EDIT: APPLICATION DEADLINE HAS BEEN EXTENDED TO FRIDAY 15TH JULY It might feel premature to be thinking about Christmas dinner and mince pies, but the Christmas Challenge 2022 is fast-approaching, and applications are now open! The Christmas Challenge is the UK's biggest digital match funding campaign, and gives donors the chance to double their donations for 7 days in the lead up to Christmas, raising more vital funds for your charity's work. This year it will run from midday Tuesday 29th November to midday Tuesday 6th December. Last year, the Christmas Challenge raised a record-breaking £24.1m for 928 charities! To apply for Christmas Challenge 2022: Log in or sign up for Big Give account Click on Big Give Campaigns Click on Apply now for Christmas Challenge 2022 Up to £25,000 of match funding is available per charity. There are millions of pounds of match funding available for a wide range of charities and causes. This year there will be more match funding available than ever before! This means that more charities can be supported and more money can be raised for good causes. As well as accessing Champion funds, evidence shows that donors are more likely to give and to give more in match funding campaigns. The Big Give also offers a free suite of resources, training and guidance for all participating charities. The deadline for applications has been extended until Friday 15th July. For more information, the eligibility criteria, and to apply, visit the Christmas Challenge page on the Big Give website. If you would like to find out further information about the Christmas Challenge, you can watch the recording of the introductory webinar. Read the latest blog to get some insider tips for starting your application.

Bath Carnival have an amazing opportunity for local charities, social enterprises and non profit groups to join them on the day, and they would absolutely love you to be involved! Bath Carnival is back on Saturday 9th July 2022, in Sydney Gardens, Bath from 10am to 10pm There will also be a procession through Bath’s city streets from 3pm to 5.30pm. Sydney Gardens will be packed with live bands, independent stalls, samba drumming, carnival dancers and hopefully thousands of visitors! Bath Carnival is a Community Interest Company, and the event is completely free to attend. Within Sydney Gardens, near the new children’s playground, will be an area of up to 10 pitches. This area is being co-ordinated by my business (shoplocalbath.com – launching soon!) on behalf of Bath Carnival. 9 of these pitches will be occupied by retail traders, and they'd love for the 10th pitch to be occupied by multiple charities, social enterprises and non profit groups They're envisioning 1 x gazebo, tables, chairs etc. All of which will need to be provided by one of the attending charities, so please let them know if you have those You’ll be more than welcome to chat to people from the gazebo, or wander around the carnival, educating the audience on the amazing work you do Unfortunately, only Bath Carnival is permitted to collect donations during the event. Charities cannot collect donations for their causes but can promote them with flyers etc If interested, please email Libby on shoplocalbathuk@gmail.com ASAP!

Thanks to a collaboration between AgeUK Bath & North East Somerset, The Carers’ Centre, Creativity Works & Radstock & Westfield Big Local, a new weekly radio show will be starting on Somer Valley FM. Starting in July, 'The Community Show' will explore both great things happening in the local area, and how the community can get involved to support others. They would love to hear from organisations who would like to showcase the work they are undertaking in the Somer Valley. If you’d like to take part, please get in touch with the team on TheCommunityShow@ageukbanes.co.uk.

Has your charity heard about all the helpful resources on offer from Cranfield Trust? Cranfield Trust's mission is to help charities unlock their potential, by offering training, advice and resources to help charities thrive. They are the leading provider of pro bono consultancy and management support for charities in the U.K. They have helped charities such as Off the Grid to create a pro bono business plan for future growth, which is one of their most popular free services. You can read more about this here. All charities and non-profits can benefit from their free webinars and resources, but only welfare charities and non-profits (such as those addressing poverty, social exclusion and disability) are eligible for the full range of support, including free pro bono mentoring and management consultancy, free peer-to-peer exchange and free 'On Call' telephone advice. You can check your organisations' eligibility here. Upcoming webinars include 'Covering the Contract Lifestyle' on July 14th, and previous webinars, such as 'Charity Business Plan and Strategy', are available to watch online. They also have information and advice on payroll for charities, and mentoring, and have some handy articles and resources to help you write or review an effective business plan, such as a 'Six Steps to Reworking your Charity's Strategy in the 'New Normal'', and a Charity Business Plan Template. Find out more about how Cranfield Trust can help your charity here.

