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Fund Raising Top Tips

How to make sure your proposal stands out

‘Are you proposal ready? If not, what do you need to do to get there? As fundraisers, we are all faced with two main constraints:  our budget and time. This can lead to feeling overwhelmed and the need to rush and churn out proposals.’ Read more here.

Top tips for grant fundraising

‘Ever since I started fundraising, it’s been “a competitive time” out there. Funding requests have always outnumbered the available grants given out, as charitable need has always exceeded philanthropic supply. Lately, though, things seem to be beyond challenging.’ Read more here.

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Cost of Living Crisis – Guidance & Advice

This document was put together by the internal DSC wellbeing team to provide some guidance and advice to our staff about the cost of living crisis. It includes some background information alongside a number of practical tips and general guidance. Take a look here.

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EEDI (Equality, Equity, Diversity & Inclusivity) & Wellbeing Hub

The hub details our own EEDI journey at DSC, as well as listing a host of helpful resources for you, including books, articles and training. There are podcasts, organisational culture articles, mindfulness videos and much more! View it here.

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Charity Commission Publishes Summaries of Charities Act Changes Due This Autumn

‘ The Charity Commission has published short summaries of the changes to the Charities Act coming into force this autumn. They include changes to how trustees can be paid for providing goods to the charity, what charities need to do when appeals raise too much or too little, and how they can amend Royal Charters.’ Read more here.

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ELEVATE Criminal Justice Alliance (CJS) Taster Day

Do you have lived experience of the criminal justice system? Do you have the potential to be a leader for change?

 We are delighted to announce that the Criminal Justice Alliance (CJA)’s lived experience leadership programme, ELEVATE CJS, has opened applications to attend the ELEVATE CJS Taster Day 2022. Attendance is not essential to apply to be part of the ELEVATE CJS 2023 cohort, however it is an invaluable opportunity for potential emerging leaders to learn more about the programme.

 About ELEVATE CJS

 The Criminal Justice Alliance is piloting ELEVATE CJS, a comprehensive twelve-month leadership programme that promotes the redistribution of power to people with lived experience of the criminal justice system.

 The programme aims to dismantle the barriers of stigma and tokenism, which prevent emerging leaders who are working in the sector from progressing to positions of power and influence.

 Through personal and professional development training, the programme will equip individuals with the skills, knowledge, and networks to advance systemic change, challenging the criminal justice sector to reimagine who can be a leader.

 ELEVATE CJS runs from January to December. The first cohort will begin the programme in January 2023.

 Read more about ELEVATE CJS, and sign up to be first to hear when applications open for the 2023 cohort, here.

  About the ELEVATE CJS Taster Day

 The ELEVATE CJS Taster Day is an opportunity for people who may apply to be part of the 2023 cohort to find out more about the ELEVATE CJS Leadership Programme. Attending the ELEVATE CJS Taster Day 2022 is not essential for applications to be part of the ELEVATE CJS 2023 cohort.

The Taster Day is taking place in Central London. Successful applicants will receive an invitation by email in the coming weeks, with details about the venue.

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Black History Month, by Sue Spiller, Sobus CEO

October includes a number of national awareness events – with Black History Month probably the most notable.   

To mark Black History Month, Sobus are collecting stories from BAME led community and voluntary organisations to discover how and why they started, who they support and what they’ve achieved.

By sharing these stories, we can build understanding – and from this, develop stronger bonds and trust relationships with others.

If you would like to share your story, please contact Sobus: info@sobus.org.uk

There will be a range of local events and activities in the borough to celebrate Black History Month.  H&F Council has compiled some of these on their website.  You can find out more by visiting: https://www.lbhf.gov.uk/articles/news/2022/09/black-history-month-events-october

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Cost of Living Crisis: How to Reduce Your Shopping Bills, by Sue Spiller, Sobus CEO

A combination of Brexit, the impact of Covid-19 and the war in Ukraine are continuing to push prices up – causing yet more hardship for residents in Hammersmith & Fulham that so many local voluntary and community groups are supporting.  

All of us are feeling the effects of increasing prices of gas and electricity and the worrying costs of everyday food items.  Like many of you – I’m making changes at home – turning down the heating and not having it on for as long as I used to, and nagging my daughter when she leaves all the lights on!  Many of our older residents can remember times without central heating, where jumpers, cardigans and woolly socks were a necessity rather than a fashion statement.  My parents first had central heating in 1968 – something regarded as the height of luxury (along with wall-to-wall carpeting).  My mum can recall, “Before then, we didn’t have radiators or heaters – we had a coal fire in the living room and that was it.  All of my life, in autumn and winter it was just a given that we would be cold at night.  We had bed socks and hot water bottles to keep us warm, and dressing gowns and slippers were an absolute must in the mornings!” 

But when it comes to food costs, we have generations who have become reliant on fast food, ready-meals, cheap carbohydrates and out-of-season fruit and veg – and it’s something of a rude awakening for many to realise that some of our entrenched behaviours might just need to change. Read on

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Black History Month 2022 in H&F, by Sharon Tomlin, Sobus Community Organiser

The theme for Black history Month (BHM) 2022 is “Time for change: action not words”.

“To ensure real change, we need real support from our allies. It’s time to reset your mindset and support us with actions, not words. Join with us, see something, say something, don’t be a passive bystander”. Black History Month online

In the borough of Hammersmith and Fulham, the council and some local organisations have organised a range of activities that include series of talks to exhibitions.

Sobus is in the process of creating a publication on local black and ethnic minoritised – led   organisations. We are currently interviewing local organisations that operate within the borough. We would like to extend an invitation to organisations who would be willing to participate. If you would like to share your history of operation within Hammersmith and Fulham, please contact Sharon Tomlin by emailing sharon.tomlin@sobus.org.uk by Friday 7th October.

BHM will run from 1st October through to 31st October 2022.

In the meantime, please see below some links on further information.

Black History Month: London Brough of Hammersmith and Fulham

https://www.lbhf.gov.uk/articles/news/2022/09/black-history-month-events-october

Parkview Community Champions, White City Community Centre – Friday 28th October 2022

Afternoon of celebrations 1pm – 5pm

Contact: carmella@upg.org.uk or call 07593  582 886

Black History Month

https://www.blackhistorymonth.org.uk/

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Top Tips for Lobbying Your local MP

Are you thinking about contacting your local MP about an issue or cause? Here’s some information on how they can help and how you can reach them. Read it here.

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