Hello, welcome to the London Plus March newsletter. Hopefully, you are all coping well as we deal with the last of the harsh winter weather. Brighter skies are on the way, and as the biting cold begins to leave us, we hope the the bite of the cost of living crisis will loosen its grip.
This month there’s more from the London’s Lifelines campaign, along with loads of new funding opportunities, events, and useful resources.
We have also released an interesting new case study on community engagement, which you can find out more about below.
If you have any suggestions for the next newsletter, feel free to contact Henry at info@londonplus.org.
London Plus News
Cost of Living Document
Our cost of living support and resources document is filled with useful resources for those experiencing difficulties as a result of the the cost of living crisis. We’re always updating it, so it’s worth checking to see if there’s anything new.
Cost of Living Good Practice
We also have an organisational good practice document, which spotlights some of the great work from the sector, helping to mitigate the impact of the cost of living crisis. If you have anything useful that could be added to these documents, please contact Henry at info@londonplus.org.
Food Aid Resources
The London’s Lifelines website now has a page dedicated to food aid resources, specifically for organisations providing food to those hardest hit by the crisis. It’s still in the early stages and we are looking for more content to add, so if you are a food aid organisation and would like us to include any information, please contact lvsg@londonplus.org.
Community Engagement Case Study
We recently released a new case study which looks into WIILMA, a community organisation with an impressive track record of community engagement. While this study is targeted specifically at social prescribing, we are confident that it will be useful for any organisation looking to extend their reach into their local community.
News
AmazonSmile
Last month we mentioned that AmazonSmile, the give-as-you-shop scheme, was closing. It has now closed, but Amazon has announced a one-off payment to all participating charities at the end of May.
Communications and Social Change
This blog from CharityComms shows how powerful communications can be for social change. A great read for finding some communication inspiration.
Events & Training
GDPR for Charities
Monday 20th March, 11am
GDPR has been around for a while now, and things have changed since it came into effect. Attend this webinar to find out everything charities need to know about GDPR.
Understanding Impact
Wednesday 22nd March, 1pm
Clear Thinking Consultancy Ltd are hosting this online event on understanding your organisational impact, and how to make it even better.
Increasing Reach
Thursday 23rd March, 3pm
If you want to reach a wider audience, attend this webinar from Charity Digital. You may need to sign up for a free Charity Digital Account in order to join.
Navigate the Cost of Living Crisis
Thursday 23rd March, 1pm
Wednesday 12th April, 10am
Lime Green Consulting are hosting multiple online Q&A sessions for small organisations that want to find out more about how to steer their organisation through the cost of living crisis.
Cost of Living Tracker
Tuesday 28th March, 2:30pm
Trust for London’s upcoming Cost of Living Tracker will show the impact of rising costs on Londoners. Attend this introductory event to find out more about it.
TechSoup
Thursday 30th March, 6:15pm
TechSoup is a volunteer-led group that brings together non-profits, consultants, technologists, funders, and anyone passionate about using tecchnology for good. Their next event is on ‘People & Culture Change – getting digital right’.
Marketing Training
17th-20th April
Marketing is crucial for charities, and Media Trust are offering free marketing training for organisations of various sizes in London, with support from Marketing Trust.
Digital Spring Training
Multiple Dates
Superhighways have launched their spring training programme covering the digital and data basics for very small charities and community groups in London.
Resources
Diversity and Inclusion Training
Melding are offering a 40% discount on their diversity training for women-led organisations this month in celebration of International Women’s Day.
Unrestricted Funding
Have you noticed more unrestricted funding opportunities recently? Could you do with some tips on applying? NPC has put together a quick guide on the topic.
Managing Financial Difficulties
The government has released guidance for charities on how to manage financial difficulties caused by cost of living pressures.
LawWorks
LawWorks is a charity that works with non-profit organisations and people in need to enable access to justice through free legal advice. They have a non-profit programme, giving free advice to smaller organisations.
English Speaking Support
The Greater London Authority’s recently launched English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) jobs and volunteer bulletin supports the sector, linking English language practitioners to ESOL providers. You can submit a vacancy here.
Energy Advice London
Delivered by Energy Saving Trust, Energy Advice London is a great place to look for financial and energy advice. It also has a directory of local support services and a newsletter for those interested.
Consulting
Civil Society Consulting provides consultancy support for small and medium-sized charities. They can support with evaluation, community engagement, impact reporting, communications, fundraising, and more.
Funding
Grow Wild
The Grow Wild Community Programme from Kew will give grants of £2,000 to groups looking to transform an urban space with native UK plant species.
Deadline: Friday 24th March, 10am
Community Leadership
Barrow Cadbury Trust and Lloyds Bank Foundation are looking for organisations to get involved in developing a community leadership programme for people from minority ethnic backgrounds, giving them the tools to have their voices heard.
Deadline: Monday 27th March, 5pm
Fat Beehive Foundation
This charity provides grants to charities for websites and digital products. If you are a small charity looking to develop your digital presence, this grant may be useful.
Deadline: Multiple
Bringing People Together
This fund from the National Lottery aims to build stronger connections across communities through new, innovative approaches.
Deadline: None
Refugee Support
The Church Urban Fund are offering grants to directly help refugees from Ukraine and Afghanistan.
Deadline: Friday 31st March
Community Ownership Fund
This fund from myCommunity helps communities take ownership of spaces at risk of closure, such as libraries, green and cultural spaces, and community centres.
Deadline: March 2025
National Lottery
The National Lottery Project Grants are open for arts, libraries and museum projects. Grants can range between £1,000-£100,000.
Deadline: None
Grassroots Grants
Asda Foundation has launched their Grassroots Grants for community projects. They will be investing over £1.3 million over the course of 2023.
Deadline: None
Charles Hayward Foundation
This charitable trust offers grants aimed primarily at social and criminal justice.
Deadline: None
Reports
Infrastructure Funding
360 Giving has released a report on the state of funding for voluntary and community sector infrastructure bodies, with some interesting and worrying findings. Despite the fact that the sector is continuing to grow, the number of infrastructure organisations is actually decreasing.
Health and Community Action
Kensington & Chelsea and Westminster have teamed up to produce this new health and wellbeing strategy. It explores how to embed voluntary and community action in the health and care system, with the aim of better understanding and addressing health inequalities.
Understanding Poverty
Joseph Rountree Foundation has written an extensive guide on understanding the current state of poverty in the UK.
Community Life
This report from the Department for Culture, Media and Sport summarises the results from the Community Life Survey 2021/22. It includes information on social networks, loneliness, volunteering, and much more.
Levelling Up and Young People
Partnership for Young London have uncovered what the government’s Levelling Up agenda means for young people.
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