News, Funding, Events and More for Barnet's VCFSE Community from Inclusion Barnet
Welcome to the Community Organisation Support Newsletter from Inclusion Barnet for Barnet Together!
Bringing you our September edition, filled with exciting community events, workshops, and opportunities as we head into autumn.
We are excited to invite you to our next Members Meeting on 17th October with Councillor Anne Hutton, where you’ll have the opportunity to learn how Barnet’s local government can support you. We are requesting your support to the Campaign for Disability Justice. This national initiative advocates for better work opportunities, financial security, and respect for Disabled people.
Also, don’t miss the Barnet Together Conference on 30th September, a great chance to network with local organisations and strengthen community ties.
We're also looking forward to celebrating Silver Sunday on 6th October, a celebration of ageing well in Barnet. There will be wellness talks, music, health checks, and a light lunch at Middlesex University, with activities running all week for those aged 55+ across Barnet.
As Black History Month approaches, mark your calendar for 21st October, where celebrity chef Levi Roots will lead a vibrant celebration at the Ann Owens Centre, featuring Afro-Caribbean music, food, and talks including a fascinating look at Black Tudors and insights from solicitor Anne Stennett.
Finally, we’re excited to share details on the Zero-Waste Leadership Training, a free program for Barnet residents that helps individuals lead community-driven waste reduction initiatives. Take this opportunity to be part of the movement toward environmental sustainability. We also have some new funding opportunities for you in this edition.
Don't miss out on these incredible events and opportunities—join us and make a difference in Barnet!
(For VCFSEs looking for focused support, funding, news and events for their work with Children, Young People and Families, please contact Young Barnet Foundation, and for those working with volunteers, please contact Volunteering Barnet).
Upcoming Meetings & Events
Join Us for Our Next Members Meeting with Councillor Anne Hutton!
We are excited to invite you to our next members meeting with Councillor Anne Hutton for an insightful session on understanding Barnet's Local Government and how your Local Government can support you!
Date: Thursday 17th October
Time: 11am-12pm
Venue: The Meritage Centre, Church End, London, NW4 4JT#
Don’t miss this opportunity to engage directly with your local councillor and explore how the council can assist you in your work.
National campaign aims for step change in disability justice
We all want a decent quality of life for ourselves and those we care about. Yet two million Disabled people are trapped in deep poverty. That’s why we are backing the national Campaign for Disability Justice, calling on Government to work with organisations led by Disabled people to guarantee: Opportunity to work, financial Security and Respect, for all Disabled people, whether in work or not.
Visit the Campaign for Disability Justice website and sign up to support the campaign. You can also follow us on X at @CampaignFDJ
Celebrate Silver Sunday!
Join Barnet Together for a vibrant celebration of ageing well at the Silver Sunday Celebration on Sunday, 6th October, from 11am to 3pm at Middlesex University, The Burroughs, Hendon NW4 4BT.
Event Highlights:
- Live Music & Entertainment: Enjoy uplifting performances that will get you moving and grooving.
- Wellness Talks: Gain valuable insights from expert speakers on maintaining health and wellbeing.
- Health Checks: Take advantage of complimentary health screenings to monitor your wellbeing.
- Fitness MOT: Discover tailored fitness activities designed to suit your lifestyle.
- Free Light Lunch & Refreshments: Relish a delicious meal and tasty drinks on us.
Last year, the Silver Sunday Celebration welcomed over 600 attendees, providing a wonderful opportunity to connect, celebrate, and enjoy a day filled with fun and informative activities. Don’t miss out on this fantastic event!
How to Register:
While booking is not essential, registering helps with event preparations. Register here.
For more details about the day’s programme and activities, visit the Age UK Barnet website.
Have Questions?
For any inquiries, please contact Pippa at agefriendly@ageukbarnet.org.uk.
Celebrate Silver Week!
From 6th to 13th October, Barnet Together is hosting Silver Week, featuring a range of free and low-cost activities across the borough designed specifically for those aged 55 and over. Check out the programme guide here to find out what’s happening near you.
Come together to celebrate the wisdom, experience, and joy of ageing well. Looking forward to seeing you there!
