NWCN Ebulletin 11 November 2020

1 Rural Social Economy Investment Scheme

The Rural Social Economy Investment Scheme will provide grants between £25,000 and £50,000 to emerging and established rural social enterprises in Northern Ireland to enable them to increase their capacity, potential profitability and sustainability whilst supporting those who live in rural areas.

Scheme Information - Rural Social Economy Investment Scheme

 Pre-Application Workshops - a series of  webinars are scheduled to take place.  These webinars will provide information on applying to the scheme including an opportunity to review the application form and understand the application process.  More information on how to register is available online at: www.ruralaction.co/social-economy/(external link opens in a new window / tab)  These online workshops are scheduled to take place on:

Thursday 19 November 2020	7.00 p.m
Tuesday 24 November 2020	10.00 a.m
Tuesday 1 December 2020	7.00 p.m
Thursday 3 December 2020	1.00 p.m

The call will close at 5.00 p.m. on Friday 11 December 2020

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2 Sign Language COVID-19 Support Fund

£430,000 of funding will be available to support the survival, maintenance and sustainability of the sign language sector impacted by COVID-19 through the support of community based activities and the development of new avenues for participation and engagement through the pandemic. 

This fund will close at 5pm on Tuesday 1 December 2020.

To obtain an application form please email: Languages.Branch@communities-ni.gov.uk

Further information available here: https://www.communities-ni.gov.uk/articles/sign-language-covid-19-support-fund 

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3  DfC funds for Irish Language & Community Organisations

Department for Communities (Via Conradh na Gaeilge): SPG+ Relief & Relaunch Fund 2020-2021 (Covid19) 
This £460,000 fund is aimed at Irish language community groups dealing with ongoing challenges and difficulties brought about as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, especially concerning financial implications of Covid-19 and staffing and programme income losses, since the beginning of April 2020. Full details in Irish here.

Department for Communities (Via Conradh na Gaeilge): Community Events Fund: Towards Seachtain na Gaeilge le Energia 2021 
This fund is a stimulus fund to create increased, renewed and new opportunities for communities to use the Irish language in 2021. Full details in Irish here.

Department for Communities (Via Ciste Infheistíochta na Gaeilge):  Programme to support Irish language community facilities 
Ciste Infheistíochta na Gaeilge are delivering a £610,000 programme of support, aimed at helping organisations who are managing community capital facilities in the Irish language community sector. Full details in Irish here

Closing Date for all above funds: 2nd December

4 Ulster-Scots Covid-19 Resilience Fund

The Ulster-Scots Agency has launched a new Fund to help Ulster-Scots groups in Northern Ireland to deal with the financial and cultural impact of the Coronavirus Pandemic.  The Fund has been made possible by support from the Department for Communities, which has allocated £850,000 from funds allocated to the NI Executive by the UK Government. 

The Fund will support Small Grants (up to £3k), Language Grants (up to £10k) and Large Organisation Grants (up to £30k).  We are open for Small Grant applications NOW and grants will be awarded on a rolling basis, with awards made until the allocated budget (£660k) is exhausted.  The deadline for Language Grant and Large Organisation Grant applications is Wednesday 2nd December.  To find out more, click on the links below.
 
Small Grants Links
Ulster-Scots Covid-19 Resilience Fund Registration and Online Application Form.
 
Language Grants Links
Ulster-Scots Language Grant Guidance Notes
Ulster-Scots Language Grant Application Form

All further information can be found here: https://www.ulsterscotsagency.com/community-projects/apply-for-funding/

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5 Invite to session with The National Lottery Community Fund

The National Lottery Community Fund is the largest community funder in the UK. Each year we distribute millions of pounds of The National Lottery's good causes money to community groups and charitable projects around the country.

At the moment we are not hosting any public face to face events.  However, we are running some virtual sessions online.  

If you would like to contact our team to chat about your project idea or to find out more about our funding programmes, you can attend one of our upcoming sessions.

Virtual Support Session for Derry City and Strabane Council area 12^th November from 2-3pm. 

This is open to any groups who might be interested in coming along to meet our team. 
The link for this session is https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/the-national-lottery-community-fund-ni

 7 Experience of Bereavement and Grief during the COVID-19 Pandemic 

Death, dying and bereavement have, unfortunately, been brought to the forefront of the public mind since the onset of COVID-19. We lack a full understanding of how the pandemic and measures like social distancing have impacted on the way people are dying in Northern Ireland and the support their loved ones need.
 
