The Loss Project’s mission is to generate a community response to loss which challenges the stigma and taboo, cuts through the barriers of having difficult conversations and subjects that can often remain unspoken, whilst providing opportunities for people to connect through their experiences and build capacity to be able to support each other. We have been busy creating our covid-19 response and have a range of creative and support activities that we’ll be releasing in the coming weeks.
Last time we told you about a whole library of books, newspapers, magazines, audiobooks and much more available with your library membership or registration number. We are hard at work to provide as much as we can online during the lockdown, and have started to engage with our communities using different online platforms.
Learn about all the ways you can engage with us online – sign up to online courses, workshops, blogs and social media channels used by the library. Click here
We’ll also suggest some good websites to visit – we’ll point you in the direction of reliable sources of information, entertainment and learning online – places on the web that are informative and fun, but also trustworthy and fact-checked.
BatesCast – A new podcast from BWB
BWB have launched a new weekly podcast delving into all legal matters relating to the current pandemic. Force majeure clauses in contracts are suddenly front of mind for organisations grappling with their contractual obligations. Find out more.
Pro bono advisory webinar – Human Resources and employment
Rothschild and Co are running a webinar on Wednesday 6 May and you can submit any HR questions for them when you register. Find out more.
The Charity Tax Group has prepared a briefing for officials at BEIS, MHCLG and HM Treasury proposing that the eligibility criteria for the Small Business Grants Fund be amended to allow charities to make a claim where they would be have been eligible to claim for Small Business Rates Relief, had they not claimed mandatory charity business rates relief. Find out more.
Please see the following message from Ross at Community Care:
“Community Care is borne out of St Eth’s and is a local-to-Fulham volunteer run network, with a mission to provide a safe door-door delivery service for those in self-isolation during COVID-19. Since mid-March, our team of over 300 volunteers have successfully delivered hundreds of shopping runs to those in isolation, but we want to do more.
Now we have officially extended our service to support all key workers, including NHS staff, teachers and more, with the support of our MP Greg Hands.
Please help share our message. If you are a key worker or self-isolated, or know someone who is, let’s make sure no one goes without during COVID-19.
For more information on how to get involved, donate, or to get help, please visit our website
www.communitycarelondon.com
It’s ok to ask for help. Our own members have utilised our service, and by doing so, have supported the governments ‘stay at home’ campaign.
For those who would prefer to shop for themselves, we have developed a list of all other local delivery services.”
Connecting Choices Virtual Hub was set up in response to COVID-19 in early April 2020. The Virtual Hub is an ESF-funded project that is part of the Building Better Opportunities (BBO) project that started at the end of 2016 described as offering Holistic support for disadvantaged people across Stoke-on-Trent, Newcastle-under-Lyme and the Staffordshire Moorlands.
The website contains useful links to posts that include articles such as “What is Ramadan?” and a link to online training, “Free Online Digital Skills Training for Everyone” and more. Current virtual offerings are weekly activities include Art & Craft and Creative Writing. More activities are in development.
The programme is managed by Ixion a not-for-profit group of companies, delivering government funded provision that is a subsidiary of The Shaw Trust ( http://www.ixionholdings.com/).
For more information visit https://connectingchoices.co.uk/
Following the Labour Party leadership election Rachel Maskell MP has been appointed Shadow Charities Minister, and she says she will be doing weekly surgeries for the Voluntary and Community Sector starting today!
What better time to tell her about your experience of the current crisis, and what support your charity needs to continue to provide critical services for people? Do the government’s existing schemes work for you, and what more do you need? What policy changes might help most?
The Skills Toolkit is made up of free online courses, tools and resources to help you improve your digital and numeracy skills. The Department for Education has consulted some of the country’s leading educational experts and employers to make up a collection of high quality resources to suit a range of interests and skill levels.
Connection Coalition key part of UK Government’s major effort to tackle loneliness and social isolation during the coronavirus outbreak
The group will explore ways to bring people together to build strong community spirit, with a focus on groups at particular risk of loneliness.
Why now?
Since the start of Covid-19, many people have reached out and are supporting their neighbours and communities in creative and inspiring ways. For many people this is nothing new, but for some this is a new and deep experience of community connectedness. More than ever we are seeing that reciprocal relationships build solidarity, belonging and the belief that we have more in common than that which divides us. Britain will be a changed country as a result of Covid-19, but it will have changed for the better if people are ready to build and strengthen the connections within society that bind us together.
An affordable, private, serviced office space suitable for two has become available at Sobus’ Dawes Road Hub in Fulham, close to a wide range of transport links and local amenities.
To view the office, please click here.
If you would like to make an enquiry/ register your interest, please contact:
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.