To all our members and groups within the community sector in the north west, we want to try and support you as best we can over the next few months. If you need to put a call-out for support e.g. if you need volunteers to help you to continue to provide vital services within the community or have a support initiative that we can help you inform others about, please send on the information to us and we can post this in our weekly e-bulletin, Twitter or on our Facebook page.
Challenging times for us all but we want to work with you and work together so that we can support those in our community who will need it most in the coming weeks.
NICVA has provided this useful information on the impact of current funding and fundraising, and has some useful sources of financial help. Here you will find all the latest funding in relation to COVID-19
Read the most recent advice and information from funders:
We hope you continue to find these updates useful – don't forget to check our websiteand nidirectregularly for the latest information on the impact of COVID-19 on our services.
4 Claim online now – Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme
You can now claim online for a grant for 80% of your furloughed employees' salaries, up to a maximum of £2,500 per employee, per month, through the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme.
This scheme will be open until the end of June 2020.
Before you make a claim:
please read all the available guidance on GOV.UK before you apply
gather all the information and the precise calculations you need before you start your application – if you have a payroll provider, they will be able to help you with this
you can find out more in the calculation guidance where you can access a claim calculator – this will allow you to check your claim for most employees who are paid the same amount each pay period
keep a note or a print-out of your claim reference number – you won't receive a confirmation SMS or email
retain all records and calculations for your claims, in case we need to contact you about them
expect to receive the funds six working days after you apply, provided your claim matches records that we hold for your PAYE scheme – please do not contact us before this time
to receive payment by 30 April, you will need to complete an application by 22 April
please ask your furloughed employees not to contact us directly – we will not be able to provide them with any information on individual claims.
We expect to be very busy so we would ask that you only call us if you can't find what you need on GOV.UK or through our webchat service – this will leave our lines open for those who need our help most.
HMRC will check claims made through the scheme and will act to protect public money against anyone who makes a claim using dishonest or fraudulent information.
We'd encourage you to also protect your own credentials from potential scammers and opportunist criminal activity.
If you or your family are being particularly affected by the COVID 19 crisis, such as having received a letter to cocoon or in a vulnerable category due to age or underlying heath conditions. You are entitled to a weekly Food Box provided by the Department for Communities. The Moor Community Response volunteers can deliver these food boxes on a weekly basis.
The Moor Community Response works across Creggan, Bogside, Brandywell, Bishop Street, Fountain, Nixons Corner and Sheriffs Mountain.
We are also hoping to be able to provide a pre-cooked meal on Sunday - more info. to follow regarding this.
Please contact us on 028 71261916 if you would like to avail of this Service.
As you may be aware, Giving World is a charity that receives donations of goods from businesses and redistributes these essential items to the people who need them most all over the UK.
Given the current situation, we believe that our free service would be of great value to the local hubs set up across the country to provide food and other essential items for the most vulnerable amongst us while they are 'shielded'.
We would appreciate your help in identifying the hubs in your area and their contact information. Please could you provide name, address, and contact details for your local hub(s).
7YSI Launches Open Call to Young People following new research
Coronavirus has changed the way we live, work, connect and learn - at YSI we have been working on what this all means for young people.
Today, we are releasing new research in partnership with Amárach Research that gives an overview of how young people are feeling about coronavirus which has found that
almost 70 per cent of young people are optimistic that society will change for the better in the aftermath coronavirus.
52 per cent of those surveyed having a desire to help, or are already helping in their community.
37 per cent of young people report feeling calm, positive, motivated and enthusiastic
53 per cent of young people are feeling anxious, stressed or depressed.
Coronavirus is changing our society, and we want to give young people a platform to be part of that change.
That's why today we are launching an Open Call to Teenagersto ask young people for their ideas on how to tackle the challenges of coronavirus in their communities.
We believe that young people have really good ideas about how to solve the problems created by coronavirus in our communities in new and creative ways - and we want to hear them! We also believe that engaging young people in this time of crisis and facilitating them to feel empowered is important.
The ideas with the highest potential for impact will have the opportunity to present their ideas to a pitch panel of leaders from across business, NGOs and Government.
Extern's CCIS Project currently available to those in the Derry/ Londonderry area. CCIS currently are operating telephone support for those in distress and may come to significant harm through self-harm and suicidal behaviour.
Recognising the possible detrimental effects that this current situation could be having on people's emotional wellbeing, and mindful of how some may now be feeling more isolated than normal; CCIS will now be operational during the following additional hours: Sunday, Monday, Tuesday & Wednesday 5pm - 10pm
Thursday 8pm - Sunday 8am please call: 028 7126 2300
This service offers over the phone de-escalation alongside check in calls and counselling.
