Welcome to the December edition of our newsletter, where we unwrap resources, funding opportunities, resources to support your practice and much more.

At London Plus, we are planning our strategy to keep London connected as we venture into the new year. Our team are still working hard to curate and design engaging content to help your practice thrive in 2021. This newsletter features some insights into our future projects, including Building Strong Communities, an initiative that London Plus is proud to help lead.

We wish you all a restful and festive holiday.

Sector News

London Plus gathers resources to empower civil society

Help available for community groups to support people through Covid-19
London Plus are excited to be working with five local CVS leads across London to deliver the new Thriving Communities programme. Thriving Communities can help you to share your learning, gain new ideas, access funding and develop partnerships across sectors. Closing date 11 Dec.

Building Strong Communities: The Missions for a more inclusive and equal London
During the Covid-19 pandemic, there is no doubt that the marginalised and the discriminated have suffered the most. London Plus is contributing to Building Strong Communities, a new initiative supporting Londoners to take active roles in organising and enriching their communities.

Invitation for interest: London Recovery Programme
We’re looking for two co-leads to lead the London Recovery Programme’s priority strand of work to build strong communities. The role of the Mission Co- lead is to lead the direction and delivery of the mission, working within existing structures/groups or establishing new ones to achieve goals.

Embed yourself in a medical pathway: Case Study
In these Covid times, it is important that we are able to support our communities in really effective ways. Read our latest case study ‘Embed yourself in a medical pathway‘ with top tips by Camden Voluntary Action.

Qualitative Data Essentials: Guide
Our latest guide, Qualitative Data Essentials: Getting to grips with the basics of analysis, features expert advice on capturing good qualitative data with accuracy and a spotless conscience.

Chancellor plans to spend billions on communities as part of ‘levelling up’ agenda 
The chancellor of the ex-chequer has announced a £4bn Levelling Up Fund to deliver a range of community projects. Further details for both funds will be announced in early 2021.

Events & Training

London Plus is proud to connect users with events & training opportunities

NHS England has launched a peer leadership development programme
The Personalised Care Group at NHS England and NHS Improvement want to develop 500 Peer Leaders by 2024. For more information about the Peer Leadership Development Programme, please contact england.pldp@nhs.net.

Government ICT conference
21st January 2020
This conference is free to attend for those in the voluntary sector and offers an opportunity for you to foster new relationships, learn from colleagues in different organisations and accelerate the pace of ICT in your organisation.

Build Back Fairer: the COVID-19 Marmot Review
Tuesday 15 December 2020, 9.00 – 10.30.
In February, the Marmot Review 10 Years On drew attention to widening health inequalities and worsening health outcomes in England. This special December webinarunfolds how Covid-19 has deepened socioeconomic and ethnic inequalities. It’s free to access and will contain truly sobering analysis.

Dementia Friend
It’s still really easy to become a Dementia Friend, despite the coronavirus pandemic. Book onto a session with a Dementia Friend Champion or watch a five minute educational video.

Reports

London Plus selects the most compelling reports to help you enhance your practice

BAME Lives and COVID-19
This important review looks into how people from black, Asian and minority ethnic backgrounds were being impacted by Covid-19. An avoidable crisis: the disproportionate impact of Covid-19 on black, Asian and minority ethnic communities [PDF]. The review makes both immediate and long-term recommendations to protect people most at risk and the urgency about tackling structural inequalities across many sectors including health.

Safer London 
Safer London released their year three report on the Pan-London Housing Reciprocal [PDF] scheme, which is funded by the Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime. The scheme, which launched in 2017, connects social housing providers across London to help relocate individuals and families experiencing domestic abuse and other forms of violence. You can learn more about the scheme through Safer London’s blog and video.

Struggling Alone: Girls’ and Young Women’s Mental Health 
Agenda have released a new briefing paper that shows young women and girls experienced the highest levels of mental distress during the Covid-19 crisis, yet too often were unable to get the right support.

COVID-19 and Communities Listening Project
The Carnegie UK Trust’s report considers how organisations and communities across the UK adapted and responded to the emergency phase of the Covid-19 pandemic. It’s free to download, and includes testimonies from over sixteen different UK communities.

