In this issue
  • News from hvoss
  • Sector news
  • In the spotlight
  • Funding focus
  • Training and resources
News from hvoss
HVOSS (HEREFORDSHIRE VOLUNTARY ORGANISATIONS SUPPORT SERVICE) TO LAUNCH NEW VOLUNTEERING RESPONSE TEAM
 
This month sees the launch of hart – the hvoss active response team. Set-up to provide dynamic volunteering support to groups, organisations, communities, events and residents across the county. hart is an agile, responsive team of multi-skilled people who are on stand-by to support a variety of activities, tasks and emergencies across Herefordshire. This team builds on the county’s dedicated response to the pandemic, including the support of the vaccination clinics.
 
hart will be launched at the hvoss offices at 52 Broad Street, Hereford on Saturday 14 May. hvoss will be hosting an informal drop-in between 11am and 3pm for anyone interested in meeting the team and registering as a hart volunteer. A friendly welcome and a cup of tea awaits you!

If you are unable to make it on the day but would still like to be involved, fear not - you will soon be able to register as a hart volunteer online - more details to follow soon.

[Images below show hvoss staff members, Adam Jeffery and Nicola Read at the recent Volunteer Expo at Birmingham NEC]
Sector News
Midlands Learning Together programme is FREE to join, as part of Thriving Communities, which aims to support community health and wellbeing groups sustain their work for Social Prescribing.
Thriving Communities is a new national support programme for voluntary, community, faith and social enterprise groups, supporting communities in England, working alongside social prescribing link workers.
The learning together programme will help you understand the developments of Social Prescribing and how your work is part of Social Prescribing. You will have the chance to create partnerships with fellow community groups and other professionals across the health and local authority system to sustain your work in the long term.
Click here to learn more about the Midlands Learning Together programme as part of Thriving Communities National Academy for Social Prescribing. We’ll also be launching a new version of the Learning Together programme at the welcome sessions. Join to find out more on Friday 27 May. 
In the Spotlight
Jobs, events, volunteer opportunities and more... stay up to date with all the latest information by visiting the hvoss website at www.hvoss.org.uk

Join us on Instagram! hvoss are now on Insta - find us @hvoss_hereford
Funding Focus
Herefordshire Community Foundation is delighted to announce the launch of three new grants funded by Herefordshire Council

Emergency Food Provision - The fund aims to support voluntary and community organisations providing emergency food to people in Herefordshire experiencing food poverty and in particular to support sustainability and resilience in delivery of this service.

To learn more and apply please go to www.herefordshirecf.org Grants of up to 5k, deadline for applications is 13 May 2022, project spend date is 31 December 2022. Funds to distribute is 36k.
 
Fuel Poverty - The fund (an extension of the Surviving Winter Programme)  to help people in Herefordshire struggling to pay energy costs. Grants of up to £200 per household per year. Applications from professional support workers only (social prescribers, social workers, housing support officers etc). No deadline, applications are considered on an ongoing basis. For more details and to apply go to www.herefordshirecf.org
Training, Events & Resources
Mental Health Awareness training – 3 hours, face to face or online

This 3 hour course is designed and delivered by Herefordshire Mind to enable you to understand more about wellbeing and mental health and what it means for you and your community. Things can impact on all of us that change our wellbeing and mental health for better or worse. This short session will increase awareness for you and others around you.


Who is it aimed at:
 
This is for you if you are over the age of 18, based in Herefordshire and looking for a basic introduction to mental health or taking your first steps into mental health first aid training. Priority is given to those connected to Talk Community Hubs.

Find out more about Talk Communities here: www.talkcommunitydirectory.org
 

Dates and Venues: 

Online OR Face to Face (Venue TBC):
Thursday 26th May 13.00 - 16.00 (Booking closes Friday 20th May)
Thursday 16th June 10.00 - 13.00 (Booking closes Friday 10th June)


How to book:
Call Laura Davies on 07917 725765 (voicemail available)

If you have any questions or queries, please do not hesitate to phone or email Laura.
We will aim to get back to you within two working days
Quality Improvement for the Voluntary and Community Sector
Thursday 26 May, 9.30am-3pm (lunch provided)
At The Kindle Centre, Hereford

An opportunity to learn about improvement techniques available and how improvement happens within heath and service teams.
 
The Community Partnership is a crucial component in Herefordshire’s health and care system. With statutory and voluntary services working ever closer together we would like to offer you an opportunity to learn about the improvement techniques that are available to you and are in everyday use by service teams across Herefordshire.

This session, which will be delivered by Alison Bolton, Group Associate Director of Improvement, provides a genuine flavour of how improvement happens within health and care organisations and will give you the confidence to undertake small/medium projects within your own organisation.

Topics covered:
·       Model for Improvement (Aim, Measures, Change Ideas)
·       Project Management and Process Mapping
·       Stakeholder Engagement and Response to Change

Book your free place: www.tinyurl.com/VCSETraining
Charity Sector Ukraine Resources
 
Please share these useful resources with anyone supporting Ukrainian people arriving in the UK.
 
Official Guidance:
 
 
Medical resources:
 
Please find the updated (March 2022) specific health page for Ukraine.
 
ECDC Operational public health considerations for the prevention and control of infectious diseases in the context of Russia’s aggression towards Ukraine
 
Update for UK GPs in the British Medical Journal
For any other submissions please
hvoice bull illustration© by Benjamin Smith