Free eLearning opportunities

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To celebrate their name change to VSL Learning, we have been informed that they are offering 500 FREE TRAINING PLACES for charities and VCSE’s!

Allowing free access to accredited GDPR, Cyber Security and Safeguarding e-learning courses for staff and volunteers.

Visit vslcompliance.com for course details and state Support Cambridgeshire when enquiring about the free spaces. 

If you missed the special offer then don’t worry, if you quote Support Cambridgeshire all groups get a discount on the standard rate. See our Training and Events page for more information on this option along with other ways to learn through Support Cambridgeshire.

 

Thrive Together Fund – Blended grant and loan to grow and diversify social enterprise

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Grants available: Up to £150,000

District: England

Applications close: rolling

Who is the funding for: 

The Thrive Together funding programme offers up to £150,000 as a blended package of loan (75%) and grant (25%) to those looking to grow or diversify their business models by providing funding to help strengthen operations, improve resilience, encourage growth, expand impact, and ensure long-term success. 

Link: Thrive Together Fund | Funding | Social Investment Business (sibgroup.org.uk)

About:

Small and medium sized charities and social enterprises based in and delivering impact in England, who are looking to grow or diversify their business models. 

Am I eligible?
  • Incorporated voluntary, community or social enterprise organisations*
  • Based in England and delivering social/ environmental impact in England
  • A minimum of two years’ operating activity
  • A minimum turnover of £100k in the last financial year
  • A viable borrowing proposal.

* Must be registered as a Charity, Community Interest Company or Community Benefit Society. If registered as any other legal entity, it must have a social object, asset lock and restriction on profit distribution (must distribute less than 50% of post-tax profits) written into its governing documents.

VCSE Health Alliance – Update Bulletin – September 2023

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September 2023

Cambridgeshire & Peterborough VCSE Health Alliance Bulletin 

 

Focus on workforce 

Every health and care organisation is struggling to find and keep workforce. The VCSE sector is no exception to this. The CEO Network has had many discussions on this topic and now, at its September meeting, the Health Alliance will be exploring how we can help organisations with these challenges. 

Sharon Allen, CEO at Arthur Rank Hospice Charity, is the Health Alliance rep on the ICB People’s Board and has been doing a great job working to get the voluntary sector voice heard in all things workforce. Sharon will introduce the session at the September meeting and we hope to have ICB experts coming along to aid discussions.     

Please do come along and share your thoughts, ideas and concerns. From 2pm to 4pm at The Hub, Cambourne. We look forward to seeing you there! 

Extending our reach 

We are always wanting new members and are working hard to extend the reach of the Health Alliance. We have looked at our current membership and would more representation amongst small community groups, faith groups and groups working in East Cambridgeshire. Groups and organisations specifically working with excluded communities are particularly welcome to help us build greater diversity. 

Building a collaborative network 

How often have you received information about a source of funding that has a ridiculously short turnaround time? To help the sector prepare for these opportunities, we will soon be circulating a project development form and asking for you to tell us about your proposal. We’ll make sure the form works for large and small organisations and ask for proposals that will encourage partnership and collaboration.  

Progress on developing our brand 

Work has started on gathering your views and ideas about our Health Alliance partnership and what it means to you. You will shortly be receiving a survey from PCVS asking for your feedback and how well you think we convey our vision and purpose. Please do take a few minutes to complete this; the findings will help the steering group develop the next stage. 

We are looking for people to join the steering group for this very exciting piece of work. If you are interested please email Sandie. There’ll also be an opportunity to ask questions at the September Health Alliance meeting.

Safeguarding update 

With thanks to the Local Safeguarding Board who are now supporting our work to develop guidance and policies. Also, thanks to Sallyann at Hunts Forum for taking this forward. We’ll make sure that the guidance is easy to follow and works for all of our VCSE partners. We’re keen to get more organisations to commit to supporting our Health Alliance safeguarding policy statement. Email Sandie if you would like to know more. 

Mental health community workers – Health and wellbeing network event   

The next Health and Wellbeing Network meeting is on 5th September online from 11am to 12pm. Claire Layton will be joining the meeting to tell us how the Mental Health Community Connectors are helping within their communities and what their role entails. Book your place here.  

Our meetings  

Here are the dates of our future meetings, please do put them in your diary. We have tried to get a mix of times, locations and formats to help as many people as possible get involved. The September meeting will have a workforce focus and after that we are alternating themes with general Health Alliance business. If you would like to suggest a theme please contact sandie@huntsforum.org.uk. 

