Are you looking to start up a project for good, or accelerate the impact of your social enterprise, charity or community business? Discover the Bath and North East Somerset Social Entrepreneurs Programme – an exciting range of fully-funded support including, workshops, events, networks, one-to-one consultancy, grant (money you don’t pay back) and an entrepreneurship support programme. Discover the support available here from February to June 2022. The application deadline has been extended until 1pm, Thursday 17th February. It is led by the School for Social Entrepreneurs (SSE) in partnership with the West of England Combined Authority and 3SG and is funded by the UK Government through the UK Community Renewal Fund

Jay Blades of The Repair Shop Has Learnt to Read, Now Adults in Bath Can Learn Too! Jay Blades, star of The Repair Shop, has featured on a BBC documentary charting his journey learning to read as an adult with a Read Easy reading coach. The programme is available to watch on BBC iPlayer. Read Easy is a charity with groups across the UK, who are passionate about transforming lives through a proven, confidential programme of free, one-to-one, volunteer-led adult reading coaching. Read Easy Bath was launched in December 2020 and is now providing free one to one coaching for adults who want to learn to read. They currently have nine adults learning to read, each working one-to-one with a volunteer reading coach and they have capacity for more. If you are someone who would like to learn to read or you know someone who would, Read Easy Bath can help. Read Easy Bath Team leader, David Hassard, said, ‘We’re delighted that Jay Blades is sharing his experience as an adult learner and hope that it inspires other adults to come forward. In Bath, we are all geared up to help. We have fully trained volunteer reading coaches who are waiting to be paired with readers. It’s a confidential, free service with coaching done at a pace to suit each learner.’ Read Easy Bath is also looking for adults who want to learn to read. If you know someone who would like to learn to read or are an agency who might be able to put us in touch with potential readers, please contact David Hassard at bath@readeasy.org.uk or on 07976 160838. For further information on this or to request an interview, please contact David on the email/number above or head to their website.

The two guidance documents have been updated by B&NES Public Health in light of the government’s recent changes to national guidance. If you have any queries or concerns, please email public_health@bathnes.gov.uk. COVID-19 guidance for community organisations that run support groups COVID-19 guidance for small and micro organisations

It has been a busy few months since our last formal update, with the Third Sector Alliance input to the Community Services Mental Health Framework developing significantly, along with a greater understanding of Third Sector capability and the integral role that we play in underpinning the future of community mental health services. The Third Sector model Access Mental Health (the Third Sector model) will provide a ‘front door’ to consistent support for people accessing a range of mental health services, interventions, or support on their journey to better mental health. Access Mental Health is underpinned by the relationships held by Wellbeing Practitioners and Peer Support Workers as they support the person accessing mental health support to create their wider network of support. This is both a person-centred and asset-based approach to mental health. Alongside offering support, our network of Mental Health and Peer Support specialists will build on community assets to meet mental health needs. We work alongside Primary and Secondary Care providers to join-up support and journey alongside people and their network of support. We share skills, knowledge, spaces, and learning with other third sector, voluntary and community focused organisations and groups, building sustainable partnerships and innovative ways of supporting mental health in our communities and asking: What is out there? What is strong? What can it teach us? How can we help it grow? Recruitment A key focus for us over the past few months has been recruitment of Service Managers, Wellbeing Practitioners and Peer Support Workers. In a challenging labour market, we have been pleased to recruit to a number of key roles, which will enable us to start mobilisation of Access Mental Health and establish firm foundations for future recruitment to be built on – we will be going out to recruitment in the early new year, so please do help us to advertise these roles and the exciting opportunities that this transformation represents. Partnerships & Engagement We have also been working hard on engaging with a range of partners and stakeholders. Through the subgroups of CSF Oversight Group, we have held detailed conversations to be with other key care pathways, such as 16-25, Primary Care, and SMI. This has helped us to further develop Access Mental Health, consider how interfaces and relationships will work between services, and further elucidate system requirements to support transformational change. We are working with Third Sector Infrastructure partners Bath & North East Somerset Third Sector Group (3SG), Voluntary Action Swindon, and Wessex Community Action, to engage with the wider Third Sector, looking at how Access Mental Health will operate in localities and draw on expertise from across the Third Sector to support people. This work is in turn supported by detailed asset mapping and the development of director of services in localities, with this work being led by Locality Mental Health Commissioners. Communications We know the importance of regular communication and we will be re-doubling our efforts on this front to ensure that you receive more regular updates from the Alliance, in a range of formats. In addition, we are supporting BSW CCG in developing a CSF website which we are contributing requirements to at the moment. The CSF and Access Mental Health needs to be distinguishable from other mental health support, as well as non-mental health-specific support, whilst being readily accessible. We are currently working with the CCG on extending hours of operation for existing support lines, and we are developing our communications material and approach to ensure that awareness of Access Mental Health is high by the time the service goes live. We look forward to writing again in the new year when we will introduce our new Service Managers, along with more details of Access Mental Health. With best wishes, The Third Sector Alliance

