Information and Advice for the Lancaster District’s Third Sector – 23 June 2022
We are working with the local voluntary and community sector and Lancashire and District-wide partners to support VCFSE organisations and people living in our communities. We encourage you to share this page with others.
An archive of previous editions can be found here.
Click headings below to expand each section.
Small Charity Week
Small Charity Week is running from Monday 20 June to Friday 24 June, and aims to celebrate the great work of all small charities across the country.
The week is organised as a series of activities and initiatives to support and raise awareness of the hundreds and thousands of small charities that, every day, make a huge difference to vulnerable communities right across the UK and the rest of the world.
There are lots of great free events going on, and opportunities to ask for advice from experts. You can read more about the events here.
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My Community
All the latest tools, tips and ideas to make your community an even better place to live
My Community is a website for people and organisations who are passionate about their communities. Whether setting up a foodbank or planning finances, we all need a little help at times. My Community is the go-to place for this support.
Importantly, these are resources you can trust. All the content on My Community has been curated, written, designed or hand-picked by leading voluntary sector organisations who truly understand what communities need to survive and thrive – including Lancaster District CVS!
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Eric Wright Charitable Trust
The next round of EWCT funding is now open.
See the funding section for further details
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Lancaster District Community Wellbeing Fund
The fund remains open for projects eligible for consideration in rounds 2, 3 and 4.
See the funding section for further details
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Lublin Refugee Appeal
The Lancaster district has close ties with the Polish city of Lublin, having been twinned since 1994. Lublin is situated just 70 miles from the Ukraine border and is one of the first places refugees travel to on arrival in Poland. As a result, Lublin has seen an enormous influx of refugees, and the Mayor of Lublin has reached out to the city’s friends for help as it struggles to support so many vulnerable people.
A result of calls from our community for a practical method of collective help to be organised, a fundraising page has been set up by Lancaster District CVS, which will see all donations sent to Lublin to help our twin city and the refugees that they are supporting.
To find out how to donate, visit our dedicated fundraising page.
The Dowager Countess Eleanor Peel Trust
The Trustees would welcome more grant applications from charities within Lancaster and District.
By way of background, Eleanor, Countess Peel inherited her considerable wealth from her father, Lord Ashton who made his fortune in the manufacture of linoleum and was responsible for several municipal buildings in the City. Under the terms of her will this Charitable Trust was founded in 1951 with the primary aim of supporting UK registered charities involved in the fields of medicine including medical research, the elderly and those “who have fallen on evil days through no fault of their own” – the latter of which is interpreted widely.
The Trust Deed specifically prohibits the Trustees from making grants to charities primarily devoted to those under 18 and those under the control of Central or Local Government
Further information and application form can be found at www.peeltrust.com
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Walney Extension Fund
The deadline for the next round of the Walney Extension Fund is 29 June.
Grants from £500 up to £50,000 are available to communities in coastal/tidal areas.
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Global Youth Mobilization Funding
Between $500 and $5,000 or the equivalent in local currency is available to young people between the ages of 14 and 30 who have an idea for a solution to a challenge created by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The core requirement is for a truly innovative and impactful idea that has the potential to impact the individual or community around them.
Applications will be reviewed on a three month rolling cycle. There is no deadline to apply.
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The Eric Wright Charitable Trust Fund
The Eric Wright Charitable Trust’s fund administered by Lancaster District CVS is once again open for applications.
Applying is easy and we would like to encourage all small groups around the Lancaster District to consider whether they could benefit from £500 towards a project.
Grants are awarded to organisations with income under £50,000, providing activities that can make a positive difference to the lives & wellbeing of all age groups.
Deadline: 5pm on Thursday 21 July.
If you have any queries about the fund or how to apply, get in touch by email at [email protected] or by ringing CVS on 01524 555900.
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Lancaster District Community Wellbeing Fund
The Lancaster District Community Wellbeing Fund is a small grants programme for community groups within the Lancaster District. The programme is aimed at smaller local organisations – with an annual income of less than £100,000 – within the voluntary, community and faith sector providing activity to make a positive difference to the lives and wellbeing of adults.