  • 13th September 2-4 Focus on workforce    –  Cambourne Hub 
  • 18th October 9.30-11.30 Health Alliance business    –   Zoom 
  • 6th December 1-3pm Theme to confirm    –   Zoom 
  • 17th January 1-3 Health Alliance business   –  March Library 
  • 28th February 9.30-11.30 Theme to confirm  –   Zoom 
  • 17th April 1-3 Health Alliance business  –  Peterborough  
  • 22nd May 10-12 Theme to confirm  –  St Ives Corn Exchange 

More members please! 

And lastly, please do pass this newsletter onto your team and other groups and organisations who may not yet be Health Alliance members. Anyone wishing to join should email Debbie Debbie@huntsforum.org.uk. 

 

See here for more information about the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Health Alliance. Please note: We’re revamping our webpage to bring it up to date with current projects and resources. As ever, please do let us have your feedback.   

Home Instead Grants / Older people / Ongoing

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Grants available: Up to £1500

Applications close: Ongoing

Who is the funding for: Projects which prevent social isolation and loneliness

Link: https://www.homeinstead.co.uk/charities/apply-for-a-grant/

About:

Home Instead Charities awards grants of up to £1,500 to small, local registered charities and up to £500 to grassroots organisations with projects that further the needs of our ageing adult population through well-being activities and programmes to prevent social isolation and loneliness.

Most of your group members must be over 55 years old or the project you are requesting funding for must benefit people aged over 55. Types of fundable projects include:

  • Regular weekly or monthly events and activities such as weekly cinema club, weekly knit and natter or Thursday lunch club
  • One off activities such as a day trip or a Christmas lunch
  • Activities such as yoga or a guest speaker for your group such as a local historian

 

Applications from groups, associations and charities that do not service the over 50s directly but the project they require funding for does, i.e. a local school wishes to hold a special afternoon tea for its local care home residents will also be considered.

The National Lottery Heritage Fund 2033 delivery plan: 2023–2026: Simplicity, flexibility and heritage projects rooted in communities

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With the announcement of The National Lottery Fund strategy, Heritage 2033: the Chief Executive, Eilish McGuinness, wrote an article below reflecting the latest milestones.

With the publication last month of their first three-year delivery plan, they are moving closer to bringing their ambitious Heritage 2033 strategy to life and supporting projects of all sizes that connect people and communities to UK heritage.

From January next year, applications through their open programmes, National Lottery Grants for Heritage, will be centred around their simplified framework of four investment principles: saving heritage, protecting the environment, inclusion, access and participation, and organisational sustainability.

Investment Approach

In response to feedback from strategy surveys, public outreach, EDI research, and user surveys, the organisation is simplifying the application process to make it clearer and more proportional to funding requests. They’ll use their investment principles to guide decisions, asking applicants to demonstrate their alignment with these principles. This approach aims to foster innovative and community-rooted projects.

Heritage 2033’s vision is to preserve heritage for all, with plans to invest £1 billion over three years. While there will be a brief pause in applications for some programs from November during the transition, they encourage applicants to keep developing and submitting project ideas and reach out with any concerns.

Here For You

As they prepare to launch new funding processes, the organisation acknowledges the ongoing challenges faced by those involved in preserving the UK’s heritage. They remain dedicated to supporting efforts to safeguard, share, and celebrate the country’s diverse heritage.

This support includes open program project grants, with an encouragement to submit applications without delay to receive assistance during the transition period. Additionally, they offer support through their resilience and recovery program, having allocated £41.6 million since last August to strengthen heritage organisations. Furthermore, £33.5 million in grant increases has been provided over the past year to help heritage projects cope with rising costs.

The organisation is committed to offering ongoing support, aligning with the organisational sustainability principle within its investment framework. They pledge to remain flexible and responsive to crises throughout the implementation of their Heritage 2033 strategy.

Think Big

In response to the cost of living crisis, the organisation has adjusted the upper and lower limits of its grants. Since the maximum grant amount was raised to £10 million in May, they have received noteworthy expressions of interest and are currently collaborating with organisations to refine their project concepts.

While they acknowledge that not everyone can undertake large-scale heritage projects at this time, they encourage those with the capacity to realize ambitious visions for the sector to reach out and engage with them.

Thriving places

The next significant step in Heritage 2033 involves announcing the first batch of locations for targeted, long-term investment to enhance community pride and heritage engagement. They plan to support 20 such places during the strategy’s duration, with the first nine being revealed next month.