Barnet Business Breakfast Briefing: Start-Up Support and Entrepreneurship
Join Barnet Council’s leader at Middlesex University on Thursday, 10th October 2024, for the next Business Breakfast Briefing. The event will focus on entrepreneurship and available resources for business start-ups across the borough.
The Business Breakfast Briefing is a quarterly networking event, providing valuable insights from the council leadership on borough priorities and opportunities for local businesses and charities. This is a great chance to connect with like-minded enterprises in Barnet.
Black History Month Celebration with Levi Roots
Black History Month Celebration with Levi Roots
Monday, 21 October 2024 (2-4pm)
Join an exciting celebration of Black culture featuring the charismatic Levi Roots, known for his success on Dragon’s Den and Celebrity Big Brother. Levi will share inspiring stories at the Ann Owens Centre, Oak Lane, N2 8LT. The event will also include a fascinating talk on Black Tudors, insights from Anne Stennett of Curwens Solicitors, a live cookery demonstration with tasters, and uplifting African-Caribbean music!
Book your spot here or contact Teresa at 07502 989 403 or via email teresa.gallagher@ageukbarnet.org.uk
1:1 member bookings available
Exciting news for our members! We have increased the number of 1-2-1 slots available each week, both in-office and online. These 30-minute sessions are available both in-office at our IB office in Colindale and online via MS Teams. Our one-to-one sessions offer a range of invaluable benefits:
- Fundraising Support: Enhance your funding strategies and boost your financial resources.
- Monitoring and Evaluation Assistance: Improve your project's impact and performance.
- Governance Guidance: Strengthen your organization's leadership and compliance.
- Newsletter: Access to Community Organisation Support Newsletter
with relevant resources, information, and opportunities. - Collaboration and partnership opportunities:
Opportunities to improve your services by sharing ideas and best
practice with other members, local partners and like-minded people.
Head to our website to check our entire membership offer: How can we help? - Inclusion Barnet. Don't miss out on these opportunities to advance your initiatives. Head to our bookings page and secure your spot now! Book here: One-to-one (office365.com)
Please contact our Community Organisation Support team for any queries:
Team Contacts:
- Namrah Nadeem, Membership Development Officer: namrah@inclusionbarnet.org.uk
- Sukhjeen Kaur, Membership Development Officer: sukhjeen@inclusionbarnet.org.uk
Barnet Council Commits to Breaking Digital Barriers
Barnet Council marked End Digital Poverty Day by signing the Charter for Digital Inclusion, reaffirming its commitment to making services accessible to all. The council is focused on overcoming barriers like low digital skills and disabilities, ensuring everyone in the community can access essential services, employment, and training.
To find out more or get involved, check out these initiatives:
· Donate or apply for a device through 2econd Chance
· Learn more about Community Fibre Free Broadband
· Get more information about free SIM cards
· Sign up to be a volunteer Digital Champion
· Find your nearest Digital Skills Workshop
· Barnet Council Benefits calculator
More info can be found here.
Welcome to Engage Barnet
Engage Barnet will help you find and participate in local discussions, consultations and research that interests you in Barnet. Have your say and take the opportunity to feed back, share your ideas, and influence decisions that matter to you. You can find out how we are using your feedback and ideas to help inform decisions.
Help Strengthen Your Leadership: Peer Support Group for Chairs
Join the Peer Support Group Session for Chairs, Vice Chairs, and Co-Chairs on 9th October (5.30-8pm) in London. This Association of Chairs event provides a supportive space to network, share experiences, and discuss challenges with fellow leaders. Each session is facilitated and lasts two hours, offering valuable opportunities to build a lasting network of peers.
Partnering with Action for Trustee Racial Diversity (ATRD), this session features Lara Sonola, who will discuss the dynamics of co-chairing and building diverse, inclusive boards.
Become A Zero Waste Leader!
With support from the North London Waste Authority, courses are now available to empower Barnet residents with the knowledge and skills to lead community efforts in reducing waste.
This training helps aspiring leaders discover innovative ways to save money, conserve resources like electricity and water, and promote environmental sustainability.
