July 2020

Monthly Archives

Lloyds Bank Foundation – Recovery Fund

July 31, 2020by Libby Mahoney in Blog, Funding tagged , ,

Lloyds Bank Foundation has announced a £7.4 million COVID recovery fund for small and medium-sized charities that support people with complex social issues such as mental health, homelessness or domestic abuse.

Around 140 charities will be given a two-year grant of up to £50,000 as well as a development partner. To ensure funding is distributed equally, at least a quarter of the funding will be given to charities that are led by, or that benefit people from BAME communities.

Applications open on 3 August at 10 am and close on 11 September at 5 pm

This fund is open to small and medium sized charities with an income of between £25,000 and £1 million a year that are helping people overcome complex social issues such as dependency, homelessness and domestic abuse.

Find out more by clicking here.

Source: DSC

Arts Council England – Cultural Recovery Fund

July 31, 2020by Libby Mahoney in Blog, Funding tagged ,

Arts Council England have announced the first round of grants from the £500 million Culture Recovery Fund. This fund offers financial support for cultural organisations that were financially stable before Covid-19, but are now at imminent risk of failure.

Grants will range from £50,000 up to £3 million. Applications for the first round of funding open at 12pm on Monday 10 August and close at 12pm on Friday 21 August 2020.

This funding is available to:

Cultural organisations (both profit and not for profit) based in England that are properly constituted and are registered at Companies House and/or Charity Commission, and are able to produce at least one year’s full independently certified or audited financial statements.

Local Authorities, Universities and other Public Sector bodies who run or maintain cultural services can also apply.

For this programme, we define ‘cultural’ as sitting within the remit of Arts Council England, however Library services are not eligible to apply.

For more information visit their website at www.artscouncil.org.uk/funding/CRFgrants?dm_i=6S7,6Z5U2,W725XH,S38ZX,1#section-1

Source: the Arts Council

Charities to Benefit from HMRC Digital Advertising Clarification

July 31, 2020by Libby Mahoney in Blog, VCS Feature tagged ,

Costs incurred by charities to promote themselves online are set to be cut after a HMRC decision to exempt most digital advertising from VAT, according to the Charity Tax Group.

The Charity Tax Group has been campaigning for digital advertising to be exempt for VAT as the costs advertising agencies incurred were being passed on to charities.

In a letter to the CTG, HMRC has now clarified that a number of forms of digital advertising will not be subject to VAT.

Changes to HMRC policy on ‘digital advertising’ following CTG campaign will result in significant #VAT savings for #charities – an important development following constructive discussions with HMRC. Charities should speak to their advisers re next steps https://t.co/kRVMTif6br
— Charity Tax Group (@CharityTaxGroup) July 30, 2020

“This development is good news for charities. It will result in significant VAT savings on the cost of many forms of digital advertising at a time when they need financial help the most,” said CTG vice-chairman Richard Bray.

“We are so pleased that CTG’s persistence in its discussions with HMRC have achieved such a positive result”.

Targeted advertising

According to the HMRC letter a range of targeted online advertising will be exempt.

This includes ‘behavioual targeting’, which uses cookies to identify users that have displayed an interest in charities.

Targeting using demographic data, such as date of birth, and ‘audience targeting’, involving demographic and behavioural data, including frequent credit card users, are also exempt.

Read the full Charity Times article by clicking here.

Source: Charity Times

New £92million Culture Recovery Fund for Heritage Launches

July 31, 2020by Libby Mahoney in Blog, Funding tagged , ,

Applications are now open for the Culture Recovery Fund for Heritage, which will help heritage organisations recover from the effects of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

The Culture Recovery Fund for Heritage is providing £92m with grants from £10,000 up to £3m available for heritage organisations in England.

Funds will be distributed by The National Lottery Heritage Fund and Historic England on behalf of the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport (DCMS).

“For many heritage organisations this funding will be the lifeline they have been waiting for and I urge them to apply as soon as possible.”

Ros Kerslake, Chief Executive of The National Lottery Heritage Fund, says: “For many heritage organisations this funding will be the lifeline they have been waiting for and I urge them to apply as soon as possible.

“As the lockdown has lifted, and the public begin to return to some of our much-loved places, the true value of our heritage is more obvious than ever. Heritage is vital in creating economic prosperity, in making local communities better places to live, and in supporting our own personal sense of wellbeing.”

The deadline for applications is midday Monday 17 August.

It does not matter if you have previously received or applied for funding from us.

How to apply

We have made our application process as straightforward as possible, but please do get in touch with any queries.

Find out more about our criteria (which are set by DCMS) and our application guidance.