This place-focused initiative aims to empower these locations to form local partnerships, address longstanding heritage challenges, and attract wider investment. While the primary goal is addressing local needs, they hope the positive impact will inspire similar place-based projects, fostering collaborations and revitalizing areas with significant heritage and community needs.

Additionally, they are progressing with other strategic initiatives outlined in Heritage 2033, such as a landscape initiative aimed at supporting large-scale projects to rejuvenate landscapes, promote nature conservation, and enhance connectivity. Updates on these initiatives will be provided in the coming months.

Ahead, Together

Heritage 2033 represents a collaborative effort involving numerous contributors and partners deeply invested in heritage preservation. Feedback from the UK Heritage Pulse survey has been encouraging, indicating that Heritage 2033 aligns with the sector’s needs and priorities.

The organization remains eager to engage with and receive input from stakeholders, fostering continued collaboration to realize their shared vision for heritage in the years to come.

In the meantime, they encourage everyone to explore the UK’s rich heritage offerings this summer. They have curated a selection of notable openings and opportunities that cater to diverse interests, and they look forward to the possibility of meeting you at these events.

CCVS Photo Competition – Closes 29th September

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We are delighted to announce that the CCVS photo competition is back for 2023!  

This year’s theme: Improving Lives 

The competition is open now until 4pm on Friday 29 September.

What’s in it for you? 

  • Cash prizes will be awarded to the organisations linked to the winning photographs.
  • An opportunity to showcase your organisation. We know the difference local charities and groups make to the community, but we want everyone to be able to see a snapshot of your valuable work in pictures.  Shortlisted entries will be displayed at a future CCVS event and we will also share media releases of the winning entries in our publications and with local media.

Prizes: 

Judges Choice: £150 will be awarded to the organisation linked to the photo chosen as the winner by the judges.

People’s Choice: £150 will be awarded to the organisation linked to the photo which receives the highest number of votes in the people’s choice.

People’s Choice runner up: £75 will be awarded to the organisation linked to the photo which receives the second highest number of votes in the people’s choice.

The theme – Improving Lives – can encompass any part of what your organisation does, whether that’s photos of your team working in the office, your volunteers doing what they do best, (and improving their own lives as well as those who benefit), your organisation running an event, having contact with the people you support, looking after your green space or community building. Let your imagination run wild!

Anyone who is involved with a Cambridgeshire voluntary organisation, group or charity can take part – clients, volunteers, staff, trustees or supporters. So make sure you share the details of the competition with your teams and networks to encourage a variety of photos.

Images may be added to our photo library to use in our future marketing and communications, including our website, and social media channels.

How to enter:

Organisation and/or photographer to read conditions of entry 

Photographer to complete the entry form

Organisation to obtain signed consent from everyone who is identifiable in the photographs:

Consent form for adults over the age of 18

Consent form for children under the age of 18, or vulnerable adult 

Photo, completed entry form and signed consent forms where applicable to be emailed to: photo@cambridgecvs.org.uk 

Any problems, contact: photo@cambridgecvs.org.uk 

NEW! On-Demand training – Business Planning & What do trustees have to do?

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Support Cambridgeshire partner CCVS has developed a new free training resource for anyone to access. This training is aimed at refreshing your knowledge and allow you to feel confident in the subject area. Below are two new sessions which have been recently added to the portal.

NEW!

Business planning – Starting your own community group

WHO IS THIS TRAINING FOR?

This session introduces the idea of business planning to make sure you get the best possible result with the resources you have.

WHAT WILL YOU LEARN?

Why you need a business plan and what needs to go into one. There is title-by-title guidance on each section, so you truly understand how to build your plan, along with advice on policies and procedures and how to evaluate your performance.

HOW LONG IS THE TRAINING VIDEO?

10:21 minutes

NEW!

What do Trustee have to do?

WHO IS THIS TRAINING FOR?

An introduction to the six primary duties of trustees aimed at those considering becoming a trustee, new trustees, those working with trustees and trustees looking to refresh their knowledge.

WHAT WILL YOU LEARN?

What defines a charity, and how can it be structured? The six primary duties of trustees as defined by the Charity Commission.

HOW LONG IS THE TRAINING VIDEO?

14.37 minutes

 

The Support Cambridgeshire On-Demand Training portal updates your knowledge of charity and community sector know-how. It is free to access whenever every you want. Fill in the form, press send, and you’ll be sent the link to browse at your leisure, don’t forget to save the link so you can return it as many times as you want!

