Sector News

Transport for London (TfL) launches Black History Tube Map with Black Cultural Archives (BCA)
The Mayor of London has launched an evolved tube map developed by BCA and TfL, featuring over 270 people, venues, and organisations to acknowledge and celebrate the rich and varied contribution Black people have made to London and the UK.

International Volunteering Day: 10,000 Thank Yous Campaign
For International Volunteering Day on 5th December, the Mayor and Team London have collaborated with London-based community artist Monique Jackson to design free limited 10,000 volunteer thank you cards. You can write a personal message of thanks for volunteers’ vital contribution to your services. Apply to reserve a pack of 25 cards before the 1st of November.

Black History Month
Look out for events throughout October celebrating Black History Month in your borough and across London.

Share inspiring stories with London’s leaders
As part of the London Conference, Centre for London want to share inspiring stories of support during the pandemic. They are asking those in London’s community, charity and voluntary sectors and individual volunteers to nominate themselves or others for the opportunity to speak at the conference. Nominations close on Friday 29 October at 5pm.

Events & Training

Free Cranfield Trust webinars
Various dates
A new series of free webinars covering key management topics developed for leaders of charities, CICs and non-profit organisations has been launched by the Cranfield Trust.

Pathways into interpreting networking
20th October 4.00 – 5.30pm
As diverse bodies involved in different aspects of interpreting, can we link up to facilitate Afghans and other asylum-seekers and refugees to move smoothly into interpreting work? This will be discussed in a Zoom meeting.

Involving young people in research: examples, a toolkit, and training
3rd November 10.30am – 11.30am
Partnership for Young London and the Greater London Authority are launching a toolkit for organisations to train young people as researchers and participate in decision making. In this event, participants will hear from organisations involving young people in research and details of free training from November onwards.

The London Conference
30th November, 9.00am – 5.25pm
The 2021 London Conference will bring leaders together to discuss the capital’s future. It will discuss London’s recovery from the pandemic, tackling inequality, improving women’s safety, tackling climate action, levelling up and much more. It will also explore London’s responsibilities as a capital city.

Superhighways data training
Until 15th December
SuperHighways still has places available for their data training programme running until the end of the year. Small charities can register for free sessions covering audio interviewing and recording, creating presentations that connect and influence, using external data sources to inform your work, and more. Sessions are available through to 15 December.

Resources

How to structure your charity website
Charity software provider Access has created a new resource hub to guide charities through the steps of creating a successful website. Within the hub, there is ‘The Success Charity Website Playbook’ as well individual guides, articles, and webinars on key topics.

Mental Health First Aid in the Workplace
This free mental health first aid course equips staff with the confidence, skills and qualification to become a point of contact within the workplace.

COVID-19 vaccination: resources for children and young people
The government have produced an updated vaccines toolkit aimed at children and young people who are now eligible for the Covid-19 vaccination.

Editors for Impact
Editors for Impact is a UK-based social enterprise providing charities with media content creation by matching them with an E4I volunteer. By becoming their partner you can request projects for your charity and E4I will deliver content including free video editing and motion graphics productions. For more information, please email.

Mental Health Resources at Work
Mental Health at Work has created a toolkit for small organisations to support employees. The toolkit includes a handbook with tips and advice, a free and confidential mobile app for employees and two practical tools to help implement change.

Funding

Local Action Fund
The National Emergencies Trust has launched a £1.2million Local Action Fund with Crowdfunder to support community and voluntary organisations affected by the pandemic. Through the Crowdfunder platform, the National Emergencies Trust will match donations up to a total of £10,000 per charity.
Deadline: 22nd October

Magic Little Grants 
Funding can go towards various types of project, including mental wellbeing, arts, poverty, equality, green spaces, and physical activity. The application process is short and simple, taking 10 minutes to complete.
Deadline: 31st October.

The Dream Fund
The Dream Fund gives organisations the chance to deliver the project they have never had the opportunity to bring to life. They ask charitable organisations to be ambitious and collaborate with other not-for-profit partners to deliver their dream project. The focus this year is for projects looking to deliver systemic change in environment/conservation, social inequality, pandemic recovery. Deadline: 1^st November.

Funding to help bring people together (UK)
The Asda Foundation’s phase 2 of Bringing Communities Back Together Fund aims to reunite communities, celebrate togetherness, and support groups. Grants between £250 and £1,000 are available to get activities back on track such as clubs & recreational activities or get-together events such as community celebrations; or a combination of the two. Applications forms are available from Asda stores.
Deadline: 1st November.

Sport Unites Fund
The Sport Unites Fund awards grants of up to £50,000 to community sport projects across two strands. The first, New Ideas, awards grants to community sports projects testing new ideas and/or to groups without previous funding and those who would benefit. The second, Tried and Tested, awards £10,000 and £50,000 to successful existing initiatives looking to expand.
Deadline: 12th November.

TNL Community Fund: Together for Our Planet 
This funding programme will help develop local ideas and support ongoing climate action projects in communities across the UK. It focuses on groups and communities who are likely to be further from the conversation on climate action, and/or more likely to be directly impacted by climate change. Eligible groups can receive funding between £1,000 and £10,000 for activities and equipment.
Deadline: 18th November.

City Bridge Trust – Stepping Stones Fund
City Bridge Trust is in the process of reopening funding programmes which were temporarily closed due to Covid-19. The Stepping Stones Fund is a grant-making, social investment readiness facility for charitable organisations London, delivered in partnership with UBS. It aims to provide grants to pilot new ways of creating improved social outcomes.
Deadline: Ongoing.

City Bridge Trust – Small Grants for Green Projects
There’s also Small Grants available of up to £10,000 per year, for a maximum of five years, for greening and growing projects which bring communities together and projects which enable disabled people and/or disadvantaged, older people to actively participate in wellbeing opportunities.
Deadline: Ongoing.

Foyle Foundation 
The Small Grants Scheme is designed to support charities especially those working at grassroots and local community level, in any field, across a wide range of activities. Online applications are accepted from charities that have an annual turnover of less than £150,000.
Deadline: Ongoing.

Reports

The Ubele Initiative’s Social Impact Report
The Ubele Initiative’s Social Impact Report from April 2020 – July 2021 highlights their local, regional and national recovery efforts to address some of the issues and concerns affecting Black and Minoritised communities impacted the most by Covid-19.

London Civic Strength Index
Co-designed and co-created with Londoners, the Civic Strength Index was developed by The Young Foundation and funded by the GLA. It helps London boroughs and organisations support discussions about the strengths of their communities and consider how to build on them.

Small charities responding to COVID-19: Summer 2021 update 
Lloyds Bank Foundation have published their Small Charities Respond to COVID-19 report building upon their previous two reports, published in May and December 2020. It looks at how charities emerged from the peak of the winter crisis and how they are adapting to the current changes, for themselves and the communities they serve.