August 2021

Monthly Archives

Race and Ethnicity Terminology Survey now live!

August 31, 2021by Mazeline Hemmings in Blog, Did you know...?, VCS Feature tagged , ,

The community inclusion team and research and innovation department at Black Country Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust are eager to hear your views on terminology of race and equality.

The consultation so far has held seminars to gather responses from both staff and members of the local Black Country community. The sessions have been well received with over 100 attendees providing insightful discussion and response. One of the main responses received from these sessions was that replacing one label with another is not the solution.  However, the right terminology will foster a sense of belonging with an inclusive approach where people of all backgrounds in the organisation and communities feel comfortable and included.

The Trust’s next phase of consultation is to reach out to people who were not able to attend the engagement seminars. The survey will remain open until Friday 29 October after which the Trust will communicate the outcome and the preferred term for our Race and Ethnicity terminology.

You can complete the survey by clicking this link.  Black Country Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust would encourage you to take part in the survey.  Your responses will help to shape this work and will define the Trust’s future as an anti-racist organisation supporting its commitment to the Race Code.

For further information please contact Yassar Mohammed, EDI Partner on Yassar.mohammed@nhs.net or 07970 372 473.

 

Black Country Healthcare NHS Foundation Annual General Meeting

August 31, 2021by Mazeline Hemmings in Blog, News and Events tagged ,

You, your colleagues, family and friends are invited to join Black Country Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust’s virtual Annual General Meeting (AGM) on Tuesday 14 September, from 12.30 pm until 4.00 pm.

This year they will be showcasing their achievements in what has been a challenging year for the NHS, as well as exciting and ambitious plans for the year ahead.

There will also be a number of interactive and engaging workshops.

If you’re interested, click here to find out more and register your place.

Kaleidoscope Plus New Support Groups

August 27, 2021by Mazeline Hemmings in Did you know...?, Health & Wellbeing, VCS Feature tagged , ,

Kaleidoscope Plus Group are really pleased to be able to share two new services that are being launched in September, to meet the needs in our community. The first groups run on 7th September.

1. Midlands Parent Self Harm Support Group
Supporting someone who self-harms, can be really daunting. Self-harm can be very complex and Kaleidoscope understand families may need support and reassurance.

This new service will provide a safe, supportive environment in a non-clinical setting, for those who are supporting someone who self-harms. Attendees are able to share their experience, their thoughts and meet others who are also supporting their loved ones. The service will help attendees understand self-harm, support conversation and manage wellbeing. Kaleidoscope will be offering a variety of different mindfulness activities, along with resources for both parties relevant to their needs. Please note the aim of this service is to support care-givers and not those who self-harm directly.

This support groups meet on the first Tuesday of the month, 5.30 – 7.00 pm.

2. Midlands Suicide Bereavement Support Group
The service offers a safe space for people aged over 18, who have been bereaved by suicide, to come together and talk openly about their experience and receive support.

Suicide knows no social, ethnic or cultural boundaries. If you feel you have been affected by a suicide and you would like to talk about it, Kaleidoscope can provide a place to listen, to share, to ask questions and to connect with others. This service can be accessed as often and for as long as needed. It is available to anyone regardless of their relationship to the deceased person, the cause of the death or the time that has elapsed since their passing.

This support group meet on the first Tuesday of the month 7.30 – 9.00 pm.

As well as the above new services, Kaleidoscope will continue to run the existing virtual UK bereavement group, every third Tuesday of the month 6.00 – 8 pm.

 

Community Ownership Fund

August 26, 2021by Mazeline Hemmings in Blog, Funding tagged ,

The UK government has launched a new £150 million Community Ownership Fund to help communities across the UK take ownership of local facilities, community assets and amenities such as:

sporting and leisure facilities
cinemas and theatres
music venues
museums
galleries
parks
pubs
post office buildings
shops.

The move is part of the Government’s strategy to build back better from the pandemic and to foster a sense of community.  The first bidding round closed on 13th August 2021, but another seven bidding rounds are expected to take place over the next four years. There will be further bidding rounds in December 2021 and May 2022.