At the Patient and Client Council, in conjunction with Marie Curie, we want to meaningfully engage with those who have experienced grief and bereavement during the pandemic.
If you have experienced loss in the recent past, we are truly sorry for this and we recognise the additional pain the COVID-19 pandemic may have brought upon you and your loved ones. 

We wish to understand the grief experiences and support needs of people who have been bereaved either due to COVID-19 or another cause of death during the pandemic.  If you would be willing to share your experiences, and stay in a ‘constant conversation’ with us on this topic, please register on our website: https://patientclientcouncil.hscni.net/novel-coronavirus/experiences-of-bereavement-and-grief-during-the-covid-19-pandemic/
Should you require any further information, please get in touch with Sorcha Forbes, by emailing Sorcha.forbes@pcc-ni.net, or by calling 028 9536 2136.
 
This ‘constant conversation’ will involve the option of individual or group conversations via Zoom or by phone.  It is about understanding your experience, by whatever means best suits you as an individual.
 
As an initial stage of this engagement, we have an important survey to share with you on the grief experiences and support needs of people bereaved during the COVID-19 pandemic.  We would encourage you to considering complete this survey whether or not you wish to engage with us directly.
The UK-wide survey is a joint project from Cardiff University, the Economic and Social Research Council, Marie Curie and the University of Bristol.
 
If you would like to share your views and experiences, please click the following link to complete the survey: https://cardiff.onlinesurveys.ac.uk/the-grief-experiences-and-support-needs-of-people-bereaved-2.
 It should take around 20-30 minutes to complete, depending on how much you would like to share. The survey is due to close on 26^th December.
 
It is hoped that your views will help to identify ways to improve end of life care during the pandemic and the support that is available for people who are bereaved. The evidence collated by this survey and our engagement with you will begin to fill that critical evidence gap and help shape the future design and delivery of support services for people bereaved in Northern Ireland. 

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8 Covid Conversations: Human Rights in a Pandemic

The Human Rights Consortium is delighted to partner with the Transitional Justice Institute at Ulster University and The Equality Coalition to bring you a series of webinars exploring the human rights implications of the pandemic. 

The eighth webinar will examine the issue of food banks and is called, 'Hungry for Change – the experiences of food banks in NI'. It will take place on Thursday 19 November at 10am and you can find more information and register here. 

Our ninth webinar, 'The Digital Divide', will take place on Thursday 19 November at 10am. More information and registration can be found here. 

We are also excited to announce a special crossover event with the Women's Policy Group as part of the Northern Ireland Human Rights Festival. This webinar will take place on International Human Rights Day (10 December) at 10am - details to follow. 

All webinars will take place via Zoom. To book your place please register via Eventbrite (here).

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9  Students seeking 15 week placement Opportunities 

At Ulster University we recognise that employers across all sectors are adjusting in response to the unprecedented nature of COVID-19.  Our students can make a valuable contribution to your business during these challenging times. We are proud of the impact our students have made in supporting all sectors of our economy during these times of uncertainty.   
 
We are sourcing work placement opportunities for students studying towards degrees across multiple disciplines. These students are required to complete a work placement in the area of their study to enable them to achieve the Diploma in Professional Practice.

• All placements must be confirmed by 1^st December
• Placements can commence between October and at the latest January 2021
• Students must complete minimum 15 weeks work placement – this can be with one employer or with multiple employers for shorter periods to make up the 15 weeks – therefore if a shorter placement period appeals to you we can still promote this opportunity
• Placements can include a remote working environment such as a student’s home
• Students can still undertake placements in the workplace, where health and safety measures are in place to protect employees, such as social distancing.

Benefits to your business

• You could attract the best talent for your organisation with a specific set of skills or knowledge.
• Raise your business profile among our students and graduates.
• Gain the support and expertise of our Employability and Careers team.

Benefits to students

• Students who undertake a placement are 94% more likely to gain higher academic outcomes or graduate employment within six months of graduating than those who don't.
• Students who undertake a placement can gain additional academic credit through the Diploma in Professional Practice.
• Placements contribute to increased success in the students' academic studies and their future careers.

If you are interested to discuss further, please email: placements@ulster.ac.uk and a member of the team will respond to you.

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10 Upcoming events with the Integrated Education Fund

Join the Integrated Education Fund for a conversation about education in your area!