A new Diabetes helpline and email support service has been launched in response to Coronavirus (Covid-19) by the Diabetes Network for NI.
There are over 100,000 people living with diabetes across Northern Ireland and are at an increased risk of severe illness from Coronavirus. The helpline and email support facility will provide additional clinical support and advice.
People living with diabetes can contact the service through the following: Helpline Number: 028 9536 0600 Helpline Email: diabetic.helpline@hscni.net
A region wide service is already provided through individual Health and Social Care Trusts' diabetes teams from Monday to Friday. However, this additional new helpline service will run seven days a week including bank holidays from 9am until 3pm and operate for 12 weeks initially staffed by clinical specialists.
Sustrans wants to help key workers to cycle to work safely during the Covid-19 pandemic. That's why we're creating a digital map to promote cycle-related offers from UK businesses for key workers, including NHS staff.
We already have lots of information on offers available in London, Greater Manchester and Edinburgh, but we need more to create a useful point of information for key workers across the UK.
If you know of a business or a schemethat has an offer (either open specifically to key workers or to everyone) for bike loan or hire, repairs and maintenance, cycle support, or equipment and gear, email cycles4keyworkers@sustrans.org.uk with the following information:
name of business
business address (and contact number, email and website if available)
what the offer is
how key workers can claim the offer.
This initiative is supported by the Walking and Cycling Alliance.
Together, we can support the UK's amazing key workers to stay safe whilst cycling to and from work in these difficult times.
Thank you,
The Sustrans Cycles 4 Key Workers team cycles4keyworkers@sustrans.org.uk
and to the regional #HelpEachOther campaign https://www.volunteernow.co.uk/volunteering/helpeachother/
Advice and guidance for volunteers and volunteer involving organisations during COVID 19. Safeguarding volunteers, staff and public and not spreading virus is priority - must not put volunteers or others at risk and must follow government guidelines- social distancing, hand-washing, PPE etc.
Supporting best practice even in emergency situations including:
Access NI - we continue to offer this service and are prioritising COVID 19 volunteers and workers in regulated activity
Volunteer registration form (COVID specific - are they well enough to volunteer, access to car etc.)
Clear role description/boundaries and guidance eg. non contact, no entry to houses etc.
We wanted to share a few resources from AWARE that you and the people within the community might find helpful and just to let everyone know that AWARE are still operating in the Derry/Londonderry area, although that be a little differently.
1. AWARE Support Services
AWARE Support Service leaflet attached which outlines how to register for our online support groups, how to contact our support mail via email and provides support line mobile numbers that people can ring.
2. AWARE Videos Looking after your mental health during lockdown: During these challenging times it is so important to look after our mental health. This short video explores how you can look after your mental health during lockdown. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SphLG0znXd4&feature=youtu.be Take 5: These are difficult times and it is important to try to look after your mental health as much as possible. The 'Take 5 steps to well-being' is a set of evidence-based public health messages aimed at improving the well-being of everyone. They are really simple steps that everybody can take. This short video shows us how we can apply them to daily life. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VXHgUWnOo68
3. AWARE factsheets
Updated factsheets (March 2020) can be downloaded from the website. http://www.aware-ni.org/factsheets/
4. AWARE COVID 19 Webpage
Updated information and resources can be found at COVID 19 webpage. https://www.aware-ni.org/covid-19-support
5. AWARE Social media
Follow AWARE on Twitter @awareni and on Facebook AWARENI to see daily updates from the charity.
6. AWARE Resources
Selection of AWARE resources attached that can be circulated to parents and young people
7. Mindfulness Never Never has it been more important to be present in these surreal times. Focusing on an uncertain future causes fear and anxiety of things that might never happen. 'You can't stop the waves but you can learn how to surf!' Helen McDonnell (www.indigolifecoaching.com) one of the board members within AWARE is offering online drop in mindfulness sessions via zoom. These sessions are free and open to all whether you have mindfulness experience or not.
The DARE to Lead Change programme has branched into an on-line, interactive project called DARE to Connect...safely. This is accessed through a Facebook Group https://www.facebook.com/groups/2262754357361010/
Groups and individuals who have been part of the DARE to Lead Change programme and others, are invited to participate.
Aims within the project include coping on our own, adjusting to a slower pace of life, enhancing our mental well-being, being lead through a creative process, connection and serves as a healthy distraction to the wider circumstances that we are living in. Currently- we are allowed to go outside for one walk a day for the benefit of our health, so this project gives us a creative focus within the limitations of safe living at this time.
Please feel free to join in and share this information with others from your group, family and community.
A Zoom group is meeting, and there are videos, photos, on-line get-togethers, interaction on the group page taking place. We are all learning new skills and improvising...making it up as we go...which is key to effective peacebuilding. You can share your work as a group as well as contribute to the wider collection.
