Join DSC's series of Zoom Talks - an opportunity to get together for an honest discussion of the topical issues facing our sector today.

There are three sessions in the series remaining:

Two new tests – both able to detect the coronavirus in 90 minutes – will be made available to NHS hospitals, care homes and labs.
The 2 tests will be able to detect both COVID-19 and other winter viruses such as flu and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV).

The tests do not require a trained health professional to operate them, meaning they can be rolled out in more non-clinical settings.

The government have published guidance for young people, which applies in England. This guidance for young people is about social distancing and what they can do to stay alert and safe during this time. The focus is on the main public health principles for staying safe and helping prevent the spread of COVID-19. This guidance has been written for young people in collaboration with young people.

Local lockdowns in smaller regions have been enforced in response to local COVID-19 outbreaks. Unfortunately, the locations of these local flare-ups share characteristics that are prevalent amongst BAME communities in the UK. Overcrowded housing, poor living conditions, poor working environments and low socio-economic levels all point towards an increased risk of infection and transmission. This makes it particularly pertinent for charities operating in these ‘high risk’ areas to be prepared for a local lockdown. This guide from Muslim Charities Forum will provide some advice on how this could be done.

10th September, from 1pm.

10GM present this webinar on equipping charity trustees to lead their organisations with assurance as we emerge from COVID-19. This session is designed for charity trustees and senior staff to: provide them with an overview of the responsibilities and powers of charity trustees;
outline common governance issues that arise in practice and the state of the charity sector as COVID-19 struck;
provide some simple strategies and tools to help trustees run their charities as effectively as possible after COVID-19.

In their blog nfpSynergy share some of the highlights (and lowlights) of giving levels in this last quarter - including some dramatic changes as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.

The bad news is that the
number giving is down to the lowest level in a decade – only 60% of the public say they’ve given to charity in the last 3 months, down from 69% in January this year.

Conversely, giving on a charity website and via text message are at their highest levels since nfpSynergy started tracking this question.

Posters and leaflets with some simple key messages on protecting our community from coronavirus are available in multiple languages including: Portuguese, Arabic, Punjabi, Urdu, Gujarati, Polish and French. Download here.

Signhealth, are producing daily videos with updates on key guidance. Their update from 31st July includes details of the Greater Manchester local lockdown.

A level two warning has been issued regarding the risk of a heatwave. There are simple actions that your VCSE group can take, and actions for individuals in this table.

There are lots of useful resources on this Heatwave Plan webpage.

The NHS website has lots of tips on keeping cool. 

It’s also worth bearing in mind that any people at risk of ill health due to hot weather are also at higher risk of severe illness from coronavirus. – further info for those that care for people at risk is here.

The British Red Cross Hardship Fund aims to address acute hardship and suffering to those who are vulnerable, providing a short-term financial safety net for people most impacted by the pandemic. 

Local Authorities and charity partners can contact The British Red Cross to identify potential recipients of the fund.

The Culture Recovery Fund for Heritage will support organisations working across the heritage sector that were financially sustainable before COVID-19 and are now at risk of failure. 

Grants can range between £10,000 to £3 million and the funding must be spent by 31 March 2021.

Apply now - this grant fund closes on 17 August.

Applications are now open for community groups and good causes to apply for awards from £500 up to £20,000. Both core funding and project funding will be available to help organisations increase resilience by adapting or expanding their services, or to meet new challenges brought on by the pandemic. Apply by 19 August.