The course is free for Barnet residents, while residents from other North London boroughs (e.g. Camden, Enfield) are charged £15 per session.
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.
Latest Funding Opportunities
Disclaimer: Grants are sourced by our Member Development Officers (MDOs) but are not affiliated with Inclusion Barnet. Applications to these grants are made at your own discretion.
We are pleased to provide a detailed overview of various funding opportunities available to community organisations. Below are the specifics for each grant or trust, including the purpose, eligibility criteria, application process, and contact information.
Eric Wright Charitable Trust
The Eric Wright Charitable Trust offers Minor Grants for small charitable organisations in North West England. These grants, ranging from £500 to £4,999, can cover project and core costs, and in special cases, capital costs. Eligible organisations should have an income/expenditure between £50,000-£100,000 annually and have been operational for at least two years. There is no deadline for applications. Contact us for more information
Brent Cross Town’s Community Fund 2024
The Brent Cross Town Community Fund, with a £50,000 pool, supports Barnet-based projects focusing on skills, training, employment, and education. Launched in partnership with Barnet Council, residents will choose final recipients through an online poll. Since 2019, the fund has awarded £180,000, supporting over 15,000 people. Applications close on Thursday 24 October. Contact us for more information
Barnet Ukraine Fund
Are you an active member of the Voluntary, Community, Faith and Social Enterprise (VCFSE) operating within the London Borough of Barnet? Are you an IB member, or a member of the Young Barnet Foundation? If yes, you can apply for between £200-£2000 to run activities which support the further integration of Ukrainian refugees arriving and living in the Borough. Read more here.
Ongoing grants from last time
The National Lottery Community Fund
An oldie, but a goodie! The National Lottery Community Foundation ‘Awards For All’ funding is a great place to start. They offer grants between £300-£20,000. They also offer another grant called 'Reaching Communities' which starts from £20,001+. If your organisation hasn’t applied to the National Lottery Community Fund for Awards for All funding yet, we recommend trying!
News & Opportunities
The Meeting Room is open
We are delighted to inform you that The Meeting Room within the Broadwalk Centre is relaunching for bookings after a brief closure for maintenance and improvement works.
Ahead of the room’s official reopening this month, we wanted to ensure previous users of The Meeting Room such as yourself had the first opportunity to book The Meeting Room, again completely free of charge.
Alongside the room’s relaunch, we have also streamlined the booking process. To make an enquiry to book, you should now send your request and provide the information outlined below to edgware@ballymoregroup.com
- Name
- Email address
- Organisation / charity name and registration number
- Booking request information (use this section to provide us with as much information as possible regarding the nature of your booking)
Training & Resources
The Open University volunteer training
Are you always looking for trainings for volunteers? Or perhaps you’re an entry level member of staff in your charity and you’d like to show your commitment to continued learning? Or maybe you’re a manager that would like to help develop the skills and knowledge of the staff you are responsible for. The Open University have a FREE online course, called ‘Working in the Voluntary Sector’.
After studying this course, you should be able to:
- Demonstrate an understanding of different roles and activities in voluntary organisations
- Understand how to work with other staff and volunteers in a team or organisation
- Use and apply knowledge of the voluntary sector to work or volunteering experience
- Link this learning with personal or career goals
Expert Impact Mentoring
Have you heard of Expert Impact Mentoring? If you’re a Social Entrepreneur, for example running a CIC or an organisation operating with positive social or environmental aims then Expert Impact runs a ‘Human Lending Library’ – you can apply to be matched up with a mentor here.
Sign up to receive Barnet Together Alliance partners' newsletters...
- For support and information regarding Food Banks/Food Poverty, please email Barnet Food Hub.
- For support and information regarding Volunteer recruitment and management, please sign up here.
- Resources for Children, Young People and Families can be accessed here. (For Young Barnet Foundation members only).
- To receive Barnet Council's Barnet First eNewsletter for residents, please sign up here.
- Keep up-to-date with sustainability news in Barnet.
If you have any community news to share or want to get in touch with the team, please email: communitysupport@inclusionbarnet.org.uk