Consultation in communities undergoing change

Rethink Re:Place is a New Union project that makes placemaking user-friendly, by offering training opportunities and upskilling techniques.

Here is their downloadable free tool-kit:

http://new-union.org/tacticalurbanismhack.html

 

Construction site hours – activity extended under CV19

Construction sites in England will be allowed to extend working hours until 9pm in residential areas and beyond that on other sites as part of the government’s plan to reopen the housing market.

Housing secretary Robert Jenrick said the extension, which was introduced with immediate effect on Wednesday night, will allow 24-hour working “where appropriate”,

Applications to extend hours “should be approved by councils unless there are very compelling reasons why this is not appropriate”.

“Varied start and finish times will make it easier for sites to observe social distancing, take the pressure off public transport, like the tube in London, and keep Britain building.”

Here is the statement in full:

https://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/written-questions-answers-statements/written-statement/Commons/2020-05-13/HCWS234/

More on CV19 support – Big Society, 15th May 2020

Here is the May 2020 update from OCS

Subscribe yourself details are at the end of the briefing

Office for Civil Society – Covid-19 Support Update

15 May 2020
 
This is a regular update from the Office for Civil Society as part of our commitment to keeping civil society stakeholders informed of the Government’s response to Covid-19 and support to the sector. We will continue to send these newsletters whenever we have relevant key updates for the sector.

 

Government funding opportunities:

  1. Update on Government Covid-19 funding for civil society organisations
  2. Domestic abuse safe accommodation: COVID-19 emergency support fund
  3. Covid-19 Food Charity Grant Scheme
  4. Armed Forces Covid-19 Impact Programme
  5. Loneliness Covid-19 Grant Fund
  6. Covid-19 Homelessness Response Fund

 

Updates:

  1. NHS Volunteer Responders: self referral and becoming an approved referrer
  2. Accessing food and essential supplies: shopping for others
  3. Frontline charities: guidance on coronavirus testing
  4. Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme extended until end of October

 

Government funding opportunities

 

1. Update on Government Covid-19 funding for civil society organisations

The funding opportunities set out in this section are part of the £750m civil society support package announced by the Chancellor of the Exchequer on 8 April. As part of this package, £360m is being directly allocated by government departments to charities providing key services and supporting vulnerable people during the crisis. This includes £200m which was designated for hospices.

Departments are taking a range of approaches to getting funding to charities in order to meet the community needs they have identified as quickly as possible. Some funding will be provided directly to organisations departments already work in partnership with, and a number of departments are running grants processes themselves or with partners.

The section below sets out all of the new funds that are available through this support package so far. It is not an exhaustive list of all Government funding opportunities, nor does it include funding available through partners such as the National Lottery Community Fund, Comic Relief, Children in Need, the National Emergencies Trust. There will be a further newsletter update at the end of next week.

2. Domestic abuse safe accommodation: COVID-19 emergency support fund

The Ministry for Communities, Housing and Local Government has received £10 million for domestic abuse safe accommodation charities as part of a £76 million government package of support to charities supporting vulnerable people including domestic abuse victims.

The fund will help ensure that:

  • Safe accommodation services can continue operating and keep bedspaces open for victims and their children fleeing from abuse during COVID-19 emergency.
  • Safe accommodation services can help more victims access these life-saving services.

They are inviting domestic abuse safe accommodation providers within England to apply and encourage applications from consortiums of service provider partners.

The deadline for applications is 21 May 2020.
Further information and details of how to apply are available here.
3. Covid-19 Food Charity Grant Scheme

The Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has launched a Food Charities Grant Fund. If you run a front-line not-for-profit or charity that provides food, you may be eligible to apply for a grant to support your organisation to provide food to those who need it.

The grant aims to provide immediate support for a limited period of time to help to feed those most vulnerable due to the economic impacts of Covid-19. This ensures that they can access a continual supply of food in a time of increased demand. This will feed numerous economically vulnerable groups including the homeless, the elderly and those in rehabilitation.

The Food Charity Grant Scheme requires charities to apply for at least £30,000, up to a maximum of £100,000. If you receive food from the FareShare network, you are still eligible to apply for this grant. Your grant application should be for the additional food you need to support the increase in demand to your services as a result of Covid-19.

