Trustees Week Events – November

NCVO events: NCVO are running a series of events, as follows:

Webinar: Leading on equality, diversity, and inclusion with your board – 3 November 2021, 11am

Webinar: Undertaking a governance review – NCVO and Trusted Charity – 3 November 2021, 1pm

Webinar: Leading by example on mental health and wellbeing – 4 November 2021, 9:30am

Panel discussion: Strengthening board relationships in times of uncertainty – 5 November 2021, 2pm

Find out more about NCVO’s events and book here.

Getting on Board’s Festival of Trusteeship
Getting on Board’s online Festival of Trusteeship will take place 1st-5th November 2021 and they have offered our members a 50% discount. The festival is filled with exciting events for people who want to become trustees, trustees who want to keep learning and developing, and for charity leaders who want to understand best practice in trustee recruitment and diversity. Use the code SCC50 to receive a 50% discount. The code also works on weekly passes, bringing a pass to attend as many of the 24 events as you’d like down to £12.50.

/by
,

Safeguarding Project Update and Opportunity for Funding

Covid-19 has changed a lot of our ways of working, which creates new challenges when considering people’s safety, and the second part of our events has focused on discussions around how to navigate this new landscape, where there is currently Safeguarding support available, and how this can be improved. As a result of these discussions, we have found that there are some region-specific needs, as well as common themes appearing across all regions. These common themes are:

  • Lack of awareness around safeguarding responsibility and reluctance to have safeguarding conversations
  • Building & maintaining relationships with local boards/partnerships & LADOs
  • Lack of funding for safeguarding trainers/support
  • Need for a list/bank of available safeguarding trainers

We would be keen to know your thoughts around this, do you think our findings are accurate? Do you think there’s anything we’ve missed? Come along to our final Every Person, Every Conversation event on Tuesday 9th November to share your experiences and find out more about the work we’ve been doing – you can sign up via our Eventbrite page. This event is open to all staff and volunteers within your organisation and your members as well, so feel free to share with them too!

As our series of events comes to a close, we are now moving into the next steps of this project. We are working with a research team at the University of Sussex who have been creating toolkit newsletters for Mutual Aid groups – we have commissioned further research which will help to create a safeguarding-focused addition of their toolkit, as well as supporting our work at NAVCA. We will keep you updated about this work as it progresses.

This next step of our project has also created an opportunity for you to work with us and get some funding for it! We are able to offer up to £3,500 to support four projects which focus on safeguarding awareness raising and/or support within your region – it could relate to the common themes mentioned above, or another safeguarding need you’ve identified in your area. The project needs to be additional to any safeguarding work you may already be doing, and the funds would need to be spent by Friday 11th March 2022. Proposals must be submitted via this survey link by Monday 22nd November 2021. This opportunity is for members only, and we will share the outcomes of this work in April 2022 when the project has ended.

If you have any questions or want to discuss any of this in more detail, please get in touch! I would be happy to hear from you and have a chat about the work we’re doing.

/by
, ,

People Arise Now Community Connect Initiative

 
People Arise Now Community Connect Initiative
 
Together we can arise and make a difference in our communities.
 
Join us for our next meeting on Tuesday 26th October 2021
 
For more information click on the link: www.peoplearisenow.org 
 
/by
,

Flu and Covid-19 Booster Jabs

With colder months fast approaching, the winter flu vaccination programme will get well and truly underway.  This year the flu jab will be offered via GPs, pharmacies and schools to:

  • All children who are aged two and three on 31 August 2021
  • All children in primary school and all secondary school pupils under the age of 16 on 31 August
  • Those aged six months to under 50 years in clinical risk groups
  • Pregnant women
  • Those aged 50 years and over
  • People in residential care
  • Unpaid carers
  • Close contacts of people with weakened immune systems
  • Health and care staff

At the same time, a Covid-19 booster jab is being offered to the over-50s, frontline health and care workers and younger adults with health conditions.  Your Covid-19 booster can only be given 180 days (6 months) after your second vaccination.

If you or any of your clients have questions or concerns about getting a flu or Covid-19 booster jab, please speak to your GP or pharmacist or visit: www.nhs.uk

Support from Sobus:

If you would like to arrange a workshop or information session with your clients about the winter flu vaccine and/or Covid-19 booster, Sobus can help arrange for health professionals to attend to provide the right information or advice. 

You might also want to come along to one of our upcoming meetings:

Sobus Health & Wellbeing Forum, 12th October at 1pm

POPS (Provides of Older People’s Services) Forum, 1st November

/by
,

A Word from Sue Spiller, Sobus CEO

Whilst offices and workplaces have opened up again many of us are now working both in the office and from home.  “Hybrid working” is becoming the norm for lots of organisations and businesses, but we need to make sure that we are managing this approach carefully so as to avoid any complications that may arise.

Ideally, organisations should have a clear flexible working policy in place, which includes home working options.  This kind of policy can help you set expectations for staff, such as when they should be logged on, how they will handle communication, and how they will log their time. Having these rules defined can help employees feel prepared and connected to the team. 

If you would like help developing or updating your flexible working policy, please contact us for information and support.

Lastly, October is Black History Month, and we are delighted that a number of local events and activities are planned to celebrate the achievements and contributions of black people both in the UK and throughout the world.  You can find details of these at https://www.lbhf.gov.uk/arts-and-parks/events/race-equality-and-black-history-cultural-events

We have some truly outstanding and inspirational BAME organisations, community leaders and individuals in Hammersmith & Fulham and we need to share and celebrate their stories! 

As always, Sobus is here to provide organisations with the advice and support they need – please don’t hesitate to contact us.

 

/by
,

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

Historically during the month of October, Black History Month – residents, the local authority, community groups, voluntary organisations and community leaders have celebrated aspects of the lives of people from ethnically marginalised communities, particularly from the African and Asian diasporas who have contributed to the borough.

This year sees a strong focus in the borough on creating change and addressing inequalities in areas of local life by working across all sectors that aim to create transformational change and reform paths of accountability.

At Sobus, we aim to capture and celebrate the efforts of organisations with diverse and inclusive approaches that leads to transformational changes for residents and statutory, voluntary and community organisations in the borough.

In honour of the contributions made by local residents we highlight some of the stories that are usually left out of the mainstream narrative.

Read on for an overview of some of our local contributors and events!

/by

Black Heroes Virtual Soul Food Cafe

Feed your Soul is a free online event for everyone to enjoy. It will include singing, dancing, exercise, old school video, black history, books, spoken word, open mic and celebrity guest artists. Taking place every Friday from 7.30–9.00pm, click here to sign up.

/by

Black History Month Events – Support from Sobus

Sobus will not only promote your Black History Month events, but we are offering discounted room hire to all relevant events throughout October. Please contact carita.magnani@sobus.org.uk

 

/by
,

Funders Fair Event: Meet The Funder, 12th October

On Tuesday 12th October  12:00 – 1:00, there will be an online “meet the funder event” as part of our ongoing Funders Fair events. On the 12th it will be the Heritage Fund who will be speaking and taking questions. If you would like to attend please contact admin@sobus.org.uk,  who will let you know the details.”

/by

Charity Commission Public Meeting

The Charity Commission are holding their annual public meeting online on Thursday 30 September. It’s free to attend and you can submit questions in advance of the meeting, so if you’re interested in what’s going on with the Charities Bill given we still have no Minister, or want to throw your hat in the ring for Chair of the Commission, click here to find out more.

/by