Hello LINXbots
I trust you are all safe and well today. Firstly I would like to say a big old
HAPPY 30TH ANNIVERSARY to Bolton CVS! Congratulations to Darren and his team for reaching this exciting milestone and here's to another 30 years at least.
Next is a quick ask from me: Here at NAVCA, we are producing a video to capture and showcase the amazing actions of all our members throughout the pandemic. But we need your help to do this! We are looking for a selection of our members who will talk about what they have been doing during lockdown and what the impact was on their local community.
Plus, it would be great if we could get some of you non-members talking about the value of your local infrastructure organisation - specifically during the pandemic and what this support has enabled you to achieve.
If you have any questions or are interested in this project please contact me.
Email,
Twitter, pigeon - all works for me.
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One more thing before I let you dive into LINX this week - make sure you check out our new section on
'Open Consultations and Inquiries'. Right that's all from me. Off you go...
Lucy Straker
Policy & Communications Manager
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Making another Link...
Wildlife and Countryside Link (otherwise known as 'Link') is the largest environment and wildlife coalition in England. They bring together 57 organisations to advocate for the protection of nature.
Click here to visit their website.
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News from across the sector
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Government changes - Shielding
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Last week the Government set out its 'roadmap' for the future of those who are shielding.
From 6 July, people who were shielding:
- can meet in a group of up to 6 people outdoors, including people from different households, while maintaining strict social distancing;
- are no longer required to observe social distancing with other members of their household; and
- can form a ‘support bubble’ with one other household.
From 1 August, people who were shielding:
- are no longer required to shield and instead are advised to adopt social distancing and to minimise contact with anyone outside their household;
- are able to return to work - if working from home is not an option - on the proviso that the workplace is COVID-19 safe; and
- are able to go and buy food, visit places of worship and exercise whilst maintaining social distancing.
- Children who are clinically extremely vulnerable are able to return to school.
Additionally, food and medicine boxes facilitated by the National Shielding Service will stop as of 1 August.
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Benefit sanctions to return in England as jobcentres reopen
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This week, the work and pensions secretary, Thérèse Coffey, indicated that benefit sanctions will be reintroduced saying it is important claimant rules are reinstated.
Face-to-face meetings in jobcentres were suspended during lockdown, and so was the system of “claimant conditionality” – a set of rules that require people to agree to carry out job search activities as a condition of claiming benefits.
Speaking in the House of Commons, Coffey refused to extend the arrangements after the three-month period finished at the end of June. “It’s important that as the jobcentres fully reopen this week, we do reinstate the need for having a claimant commitment,” she said.
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Put children at the heart of the recovery
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150+ organisations, including Action for Children, Barnardo’s, National Children’s Bureau, NSPCC and The Children’s Society are calling on the Government to put children at the heart of the recovery process.
In the statement, which they issued to the Prime Minister on Tuesday 30 June, they called for children to join health and the economy as the three pillars of the government’s coronavirus response.
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ITV Tonight request - a chance to raise your profile!
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ITV Tonight is producing a programme due to air in August. examining the current state of the economy, and what can be done to help people who need financial and emotional support.
They are looking to speak to charities who are supporting those whose economic situation has been particularly affected by the coronavirus pandemic - including charities working to tackle food poverty, help with career advice, or provide other financial support and guidance.
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The
#NeverMoreNeeded
website is here and ready for you to use!
To fuel you all with content and activities to keep banging the
#NeverMoreNeeded drum, the
#NeverMoreNeeded website is now live.
Click here to have a view.
We are adding new and sparkling content to it all the time - so if you think there's something missing give us a shout.
The website - and the campaign - is a collaborative project - you can see who's involved
here.
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Coronavirus (COVID-19): Fundraising key principles guidance
The Fundraising Regulator, in collaboration with Public Health England and the Health and Safety Executive, has produced guidance to highlight the issues for consideration when adapting the way your organisation fundraises as lockdown measures are eased.
This includes:
- how to plan your future fundraising;
- how to behave and interact safely and respectfully with the public;
- how to safeguard the public, staff and volunteers; and
- undertaking a risk assessment.
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Supporting the Community Transport Sector: CTA’s Next Steps
The Community Transport Association (CTA) has developed detailed guidance on how to restart and sustain your community transport services as lockdown measures ease.