The deadline for applications is 6 July 2020.
Further information and details of how to apply are available here.

4. Armed Forces Covid-19 Impact Programme

The Covid-19 Impact Programme is a £6m Ministry of Defence fund to ensure that people from Armed Forces communities can keep accessing important services, where resources for these services have been impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic. It will be administered by The Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust.

The £6 million fund is available as grants of up to £60,000. In exceptional circumstances, grants of up to £125,000 or more may be awarded. To apply, charities must be working in one of nine key areas: Support to the elderly (including care homes); Mental and physical health; Welfare; Domestic violence; Housing; Criminal Justice System; Service families (including childcare); Bereavement; Employment

The deadline for applications is 29 May 2020.
Further information and details of how to apply are available here.

5. Loneliness Covid-19 Grant Fund

As part of the Government’s plan to tackle loneliness during the coronavirus lockdown, the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport has launched a £5 million to fund national organisations working to tackle loneliness and build social connections.

The objectives of this fund are to:

  • provide effective, targeted relief for those most at risk of loneliness as a result of Covid-19.
  • contribute to the evidence base on Covid-19 and loneliness.

This fund will make grants of between £500,000 and £1,000,000.

The deadline for applications is 12pm on 29 May 2020.
Further information and details of how to apply are available here.

6. Covid-19 Homelessness Response Fund

The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government has received £6 million for emergency funding to homelessness charities. This fund will be delivered through Homeless Link.

The Fund aims to provide financial assistance to local homelessness organisations, at a time when many are at risk of having to cut services and staff or close altogether due to increased operational costs and a loss of fundraised income caused by the pandemic.

Homeless Link will offer grants to frontline organisations where more than half of beneficiaries are people experiencing homelessness. Applicants must have an annual turnover of less than £5 million.

The deadline for applications is 27 May 2020.
Further information and details of how to apply are available here.

 

Updates

 

1. NHS Volunteer Responders: self referral and becoming an approved referrer

NHS Volunteer Responders service is now open for self referral. If somebody needs additional support with tasks such as shopping or picking up prescriptions, or would like a check in and chat call, or needs transportation to healthcare appointments, they can get in touch with the Royal Voluntary Service on 0808 196 3646 (8am to 8pm).

You can help to promote this service by displaying or sharing the poster, available here.

Further information about the self referral process and who is eligible for support is available here.

Charities that wish to directly support their clients who are vulnerable and may need support at this time, can become approved referrers so that they can make referrals on behalf of their clients / members.  If you would like to become an approved referrer, please contact england.covid-communities@nhs.net and a member of the team will contact you to discuss further.

2. Accessing food and essential supplies: shopping for others

The Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has published guidance on accessing food and essential supplies during the coronavirus pandemic. This includes guidance on how to shop for people you know who are self-isolating and unable to get to the shops.

If you’ve signed up for the NHS Volunteer Responders programme, you can volunteer to support those in your community other than family and friends.

If you’re shopping for someone else, most of the major supermarkets have ways that you can pay on behalf of others, such as e-vouchers and gift cards. The person you’re shopping for can buy these online and you can use them in store. Local convenience stores may also have options available, so check what is on offer.

Read guidance on helping others safely.

3. Frontline charities: guidance on coronavirus testing

The Department for Health and Social Care has published guidance on coronavirus testing, including who is eligible for a test and how to get tested.

The guidance sets out who is eligible for testing, how to arrange a test and how the testing process works.

Charities and workers delivering critical frontline services are included in the list of essential workers and those priorities for testing (England only).

Further information on testing is available here.

4. Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme extended until end of October

The Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme will be open until the end of October, following an announcement by the Chancellor on 12 May.  Furloughed workers across UK will continue to receive 80% of their current salary, up to £2,500.

The scheme will continue in its current form until the end of July and the changes to allow more flexibility will come in from the start of August. More specific details and information around its implementation will be made available by the end of this month.

New statistics revealed this week show that the job retention scheme has protected 7.5 million workers and almost 1 million organisations.

Read the full announcement here.

