Information and Advice for the Lancaster District’s Third Sector – 30 March 22

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.

LDCVS Financial Services
For many of you it’s the end of the financial year. It’s always a busy time as you work to get invoices out, bills paid, and tidy up your accounts. It’s also a time to look forward and implement new plans.

LDCVS can help. Not only can our Financial Services colleagues provide advice and guidance, but our great-value payroll and independent examination services also help keep everything in good order. Why not speak to our team and see how we can help? We’ll provide a free quotation for any paid-for services. Email [email protected] or call us on 01524 555900.

Eric Wright Charitable Trust Fund – open
The Fund, administered by our Bay Foundation, is once again open for applications. See the Funding section for further information.

Jobs with LDCVS
Lancaster District CVS is working with Lancaster City Council to create a network of Community Health Champions, and a fund for projects which reach residents across the district and provide them with the information they need to make informed decisions about their health, including the COVID-19 vaccine.

To support this work, we are recruiting a Project Officer and a Project Administrator. Both are full-time roles, fixed term for nine months. Find out more and download application packs here.

Further information about the fund itself, and how to apply, will be announced very soon.

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 Eric Wright Charitable Trust Fund
The Eric Wright Charitable Trust’s fund administered by Lancaster District CVS is open again. Applying is easy and we would like to encourage all small groups around the Lancaster District to apply.

Grants of up to £500 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 Wednesday 27 April 2022.

Find out more and apply.

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.

Lloyds Bank Foundation – change in funding priorities
The Foundation have advised us that they have changed their regional priorities. For Lancashire, the updated priorities are:

  • Addiction & Dependency
  • Asylum Seekers and Refugees
  • Care Leavers (it is no longer a requirement that 50% of the people the charity works with have to be care leavers)
  • Homeless and Vulnerably Housed
  • Offending Prison and Community Service
  • Sexual Abuse and Exploitation
  • Trafficking and Modern Slavery
  • Young Parents (it is no longer a requirement that 50% of the people the charity works with have to be young parents)
  • Racial Equity (charity needs to do targeted work with minoritized communities and more than 50% of the trustees need to be from BAME communities)

For further information on funding opportunities with the Lloyds Bank Foundation, contact Ella Sips (Manager, North West) at [email protected]

Local Nature Innovation Fund
Do you have an idea for a local nature-based project that involves reaching out further in your community or exploring a new approach? If so, at Friends of the Earth Experiments want to help.

Grants of up to £1000 are available. Deadline is 1st May.

Find out more and apply.

DCMS/Wolfson Museums & Galleries Improvement Fund
Up to £300,000 for capital improvements to improve displays, protect collections and make exhibitions more accessible to visitors.

Opens 9 May, deadline 1 August

Find out more.

Safer Lancashire Neighbourhoods Community Fund
Grants of between £1k and £10k provided to local projects that help deliver the five key priorities in in Policy & Crime Commissioner’s Fighting Crime Plan, with a focus on the Anti-Social Behaviour and Dangerous Driving priorities.

Find out more and apply.

Historic England – grants uncovering hidden working class heritage
Community or heritage organisations can apply for grants of up to £25,000 for projects that will celebrate the built or historic environment near them. Grants are intended to facilitate projects that allow people to share “overlooked” or “untold” stories of the place where they live.

Deadline 23 May.

Find out more and apply.

BBC Children in Need Youth Social Action Fund
This funding will support organisations to bring social action and youth empowerment opportunities to children and young people to help prevent or overcome the effects of the disadvantages they face.

Application deadline 23 May

Find out more and apply.

BBC Children in Need We Move Fund
This fund is focussed on reaching Black children and young people with youth social action opportunities, with a priority on funding Black-led organisations.

Register to get more information when the fund launches in the coming weeks.

COMING SOON: a dedicated Volunteer Centre Bulletin
This new Bulletin will focus more on policy, useful resources, services offered, and volunteering roles. Until then, please continue to check this section and the links below. Not seeing something that you want to see? Let us know.

Lancaster District Volunteer Centre – What are your volunteer needs?
From helping you to recruit new volunteers, to facilitating training for your volunteer teams, the Volunteer Centre offers a range of support. Our new online volunteer management system is proving increasingly popular, so do register if you haven’t yet given it a go.

We talk to potential volunteers daily and we would love to let them know about your opportunities through our social media, this bulletin, and our bi-weekly column in the Lancaster Guardian.

If you would like to find new volunteers, contact Mark, our Volunteer Centre manager, to discuss your requirements. Get in touch with Mark by email at [email protected] or telephone 01524 555900.