This guidance includes:
- Social distancing
- PPE and face coverings
- Putting together a comprehensive risk assessment
- Training
- Looking after staff, volunteers and passengers
- Your vehicles
- Car schemes
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Time for flexibility
The Institute of Voluntary Action Research (IVAR) has published their seventh briefing which outlines the experiences and concerns of 34 VCSE leaders who participated in recent online sessions. The briefing also includes IVAR's reflections on the questions and opportunities for funders that were raised.
The output was that three issues remain at the forefront of VCSE leaders’ minds:
- mid to long-term funding prospects;
- balancing the immediate needs of staff and beneficiaries with the long-term future of their organisations; and
- thinking flexibly.
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Engaging with Gypsy and Traveller people and communities
NHS England is hosting a webinar on 15 July, which aims to share good practice examples, resources and tips on how to improve engagement with Gypsy and Traveller communities and other populations experiencing health inequalities to influence and create change.
The webinar will be held at 1pm on Microsoft Teams. Registration is free and can be completed by clicking
here.
If you have any questions beforehand you can contact the webinar coordinator - Kasia Markiewicz.
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Are you a NAVCA member?
If you answered yes - great! You are amazing.
If you answered no - also great! Because this bit is for you. Did you know you can find your local NAVCA member through our website?
Click here and head to our map and see all those fabulous members of ours and how to contact them. Don't forget to give your local member a shout out on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, or even out the window.
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It’s been 100 days since PM Boris Johnson announced a lockdown in the UK. So how does the UK’s handling of Covid-19 measure up?
This video from BBC News looks back at the decisions made, the timing of those decisions and how they compare with other similar countries.
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Welcome to our special section capturing the latest digital and techy news and resources for the voluntary sector.
This is designed to help those suffering from #TechTerror and satisfy the data/digital geeks hidden amongst us.
Remember to follow me,
@Lucy_NAVCA, on Twitter for the latest digital news throughout the week.
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How to master Facebook Groups
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I am sure many of you are on Facebook - and may even be using Facebook Groups to reach out to your audiences.
However like most things out there, in order to grow these Groups you need to invest time and energy. This handy guide shares a few ways you can build and engage your audience through Facebook Groups.
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Use of news apps jumped 59% at peak of pandemic, study says
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A recent study has shown that from January to April 2020 there was a 59% increase in news app use worldwide - coupled with a 37% jump in news apps being installed. This usage peaked in March when large sections of the world went into lockdown.
You can read more about these and other quite nerdy stats about smartphone app usage during lockdown
here.
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Online Event Success Metrics: Measuring Nonprofit Virtual Gatherings
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Are you hosting more and more online events, gatherings etc? How can you ensure these are giving you and your audience what you both need?
Here's a
quick guide on what to look for and how to grab analytics from some of the more popular webinar software.
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Instagram Stories Analytics: How to Measure the Metrics that Matter
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More metrics! Are you using Instagram Stories to reach out to your communities?
Stories disappear after 24 hours but can have a lasting impact (that's what a survey says anyway). This guide shows you how to access the analytics for Instagram Stories and what to look out for, such as 'reach' and 'impressions'.
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Coronavirus recovery - six data protection steps for organisations
As lockdown restrictions begin to ease and organisations begin to reopen, the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) has set out six key steps every organisation needs to consider around the use of personal information.
These steps include only collecting data that is necessary, being open, clear and honest, and keeping information secure.
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Citizens Advice: what are the nation's coronavirus concerns?
Citizens Advice has produced a report based on the activity and user behaviour on their website. It looks at what advice people were searching for over a period of three months.
For instance, the most searched word on their website during March 2020 was 'coronavirus'. In April it was 'furlough' and then in May it was 'redundancy'.
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Social media: protecting what you publish
If your organisation uses social media (such as Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn or Instagram), it's important you take steps to reduce the likelihood of damaging content being posted on your behalf.
This guidance from the National Cyber Security Center explains how you can reduce the likelihood of damaging content being posted within your social media channel. Even if you already have an established process for posting social media content, they recommend you take a moment to review how you're using it.