3SG was delighted to act as one of the partners for this year’s Peasedown Party in the Park and recruited 14 people from our volunteer community to act as event marshals. Our wonderful volunteers were supported by 3SG's own Emma Huggill, who said: "We all had a fantastic day out, and we're very pleased to have been able to get involved at the community level and support this fantastic event. Thank you to all our fabulous volunteers for taking part!" The long-anticipated event, which was held at Beacon Park on the Friday 3rd June, attracted almost 3,000 people. In addition to seven hours of live music there was also an array of stalls and attractions, a Dog Show, Mini-Athletics, and the return of the Peasedown Diamond cider. Over £4,500 was raised in donations on the day – the most ever at one event! – all of which will go towards helping to cover the event’s running costs and supporting community groups. Councillor Karen Walker, one of the festival’s founders, said: “It’s been fantastic to see Party in the Park grow over the last 14 years. From a humble village fete to a festival with 3,000 people; as a village we certainly showed what we can do when we come together and work for a common goal!” To find out more and view photos from the day, see the Peasedown Party in the Park's Facebook page. Credit to our wonderful volunteer Susanne Haselgrove for her contribution to this news piece.

Following a transfer of service back to Bath & North East Somerset Council on 1st July 2022, the number to ring if you suspect an adult is being abused or neglected (this could be you or someone you know) will be 01225 394200. Phone lines are open Monday to Thursday, 8.30am to 5pm and Fridays 8.30am to 4.30pm; at all other times, call the Emergency Duty Social Work team on 01454 61 51 65 (evenings, weekends and bank holidays). If you think someone is in immediate danger, ring the emergency services on 999. You can also report a concern via email; there is a new email address to use for safeguarding referrals; please use Safeguarding_Adults@bathnes.gov.uk. Keeping people in Bath & North East Somerset safe is everyone’s business. Thank you to everyone who helps to safeguard adults at risk in Bath and North East Somerset. More information can be found on the Bath & North East Somerset Community Safety and Safeguarding Partnership website.

If you're looking to get started in digital service design, Design Hops could help. Design Hops provides free courses to non-profits on a digital journey to solve real challenges within your organisation. A Design Hop teaches charity participants a step-by-step method for user centred digital design, leading to unexpected insights, powerfully simple digital solutions and a hunger to keep tackling complex problems. The course is open to all staff and core volunteers of all large or small UK nonprofits. A curiosity to learn more about the potential of digital is a must! Find out more here. The Hops take place over three Zoom sessions, with short learning activities in between. Current course dates: July Hop: Wednesday 6th July Wednesday 13th July Wednesday 3rd August‍‍ ‍September Hop Monday 12th September Monday 19th September Monday 10th October October Hop Tuesday 4th October Tuesday 11th October Tuesday 1st November January 2023 Hop Thursday 19th January 2023 Thursday 26th January 2023 Thursday 9th February 2023 Sign up here

Do you run a project or organisation that exists to improve your local community? Is it led by local people and ideally less than four years’ old? It’s tough and rewarding. But you never get the time to focus ‘on the business’ as you’re always ‘running the business’. The FREE Community Business Trade Up programme will give you the head-space, support network and funding needed to start or diversify your income from trading. You’ll become a stronger, more sustainable community business as a result of this programme. The programme is run by the School for Social Entrepreneurs in partnership with Power to Change. This programme supports community businesses in England with: A free learning programme, to help you build your income, confidence, resilience and impact Up to £5,000 Match Trading grant A community business peer mentor An opportunity to meet regularly with other people running organisations like yours, so you can help each other out. Key info Learning will be online and in-person in Bristol. You can use your grant to cover travel expenses. Your community business must be in England, locally rooted, ideally 4 years old or less. They welcome applications from all community businesses and are particularly keen to support community business who meet any of these criteria: Led by a board or team who are mostly from a racialised and minoritised community Led by a board or team of mostly young people (aged 16-35) Located in and giving support to very deprived or disadvantaged local communities 400 community businesses have benefited from this programme since 2017. Could you be next? Discover more and apply today!