Please find an update from Assistant Chief Fire Officer Walmsley regarding our Home Fire Safety Check scheme during the current Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
An important point to note is the 49% increase in accidental house fires during the lockdown period and a request from the ACFO to continue referring people at risk for a Home Fire Safety Check where at all possible.
16Guidance for groups for upcoming religious and cultural celebrations
Please see below for information & guidance for groups for upcoming religious and cultural celebrations. The link has been brought to our attention and we thought that you might appreciate sight of it at this time.
It comes from a respected source and offers specific advice on maintaining cultural and religious observances within the Covid19 restrictions.
COVID-19 has changed every aspect of family life - all of our familiar ways of living have had to be adjusted.
You may have had to self-isolate due to the virus; you may be finding it difficult to get space for yourself within the confines of the family home; you may be trying to combine working from home with efforts to provide a home-schooling environment; or it may be that the fear and stress caused by these exceptional circumstances are causing high levels of concern and anxiety. Whatever impact the spread of COVID-19 has had on the quality of your couple and family relationships - we are here to provide information and support.
As one of the largest providers of couples and relationships counselling in N. Ireland our experienced, professional, couples and relationships counsellors have made themselves available to listen to your concerns.
We have established a Relationships Support Line 028 9568 0151 offering support to those who are trying to reduce distress within their personal relationships at this time. We are also using our Facebook page Accord Catholic Marriage Care Service and to provide links to material designed to increase understanding of, and support for handling challenging couples and relationships situations.
In these unprecedented times, The Tower Museum is collating a digital collection - a snapshot of a historical event affecting our world right now.
Whether you are one of the many vital front line services keeping the country moving, you are working from home, your children are adjusting to the constraints of a very different life, or you are isolated to protect your family, tell us what your typical day is like. Everyday experiences, thoughts, worries, your well-being, what is important to you today?
You can do this with one simple image, photograph, drawing, or maybe through a few words. This is open to everyone, children and adults, we are all in this together!
Please send your submissions to collections@derrystrabane.com.
All information provided would be dealt with in line with the Council's Privacy Policy.
23Invitation to Quote / Specification - Sound Designer / Composer
The Playhouse Theatre & Peacebuilding Academy is inviting quotations for Sound Designer / Composer for 'ANYTHING CAN HAPPEN 1972: Voices from the Heart of The Troubles' by Damian Gorman, Directed by Kieran Griffiths.
The Sound Designer / Composer should be prepared to compose and submit pre-recorded musical compositions which will be cue-ed for either a live theatre production or, if government restrictions are not fully eased by August then for an online production. The Sound Designer / Composer should be available from 3rd August 2020 until 19th September.
The Theatre Peace Building Academy draws from this previous work and will programme national / international theatre artists with significant experience of using arts activity in areas of conflict & post conflict to promote healing and reconciliation
Submission deadline is 6pm (UK Time) on 27th April 2020.
RT @FoyleHospice: Do you have a few hours to spare?
We are in urgent need of Volunteers to help out at the Summer Raffle Stalls in… https://t.co/BBKZ2RmOyZ —
1 year 5 months ago
RT @YouthActionNI: We are delighted to invite you to our art exhibition and critical youth research hub and hear stories from young pe… https://t.co/QjcN2U5cr1 —
1 year 5 months ago
RT @YouthActionNI: As part of empathy day, we have an art exhibition at Waterside Library this week and school workshops in Newry and… https://t.co/zoGEkjiBPe —
1 year 5 months ago
RT @ApexHousingAssn: 📣 Join our team! We're looking for a manager who will be responsible for the daily running of our sheltered housing… https://t.co/5U1eOQZNiR —
1 year 5 months ago
RT @SuppCommunities: Join us for this popular session online 7 June at 10 am.
Learners will gain an understanding of the key processes… https://t.co/W4bfd0E2CK —
1 year 5 months ago
RT @ConsumerCouncil: Our latest free newsletter is now out. This month we have information on:
📺Save money on household appliances
🍳 5… https://t.co/6Wz1wBT6X9 —
1 year 5 months ago
RT @NIAntiPov: @NWCN01
Hearing from local elected reps in Derry about the cuts to the community and voluntary sector. A lot of un… https://t.co/mrNL7fwGdD —
1 year 5 months ago
RT @CRJDerry: This morning we attended a meeting organised by @NWCN01 with our local elected reps to discuss the potential impact… https://t.co/1u8zOTaRZY —
1 year 5 months ago
A huge thanks to all who came along to our meeting about the funding crisis in the sector, good conversations were… https://t.co/UGzifowO2O —
1 year 5 months ago