Grants of between £500 and £2000 are available.
The Wellbeing Fund aims to target grants towards projects which deliver specific activities – such as meditation, healthy cooking, isolation-reducing social activity, or sports lessons to name but a few examples.
The round dealing with projects taking place in rural areas has now come to an close with successful applicants due to be contacted by the end of June. The remaining rounds and their deadlines are:
Round 2: Projects focused on working with BAME communities or young people (closes 9 September 2022)
Round 3: Projects focused on working with over 55s or disabled people (closes 13 December 2022)
Round 4: Projects taking place in specific areas of deprivation (closes 21 March 2023)
For full guidance and a link to the application form, visit the LDCVS website.
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ASDA Under 18 Better Starts Grant
This grant will enable us to support a broad range of activities for this age group all of which can contribute towards empowering the community and improving the lives of children in that area. As community need is different and therefore ASDA will support and fund what is needed and important to your community.
Up to £1,500, apply by 19 August
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Community Ownership Fund – Round 2
Round 2 of the Community Ownership Fund opens on 10 June 2022. It covers the whole of the UK and will allocate £150M over four years to 2024/25. The aim of the Fund is to support communities wanting to purchase assets of community value such as pubs, halls, sports facilities and shops etc.
Round 2 has brought in changes to the application process that aim to simplify it and give an indication at a very early stage whether a project is eligible for funding through an Expression of Interest stage. There will be three application windows per year.
Anyone wanting to know more about the Fund can sign up for a free webinar with DLUHC on Wednesday 8th June or Thursday 16th June. Sign up here.
For more information, see the Fund prospectus here.
The Hinge of Fate: Living through uncertainty in 1942
This project aims to increase understanding and engagement with the story of the King’s Own Royal Regiment and Lancaster in this pivotal year of the Second World War.
The project is looking for some volunteers to help support it, including:
Digital Creator
This role will contribute to the project by researching and gathering stories, images and other evidence of how ordinary people adapted to life in difficult conditions. They will use this to create social media posts, videos or blogs that help people to connect with the King’s Own Royal Regiment, and to learn about how Lancaster adapted during the Second World War.
Researcher
This role will contribute to the project by researching and recording the places in Lancaster where people trained, adapted and contributed to the war effort, gathering stories, images and other evidence. They will photograph these places, helping to create a digital trail to be shared with the public.
They will also research what life was like in Lancaster and for King’s Own Royal Regiment soldiers serving overseas, creating fact files to inspire artists, filmmakers and performers who will be interpreting this period using light art, film, music and dance.
Explainer
Explainers are friendly and enthusiastic people who will share this history with the public, welcoming them to the museum and events and sharing stories and objects with them.
These roles will primarily be based in Lancaster City Museum, though there is the possibility of researchers volunteering from home if preferred. There will be opportunities for Volunteer Researchers to photograph locations around Lancaster, and for explainers to support event days taking place outside the museum in Market Square.
If you would like to express interest in any of these roles please contact Mark at Lancaster District CVS – [email protected]
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Galloways
Galloways are currently advertising several opportunities via volunteering.lancastercvs.org.uk
Beer & Banger Festival
The festival takes place on 5 – 7 August and raises vital funds for the charity. Volunteers can get involved in setting up, working behind the bar, as stewards, cooking and selling food, or selling programmes and tokens at the entrance.
Find out more on the LDCVS volunteering website.
Home Tech Help Volunteer
Often when a service user takes home technical equipment there may be some teething issues with setting it up right in their own environment, and whilst a phone call might be enough to rectify the issue, sometimes a quick home visit is required. Galloway’s are looking for someone who is comfortable using computers and helpful with solving simple problems.
The role will consist of making one or two home visits a week to people with a visual impairment in the Lancaster and Morecambe area to help with basic tech problems with normal domestic and assisitive technologies such as Amazon Echos, Apple Iphones and modern Smart Devices.
Find out more on the LDCVS volunteering website.
Minibus Driver
Accessible outdoor and indoor activities are really important to people with a visual impairment but getting to and from them can be a real obstacle. Galloways are looking for someone with a full clean driving license which includes category D1.