UPDATE FROM B&NES COUNCIL 15/05/22: We have just noticed that our provider surveys were not showing the full range of questions contained in the survey itself. Please can I ask you to visit the link again to complete the survey. Your opinion is really important to us and we want to ensure we have captured everyone’s viewpoint as part of this consultation so that we can ensure the right provisions are put in place for disabled children and young people and their families of B&NES to access. The survey should consist of at least 10 questions. Bath and North East Somerset Council are reviewing the short breaks activities it currently delivers for children and young people with Special Educational Needs and/or Disability (SEND). The Council are aiming to consult with parent carers, providers and non-providers of short break provision as well as professionals delivering specialist services asking them to share their views on the current short break provision that is on offer. If you would like to receive any paper copies of the consultation please call 01225 395437. Children and young people will be asked to consult on short break provision at a later date in September. When is the consultation taking place? The consultation will run from 6th June 2022 until 15th July 2022. If you would like to have your say about the activities on offer for Children and young people with Special Educational Needs and/ or Disability (SEND) please follow this link on or after 6th June. www.bathnes.gov.uk/shortbreaksconsultation The Commissioners (Kay Sibley and Dee Chaddha) who manage the Short Breaks contracts will also being holding two webinars throughout the consultation period. If you would like to find out more about the short break activities and how we plan to commission the activities in the future please join the webinars. Alternatively you can book a time to discuss activities with the commissioner by phoning Kay Sibley on 01225395437 to arrange a time. There is a webinar planned on 28th June 2022, 6pm-7pm. Commissioners will covering in detail the short break service and re-commission. Join Zoom Meeting https://bathnes.zoom.us/j/98404685023?pwd=ekluTHM4Z3czZ2xJek5nRnY1NGlkZz09 Meeting ID: 984 0468 5023 Password: 6xvHddjBv5 Find out more here.

Have you registered your charity on Live Well B&NES yet? The website has an average of around 15,000 visitors a month, so it's great exposure for your organisation to be listed as one of the service providers in BaNES. Registering is easy and should only take around five minutes, then your charity gets free promotion! If you work with or support families, young people, SEND families and parent carers or adults needing care or support, you’ll find lots of information on Live Well B&NES. As well as providing information, signposting and support to discrete groups of people, Live Well B&NES is also a tool that can be used by organisations and groups to support the people with whom they are working. Live Well B&NES also has a handy ‘My favourites’ facility where people can bookmark organisations, support and resources relevant to their needs. Live Well B&NES provides, in a single place, Bath & North East Somerset’s SEND Local Offer, Universal/early help family information and information and signposting for adults needing care or support. The resource complies with legislation, including the Care Act 2014 (information and advice duty), SEND Code of Practice and the Childcare Act 2006. Services, organisations and groups can self-register for free, quickly and easily. The resource is complemented by Live Well B&NES Facebook, where a range of news, activities and information is shared. Our Youth Info. Instagram account shares a wealth of information aimed at young people. Find out more: https://livewell.bathnes.gov.uk/ www.facebook.com/livewellbathnes www.instagram.com/Youth_Info_Bathnes Contact the team anytime: Livewell@bathnes.gov.uk Your charity could also be included in future Live Well Bath & North East Somerset social media campaigns. If you would like to be involved email: Livewell@bathnes.gov.uk and the team will be in touch.

Following the successful trial of round 1 of the Community Ownership Fund announced by the UK government last year, Round 2 is set to open to applications on 10th June 2022. This Fund consists of £150 million set aside to help communities to buy local assets that are at risk of closure, such as pubs, halls, sports facilities etc. Voluntary and community organisations across the UK can bid for match funding, which can then be used to take ownership of, or renovate, assets of value to the local community. Since Round 1, the application process has been simplified and applicants can be given an indication at an early stage as to the eligibility of their project through an Expression of Interest stage. If you are interested in learning more about the Fund, there will be a free webinar on Thursday 16th June hosted by DLUHC - You can sign up here or request the recording. You can also find more information and details on the gov.uk website here.

