The background: Coronaviruses, so-called because of the spikes on their surface, were first identified in the 1960s. They are common across the world, and cause symptoms similar to flu. This new strain, novel coronavirus, was first identified in Wuhan, China in December 2019 and was notified to the World Health Organisation on 31 December. On 11 February 2020, WHO named the disease caused by novel coronavirus as COVID-19 (COronaVIrus Disease). In practice, both ‘coronavirus’ and ‘COVID-19’ are used to refer to both the virus and the disease it causes.
Novel coronavirus is spread by droplets in the air from an infected person sneezing or coughing, and from surfaces such as handrails and door handles. It is spreading rapidly because it is a new strain and no one has acquired immunity to it. At present there is no vaccine and the latest information is that it could be a year before a reliable vaccine becomes widely available.
As with ordinary (seasonal) flu, a person can be exposed to the virus but not become ill, or if they do become ill the illness may be mild, moderate or severe. As with seasonable flu a severe case can potentially cause death, primarily for people who are elderly, have a weakened immune system, or have certain pre-existing medical conditions such as asthma, diabetes, cancer, heart disease and chronic lung disease. Symptoms of COVID-19 generally start with a fever, followed by a dry cough and about a week later, shortness of breath then breathing difficulties.
Amongst the many official webpages I have looked at, my favourite is Myth busters from the World Health Organisation. This includes the myths that eating garlic can prevent infection with the new coronavirus (no evidence so far) and that putting on sesame oil can block the virus from entering the body (no). See link below.
Official publications (UK)
All official publications will be regularly updated, and the Gov.uk collections are, I presume, likely to be extended. So check the links below regularly.
Coronavirus (COVID-19): Latest information and advice. Department for Health & Social Care and Public Health England; updated daily at 2pm. Covers number of cases; risk level; returning travellers; information about the virus; summary of action taken by the government; diagnosis and analysis; further information.
COVID-19: Guidance for non-clinical settings. Gov.uk collection. With links a number of other publications: Guidance for employers and businesses; Guidance for social or community care and residential settings; Guidance for educational settings; Guidance for staff in the transport sector; Decontamination in non-healthcare settings.
COVID-19: Guidance for health professionals. Gov.uk collection, with (not surprisingly) a large number of links, including Background information; Infection prevention and control; Guidance for primary care; Guidance to assist professionals in advising the general public; Guidance for healthcare providers who have staff with relevant, travel, healthcare or household contact history; Guidance for first responders.
Coronavirus (COVID 19): Immigration guidance. Home Office and UK Visas & Immigration. Currently covers Chinese nationals in the UK; non-Chinese, non-EEA nationals in the UK normally resident in China; information for Chinese or third country nationals in China; British nationals in China who need to apply for a passport; and licensed tier 2, tier 4 or tier 5 sponsors with absences due to coronavirus. Includes telephone and email details for the coronavirus immigration helpline.
National Health Service coronavirus information and advice. Covers overview; advice for travellers; common questions. Includes an online advice questionnaire at https://111.nhs.uk/Question/Navigation
On Monday 20 January Village Halls Week launched in style at The House of Commons.
The Launch event signalled the start of Village Halls Week, sponsored by Utility Aid and Allied Westminster and supported by Defra and the NRTF, we were delighted to be able to take representatives of halls and the ACRE Network along. The Event gained much media attention and was successful in raising the profile of Village Halls Week with MPs and Lords alike.
The week was featured across 18 BBC channels, 10 Broadcasters tweeted from personal accounts as well, proudly showing their badges. 18 MPs supported the week by visiting events, halls and tweeting and 22 articles appeared in local and national press including The Times, The Telegraph, Country Life Magazine, and the Daily Mail. We would like to take this opportunity to thank you all for your hard work and support ensuring the success of the week. The increase in media attention gained substantial and positive attention for village halls all over the country. There was also a huge increase in engagement from halls themselves, having a positive impact locally, strengthening relationships between ACRE members and hall trustees.
Grow Wild has launched new grants for nature projects.
They’re looking for creative people aged 14-25 who are buzzing with project ideas to help the environment. Do you know someone?
They have £500 grants and support for creative projects anywhere in the UK where people study, work and relax. People aged 18-25 from London can also apply to join our unique exhibition.
Applicants get to try something new and bring friends along on the journey. As well as add to their CV and develop communication skills and confidence.
Every project needs a Supporting Organisation to receive the funding.Are you aged 14-25 and buzzing with project ideas?
Small Grants programme is open to charities and not-for-profit organisations applying for any amount up to and including £10,000 per year for up to 3 years.