Find out more on the LDCVS volunteering website.
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Escape2Make Creative Courses & Green Festival
Escape2Make are looking for volunteers to help young people attending their summer workshops and forthcoming festival. See the Children & Young People section for more information about this programme.
Volunteers interested in a particular workshop series will need to commit to attending all the sessions.
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Promote Your Volunteer Roles at In-Person Events
Mark from the Volunteer Centre will be at the Arndale Centre in Morecambe on Saturday 25th June, Lancaster & Morecambe College for their community day on Saturday 2nd July, and the Health Festival in Dalton Square on Saturday 9th July.
He’ll be promoting volunteering, all of its benefits, and any and all roles that we can get information about before then. So, if you haven’t yet registered your roles on our website do so now here.
If you have any leaflets or flyers that you would like Mark to take with him to these events, get them to our office at The Cornerstone on Sulyard Street, Lancaster, before Saturday 18th June.
If you only have electronic flyers, email them to Mark at [email protected] (but bear in mind we can’t currently print them off, so the plan is to create a slideshow for display on a laptop that we will take on the days).
If you have online application pages, send the links to Mark and he can support people to register in person during the events.
If you have any questions, contact Mark.
Charity So Straight / Queer Trustees LGBTQIA+ Voluntary Sector Slack network – sign up
If you’re a member of the LGBTQIA+ community and a voluntary sector employee or volunteer, Charity So Straight and Queer Trustees have created a new Slack workspace.
This is a safe space for all LGBTQIA+ people working or volunteering in the voluntary sector where you can share your experiences of challenges we face in the sector, including homophobia, biphobia and transphobia. It’s a place where you can learn from and support others as well as share good news stories about great places to work/volunteer and inclusive practices.
Click here for more information and to sign up.
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Third Sector Trends Survey 2022
This long-term study on voluntary and community organisations, social enterprises, cooperatives, societies and clubs started in 2010 and the last study we conducted across Lancaster District was in 2019. A great deal has happened in the sector since we last did the survey and so it’s time to find out what has changed in the last three years.
This survey is open to everyone working across the voluntary, community, faith and social enterprise sector. Whether your organisation or group is big or small, flourishing, struggling or going on as normal, we need to hear from you.
The survey is interesting, easy to do, and only takes about 10 minutes. You can do it on your phone, tablet, laptop or PC.
Lancaster District CVS is happy to be working with Professor Tony Chapman and Durham University in this valuable study of the sector, highlighting key areas around employment, volunteering, income & economic benefit to the district, funding needs & patterns and more.
Once the survey is completed, we will build a picture of how organisations and groups work and what they achieve. This information will also help funding organisations decide how to invest in organisations like yours.
The findings will be produced and shared with you and we will be organising an event to feed back key findings specifically to the Lancaster District, which we hope will provide an insightful overview. We promise to be in touch in the coming months with a date. In the meantime, we invite you to take part in this study.
If you’re ready to start the survey, click this link.
All answers are securely stored completely anonymously.
Should you want to know more about the study, please contact Professor Tony Chapman, St Chad’s College, Durham University, 18 North Bailey, Durham DH1 3RH, [email protected] or contact LDCVS and we will be happy to answer any questions.
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Drowning Prevention Week
400 people lose their lives every year across the UK and Ireland due to drowning. As part of Drowning Prevention week, coinciding with a run of warm weather, Bay Health & Care Partners are asking us all to familiarise ourselves with advice from the Royal Life Saving Society.
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Find out more about the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service
Could you be eligible for an award that may help you increase your funding and recruit more volunteers?
Do you know a group that deserves to be recognised?
Would you like Royal recognition for your group? The equivalent of an MBE!
Get details of how to nominate organisations and hear from previous QAVS winners about the advantages of receiving the award.
29 June 2022, 2pm – 3pm, online
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How are rising costs impacting your charity?
With inflation expected to peak around 10% in 2022, rising costs are a concern for charities and communities alike. In order to better understand your concerns and how you are mitigating them, the Civil Society Group is running a short survey. They will use this information to advocate to government and to provide support to the voluntary sector.