Interested to learn? This click HERE

 

It All Counts – stay hydrated and healthy  

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Staying hydrated is so important for your health and wellbeing. It can help prevent constipation, urine infections, headaches and other illnesses.  

A new NHS campaign, ‘It All Counts’, aims to raise awareness of the importance of hydration, in particular in those over the age 65 living in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough.   

Staying hydrated isn’t just about drinking water. Hot drinks, fruit juices, even bowls of soup and other fluid rich foods such as yoghurts, jelly, ice lollies and some pieces of fruit can all help keep you hydrated – it all counts. 

So whether that is having a glass of juice at breakfast, extra milk on your cereal, having soup or a yoghurt with your lunch or enjoying an ice lolly whilst out in the garden – all of these drinks or fluid rich foods can help keep you hydrated throughout the day. 

The recommended minimum amount of fluid intake for an adult is between 1,600 and 2,000 mls (3-3.5 pints) which is around eight glasses or mugs of fluid per day. All fluids count apart from alcohol, which can actually cause dehydration. 

For those taking regular medicine, it’s important to take with a full glass of water to help wash them down and ensure they are absorbed as intended. Always ask your pharmacist for advice if you are unsure on how you should take your medicine. 

Find out more about the importance of good hydration online at www.cpics.org.uk/it-all-counts  

Launch of State of the Sector report 2023

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Support Cambridgeshire, the partnership between Cambridge CVS and Hunts Forum of Voluntary Organisations, has repeated their annual survey to find out about the State of the voluntary sector in Cambridgeshire, and this year we have also worked with a data scientist to analyse what national data from the Charity Commission and 360 Giving tells us about local charities.

We know that local charities and community groups have continued to deliver vital support and services through the pandemic and now through the cost of living crisis. Still, this survey points to the toll this is taking on staff and volunteers. Fewer organisations were optimistic that this year would be better than 2022 compared to 12 months ago. Groups are struggling to find the funds and volunteers they need to meet the demands put on them. Across the county, the amount of money going into the sector and the number of groups available to offer support is uneven.

We can not take our local charities and community groups for granted. The work they do is still #NeverMoreNeeded. We know that many people rely on or benefit from their work.  The partners in Support Cambridgeshire will continue to offer all the help and advice they can to enable our local voluntary sector to thrive and prosper. Still, we need others to join in this effort, or we will see more groups closing and more services disappearing.

Click the banner to be taken to the full state of the sector 2023 report

 

This year we have worked with David Kane of Kane Data to analyse some of the available data from national datasets, thanks to some funding from the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough ICS, through the VCSE Health Allience. The report is based on an analysis of data from the Charity Commission for England and Wales, supplemented with additional data including:

  • Geographic data, including postcode lookups, from the Office for National Statistics
  • Population data from Office for National Statistics
  • Inflation data (using the RPIX measure) from Office for National Statistics
  • Charity Classification from charityclassification.org.uk
  • Data from grantmakers was published using the 360Giving Data Standard.

We worked to exclude those charities that were mistakenly connected with the county and charities that mainly worked nationally or internationally but are based in the county. We also excluded independent schools and university colleges.

This report helps us understand the numbers and sizes of charities and how they are spread across the county. It also gives us an indication of the grants that come into the sector from those grant funders that publish their data on the 360m giving platform.

Click here to read the National Dataset Report CLICK HERE

What does AI say about its role in the charity world?

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Kathryn Shepherdson header

After attending a webinar on the role of artificial intelligence (AI) in the charity sector, I was interested to ask AI systems what the pros and cons of the development of it could be in our sector. With that, I booted up the most common AI system ChatGPT, following the webinar’s instructions and asked it the following question. It came back in about thirty seconds with this answer.

 

Q. Write me an article on the uses of AI in the Charity sector, the impact it could make and the challenges it will create. 

The integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) into various industries has transformed the way we live and work. The charity sector, driven by a relentless pursuit of social impact, is embracing AI as a powerful tool to enhance efficiency, expand outreach, and address complex challenges. This article explores the diverse uses of AI in the charity sector, the potential impact it could make, and the challenges it may create.

Uses of AI in the Charity Sector

Donor Analytics: AI-driven data analysis enables charities to gain valuable insights into donor behaviour and preferences. This helps in crafting personalized and targeted fundraising campaigns, leading to increased engagement and higher donation conversion rates.