Nominate a Community Champion
Eden Project Communities are partnering with the Royal Voluntary Service to recognise and celebrate the people who do amazing work in their community. Seven categories, each recognising 70 individuals, will be awarded a special RVS Platinum Champion award.

Find out more and nominate here.

imix Report: The Struggle for Safety
This new report discussed public discourse around refugees and asylum seekers, and suggests new narratives that could change the way society approaches this issue.

Download the report here.

Call for proposals – facilitation of strategy workshop for Lancashire & South Cumbria ICS
The ICS looking for an expert facilitator or organisation, with expertise in workshop design, workshop facilitation and ideally expertise in the EDI agenda, to help design and deliver an EDI workshop in conjunction with the current working group and Non-Executive Chair.

Further information here.

Lancaster University Faculty of Arts & Social Sciences – student placements
The Faculty is keen to work with third sector organisations to develop placement years and internships for students taking arts and social sciences courses.

Find out more in this letter from Amanda Weston, the Faculty’s Partnerships Development Officer.

The Hygiene Bank Lancaster and The Bay
The Hygiene Bank is a grassroots charity run by volunteers in the community aiming to provide hygiene products both personal and household to individuals and families in hygiene poverty – not being able to afford many of the everyday personal and household hygiene products most of us take for granted. 

Products are donated, collected, sorted, and distributed to Community Partners, which in Lancaster, Morecambe and Carnforth are a combination of organisations such as food clubs, community centres, charities and schools, who are able to identify those in need and distribute directly into the community.

For more information about partnering with The Hygiene Bank, email [email protected]

‘You have to take it back to the bricks’: Reforming Emergency Support
The Child Poverty Action Group have published a report resulting from two years of research into reducing demand for foodbanks through reform of emergency support.

Find out more and read the full report here.

Great British Spring Clean
Keep Britain Tidy’s Great British Spring Clean takes place between 25 March and 7 April. People are asked to join the #BigBagChallenge and pledge to pick up as much litter as they can during the campaign.

Groups wishing to take part, or hold community cleanups at any time of year, can access additional support and advice from Lancaster City Council.

Green Heritage Plaques for Women in Lancaster
In March 2021, Lancaster Civic Society launched a campaign to identify women of Lancaster to commemorate with Green Heritage Plaques as, of all the thirty-three plaques in Lancaster, there were none to women.

The first plaque, to Sr. Aine Cox, was unveiled at St John’s Hospice in December.

Now the Civic Society is fundraising to help put up three further plaques – to Mary Fielding, Jennie Harris, and Selina Martin.

Find out more here.

Homes for Ukraine Scheme
UK individuals, charities, community groups and businesses can now record their interest in supporting Ukrainians fleeing the war through the government’s new Homes for Ukraine scheme. This scheme will allow individuals, charities, community groups and businesses in the UK to bring Ukrainians to safety – including those with no family ties to the UK.

Health & Social Care Bill – Involving People and Communities
Lancashire & South Cumbria Health & Care Partnership would like to hear from local people about the way that the public want to be involved in improving services in the future.

Find out more and complete the consultation here.

LGBTQ+ Inclusion at UHMB
University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust are looking for responses from patients, families and carers about LGBTQ+ inclusion. All responses are anonymous.

Complete the survey here.

Focus group participants needed to help develop leadership resources for ICSs
NHS England and NHS Improvement are creating new self-assessment resources to support the leadership and cultural development of Integrated Care Systems.

They want to ensure these resources are fit for purpose. During March, please get involved by attending a one-hour online focus group at a time that best suits you, or responding to this online questionnaire.
 
Full details are available through the Innovation Agency, which is partnering with NHSE/I to develop these resources.

Feed-back on proposals for new hospitals in Lancashire & South Cumbria
Information gathered will inform the progress of the New Hospitals Programme for the region.

Find out more and participate.

Experiences of Same Day Emergency Care
Lancashire & South Cumbria Health and Care Partnership would like to hear from people who have experienced Same Day Emergency Care (rapid assessment, diagnosis and treatment, returning home on the same day), through a survey and focus groups.

Find out more and sign up to participate.

Stay and Play at St Chads Hall
Open to all parents and carers and their children aged from birth to preschool. Enjoy play, songs and a snack on termtime Fridays 1.30pm – 3pm.

For more information call Ryelands School on 01524 64626.

Holiday Activities and Food Programme
Children and young people receiving free school meals are being invited to sign up to enjoy free activities during the Easter break with Lancaster City Council’s Holiday Activities and Food Programme (HAF).

Find out more and book.

Trauma Response: The Slightly Bigger Book of Aces
The follow up book to The Little Book of Aces is now available.

This edition considers issues on how to respond to people’s trauma in a informed manner and provides very helpful strategies.

