Information and Advice for the Lancaster District’s Third Sector – 28 July 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.
Third Sector Trends Survey
We are once again encouraging all third sector organisations to take part in this regular survey, so that we can build a picture of what is happening locally, what has changed since 2016 and 2019 and what you think is going to happen next.
It’s quick, interesting, and easy to do. You can respond on your phone, tablet, or computer.
If you’re ready to answer the survey, start here.
All answers are securely stored completely anonymously and confidentially, and we will provide a report focusing on results from the Lancaster district in the coming months.
Mark McQueen Foundation
Community Foundation for Lancashire have re-opened the Mark Mcqueen Foundation fund for applications. Groups can apply for up to £3000 for projects that seek to support young men struggling with emotional and mental health issues, with the ultimate aim of helping to reduce the rate of male suicide.
Closing date for applications 2 September 2022.
–
Social Enterprise Growth Impact Fund
Big Issue Invest, UnLtd and learning partner Shift have launched the Growth Impact Fund, a potential £25 million investment fund providing equity, patient debt, and revenue-based funding to early-stage and growing social businesses in the UK.
The Fund is open to social enterprises that are focusing on tackling inequality or are ‘diverse-led’.
–
The Henry Smith Charity
The Charity aims to use its resources to help people and communities at a time of need and to bring about positive change. It funds organisations that work with people to reduce social and economic disadvantage.
Improving Lives
Grants for small and medium sized organisations in the UK to support projects and the running costs of organisations.
£20k – £60k per year for up to 3 years, paying for running costs, salaries and projects.
Strengthening Communities
Running costs grants for small, grass roots, community based organisations working in the 10% most deprived areas of England.
£20k – £60k per year for up to 3 years, paying for running costs, salaries and projects.
Holiday Grants
Grants towards recreational trips and holidays for groups of children aged 13 and under who are disabled or disadvantaged.
£500 – £2,500
Christian Projects
Grants to support projects that explicitly promote the Christian faith, helping to grow faith communities and churches.
£10k+ per year for up to 3 years.
–
Grand Plan
£1,000 grants to creative people of colour based in the UK who want to make a new cultural project happen. It can be anything from: poetry, paintings, fashion, zines, music, food, flowers, photographs to workshops or events.
–
BA Better World Community Fund
£50,000 or up to 50% additional funding towards successful, pre-approved crowdfunding campaigns.
–
The Fore’s Autumn 2022 Funding Round
For this funding round, opening on 25 July, The Fore is offering unrestricted grants of up to £30,000 that can be spread over one to three years. Grant funding will unlock potential for small charities who are ready to take their next step forward and for whom our support will have transformational impact on an organisational level. The grants can be used for whatever grantees think will help transform their scale, sustainability, reach or efficiency.
–
Community Businesses in Places of Worship
Places of worship can make great venues for community businesses; enterprises that trade for the benefit of the local community and are typically owned and run by local residents.
The Plunkett Foundation provides support, advice and grants of up to £5,000 for groups to explore the opportunities.
Launch of the Vision for Volunteering
A discussion process led by NAVCA, NCVO, Volunteering Matters, the Association of Volunteer Managers and Sport England, alongside over 300 voluntary organisations has contributed to the newly published Vision for Volunteering.
The Vision tackles five key themes – awareness and appreciation of volunteering; power; equity and inclusion; collaboration; and experimentation – and explores how volunteering must adapt and evolve in each area.
Find out more and explore the Vision.
–
Canteen Assistant at The Friendship Centre
Help out in the canteen at this friendly social club for over 55s. Volunteers are needed on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. Full training will be given.
Mencap 2022 Survey
Mencap would like to invite people with a learning disability to take part in their 2022 Big Learning Disability Survey.
This survey was fully co-produced by people with a learning disability and asks questions on topics they say are important to them, including healthcare, discrimination, mental health, and money and support.
–
Measuring Impact
Measuring the impact of your activities is something which is sometimes not high on the list of priorities, but also something we’d all like to be better at.
NPC have a created a useful resource which helps organisations measure, understand, and improve their impact.
Find out more and access the toolkit.
–
Evaluation of Government Covid Funding Package
In March 2020, the Chancellor announced a £750m funding package to support the Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise sector during the pandemic.
As a result of this funding, 14,000 organisations reached an estimated 21.5 million service users.
This newly published evaluation describes how funds were spent and their overall impact.
–
Rapid Evidence Review of Community Initiatives
DCMS commissioned Frontier Economics to explore how community initiatives can deliver community infrastructure effectively and enhance social capital.
Key conclusions were:
- Community infrastructure provides a place in which people can meet and, in some cases, is a focal point of the local area. It is important for a community to thrive – but it is not enough on its own.
- For community infrastructure to be effective in supporting a community to thrive, it needs to be used to build community networks and relationships – and this is often led by activity organisers or community-based institutions.
Read the full report and recommendations.
–
Charity Annual Returns Consultation
Are you interested in sharing your views on potential changes to your Annual Return process? Charities, their trustees and the public are invited to comment on a new approach to the Annual Return process via the Charity Commission public consultation.