Use this online service to claim for your employees’ wages using the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme.

 

 

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Beware of legionella in the return to work

Following the Government’s announcement last week, businesses are considering how a return to work might look. With many premises being left unoccupied (or minimally occupied) during the lockdown, both Public Health England and the Health and Safety Executive have warned of the increased risks of Legionella growth in stagnant and unused water systems.

Here is a useful brief from our friends at ACS:

READ OUR BRIEFING IN FULL >

Homeless Reduction Act – a view from Crisis

This is the interim report of Crisis 3 year research into the implementation of the Homelessness Reduction Act. The ‘A Foot in the Door’ report is based on 984 surveys and 89 in-depth interviews across 6 local authority areas with those approaching services for support.

Here is the report:

Experiences of the Homelessness Reduction Act

Here are the headlines from Crisis website:

“Two years into its implementation, the research has found the change in law has significantly expanded access to homelessness assistance particularly for single people.

  • The research findings suggest that this is one of the most substantial changes observed since the introduction of the HRA and that the change in legislation has had a noticeable impact on widening access to single homeless people.
  • Overwhelmingly people reported a more positive experience when first approaching Housing Options for assistance.
  • Seventy-five per cent of people reported they were treated with respect and were able to communicate confidentially with staff.
  • Despite the majority of participants reporting positive experiences there is still clear examples of people having poor assessments.
  • The intention and ambition of the HRA is being constrained by the housing market, welfare system and funding.
  • Whilst there has been a broadly positive experience of initial contact and engagement with Housing Options staff, the research has shown significant barriers and issues with the support on offer and people’s housing outcomes.
  • Overall only 39 per cent of respondents agreed when asked whether the local authority had helped them to resolve their housing issue.
  • A further 31 per cent of participants reported that they had either supported themselves or with the help of family or friends, and 30 per cent reported that their issue was still ongoing.
  • Overall 56 per cent of survey respondents reported a more positive housing situation when asked to compare their current position with the night before they presented at Housing Options.
  • The research found the most common form of intervention offered is information on accessing the private rented sector.
  • Lack of affordable housing both social and PRS means that local authorities are increasingly constrained in the realistic outcomes that they can achieve.”

Meanwhile under CV19 – the government annouced its success in tackling 90% of the rough sleeping crisis, this was not a view shared widely in the sector, though there was some acknowledgement of improvements.

The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government later clarified its 90% figure refers to the number of rough sleepers known to local authorities at the beginning of the crisis, with the data being provided directly by councils. This is important for two reasons. First, it implies that the number of rough sleepers known to councils represents the actual number of people on the streets. Second, it suggests that the number of rough sleepers will not be added to during the pandemic.

Data returns to RSH – delayed until October 2020 (CV19)

Landlords  will be used to completing the Statistical Data Return (“SDR”). The deadline for the SDR return has been delayed from 31st May 2020 to 31st October 2020 in view of Covid.

 

Here is some helpful guidance on why these returns are important from our friends at ACS:

READ OUR BRIEFING IN FULL >

The regulator takes a dim view of incorrect returns and has downgraded landlords due to their ineffectiveness to handle data shared with the RSH.

Their view goes straight to their confidence in the data provided to Boards by officers.

Is there appropriate Internal Controls Assurance for Boards on what is happening under their “watch”?

 

Third Sector – Big Society briefing under CV19

This is a regular update from the Office for Civil Society as part of our commitment to keeping civil society stakeholders informed of the Government’s response to Covid-19 and support to the sector.

This edition includes the launches of the Coronavirus Community Support Fund, which is being delivered through the National Lottery Community Foundation, and an online resource to help you find financial and other support for your organisation.

Here is the OCS CV19 briefing in full.

You can subscribe on the link at the bottom of the page

Contents:

  1. Resource: Financial support for VCSE organisations to respond to Covid-19
  2. National Lottery Community Foundation launches Coronavirus Community Support Fund
  3. Government unlocks £150m from dormant accounts for coronavirus response
  4. Armed Forces Covid-19 Impact Programme
  5. Loneliness Covid-19 Grant Fund
  6. Covid-19 Homelessness Response Fund
  7. Covid-19 Food Charity Grant Scheme

 

1. Financial support for VCSE organisations to respond to Covid-19

The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) has today published a resource to enable charities to view current government funding opportunities and other support for civil society organisations during the Covid-19 pandemic.