The Carers' Centre has recently launched their new E-news, targeted specifically at professionals who work within the education, health or social care sectors, and have regular contact with unpaid carers. The E-news will provide information and advice on The Carers’ Centre and supporting unpaid carers more generally, as well as sharing their research and data which provides valuable insight into the situations and experiences of unpaid carers across BaNES. The launch of this new e-news coincides with Carers' Week 2022, which aims to raise awareness and recognition of the contribution and immense value carers bring, alongside the challenges they face and the support they require and deserve. The theme for Carers Week 2022 is 'Make caring visible, valued and supported'. You can sign up to the newsletter here.

B&NES Public Health team have opened their Round 2 Contain Outbreak Management Fund (COMF) application process for submissions of project proposals in B&NES for the use of the COMF allocated by DHSC. The purpose of this allocation of funds is to help reduce the spread of coronavirus and support local public health initiatives. The COMF is designed to support the delivery of the objectives set in the Local Outbreak Management Plan and remains ring fenced for public health purposes to tackle COVID-19. They are offering funding to local organisations, voluntary services and B&NES Council services to support projects that enable residents to live safely and fairly with COVID-19, while retaining resilience to respond to new variants and any resurgence of COVID-19. Criteria Details of criteria for projects to meet are included in this attached document ‘B&NES Council Round 2 Applicant Guidance’. This document also includes a guide for criteria that are no longer relevant due to the national shift in policy to Living with COVID-19 and includes further information that proposals should consider. We are also welcoming proposals of less than £5,000 into our small grants scheme, and proposals that are above £5,000; both will follow the same application process. We ask that proposals are kept below £50,000 but in the rare circumstance a project approaches this amount please contact B&NES Public Health before progressing. Further information on project timelines can be found in the applicant guidance. Application Process The application process is now open and the application form can be accessed online – COMF Round 2 Application Form We recommend that you write answers to the longer questions in an offline document and then paste into the application form when you have all the information to hand. We have included a PDF document with a preview of these longer questions to help you prepare your application. The deadline for applications is 23:59 Friday 24th June 2022. Attached is a timeline of the application process for information. Further Support For an applicant guide, preview of the longer questions, FAQs and a timeline of the application process please go to the COMF Secure Share site: https://bit.ly/COMFdocuments Password: CVSMay 2022? FAQs will be available the week beginning Monday 30th May and will be kept updated. If you have a question about COMF please look at these documents first and if your query is not answered please e-mail B&NES Public Health with ‘COMF Application’ in the subject title. Many Thanks B&NES Public Health Team

