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London Plus May 2022 Newsletter

London Plus News

A closer look at London’s food banks
The final blog in our Food Insecurity Series explores data on London’s food banks further, including their opening hours and the density per borough. If you’ve missed it, you can read the first and second blogs on our website.

Civil Society Consulting: Levelling Up blog
London Plus was recently invited to join Civil Society Consulting’s coffee club for a discussion about Levelling Up and what it means for the sector; please see their blog on the discussion which outlines the highlights and key points.

Mental Health Awareness Week

Loneliness and Mental Health Awareness Week: 9th-15th May
Mental Health Awareness Week 2022 explores the impact of loneliness and how to tackle it, following research by the Mental Health Foundation. You take part by using their campaign toolkit to spread awareness of the impact of loneliness.

Accessing Green Space for Mental Health in London
12th May, 1.30 – 3.30pm.
This event will be held in person at the Mental Health Foundation Offices to hear from people who are interested in the link between accessing nature and mental health, and the barriers to this.

Event: Loneliness in the context of the cost-of-living crisis
12th May, 11am – 12pm.
For Mental Health Awareness Week, the Greater London Authority (GLA), Thrive LDN and Neighbourly Lab are holding an event to explore loneliness in the context of the cost-of-living crisis in London.

Mental health & wellbeing support for displaced Ukrainians
Thrive LDN and partners have put together a short guide for supporting the mental health and wellbeing of displaced Ukrainians arriving in the UK.

Thrive LDN: Help Yourself and Others
Help Yourself and Others is a space from Thrive LDN that provides resources to encourage good wellbeing, including keeping active and self-care, tools for volunteering and wellbeing training opportunities

5 Ways to WellbeingPartnership for Young London and Good Thinking have developed 5 Ways to Wellbeing for Children & Young People. The posters include suggestions from young people aged 15 to 24.

Reconceptualising Loneliness in London
The GLA’s recent report found that Londoners are more likely to be affected by loneliness than people in other areas of Britain. It also identifies factors driving loneliness, including financial hardship, and structural inequalities.

Sector News

A pair of glasses sitting on a stack of newspapers.

The risk of homelessness for Ukrainians
The GLA has created a short ‘pulse’ survey to monitor the risk of homelessness of Ukrainian arrivals under the Ukraine Family Scheme. If you support clients in relation to the scheme, please complete this survey, which should take no longer than 10 mins.
Deadline: 25th May, 4pm.

UK Shared Prosperity Fund
The Government has published its prospectus for the £2.6bn UK Shared Prosperity Fund, with a community and places strand. You can contact your local authority to enquire about the bidding process and funding for community infrastructure. Investment plans can be submitted from 30th June to 1st August 2022.

Creativity and Wellbeing Week
Creativity and Wellbeing Week from 16th – 22nd May is a partnership between London Arts in Health Forum and the Culture, Health & Wellbeing Alliance. It is an open festival of virtual and in-person events focused on culture, arts and wellbeing in London.

The Vision for Volunteering
The Vision for Volunteering tackles five key themes: awareness & appreciation of volunteering; power; equity & inclusion; collaboration; and experimentation. It also explores how volunteering must adapt and evolve.

Updated Homes for Ukraine visa data
The Home Office has issued the latest data for visas issued under the Homes for Ukraine scheme from local authorities.

Events & Training

 

Strengthening the Core
Taster Session – 9th May, 4.30 – 5.15pm.
Strengthening the Core is a programme for fundraisers working in arts & culture to build resilience. It costs £80 for the eight-week programme, which provides practical tools of yoga and self-care to avoid burnout.

Leading volunteers through a process of change
11th May, 10.30 – 11.30am.
This free Cranfield Trust webinar is aimed at all volunteer managers whether CEOs, Operational or Team Managers to help identify and manage volunteer leadership.

Exploring funding models in the voluntary and community sector
16th May, 3 – 4pm.
This event from the National Association for Social Prescribing will discuss sources of funding available to the sector and funding social prescribing.

Community Spotlight: Good work for all Londoners
25th May, 2 – 3.30pm.
Locality’s London Community Spotlight workshops explore how community organisations have contributed to the London Recovery Missions. The next workshop is ‘Good work for all Londoners‘. To get the latest updates, sign-up to their Spotlight mailing list.

The Voluntary Data & Digital Transformation Conference
19th & 20th July.
This year’s conference will assess the progress the third sector has made in its digitalisation efforts since the pandemic, and offer insight on how charities of all sizes can continue to advance.

London Policy Network
27th May, 2 – 4pm.
Partnership for Young London is hosting their London Policy Network meeting, covering youth work in hospitals and Young Londoners Research Grants.

SuperHighways Data Training
SuperHighways’ free interactive training can help you gain confidence to better use digital, data and technology to further your cause. Discover the best free or affordable online tools for your work. Courses include learning materials and free follow-up support

Resources

Colourful umbrellas hanging against a blue sky

Support for fuel poor households
The Warmer Homes Programme is a pan-London programme offering free advice and financial support for fuel poor households by the Greater London Authority, supported by NHSE/I (see PDF).