Read more about the Civil Society Group here.
Complete the survey here, deadline 24 June.
Ride Lancaster
Cyclists of all ages are invited to ‘Ride Lancaster’ on Sunday July 10 as part of the Bay Health Festivals led by the University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust Chaplaincy team.
The centre-piece of this year’s event will be a ‘cycling village’ in Lancaster’s Dalton Square, with chance to meet cycling experts and try fun cycling activities.
A section of Lancaster’s one-way system will be reduced to one lane on the morning of the Sunday to allow visitors to enjoy traffic-free riding from the Lune cycletrack to Dalton Square.
For more information on Ride Lancaster and the Bay Health Festivals, visit www.thebayhealthfestivals.org.uk
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Community Conversation: Community Health Champions
Are you a community organisation or group interested in supporting wellbeing and encouraging good health behaviours in our community?
Join Lancaster City Council’s next Community Conversation where we will explore what we can do, as organisations and members of the community, to address the effects of the pandemic.
As part of the event, LDCVS and Lancaster City Council will provide information on the Community Health Champions Fund and offer application support.
30 June, 10am – 2pm, Vale of Lune RUFC.
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Writing for Wellbeing Project
Catherine Westwell, (former Charities Coordinator for A.C.E., and Transitions Officer at Lancaster University) is working to set up a Writing for Wellbeing Project.
The aim of the initiative is to facilitate adults with mild mental health difficulties and those who are socially isolated to engage in creative writing workshops, culminating in an exhibition of work. Through participating in creative activities and connecting with others, beneficiaries will experience improved mental wellbeing and feel less lonely.
Catherine is in the process of applying to Arts Council England for funding from The National Lottery to develop the project which will be based in Lancaster.
Organisations with an interest in this work and who may wish to partner with Catherine to develop additional funding streams and deliver the project should contact her for more information by email at [email protected]
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NHS Lancashire and South Cumbria boundary review
The new NHS integrated care board is reviewing its boundaries within Lancashire and South Cumbria, as it develops health and care services in the area and has launched a survey, inviting the views of staff from the NHS and partner organisations (including those in the voluntary sector). The survey closes on June 17th.
Find out more about the boundary review here.
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Pickleball at Lancaster Tennis Club CASC
The Eric Wright Charitable Trust recently provided a grant to Lancaster Tennis Club enabling them to paint new court lines and buy equipment to introduce Pickleball, a variation on tennis suitable for beginners and older people.
For more information see https://lancastertennis.co.uk/pickleball, call Susan on 07771 734920 or email [email protected]
Global Youth Mobilization Funding
See the Funding section for more information.
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CYPMAF – Next Meeting
The next Children & Young People Multi Agency Forum meeting will be held on Wednesday 6 July, 9.30am – 11.30am.
This will be the final CYPMAF meeting prior to the summer, which is generally full of really useful updates regarding availability of support and activities over the holidays.
To join the meeting, and the CYPMAF mailing list, contact Sharon Phillips at [email protected]
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The Dukes Summer School
The Dukes is providing five action-packed days of theatre and performance skills from 15th to 19th Aug for children aged 8-14 in the Lancaster and Morecambe area.
Children will enjoy workshops with theatre professionals, act scenes, read new scripts and learn stage combat, culminating in a final sharing for families on one of our stages.
The week will cost £120 per child, however there are limited non-means-tested half or full bursaries available. To inquire about bursaries, contact the Creative Communities Coordinator via email: [email protected]
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Escape2Make Green Festival – 15 free courses
Escape2Make (E2M) are an all-inclusive charity in Lancaster & Morecambe, that offer free creative activities to help 11-18s with their wellbeing and life chances.
Each of these 15 free creative courses are composed of five workshops, and each will contribute to the forthcoming Green Festival in Lancaster on 27 August.
It’s a great way for young people to try out a new skill, make new friends and have something interesting to add to their CV.
Download the poster for more information and encourage young people who you think will benefit to sign up here.