Resources

London Plus curates the best resources to support your projects

Covid-19 Survey Results
Understanding Society, the UK Household Longitudinal Study, has gifted us all with data from their Covid-19 impact survey. You can access some of the data on their website.

Using personal data in your organisation from 1 January 2021
Next year, new data protection rules will affect how your organisations can receive and transfer personal data to and from the European Union. Helpfully, the government have published a guide to help you stay GDPR compliant during the transition period.

Covid-19 Resources for small charities
LawWorks’ Not-for-Profits Programme, focuses on providing free assistance to small not-for-profit organisations who themselves have legal queries or issues.  They also have a Covid-19 resources for small charities page and free presentationsby lawyers on legal issues facing small not-for-profit organisations.

Neighbourhood data on…. Financial Hardship
This series looks at a few key themes that are likely to be having an impact on local places and local people in the wake of the pandemic. 

Research on impact of remote technologies for disabled people
Shaping our Lives has been doing some interesting research on using remote technologies for disabled people in Covid-19. Read their interim findings [doc].

ULEZ expansion grace period for minibuses operated by not-for-profit organisations
From 25 October 2021 to 29 October 2023 minibuses operated by not-for-profit organisations will be eligible for a grace period exempting them from the ULEZ daily charge. Go to the TFL webpage, then click on ‘discounts and exemptions’ on the RH menu. Towards the bottom of the page is the relevant section.

Recover & Rebuild webinar series
School for Social Enterprise have just released recordings of their Recover & Rebuild webinar series which can help you survive Covid-19 as a

Funding

London Plus helps civil society access the necessary funding to launch positive projects

Thriving Communities Fund
This social prescribing funding is designed to increase social connectedness, and help communities cope with the impact of Covid-19. Grants from £25,000 to £50,000 are available to any voluntary, community, faith and social enterprise. Applications close 8 January 2021. 

Betty Messenger Charitable Foundation
Grants of £100 – £1000 are available to small charities (turnover of less than £1m) who are temporarily struggling but otherwise viable. It’s a rolling programme of support, the deadline for applications is the 20th of each month.

Economies for Healthier Lives
The Economies for Healthier Lives programme will support three to four partnerships across the UK with funding of £300,000 to £500,000 for up to three years. Partnerships will be led by a local authority or a statutory regional body and will bring together a range of organisations including an academic and collaboration partner. Expressions of interest are now open until 12.00 (midday) Friday 15 January 2020.

Esmee Fairbairn Foundation
Applications are now open for projects that improve the natural world, secure a fairer future, and strengthen the bonds in communities in the UK. Esmee’s new strategy will focus on the following three interdependent aims: Improving our natural world; Tackling injustice to deliver a fairer future; Nurturing creative, confident communities.Applications are accepted on a rolling basis. 

Trust for London
Trust for London is offering small charities grants to help fight poverty and inequality in the capital. There are seven funding programmes: good homes & neighbourhoods; better work; decent living standards; shared wealth; pathways to settlement; stronger voices; connected communities.
Applications close 2 February 2021.

Asda Foundation
Asda have launched a ‘Feeding Communities’ grant to help provide meals to anyone in need in the lead up to Christmas. Grassroots organisations are encouraged to apply, and you will work closely with a local store’s community champion. Applications close 6 December 2020.

UK Aid Match Fund
This latest round of funding is calling for proposals from British charities working towards achieving any of the Global Goals with a particular focus on: the longer-term impacts of Covid-19; girls’ education; or ending preventable deaths through tackling malnutrition or malaria. Applications close 18 December 2020. 

Rank Foundation Funding
Are you or have you ever been in receipt of Rank Foundation Funding? If the answer is yes, read on to find out more. The Rank Foundation have just launched their new Covid-19 Recovery Fund. There is no deadline for funding, but the funds need to be spent by March 2021.

New funding for charities and digital partners from Monday
The Sector Challenge Programme will bring groups of charities together with digital partners to tackle sector wide challenges. Find out more about grants of up to £10,000.Digital partners should visit the Open Projects page to bid for up to £35,000 (inc VAT).