The Queen's Platinum Jubilee is fast approaching and many BaNES residents will no doubt be looking to celebrate in style, and come together as a community to mark the Queen's 70 years of service. There are a plethora of community-based, family friendly jubilee events happening across Bath and North East Somerset for residents to enjoy over the extended weekend. Emerging from a pandemic, it is as important as ever to support your local community events! We have therefore compiled a list of Jubilee celebrations and events taking place across BaNES, between Thursday 2nd June and Sunday 5th June. Bath - Bath City Centre Illuminations - Purple Reign: Thursday 2nd June, 9.30pm Bath City Centre, Bath, Somerset, BA1 BaNES council are illuminating various historic buildings across the city centre, including Pulteney Bridge, The Guildhall, The Roman Baths and Bath Abbey, to mark the start of the Jubilee weekend. Open to public, no booking required. Find out more here. - The Big Jubilee Picnic: Sunday 5th June, 12 midday - 5pm Lower lawn of the Royal Crescent, Royal Victoria Park, Bath BA1 2LR A family friendly day out of celebrations, including free activities such as face painting and arts and crafts. Bring along a picnic and enjoy the jubilee weekend in the beautiful Royal Victoria Park. No booking required. Find out more here. - Jubilee Fun at Bath Parade Gardens: Sunday 5th June Bath City Centre, Bath, Somerset, BA1 Enjoy the sweet sounds of local musicians and performers at the Parade Gardens Bandstand throughout the day. There will also be pop-up performances around the city centre, such as music and dance on New Bond Street 1pm to 2.15pm, and then again in Kingsmead Square from 3pm to 4.15pm. No booking required. Find out more here. - Fox and Kit Jubilee Craft Session: Sunday 5th June, 10am - 12 midday Fox and Kit, Bath, 7 The Corridor, Bath BA1 5AP Free jubilee-themed craft session. All materials and instruction provided. No booking required, but numbers are limited. Family friendly fun! Find out more here. - Jubilee Terrace Tea Party, Thursday 2nd - Sunday 5th June The Elder, 2-8 S Parade, Bath BA2 4AB Enjoy an afternoon tea fit for the Queen on the sunny terrace of The Elder, Bath. Afternoon tea £32pp. Complimentary G&Tea or glass of fizz included. Advance booking required. Find out more here. - Royal Beach Vibes - It's Pimms O'Clock: Thursday 2nd June, 12pm – 3pm Royal Pavilion, Royal Victoria Park, Bath Enjoy a free glass of Pimms in celebration of The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee. Advance booking required. - Platinum Party: Thursday 2nd June, 11am - 3:30pm Holburne Museum, Great Pulteney St, Bathwick, Bath BA2 4DB The Carers Centre and the Holburne museum are coming together to celebrate with Jubilee inspired creative sessions, a BBQ lunch, and full access to the museum. Available to book. Find out more here. Combe Down - The Combe Down Jubilee Celebration on Saturday 4th June, 12pm - 8pm Firs Fields, Combe Down, Bath Join us on the Firs Field to celebrate with food, stalls, entertainment and Jubilee tea and more …! There will be bouncy castles, a royal dog show, games and stalls plus a free jubilee tea party!! Not only this but there will be food of the world, beer, cider and live music! - Queen's Platinum Jubilee Celebration Service, Sunday 4th June, 10am - 12pm Firs Fields, Combe Down, Bath Holy Trinity Combe Down & & St Andrew's Community Church together with Vineyard Bath invite you to their Jubilee Celebration Service. Larkhall & Batheaston - Alice Park's Party in the Park: Friday 3rd June, 12 midday - 6pm Alice Park, Gloucester Rd, Bath BA1 7BL A fun day of celebrations with lots of activities to keep the family happy and mark the jubilee occasion, including a brass band, merry-go-round and a Punch and Judy. The event will be opened by Lady Margaret. Find out more here. - Batheaston Village Pop-up Pub: Friday 3rd June, 6pm - 9pm Church Lane, Batheaston, Bath, BA1 7EP The New Batheaston Village Hall and The Pop Up Pub Team will be celebrating the Queen's Jubilee on the Friday evening. Only 18+ Lots of jubilee-themed games, competitions, grub and of course the usual fab bar. £15 per person inc. 3 Drinks, nibbles and raffle. Open to public, advance booking/ticket required. Contact villagepopuppub1@gmail.com for more information. Paulton, Radstock, Midsomer Norton and Peasedown St John - Peasedown Jubilee Party in the Park: Friday 3rd June, Midday - 7pm Beacon Field, French Close, Peasedown St John, Bath BA2 8SN A fun-filled family day out, brimming with stalls, live music, food and entertainment at the heart of Peasedown St John. No booking needed, open to all. Free (Suggested entrance donation). Find out more here. - Paulton Outdoor Service and Jubilee Picnic: Sunday 5th June, 11am onwards Paulton Memorial Park, Paulton, BS39 7NG Find out more here. - Paulton Party in the Park: Saturday 4th June, 2pm - 9pm Paulton Memorial Park, Paulton, BS39 7NG Family-friendly day out of entertainment over the Jubilee weekend. Find out more here. - Radstock Jubilee Festival: Saturday 4th June, 11am - 5pm St Nicholas Church Field, Church St, Radstock BA3 3QQ Free outdoor arts event with a family friendly atmosphere, street theatre, live music, food and drink and visual arts. Free entry. Find out more here. - Midsomer Norton's Jubilee Weekender: Thursday 2nd - Sunday 5th June Midsomer Norton A 4 