Many of you will have responded directly, either personally or on behalf of your organisation, to Nottingham City Council's budget proposals for 2024/2025. In reducing support to our communities, especially to some of Nottingham's most vulnerable citizens, the proposals will have a dramatic impact on VCSE sector service provision, and on the health and wellbeing of all Nottingham people.

While the consultation and survey has closed for responses, there is more to do. We must continue to stand up for Nottingham and do everything we can to save our sector.

We ask you to join us in signing our open letter to Nottingham City Council colleagues, urging them to reconsider the proposal to cut 100% of the grants currently provided to the voluntary sector in Nottingham. Our sector is relied upon more than ever to provide support to some of our most vulnerable citizens. How can the city council reconcile a greater reliance on the sector’s support against the proposal to remove grant funding?

Now is not the time to disinvest in a sector which the city council and its citizens have come to rely on. We need a different conversation about the sector’s role in reshaping services so that all of Nottingham’s people have a better outcome.

Let's raise our voices. Add your signature to our letter now. Please sign before midnight on Thursday 8 February 2024. The city council Executive Board meets the following week to make its decisions.

After you've signed the letter, if you haven't already completed Wave 5 of the VCSE Barometer Survey (open until Wednesday 7 February 2024), please take some time to add your response.

This quarter's survey has a particular focus on impacts of operating within the current local authority landscape. We encourage all Nottingham / Nottinghamshire organisations to respond. The larger our local dataset, the more influence our voices will have, allowing us to have our own dashboard of local results.

Read more about the VCSE Barometer Survey.

Nottingham City Council is developing a directory of services that exist in Nottingham to be made available to homelessness partnership members and service providers not directly involved in homelessness.

If you provide support, or are involved in, homelessness prevention and provide services which address needs that can cause or exacerbate homelessness, and would like to be added to this directory, please complete the form, providing information about the services you offer. A new form should be completed for each individual service offered.

Forms must be completed before the end of February 2024.

Deadline for applications is Wednesday 31 January 2024.

Formerly Tesco Bags of Help, the Tesco Stronger Starts Fund is now only open to schools and projects focusing on food security, children and young people. This focus could include, but is not limited to, School Breakfast clubs, holiday clubs, foodbanks, equipment, etc.

Funding of up to £1,500 is available, with a guaranteed £500 for the three successful applicants. Successful applicants will be added to a store voting system where staff, friends, families and the public can vote for their preferred applicant.

The Fund does not accept applications from the following:

• Individuals
• Community Interest Companies with shares (CIC’s).
• Community Interest Companies with guarantee that are less than two years old.
• Profit-making organisations.
  

Deadlines for applications are:

Wednesday 31 January 2024 for March funding review.
Friday 1 March 2024 – Tuesday 30 April 2024 for June funding review.
Monday 1 July 2024 – Saturday 31 August 2024 for October funding review.

The 7Stars Foundation fund charities supporting young people, aged 16 and below, experiencing various challenges. There are multiple streams available that cater to specific needs. Funding is only available on a one-off basis and the Foundation does not offer repeat funding.

• Project funding, of up to £2,500, for registered charities with a turnover under £1.5 million.
  
  
• Shine Bright funding, of up to £1,500, for registered charities with a turnover under £1.5 million. Funding can be used to purchase educational, wellbeing or recreational items for young people.
  
  
• Social Impact funding, of up to £1,500, for registered charities with a turnover under £1.5 million. These projects will be aligned with awareness days and will be chosen via vote by the 7Stars team members.

Back in November 2023, we told you all about a new initiative, run by Nottingham City Council in partnership with Spacehive, to deliver a new Crowdfunding programme designed to help community groups and organisations in Nottingham to create, fund and deliver new community-led projects.

That Crowdfund Nottingham platform is now live! No fundraising experience is needed and Spacehive is keen to hear from any Nottingham group or resident with an idea and can also assist project creators with workshops and resources.

Their first Workshop was such a hit, they've decided to do another one. To attend the Workshop on Wednesday 7 February 2024, 12 noon - 1pm - Crowdfund Nottingham- Project Creator Workshop – please register through Eventbrite.

In addition to money raised through Crowdfunding, Nottingham City Council have two project funds available to community groups. Groups can apply for £30,000 from the Employment Support fund and Community Development fund. This fund is to support capital costs only.

To make a submission please fill in their online form or contact the Spacehive team at support@spacehive.com.

Deadline for applications is Friday 9 February 2024.

The Kind2Mind fund currently has funding of up to £10,000 and £100,000 available for charities in the UK who provide support, raise awareness, campaign or research mental health. Charities must have an annual income of at least £25,000.

