This toolkit has been developed by Greater Manchester Health and Social Care Partnership for the benefit of the health and care workforce, including colleagues in the NHS and social care, as well as those in the voluntary sector, those delivering health and care services in the private sector and our unwaged workforce too. Find out more and download the toolkit here.
As the country slowly comes out of the lockdown, changes are afoot in our libraries too – please click here for the latest information on library services as we come out of current restrictions.
In the meantime, we continue our programme of online events that includes talks, courses, book clubs and more – there is a lot on in April and we hope you’ll join us!
Don’t forget you can access a whole online libraryof newspapers, journals, comics, books, audiobooks and more at all times, with just your library card.
There is a lot happening on our social media platforms too.
Throughout the Covid-19 pandemic we have been posting and sharing a wide range of support and advice for the sector. As a result, we have collated this information into an easy-to-navigate page where you will find a roundup of helpful information regarding operating in the current pandemic.
This page includes our most recent Covid-19 funding update pages, as well as specific sector news and more!
Click here to have a browse of the page and explore the useful content.
I am excited to share that we have recently developed a versatile, well‐equipped event venue and co‐working space for charities, superbly located in Shepherd’s Bush that can be hired at a competitive rate.
The Anti Tribalism Movement is seeking tenants for our spare office facility and use of the ATM’S Culture House. This is a spacious office complex at basement and 1st-floor level.
Find out more here
There are important employment, equality and data protection laws that need to be considered when deciding what steps your organisation will take to support the Covid-19 testing and vaccination programme. Click here for some excellent guidance produced by Charity Retail Association.
The National Audit Office (NAO) has released the report on its investigation of the government’s emergency funding package for the charity sector, which the Chancellor announced nearly a year ago on 8 April 2020.
The 42-page document examines the Department for Culture Media and Sport’s (DCMS) distribution of the money, including how it delivered the package, how charities accessed funding, and the rate of progress.
The grant is enabling Good Things Foundation to support people who often don’t receive support or fall through the gaps. Good Things are building their confidence, helping them learn new skills, and supporting them to achieve positive employment outcomes. Find out more about Make it Click here.
We have seen, and anticipate further, increases in demand for DWP’s services due to the Covid-19 pandemic and we need to be able to serve more customers to provide them with the support they need.
To achieve this, we will look to:
- optimise the use of existing estate;
- other organisations and other government departments to provide space; as well as
- explore potential options for new, temporary premises in locations where we expect increased demand.
We can confirm that a new temporary site at 1 Hammersmith Broadway, London, W6 9DL has been identified as suitable space to open a temporary Jobcentre and accommodate experienced and newly recruited Fixed Term Appointment (FTA) Work Coaches to deliver services to our customers approximately three to four months after 24 February 2021.
Work Coaches working from all sites, including the new temporary sites, will be able to decide how best to engage with customers, and to choose the best and most appropriate channel. Work Coaches will use their knowledge of the customer and the local situation to decide whether or not this should be face-to-face, on the phone or online, bearing in mind the latest guidance on both social distancing and guidance on opening offices in line with the local Covid-19 alert levels. The safety of our colleagues and customers remains paramount.
Due to the economic impact of the pandemic, it is vitally important that the Department helps support both new and existing customers through these critical Work Coach roles. This will help ensure that our millions of customers receive the payments and help that they need and to ensure that we continue to support often the most vulnerable members of society.
Please let me know if you would like to discuss our plans. Anu Bilon, Service Leader Anu.bilon@dwp.gov.uk
AY Group Community Services CIC is a charitable organisation focused on serving and improving the lives of people in our community. When the UK went into Lockdown in March 2020, Shop and Donate was born. From the food donations we receive, we create food parcels which we send on to local elderly and vulnerable residents, NHS staff and other food banks who support thousands of people in need. Shop and Donate is also an online shop, where we sell a variety of fresh fruit and vegetables.
The proceeds from this go into sustaining and improving our growing services! Together with our sister organisation AY Group Community Services CIC we have been very successful in supporting disadvantaged individuals within our community and across London.
Click here to view our timetable
Click here for details on the Social Supermarket loyalty card
Social Prescribing London launches on International Social Prescribing Day – 18 March 2021, commissioned by Greater London Authority to specifically support the VCSE sector to deliver on social prescribing.
It is aimed at London-based VCSE organisations and shares information to help them become more involved with social prescribing, including a toolkit, useful resources, and case studies from existing social prescribing services. There’s also support for social prescribing Link Workers with links into local services, and information for commissioners of social prescribing services to help them better understand the VCSE sector.
To find out more, visit https://socialprescribinglondon.uk
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.