day programme of events consisting of a music and bingo social on Thursday afternoon, followed by the lighting of the beacon at Midsomer Norton football club at 9.45pm. Free to attend. Friday is filled with live music, kicking off with the Trio Paradis at the Town Hall at 12.30pm, before an all day music festival at Town Park until 8.30pm. Food, refreshments and children's entertainment aplenty! Saturday hosts the Farmers Market, Duck Race and Royal Trail on Midsomer Norton High street, as well as a free Street Party on Silver Street Station from 1pm - 8pm. On Sunday there will be a Church Service and Afternoon Tea at Methodist Church High street, Followed by a free Family Fun Day at the Cricket Club from 2pm - 8pm. Find out more here. - Leighfest: Friday 3rd and Saturday 4th June, All day The Bell Inn, Leigh Street, Radstock, BA3 5QQ Beer festival with hog roast and burgers to celebrate the Jubilee weekend. Live music all weekend for all to enjoy. Advance booking required. Contact 01373 812316 for more information. - Kilmersdon Jubilee Celebrations: Thursday 2nd - Sunday 5th June Kilmersdon Village Hall, The Street, Kilmersdon, Somerset, BA3 5TD Kilmerson Jubilee Celebrations will be kicking off on Thursday 2nd with a walk from Kilmersdon to Coleford Hub, along the ancient Coffin Route, followed by an evening of Free hog roasts, live music, and the illuminating of the Beacon Light at 9.45 p.m. On Friday, there will be a free Ceilidh in the Village Hall, and on Sunday the Parish Church will be hosting a special service at 11.15am, followed by a shared lunch in the Village Hall Car Park, where a Message from The Queen will be read, alongside a toast with free prosecco. Contact martin@martinhorler.co.uk to find out more and book tickets. - Downside Abbey Beacon Lighting and Food Festival: 2nd and 4th June Abbey Road, Stratton on the Fosse, Radstock, BA3 4RH The beacon lighting will take place on Thursday 2nd, followed by a Food Festival celebration on Saturday 4th June, from 4pm - 9pm. There will be lots of music, food and fun. Booking required. Find out more here. - Holcombe Pagaent Picnic: Sunday 5th June, 1pm – 4pm Holcombe Playing Field, Charlton Road, Holcombe, BA3 5EW No booking required, everyone welcome. Contact simon.brand@holcombepc.org.ukfor more info. Twerton, Whiteway & Corston - Afternoon Tea & Dance: Tuesday 31st May, 2.30pm - 4.30pm Southside youth and community centre, Kelston view, BA2 1NR Afternoon Tea and Dance activity, aimed at the over 50s. Contact 01225 396980 to book. - Barneys Café Jubilee themed Family Crafts and Play: Wednesday 1st June, 10am - 11am St. Barnabas church, Southdown, BA2 1JX Fun hour filled with arts, crafts and play activities for the family. No booking required and all ages welcome. - Bath City Farm Jubilee Picnic: Saturday 4th June, 11.30 - 2.30pm Kelston View, Whiteway, Bath BA2 1NW A family-friendly picnic, come along and meet the animals, bring your own blanket, enjoy a free picnic, and help to plant a jubilee flower bed. - Rose Cottage Twerton Tea Party: Friday 3rd June, 2 - 4pm 43 High St, Twerton, Bath BA2 1DB Come along and enjoy a raffle, tombola, cakes, drinks and a table top sale at the Twerton Tea Party. All ages welcome, no booking needed. - Corston Community Celebration: Friday 3rd to Sunday 5th June Wells Road, Corston, BA2 9AZ Corston community is coming together to celebrate in their village hall, church, community orchard and recreation field. Events will take place from Friday 3rd to Sunday 5th June. Open to all. Contact corstonparishclerk@outlook.com for more information. Saltford & Keysham - Saltford's Big Jubilee Weekend: Thursday 2nd - Sunday 5th June Saltford Saltford's Big Jubilee Weekend is jam packed with activities across the 4 day weekend, starting off with an Illumination event with food, drink and music on Thursday at the Golf Club. On Friday there will be a free Afternoon Tea for Saltford residents on the grass outside Saltford hall from 2.30 - 4.30pm. Saturday welcomes the delightful sounds of the Saltford Choir Concert, as well as Front Garden Sales to enjoy. On Sunday there will be various resident-organised street parties to celebrate. 4th, Front garden sales and Saltford Choir Concert. Find out more here. - Saltford Sports Club's Jubilee Jolly: Sunday 5th June, 1pm - late Saltford Sports Club, Wedmore Rd, Saltford BS31 3BY An fun-filled afternoon of garden games, BBQ and a variety of celebrations in honour of the jubilee. Find out more here. - Keynsham Jubilee Community Church Service: Sunday 5th June, 10.30am St John's Church, 1, The Park, Keynsham, BS31 2BL Come along to a very special service on Sunday 5th June at St. John’s Church to mark the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee. No booking necessary. All welcome. Find out more here. Weston - Jubilee Westfest: Sunday 5th June, 11am - 6pm The Rec, Weston (free parking via Penn Hill Rd) Free Entry, bring rugs or folding chairs. There will be stalls, bouncy castles, catering vans, live music and more... Celebration Service at 11am, thanking the queen for her 70 years service to the nation. Food and Drinks from 12 noon. Tag Rugby & Football at 1pm. Giant Tug-o-war 3pm. Dog show (bring your dog!) 3.30pm. Watch the cricket 4pm. This list is by no means exhaustive, and if you have a Jubilee event that you'd like us to share, please do get in touch at contact@3sg.org.uk.

