Charity Digital Code have created a checklist to help charity boards and leaders with the decisions they need to make about digital during the coronavirus crisis.
The checklist aims to help charity trustees and leaders do the following during the crisis:
Make the right decisions about digital
Review view digital progress made so far
Create a shared understanding of your charity’s digital goals
As charities increase their use of digital there is a lot to think through. This can be made manageable by:
Choosing only the most relevant topics from the checklist – you don’t have to use the whole resource. Pick one topic that’s most important to your charity right now and discuss at your next board meeting
The executive team, or a working group, could review progress against the checklist and report this to the board
The Institute for Voluntary Action Research (IVAR) are offering a number of Covid-19 peer support webinars for VCSE leaders.
These 90 minute sessions, for up to 10 voluntary sector leaders at a time, will give you the opportunity to explore and discuss the challenges you are currently experiencing, precipitated by the COVID-19 outbreak. We understand that you may be facing huge stress and uncertainty, and hope that these sessions will offer a space to share experiences, dilemmas and worries.
One leader who has already taken part commented that:
“It was really powerful to be part of one of these sessions … incredible to hear about the wide range of experiences and challenges faced by colleagues and to identify together commonality within that diversity.”
As a by-product of this work, IVAR will also feedback to funders the kinds of challenges that voluntary sector organisations are currently facing. This will help funders to think about what kind of support they need to be offering, and how.
If you are unable to attend, but would like to be kept informed about future dates please email vanessa@ivar.org.uk
We have some exciting news to share! Our Volunteer Centre has undergone a rebrand and we are now known as the “‘Basildon, Billericay and Wickford Volunteer Network”, with a brand new logo. We feel this better describes the partnerships we have with our third and public sector organisations and are keen for the Volunteer Network to have its own identifiable brand that can be better known in the community. Behind the scenes we are working on developing our volunteer offer and are developing our new Volunteer Network website which will be our “one stop shop” for all things volunteering – watch this space!
Please get in touch if you’d like to talk about any volunteering opportunities (formal or informal) you might have that we could help you promote – volcentre@bbwcvs.org.uk
Donations will be quarantined for 72 hours and customers required to use hand sanitiser before browsing the clothes rails and handling the bric-a-brac on the shelves, under plans drawn up by the UK’s charity shops as they prepare to reopen their doors in June.
According to the Guardian, Barnardos will be among the first to start trading, with plans to reopen 70 of its 700 UK shops in England from 8 June. Read the full article here.
The Government has freed up £150m of funding raised through dormant bank accounts to support social enterprises and charities working through the Covid-19 crisis.
Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden announced he would speed up the release of £71m of new funds and reallocate £79m already released to help charities’ responding to the coronavirus outbreak. The “Coronavirus Community Support Fund” is open for applications, with funds due to be distributed by The National Lottery Community Fund.
Following the positive response to May’s virtual Dementia Friends Information Session, the Billericay Dementia Action Alliance, in association with Anisha Grange Care Home is announcing a number of new dates that have been added to the series!
Over the one hour live-stream session, you will gain a greater understanding of dementia, learn how we can all contribute to make our community more dementia friendly, and get insights into how local businesses can become more accessible to those members of our communities, both living with and caring for loved ones with dementia.
The virtual events will be taking place on:
Basildon, Billericay & Wickford CVS are putting together a peer network for the third sector in their area.
They plan to have a private group initially consisting of the leaders across our borough’s non-profit organisations. Eventually they intend to expand this network to support a broader range of roles and discussions to suit you. If you want to be a part of this development and have your say, answer three questions and register your interest.
Mind in West Essex have collaborated with The Wellness Society to produce a free online course for managing anxiety during the coronavirus outbreak.
“In this course we explore what stress and anxiety are, as well as introducing you to several tools for dealing with anxiety and methods for preventing and reducing physical anxiety symptoms (i.e., autostress).”
An honest look at opportunities, challenges, tips and ideas for raising money for creative projects during the Covid-19 pandemic
The creative industries are facing a number of extraordinary challenges during the Covid-19 pandemic.
This webinar will bring together some fundraising experts, to share honest knowledge, wisdom and tips for organisations and individuals needing to rethink their approach to public and private investment in creative projects.
This event is facilitated by always possible, in collaboration with Essex 2020, funded by Essex Partners.
