Welcome to our weekly COVID-19 bulletin for the
Community and Voluntary Sector in North Lanarkshire.
Introduction
Voluntary Action North Lanarkshire’s weekly COVID-19 news bulletin is intended to keep community and voluntary organisations and our partners in other sectors informed and up-to-date on key developments, guidance, support and funding. If you have any information you would like to share please contact grant.mclean@vanl.co.uk
Volunteers Week 2020
Welcome to Volunteers Week 2020 – 1st to 7th June!
Volunteering is a wonderful, kind and compassionate gift that makes our communities and society better and richer. Volunteers Week provides a focal point in the year to thank everyone who volunteers and to celebrate their vital contribution.
There are thousands of active volunteers in North Lanarkshire of all ages and many more registered waiting for a suitable role. The majority of volunteers are hosted and supported by a community and voluntary organisation but many give their time informally to help neighbours...
Above is an idea on how you can say thanks to Scotland's amazing volunteers for the work they are doing in response to Covid-19 and in response to other key social or environmental issues. Get Creative, say thanks and be sure to share any messages with us on our social media.
Public Information and Guidance on COVID-19
Links to COVID-19 guidance sources below.
Sign up or check for updates:
The Independent Advisory Group are looking for feedback on Policing through temporary powers relating to the current coronavirus emergency. Download the open letter below to find out how you or communities you work with can send their views.
Tackling Violence Against Girls and Women during Covid-19
Councils will get more support to deal with increased levels of domestic abuse and gender-based violence during the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak.
New guidance developed in partnership with COSLA, Scottish Government and Public Health Scotland will help women and children continue to get the best support that they deserve.
Below are the Community Anchor Organisations that are coordinating the response to COVID-19 in each locality. Please liaise with these organisations if you are a group who is providing a response:
Airdrie - Health and Wellness Hub - 01236 605795 or 01698 262437
Bellshill - Orbiston Neighbourhood Centre - 01698 842215
Coatbridge - Glenboig Development Trust - 01236 874520
Cumbernauld and the North - CACE - 01236 451393
Motherwell - Health and Wellness Hub - 01698 262437 or 01698 303199
Wishaw, Shotts, Murdostoun and Fortissat - GBT Shotts - 01501 825800
School Age Payment
The School Age Payment is part of Best Start Grant, a package of three payments that will give extra money to low income families during the early years of a child’s life. It is a £250 payment made around the time a child normally starts Primary 1 to help with the costs of a child starting school. The money can be used for anything from school uniform and shoes to a school bag, books or days out.
This year, people across the country are continuing to face new challenges as a result of the coronavirus outbreak. Many people are taking on more caring responsibilities for their relatives and friends who are disabled, ill or older and who need support. They need to be recognised for the difficulties they are experiencing, respected for all they are doing, and provided with information, support and understanding.
Free access to Solihull resources for parents and carers
The Scottish Government has announced that all families in Scotland will have free access to the full Solihull Online resource for parents and carers. The following courses are available:
Understanding pregnancy, labour, birth and your baby
Understanding your baby
Understanding your child
Understanding your teenager's brain
To access these courses for free, families need to use the access code TARTAN.
The Zero Suicide Alliance is ultimately concerned with improving support for people contemplating suicide by raising awareness of, and promoting, FREE suicide prevention training which is accessible to all. There are two levels to the training: Gateway Training that gives those who are interested a taster of how to approach someone who is struggling and takes about 10 minutes. Advanced Training that takes around 25 minutes to complete and gives the skills and awareness to recognize when someone may be contemplating taking their own life.
Virtual Coffee Morning for Parents and Carers - Mondays (10:30am) Autism Support Telephone Helpline - Tuesday and Thursdays (1pm to 3pm) Girls Only Online Group (members only) - Thursdays (11am) Virtual Special Interest Groups (members only): Fitness (Mondays), Twitch Thursdays (Gaming), Dance (Fridays), Family Quiz Night (Friday)
For more information call: 01236 779191
Orbiston Neighbourhood Centre - A special message to friends and followers
Click on the video above to watch a special message from Orbiston Neighbourhood Centre
Volunteering in North Lanarkshire
Volunteering discussion on the Kaye Adams show
VANL board member Bob Bogle was on the Kaye Adams show to discuss all things volunteering in North Lanarkshire.
You can listen to the show online by following the link below.
North Lanarkshire Covid-19 Voluntary Sector Support 18/03/20 to 20/05/20: Summary
This paper provides a summary of the support provided to vulnerable people in North Lanarkshire during the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic for the period 18th March – 20th May by those North Lanarkshire community and voluntary sector groups which returned their monitoring form to VANL.
I was puzzling about what to write this week and then realised the newsletter would be going out during Volunteers’ Week and that solved my problem, in two ways. Firstly I want to say a big thank you to all the volunteers...
Radio V: Bringing Together Scotland's Volunteers - Episode 8
Here to support, update and entertain you with a new episode available every Saturday from 11am. Tune in to episode 8 for friendly, uplifting and rewarding stories from people of all ages and backgrounds from our volunteering communities across Scotland.
Below are the contact details for the Locality Link Officers at VANL. Please get in touch if you would like support for your group or if you would like to update us on any new services.
Airdrie - Judith Bremner - judith.bremner@vanl.co.uk or tel: 07961 717 850
Bellshill - Joyce Morgan - joyce.morgan@vanl.co.uk or tel: 07711 559 393
Coatbridge - Douglas Milne - douglas.milne@vanl.co.uk or tel 07985 659 523
Cumbernauld, Kilsyth and the North - Grant McLean - grant.mclean@vanl.co.uk or tel: 07949 222 539
Motherwell - Michelle Thomson - michelle.thomson@vanl.co.uk or tel: 07940 153 082 Wishaw & Shotts - Kamil Tomzik - kamil.tomzik@vanl.co.uk or tel: 07949 222 672
Four points of eligibility for Small Business Grant Fund
This is a £10,000 grant for your first premises and a £7,500 grant for each subsequent premises providing:
You were claiming the Small Business Bonus Scheme, OR
You would have been eligible for the Small Business Bonus Scheme but were instead claiming Nursery Relief, Disabled Relief, Business Growth Accelerator, Discretionary Sports Relief, Enterprise Areas Relief, Fresh Start Relief or Charitable Rate Relief
You must be the non-domestic ratepayer for at least one premises with a rateable value of £18,000 or less, and
the total rateable value of all your premises must be £35,000 or less.
For more details on eligibility, read the guidance notes by following the link below
Connecting Scotland -Supporting people who are digitally excluded
If you are an organisation that is currently working with people or households that are digitally excluded, on a low income and at extremely high risk of severe illness from coronavirus (COVID-19), Connecting Scotland would like to hear about the issues you have encountered.
Charities and Coronavirus: Accounts and Reporting to OSCR
In the second webinar of OSCR's 'Charities and Coronavirus' series, Head of Professional Advice and Intelligence Laura Anderson provides a presentation on accounts and reporting to OSCR during the COVID-19 pandemic.