In 2015, Stand Against Racism & Inequality (SARI) launched 'Every Victim Matters', a programme that provides a free, specialist casework service for victims of all types of hate crime across BaNES, North Somerset and Somerset. Whether that hate crime is based on race, faith, disability, sexual orientation, gender reassignment, age or sex. SARI also work to build greater understanding and respect for diversity and difference within communities. As part of 'Every Victim Matters', SARI's Outreach Workers are recruiting and training up a network of local residents and agency workers to become allies. They are also building strong relationships with Diversity Trust and Swan Advocacy to help SARI deliver training, education and empowerment sessions – and reach out to even more LGBTQ+ and disabled people who face hate crime. Anti-Hate Allies will be people who are already connected in their local community, people who are passionate and committed community workers, agency practitioners and members of community-based groups, and who would like to become more active in the fight against inequality. Whether it’s talking to a neighbour, a friend, or a colleague, watching a documentary, giving out leaflets, there are many ways an ally can help raise awareness. Sign up to be an Ally by filling out the application form. Get in touch with Natalia to receive an application form: Natalia Aplin Hernandez: Natalia@saricharity.org.uk Tel: 07944888226

Wesport, the sports charity that helps people to become more physically active and enjoy the benefits that an active lifestyle can bring, has launched the Sport England, Together Fund. In partnership with Voscur, Wesport are distributing £380,000 to communities across the West of England. Wesport have been administering Phases 1-3 of the Tackling Inequalities Fund since April 2020, however, the fund is changing to the 'Sport England’s Together Fund' as it progresses from phase 3. Insight has shown that certain groups were disproportionately affected by the pandemic and impacted their ability to be physically active. Therefore, the Together Fund will focus on four priority groups: Culturally diverse communities Disabled people People with long-term health conditions People on low incomes Wesport have put together a helpful video together on how the new Together Fund will work and the journey leading up to the fund. The maximum amount of funding from this fund is is £10,000, however, Sport England expect that the vast majority of awards will continue to sit below £5,000 as they want to reach as many individual organisations as possible. The deadline for returning your completed application and supporting documents is 6th June 2022! To view all these details and find out how to apply, please visit: https://www.wesport.org.uk/funding/together-fund/ 3SG are proud to be one of the VCFSE organisations supporting with this fund along with Voscur, VANS and CVS South Gloucestershire.