The resource, which will be updated as further announcements are made, sets out the funding opportunities available through the £750m civil society support package announced by the Chancellor of the Exchequer on 8 April. It includes:

  • Government funds for civil society organisations that are open for applications
  • A roundup of all government support for civil society, including funding that has been directly awarded by government departments to charities address the crisis
  • Information on other forms of financial support available through HM Treasury
  • Details of other funding support, including BBC Children in Need and the National Lottery Community Foundation.

The resource is available through the Office for Civil Society website.

2. National Lottery Community Foundation launches Coronavirus Community Support Fund

The National Lottery Community Foundation has today launched a £200m fund for organisations in England who are supporting people and communities experiencing disproportionate challenges and difficulty during the pandemic, and those that provide services and support for vulnerable people and have seen an increase in demand or have lost income. This funding has been made available through the £750m support package for the sector announced by the Chancellor on 8 April.

Funding from the Coronavirus Community Support Fund will start to reach frontline organisations within a few weeks. Applications to the Fund will be handled through The National Lottery Community Fund’s well-established funding infrastructure, which they use to deliver around £500 million of grants to local organisations each year. A joint panel set up by DCMS and NLCF will advise on distribution of funding.

Further funding will be committed and informed by emerging priorities, as the impact of the crisis on vulnerable groups and charities is understood.

Applications will open on Friday 22 May. Find out more and apply for funding on National Lottery Community Fund.

3. Government unlocks £150m from dormant accounts for coronavirus response

The Culture Secretary has announced today that £150 million from dormant bank and building society accounts is to be unlocked to help charities, social enterprises and vulnerable individuals during the coronavirus outbreak. This includes accelerating the release of £71 million of new funds from dormant accounts alongside £79 million already unlocked that will be repurposed to help charities’ coronavirus response and recovery.

The funding will support urgent work to tackle youth unemployment, expand access to emergency loans for civil society organisations and help improve the availability of fair, affordable credit to people in vulnerable circumstances.

  • £10 million will be brought forward for the Youth Futures Foundation to help organisations who support unemployed, disadvantaged young people across the country into jobs.
  • £45 million will be deployed by Big Society Capital to allow better access to investment including emergency loans for charities, social enterprises and some small businesses facing cash-flow problems and disruption to their trading following the coronavirus outbreak.
  • Fair4All Finance will use £65 million to support affordable credit providers to increase access to fair, appropriate products and services for those struggling financially, providing them with an alternative to high cost loans.
  • £30 million will go to Access – The Foundation for Social Investment who will support social enterprises helping people in vulnerable circumstances.

Read the full announcement here.

4. Armed Forces Covid-19 Impact Programme

The Covid-19 Impact Programme is a £6m Ministry of Defence fund to ensure that people from Armed Forces communities can keep accessing important services, where resources for these services have been impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic. It will be administered by The Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust.

The £6 million fund is available as grants of up to £60,000. In exceptional circumstances, grants of up to £125,000 or more may be awarded. To apply, charities must be working in one of nine key areas: Support to the elderly (including care homes); Mental and physical health; Welfare; Domestic violence; Housing; Criminal Justice System; Service families (including childcare); Bereavement; Employment

The deadline for applications is 29 May 2020.
Further information and details of how to apply are available here.

5. Loneliness Covid-19 Grant Fund

As part of the Government’s plan to tackle loneliness during the coronavirus lockdown, the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport has launched a £5 million to fund national organisations working to tackle loneliness and build social connections.

The objectives of this fund are to:

  • provide effective, targeted relief for those most at risk of loneliness as a result of Covid-19.
  • contribute to the evidence base on Covid-19 and loneliness.

This fund will make grants of between £500,000 and £1,000,000.

The deadline for applications is 12pm on 29 May 2020.
Further information and details of how to apply are available here.

