No images? Click here
May 2022
Hi
Last week we held a Joint Health & Community Food SEN meeting, with Chris Martin (Social Enterprise Scotland CEO) participating in the session to hear from SEN members on what they need from the new Single Enhanced Intermediary in relation to thematic SEN activity. Thank you to everyone who participated and to the speakers from Outside the Box, Public Health Scotland, Community Health Exchange / SCDC and Scottish Communities for Health & Wellbeing.
This is the final Health & Wellbeing Newsletter produced by SENScot and I’d like to thank everyone for all of the contributions and involvement over the years. I look forward to reading about the great work you do through future Social Enterprise Scotland bulletins. If you’re not already subscribed, you can sign up here.
I am moving on to a new job with the Improvement Service, working on the Shaping Places for Wellbeing Programme, and I have no doubt that many of our paths will cross in the future.
In the meantime, SENScot is planning to hold a celebration event on the afternoon of Wednesday, 29 June 2022. It will be held at the Centre for Executive Education, Glasgow Caledonian University. We are grateful to our friends at the Yunus Centre for Social Business & Health at GCU for their support. This will be an opportunity for our current and former staff, board, members and partners to celebrate the significant achievements over 2 decades (pre & post-merger) of Social Firms Scotland and Senscot.
Keep a look out in Network News for more details.
All the best,
Mary
Networking and Learning Opportunities
Rural SE Hub virtual Community Learning Exchange (Tues, 31st May, 10am-12pm) The focus of this CLE is on Succession Planning within community-led organisations. Speakers include Katrina Dick from the Newton Stewart Initiative as well as Rachel MacPhail from InspirAlba. Register here.
In-person Community Learning Exchange with The Larder (Livingston) (Tues 7th June)
The Larder is a successful social enterprise that uses food as a catalyst for change. It provides real solutions to poverty through needs-led transformational learning opportunities for young people with multiple and complex barriers and access to high quality affordable food. Places are limited and restricted to one person per organisation - more info and book here.
West Lothian Well-Being Service (developed by West Lothian SEN and members) has successfully connected 84% of people looking for help with mild-to-moderate wellbeing issues to support services. If you haven’t already, check out their inspiring work.
SENScot is pleased to publish the Community-led tourism Lessons Learned Report. This document outlines the hurdles, the wins and the asks from our time working with the communities in Brechin and Girvan.
Community Wealth Building - special joint meeting of CPGs (Wed 22nd June, 6.30-8pm) This is a special joint meeting of five Cross-Party Groups in The Scottish Parliament (CPGs) - Social Enterprise, Co-operatives, Fair Trade, Credit Unions and the Wellbeing Economy. Book via link above.
Upcoming webinars from Social Enterprise Scotland – including events on equality and inclusion in social enterprise, cyber security, net zero and more.
Community Enterprise is carrying out an evaluation of its work - to find out the difference it has made/is making and, importantly, how it can improve upon this. There are two distinct elements to the survey – one for partner and stakeholder organisations, and another for clients or beneficiaries (past or present). Closing date for respondents is Tuesday, 31st May 2022.
SEN Member News
Eat Sleep Ride CIC recently announced their official opening date and move to their new site. Saturday 18th June will be a full day of fun and celebrations planned and they would be delighted if you join them. Eat Sleep Ride are creating a sustainable, accessible space for the community to thrive physically and emotionally through the power of nature and of animal assisted interaction.
Into Work have released their latest Wellbeing+ podcast “The Benefits of Employing Disabled People”. They speak with Jane Hatton, Founder and Director of Evenbreak, a UK wide organisation that supports disabled people to access the same opportunities in entering, progressing and thriving in the world of work. Jane talks about her own disability, research into the common misconceptions about disabled people in work and how we can continue to improve opportunities through communication, inclusivity, and respect for human diversity.
Into Work's Wellbeing+ podcast is an accessible co-produced resource that aims to share people's stories of lived experience, supported employment and wellbeing management to support anyone thinking about their own employment journeys and wellbeing practices as well as promote Into Work’s service and approach. Previous episodes include: Living with Epilepsy Part 1, Living with Epilepsy Part 2, An overview of Into Work’s Wellbeing+ Service, Personal Leadership & Stress Management.
Moray Wellbeing Hub is looking to recruit a Non-Executive Director. MWH’s aim is to improve the wellbeing of people in Moray using activities that are founded on mutual peer support and an agreed set of values. This includes delivering partnership activities such as training, awareness raising, supporting groups and individuals, as well as through setting up physical and virtual ‘safe’ spaces where people can share support and signposting. See link above for details – closing date is Friday, 17th June 2022.
Outside the Box continues to add new resources to its Community Solutions Webpage. Community Solutions is a collaborative project looking to increase the learning and options around community solutions that give people more access to social care and health care in Scotland. The latest ‘resource’ to be added is a series of Case Examples from Moray, Aberdeenshire and Renfrewshire.
Scottish Sports Futures (SSF) and ApparelXchange (AXC) are running a Donation Drive (1st – 31st May 2022). The purpose of this collaborative project is to gather unwanted sportswear before it reaches landfill - with SSF enabling young people to be active through sport and physical activity; and AXC, reusing clothing and reducing impacts on the environment. Throughout the month, they are running a ‘Drop off/Collection’ Service in both Glasgow city centre and on the Southside of the city. Contact Jude for more info. Closes 31st May!!