The Commission welcomes responses on revisions to the Annual Return 2023-25, applying to charities’ financial years starting on or after 1 January 2023. Have your say by responding to the consultation here, by 1 September 2022.
–
Charities call on chancellor to tackle fuel costs crisis
Recently, alongside other charitable organisations, NAVCA called on the Chancellor to take action to tackle the fuel costs crisis, which has been impacting volunteers’ ability to travel. NAVCA know that volunteering helps communities thrive and has a positive impact on wellbeing, but that the cost of living crisis is discouraging people from volunteering due to increased transport costs.
–
North Lancashire’s Gleaning Network
FoodFutures has recently established a gleaning network where surplus produce is harvested by volunteers and redistributed for bellies, not bins. This work is part of the Closing Loops project and is being delivered by project partner Eggcup.
The network is still in the early stages of development but the partnership are looking for local trees, orchards, gardens and farms that may have excess, surplus or unsellable food, and volunteers to take part in gleaning efforts and events.
To take part, contact Jay by email at [email protected]
–
Charity Digital Skills Report 2022
For the last two years this annual report has tracked how charities’ use of digital was changing and the effect this was having on strategy, leadership, skills and operations. This year, research has focused on the role digital was playing for the sector on the ‘road to recovery’ phase of the pandemic.
The report includes a set of helpful insights into areas that are critical success factors for digital progress.
Find out more and read the report here.
–
Prince’s Trust Report: The Power of Potential
Young people want to work, but a lack of support for mental and physical health conditions is one of the key factors preventing them from finding and keeping employment.
A new report from the Prince’s Trust and HSBC analyses this issue and sets out recommendations for improved provision.
Find out more and read the report here.
–
DCMS Consultation – Dormant Assets Fund
The Government has launched a public consultation on what social and environmental causes should benefit from more than £700 million of dormant assets funding in England.
Find out more about the Dormant Assets Act 2022 and participate in the consultation survey here.
–
What will environmental crises mean for older people and disabled people?
Older people and disabled people are often hit hardest in a crisis. And environmental crises—including climate change, loss of biodiversity and pollution—are no different.
Find out more about these impacts, and possible responses, at this New Philanthropy Capital blog.
Cost of Living Crisis: Let’s Keep Talking
The latest phase of Lancashire and South Cumbria Health and Care Partnership’s Let’s Keep Talking suicide prevention campaign focuses on the cost-of-living crisis.
The rising costs of day-to-day living is rarely out of the news with more and more people struggling to pay the bills and make ends meet.
Sometimes when people are in debt, they can become so worried about it that they consider taking their own lives.
This campaign urges people to ‘keep talking’ about their money worries so they don’t reach that point.
Find out more and see the website supporting this latest phase of the campaign.
Change in a Box – free social action kits
Lancashire Youth Challenge, Lancaster University, and the Culture Co-Op have worked together on a project to produce ‘social action kits’ for young people in the local area.
This year the project will focus on local climate action. The kits offer an introduction to the topic, highlight some great local climate change organisations, and include a bunch of craft activities and equipment.
The aim is to allow young people to explore what active citizenship means to them and try out new creative techniques/materials.
There are 1,500 free kits to give out to participating organisations which will receive accompanying letters for parents/guardians and some workshop activities to deliver too, if they wish.
The only requirements are that organisations must:
- Be based in the Lancaster area
- Be open during the summer holidays
- Commit to using the kits before September 2022
- Offer some feedback to be shared with the Arts Council.
Visit the Change in a Box website to request kits.
–
Chair the Future
Hope Streets Young Producers is inviting young people aged 16-25 to a free taster day at Lancaster Judges’ Lodgings on 31 July from 11am until 3pm – including a free lunch.
Young people will take part in a unique design workshop, creating their own Gillows of Lancaster miniature furniture, and will have the chance to win some brilliant prizes.
–
SEND Information Event
Families with a child or young person with special educational needs or a disability are invited to attend a family fun and information event at Morecambe Library on 11 August at 10am – 2pm.
Discover what’s on offer locally, understand available services, and find out about support groups. Refreshments provided.
No need to book, just turn up. Find out more here.
–
Summer Fun Days 2022
The Children & Family Wellbeing Service are offering fun days from 10am – 12.30pm at locations across Lancaster and Morecambe:
3 August – Morecambe Library – Make it!
10 August – Lune Park Neighbourhood Centre – Explore it!
17 August – Westgate Neighbourhood Centre – Experience it!
24 August – Lune Park Neighbourhood Centre – Build it!
31 August – Westgate School – Move it!
Free to attend, just turn up.
To find out more, visit Lancaster and Morecambe Family Zone on Facebook or call 01524 581280
–
SCART Club 2022
SCART Club (which stands for Science, Culture, Active, Reading and Technology) is Lancashire Library Service’s Summer Activity programme for children which runs throughout the summer school holidays.
This year, SCART Club is all about making an impact on the world and helping to save the planet.