6. Covid-19 Homelessness Response Fund

The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government has received £6 million for emergency funding to homelessness charities. This fund will be delivered through Homeless Link.

The Fund aims to provide financial assistance to local homelessness organisations, at a time when many are at risk of having to cut services and staff or close altogether due to increased operational costs and a loss of fundraised income caused by the pandemic.

Homeless Link will offer grants to frontline organisations where more than half of beneficiaries are people experiencing homelessness. Applicants must have an annual turnover of less than £5 million.

The deadline for applications is 27 May 2020.
Further information and details of how to apply are available here.

7. Covid-19 Food Charity Grant Scheme

The Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has launched a Food Charities Grant Fund. If you run a front-line not-for-profit or charity that provides food, you may be eligible to apply for a grant to support your organisation to provide food to those who need it.

The grant aims to provide immediate support for a limited period of time to help to feed those most vulnerable due to the economic impacts of Covid-19. This ensures that they can access a continual supply of food in a time of increased demand. This will feed numerous economically vulnerable groups including the homeless, the elderly and those in rehabilitation.

The Food Charity Grant Scheme requires charities to apply for at least £30,000, up to a maximum of £100,000. If you receive food from the FareShare network, you are still eligible to apply for this grant. Your grant application should be for the additional food you need to support the increase in demand to your services as a result of Covid-19.

The deadline for applications is 6 July 2020.
Further information and details of how to apply are available here.

 

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Support for Voluntary Organisations under CV19

More of the funding announced in early April  is starting to become available.

Small and medium-size charities will be able to apply on the National Lottery Community Fund website

Full details in the NLCF press release.

 

The government has also released £150m in dormant accounts money that will go further in tackling youth unemployment, addressing financial exclusion and growing the social investment market. This proves that there are more options worth exploring to unlock further financial support for charities.

 

There is more for the government to do to help support good organisations which we’ll need more than ever for the recovery. I’m going to continue these conversations with them over the coming weeks.

 

Here is  a useful Follow for more information

Karl Wilding, Chief Executive, NCVO

@karlwilding

Are you approaching your AGM under CV-19

The Government  presented a (Corporate Governance and Insolvency) Bill in May 2020,  to help.

This allows organisations including companies, Charitable Incorporated Organisations (CIOs) and Registered Societies, to hold General Meetings (GM), including Annual General Meetings (AGM) even where the governing documents do not permit such to be held virtually and in some cases, explicitly require a minimum number of Members/Shareholders to be physically present.

Here is some useful guidance from our friends at ACS:

READ OUR BRIEFING IN FULL >

OCS Third Sector – Big Society CV19 newsletter April 2020

Keep an eye out for these – usually monthly but they seem to be more regular during CV19.

Join up for your own newsletter at the base of this page

Contents:

  1. Announcement: Chancellor sets out extra £750 million coronavirus funding for frontline charities
  2. Announcement: Government launches plan to tackle loneliness during coronavirus lockdown
  3. Guidance for your organisation
  4. Guidance on funding and fundraising
  5. Guidance on volunteers and volunteering

 

1. Announcement: Chancellor sets out extra £750 million coronavirus funding for frontline charities

Charities across the UK will receive a £750 million package of support to ensure they can continue their vital work during the coronavirus outbreak, Chancellor Rishi Sunak has announced.

Tens of thousands of charities providing vital services will benefit from direct cash grants to ensure they can meet increased demand as a result of the virus as well as continuing their day-to-day activities supporting those in need.

As part of a UK-wide package of support, £360 million will be directly allocated by government departments to charities providing key services and supporting vulnerable people during the crisis.

As well as this, £370 million for small and medium-sized charities, including through a grant to the National Lottery Community Fund for those in England, will support those organisations at the heart of local communities which are making a big difference during the outbreak, including those delivering food, essential medicines and providing financial advice.

The Chancellor also announced the Government will match fund whatever the public decides to donate to the BBC’s Big Night In charity appeal on 23 April, starting with a contribution of at least £20 million to the National Emergencies Trust appeal.

The announcement builds on previous announcements by the Chancellor to support charities and businesses, including deferring their VAT bills, paying no business rates for their shops next year, and furloughing staff where possible with the Government paying 80% of their wages.

