1The Ideas Fund: new grants programme to improve mental wellbeing
North West Community Network and Developing Healthy Communities, are delighted to be partnering with the British Science Association (BSA) and the Wellcome Trust on The Ideas Fund.
The Ideas Fund is a new grants programme that will enable the public in the Derry & Strabane Council area to think about, develop and test ideas to help improve mental wellbeing.
The Fund has been designed to help people tackle problems that matter to them by connecting them with research professionals who can help bring their ideas to life.
Initially the Fund will focus on ideas related to mental wellbeing, with £3.29 million funding to support community initiatives in four geographical areas of the UK including the Derry & Strabane District Council area.
The other three locations covered by the Fund include the Scottish Highlands and Islands, Oldham in Greater Manchester and the city of Hull.
Reaching people who may have been overlooked by research in the past is a key aim of The Ideas Fund – particularly in rural or minority ethnic communities, amongst the young, marginalised and socioeconomically disadvantaged people.
2New Funding Opportunity for community & voluntary groups in DEA areas of Derg, Faughan and Sperrin
Deadline extended to Friday 5th February 2021
The North West Volunteer Centre is the administrative body on behalf of Derry City and Strabane District council for allocation of DfC’s Volunteering Programme. The Volunteering Programme is designed to support volunteer involving organisations in the Derg, Sperrin and Faughan DEA areas in order to contribute towards the efforts of volunteers in response to Covid-19. Grant applications must focus on areas of expenditure that clearly support their volunteers so that they can undertake their roles to the best of their ability with the maximum impact eg. reimbursement of out of pocket expenses such as travel or refreshments. The grant is also designed to support building volunteer capacity eg. recruitment of new volunteers, training (including online) and Access NI applications for volunteers.
The minimum grant award is £250 and maximum £500 per organisation.
Applications Open – Friday 8th January 2021 Deadline for Applications – Friday 5th February 2021
Claims can be made for the period 1st November 2020 – 31st March 2021
To be eligible, organisations must be in the Derg, Faughan or Sperrin DEA areas and:
I. Involve volunteers
II. Be supporting community need in response to Covid-19
III. Be a constituted group
IV. Have a current bank statement
The KFC Foundation provides grants to support grass roots organisations in the heart of our restaurant’s communities. Organisations empowering young people in the UK to fulfil their potential by providing safe social spaces, mentoring or work and social skills.
We want to fund work that helps young people to create firm foundations, by addressing their needs through early intervention.
This grant programme is for registered charities, registered community interest companies, unincorporated clubs or associations or unregistered charities with a turnover of less than £300,000. We will make grants of between £200- £2,000.
The KFC Foundation welcomes funding applications from organisations which:
Benefit young people aged 11-25 years old.
Supports those in a position of social disadvantage (i.e. care leavers, those experiencing homelessness, young carers, young parents, young people at risk of or with experience of the criminal justice system).
Empower young people to fulfil their potential and build a positive future by providing spaces that allow young people to feel safe and secure, helping them to unlock talent, build life skills, provide mentoring and improve their chances to gain meaningful employment.
In partnership with the Belfast Islamic Centre and iAssist NI, the NWMF would like to invite you to take part in ‘Choose to Challenge’- a series of online seminars aimed at:
Finding meaningful pathways for representation and reclaim voices of black and minority Ethnic people in civic and public spaces.
Build confidence and leadership for women and girls across Northern Ireland.
The seminars will be run every week from 6th February – 27th February, culminating with the International Women’s Day celebration on 6th March.
Topics of discussion to include:
Women’s Participation and Transformative Leadership: Valuing BME women voices in leadership
6th February 2021 at 12pm-3 pm
Gender mainstreaming: Reclaiming BME voices in N! History
14th February 20 at12pm-3pm
Gender, justice, and BME women’s rights
27th February 2021 at 12 pm - 3 pm
International Women’s Day Conference: Choose to Challenge- BME women ‘Call to Action’
6th March 2021 at 12pm-3pm
All events are exclusively online, to register your attendance click below: Register
5“Is There A Common Good?" New education and research programme
To mark the 50th anniversary of the Irish School of Ecumenics a new three-year education and research programme exploring the theme: “Is There A Common Good?” is being launched with a series of civic conversations on zoom. These will run over two six-weekly series, from Saturday 6 February 2021 to Monday 24 May 2021.
The focus for this: “Is the Past Preventing the Future and the Common Good?” provides an opportunity to explore obstacles to the common good and positive actions for change. The range of speakers are from Northern Ireland, or have lived here for many years, and they will address the theme from their areas of expertise. The programme is open to anyone who is interested, particularly those living in Northern Ireland and Border Counties.
