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Welcome to VODA's e-bulletin. This email is sent to over 1,500 groups, organisations and individuals - please feel free to forward to anyone who may find it useful and they can sign up here to receive their own copy. If you'd like an article included in a future bulletin, please email victoria.logan-coulsey@voda.org.uk.
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Roadmap out of lockdown
The government has published the ‘COVID-19 Response - Spring 2021’ setting out the roadmap out of the current lockdown for England. This explains how the restrictions included in this guidance will be lifted over time.
From 8 March, some of the rules on what you can and cannot do will be changing:
- you will be allowed to spend time in outdoor public spaces for recreation on your own, with one other person, or with your household or support bubble. This means you can sit down for a drink or picnic. You must continue to maintain social distance from those outside your household. This is in addition to outdoor exercise, which is already permitted
- pupils and students in all schools and Further Education settings will be able to return to face-to-face education
- wraparound childcare can reopen and other children’s activities can restart for all children where it is needed to enable parents to work, attend education, seek medical care or attend a support group. Vulnerable children can attend childcare and other children’s activities in all circumstances
- students on practical Higher Education courses at English universities who have not already returned and would be unable to complete their courses if they did not return to take part in practical teaching, access specialist facilities or complete assessments will be able to return
- there will continue to be restrictions on international travel. Holidays will not be a permitted reason to travel
- those seeking to leave the UK must complete an outbound declaration of travel form ahead of departure
- the rules on visiting care homes will change to allow regular indoor visits for a single named visitor
No further significant changes will be made on 8 March and restrictions requiring you to stay at home will remain in place. Later changes, including from 29 March, are set out in the roadmap.
The Clinically Extremely Vulnerable are advised not to attend work, school or education until 31 March.
Rapid community testing for symptom-free people
North Tyneside Council is offering free rapid community testing to certain people living and/or working in the borough without symptoms.It’s available for:
- People who are unable to work from home, come into contact with the public and have no access to other rapid testing – for example taxi drivers, tradespeople, carers, social workers, nursery staff, etc.
- Close contacts of people who are clinically extremely vulnerable (CEV) to COVID-19. We are not asking CEV take part, only their close contacts.
The testing, which is free, will take place at Riverside Children’s Centre, North Shields, and is available to book now. The site is open seven days a week with varying opening times.
North Tyneside vaccination update
 The NHS has now begun to vaccinate people aged 65 to 69 and those who are clinically vulnerable against COVID-19..
Those with underlying health conditions in JCVI priority group 6 are a large and complex cohort to identify and contact. This process will take time, but GPs have already begun this process, alongside delivering second doses of vaccine to those in priority groups 1 to 4 who are due.
The North Tyneside COVID vaccination programme is an incredibly successful collaboration between the four NHS Primary Care Networks (PCNs) in North Tyneside, Social Care, the Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG), TyneHealth GP Federation, the Local Authority and the Voluntary and Community Sector, having delivered 50,000 vaccines as of 25 February 2021.
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One day vaccination centre at Heaton Mosque
Habib Jiwa, a pharmacist working for TyneHealth in North Tyneside, set up a onetime vaccination clinic at Heaton Mosque to encourage vaccination uptake within his local Muslim community. VODA's Health, Wellbeing and Information Worker who works specifically with Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic Communities met with Habib to find out why this clinic is important for promoting the vaccine within the Muslim community. Read more here.
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North Tyneside Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) programme
VODA recently worked alongside North Tyneside Council to host two online meetings exploring plans for this year’s Holiday Activities and Food Programme. The HAF will ensure that children on free school meals in North Tyneside are offered free healthy meals and enriching activities over the Easter, summer and Christmas holidays.
The online events were the first step in providing local VCS organisations with an opportunity to help shape the summer offer – which will consist of a minimum delivery of four hours per day, four days per week, for four weeks (4-4-4). Read more and view the presentations here.
If your organisation is interested in finding out more about the HAF then please email participation@northtyneside.gov.uk
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Connection in the community
 We're working with local artist Alex Woolley to capture the feelings of connection during a global pandemic. Alex would like to speak with people with a range of experiences and from all walks of life. If you would like to get involved, then you can either complete this short form: bit.ly/COMMUNITY-CONNECTION. or get in touch with us and we'll arrange for you to have a chat with Alex.
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How to start a new charity during a global pandemic
 Starting a new charity is never easy, but for Dawn Jobey her dream of creating Little1Stop to support young parents who are struggling to provide the essentials for their babies was not going to be put off by a global pandemic! Initially set up with fellow founder Julie Hill (who has since stepped back from the charity), with help and support from VODA's Keith Hardy, the charity is now already looking to move their shop to larger premises. Find out more about one of North Tyneside's newest charities in our latest blog.