The deadline is midday Monday 17 August. Decisions on awards will be made from late September.

Click here for more information or to apply.

Source: Heritage Fund

Big Conversation About Autism Services Across the Black Country

July 30, 2020by Leona in Blog, News and Events tagged ,

As a newly merged organisation we have an ambition to support the people of the Black Country to lead healthier and happier lives. We cannot do this alone, and we want to work with you in genuine partnership to develop our clinical strategy, to listen and learn, in order to achieve meaningful change.

As the system starts to prepare for future demand for services, we are holding a series of ‘big conversations’ about the services we deliver. So far, we have held one focusing on each of the localities (Dudley, Sandwell, Walsall and Wolverhampton) and have a Black Country-Wide session planned on 11 August as well.

A strong theme throughout each of the sessions and from discussions with partners is the need to strengthen support for people with autism. We felt it was really important that we have an opportunity to have a dedicated conversation around this so we are holding an autism specific workshop on:

Friday 28 August, 3 – 4pm and this will take place virtually via MS Teams.

We hope you can join us. Let us know you’re attending by emailing bchft.communications@nhs.net and we will send you the link to the session. If you can’t make this date but would like to share your feedback please contact us on the e-mail above.

SAFL Online: Shaping Lives, Through Learning

July 30, 2020by Mazeline Hemmings in Blog, Training Support and Resources, VCS Feature tagged , ,

Sandwell Adult and Family Learning (SAFL) is the adult education service for Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council. They are excited to announce the launch of SAFL Online.

SAFL Online is a digital learning platform which enables SAFL to build on 20 years experience of delivering high quality learning opportunities for the residents of Sandwell and the wider Black Country community. The online offer provides the flexibility to fit learning around busy lives.

All online courses are free for a limited time. Courses include:
• Making a face mask
• English
• Maths
• Information Advice and Guidance
• Food Safety Awareness, plus many more.

Course dates and prices are subject to change.

Whether you need to re-train and upskill or would just like to try something new, SAFL and SAFL Online are here to support you. Shaping Lives, Through Learning.

Also check out SAFL’s social media for up to date information.
Facebook: @SandwellAdultEd
Twitter: @learnsafl
You Tube: SAFL Learning

Email contact_SAFL@sandwell.gov.uk

Sandwell Council warns people to dispose of litter correctly or face a £100 fine

July 30, 2020by Mazeline Hemmings in Blog, Did you know...? tagged ,

With lockdown easing, Sandwell has seen an upsurge in litter across parks and town centres. The Council has made several pleas asking people to take rubbish home or dispose of rubbish correctly – but too many people are ignoring these requests.

The Council has described the current behaviour of a small minority of people as “unacceptable” and warns of tough measures to help keep Sandwell tidy.

Sandwell Council’s environmental protection officers have been given the powers to issue £100 in fixed-penalty fines if people are caught littering our parks and streets. Enforcement officers patrol the six towns of Sandwell seven days a week and can enforce against those who throw litter from their cars as well as walking or picnicking in the parks.

Despite the hard work of street cleansing teams – some visitors to town centres are not respecting their local areas by waiting to find a bin. Instead litter is discarded on streets, making neighbourhoods look unsightly.

With more people returning to the streets following the lockdown, enforcement officers are on high alert. Officers will not hesitate to issue on-the-spot fines as part of the on-going attempts to keep Sandwell litter free.

A large contributor in the litter found on our streets is from people visiting fast food outlets. Pedestrians, and drivers especially, are being warned to take their items home with them if they cannot see a bin. Throwing rubbish from a car is never acceptable.

Fast food outlets are urged to maintain a litter free area around their premises.

Eid staying safe

Staying Safe this Eid Al-Adha

July 30, 2020by Leona in Blog, News and Events tagged

This Eid Al-Adha it is more important than ever to make sure you and your family are staying safe in Sandwell.

Mosques have now reopened and have put in measures to ensure they are Covid secure. This means that fewer people can attend than normally would. Please find out how your mosque is adapting by contacting your local mosque.

Some faith leaders continue to use digital tools to bring worshippers together for prayers and sermons and we would encourage you to take advantage of these services where possible, to mark Eid-Al-Adha safely.

To avoid any local lockdown measures, we want residents to make sure Eid can be celebrated safely by asking everyone to follow government guidance:

• If attending Eid prayers indoors, follow the mosque’s social distancing and hygiene procedures. Face coverings should be worn at all times in mosques, in addition to keeping at least a 1 metre distance from anyone you don’t live with.

• If driving to the mosque, do not car share – travel only with the people you live with.