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Public help reach major milestone in fight against scammers
Just two months after the National Cyber Security Centre launched the Suspicious Email Reporting Service, they have received one million reports of scam emails.
The service, which was launched as part of the Government’s Cyber Aware campaign, has seen a massive response from the public, receiving a daily average of 16,500 emails and now reaching the milestone of one million.
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NAVCA is one of 20 VCS organisations that are part of the
Health and Wellbeing Alliance
, a partnership between voluntary sectors and the health and care system to provide a voice and improve the health and wellbeing for all communities. If you or your organisation would like to share your experiences and ideas with NHS England, the Department of Health and Social Care, and Public Health England, you can do so via any of the HWA members. The full list is
here.
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NHS boosts support for pregnant black and ethnic minority women
The NHS is rolling out additional support for pregnant Black, Asian and Ethnic Minority (BAME) women, as new research shows heightened risks facing women from minority groups.
Analysis shows Black pregnant women are eight times more likely to be admitted to hospital with COVID-19, while Asian women are four times as likely.
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PHE's COVID-19: Psychological First Aid online course
Public Health England has launched an updated Psychological First Aid (PFA) digital training module, aimed at all frontline and essential workers and volunteers.
The course aims to increase awareness and confidence to provide psychosocial support to people affected by COVID-19. The course is free, and no previous qualifications are required. It takes around 90 minutes to complete and is also available in three sessions for the learner to complete at their own pace.
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Coronavirus and the social impacts on Great Britain
The Office of National Statistics publish the weekly findings from their Opinions and Lifestyle Survey which compares the mood and actions of the nation week-to-week.
Click
here to see the latest release. Next edition is due on 3 July.
Cheering stats from this week: almost half of adults (43%) reported that there were some aspects of their lifestyle that had changed for the better since the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
Of those who reported that some aspects of their lifestyle had changed for the better, over half (56%) said that they were now able to spend more quality time with people they lived with, while 50% were enjoying a slower pace of life and 47% preferred that they were spending less time travelling.
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Around one million downloads of fitness app during lockdown as people stay fit
A fitness tool backed by the NHS has been adopted by hundreds of thousands of people seeking to get in shape during lockdown.
New figures show that downloads of Public Health England’s ‘Couch to 5k’ app skyrocketed over the last three months.
From March until the end of June, there were almost one million downloads – 858,000 compared to 448,000 during the same time last year – a 92% increase compared to 2019.
Couch to 5k is a running plan for beginners provided by Public Health England, helping those who are unfit or don’t regularly take exercise to take positive steps for their health and fitness.
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**NEW SECTION: Open consultations and inquiries**
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This new section rounds up current and relevant open inquiries and consultations that you may be interested in submitting evidence to. If you have any questions about submitting to these inquiries you
watch this useful video from UK Parliament.
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Unequal impact? Coronavirus and BAME people
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The Women and Equalities Committee is requesting views on what actions you think the Government and others can take to mitigate impacts - specifically on the impact on BAME people during the pandemic. This is so the Committee can make clear and effective recommendations for change.
Deadline for submission is 10 July.
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The impact of COVID-19 on education and children’s services
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The Education Committee has an open inquiry looking at how the outbreak of COVID-19 is affecting all aspects of the education sector and children’s social care system. This will scrutinise how the Department for Education is dealing with the situation.
It will examine both short term impacts, such as the effects of school closures and exam cancellations, as well as longer-term implications particularly for the most vulnerable children.
Deadline for submission is 21 July.
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Social care: funding and workforce
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The reopened Social care: funding and workforce inquiry, led by the Health and Social Care Committee, seeks to establish how much extra money would need to be spent by government in each of the next five years to counteract the impact of a shortage of care on the NHS. Shortages in the social care workforce and what solutions need to be found to address changes in the years ahead will also be considered.
Deadline for submission is 31 July.
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Check out our
*NEW* NAVCA Noticeboard page on our website which brings together the latest job vacancies, events and campaigns so you can keep track.
We have 10 jobs posted on our Noticeboard:
Also, here's a
quick guide
to selling yourself when applying for a job in the voluntary sector.
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You can advertise your job vacancies, events and contracts on the
NAVCA Noticeboard
(it's free if you're a member) and through our Twitter page!