Matched capital grants of up to £250,000 will be available for most projects. In exceptional cases, up to £1 million matched capital grants will be available to help establish a community-owned sports club or help buy a sports club or sporting facilities at risk of being lost.

The Community Ownership Fund will provide up to 50% of total capital costs, matching other funds and resources raised by the applicant. Applicants will need to demonstrate they have raised other funds to cover the total capital costs of their project.

Revenue grants of up to £50,000 (up to 20% of projects costs) are also available and these do not need to be matched.

More information

For any other questions you may have on the Community Ownership Fund, please contact the team at COF@communities.gov.uk

Tesco Community Grants is still open for food-related applications

August 25, 2021by Stuart Ashmore in Funding tagged

Food-related applications to the Tesco Community Grants scheme are still being sought across the West Midlands.

Any not-for-profit organisation can apply for a grant of up to £1,500 towards a project that supports children and young people. Groups that are eligible to apply include: schools, Guides/Scouts groups, local authorities, sports clubs, community organisations, voluntary groups, housing associations etc.

Food-related projects are particularly being sought (e.g. schools looking to set up an allotment garden, youth/sports clubs providing health snacks/lunches, voluntary groups running cookery clubs, food banks, breakfast clubs etc.). If you are, or know of, a local group looking for funding please contact craig.smith@groundwork.org.uk He can help with completing the application form and talk through the application process. More information and the online application can also be found here: https://tescocommunitygrants.org.uk/apply-for-a-grant/

The funding is a rolling scheme so there is no deadline.

Participation and Engagement Model for Sandwell (Workshop 1): 9th September 2021

August 25, 2021by Mazeline Hemmings in Blog tagged , , ,

As many of you may be aware, there are lots of changes happening within health and social care locally and the NHS Black Country and West Birmingham CCG is looking to review its engagement model, and work towards developing a more collaborative, place-based engagement approach, that strengthens the voices of patients, citizens, partners and other stakeholders, and involves them in the process of shaping it.

The CCG are therefore looking to establish new ways of working and co-produce a participation and engagement model for the future, specifically designed for Sandwell. To start the process, they would like to invite you to the first of a series of workshops on:

Date: Thursday 9 September 2021
Time: 2.30 pm – 4.30 pm
Place: Online via Zoom

The aim is to bring together all stakeholders to discuss how they will co-produce the strategy for engagement going forward. They are hoping to involve a mixture of individuals and organisations, and colleagues from the voluntary, community and faith based sector, partners, service providers (clinical and non-clinical), patients, and informed community members.

To book your place
Please register through Eventbrite. You will then be able to access the online joining instructions for the event, which we will also email to booked attendees nearer to the time. Alternatively, if you are unable to access Eventbrite please email BCWB.engagement@nhs.net or telephone 0121 612 1447 to secure your place, and to advise of any special requirements.

Do you have an interest in Facilitating a small group?
If you or anyone else in your network would be interested in attending or assisting as a facilitator, please get in contact with the Engagement Team on bcwb.engagement@nhs.net or telephone 0121 612 1447.

Should you have any problems with either getting online or participating online please contact the Engagement Team to discuss ways in which they might be able to support you.

 

EPIC Funding (Round Five) – Application window open until early January 2022.

August 24, 2021by Stuart Ashmore in Funding, SCVO News tagged

SCVO is working in partnership with the Esmée Fairbairn Foundation to help build long-term resilience within Sandwell Communities.

The purpose of the EPIC Grant Programme (Empowering People In Communities) is to enable local voluntary and community organisations to access funding that supports the following broad outcomes:

  • Increased resilience within communities
  • Increased self reliance
  • Improved and stronger relationships within the community
  • Residents are involved in the design and delivery of activities that make a positive change in their communities
  • Asset and strengths based – building on what already exists in communities – starting from the perspective of “what’s strong” as opposed to “what’s wrong“.