Fuel Debt Advice in the Community – City & Guilds Level 2 Award
Delivered across three webinars this course aims to provide an understanding of the causes of fuel debt, issues householders may face with meters, fuel statements, payment and tariff options. It also considers consumers, private landlords and fuel suppliers obligations, as well as complaints procedures and support available for low-income and vulnerable households.
The course is designed for frontline staff working with low-income and vulnerable households who may be in fuel debt or at risk from fuel debt.
Funded places are available to non-commercial organisations in England and Wales. Learners must also be frontline staff and volunteers that regularly encounter those in or at risk of fuel poverty
–
Health Research – the what, the why and the how
Being involved in research brings many benefits to VCFSE organisations and the communities with which they work. From providing evidence to funders of the success of their work, to helping plan future projects, being involved in research can make a real difference.
This session delivered by the CoREN (Community Research and Engagement Network) explains more about the what, the why and the how of applied health research.
22 September, Gujarat Hindu Society and Community Centre, Preston
–
Personal Independence Payment Training
Citizen’s Advice North Lancashire are offering a PIP Training Session for organisations who work in the community.
This is for those who are working with the community and want to know more about PIP, how to help clients fill in the forms and challenge decisions. They will also share some research into client experiences with PIP.
30 August 2022, Lancaster & Morecambe College.
Download the flyer to find out more.
–
Basic Drug and Alcohol Awareness
During this session attendees will learn a little more about the services that are available at We Are With You in Lancashire, discuss current themes and trends, look at some of the reasons why young people use substances, and consider risks and harm reduction messages.
Attendees will also gain acces to We Are With You’s Tier 1 resource booklet & drug use screening tool, which includes practical information and worksheets for working with young people.
Multiple dates, online, free
–
Trauma Informed Lancashire Basic Awareness Workshops
Lancashire Violence Reduction Network’s (LVRN) “Becoming a Trauma Informed Lancashire workshops” aim to cultivate collective, cross-sector learning to support the ongoing development of trauma informed services.
These workshops are for all practitioners both from statutory and 3rd sector organisations across the PAN Lancashire Multi agency footprint .
The Learning Outcomes of the presentation are:
- To understand the transformation to becoming Trauma Informed Lancashire.
- To begin to explore how Trauma affects our body, brain and behaviour.
- To be able to recognise how trauma may present in people we work alongside.
- To consider how a Trauma Informed Approach impacts on individuals and communities.
- Begin to think about changes we can make to our working practices, services and organisations.
Multiple dates, AFC Fylde Sports and Education Centre (Wesham), free.
–
The Well Community Bay 5k Recovery Run
11am on 24 September from The Sailing Club, Marine Road, Morecambe. Registration open from 9.30am.
The first 100 runners to register will be given a free Bay 5K Recovery Run T-Shirt to wear for the run and there will be a Medal for the first 150 to complete the race.
Email [email protected] to find out more.
–
What next for climate justice in the UK?
Has COP26 been a step forward in global efforts to address climate change, or have follow-up actions failed to deliver progress?
Join the discussion with Social Value UK online on 29 September. Speakers include Professor Rebecca Willis, Professor in Energy and Climate Governance at Lancaster University.
Fundraising Co-ordinator at Bendrigg Trust
The postholder will focus on developing a corporate and community fundraising programme including building relationships with individuals and companies, co-ordinating events and managing supporter communications.
Salary: £22,000 – £27,000 per annum
Contract: Full or part time or job share by negotiation
Location: Kendal
Closing date: 12 August 2022
–
Service Manager – Digital Inclusion at AgeUK Lancashire
Age UK Lancashire seek an experienced project manager to implement and deliver a project providing digital inclusion support to vulnerable adults to improve the outcomes of elective recovery programmes.
Salary: £26,400 per annum
Contract: 28 hours per week
Location: Lancaster/Chorley/Ormskirk
Closing date: 15 August 2022
–
Partnership Quality Lead (North West England) at Macmillan Cancer Support
This role supports Macmillan Professionals across various settings and in a variety of ways. Supporting teams to improve through quality improvement activities, strengthening relationships to deliver more for people living with cancer and ensuring that professionals have access to the tools and resources are key elements of the role.
Salary: £40,000 – £45,000 per annum
Contract: Full or part time by negotiation, permanent
Location: North West England
Closing date: 31 July 2022
–
Youth Support Worker x 2 at Lancashire County Council
The Participation Youth Support Worker’s role is to contribute to the delivery of youth work opportunities in a variety of settings, including youth clubs and in collaboration with schools and other agencies. Youth Workers will report to a Professional Range Youth Worker and will work closely with other youth work staff and volunteers to maximise opportunities for young people to access social and personal development as well as learning opportunities.
Salary: £23,168 – £26,437 per annum
Contract: Part time (Preston) or full time (Colne), permanent
Location: Preston (working across Lancashire) or Colne (Pendle)
Closing date: 24 July 2022
Find out more and apply (Preston)
Find out more and apply (Colne)
–
Community Fundraiser at Empowerment
The postholder will engage the public with non-traditional donation generating activities.
Salary: £12,402 per annum
Contract: 22.5 hours per week, permanent
Location: Blackpool
Closing date: 1 August 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]