6Zero Waste NW - Reusable PPE as an alternative to single-use plastic
Collaboration for Change Joining the Dots 90 minute Challenge Zero Waste NW - Reusable PPE as an alternative to single-use plastic Tues 9th Feb 2021 7pm - 8.30pm
The Challenge
Carers and health visitors have to discard PPE after each visit. That’s a lot of plastic going to landfill! Plus, to halt further biodiversity loss and planetary warming, we need to leave remaining fossil fuels in the ground, not continue finding uses for them. Enterprising people during the first lockdown were making fabric masks for the NHS. Couldn’t we come together to make reusable PPE (initially fabric masks and aprons) linked with a laundry service, collection and distribution?
Collaboration for Change https://www.cfctogether.org/declaration CfC is about making visible the resources and solutions we already have which can contribute towards the common good. The challenge for this group, this evening, is to come up with a credible plan, ideally with offers of continuing partnership, which ZWNW can take forward and make into a reality. Collaboration in action.
A Structured Conversation
The evening will be a facilitated conversation, allowing the participants to explore the challenge and to share our thinking, knowledge and expertise in working out solutions. Initial questions posed could be:
Do we set up a social enterprise or share existing resources and infrastructure?
Do we produce the PPE locally or source it in?
How could we pick-up and distribute safely?
How could we wash the PPE?
Who would we supply the PPE to - general public, small work places? Which would be the most effective?
How would we market this/brand it?
A Work in Progress
This will be the first Joining the Dots 90 minute Challenge. The process will be developed with feedback and input from participants.
Since 2013, the Ubuntu Festival has celebrated the vibrant, multi-cultural diversity of our local community.
While it is not possible to run the festival this year due to the pandemic, Derry City and Strabane District Council is taking the opportunity to reflect on the success of the festival – and explore how we can build on this for the future.
Please come along to one of our online Zoom workshops to share your thoughts and ideas. The workshop will last no more than two hours.
If there is anything we can do to meet your access needs so you can comfortably and confidently take part in the workshop, please do contact Janice at JMSConsultingNI@gmail.comor on 07960978257.
A dramatic monologue on abusive relationships among young people by Patricia Byrne, performed by Roma Harvey
Available for schools and youth centres to book online! A SOLE PURPOSE PRODUCTION
Jenni's 16th birthday is coming up, and her new boyfriend Jamie will be there. He is so nice. He is interested in everything she does. He always wants to know where she is and what she is doing. He texts her all the time and follows her every move on Facebook. But things start to take a turn, and Jenni isn't so sure anymore.
The play follows the ups and downs of a young woman's relationship as it goes from being near perfect to becoming an impossible nightmare. The production explores the issue of abusive relationships among young people. It was developed in consultation with Foyle Women’s Aid, NSPCC and Youth Action NI. The performance is followed by a Q+A with representatives of organisations working to stop domestic violence against women and children.
Now available for schools and youth centres across Northern Ireland to book online!
“The Sole Purpose dramatisations are a powerful tool which enables us to address some very sensitive issues within the Preventative Curriculum. I wholeheartedly support the work of Sole Purpose.” Ms S Mallett, Principal, Thornhill College Derry
"This was a very moving piece of theatre. The aim is to disturb and that was achieved fully. None watching this play would ever again be victim to such abuse having witnessed a relay of classic symptoms.” Imelda Foley, Arts Council of Northern Ireland
Sole Purpose Productions is a multi award winning theatre company that has toured work throughout Ireland, the UK, and the USA. It is core funded by the Arts Council of Northern Ireland. This project is supported by the Community Foundation for Northern Ireland through the Tampon Tax Community Fund.
To book an online performance and Q&A for your school or youth centre please contact Patricia Byrne at solepurpose@mac.com or phone 028 7127 9918.
This is a 6 week FREE programme which offers carers across Northern Ireland weekly zoom sessions to help them take care of themselves and also activities to do with their loved ones.
As it is run on zoom we can loan a tablet with data to connect to the programme. We also provide a substantial resource pack to use at home.
There are two programme runs on offer - daytime: starting Tuesday 16th Feb at 11am and an evening one that starts on Thursday 18th Feb at 6.30pm.
It is open to carers looking after a child or adult with a disability (Sensory/physical or learning) or long term condition e.g. diabetes/dementia or someone in recovery e.g. from stroke, cancer, heart attack etc.
If you would be interested in this programme please contact Sinead on 028 71 373870 for more detail or to register.
Mellow Deeds is an integrated choir made up of those living with dementia and their carers, volunteers and Deeds staff based in the Old Library Trust in Creggan.
