News, Funding, Training Opportunities and More for Barnet's VCFSE Community
Welcome to the Community Organisation Support Newsletter from Inclusion Barnet for Barnet Together (14 December 2023)
In this final newsletter of 2023, we'd like to take the opportunity to wish you a restful break over the festive period, and a happy and healthy new year.
There are now some new faces on Inclusion Barnet’s Community Organisation Support team, working as part of the Barnet Together Partnership. New team manager Liba joins us from Locality, bringing a wealth of experience in community development to Barnet. We also welcome a new membership officer, Namrah, who has worked at many charities and studied social and public policy, and Sukhjeen, as our community and faith officer. Sukhjeen previously worked at the Voluntary Organisation Disability Group and is the founder of Chronically Brown.
They are looking forward to meeting many of you over the coming weeks, and watch out for more news soon as the team work to develop our offer to the amazing Barnet voluntary sector.
Here are the latest updates, opportunities and events from our vibrant Voluntary, Community, Faith, and Social Enterprise (VCFSE) sector!
For VCFSEs looking for focused support, funding, news and events for their work with Children, Young People and Families, please contact Young Barnet Foundation.
Latest Funding News
Barnet Council's Winter Festivals Fund
Community organisations can apply for £500 - £1000 to host a cultural community event or an event to celebrate a winter faith festival in Barnet. The grant can be used to fund either new or already-planned activities that are open to all members of the local community.
Closing date: 31 January 2024.
Find out more here
National Lottery Awards for All England
Funding which aims to support communities with the things that are important to them, including helping with the impact of the cost-of-living crisis.
You can apply for funding to deliver a new or existing activity, or to support your organisation to adapt to new challenges.
Eligible projects should do at least one of the following:
- bring people together to build strong relationships in and across communities.
- improve the places and spaces that matter to communities.
- help more people to reach their potential, by supporting them at the earliest possible stage.
- support people, communities and organisations facing additional challenges due to the cost-of-living crisis.
Deadline: Ongoing. Apply at least 16 weeks before you want to start the activity or spend any of the money.
- Funding from £300 to £20,000.
- Projects can be funded for up to two years.
Inclusion Barnet Community Organisation Support Membership
Become a Community Organisation Support Member Today!
Do you need help finding fundraising opportunities? Do you need support to raise your organisation’s profile? Do you want to attend training sessions, gain advice on business planning, and network with other VCFSE organisations?
Our Community Organisation Support team at Inclusion Barnet, working in partnership as Barnet Together, supports the vital role that voluntary, community, faith and social enterprise (VCFSE) organisations play in our vibrant and diverse borough. Whether you need help in identifying the right fundraising opportunities, advice on governance or business planning, or to find new ways to raise your organisation’s profile and reach new audiences, our Community Organisation Support team are here to help your organisation adapt and thrive.
Our Community Organisation Support team is here for you!
Join our FREE membership to access:
🌟 one-to-one support sessions
🌟 grant / funding advice and support
🌟 planning and marketing support
🌟 networking opportunities
🌟 partnership development
🌟 training sessions
🌟 monitoring & evaluation tools (Upshot)
🌟 advice about setting up an organisation.
Training & Events
Generations Dance Festival
Maga Judd and Dare2Dance Company are organising a community dance festival in North Finchley on 17 February 2024.
This unique event will include dance workshops as well as performances, for the youngest in our community to the oldest, and everyone in-between!
In order to fund the event, D2D is running a crowdfunding campaign.
Find out more here
Suicide Prevention Training
In conjunction with Barnet Wellbeing Service and Barnet Public Health, Zero Suicide Alliance will deliver a free 'Lunch & Learn' session on 7 February 2024.
During the session, participants will learn how to start life-saving conversations.
To register click here
Adult Education
Could you learn a new skill this winter? Try one of the adult education classes run by local colleges. The Adult Education Programme is particularly keen to attract new learners, or those who have not studied for some time.
Find out more from Barnet and Southgate College
News & Opportunities
Support and advice for local businesses
Barnet Business Buzz is a monthly e-newsletter from the Council, offering free support and advice for businesses and the self-employed in Barnet.
Click here to sign up
Free community health screenings for over 40s
Check your blood sugar levels, cholesterol levels, blood pressure, and height, weight and body mass index (BMI) for free at a Community Health Screening. Healthcare professionals will also provide tailored advice to help you stay well.
The Community Health Screening service is free for anyone over the age of 40 who lives, works or studies in Barnet.
Walk-in appointments are available, but capacity is limited and there may be a wait during busy periods.
To secure an appointment at a time and place convenient for you, book an appointment online.
FREE access to Upshot software
Upshot helps organisations who make a difference to become more insight-led. It's an easy-to-use platform which allows organisations of all sizes to monitor, evaluate and learn from their data.
Barnet Together, with funding from the Council, are excited to be able to offer eligible members the opportunity to use the Upshot platform for FREE for one year, and at a reduced cost of £200 + VAT for the second year (following that, members will be offered a further one year at a discounted rate, before transferring to a full-price Upshot membership in year four).
Read Easy Barnet
Read Easy Barnet is a new branch of Read Easy UK, an organisation which helps adults learn to read and improve their literacy skills, within their local community.
Read Easy UK offers free, confidential, one-to-one reading coaching, to help readers reach Entry Level 3 literacy.
The programme is not designed as an ESOL course, so participants need to have a reasonable level of spoken English.
If you know of anyone who would like to be referred for reading coaching, please contact Sarah or Devorah.
More from Barnet Together
Need a space to hold your workshop or meeting?
At Inclusion Barnet, we run two libraries in Barnet that have meeting rooms available for hire.
With discounted rates available for community groups, and the potential to welcome up to 30 people, the spaces are flexible to suit your needs.
Sign up to receive Barnet Together Alliance partners' newsletters...
- For Food Banks/Food Poverty support, please email Barnet Food Hub.
- Resources for Children, Young People and Families (for Young Barnet Foundation members) can be accessed here.
- For Volunteer recruitment/management support, please sign-up here.
- To receive Barnet Council's Together newsletter for the VCFSE, please email.
- To receive Barnet Council's Barnet First eNewsletter for residents, please sign up here.
If you have any community news to share, please email: barnettogether@inclusionbarnet.org.uk