Predictive Analytics: AI algorithms can forecast trends, allowing charities to anticipate emerging needs and allocate resources more effectively. This predictive capacity enhances disaster response, anticipates shifts in community requirements, and prepares for potential challenges.

Efficient Resource Allocation: AI optimizes resource allocation by streamlining administrative tasks, reducing overhead costs, and automating routine processes. This efficiency ensures that more funds are directed towards the core mission, maximizing the charity’s impact.

Personalized Support: AI-powered chatbots and virtual assistants provide personalized support to beneficiaries, offering timely responses to inquiries and addressing their needs promptly. This 24/7 assistance enhances service delivery and fosters a sense of inclusivity.

Identifying Vulnerable Populations: AI can analyze vast datasets to identify vulnerable populations and communities requiring urgent assistance. This data-driven approach ensures that help reaches those who need it most, promoting social equity and inclusivity.

Impact of AI in the Charity Sector

Amplifying Outreach: AI empowers charities to connect with a broader audience through targeted marketing and communication strategies. This increased outreach attracts more donors and volunteers, resulting in amplified impact and visibility.

Enhanced Efficiency: By automating mundane tasks, AI frees up valuable time and resources for charitable organizations. This efficiency enables them to focus on strategic planning, program development, and fostering deeper connections with their beneficiaries

Evidence-Based Decision Making: AI-driven data analysis facilitates evidence-based decision-making, enabling charities to allocate resources based on real-time data and insights. This approach enhances transparency and accountability in the sector.

Scalability: AI-driven solutions can be easily scaled to accommodate the changing needs of the charity sector. Whether it’s processing large volumes of data or handling a surge in service requests, AI technologies adapt and grow with the organization.

Challenges of Implementing AI in the Charity Sector

Cost and Accessibility: AI implementation may require initial investments in infrastructure, software, and staff training. Smaller charities with limited resources may face challenges in accessing and utilizing advanced AI technologies.

Data Privacy and Ethics: As charities collect and analyze sensitive data, ensuring data privacy and adhering to ethical practices becomes paramount. Maintaining data security and transparency is crucial to building and maintaining trust with donors and beneficiaries.

Potential Bias: AI algorithms may inadvertently reflect the biases present in historical data, leading to unintended discrimination or skewed decision-making. Charities must rigorously test and monitor AI systems to mitigate bias and ensure fair outcomes.

Human-AI Collaboration: Striking the right balance between human expertise and AI capabilities is essential. AI should complement human efforts rather than replace them, ensuring that the human touch and empathy remain central to the charity sector’s work.

Conclusion

The growing presence of AI in the charity sector opens up a world of possibilities for enhancing efficiency, expanding outreach, and making a significant impact on social causes. By leveraging AI technologies responsibly and addressing the associated challenges, charitable organizations can propel themselves into a new era of innovation, ultimately driving positive change and advancing the greater good. As AI continues to evolve, its potential to revolutionize the charity sector offers hope for a more equitable and compassionate world.

 

This answer is two things, both factual and thought-provoking, because there are many issues currently with AI but also incredible opportunities. For one, I am very excited about the strides of automation and auto-smart ways of working AI has already had in our lives and should be taking in our sector. Just think about the annoying paperclip back in the late 90s or perhaps your spell checker on your computer. Both are AI. It can do so much more now than ask if you’re OK or correct ‘wait’ to ‘weight’, and while this could be perceived as a threat, it could also be a fantastic opportunity.

So what does the future of AI look like in the sector? One idea could be that all those annoying, boring jobs volunteers are drafted to complete are done by AI—things like answering enquiry emails, writing out instructions or taking notes. Business is already there on many things, but as AI develops, it will become more normal and cheaper to embed.

Another exciting possibility is what this could do to support volunteer-led groups, where everyone’s time is precious and given freely. Wouldn’t it be great if they didn’t need to do the boring and mundane jobs and instead supported in ways which felt meaningful? Perhaps we can get AI to answer enquiries, update websites and give essential advice.

With all of this, there are issues and challenges that AI addresses in its answer. Cost, bias and data are three of the big ones, but if we go into this with our eyes wide open, asking questions and turning off specific sharing invites. I think AI could be the start of a revolution in the charity and community sector.

Want to know more?
The Cambridgeshire Digital Partnership runs a countywide online October conference looking at this topic. There will be several exciting events, including an Introduction to AI and many more. Want to know more? Follow @cambsdigi, and don’t worry, Support Cambridgeshire will be sharing this event through our channels and platforms.

 

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