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Community Health Champions update
Help stop the spread of Covid-19 misinformation by using this simple 'Share' Checklist from our Community Health Champions. Follow them on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter for the latest updates on Covid-19 and the local vaccination programme.
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Latest volunteering opportunities in North Tyneside
 View all of the latest volunteering opportunities in North Tyneside in our latest volunteering round-up. New roles from English Heritage, Cruse Bereavement Care and St Oswald's have been added, alongside opportunities with Family Gateway, North Tyneside Citizens Advice, Dreamshine and VODA.
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Volunteero of the Week
 We've recently started using the Volunteero volunteer management app and were delighted that one of our amazing volunteers Debby was highlighted as their 'Volunteero' of the week.
When asked about the Volunteero app, Debby remarked “it’s so easy to use, what I really like is being able to do the feedback.”
On the community aspect of volunteering, Debby notes: “Most people, when you turn up, they smile and are so appreciative that you’ve helped them.” Read more here.
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A little bit of time to make someone smile
 In her latest blog, Caroline Milburn, Marketing & Communications Lead at Moving On Tyne & Wear shares with us her experience of volunteering with VODA.
"When volunteering is broken down into more manageable ‘chunks’ it is a lot easier to commit to, and I know I won’t ever stop volunteering where I can. It’s a great feeling knowing you have helped someone and that you’re making a difference. But also, it’s a chance for me to learn new skills."
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Free Social Media Workshops from Accenture
Accenture is delivering a series of three workshops for charities over the next month. Accenture highly recommend that charities attend all of the sessions as they seamlessly interlock together:
- Introduction to Social Media (Wednesday 10 March 1pm to 2.30pm)
- Functionalities of Social Media platforms (Tuesday 23 March pm to 3pm)
- Creating Engaging Content and Analysing Data (Tuesday 6 April 1pm to 2pm)
The sessions are free of charge but there are limited spaces available, so if you are interested you should register your interest at ntc.newcastlecharity@accenture.com as soon as possible. .
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Free disposable face coverings for VCS organisations
 We still have disposable face coverings available for VCS organisations, thanks to a generous donation from Stearn Electric on Team Valley Trading Estate.
If any charities or groups are in need of face coverings please email ian.dodds@voda.org.uk. Each box contains 50 x 3-layer disposable face masks (not surgical grade).
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No plans for Emergency Support Fund, says charity minister
Baroness Barran, minister for civil society has said there are no plans for another dedicated package of financial support for the charity sector.
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Covid19 vaccination advocacy project – Doctors of the World
Doctors of the World UK (DOTW) has launched a Covid-19 vaccine advocacy project to ensure that everyone in the UK has access to the vaccine, regardless of immigration status.
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Community Matters - new community buildings research
Commuith Matters is seeking responses to their new research project looking at how Community Spaces are coping with the ongoing Covid restrictions and what the future holds.
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Call to Care: short-term work in the adult social care sector
The government has launched a national Call to Care asking individuals to come forward to take up paid short-term work in the adult social care sector. This is a national effort to help meet urgent additional care staffing requirements.
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How to be an ally: designing boards for racial diversity
The diversity of charity boards is currently not good - for example, only 3% of charity trustees are women of colour and 59% of charities are not representative of the communities they serve. And we know boards are mostly older, mostly male, mostly richer. And very, very white. Read more in this blog from Getting Onboard.
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Free online training for women in politics
The Fawcett Society is running a programme of free online training for women on how to get into politics, using your voice online and getting active in the upcoming local government elections.
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Volunteering: A remedy for health inequalities?
Wednesday 10 March at 3pm online
Covid has pushed health inequalities up the agenda. This webinar from NCVO looks at what have we learned about health inequalities and how far can volunteering address them.
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The COVID Winter Grant for North Tyneside residents
 The COVID Winter Grant is designed to help North Tyneside residents pay for essential bills related to food and warmth. North Tyneside Council knows that many residents are struggling and may need help paying for essential bills related to food and warmth (such as warm clothing and bedding, repairs to boilers, washing machines, fridges etc) because they are on low income.
They still have funding remaining up to the end of March, and are encouraging the VCS to let colleagues who are working with financially vulnerable people and who need some financial support to contact the Welfare Provision Team on 0191 643 2777 option 2 or by emailing Welfare.Provision@northtyneside.gov.uk.