They give grants for… Projects working with children and young people of 18 years and under experiencing disadvantage through:
Illness, distress, abuse or neglect
Any kind of disability
Behavioural or psychological difficulties
Living in poverty or situations of deprivation
Projects they fund make differences in children’s lives that help prevent or overcome the effects of the disadvantages they face. Projects achieve these differences by either working directly with children or seeking to improve their social and physical environments.
In their Small Grants programme they are looking for projects where a relatively small amount of money can make a big difference for children and young people.
The Hilden Charitable Fund — Summer Play Schemes Guidelines 2020
The Fund has allocated a small budget to help community groups run summer play schemes for disadvantaged communities. Some priority will be given to projects which show they are inclusive of children from refugee families and show BME involvement.
Trustees look to fund:
Projects for children aged 5 to 18 years
Locally based schemes lasting from 2 to 6 weeks
Schemes with strong volunteer support
Applications are accepted from voluntary agencies with an income of less than £150,000.Applications must be received by Friday 29 May.
The organisation gives grants (generally up to £5,000) for capital costs to small and medium-sized registered charities only – those with a turnover of under £1m per annum.
All applications must relate to projects that assist individuals in their return to mainstream society.
DM Thomas Foundation Central Grants Programme Grants of up to £30,000 are available per year for up to two years to registered charities for projects that improve education and health for young people in three key areas: Children & young people with disabilities Children & young people who are sick in hospital Children & young people who are life limited (requiring palliative care) Deadline: 5th May 2020. dmthomasfoundation.org/what-we-do/grants/
Youth Music Charity funds projects Schools as well as other not-for-profit organisations can apply for grants to fund developmental music-making projects for children and young people in challenging circumstances as well as for projects that support the development of the workforce, organisations and the wider music making sector. Small grants fund offers £2000 to £30,000. Deadline for applications 3rd April 2020.network.youthmusic.org.uk/i-need-funding
The Swimathon Foundation Community Grants Scheme Funding of £500-£2,000 to groups and individuals who provide and promote swimming to encourage wider uptake in their local community. swimathonfoundation.org/grants-scheme. Deadline 13th March 2020
Capital Grants from the cloth workers Foundation Large (£25,000 average) and small (less than £10,000) grants for charities, CICs, and NfP’s working with a wide range of beneficiaries including disadvantaged young people and minority communities, older people and homeless, ex-offenders, people with disabilities, or visual impairment, domestic & sexual abuse and alcohol and substance mis-use. Rolling programme so no deadlines. clothworkersfoundation.org.uk/what-we-fund/
Thomas Wall trust – Grants for skills to aid employment Grants up to £5,000 available towards specific projects or core activities that support literacy, numeracy, digital and additional skills for learning that are likely to assist employment prospects. Charities must have an income below £500,000 and be at least three years old. Deadline for EOI 25th March 2020 (2 stage process) . See: thomaswalltrust.org.uk/grants-for-registered-charities and thomaswalltrust.org.uk/digital-skills-2020
Citizen Food Waste Behaviour Change Grant
Closing date: 25 March – 13:00
WRAP is looking to identify new behaviour change interventions that can be tailored to food waste prevention.
Applications for Stage 1 are open for registration from Thursday 30 January until Wednesday 25 March at 13.00. Please email your application to citizensfoodgrant@wrap.org.uk.
Your application must demonstrate that your project idea will have a direct influence in changing behaviour.
We are looking to support interventions that will specifically focus on two behaviours: • Buy what you eat (BWYE), and; • Eat what you buy (EWYB). Examples could be interventions that: • Help promote a better understanding of Best Before Date vs Use-By Date • Promote and encourage consumers to buy/shop better – buying the ‘right’ quantity for what is required. For example, shopping planners • Educate citizens on how to store or freeze food correctly The scheme is open to small or medium size enterprises or not-for-profit and public funded organisations (such as a local authority) in England only. The scheme will award grants between £25,000 and £100,000 for both capital and revenue project expenditure.
Digital Confidence Fund Grants and mentoring available to grow the digital confidence of organisations in The National Heritage Fund’s 13 Areas of Focus. Click here to for more information
Hilden Charitable Fund – Summer Play Schemes Grant Grants are available to voluntary and community groups in the UK to help run summer play schemes for the benefit of disadvantaged children. Click here to for more information
Hilden Charitable Fund Grants for UK charities working in the areas of homelessness, penal affairs, asylum seekers and refugees, community based initiatives for disadvantaged young people (16-25), and projects in developing countries working on community development, education, and health (with particular interest in projects that address the needs and potential of girls and women). Click here to for more information
Road Safety Trust Grants are available to public and professional UK-based organisations for activities that will reduce the risk of death and injury for all road users. Click here to for more information
This programme offers up to £3 million of grant funding (over three years) to empower voluntary and community sector organisations to work together with the local health and care sector to boost the health and wellbeing of their communities..
