The National Security Centre (NCSC) guidance for SMEs to help protect your organisation and email accounts from future compromise:
https://www.ncsc.gov.uk/section/information-for/small-medium-sized-organisations
‘The government has pledged to consider “the specific challenges” faced by charities around energy bills when deciding whether to offer additional support. Last week, the government set out the details of its Energy Discount Scheme, which included £5.5bn in energy costs relief between April 2023 and the end of March 2024 for private sector organisations and charities that are on a business energy tariff…’ Read more here.
Please see following links to booklet which contains information to help and support Hammersmith and Fulham residents with the cost of living crisis:
Web page: www.lbhf.gov.uk/costofliving
Online booklet: https://www.lbhf.gov.uk/costofliving/booklet
“Social media is constantly evolving – with new algorithms and updates making it more difficult to keep up to date and achieve cut-through. To maintain the same level of engagement, communicators need to find different ways to use each channel, for instance, Twitter chats.” Read more here.
‘In our experience, foundations often transform themselves step by step by integrating new approaches into existing and proven processes. Therefore, we have structured this guide like a toolbox containing compartments for the different steps of a funding process: for the application phase, the reporting requirements, the grant restrictions and grant agreements, as well as the organisation of the cooperation during the funding period…’ Read more here.
“Social media is now widely accepted as a crucial part of any organisation’s comms strategy. But what does ‘good social media’ look like? Not just on particular platforms, but across all of them? It’s a question I hear a lot and it might be something that you, your team, or, perhaps, your whole organisation struggle with.” Read more here.
North West London Health Academy is delighted to be hosting a face to face ‘Careers Festival’
Are you caring, passionate and motivated?
Are you looking for a career that is
challenging, fulfilling and diverse?
Start your journey here!
Saturday 28 January 2023
Hounslow House,
7 Bath Road, Hounslow,
TW3 3EB
9:30am-2pm
While many of us enjoy the lead up to the festive season, and spending time with friends and family until the New Year, January can often bring a bit of a slump in our mood.
Taking care of our mental health is absolutely vital – especially those working and volunteering in voluntary and community services that our clients are so often highly dependent on. It’s is really important to take care of your own wellbeing, in order to better support those who are turning to you for help, advice and assistance.
The cost of living crisis is beginning to bite, the post Christmas credit card bills are landing on our doormat, and the continuing short days, damp and cold weather without the sparkle and glow of Christmas lights can make January a bit of a low season. However, for many, the January blues could be seasonal affective disorder (SAD) – a type of depression that comes and goes in a seasonal pattern.
SAD is sometimes known as “winter depression” because the symptoms are usually more apparent and more severe during the winter. Symptoms of SAD can include:
- a persistent low mood
- a loss of pleasure or interest in normal everyday activities
- irritability
- feelings of despair, guilt and worthlessness
- feeling lethargic (lacking in energy) and sleepy during the day
- sleeping for longer than normal and finding it hard to get up in the morning
- craving carbohydrates and gaining weight
- difficulty concentrating
- decreased sex drive
- For some people, these symptoms can be severe and have a significant impact on their day-to-day activities.
Be aware of the upcoming industrial action dates during January 2023
A slew of industrial action and strikes have been well reported in the news in recent months, with transport industries, NHS staff and others walking out in protest. Here are the dates of the strike action currently planned for January. This may well change if unions manage to strike a deal with Government and employers.
Rail strike days:
- 3rd, 4th, 6th and 7th RMT members of Network Rail and 14 train operating companies
- 5th January – ASLEF train drivers
- 12th January – Prospect members on the Elizabeth Line
Bus strike days
4th, 5th, 10th, 12th, 16th, 19th, 25th and 26th January: Unite Abellio bus workers in South and West London.
We strongly recommend checking with staff and volunteers that they have alternative ways of getting to work on transport strike days. It might be advisable to consider moving meetings online if a large number of attendees are going to struggle to travel to a face to face meeting.
NHS Ambulance Staff
- 11th and 23rd January – Unison Ambulance staff
- 11th January – GMB Ambulance Staff
NHS Nurses
- 18th and 19th January – Royal College of Nursing staff
Are you one for making New Year’s resolutions, or do you ignore this tradition as you know you’ll have lost all motivation to stick to it, a few short weeks into the new year? How about we shift the focus from individual, to organisational resolutions?
One thing I’m regularly asked in January, is whether I’ve made any New Year’s resolutions. I’m not a New Year Resolutions person! Ok, in the past, I’ve said I’ll lose weight, get fitter, decorate various parts of the house or overhaul the garden, cut out chocolate, attempt a 5k “fun run” (in my opinion, never has an activity been less accurately named!) or some other such personal ambition – only to either fail to start them completely or given up only a week or two (if that) in to the new year. Willpower was never my strong suit!
However, I’m not alone in this. According to research, only about 16% of people are able to stick to their resolutions, with the majority giving up within 1-6 weeks of starting. Despite our best intentions, it can be difficult to persevere, whether it’s to start a new good habit, or give up a bad one – it comes down to motivation and opportunity.
However, perhaps we in the voluntary and community sector could consider instead, the opportunity to make some “organisational resolutions” – plans to create better habits for our organisation, our people and ultimately, those we support. Read more
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.