The past six weeks have flown by, and as I begin to meet more of you within Nottingham’s brilliant VCSE sector, we thought it’d be a great time to introduce myself properly.

I’ll often be the person at the end of the phone and on the other side of our NCVS inbox, so if you have an enquiry, I’ll do my best to help you or point you in the direction of the best person in our team who can.

I’m also working closely with our Communications and Data Officer, Nicki Hastie, across our website and database. Working behind the scenes, I’ll be making sure that our busy jobs page, events and training programme, and volunteer centre are running smoothly, so you can easily engage in these activities online.

Going forward, I’ll be supporting different projects and services within NCVS, so you might see my name pop up from time to time in other places, too.

Over the past few years, I’ve volunteered for several organisations, including....

Since the re-launch of the Fund, nearly £20,000 has been raised on the GoFundMe platform. This includes a very generous donation from a local author as announced in the Nottingham Post article that you can read on our website

All funds will be held by and administered by NCVS as a registered charity. The first phase of the campaign will distribute funds to our local Advice Centres and Food Banks. This will ensure that local people in need have access to supplies to see them through the current cost of living crisis. Early in the new year we will announce the details of a small grant programme for local groups and charities facing rising energy costs. We will be developing further guidance and information about the Fund in the coming weeks.

The cost of living crisis coupled with unprecedented energy price rises are of increasing concern to Nottingham residents with millions of UK citizens anticipated to be in fuel poverty during the upcoming winter.

As the cost-of-living and energy crisis develops Nottingham City Council are continuing to open their libraries as warm spaces for residents to access during the winter months. Details of library locations and opening hours can be found at the link below.

Find a Library | Nottingham City Libraries

In addition to this, a number of community organisations have opened buildings as warm spaces for residents to stay warm during their opening hours. These welcoming spaces at the heart of the communities offer somewhere for residents to go to keep warm and meet other people, with some offering refreshments, activities and advice.

A comprehensive list of these locations has been reviewed by the Communities, Environment and Residents Directorate with the current list located on the ASKLION pages. 

The list will be maintained and updated by the Domestic Energy Efficiency Fuel Poverty subgroup (DEEFP), working together with Community Partnerships - Resident Development Team to ensure the list is current.   

To amend or add a location to this list please contact Benita.stacey@nottinghamcity.gov.uk in the first instance who will liaise with ASKLION and colleagues.

This is a fortnightly, short get-together, for networking and sharing around what is happening on the ground from the cost of living crisis organised by Emma Bates, lead for Nottingham Financial Resilience Partnership (NFRP)

This networking opportunity, for hearing and gathering what is actually unfolding on the ground/ in experience, is to help ensure we can all respond to the crisis as well as possible within the city.

There is no expectation of attending - it is there as an opportunity due to the fast moving situation.

It does not replace existing meetings such as the NFRP main meeting, or any of its sub groups. It is for more immediate front line, on the ground issues from this crisis only and listening - as relevant, any issues will be fed in to NFRP/ its sub-groups.

The dates are fortnightly on a Friday, next one 16 December 2022 up till Christmas and then it will be reviewed. Emma Bates will be logged in every fortnight at 10am. She will log out by 11am. 
 

What is the Collaborative? 
The Collaborative is a network of people who live or work in Nottingham City and are passionate about working together to improve mental health. Members include people with lived experience and their carers as well as people who either work in the mental health field or support/signpost people with their mental health needs as part of their role. They meet every other month; some meetings are online, and others face to face. 

What is the offer to members? 
As a member of the Collaborative, you will have the opportunity to: 

• Give them your opinions and ideas to help shape plans and actions to improve mental health for all communities in the City 
• Have the opportunity to get involved in mental health working groups that interest you 
• Coproduce local mental health interventions such as public campaigns and websites 
• Network with other members and find out what is happening around mental health developments, activities and events in the city. 

How do you join? 

To join the Collaborative please contact Caroline Keenan, Senior Public Health Manager, Nottingham City Council, on mentalhealthcollaborative@nottinghamcity.gov.uk    

BME Youth is inviting clubs, groups, associations and organisations to apply for up to £10,000 from the Together Fund to deliver sports and physical activities to culturally diverse communities, disabled people, lower socioeconomic groups and people with long term health conditions to improve their health and wellbeing. 

