The event will be free and open to any member of the public. InVOLve are hoping to have guest speakers on all topics we are focusing on. These include, County lines, Child Exploitation, Modern Day Slavery, Domestic Abuse, Human Trafficking, Domestic Servitude and Knife Crime. To sign up please click here: https://involve.community/event/aware-awareness-with-action-reduces-exploitation-free-event/
At CCB, we have been considering how we can provide more frequent opportunities to bring people together across Berkshire to learn more about community consultation, engagement and empowerment and to offer opportunities for learning, networking and peer support. One way that we can do this is by setting up a Local Organising Group for Berkshire. The following information is from the Community Organisers Ltd website:
Local Organising Groups comprise of a minimum 21 members (of Community Organisers), who have come together to facilitate the use of community organising principles and practice, to tackle issues that matter most to them. The group works together, listening to their community, building their collective power and developing community-led solutions. Local Organising Groups underpin the community organising practice already happening within communities across England. The groups ensure that priorities for actions directly emerge from our neighbourhoods. This guarantees that Community Organisers continues to remain authentic – acting locally and nationally on issues that people care about.
We are in the process of establishing a group called Community Organisers Berkshire. The first step in achieving this is to encourage as many people as we can to become a member of Community Organisers. Membership is free and the application form can be completed online. The link to the website is below and I’d like to encourage you all to sign up, as well as to share this invitation with friends and colleagues.
The Local Organising Group for Berkshire will have a constitution, an Organising Action Plan and an annual programme of events. Our vision for Community Organisers Berkshire is for it to become a vibrant and growing community of people that act on the issues that are important to them and their communities. We will commit to providing regular opportunities to bring people together to develop new skills, hear about how other communities work and to share experiences and concerns.
You can read more about the benefits of joining Community Organisers and complete the application form here: https://www.corganisers.org.uk/get-started/membership/become-a-member/ If you have any questions about this, or have ideas for how the Local Organising Group for Berkshire could support you in your work within your community, please get in touch.
Tim Parry
Keep Britain Tidy are running a national campaign from 20th March to 13th April to encourage people to pick up litter and be involved in the country’s biggest mass-action environmental campaign.
This campaign is something that CCB fully supports and we encourage communities in Berkshire to take part. Last year 560,000 people in the UK took part and they are aiming for over 600,000 to join in this year.
Taking part will help towards not only help to transform the UK for better by keeping streets clean and protecting wildlife but also, you will help stop damaging materials entering the ocean which is ultimately causing worldwide pollution.
By heading to the Keep Britain Tidy website you can host a clean-up or join one near you. There are a number of resources available to enable you to host such as risk assessment forms, email templates and social media packs.
There are also awards for a variety of categories during the campaign. Awards such as ‘Most bags collected during the campaign period’, ‘Outstanding contribution to the Great British Spring Clean’ and ‘Best Team Effort’ as well as many more are up for grabs so be sure to check out what you could win by taking part.
Aviva Community Fund
Aviva Community Fund celebrates and support charities doing great work all around UK. They’ve provided thousands of causes with funding, skills and resources, and have seen up close just how much of an impact this is having on the lives of the people involved.
Applications are now open for the newly refreshed Aviva Community Fund programme and the closing date is 11 February 2020.
Find out more about Aviva Community Fund
Aviva want to help your cause be as strong and successful as it can be – even if you haven’t received funding. You can join their Facebook Community Group to share ideas with other causes, learn new skills, keep up with news and be part of live events run by experts in volunteering, fundraising and more.
Smart Energy GB in Communities Fund
The programme supports those who might find it difficult to engage with the smart meter rollout. In 2020, we are targeting grant funding to organisations who reach people that are aged over 65 and are currently unaware of smart meters.
The objectives of the fund are:
This might be by using your partnerships with other organisations and building on existing work, or perhaps you might want to try something a bit different or innovative with the funding. They are open to hearing what you think would work and how they can work together to achieve this.
The total amount requested should be between £15,000 and £25,000.
Closing date for applications is Friday 21 February 2020.
Find out more about Smart Energy GB in Communities Fund
People’s Postcode Trust
Grants are now open.
Apply for grants to benefit people in your area
Who Can Apply?
Organisations who can apply for up to £2000 include:
• Registered charity (with a number from OSCR or Charity Commission)
• CIO
• Constituted voluntary or community group
• Social enterprise
• Community interest company (CIC)
• Not-for-profit organisation
• Local club or other constituted community group.
Registered charities can apply for up to £20,000.
What Kind of Projects are Funded?
Projects of up to 12 months, which are programmes of work limited in scope and which seek to achieve particular outcomes relating to the areas above.