Unrestricted funding is available for charities that improve the impact of mental health, and have mental health listed as a core part of their charity’s objectives. A charity can still apply for funding if they do not have ‘improve mental health’ in their charity objectives as long as the funded project has clearly defined aims and any previous, positive impact on mental health is stated on the application. Funding for these projects will be on a restricted basis.  

Charities can choose from two different funding models (further explanation of these models is available through their website):

• Up to £10,000 available in public donations via 1:1 model (to be doubled in match funding).
• Up to £100,00 available in public donations through the pledge model (to be doubled in match funding). Charities can receive up to £50,000 in Champion funds.

The deadline for all grants is Friday 1 March 2024 with the funding covering activities up to Sunday 1 September 2024.

The ASDA Foundation supports small, grassroots organisations through various grant schemes. Local Community Champions work with groups to find the best way the ASDA Foundation can support them.

Groups can apply for between £400 and £1,600, the total amount applied for must fully cover the cost of any individual item. Groups with an annual income exceeding £1 million and those who charge a nominal fee for services are ineligible to apply.

They currently have the following grant schemes open for applications:

• Empowering Local Communities grant - to support a range of activities designed to strengthen local communities. Read more and apply.
  
  
• U18 Better Starts grant - to support a range of activities to benefit young people, aged eighteen and under, in their community. Read more and apply. 
  
  
• Cost of Living grant - to support activities benefiting the most vulnerable members of society by providing them with the essentials, or simply providing a safe warm and welcoming space for those struggling to heat their homes during the winter. Read more and apply.

Dave's first volunteering update of 2024 sees him rounding up some of the current hot topics in volunteering. The field of volunteer management is dynamic and subject to changes based on societal, technological, and organisational developments.

Read more on Dave's ideas surrounding topics such as:

• Remote and Virtual Volunteering
  
  
• Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
  
  
• Skills-Based Volunteering
  
  
• Technology Integration
  
  
• Flexible and Adaptable Programmes
  
  
• Impact Management and Reporting
  
  
•  Youth and Student Engagement
  
  
• Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Initiatives
  
  
• Volunteer Retention Strategies  
  
  
• Crisis Response and Disaster Preparedness

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 latest GreenSpace bulletin is available to read.

You can view it in your web browser now. If you would like to receive future issues directly to your inbox, please email greenspace@nottinghamcvs.co.uk with a request to be added to the mailing list.

If you wish to share any events or stories happening in your organisation, or relating to green social prescribing or nature-based activities, please get in touch with the GreenSpace team. The deadline for submissions for the next bulletin is Monday 5 February 2024.

Friday 1 March 2024, 9am to 5pm
Trent Conference Centre, Easter Park, Lenton Lane, Nottingham NG7 2PX. For those who can’t attend in person the event will be live streamed online.

Harmless are holding their 9th annual Self-Harm and Suicide Prevention Conference which will feature a range of expert speakers and leading academics, with a strategic focus on:

• Collaborative partnership.
• Service-user representation.
• Effective practice.
• Driving change.
• Overcoming stigma and discrimination.
  

This is sure to be a fascinating and memorable event, and an excellent opportunity to network with peers.  

There is an attendance fee of £65 (online) and £110 (in person) per person. For more information, please contact the Harmless team: training@harmless.org.uk.

Friday 2 February and Saturday 3 February 2024, 5pm until 10pm
Nottingham City Centre

Nottingham Light Night returns for its 16th year! Illuminate your imagination with this free event as you explore the city centre, from Old Market Square to Binks Yard, and from Sneinton Market to Nottingham Castle. With over 30 immersive and interactive light-based installations, performances, and activities, there really is something for everyone!

Events include:

• Light Night 2024: Standing Ground at St Mary's Church.
• Tom Dale Company presents UBX: SUCCESSION at Nottingham Contemporary. 

Thursday 7 March 2024, 11am to 3pm
The Council House, Old Market Square NG1 2DT

Nottingham City Council is organising this event in partnership with a range of organisations, including Nottingham Women’s Centre, When Women Gather, Juno Women’s Aid, Equation, The Police and Crime Commissioner's office, Nottingham City Council Women’s Network, Public Health and Resident Development teams, and the Sheriff of Nottingham.

The event will bring the community together to celebrate women’s related organisations in Nottingham. There will be a wide range of stalls, workshops, networking opportunities, entertainment and free refreshments.

If your community group / organisation would like to be involved in the event, either by having a stall or organising an activity, please email Northresidentdevelopmentteam@nottinghamcity.gov.uk to request a booking form, or to ask any questions.

Wednesday 28 February 2024, 10am to 12.30pm

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

Cost: £25 per participant

Tuesday 13 February 2024, 6pm to 7.30pm

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

Tuesday 6 February 2024, 6pm to 8pm

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

Thursday 22 February 2024, 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

Tuesday 20 February 2024, 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

Thursday 28 March 2024, 10am to 11am

In this one-hour online session, we will identify some of the barriers that potential volunteers face to becoming involved in your organisation and share ideas to remove these barriers.