The Together Fund is a Sport England initiative which supports voluntary community organisations to recover and emerge from the long-term impacts of COVID-19.

It was previously known as the ‘Tackling Inequalities Fund’. 

Whilst it was previously focused on providing an immediate response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the fund has now evolved. It now exists to help reduce the negative impacts of COVID-19 and help community groups to grow. It concentrates mainly on supporting these groups to reach and engage their audiences in movement and physical activity.

Closing date Friday 31 March 2023

Co-op and Crowdfunder have teamed up to help community organisations navigate the cost of living crisis to provide vital services this winter.

If your community group is providing a warm space or wanting to extend existing activities or services you may be able to receive up to £3,000 match funding.

You will need to run a crowdfunding campaign this winter that will be delivered by Friday 31 March 2023

The rising cost of living is putting extra strain on individuals, communities and the causes that support them. The need is greater than ever, and funding isn’t stretching as far. With their additional £2 million Cost of Living Boost, the Aviva Community Fund will support the causes helping those who need it most.

If you’re one of those organisations working tirelessly to meet cost of living challenges, apply to the Aviva Community Fund today and they’ll match every individual donation you receive up to £250 

Community groups supporting local residents in Nottinghamshire County can now apply for new cost of living grants

Voluntary organisations and community groups helping local residents can now apply for two new Local Community Fund (LCF) cost of living grants.

The first grant available is for groups helping those who are struggling to buy nutritious food to help improve health and well-being.

The second is aimed at groups who need a contribution towards their own rising energy bills.

Groups can now apply for up to £5,000 from both grant funds before Sunday 29 January 2023.

Please note submissions should only be made by applicants that provide a service or support to people living within Nottinghamshire County boundaries (this does not include Nottingham City residents). 

As Leaders of Volunteers get ready for a surge in volunteer enquiries in the New Year, the cost of living crisis hangs over volunteering in the same way that the pandemic did. The volunteering response to the pandemic was amazingly positive, but can volunteers be relied on to support vulnerable people again?

It’s not only our organisations’ beneficiaries who are feeling the effects of rising energy and food bills. Voluntary sector workers and volunteers are feeling it too. But it’s not only about money, the stress is affecting well-being and mental health in particular.

At the online Leaders of Volunteers Network (LoVN) on Tuesday 24 January, we’ll be taking a look at some of the lessons from Covid as well as some of the things that we can do to support volunteers through the cost of living crisis.

Certainly Volunteer Expenses are important, but let’s also talk about some other ways that we can avoid volunteer burnout, retention and enable a return to volunteering for people who may have been out for a while. We’ll also look at some recently released  research about the changes in volunteer’s motivation and take a fresh look at what the research has to say about the latest barriers to volunteering.

Sign up for a place at this important network meeting where your ideas and opinions are always at least as important as the items on the agenda.

Book your place here

Meanwhile, from all of us in the Volunteer Centre Team, we wish you a Happy Christmas and a successful New Year. 

If you want to get something on the agenda for this, or a future LoVN, please email  davet@nottinghamcvs.co.uk or call 07564 040767

Green social prescribing is a way of connecting people to nature-based activities and green groups, projects and schemes in their local community for support with health and wellbeing. Often this will be through a referral from a Link Worker based at a GP practice or another primary care professional.

Our scheme in Nottingham and Nottinghamshire, called GreenSpace, is one of seven government Green Social Prescribing Test and Learn sites. It's all about improving people’s mental health. Green providers, social prescribers, voluntary organisations and community initiatives will help connect many more people with nature-based activities, helping everyone to feel better.

The Big Green Book is a directory of nature-based activities and opportunities around
Nottingham. Social prescribers and healthcare workers can find a wealth of information, organised by location, to help their clients to choose an activity that is suitable for their needs. The book outlines the facilities available and details of the level of mental health need that each group is able to support, to ensure the right referrals are made into the right organisations. 

This briefing will provide an overview of the Healthy Start Scheme and the transition to the digital scheme.

Multiple online dates organised by Small Steps Big Changes (SSBC) or the recorded briefing can be access through the SSBC Website

The session is for anyone working with families who have children aged 0-4 years.

As part of the work to improve the financial lives of people and communities in Nottingham, SSBC are offering all frontline staff a Healthy Start briefing.