The West of England Combined Authority (WECA) has announced its second call for applications to its Community Support Fund. The fund is now open for applications, with a deadline of 9th June. The Community Support Fund (CSF) will support the most vulnerable within our communities, including those who’ve suffered disproportionately due to COVID-19. The project aims to provide the vital first step towards learning, training and work. This new £1.5m programme is a key part of the West of England Combined Authority’s Recovery Plan. It will support those who face the greatest risk of negative social, health or economic consequences as a result of the pandemic. Community and voluntary (not for profit) sector groups in the West of England are able to apply. The fund will support activities targeted at the most vulnerable in our communities to progress onto existing skills and employment activity and ultimately improve economic outcomes for those most affected by the pandemic. They are looking for initiatives that deliver social value activity as a route into positive progression to skills employment and volunteering. This can include: • Activity which strengthens social resilience and cohesion • Activity which improves health and wellbeing • Activity which improves financial inclusion and resilience • Activity which increases pride of place and environmental awareness As with the previous funding round, there are different sized grants available and successful applicants will need to work with the Combined Authority closely to support monitoring, reporting and evaluation of the programme. If you have any questions about the fund, or events, contact WECA by email. Find out more here.

Access to the internet has become an essential resource in today's society, yet with the cost of living continuing to rise drastically, many find they are unable to afford this necessity and are locked out of the connectivity and opportunities of modern life. Millions of people in the UK are currently lacking the basic digital skills needed to participate in society digitally, or have been unable to connect to the internet from their home. The pandemic has highlighted this vital need and the disparity that currently exists; Access to essential services, health and wellbeing, communication with loved ones, and job opportunities should not be limited to those able to afford the costs of connectivity. The internet has become a lifeline for many, and the Good Things Foundation has decided to build a new initiative in response to this inequality, The National Device Bank. The aim of the National Device Bank is to provide refurbished devices as well as mobile internet access to disadvantaged communities, by working alongside community and national partners, such as Reconome, to tackle the current barriers. Community organisations and charities will be able to apply for provision of free devices, free internet data and support, to their eligible service users. Those users must be over 18, from a low income household and have no access to a device. Those wanting to request assistance, or to help the cause, are encouraged to contact their local Online Centre. Across BaNES, here are currently 8 centre's in Bath, 3 in Keynsham, 1 in Saltford, 1 in Paulton and in Radstock. To find out more, click here.

B&NES Public Health have updated the Covid-19 staff risk assessment (view here). This is a locally developed tool that employers/managers can use to help assess whether a member of staff (or volunteer) is at greater risk to developing serious illness when infected with COVID-19. The tool offers practical actions that employers/managers and staff/volunteers can take to reduce this risk. Please share the risk assessment with your networks and encourage employers to use it.

The Charities Act 2022 has come into effect. Whilst this might not have a big impact on how your charity operates day-to-day, it aims to make it easier for charities in a number of ways, especially around spending donations, amending constitutions and charity mergers. This law amends a number of key sections of the Charities Act 2011, one of the primary pieces of legislation for charities in England and Wales. Russell-Cook LLP have recently published a useful summary of the key information that charities need to know about this. If these changes affect your organisation, we recommend seeking specialist legal advice. The main changes the Act will introduce include: If a fundraising appeal fails, charities will be able to spend small donations on another project Unincorporated charities (eg. trusts) will be able to amend their constitution more easily Changes to the tests for charitable companies to amend their objects Charities will have more flexibility when getting advice on the sale of land Charities will be able to borrow from permanent endowment and invest it more freely Charities will be able to make small ‘ex gratia’ payments without getting consent from the Charity Commission Legacies will be less likely to get lost after incorporations and mergers There will be an easier solution if trustee appointments have not been made correctly