Cost: £10 per participant

Wednesday 13 March 2024, 10am to 11am

This one-hour online session aims to share some ideas about how best to deal with the inevitable disagreements, personality clashes and conflicts that arise from time to time among a team of volunteers.

Cost: £10 per participant

Wednesday 21 February 2024, 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 8 February 2024, 10am to 12 noon

A two-hour online course for Leaders of Volunteers to start to develop an understanding of some of the legal requirements that relate to your volunteering programme.

Cost: £20 per participant

The Practice Development Unit (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 severe and multiple disadvantage (SMD). This is understood as a combination of mental ill-health, substance misuse, homelessness, offending and domestic abuse, among other issues.

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

Join our free online hub www.pdunottingham.org

Follow us on Twitter @NottinghamCVS #PDUNottingham.

Wednesday 31 January 2024, 12 noon to 3pm
This is a hybrid event. Attend in-person at Cleaves Conference Hall, 6 Castle Gate, Nottingham NG1 7AS or view a live stream of the event online via Zoom.

Existing approaches to categorising severe and multiple disadvantage (SMD) do not seem to be inclusive of or sensitive to the forms of disadvantage experienced by ethnically diverse communities.

This event includes two sessions exploring experiences of SMD and homelessness in ethnically diverse communities. You can register to attend one or both sessions.

Join us for an interactive session to discuss an ongoing exploratory study by the University of Nottingham and Al Hurraya which examines SMD in ethnically diverse communities in Nottingham (12 noon to 2pm). Followed by research findings from Pathway Housing Solutions on the interconnection between race, homelessness and housing (2pm to 3pm).

Appropriate break times will be scheduled into the final agenda, meaning you can comfortably attend both sessions if you wish to.

Are you a leader within the health and care system, either within the NHS, local government, social care and the voluntary, community and social enterprise (VCSE) sector?

The King’s Fund are offering a free, three-week, online training course where you can learn how to address the challenges facing the health sector through effective and collaborative partnerships.

This is a self-guided course with the learner having three weeks from enrolment to complete at their own pace, you will also have the opportunity to meet other learners, engage in active discussions, and share ideas throughout the course.

For enquiries about this course, please email d.patel@kingsfund.org.uk or register here.

National Numeracy is a charity working to support adults to gain the confidence and skills they need with numeracy to progress in work and life. They have partnered with Experian to provide a free, CPD accredited course that has been designed to support key stakeholders in Nottingham and across the East Midlands gain additional skills to help them change attitudes to numeracy across their communities.

Sessions will include two, 3-hour sessions, held over Zoom.

• Friday 2 and 9 February 2024, 1.30pm - 4.30pm.
• Tuesday 20 and 27 February 2024, 1.30pm - 4.30pm.
  
• Thursday 22 and 29 February 2024, 1.30pm - 4.30pm. 

This programme is fully funded and supported by Experian. If you are unable to attend after registering, it is important that you let National Numeracy know by emailing
training@nationalnumeracy.org.uk as soon as possible

In previous e-bulletins we've provided some background to the Cultural Competency Maturity Matrix, as NCVS is Executive Sponsor for the Nottingham City Place-Based Partnership (PBP) Race Health Inequalities workstream. Nottingham City Race Health Inequalities Group designed the Maturity Matrix in 2022, and it was officially launched at the Race Health Inequalities Summit in May 2023.

The Maturity Matrix is a self-reporting tool (view it here) which aims to measure your project or organisation against seven principles important in developing cultural competency. The tool offers the chance to reflect on your current position and create an action plan to help make positive changes which in turn will help reduce race-based health inequalities within the local population.

The Matrix continues to roll out across the Nottingham and Nottinghamshire Integrated Care System and free virtual sessions are available to help you use it. These sessions will provide an overview of how to use the Matrix and support in using the tool.

Upcoming session dates are:

• Wednesday 28 February 2024, 1pm - 2.30pm
• Wednesday 27 March 2024 1pm - 2.30pm
  
  

Please email nnicb-nn.healthinequalities@nhs.net, to book a place, or find out more.

Survey is open until Wednesday 7 February 2024.

Nottingham Trent University and Pro Bono Economics’ quarterly VCSE Barometer Survey is now live. The survey, which is now entering its second year, charts current challenges and issues affecting voluntary and community sector groups and organisations. It is supported by the major UK national VCSE infrastructure organisations and membership bodies. Latest findings are shared every quarter with national, regional and local policy and decision-makers.

Designed to be a quick and easy ‘temperature check’ of the current state of the sector, the survey provides a snapshot of financial health, workforce, volunteering and other key sector issues. This quarter’s special focus is on impacts of operating within the current local authority landscape.