Coming as a great relief to all staff, in order to facilitate better home working, we have upgraded our broadband connection, and this has improved things a lot!

We have gained the Cyber Essentials quality mark to ensure that our systems have appropriate levels of security in order to receive referrals from the GP practices and other statutory bodies.

We are now receiving referrals from DCC’s Community Response Unit. Those being referred are people in need of support from the voluntary and community sector.

We are working closely with Connex Community Support to find appropriate services for people, and to deploy volunteers that have been passed on to us by the Community Response Unit.

DDCVS is part of the twice weekly Dales Community Resilience meeting which brings together members of the Dales Place Alliance to co-ordinate responses to the crisis. This is working well so far.

We are continuing to administer DCC’s Social Connectedness funding. The focus of grants given is likely to be dealing with the legacy of the current situation in terms of loneliness and isolation.

We have combined two of the rounds to the Better Derbyshire Dales Fund to a Midsummer Round with a closing date of Monday 22nd June. Please contact us for an application form and guidelines.

This week we have updated our list of free resources. on the website as well as put together a guide to funding and grants.

Contact us as usual by phone or e-mail. Please note that the road entrance to the Agricultural Business Centre in Bakewell is now closed.

As mentioned in last week’s e-bulletin we have added to, and tidied up the list of grants and funding opportunities. Please download as a PDF here.

If you would like any support via email or over the telephone in terms of applying for grants please let us know. Tel 01629 812154 or email enquiries@ddcvs.org.uk

Please note that our Better Derbyshire Dales Fund is still running and we have a closing date of 22nd June 2020 You can apply for up to £1,000 of revenue costs and/or £5,000 capital costs for a community project benefiting Derbyshire Dales residents. Contact us via email enquiries@ddcvs.org.uk for more information.

We are scheduling two further online get-togethers for DDCVS members over the new few weeks.

The purpose of the ‘online coffee mornings’ is to get your feedback and input regarding how you and your community is coping under the coronavirus situation.

If you wish to attend either events you need to email Jonathan Simcock at the CVS so that he can send you an invitation with the link. Email jonathan@ddcvs.org.uk

The next meeting is on the date shown and it is in the afternoon. After that we will be ‘meeting’ on Tuesday 5th May at 10.00.

Co-operative and Social Enterprise Development Agency (CASE) is working in partnership with Amber Valley CVS, Derbyshire Dales CVS and Erewash CVS to bring you a workshop that will help you to plan ahead and recover from the COVID-19 crises.

• Re-setting goals that respond to the new external environment
• Market analysis: Tools and techniques
• Reviewing and developing your trading strategy
• Identifying social and community needs and developing an outcomes plan
• Developing your cashflow: Tips and tools
• Investment readiness checklist and improvement planning
• Accessing funding and finance

How you will benefit:

 Your business plan responds to the new external environment
 Contribute to the development of a new local Social Economy
 Be ready for business in the next quarter
 Get ahead of the game and recover quickly
 Access finance and support to meet any capital requirements

To register for this event please email Natasha Jolob: n.jolob@case.coop

We will then send you details of the Webinar. Please note that we will be using Zoom software to deliver this webinar

…including listening to Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone for free! If you are going the full 9 and three quarter yards and learning a new language – you can even listen to the first in the series in Spanish, French, Italian, German and Japanese!

For more links to online resources please download our guide here

For advice re safeguarding and volunteers visit – https://www.gov.uk/government/publicatio ...

Download our guide to setting up a COVID 19 support group.

There is a fair bit to consider when setting up a support group and in the current situation we want to help as much as possible, as soon as we can.

In terms of collecting data on the groups of people you are helping, here are some guidelines: –

• Have a privacy statement that you can give to people.
• Collect only the minimum data required to do the job.
• Store the data safely, and have one person in the group who is responsible for the data, with a deputy.
• Work on a need to know basis. If a volunteer is delivering to 5 people, he only needs their addresses, not the whole data set.
• Don’t transfer the data set to other groups or organisations.
• Once you no longer require the data, make sure it is deleted / disposed of safely.

There is some really good guidance on the Information Commissioner’s Office website.

Next week we will be working on a guide to making safe financial transactions when running a shopping service. Some supermarkets are providing volunteer gift cards which may help with how to manage cash when social distancing and/or it being a bit of an informal arrangement.

See the You Magazine: – www.you.co.uk/supermarket-volunteer-e-gi ... about volunteer gift cards and the supermarkets that are providing these currently.

You pay to preload a virtual card with a certain budget, and then the person organising your shopping can use this to pay for the goods. The vouchers typically feature a barcode or unique number which can be inputted at the checkout, with no need for any physical cash to exchange hands (especially important as social distancing measures mean ensuring you stay at least 2 metres apart).

Also the following links might be useful.

The Ann Craft Trust (ACT) is a national charity which exists to minimise the risk of abuse of disabled adults and children at risk.

The organisation has put together helpful resources – available freely on their website including a picture story explaining the COVID 19 virus; guidance around sport and keeping active and a guide to COVID 19 and the Mental Capacity Act 2005.

All this and more can be found at https://www.anncrafttrust.org/category/covid-19-advice/L

Also, launching on Twitter: A Dedicated Safeguarding Hour.

Every Wednesday, Ann Craft Trust is hosting a dedicated safeguarding hour on Twitter. This is an opportunity to ask questions and get the support from the wider safeguarding community online.

Twitter Safeguarding Hour – 12.00 pm -1.00 pm – @AnnCraftTrust
Tag your question with #ACTSafeguardingHour

If you do not have access to Twitter but have a question or wish to discuss a safeguarding issue, please get in touch. tel: 0115 951 5400 or email: ann-craft-trust@nottingham.ac.uk

ACT has also launched free online seminars on safeguarding and they are exploreing e-learning modules in safeguarding – if you are interested in finding out more please follwo them om Twitter https://twitter.com/AnnCraftTrust or Facebook https://www.facebook.com/AnnCraftTrust/and/or sign up to their newsletter via the website.

Groundswell have developed resources to support people experiencing homelessness during the current coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

These include guidance for people who are rough sleeping and living in temporary accommodation and tools for planning a local response.See https://groundswell.org.uk/coronavirus/

Advice on rent payment problems; benefits; homelessness; landlord access to your home; moving home and more available on https://england.shelter.org.uk/housing_a ...

Giving World provides free of charge clothing, food Items, toiletries, cleaning and household products so the most vulnerable people in our communities can stay safe and well.

During this difficult time Giving World remains committed to supporting people in crisis.

“We understand the need in our communities will grow. Please be assured that we will continue to service our partners and your beneficiaries’ needs, whilst following all the latest government guidelines for employee and volunteers’ safety. If you are not already registered with us to access free of charge business surplus stock, you can do so here: https://www.givingworld.org.uk/charity/

Any queries contact Giving World by email: admin@givingworld.org.uk