Welcome to the Barnet Together (18 November 2021) newsletter featuring news on funding, training and support for you or your service users.

There are also two opportunities to 'Have Your Say!'. We're looking to hear from all Barnet VCFSEs to help build a picture of the support you may require over the next couple of years. And Barnet Council are seeking opinions on their draft Domestic Abuse and Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) Strategy 2021-24.

Ellen Cheshire, Voluntary and Community Sector Support Lead ellen@inclusionbarnet.org.uk 

Right to Thrive Innovation Fund

This small-grants scheme totalling £100,000 is designed to fund and support innovative community and grassroots projects across London which help support the mental health and wellbeing of those who are experiencing higher levels of unfair treatment and discrimination.

The fund is keen to support projects which support the following communities in London:

• Deaf and disabled Londoners
• LGBTQ+ communities
• Migrants, refugees and asylum seekers
• Racialised and minoritised communities
• Single parents
• Those living with HIV
• Those with intersectional identities
• Women

Applications must be submitted by Monday 22 November.

Mayor of London: Community Spaces at Risk Support Programme

Local charities & community groups affected by the pandemic can apply for grants to protect at-risk spaces such as cultural, youth centres, and social clubs. It also provides one-to-one crisis support, and specialist business & property advice.

Grants are awarded on a rolling basis. 

Apply Now

The Henry Smith Charity

The Strengthening Communities grant programme aims to support small, grass roots organisations who are embedded in the community, working within the most deprived areas of the UK. Grant size: £20k – £60k per year.

Funding established organisations with a track record of delivering services directly to beneficiaries and want to fund work that enables:

• People from across the community to participate in activities which improve connectedness, opportunities and wellbeing
• People who are excluded, vulnerable or facing other forms of hardship to have access to community-based services that support positive lasting change
• A stronger, active, more engaged community

Applications can be submitted at any time. There are no deadlines.

ASDA: Investing in Spaces & Places

Grants from £5k to £25k for community-led organisations to improve their community spaces including building and outdoor repairs, improvement, or development.

Asda Foundation will only part-fund a project,  with groups needing to raise at least 50% of the total project cost from other sources.

Deadline: Sunday 9 January 

Apply for free mobile connectivity to support your charity

If you're a charity that needs support for digital inclusion programmes, you can apply for free Vodafone SIMs, each loaded with 20GB data plus unlimited calls and texts to be used over 6 months.

You can use these however you like - for example, to help stay in touch with service users, or deliver training to people in need.

Apply Now

Take Part in the Barnet Together State of the Sector Survey

Barnet Together want to understand the experiences and the needs of the VCFSE organisations in Barnet after a period of extreme change and as we enter recovery from the pandemic.

By completing this survey, you will help build a picture of the support required to meet the needs of our sector over the next two years and support recovery from the pandemic and enable local groups to establish their sustainability.

Deadline: Monday 6 December

Have your say …

Barnet Council are launching a consultation to get the views of residents, staff and partners on their draft Domestic Abuse and Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) Strategy 2021-24.

Find out more

Closing date: Monday 20 December

Everyone deserves to feel special at Christmas and what better way than to receive a present?

Yet we know many children and young people in Barnet are currently living in poverty with the pandemic only increasing the challenges and pressures placed on struggling families. 

​Since launching their annual Christmas Gift Campaign in 2018, the Young Barnet Foundation have distributed 3,360 gifts to children and young people living in the borough via local charities, social enterprises, and community/faith groups.

If you are a resident, business or organisation living in Barnet and are in a position to help, please consider supporting this Christmas Gift campaign.

How to support...

Have you got a story to tell?

Inclusion Barnet is running a new Community Reporting project for disabled adults in Barnet. Community Reporters are citizens who tell the hidden stories that the mainstream media and policy-makers don’t know about. Through video or blogging, community reporters use their insider knowledge of their communities to ensure that important stories aren’t being missed.

We are offering free online training in November and December for aspiring Community Reporters. At the end of the training, we will continue to support all our reporters, and we will provide a dedicated website to publish reports on.

Do spread the word amongst those you are working with.

Find out more

Message from Rephael House …

Are you aware of all the therapy services that we provide in the area? 

We are well known as a service providing play therapy and therapy for children and young people, but do you know that we also provide the following services:

· Pregnancy crisis service, for those experienced anti or post-natal illness or any other emotional difficulties associated with pregnancy.

· Child bereavement service, for anyone who has experienced the loss of a pregnancy, baby or child in any situation.

· Domestic abuse service, for those who have experienced domestic abuse.

Rephael House provides long term, low-cost support. You can refer clients direct to our service via our website at https://www.rephaelhouse.org.uk/SelfReferral.

We are also able to provide inhouse bespoke play therapy and therapy services for schools, colleges and other organisations. 

For more information on this or any of our services visit https://www.rephaelhouse.org.uk/

Sign up to Barnet’s voluntary sector Manifesto

Barnet Together is calling for community, voluntary, faith and social enterprise (VCFSE) groups as well as statutory organisations and businesses operating in the borough of Barnet, to sign up to the Barnet Voluntary Sector Manifesto.

The aim of the Manifesto is to create better understanding and deeper cross-sector collaboration between organisations working within Barnet. By signing up to the Manifesto, groups and service providers agree to adhere to the values within the document. 

If you are a representative of a group, service provider or business based in or serving Barnet, then you can sign up to the Barnet Voluntary Manifesto.

#WorkingTogether
#StrongerTogether
#BarnetTogether

Communities Together Network 

For more information about local events, national campaigns and updates from Barnet Council, drop Danusia an email and ask to be added to the Communities Together Network bulletin.
Danusia.Brzezicka@Barnet.gov.uk