• The council is not allowing any organised Eid prayers in parks this year. This is due to the rising rates of COVID-19 in the borough. The advice is that no more than 30 people gathering outdoors. If prayers take place outdoors on mosque premises, to allow for social distancing inside the mosque, mosques must carry out the necessary risk assessments and worshippers must practice safe social distancing.

• Visits to the cemetery should not happen unless absolutely necessary – and only travel there with the people you live with. Any essential visits to cemeteries must take place before or after the operational hours of 9am to 5pm when funerals may be taking place.

• Celebrate Eid only with the people you live with – we recommend you don’t allow anyone from another household into your home, and don’t visit anyone else in their home.

Lisa McNally, Director of Public Health said: “Thank you for everything you have done over recent months to help us fight the spread of the virus. I know that normally you would be celebrating this special time in different circumstances and in different ways. I hope you can do so again soon.

If you have symptoms of coronavirus – a new continuous cough, a high temperature or loss or change to your sense of smell or taste – get a test immediately and isolate at home. You should not invite anyone to your house, go to other houses or the mosque, and you should not prepare food for others. Your local mobile testing sites by visiting www.gov.uk/get-coronavirus-test or call 119

Top Tips for Engaging Corporate Partners

July 29, 2020by Libby Mahoney in Blog, VCS Feature tagged , ,

Partnerships can help corporate organisations and charities pursue common goals. These 8 tips will help you get started.

Corporate-charity partnerships bring benefits to both sides, such improved public visibility, enhanced fundraising power, and an increased audience reach. Here are our top tips to help build and nurture these partnerships:

1. Positive branding and messaging attract corporate sponsors

Ensuring that your charity has a positive public image is important for corporate sponsors. Public trust in private organisation is low. MissionBox, points out that only 37% of the public trust business leaders, whereas an nfpSynergy survey found that 52% of people trust charities. Promoting trust, ethics and transparency within the partnership can help attract and grow successful relationships.

2. Be aware of corporate trends

Senior charity leaders should be aware of what makes business leaders tick when it comes to looking for non-profit partners. Charitable Advisors says that companies are thinking about community impact, accountability, and funding for non-profits. For charities, these corporate aims tie neatly with the sector’s well vocalised community impact reporting and transparency around use of funds. For new relationships, charity digital leaders should make sure to present awareness of corporate aims, and how to improve on them.

3. Make sure that the companies you partner with are a good fit

Brand agency Bond+Coyne recommends that charities look for how they can align with a company’s products, services and values. To build a successful partnership, the agency recommends considering how charities can enhance a partner’s existing or future campaign.

When looking for corporate partners, make sure they are a strategic fit for charity purpose or cause. Digital inclusion charity Good Things Foundation offers free digital skills courses in partnership with BT. As both organisations are directly involved in digital, each brings operational expertise to the programme. By combining efforts, BT and Good Things Foundation were able to drive the mission to increase digital inclusion.

4. Make sure your ask is specific

CAF recommends that small charities “be confident and clear about the specifics of what’s required,” so that the funding or help-in-kind received is clearly defined in the partnership. The Juice Academy and Hootsuite have formed a partnership where digital marketing apprentices are trained to use the social media platform and granted free licenses. Hootsuite also funds a place for people who run digital programmes at charities, so that selected individuals receive professional training. For programmes like these, the deliverables and asks from each organisation must be clear and defined.

Read the full Charity Digital article by clicking here.

Source: Charity Digital News

Is Skills-Based Volunteering a Good Fit for Your Charity?

July 29, 2020by Libby Mahoney in Blog, Volunteering tagged , ,

Charity Digital News examines what skills-based volunteering has to offer both charities and charity supporters.

In the past, they’ve written about the principles that drive a successful partnership between charities and corporations. Chief among these principles is the idea that both organisations must be driven by a common goal. Even if they may have disparate aims in other areas, successful partnerships focus on how both sides can contribute towards a shared endeavour. Both participants must gain something from the partnership. These kinds of collaborations have seen great results in the face of COVID-19.

This is also a good model for an increasingly common form of volunteering.

What is skills-based volunteering?
Skills-based volunteering allows qualified professionals to work for charities on a pro bono basis. A simple example might be a doctor lending their expertise to a medical charity in an advisory capacity.

This is particularly useful when it comes to charity digital operations. Many small charities may struggle to pay full-time staff or freelance contractors to perform specialised digital tasks or advise on longer-term digital strategy. It can be difficult to find the money to pay someone with the necessary skills.

But you may not have to. It is possible (perhaps even likely) that one of your supporters will have these skills and would be pleased to volunteer their time and expertise.

To read the full Charity Digital News article click here.

Source: Charity Digital News

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