The response to coronavirus (COVID-19) has demonstrated the contribution that communities make to public health. Community life is essential for health and wellbeing, and we are all more aware of the value of social connections, neighbourliness, sense of belonging, control, and mutual trust.
This blog discusses the roles and activities of communities following the outbreak of COVID-19, and their resilience in the face of new challenges posed by this pandemic.
Community action
Since the outbreak of COVID-19, communities have sprung into action. Neighbours are connecting and looking out for each other more than usual, informal support groups in local areas have organised to support people in need, and now there are over 2000 groups listed on the mutual aid website established during the pandemic.
Solidarity is felt in communities across the world towards those who are helping us all. Many people have stepped forward as formal volunteers; in the NHS, community hubs and local charities.
ONS weekly research into social impacts of COVID-19 has seen a steady increase in community spirit over recent weeks;
nearly two thirds of adults (64.1%) saying other local community members would support them if they needed help during the pandemic (up from 57% previous week)
three in four adults (77.9%) saying they thought people are doing more to help others since the pandemic (up from 67.9% previous week)
nearly two in three adults (62.6) had checked in on neighbours who might need help at least once in the last seven days (up from 53.8% previous week)
over one in three adults (37.5%) had gone shopping or done other tasks for neighbours (up from 27.7% the previous week)
Ensuring no one is left behind
Communities have shown and built their resilience over recent weeks, but extra support is needed to support the seldom heard, isolated and excluded individuals and communities. Not everyone can contribute to or benefit equally from neighbourhood action, and those that are already disadvantaged may find it challenging to maintain resilience and participate in social networks in the face of the outbreak. Volunteer and community organisations play a valuable role here.
The role of the voluntary and community sector (VCS)
The VCS has always been a key player in the public health system, and this is even more evident in the current situation. They are often closer to and better at connecting with marginalised groups than other sectors and are ideally placed to implement more community-centred approaches. Their role in reducing health inequalities is essential. National charities and larger VCS organisations support the vital work of local organisations by helping to co-ordinate efforts across the sector.
Community resilience
Having a strong community infrastructure and supportive social networks are factors that help communities withstand and adapt to shocks. The importance of community resilience during emergencies is recognised nationally and internationally. The UK Community Resilience Development Framework sets out actions for Local Resilience Forums to ensure communities are central to response and recovery. These include identifying local community networks and assessing differing needs, supporting community-led social action and working alongside VCS partners.
International guidelines from the Global Inter-Agency Standing Committee offer further recommendations on the role of organisations in facilitating the conditions for community mobilisation, self-help and social support.
Many factors impact on a community’s ability to be resilient and thrive. The World Health Organisation recommends measuring community resilience by considering the different social, human, cultural, environmental and economic capacities.
Strengthening communities – the role of public health
Understanding community needs and strengths and building local action are part of the public health response and can help build resilience.
We know from our research that it is essential to facilitate the conditions for communities to thrive. This includes:
the role of community development, especially in marginalised communities, in order to increase people’s control over their health and wellbeing;
having a strong and co-ordinated voluntary & community sector, reaching out to those in need through responsive and innovative ways;
ensuring basic needs are met through employment, housing, food, income, natural environment and education, as prerequisites for community engagement and action;
maintaining two-way communication and decision-making between communities and organisations, to ensure needs and priorities are understood and addressed;
skilling the workforce in working with communities, using strengths-based approaches and coproduction;
utilising community-centred approaches to provide support and services, alongside professional-led services;
coordinating a place-based offer that is integrated across agencies and delivered at a small neighbourhood level.
Maintaining community resilience
The pandemic has not only highlighted the importance of communities but also investing in a community-centred public health system. In order not to lose these gains as we recover from the pandemic it is vital to maintain the centrality of communities and continue to strengthen community resilience through our ongoing efforts to improve the nation’s health and wellbeing.
PHE will be continuing its Healthy Communities work to support localities in taking a whole system approach to community-centred public health. We have a growing library of practice examples and welcome additions related to community-centred work during COVID-19. Communities everywhere are showing care, compassion and co-operation to get us through these difficult times. During this public health crisis, the voluntary and community sector and organisations who have responded so expertly and our thanks and recognition must go to them.
Some resources you may find helpful:
Thrive in Trying Times free online learning programme for community mobilisation and wellbeing during COVID-19 from FutureLearn.