Examples of projects that could be eligible include:
• Tackling poverty though improved literacy
• Baby basics and toddler clothing assistance
• Volunteering programmes and support to help difficult to reach groups strengthen working relationships and develop skills to help back into work
• Projects to support equality and raise awareness of issues
• Qualifications for young people not in mainstream education
Note this is one of three different postcode grants funds – each has a different set of projects. If this is not the right goals and themes for your group, then look at our other recent alerts.
How to Apply
Application is a two-stage process.
The deadline for stage-1 applications is the 4th February 2020
The guidance document and on-line application form can be accessed below.
Click Here for Guidance and to Apply
One Stop Carriers For Causes Grant
Grants up to £500 are available to local non-profit organisations and groups for projects within two miles of a One Stop store that benefit local communities by helping to improve lives and local places. It is funded through the sale of carrier bags, and administered through Groundwork.
Carriers for Causes is a rolling programme, where community groups or charities can apply for funding all year round.
Find out more about this funding
Swimathon Foundation Community Grants Scheme
The Swimathon Foundation Community Grants Scheme offers funding to groups and individuals who provide and promote swimming in their local community. The Foundation is passionate about encouraging people to get involved with swimming, which it hopes to encourage even further with its Community Grants.
Grants vary from £500 to £2,500 and will only be awarded to organisations supported by pools that are participating in Swimathon. The grants are administered by Swim England and the Swimming Trust and are awarded on an annual basis.
Applications for 2020 are now open and will close on Friday 13 March.
Find out more about Swimathon Foundation Community Grants Scheme
Co-op Foundation #iwill Fund
This round of our #iwill Fund focuses on peer-to-peer support to improve children’s wellbeing during the period in which they move from primary to secondary school. This might typically begin any time during School Years 5 or 6 and continue into Years 7 to 8. Up to £35,000 available for any project related costs.
See hcoopfoundation.org.uk/iwill-fund-schools/ for details. Deadline: 24th February 2020
A Celebration of Craft
The Crafts Council are making grants available to deliver craft workshops, events during 2021. They will give £500 for a public event or £2,500 for an in-depth project.
They’re keen to hear from:
This programme aims to deliver new craft opportunities to new audiences. It will support organisations with existing programmes of craft activity to reach out to people they haven’t worked with before; it will also support organisations who don’t specialise in craft (youth groups, residents’ associations, libraries etc.) to offer a new craft experience for their audiences and communities.
Deadline is 14 February 2020.
Find out more about A Celebration of Craft
Kellogg’s Breakfast Club Grants Programme
Kellogg’s is working with Forever Manchester to award grants of £1,000 to school breakfast clubs, to help them provide breakfast to children who need it most.
Priority will be given to schools that have either:
You can apply for an award at any time and you will hear within one month if you have been successful.
Please note the fund may close if oversubscribed.
Find out more about Kellogg’s Breakfast Club Grants Programme
With thanks to Volunteer Centre West Berkshire, Slough CVS & Wokingham&Bracknell Involve for content.
Monday 10th February at 9.30 to 12.30
West Berkshire Council office chamber
Is your organisation supporting people with poor mental health? Do you support someone with poor mental health or are you a mental health service user yourself?
During 2019 The Mental Health Crisis service provided by The Berkshire West Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) has been conducting a review. An important event to which you are invited takes place on Monday 10th February at 9.30 to 12.30.
Look at the communication below. Your knowledge and experiences are of value and they may help to shape the mental health pathway for West Berkshire people.
What: Mental Health Crisis Review
When: Monday 10th February, 2020 9:30-12:30
Where: West Berkshire Council office chamber
This event is for all Berkshire West service users, carers and voluntary sectors partners, who wish to be involved in the designing of the Mental Health Crisis pathway
Berkshire West CCG are hosting a feedback session following the input from focus groups and engagement forums previously held about our mental health crisis services.
Having collated all the feedback we will be presenting with you the next steps.
What will be discussed:
· Expanding services for people experiencing a mental health crisis
· Ensuring the NHS will provide a single point of access and timely, universal mental health crisis care for everyone
· 24/7 community-based mental health crisis response for adults and older adults
· Increase alternative forms of provision for those in crisis – crisis cafes provide a more suitable alternative to A&E
· And the collaborations with local authorities, voluntary sector partners and service users to look at the non-clinical issues
Refreshments to be included.
Please book with my colleague Laura whose details are below
Garry Poulson
Director
Chairman Suicide Prevention Action Group
If you would like to book to attend this event please get in touch with Laura at laura@vcwb.org.uk.
Connecting Communities in Berkshire 