make a plan — the first important thing now is to set aside time to come up with a plan if you haven’t already. If you don’t have a People team in situ, it’s a good idea to assign this transition to a small task force internally. Find a quiet space — ask your team to think carefully about where they will work, if at home. Do they have a room they can use as an office? Do they have access to a quiet space for calls? As schools are closed along with offices, having a quiet call at home will be challenging. Get IT support backup — you will need redundancy in case your current IT person is sick or just overrun. Prepare for at least two months of fully remote working — better to be over-prepared. Also address mission critical questions: – Can everyone login into everything? – Does your team know who to call if their device crashes? – Does your team have contact info for your Dedicated Customer Support person for the tools you’re using regularly? (e.g. at Zoom, Salesforce, etc.) – Does your team know how to forward calls to their mobile?
Deaf and Disabled People’s Organisations (DPPOs) in London can apply for grants of up to £150,000 to champion the rights of Deaf and Disabled people. The fund is being made available by Trust for London and City Bridge Trust as part of Phase 2 of their Strengthening Voices, Realising Rights Initiative. The aim of the fund is to assist DPPOs in their work to tackle the root causes of poverty and inequality that Deaf and Disabled people face by funding work that seeks to influence decisions, policies and practices, and holds policy and decision-makers accountable for protecting and realising Deaf and Disabled people’s rights. The closing date for applications in this round is 12 noon on the 29th April 2020. Click here
The Guide to Grants for Individuals in Need 2020/21 has arrived! Read on to find out more, or look online. Meanwhile, we’re still awaiting other new editions but for now you can pre-order copies, or take a look at other popular titles below. We’ve even got videos featuring our fantastic authors, telling us what’s inside their publications and top tips.