Barons Court Project pop up shop at: The Crossing, 18 Lillie Road, SW6 1TS, will be selling cards and artwork from HomeLess Made along with other items from Monday 6th December to 23rd December 2021. Sales support the artists, who are homeless or living with mental health conditions, and Barons Court Project, so we can help more people off the streets.
Are you currently weighing up the pros and cons of a remote vs hybrid work setting? We’ve been through it, find out how we made our decision with Ben Wittenberg’s helpful tips. Read the article here.
It’s not too early to buy a present for your loved one for Christmas.
The Grove Neighbourhood Centre is having a Seasonal Sale this Saturday 27th November between 11am and 3 pm.
Please do come along and support the Centre by buying something.
We will be having clothes (including Designer Rail), shoes and accessories, jewellery, gifts, and bric a brac.
The Charity Commission have updated their guidance on safeguarding and protecting people for charities and trustees, click here to read the full guidance and updated information.
The Charity Retail Association is launching a Charity Shop Gift Card that will enable their members to offer a single gift card that can be redeemed at any participating charity shop. Click here to find out more.
The recent meeting of world leaders in Glasgow at the end of October provided a useful opportunity to remind us all of the precarious balance our environment is in, and the chance to think about how we can, as organisations and individuals, do our bit to help this vital area of work. Read on
November is certainly a notable month – with the beginning of the month starting Bonfire Night on the 5th November, where we celebrated a foiled attempt by Guy Fawkes and his associates to blow up the Houses of Parliament, and Diwali, observed by more than a billion people across the world.
Diwali, also known as the festival of lights brings prayer, feasts, fireworks and, for some, a new year. The end of Diwali in 2021 coincides with Bonfire Night – so no doubt the skies over London during the first weekend in November lit up!
Are you managing a mix of remote and in-person working at the moment? This article from the Financial Times has some interesting tips for businesses (but still relevant to charities!). Find out more.
Statutory services are increasingly keen to engage with local voluntary and community organisations – but a problem we often come up against is the sheer level of jargon, acronyms and mind boggling terms and concepts often used by professionals relating to their area of work or expertise. I’m sure that within their organisations, the language they use is every-day, but for many of us, trying to decipher terms and phrases that everyone else around the table seems to be perfectly familiar with, can be daunting to say the least!
If we don’t understand the conversation – we cannot meaningfully contribute to it, and again the voice of the sector and those we support goes unheard. Whilst Sobus will continue to campaign for statutory services to stop using jargon and mystifying terminology and acronyms, I don’t think it will ever disappear completely!
Of course, it’s not only perfectly fine to interrupt a speaker to ask them to explain the last set of complex letters and jargon they’ve used – but only by challenging on a regular basis as and when these instances occur will we get the message through to our erstwhile colleagues, that they need to simplify the language if they expect us to be real partners and collaborators.
However, asking questions of this nature takes confidence (which not everyone has), and for many, the worry is that they will appear perhaps less professional, less educated or not able to contribute to the discussion at the same level as their statutory sector colleagues – which of course is not true at all! The insights and experiences of the VCS is critical in order for us to ensure that local systems and services truly meet the needs of our residents.
Most of our statutory sector colleagues are only too happy to be reminded to avoid the use of unnecessary jargon and use straight forward terms and language – and will gladly work with organisations to help them understand the background, context and terms used. In the meantime, Sobus has started to put together “jargon busters” that you can use to help you understand some of the terminology and acronyms that we often come across on a regular basis.
We’ll update these regularly – as pithy new phrases, words and abbreviations are regularly created! If you have any others that you think we should include – we’d love to hear from you!
Jargon buster health & social care
Jargon buster crime & policing
The Sobus led BAME Mental Health research report was published nearly a year ago. The impact of COVID has by most evidence increased the prevalence of mental health issues facing individuals and communities. The report has had an impact at strategic and local levels on trying to deliver a more community focussed, integrated and equitable services that addresses the needs of all individuals and communities who need mental health support.
Overview of some of the engagement opportunities and projects transforming mental health and support locally. Read on…