Extensive community conversations have helped to shape the elements of this programme.  EPIC is a three year grant programme aimed at improving the wellbeing of communities, and tackling isolation and loneliness. It does this by developing stronger relationships and building on what exists within communities. This could include making the most of community spaces, improving access to transport and using people’s skills, talents and experience.

Grants up to £40,000 will be available for projects that are aimed at people (of all ages) who feel lonely or isolated, and projects that aim to improve the wellbeing of communities.

There are two tiers of funding available:

  • under £10,000
  • £10,001 to £40,000

Applications for Round 5 are currently being accepted, deadline for all submissions is Monday 28th February 2022 at 12 Noon.

Guidance notes (in pdf format) are available for download as follows, and we strongly urge you to read through the relevant notes in full before speaking to us about your proposal:

For applications under £10,000:

For applications over £10,000:

(Application forms will be made available once initial conversations have taken place).

Please contact us to discuss any proposals before submitting an application, or if you have any general queries –  Liz Webster, Community Partnerships Coach, T: 07923 259821 / E: Liz@scvo.info or Stuart Ashmore, Operations Manager, T: 07703 823226 / E: Stuart@scvo.info

 

Funding to enable disadvantaged young people reach their potential

August 24, 2021by Mazeline Hemmings in Blog, Funding tagged ,

Registered charities (including Schools that are registered as charities for young people with disabilities) that work with disadvantaged children under the age of 25, can apply for funding of up to £10,000 through the Ironmongers Company’s grants programme.

The Company is particularly interested in enabling primary age children to develop a strong foundation for the future. Projects could, for example:

• Support special educational needs
• Address behavioural problems
• Promote citizenship, parenting or life skills.

Preference will be given to projects piloting new approaches where the outcomes will be disseminated to a wider audience.

The next deadline for applications is the 15th December 2021.

More details

 

Expressions of Interest invited for development of Britannia Park Community Hub

August 24, 2021by Mazeline Hemmings in Blog, Did you know...?, VCS Feature tagged , ,

On 3 March 2021 the Government, in the Chancellor’s Budget Statement, confirmed the award of a Town Deal for Rowley Regis to a value of up to £19 million. One of the five projects supported through this Town Deal is the development of Britannia Park Community Hub, along with green space improvements to the park; this has been awarded up to £2.46 million from Towns Fund sources.

Britannia Park is an established urban green space and the town park for Blackheath, part of Rowley Regis, itself one of the six towns of Sandwell, The park is located 0.5 km north of the town centre.

The new Hub will be the centre piece of the restoration of the park and the building will have toilets, café, seating area, and community / training areas that can be used for events and activities.

Its focal point will be a new low-carbon pavilion, offering 6 changing rooms, toilets, community meeting room and kitchen. The building will utilise green energy where possible and modular construction is proposed, bringing simplicity of design, speed and ease of construction and installation, proven security and value for money.

The changing rooms will be used by women’s / junior football teams, also netball teams, to meet defined needs for these facilities in Sandwell.

The community room and kitchen will be run by a newly-formed Friends group, offering meeting spaces and providing a focal point for park-users. These will provide a training facility for horticultural apprentices, who will be based there, using the park for practical skills development.

Click here for more details

Please direct any questions to darren_jones@sandwell.gov.uk

ACT Early Partnership with Netmums

August 23, 2021by Stuart Ashmore in Safer, Stronger Communities tagged

August has seen the continuation of the partnership between Counter Terrorism Policing and Netmums to highlight the ACT Early website, which is for parents, friends and families who are concerned about loved ones at risk of radicalisation.

Through the partnership, ACT Early content is being housed and promoted on the Netmums.com site and its social media channels.  The content includes articles, videos and an interactive forum where parents can ask questions of expert practitioners on the risks of radicalisation.

It can all be found at: Netmums.com/act-early.

Thousands have parents have already learned more about the work of Prevent and how to protect their own children from the risks of radicalisation and other forms of online grooming.

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