Read the full announcement here.

2. Government launches plan to tackle loneliness during coronavirus lockdown

The Government has launched a major effort to tackle loneliness and social isolation during the coronavirus outbreak and period of social distancing. Led by Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden, the plan will aim to ensure that, for people of all ages and backgrounds, staying at home does not need to lead to loneliness.

The latest #Let’sTalkLoneliness public campaign has been rolled out to get people talking openly about loneliness, which includes new public guidance offering useful tips and advice on what to do to look after yourself and others safely.

The campaign, initially launched last year, is being supported by famous faces across social media including TV presenter Angellica Bell and Karen Gibson, founder of The Kingdom Choir. More information can be found at https://letstalkloneliness.co.uk/

In a wide ranging cross-Government and cross-sector plan, the Culture Secretary has also announced that:

  • Smaller, community-based organisations in England helping people to stay connected in local communities will benefit from being a priority category of the £750 million package of support for charities announced by the Chancellor on 8 April.
  • National loneliness organisations will be allocated a guaranteed £5 million worth of funding to continue and adapt their critical work at this time.
  • As part of the national effort, loneliness charities including Age UK will be supported to work with NHS Volunteer Responders in their communities.

Read the full announcement here.

3. Guidance for your organisation

Charity Commission: Coronavirus (COVID-19) guidance for the charity sector
Guidance from the Charity Commission on how to run your charity in relation to registrations, permissions, reporting and other interactions related to COVID-19

Gov.uk: Claim for your employees’ wages through the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme
This page sets out the Government’s Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme. Find out if you’re eligible and how much you can claim to cover wages for employees on temporary leave (‘furlough’) due to coronavirus (COVID-19).

NHS: Coronavirus – advice for everyone
Advice for everyone including those at high risk from COVID-19 on staying at home and looking after wellbeing

Gov.uk: Coronavirus (COVID-19) guidance for Community Interest Companies (CICs)
Guidance for Community Interest Companies on  maintaining services and protecting the welfare of employees during the Coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak.

NCVO: Coronavirus advice
Guidance and resources to support charities, voluntary organisations and volunteers during the covid-19 pandemic

Big Society Capital: COVID 19 Information for Social Investors
This page provides guidance on effects of COVID-19 pandemic on social investment including its announcement of £100m new lending facilities to provide much-needed finance to charities, social enterprises, and small businesses in disadvantaged parts of the UK.

UK Youth, National Youth Agency, The Mix: COVID-19 Guidance for young people, youth workers and youth organisations
Advice, guidance, support and tools for youth workers, young people and organisations in response to COVID-19.

4. Guidance on funding and fundraising

UK Community Foundations
Enter your postcode to find your local Community Foundation to view funding opportunities during COVID-19.

The National Lottery Community Fund
Overview of all National Lottery funding opportunities and the changes to their programmes due to COVID-19.

Charity Finance Group: Guidance for charities
CFG provides financial management advice & support to the VCSE sector. This page sets out their COVID-19 guidance.

Covid-19 Funders
This page is produced by London Funders, the membership body for funders and investors in London’s civil society.

Fundraising Regulator: Events Guidance
Fundraising Regulator’s advice on fundraising during COVID-19.

5. Guidance on volunteering and managing volunteers

Gov.uk: Coronavirus –  How to help safely
Government advice on staying safe while supporting others during the pandemic.

NCVO Volunteering and coronavirus: How you can help
NCVO guidance on supporting others during the Covid-19 pandemic.

NCVO Coronavirus: Involving volunteers
NCVO guidance on involving volunteers in your work during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Information Commissioner’s Office Data protection and coronavirus: what you need to know ICO guidance on data protection during the pandemic. It addresses sharing employee’s health information, collecting personal information from local residents, responding to information requests and more.

Information Commissioner’s Office Blog: Community groups and COVID-19 –  what you need to know about data protection
ICO blog aimed at new community groups to help them with data protection. The guidance emphasises that data protection rules will not stop you from helping those in need.

Gov.uk: How to find volunteering opportunities

Gov.uk: Volunteer placements, rights and expenses