Healthy Communities Together
What are the grants for? Healthy Communities Together is a new programme developed in partnership between The National Lottery Community Fund and The King’s Fund. The programme aims to support local areas to develop effective and sustainable partnerships between the voluntary and community sector, the NHS and local authorities to improve health and wellbeing, reduce health inequalities and empower communities. As well as providing grant funding, the programme will support the development of relationships between partners, identifying and agreeing how best to work together, to ensure the involvement of organisations working across communities, and create a plan of activities. For further information please click here.
Margaret Dobson Trust
Grants of £3,000 – £10,000 for charities (or CICs) supporting young adults with learning disability, after leaving school, with the aim or giving them practical skills to prepare them to be able to lead independent lives.
The Trustees are also interested to hear from organisations that support activities, that enable people with learning disabilities, and their carers, to understand better life skills and the social care system. Deadline is 31 March 2020.
Masonic Charitable Foundation: Later Life Inclusion
Small grants (to £15,000) are available to charities with incomes less than £500,000 working to reduce loneliness and isolation of vulnerable and disadvantaged people over 50.
It supports: Mental and physical health; improved service access e.g. transport and technology, Community based approaches, and Advocacy, social and welfare.
The deadline for small grants is 17 April 2020. The large grants programme opens on 20 March.
Masonic Charitable Foundation: Support for disadvantaged children and young people
The Early Years Opportunities scheme offer grants of £500 – £15,000 per year for up to 3 years to charities (with income <£500,000) to help disadvantaged children and young people to overcome the barriers they face to achieve the best possible start in life.
In partnership with Heartstart Thatcham we have helped to deliver two very successful Life Support Skills & Defibrillator training in West Berkshire this winter.
Both training sessions took place in rural settings, the first at Hermitage Village Hall, on a dark January evening. All delegates had very positive feedback and rated the training as excellent or good. Below you can view a film about the correct actions to take if you think you’ve found someone unconscious and how to check so you DON’T get a smack in the face!
Here’s Nick getting a suprise from Mick when checking to see if he’s unconsious!
In February we ran another well attended training event this time at Brimpton Village Hall. Please see some pictures below. If you would like to register your interest in future training events like this please e-mail Kate.Meads@ccberks.org.uk or if you have children and live in Wokingham you may be interested in a training event we are running next month. Please click here for further details.https://ccb2017.wordpress.com/2019/12/11/new-training-opportunity-for-parent-carers-in-wokingham-to-learn-life-saving-skills/
Comments from learners included:
“This was a professional yet informal setting and ticked all my expectations.”
“Confident, professional instruction. Practical demonstrations and it was great to have the opportunity to have a go and use a defibrillator”
“Loved the postivity – you can help to save a life!”
Stephen Lawrence day is held annually on 22nd April, as announced by then Prime Minister Theresa May at the memorial service marking 25 years since Stephen’s death. The day serves as an opportunity for schools and communities to engage deeply in activities that strengthen and empower them to ‘Live their best life’.
The day provides an opportunity for schools, youth and community groups, charities and others to come together to deliver a range of positive activities including; school-based activities, programmes to encourage young people to reject the recent increases in serious violence, and activities ‘beyond the school gate’ to promote community integration for young people who are at risk of offending.
You can read more about the incredible impact we made in 2019.The Stephen Lawrence Charitable Trust was founded by Baroness Lawrence in 1998 to support young people, in honour of Stephen whose life was cruelly cut short before he could live out his dreams. How your community can get involvedWe invite your community leaders, members and young people to come together to use the story of Stephen’s life and legacy as an opportunity to hold a day of activities or event to mark the day. Social Action in Action We are proud to have worked across the country engaging communities and young people to design and develop youth-led social action projects to improve the lives of young people living in their local communities, challenging negative perceptions to make a real difference. Social Action projects can include activities such as campaigning, volunteering, and fundraising – all of which have a massive impact on local communities and young people.
Download the Community Social Action Toolkit to find out how to start you can start your own project! Small Grants Scheme The Stephen Lawrence Charitable Trust are welcoming a limited number of applications from individual community organisations to deliver Social Action activities focusing on identified risk factors for Serious Crime and Violence (see attachment, Serious Crime & Violence) in line with our guiding principles (see attachment, Guiding Principles). Amount of funding available: Up to £400 for a day of activities. All activities will need to take place on or around the day – 22nd April 2020. Please submit your completed application and relevant supporting documents to Chelsea Way on Chelsea@stephenlawrence.org.uk, by Friday 13th March 2019.
We look forward to hearing from you and your local community!
Connecting Communities in Berkshire 