Voluntary Sector Studies Network Conference – Politics, Partnerships, and Power: Raising Questions for Civil Society
As we begin to emerge from the coronavirus pandemic, civil society organisations (including those in the voluntary, community, social enterprise, and faith sectors) are contemplating the longer term implications of the triple threats they have faced in resources, operations, and demand. Demand for charities’ support in the aftermath, is likely to be higher than ever. While some volunteers are feeling burnt out, others are considering their return to activities that were put on pause. The sector is increasingly subject to political interference, reliant on building new partnerships, and investigating its own power structures.
Sheffield Hallam University, 15/16 September 2022
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The Green Agenda
This free training from Spring North explores:
- What does Net Zero mean for the charity sector?
- Conducting Environmental Audits on your organisation and activities
- Sources of funding
4 July, 10am – 12 noon, online
To register, email [email protected]
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Gaia: Festival of the Earth at Lancaster Priory
Gaia is landing. Lancaster Priory is hosting one of the world’s most awe-inspiring artworks by Luke Jerram.
Mon-Sat 10am-5pm (general viewing)
Sun 1pm-5pm
Evening events from 7pm
Find out more and book for evening events here.
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Discover Islam
All are welcome to this free event which will be held at the Gregson Centre (33-35 Moorgate, Lancaster) on 26 June 11am – 5pm.
Visit the website to find out more, or email [email protected]
Finance Administrator at the Gregson Centre
This is your chance as an experienced accountancy person to join a vibrant staff team and contribute to the further development of Lancaster’s much-loved Gregson Centre.
Salary: £31,200 per annum pro rata
Contract: 16 hours per week
Location: The Gregson Centre and home working
Closing date: 6 July 2022, 10am
Interviews: 8 July 2022
Please email Company Secretary Katherine Bevington at [email protected] for an application pack. Informal conversations with the Treasurer can also be made available, prior to applying.
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Volunteer Coordinator at CancerCare
The Volunteer Coordinator’s main role is to coordinate CancerCare’s volunteers, including the selection and placement of volunteers, induction and ongoing support and personal development of volunteers.
Salary: £19,500 – £19,890 depending on experience
Contract: Full time
Location: Lancaster
Closing date: 8 July 2022
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Gender Outreach Worker with Leeds & York Partnership NHS Foundation Trust/Lancashire LGBT
The Gender Outreach Worker will offer peer support, advice and signposting to people accessing their Gender Identity Service.
Postholders will be employed by Leeds Gender Identity Service (Leeds and York NHS Partnership Foundation Trust) and work with Lancashire LGBT in the Lancashire region.
Salary: £22,549 – £24,882 per annum
Contract: Full time, permanent
Location: Preston
Closing date: 27 June 2022
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Artistic Director & Development Director at Ludus Dance
Artistic Director
The postholder will have specific responsibility for the artistic work of the company, furthering Ludus’ reputation for excellence in dance practice, particularly with young people. They will manage the company’s relationship with its key stakeholders including Arts Council England, lead on the company’s safeguarding policy and collaborate with the Development Director on strategic development, management of the Ludus team, on fundraising policy and bid writing.
Salary: £34,000 to £38,000 per annum pro rata
Contract: 30 hours per week
Location: Lancaster
Closing date: 13 July 2022
Development Director
With specific responsibility for overseeing fundraising, marketing, finance and stakeholder management, the postholder will provide dynamic leadership to develop and deliver Ludus Dance’s vision and strategy, in partnership with the Artistic Director.
Salary: £34,000 to £38,000 per annum pro rata
Contract: 22.5 hours per week
Location: Lancaster
Closing date: 13 July 2022
If your organisation needs support whether it be working with volunteers, completing accounts and payroll, finding funding, solving governance issues, or just want a listening ear, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with our team:
Funding and governance support, contact [email protected]
Volunteering and upskilling your workforce, contact [email protected]
Payroll, bookkeeping and independent examinations, contact [email protected]
Membership queries: [email protected]
Partnerships, networks and strategic development, contact [email protected]
Alternatively, call us on 01524 555900
To promote your events, training, jobs, and sector news, email [email protected]
