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West London Business Awards 2021 Nominations Now Open

Entries now open for all businesses in Barnet, Brent, Ealing, Hammersmith & Fulham, Harrow, Hillingdon, Hounslow, Kensington & Chelsea, Richmond and Spelthorne!

The nominations phase for the West London Business Awards 2021 is now open. This year, our awards will celebrate business resilience – reflecting the unprecedented impact that the COVID-19 pandemic has had on West London’s community.   The awards are now open for entries from all organisations doing business in West London!

There is no fee for entry, but entrants are responsible for any and all costs incurred in preparing their entry and submitting it for consideration. Shortlisted companies are required to book one company ticket to the Awards ceremony. There is no limit on the number of employees that can join the ceremony on this company ticket. This is to make sure that if you do win an award, one of your representatives will be able to accept the trophy.

Make sure you submit your entry by the deadline of 10pm, Friday 23 October 2020…

Read the Terms & Conditions for the WLB Awards 2021.
Have a question about the awards? Read our FAQs.
Before writing your entry, you are strongly advised to read our guide on ‘How to write an winning awards entry’.
Enter the awards

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Landing a Grant: Ten Top Tips

The Directory of Social Change (DSC) has been publishing information on grant-making charities for over 40 years. So, it’s fair to say that we’ve learned a few things along the way. In this short blog Ian Pembridge, Senior Researcher, shares his top ten practical tips to help boost your chances of securing a grant. Find out more.

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How the Voluntary Sector & Start ups Can Collaborate

NESTA’s latest report outlines how innovative collaborations are an important way to tackle complex challenges. It contains useful ideas for the types of partnerships might help you tackle some of the challenges presented by covid-19. Click here

 

 

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WSA Community Training

Action Learning 
To complement our courses and as another offer to engage and support those working with communities, our Director, Wendy, has trained as an Action Learning Facilitator (another Lockdown activity!). We will also be hosting our first Community Development Action Learning Set starting in October.
Action Learning is a unique way to tackle real problems or issues in order to get things done. Action Learning brings individuals together in small groups where they can explore issues around their direct experience and develop actions around them through the support and exploratory questions of a group.
This will be for a group of 6 and is open for anyone who has a focus on community engagement or community development as part of their work. It is a very structured and facilitated process that has 5 key elements:

  • Issue holders arrive at their own action points and insights about real life work challenges
  • Value comes from hearing others talk through problems and identifying options
  • Leadership, questioning, listening and decision making skills are developed
  • Learning comes from the topics shared and from reflecting on the group process
  • A facilitator guides, encourages and maintains the structure of the session and the focus on learning

For those attending we will host 6 sessions and all members will get the opportunity to fully participate in being issue holders, helping colleagues explore questions, reflecting on learning etc. For more information and to book visit our website https://wsacommunity.co.uk/training/ or email hana@wsacommunity.co.uk.

Our training programmes are based on our extensive experience, and we have worked to develop a range of courses for a wide variety of people who work with communities, including those in local authorities, housing associations, health and the voluntary sector organisations. We have the long experience of being part of the Community Works training partnership and bring much of that delivery to these courses.

The courses will be running from September 2020 and we encourage you to book your places now! The one day courses will consist of two 2.5-hour sessions and there will be one hour’s pre-course work. They are all accredited through Continuous Professional Development and worth a 6-hour credit. The action learning will be over 6 three hours sessions with one session each month for six months.

We look forward to seeing you at these workshops and hope our training offer will support the capacity and sharing of good practice across the sector.

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B&Q Community Reuse Scheme (UK)

DIY store B&Q operates a community re-use scheme through all its branches across the UK. The scheme donates unsellable products and materials for re-use by local schools, other educational institutions and community groups, for the benefit of the local community and the environment. All items are donated on the understanding that they will be re-used or disposed of responsibly if they are not used. Eligible groups include community garden projects, registered charities, schools and colleges, youth groups, Scouts and Guides, hospices, preschool groups and registered child minders. B&Q also works with Community Repaint, a network of schemes that collects any surplus, re-usable paint and redistributes it within their communities to individuals and families on low income, charities and community groups. Charities, community groups, colleges or schools interested should get in touch with B&Q. B&Q will add the organisation’s details to their database of community groups. When a B&Q store has something to donate, they will use this list to get in touch with groups in their area. Click here

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National Lottery Project Grants

Project Grants is open to anyone who needs funding for an arts, museums or libraries project that shows public benefit. We’ve updated our guidance so we can support more individuals and creative practitioners during Covid-19.

Guidance

We’re making sure individual applicants are well supported and, for now, you won’t need to provide 10% match funding to be eligible. We’re also more likely to fund activity that gives you the time to think, plan and test new ideas and we’re funding a wider range of museum and library activity. Find out about these changes and more on our website.

What’s changed?

If your question isn’t covered by any of the above, check out our FAQs before you get in touch. We may already have an answer for you! Read the FAQs >

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Afghanistan and Central Asian Association (ACAA)

The ACAA provides support, Skills and knowledge to help our communities live and prosper in the UK.

The ACAA has started an ‘older people’s virtual social club’. This initiative will assist older people to use Zoom, FaceTime or other video conferencing technology to develop a befriending network supported by volunteers and to develop a peer support group for older people.

English flyer

Persian flyer

 

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Eat Out to Help Out Scheme

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Nominations for the 2020 National Lottery Awards Are Now Open (UK)

Nominations for the 2020 National Lottery Awards are now open to honour individuals who have made an extraordinary impact in their community, especially those who have adapted during the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. This year the annual search for the UK’s most popular National Lottery funded projects will, for the first time, honour individuals who will receive £3,000 for their organisation as well as a National Lottery Awards trophy for outstanding contributions in any of the following categories: arts; charity/voluntary; education; environment; health; heritage; sport; and young hero (under 18s). Nominations for ‘hometown heroes’ or ‘lockdown legends’ will be put before a judging panel made up of members of The National Lottery family and partners. The deadline for nominations is midnight on the 19th August 2020. Click here

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