The emphasis is on enjoying music, making friendships and participating in music in the wider community. We aim to work towards two to three annual performances such as: Deeds Events/Seasonal Events e.g. Christmas/Community Events like the Every Voice Festival/Intergenerational Events with Schools and also any other opportunities that arise.
We are looking for a choir leader, preferably with experience of both leading a choir but also working with dementia either on a voluntary or paid basis. The new choir leader would be asked to lead live sessions weekly on Facebook during Covid restrictions but then face to face thereafter based here in the Old Library Trust. This would be paid on a sessional basis.
For more information and to obtain an expression of interest form please contact Sinead on 028 71 373870 or email sinead@olt.ie
Creative Facilitation 1 | Using Creative Arts in Facilitation
19 February 2021 | Online, United Kingdom
Working with groups is by definition a creative adventure and the arts can be your greatest ally. In this professional development training you will gain a framework for using arts-based practices to strengthen your effectiveness as a facilitator.
Organizer: Partners for Youth Empowerment - PYE Global (Youth NGO)
This activity is for participants from: Erasmus+: Youth in Action Programme countries, Other countries in the world, Partner Countries Neighbouring the EU
Please find attached the eighth edition of the Energy Strategy E-Bulletin, which aims to keep stakeholders informed about progress on the new Energy Strategy for Northern Ireland.
In this edition:
Energy Strategy Delivery Body – providing information, advice and support
Funding opportunities for low carbon energy
Report on the Future of Energy Efficiency Policy in Northern Ireland
COP26
For the first time, the UK will host the 26th UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26) in Glasgow on 1 – 12 November 2021. The climate talks will be the biggest international summit the UK has ever hosted, bringing together heads of state, climate experts, young people, civic society and more to agree coordinated action to tackle climate change.
The Climate Change Conference of the Parties is an annual event, and COP refers to the decision-making body of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).
At the COP in 2015, in Paris, world leaders committed to the historic agreement to tackle climate change. Six years on at the 26th summit, the UK will bring parties together to accelerate action towards the goals of the Paris Agreement and the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change.
The UK COP26 Presidency has identified five themes where it is focusing its work - Adaptation and Resilience, Nature, Energy, Transport, and Finance.
For more information about COP26 visit https://ukcop26.org/ Sign up to the COP26 newsletter here https://bit.ly/37dbz0R Northern Ireland and COP26
As a devolved nation, Northern Ireland comes under the UK umbrella for COP26. Climate negotiations and global campaign activity are led by the UK Government on a national level.
However, there are opportunities for Northern Ireland to get involved, both in advance of COP26 and at the event.
How to get involved Apply for to be involved in the Blue and Green Zones
There are a number of opportunities available to individuals, organisations and businesses to get involved at COP26 in the UK Government managed spaces within both the Blue and Green Zones.
If you are keen to exhibit, perform, or host an event, you can find out more the opportunities available, eligibility criteria and how to submit an expression of interest here https://eu.eventscloud.com/ehome/participation/apply/ The expression of interest process is now open and will close at 17:00 GMT on Friday 5 March 2021.
Race to Zero
Businesses and local councils from every corner of the UK are being encouraged to join the #RacetoZero. Race To Zero is a global initiative, backed by science-based targets, to commit businesses, cities, regions, investors and universities to achieve net zero emissions by 2050 at the very latest. Find out more information https://racetozero.unfccc.int/
Share your action
Make your action count and inspire others to do their bit by sharing what you are doing using #TogetherForOurPlanet on all social media platforms and joining others through the Count Us Inhttps://www.count-us-in.org/campaign.
Census 2021 is on Sunday 21 March 2021, it is important for everyone to complete the census survey to ensure it is representative of all our population.
Information and links to information leaflets in different languages are available on the Census website. There will be further accessibility products added over the next couple of weeks including easy read pdfs for anyone with learning difficulties or literacy issues.
There is information for Community and Voluntary Groups and also a link to the Census Engagement Team if you would like to help.
HURT wish to recruit for the following position: Project Worker
Salary: NJC Salary Scale 6 £23,000 pro rata for 37.5 hrs equivalent to £18,400 for 30 hours.
Hours per week: 30
To support the implementation of all aspects of the HURT Sowing the Seeds of Hope project including the development of a range of evidence-based interventions.
This challenging role will require the successful engagement of people at risk from substance misuse some of whom may be needle users. This project worker will deliver and facilitate substance misuse information and awareness programmes to community groups throughout the Derry and Strabane Council area. The project is part of the People and Communities programme, funded by the National Lottery Community Fund.
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