Across Northern Ireland there is increasing demand for more integrated school places for pupils at both primary and post primary level. However not all parents know that they can bring about this change for their school community through a process called Transformation.

The Integrated Education Fund will be holding a series of 5 online conversations during November and December to unpack what integrated education is, how integrated schools vary from other schools and how you can support your school to become integrated.

There will be two events specifically for parents of primary pupils and two for parents of post primary pupils. There will also be an event specifically for parents of both primary and post primary pupils in East Belfast, due to increased interest and support in this area.

Conversations will take place via Zoom and we will post each participant an information pack which will include a tasty treat to enjoy during the conversation.

The conversations will take place as follows:
Post Primary | 17 November, 11:30am | Register Here
East Belfast | 19 November, 7:30pm | Register Here
Primary | 25 November, 11am | Register Here
Post Primary | 1 December, 7pm | Register Here
Primary | 3 December, 8pm | Register Here

If you have any questions or for more information please email: Andrew@integratemyschool.com


Engaging with Parents & Communities | Practitioners Event
 
COVID 19 has presented us all with challenges as to how we work effectively and ensure our services are still delivered to those who need it.
 
Parents / Guardians and Communities are very quickly having to adapt to new ways of working whilst managing the ever changing educational needs of their children.
 
The IEF would like to invite you to a practitioners forum to discuss some of the challenges and positives of the past 7 months.
 
The forum will present an opportunity for practitioners to share learning and experience whilst focusing specifically on how do we engage with and support parents / guardians and communities as we continue to navigate the pandemic.
 
To register please click here: https://forms.gle/CTYwdq2W2NQSAUP1A
 
For more information email: Andrew@ief.org.uk

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11 FREE Work Well Live Well - Workplace Health Support Service 

Would your organisation benefit from a FREE Health & Wellbeing Support Service?

Due to a fantastic funded initiative (supported by the Public Health Agency) your organisation may be able to avail of a free Workplace Health & Wellbeing support.

The aim of the initiative is to mentor and support businesses through a structured four stage process to improve the health, safety and well-being of their employees within the workplace setting.

This is currently year 4 and the programme has been a resounding success with over 700 business in Northern Ireland having availed with huge benefits to employee health being realised. Businesses range from large multinationals to small micro businesses.

Registration is now open for new workplaces, for a limited time only and best of all it is completely funded by the Public Health Agency.

An overview of what is provided:
•An opportunity to complete an evidence-based and employee wide health & wellbeing survey to identify areas of priority;
•A comprehensive and informative report outlining the health of employees;
•Health Champions training for a nominated individuals who will implement and lead the workplace strategy internally;
•Provision of resources such as action plan templates, guides, questionnaires and literature;
•Assistance with the development and implementation of a 3-year action plan;
•Delivery of 2 health & wellbeing sessions/initiatives your staff; &
•Assistance with the evaluation of all health & wellbeing initiatives implemented
•FREE Mental Health First Aid Training
•Networking Opportunities
•Presentation of certificate on completion of year 1

Complete a Registration of Interest Form and your area provider will be in touch. Alternatively, please contact your area provider via email: Western Trust area: Sabrina Moore Health@Work NI sabrina@dhcni.com

Work Well Live Well flyer

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12 On-line Mental Health First Aid Training (MHFA)

Facilitated by AWARE

People generally don’t know how to recognise mental health problems or know what help is available.
This programme will provide you with the skills to provide initial support for someone with a mental health problem.

Normally a two-day workshop, the programme will be delivered on-line, over 
4 x 3-hour sessions using Zoom 

These sessions are open to staff & volunteers of community & voluntary sector organisations operating within the Western Trust Area

We currently have 2 online training programmes available:

Programme No. 1 Course Dates
Date:    Wed 2nd, Thurs 3rd, Wed 16th & Thurs 17th Dec 
Time:   10am to 1pm
Venue: Online via Zoom
 
Please note that all 4 sessions must be attended in order to complete the programme
and qualify for Certificate

Programme No. 2 Course Dates
Date:  Wed 13th, Thurs 14th, Wed 20th & Thurs 21st Jan 10am-1.00pm
Time:   10am to 1pm
Venue: Online via Zoom
 
Please note that all 4 sessions must be attended in order to complete the programme
and qualify for Certificate

We will forward the link prior to the Training date

MHFA Flyer / Booking Form

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