The aim of the briefing is to ensure practitioners are up to date with the current eligibility criteria and application processes so that a blanket approach promotion of the scheme can take place. This approach will work towards tackling food poverty making certain all eligible families are made aware and supported to claim the benefit.

The 20 minutes presentation will provide:

• What is the NHS Healthy Start Scheme
• Who can apply
• How to apply
• Card activation & use
• Troubleshooting
• Additional guidance
• Steps to promoting the scheme

Briefings can also be booked for team meetings email hayley.ellis6@nhs.net

Another Way is a violence reduction project targeted at young people aged 14 to 24 years living in Nottingham and at risk of violence – both as victims or offenders – due to associating with a group or gang or being exploited by a gang, for example through County Lines. The Project will support young people to find pathways away from both risk and offending but with consequences where problem behaviour continues.

The most effective support a young person gets is from their community. They want to listen to community voices and involve community members in helping young people avoid harm and fulfil their potential.

Wednesday 11 January 2023, 09:30am – 12:30pm

Thursday 12 January 2023, 10.30am to 12.45pm

An online course giving a basic understanding of roles and responsibilities in the safeguarding of adults and how to respond to concerns.

Cost: £25 per participant

Tuesday 31 January 2023, 10.30am to 12.45pm

An online course giving a basic understanding of roles and responsibilities in the safeguarding of children and young people and how to respond to concerns.

Cost: £25 per participant

Tuesday 28 February 2023, 10.30am-12.45pm

An online course giving a basic understanding of the roles and responsibilities of the Designated Safeguarding Lead Person.

Cost: £25 per participant

Thursday 16 February 2023, 10.30am to 11.45am

An interactive online session for Trustees (or members of Management Committees) of organisations whose activities put them in contact with vulnerable adults or children.

Cost: £15 per participant

Wednesday 25 January 2023, 10.30am to 12.30pm

This two-hour online session covers the basic information for all trustees, whether you are new to the role or long-established.

Cost: £20 per participant

Wednesday 22 February 2023, 10am to 12.15pm

A new interactive hands-on workshop for organisations and community groups who want to practice their skills and would welcome constructive feedback to further develop their skills in writing successful funding applications.
Cost: £20 per participant

Wednesday 15 March 2023, 11am to 1pm

Do you manage a space, office or building? This new two-hour online session will take your Fire Wardens and/or Fire Marshal through the basics. As a result, they will be better equipped to carry out these very important roles.

Cost: £20 per participant

Wednesday 18 January 2023, 10.30am to 12.30pm

This two-hour online session is intended for trustees who have completed our 'Being a Trustee' course, who want to further develop their involvement and awareness of trustee duties and improve their personal skill set.

Cost: £20 per participant

Tuesday 7 February 2023, 10.30am to 12.30pm

Are you acting as secretary or note taker, or do you need to record meetings? Learn how to take effective minutes and make your task easier. This two-hour online session replaces our previous face-to-face three-hour course and will take you through the process of producing a 'minute'.

Cost: £20 per participant

Wednesday 15 February 2023, 6pm to 8pm

This new two-hour online session will explain the basics of health and safety, then take you through the process of carrying out a risk assessment in an organisational environment.

Cost: £20 per participant

Tuesday 17 January 2023, 10am-11.15am

For organisations and community groups who are new to applying for funding, or for those in need of a refresher. Relevant for groups applying for COVID-19 funding and recovery support as well as other general funding.

Cost: £10 per participant

Wednesday 8 February 2023, 10am to 12 noon

For some time, we’ve been asked about training that goes beyond the basics of managing and supporting volunteers. In this new two-hour online session, we’ll explore some of the real-life issues that you are facing.

Cost: £20 per participant

Thursday 26 January 2023, 6pm to 7pm

A one-hour online session to help your volunteer role descriptions stand out, ensuring you attract enthusiastic volunteers.

Cost: £10 per participant

The PDU aims to promote and facilitate collaborative learning and the sharing of good practice among professionals and volunteers from all sectors, in Nottingham and neighbouring areas, who work with people experiencing multiple disadvantage (understood as a combination of mental ill-health, substance misuse, homelessness, offending and domestic abuse, among other issues).

Contact our PDU Programme Manager for more information: enquiries@pdunottingham.org

Join our free online hub www.pdunottingham.org

Follow us on Twitter @NottinghamCVS #PDUNottingham.