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AGE UK North Tyneside Information & Advice service
 Last year Age UK's Information & Advice service achieved a total benefit gain of £1,778,026 for North Tyneside residents. They can help with:
- Welfare benefits, pensions, tax and other financial matters
- Housing and property
- Health and Social Care matters
- Leisure and social activities
- Family and personal matters
- Your rights and local services
- And most other things that affect your quality of life
To access this service please contact Customer Service Team on 0191 2808484 or email customerservices@ageuknorthtyneside.org.uk
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Success4All Google training for BAME women
 Success4All is offering a free 3 week ‘Google Suite for Home Learning’ course for 30 BAME women living in Newcastle, Gateshead, North Tyneside or South Tyneside who have children or are carers. Success4All will also be loaning out, for FREE, a Google Chromebook, headset, mouse and a guidance handbook, prepared by Success4All staff. The course is designed to equip mothers and carers with the tools that they need to support their child’s home learning. You must register by 8 March. Read more here.
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Sexual Health Service Consultation for people aged 13-25
 Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust is currently reviewing some sexual health services for young people in North Tyneside and Northumberland and is looking to engage with young people as part of this work. Please share this online survey with young people aged 13 to 25 to get their ideas to help improve and shape services.
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Stop - Think Fraud! Northumbria Police warning about bogus police calls
 Northumbria Police has seen an increase in the number of fraudsters ‘cold calling’ people.They are reminding people that the Police, your Bank, HMRC, Amazon or Sky will never ask you to transfer your money, hand over cash,buy vouchers or send via a money service bureau or download an application on your phone. To prevent fraud from happening you must terminate suspected bogus calls immediately and use another phone to report this to action fraud on 0300 123 2040 or www.actionfraud.police.uk. Download the full leaflet here to share with your networks.
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Free virtual fitness sessions for anyone 16+ in NE28/29 postcodes!
 In partnership with Family Gateway, Hannah from TyneMet NESA is delivering free virtual fitness sessions for anyone who lives in an NE28/29 postcode. The sessions are aimed at those who have barriers to exercising or are new to exercise... particularly the Anxious Buddies session on a Tuesday, that is for women only, who are struggling with anxiety, loneliness or a variety of mental and physical health conditions.
All sessions will be delivered on zoom and if anyone is interested. Email hannah.marshall@tynecoast.ac.uk or contact 07949083588 for more information..
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Drama Workshops for over 50s
 Wednesday 7 April at 6.30pm
Do you want to boost your confidence and improve your public speaking? The new series of Drama Workshops from ANtics for over 50s could be perfect for you. To find out more, call 07949 293 995 or email louisecarr@niceco.co.uk.
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Northumbria Police Positive Action Network event
Thursday 4 March, 2pm to 3pm
Northumbria Police has many opportunities to offer, that many people may not be aware of. They need help to reach the communities to ensure there is awareness of the possibilities team NP has to offer. They are hosting their first Asian community informal network meeting which will provide an interactive safe space, consisting of a short presentation on Positive Action and its aims and benefits, discussion topics on barriers to joining the police, as well as a Q&A at the end. To take part email:
positiveactionrecruitment@northumbria.pnn.police.uk
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How to Write a Property Plan for your Charity
 Thursday 13 May 11am to 12.30pm
Learn how to write a simple, well thought out property plan to secure the future of your organisation in a Covid world in this free property webinar from the Ethical Property Foundation for voluntary organisations with Community Foundation Tyne & Wear and Northumberland.
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Ten digital tools every charity should have
Charity Digital shares ten vital digital tools for charities, covering social media management, cyber security protection, online fundraising, impact reporting, digital inclusion, finance software and more.
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COVID-19 community influencing comms pack
The government has released a new COVID-19 comms toolkit, to help those in influential positions in communities to communicate important information.
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Make your website work harder for longer
Crystal Dionysopoulou,founder and Creative Director of Lucid Fox, shares 5 design techniques that will increase the lifespan of your nonprofit’s website
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The 21 best Instagram marketing tips for 2021
Instagram marketing is competitive, but not impossible. Use these 21 tips to build a failproof strategy for 2021 and beyond.
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Cyber Aware with NCSC
Wednesday 3 March, 11am to 12pm
Join this one-hour session to learn about six ways you can improve your online security, from managing passwords to backing up your data.
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Get Started with Analytics
Wednesday 10 March, 10am to 11am
Join Media Trust for Get Started with Analytics, a free webinar in partnership with Google Digital Garage. Learn the role of web analytics and what ‘data driven’ decision making means for your organisation. The webinar will also cover the insights available from different social platforms, as well as tools for organic and paid search.
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How to Develop a Step-by-step Approach to Digital Safeguarding
Wednesday 10 March, 2pm to 3.30pm
This webinar provides step-by-step guidance for safeguarding for non-profits designing new services or taking existing ones online.