Please note that NAVCA has signed up to the
#ShowThePay campaign which states that when you don't say what you are willing to pay in a job advert, you are being exclusive and continuing to perpetuate and widen the gender, ethnicity and ability pay gaps. Therefore
we will only promote jobs on our website that clearly states the pay grade.
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New Generation Policing Project: Can you help?
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Revolving Doors is recruiting for their 'New Generation Policing Project' - which is supporting police and crime commissioners and police services to better address young adults’ experiences of trauma, poverty and racism, and develop new ways to stop more young adults being pulled into the criminal justice system.
They are looking for a diverse group of young adults from different backgrounds and geographical areas who are:
- aged 18-25;
- with experience of multiple arrests for relatively minor offences; and
- willing to share their experiences and insights to make a difference on the lives of other young adults.
They are specifically interested in hearing from those who have had multiple experiences such as; drug warnings, community resolutions, arrest, police detention, voluntary interviews and diversion services.
For more details please contact Sean Mullen by
email or by calling 07483091777.
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Funding news and resources
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DM Thomas Foundation for Young People (DMTFYP) provides funding for organisations which work to improve the lives of children and young people across Europe. Their grants focus on providing equipment, training, and support to young people, and are administered through several different models. Deadline is 22 July.
The Anchor Foundation supports Christian charities concerned with social inclusion particularly through ministries of healing and the arts. Deadline is 31 July.
The Radcliffe Trust continues the charitable bequest of Dr John Radcliffe to support Music and Heritage & Crafts. Deadline is 31 July.
The Steel Charitable Trust is a grant-making trust supporting general charitable purposes. It is the policy of the Trustees to make grants to a wide range of charitable bodies, including those mentioned in the Deed of Settlement.
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Lloyds Bank Foundation seeks new partnership to support our work to provide more funding to BAME communities in England and Wales
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Lloyds Bank Foundation is seeking a partner organisation, consultant or consortium to help them fully reflect on their practice in attracting and assessing applications, and to ensure their approach does not create barriers to BAME-led organisations.
They are envisaging a partnership that can help address this and that lasts until at least January 2021, helping them achieve their aims and capture the resulting learning, ensuring they embed it into their mainstream grantmaking practice. This might include providing training for their team, developing internal guidance and external messaging.
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Big Give Christmas Challenge 2020
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Did someone say CHRISTMAS??? Fa-la-la-la-la...
Applications for the Christmas Challenge 2020 are now open. The Christmas Challenge is a week-long match funding campaign which launches on #GivingTuesday, which will be held on 1 December 2020. Last year, the Christmas Challenge raised £15.6m for 588 charities.
Up to £25,000 of match funding is available per charity. Millions of pounds of match funding available for a wide range of charities.
Evidence shows that donors are more likely to give, and to give more in match funding campaigns. The Big Give also offers a free suite of resources, training and guidance for all participating charities.
The deadline for applications is
Friday 3 July
(although the Big Give may be able to accept late applications). For more information and to apply click
here.
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Here at NAVCA we love a bit of Twitter! In fact in some instances it is the best way to get in touch with our team.
So I am sure, if you are on Twitter, you are already following
@NAVCA, right?
Good. Now make sure you are following the rest of us - we are a nice bunch, I promise.
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Lucia das Neves, from Reach Volunteering, looks at the surge of volunteers during the pandemic and how charities could benefit.
Dan Corry, Chief Executive of NPC looks at the future of charity and specifically the three scenarios for the social sector after COVID-19.
Maurice Wren, Chief Executive of the Refugee Council discusses the Home Office's stance on refugee evictions during the pandemic.
Matthew Winn, the Director of Community Health at NHS England and Improvement, talks about the continuation of the hospital discharge service and discharge to assess approach.
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Welcome back to
#MissingLINX - a bit of fun to keep you going through lockdown and beyond.
Each week we post two pictures - could be people, could be objects - and you have to work out the missing link.
Here is today's offering - so get your thinking caps on. When you've got it (or think you have), tweet us
@NAVCA using
#MissingLINX with your answer and the first few of you to tell us the right answer will get a special shout out from us!
By the way... last edition's answer was the sun! Seeing it was soooo hot. Not so much today though...
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For latest NAVCA news see our
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@NAVCA
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