 Are you interested in working more effectively to meet the needs of your autistic clients?

Why not join our Working with Autistic Adults CoP- a Community of Practice that focuses on working with autistic adults who do not have an intellectual disability.

We offer a safe space to come together with local professionals and advocates to share knowledge and discuss good practice, with input from those with lived experience.

Our next session is on Zoom on Thursday 9 February 2023 from 1.30pm to 3.30pm.

Theme: “Understanding Autism - Diagnostic Criteria and what this means in practice”

Our next Working with Autistic Adults CoP will focus on increasing understanding of the diagnostic criteria used to identify autism, specifically DSM-5.

Autism criteria can be confusing. It describes autism in terms of deficits which cause many people to misunderstand what autism is. It also fails to recognise areas of opportunity and strength. Because of the ways in which it is written, the DSM description of autism may not resonate with people who are autistic. In this session we will be discussing each of the criteria points and what this might look like for a person who is autistic.

This session hopes to give participants a better understanding of what autism actually is and debunk common misconceptions often associated with people who are autistic.

Email enquiries@pdunottingham.org to be added to the invite list.

Listening Books, a charity which provides audiobooks to people who find that an illness, disability, learning difficulty or mental health condition makes it difficult for them to read or hold a book are currently offering free memberships to individuals who would find the regular fees a barrier to joining.

They have a collection of over 10,000 audiobooks with a range of genres – everything from classics to thrillers, school texts to non-fiction. Members of their service can listen to the books either online via an app, on their website or via a postal CD service. They don't ask for any proof of benefits and take everyone on trust. The funding is for free, sponsored memberships in Nottinghamshire.

Join on the website or by calling 020 7407 9417

DWP are currently setting up Cost of Living Zones in every Jobcentre in Lincolnshire, Nottinghamshire and Rutland to inform staff and customers alike about what help and support there is available nationally and locally to help people with the cost of living challenge we all currently face. To coincide with this, they are also currently inviting key stakeholders into Jobcentres to hold 1-2-1 surgeries and/or Group Sessions/Workshops on such topics as financial wellbeing, energy saving, mortgage advice etc 

If you would like to attend the jobcentre to promote your services please contact doreen.campbell-smith@dwp.gov.uk for more information. 

The Awards offer a package of support worth over £22,000 to up to 22 charities in 2023 which will include:

• Access to the Pilotlight 360 programme — a ten-month package of leadership coaching worth an estimated £16,000
• Unrestricted grants of £6,500 to support the work with Pilotlight
• Collaborative opportunities and events through Pilotlight’s network of charities across the UK
• Two peer-to-peer support sessions with fellow award winners to share good practice and learn from each other
• A celebratory event for all award-winners on conclusion of the programme
• The enhanced profile associated with receiving this award grant for excellence.

As the cost of living continues to rise, this will have an impact on fire risk in the home, potentially making fires more likely to occur as people take greater risks.

Notts Fire and Rescue Service are joining the National Fire Chiefs Council’s (NFCC) cost of living campaign to share information with communities about how they can keep themselves safe from fire.

The Prevention team has worked with their partners to produce a series of videos on different topics from using electric blankets safely to the dangers of bypassing gas meters.

If you or someone you know is unable to assess the fire risks within the home, then please visit the section on Safe and Well visits as they offer free fire safety visits to vulnerable people’s homes.

There are still opportunities to have your say in the public consultation about East Midlands Devolution. The consultation is open until Monday 9 January 2023.

Devolution would create a new legal entity known formally as a Combined County Authority (CCA). This would include Derbyshire County Council, Nottinghamshire County Council, Derby City Council and Nottingham City Council and cover the areas of both cities and both counties. The four authorities would still exist as individual councils and would work together on a formal and legal basis to improve the region for our communities and businesses.

You can read more about the proposals, answer an online survey, and join in with in-person (Wednesday 21 December 2022) and online (Wednesday 4 January 2023) public consultation events using the link below.

The public consultation process is anticipated to launch on Tuesday 20 December 2022 and run through into late January 2023. Full details of how you can get involved will be available on the Nottingham City Council website as soon as details are signed off next week.

With the holidays approaching, the timeframe for sharing information will be short. Please look out for opportunities to have your say on the proposals.