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Job Vacancy: Health & Wellbeing Co-ordinator
 The Health & Wellbeing Co-ordinator will act as the main point of contact for anyone being supported by LD:NE's Health & Wellbeing project. They will support people to attend various health related appointments and will offer preventative support to help people recognise symptoms and feel more confident about managing their own physical and mental health. They will also deliver a range of interactive workshops and activities, and produce related easy read resources.Part time 18 hours per week.Salary: £20,000 to £22,500 pro-rata per annum. Deadline: Monday 8 March 12pm. Read more and apply here.
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Job Vacancy: Diabetes Education Co-ordinator
The Diabetes Education Co-ordinator will work as part of the Health & Wellbeing Project team and will act as the central hub for organising a new Diabetes Education Programme, taking referrals and co-ordinating patients. They will be responsible for maintaining contact with patients throughout the programme, making sure they have access to all of the relevant information, as well as organising and delivering all of the weekly sessions. Part time 18 hours per week.Salary: £20,000 to £22,500 pro-rata per annum. Deadline: Monday 8 March 12pm. Read more and apply here.
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Job Vacancy: Education Officer
 This is an exciting opportunity to be involved in coordinating and delivering the new Depaul Education Programme in a range of settings, including schools, colleges and Pupil Referral Units. You will be responsible for running workshops and smaller sessions on related issues such as healthy relationships and conflict resolution, to service users, parents and teachers. Location: Whitley Bay or Middlesbrough. Full time. Salary: £22,899 per annum + pension and benefits. Deadline: Sunday 14 March 12pm. Read more and apply here.
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Job Vacancy; Family Entrepreneurs
 Family Gateway is recruiting Family Entrepreneurs to support their growing portfolio of programmes that work with families, children and young people. As a Family Entrepreneurs you will be required to provide support to families who are experiencing a range of issues that are preventing them, their children and young people living fulfilling lives across communities in North Tyneside, South-east, Northumberland and Newcastle. Full time, salary £18,500pa. Deadline: Friday 19 March at 5pm. Download the job advert here.
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Job Vacancy: Fundraiser and Bid Writer
 The Cedarwood Trust is seeking an experienced fundraiser and bid writer to support their revenue funding. The focus of this post is funding from statutory bodies, tendering for contracts and applications to trusts and foundations. This role will suit a candidate with demonstrable experience of working in deadline-driven environments and with non-profit, statutory, or academic grant writing. Full time, salary 18,000 to 22,000 per annum. 12 months contract. Deadline: Monday 22 March. Read more here.
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Trustee Vacancies in North Tyneside
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Keep up to date with all funding opportunities
 View all of our COVID-19 funding opportunities in our COVID-19 information centre and all non-COVID funding on our regular funding pages.
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Small grants for VCS organisations
North Tyneside Council is inviting VCS organisations that had a turnover of less than £10,000 last year to apply for a share of £16,654 of funding from the North of Tyne Capacity Fund. Deadline 11 March. Read more and apply here.
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National Lottery Grants for Heritage reopen
As the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic continues to impact so many aspects of our lives, the Lottery wants to fund projects that demonstrate the value of heritage to our national life and which support local economies, places and communities. Between April 2021 and March 2022, when making funding decisions, they will prioritise heritage projects that:
- boost the local economy
- encourage skills development and job creation
- support wellbeing
- create better places to live, work and visit
- improve the resilience of organisations working in heritage
Read more here.
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Karbon Homes – Covid Response Fund
In response to the national restrictions which came back in to place in the new year, Karbon Homes has launched a Covid Response Fund to support local initiatives working to help residents in their communities.
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The Wellbank Foundation
The Wellbank Foundation is a new small, family-run, grant-making charity that supports registered charities based in the North East of England. It wants to back initiatives that improve people’s lives and help them reach their full potential, and is offering grants of between £500 and £25,000. Applicant organisations should be helping people who are disadvantaged, whether due to financial, health or other reasons. The foundation is particularly keen to support projects that provide educational, sporting or environmental benefits.
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VODA Funding Support and Advice
 VODA continues to offer support on the identification of suitable funders together with support on writing individual bids – if your organisation is based in North Tyneside or needs funding for beneficiaries based in North Tyneside, please contact VODA Funding Adviser Frank Gillender for free advice and support at frank.gillender@voda.org.uk.
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About VODA
VODA provides support, advice, training and information to volunteers and voluntary and community organisations operating in North Tyneside. If you would like to know more about the different services we provide, please see below, or visit our website.
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