If you would like a copy of The Slightly Bigger Book of Aces, please get in touch with [email protected]

1051200 and counting – by Wise Up Workshops
An immersive art experience remembering the last two years through Covid at The Plaza Hub, Plaza Shopping Arcade, Morecambe.

Taking place throughout April.

For more information, see Wise Up Workshops’ Facebook page.

Have a go at tennis
Lancaster Tennis Club’s open day is on 23 April at 2pm to 4pm, offering the opportunity for complete beginners to have a go at the sport. All ages welcome, racquets and balls provided.

No need to book, just turn up. For more information contact Susan on 07771 734920 or email [email protected]

National Lottery Fund for Heritage Digital Heritage Hub
The forthcoming Digital Heritage Hub will provide heritage organisations with free learning resources on Digital Engagement, Digital Content, Digital Leadership & Digital Planning.

Find out more at the launch event on 28 April.

Book your place

CancerCare Lights on the Lake
Dedicate a candle to remember someone special as CancerCare illuminate Capernwray lake on Saturday 30 April

Information and dedications

Age UK Family Fun Walk
Enjoy a walk along the Lancaster canal, search for clues to answer the quiz, and receive a chocolate egg. Starts/finishes at The Waterwitch LA1 1SU from 12pm on 2 April.

See flyer for more information

Easter Family Fun Days
The Children & Family Wellbeing Service will be running free to attend Easter themed activities in April.

Poulton Children Centre, 4 April 10.00am – 11.30am

Lune Park Children Centre, 6 April 10.00am – 11.30am

Westgate Children Centre, 12 April 1.30pm – 3.00pm

Families must book to attend, by calling 01524 58128

Modern Slavery and Human Trafficking (MSHT) Awareness Training
Hope for Justice is a global and national charity with a mission to bring an end to modern slavery. In partnership with Lancaster CVS they are offering our members free training to raise awareness and to help identify and support potential cases of modern slavery and human trafficking across Lancashire and the North West of England.

Date/time: 27 April, 12pm – 1pm
Location: online

Find out more and book

Evaluation Workshop
ImaginationLancaster have teamed up with LDCVS and Cumbria CVS to organise this workshop, focusing on how embedding evaluation early on can inform an organisation’s activities, processes, services and evidence the intended and unintended outcomes.

18 May, 1pm, via Zoom

Find out more and sign up

Sport England ReEngage Programme
ReEngage is a free digital platform, designed to provide workers and volunteers involved in community sports with the skills and knowledge to confidently engage with people across all communities, helping them to access the benefits of sport and physical activity.

Find out more and sign up.

Assistant Project Manager at The Olive Branch
The Assistant Project Manager will work alongside the Project Manager to run The Olive Branch, making sure the charity’s mission is achieved, taking responsibility for day-to-day activity on specified occasions.

Salary: £11,304
Contract: Fixed term for 6 months initially, 20 hours per week
Location: Lancaster
Closing date: 11 April 2022

Find out more and apply.

Community Health Champions Project Officer and Project Administrator at LDCVS
Lancaster District CVS is working with Lancaster City Council to create a network of Community Health Champions, and a fund for projects which reach residents across the district and provide them with the information they need to make informed decisions about their health, including the COVID-19 vaccine.

To support this work, we are recruiting a Project Officer and a Project Administrator.

Project Officer
Salary: £18,974 (£25,300 pro rata to 9 months)
Contract: 35 hours per week, for 9 months from start date
Location: Lancaster
Closing date: 6 April 2022

Download application pack here

Project Administrator
Salary: £15,015 (£20,020 pro rata to 9 months)
Contract: 35 hours per week, for 9 months from start date
Location: Lancaster
Closing date: 6 April 2022

Download application pack here

Youth Support Worker at Lancashire County Council
Post holders will have responsibility for Participation work, a way of working with young people that underpins the delivery model for Targeted Youth Support. Participation means working with young people to facilitate their own learning, feel confident in having a voice and influencing decisions that affect them and their peers.

Salary: £23,178-£26,437 per annum
Contract: Permanent, 29.6 hours per week
Location: Preston
Closing date: 10 April 2022

More information and apply.

Youth Worker at Lancashire County Council
Youth Workers will principally operate alongside the community themed delivery teams, principally providing oversight and management of evening based group work delivery programmes. They will have some involvement alongside colleagues operating in ‘Team around the school’ clusters in supporting specific identified needs for adolescents with one to one or small group support.

Salary: £29,579-£32,036 per annum
Contract: Permanent, 37 hours per week
Location: Wyre/Fylde
Closing date: 3 April 2022

More information and apply

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]