GLA Ukraine Information Hub
The GLA’s information hub for new arrivals from Ukraine includes information on funding, access to healthcare and support including immigration advice services. It is available in English, Ukrainian and Russian.

New grant search portal
Grantway is a grant search portal available free of charge for charities and volunteer organisations in England, to help them achieve the funding they need to continue doing great work.

The Charity Commission: Risk of sexual exploitation
The Charity Commission has issued information to raise awareness of the risk of sexual exploitation, abuse and sexual harassment of those in need of assistance regarding the Ukraine crisis.

Small Charities Coalition Helpdesk
NCVO and the FSI are continuing the work of the Small Charities Coalition, including their helpdesk. Contact knowhow@ncvo.org or call 0207 520 2552 for more information.

Communicating about the cost-of-living-crisis
CharityComms have outlined some of the ways charities are helping communicate the cost of living crisis right now and how they are offering their support.

Charity Digital blog: How charities can use WhatsApp
Check out this blog from Charity Digital identifying key ways in which WhatsApp can be used by charities.

 

Funding

Temporary Accommodation Initiative
Trust for London and Oak Foundation have launched funding to help strengthen the voices & networks of those working to improve the lives of Londoners in Temporary Accommodation. Grant funding of £30,000-£150,000 is available.
Deadline: 17th May.

The Recovery Loan Fund
The Recovery Loan Fund provides loans to UK charities & social enterprises impacted by Covid-19 who need funds to help them survive, recover and grow.
Deadline: 20th May.

John Coates Charitable Trust
The Trust is offering financial assistance to UK charities that work in: education, the arts, healthcare, heritage & the environment, and societal & community cohesion.
Deadline: 27th May.

We Move Fund: Youth Social ActionThe £1m We Move Fund: Youth Social Action focuses on providing Black children and young people with the opportunity to engage in youth social action. It is open to not-for-profit organisations working with Black children and young people aged 18 and under in the UK.
Deadline: 20th June.

The Arnold Clark Community Fund
Up to £1,000 is available for charities & community groups whose work falls into the following categories: food banks, toy banks, housing and accommodation, and poverty relief.
Rolling Deadline.

Covid Reflections funding
Covid Reflections is a newly registered charity that is awarding grants to individuals and organisations who aim to reduce the negative impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic.
No deadline.

City Bridge Trust Transition Funding
The programme can provide funding for eligible organisations for up to two years. The maximum grant is £50,000 per annum.
No deadline.

Small grants for charities for digital projects
The Fat Beehive Foundation is providing small grants of up to £2500 for websites and digital products for small UK charities.
No deadline.

Historic England: Celebrating Working Class Histories
Historic England’s grants are for grassroots and community organisations that focus on celebrating working-class histories. They aim to encourage volunteering opportunities for people facing loneliness.
Deadline: 23rd May.

National Lottery Community Fund: Reaching Communities
Large grants are available to voluntary & community organisations for projects making positive changes in their local communities.
No deadline.

LGBT+ Futures Equity Fund
Small grants of up to £25,000 are available for community-led LGBT+ groups and organisations for running costs, projects and organisational/leadership development.
Rolling deadline.

Transition Funding Programme
City Bridge Trust’s Transition Funding Programme provides funding for eligible organisations for up to two years, under the streams: ‘Connecting the Capital’ and ‘Positive Transitions’.
No deadline.

Prince of Wales Charity Fund
UK-registered charities supporting grassroots projects in diverse and deprived communities can apply for single or multi-year grants of up to £5,000. The next round closes in May.
Rolling deadline.

Crowdfunder: Local Action Poverty Fund
Trust for London and Crowdfunder’s match fund aims to help tackle poverty and inequality in outer London. They’ll be helping turn ideas for charitable projects into a reality with match funding of up to £10,000.
No deadline.

Reports

What London families want from councillors
Child Poverty Action Group have set out recommendations for councillors based on a panel of 32 parents from Black and minority ethnic backgrounds from each London borough. They aim to highlight the needs of Londoners living on low incomes.

The London Intelligence: Snapshot of Londoners – April 2022
The London Intelligence tells London’s story through data. This publication explores the latest Snapshot of Londoners survey results, produced by Centre for London in partnership with Savanta.

‘Hidden Hunger’ – The State of UK Breakfast Provision 2022
Magic Breakfast’s report is the most comprehensive map of UK breakfast provision conducted to date, with data from over 5,500 schools across the UK to help identify gaps.

New Mutual Aid report from MoVE
This report from MoVE (Mobilising of Volunteers Effectively) shares lessons from mutual aid experiences across England & Wales. It makes recommendations about mutual aid for local authorities, the voluntary sector and national policymakers.

Cost of Living: Stepping Up
Bright Blue has the UK public’s view on welfare and the cost of living crisis; due to rising inflation and energy prices. Their findings show that a majority believe the benefits system should provide support to ensure people can cover their costs.

How UK visa applications can impact migrants’ lives
Migrant Voice’s report shares the impact of the visa renewal application process on migrants. Through surveys and interviews, it illustrates the financial burden placed on migrants, and how stresses can have a detrimental effect on every aspect of their lives.