Health & Wellbeing News
Scottish Recovery Network’s May / June newsletter is available here and well worth signing up to. Amongst other news, Scottish Recovery Network are partnering with VOX Scotland to deliver a national mental health lived experience project for people whose lives are affected by trauma and/or who may attract a diagnosis of personality disorder. Find out more about the Work With Us, For Us project and how to get involved at one of their information sessions in next month.
Human Learning Systems – A practical guide for the curious (Thur 16th June, 1-2.30pm) This publication is about the practical steps of implementing HLS and you can register here for the launch event. Please make sure to add this time to your diary to ensure you do not miss the event as the event link will not be shared until the days prior to the event. For future information on HLS in Scotland, please sign up for the mailing list here.
Knowledge is Power: A shared learning event (Thur 16th June, 1.30-3.30pm) Scottish Community Development Centre and the Poverty Alliance would like to invite you to attend an online shared learning and celebratory event with community groups supported by the Knowledge is Power programme to design and carry out their own community-led action research - where the community decides on the issue to be researched, designs and carries out the research, and makes use of the results. The session should be relevant to anyone interested in this approach, including community and voluntary organisations, funders, academics and public sector organisations. Sign up to this online event here.
Challenge and change: the future of social care in Scotland: The ALLIANCE has published an anthology of Opinions about key priorities for the proposed National Care Service. As the contributors to this show, the challenges for those delivering and accessing social care have been long standing and have been further exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Change is urgently needed.
Community Food News
Glasgow Community Food Network is running this short survey to evaluate the work of the Network since it was established in 2017. The survey only takes 5-10 mins to complete, and all responses will be treated confidentially. Some comments made be used in the final report – but with no names of individuals or organisations.
"There was incredible will between sectors to work together.” Supporting food access through partnership working - what can we learn from the pandemic? (Mon 13th June, 11am-12.15pm) Following on from the "Food vulnerability during COVID-19" research project, led by researchers at the University of Sheffield and King's College London, we are pleased to be hosting the above webinar, in collaboration with Sustainable Food Places. More info / register here.
Good Food Nation: The Good Food Nation Bill has just completed its second stage of the bill. The report about this stage of the Bill can be found on the Scottish Parliament website.
The Scottish Food Coalition has produced a comprehensive report: ‘A good Food Nation for Scotland - Why and How’ provides a road map to reform Scotland’s food systems and covers nine themes, including food security, sustainable food and healthy diets. A Good Food Nation for Scotland is available on the Scottish Food Coalition website.
Community Food Health Scotland bulletin: The latest bulletin is now available with useful updates on national and local community food developments in Scotland. Read here.
Tenders & Funding Opportunities
Go to Partnership for Procurement (P4P) and Public Contract Scotland to check current and forthcoming tender opportunities. Some relevant examples below:
The City of Edinburgh Council – Independent Advocacy (Closing date: 12pm, 27/06/22)
The Highland Council – Provision of a Mentoring and Engagement Service – ‘My Future, My Success’ (Closing date: 12pm, 27/06/22)
Some current relevant funding opportunities are listed below, but for fuller listing go to SCVO-funding.
Investing in Communities Fund: ICF Round 2: 2023-2026 tomorrow, opens 2pm, 31t May 2022, closing 2pm on Tuesday 28th June 2022. Grants up to £350,000 over three years will become available for registered charities, SCIOs and Community Councils for community-focused activity that will support recovery from the pandemic. Priority will be given to fragile or disadvantaged communities where support is needed most for projects that meet all four of the following areas:
· Tackling poverty and inequality, including child poverty
· Developing and sustaining place-based approaches
· Community-led regeneration
· Ensuring a just transition to net zero
Stand With Us to support the many organisations run by and for women who stand up and take action every single day to address violence against women and girls. One-year grants of up to £25,000 available to fund organisational development work (orgs with an average annual turnover over the last 3 years of between £100,000 - £500,000). (Deadline: 4pm, 9th June)
The Happiness Fund: Supporting grassroots, neighbourhood-based community projects throughout the UK, by providing awards of £2,500 per quarter. The project must improve mental health and wellbeing, inclusion, learning and skills development in local communities, creating happier people in neighbourhoods! (Current funding cycle is open until 17th June)
Big Give's Christmas Challenge 2022: Up to £25,000 in match funding is available to charities that are working to improve the lives of vulnerable, disadvantaged or underrepresented women and girls in England and Scotland. (Closes Friday 1st July)
Start It: Do you have a business idea that addresses a social, environmental and/or community issue? Do you need grant funding to cover the start-up costs of your social enterprise idea? Our Start It Fund is open all-year round and offers up to £5000 to help get your idea up and running.
Greenshoots Foundation Trust: Small grants are available to non-profit organisations for projects that will deliver carbon reductions and economic benefits to minimise environmental impact. Open to applications from projects based within Scotland, preference being given to projects which are local to our area of operations – Fife, Aberdeen and Glasgow. Accepts applications on ongoing basis.
The Robertson Trust : Open to constituted community groups and registered charities who are working to alleviate poverty and trauma in Scotland, and who have an annual income of under £2 million. Provides funding for organisations and initiatives that address: Financial security, Emotional wellbeing and relationships & Educational and work pathways. To check whether your organisation could be eligible for current funding, see their easy, step-by-step funding checker.