Two years ago Storm Consultancy started their Charity of The Year initiative to give back and help those who need access to their expertise. Over the last year they have been the tech advisor for Bath City Farm with a website review and offering technical knowledge on how to optimise donations on site. They’ve helped to build Mentoring Plus’ Christmas tree ecommerce page and helped them to strategise their social media. They also advised Saraid CRT on their social strategy and fundraising campaigns. They are now welcoming applications from charities and not for profits throughout the UK to let them know how they can help. Whether it’s giving them some time in kind, building some technology to streamline a campaign or your process, or getting out there and fundraising on their behalf, they want to know how they can help! We’ve been lucky enough to be chosen this year at Mentoring Plus & we’ve had a range of support from Storm – it’s been great & helped us a lot. Jenny Perez, Mentoring Plus Fundraising and Communications Manager For top tips on your application, please read the information above the application page. Your application doesn’t need to take hours to complete. You can apply/ nominate yourselves for Charity of The Year 2022 here. Applications are open until 4:30pm Thursday 16th December 2021 and our new charity of the year will be announced in early January.

The two guidance documents have been updated by B&NES Public Health in light of the government’s recent announcement to move to “plan B”. If you have any queries or concerns, please email public_health@bathnes.gov.uk. COVID-19 guidance for community organisations that run support groups COVID-19 guidance for small and micro organisations

Gamcare currently run FREE training, awareness sessions, resources and ongoing support to staff to help them recognise and respond to signs of Gaming and Gambling- Related Harm - a silent and dangerous epidemic in the UK. Currently we offer CPD Accredited 90 minute training covering harms to young people and adults caused by problem gambling and gaming, and routes into free support and treatment. Sessions aim to help make these harms more identifiable for staff working with young people and adults in the South West Please email lindseyannetaylor@recovery4all.co.uk or clare.leakey@gamcare.org.uk with your preferred below date and we will send you an online link: Free CPD Accredited Training (with certificate) – 1.5 hours • Thursday 6th January 10 – 11.30 am • Friday 7th January 10 – 11.30 am • Thursday 20th January: 10 – 11.30 am • Thursday 10th February 10 – 11.30 am • Tuesday 15th February: 10 – 11.30 am • Wednesday 23rd February: 10 – 11.30 am • Thursday 24th February: 10 – 11.30 am • Thursday 24th March: 10 – 11.30 am • Thursday 21st April: 10 – 11.30 am • Thursday 19th May: 10 – 11.30 am • Thursday 16th June: 10 – 11.30 am • Thursday 21st July: 10 – 11.30 am • Thursday 18th August: 10 – 11.30 am • Thursday 15th September: 10 – 11.30 am • Thursday 20th October: 10 – 11.30 am We can also attend your team meetings as guest speakers, to give an overview of gambling and gaming harm and how to access support – please contact us to arrange this.

Your Park Bristol and Bath, Bristol City Council and B&NES are hosting an online celebration to celebrate the brilliant park volunteers that go the extra mile for our parks and communities. Event details: online (via Zoom) on Saturday 29th January from 10-12.30. Book your place here . It is an opportunity for some online networking, chance to hear an expert speaker and of course the Love Your Park Volunteer Awards! You can also nominate an individual or your Park group for an award. Closing date is the 31st December 2021. Here is the page with award details and the nominations form. Love Your Park Volunteer Celebration - 2021 - Your Park Further details about the awards Individual awards Why not nominate an individual within your group for a Volunteer of the Year Award 2021? This award is all about celebrating a volunteer who has made an outstanding contribution to their green space and local community in 2021. Perhaps one member of your group has been volunteering for 15 years or more, why not nominate them for a longservice award, which celebrates individual volunteers who have been volunteering for 15 years or more. Remember you can nominate as many individuals as you like! Winners will be given a voucher. Group awards Would you like some recognition for your group and be in with a chance of winning a voucher? You could also be in with a chance of winning a further £200 cash prize for your group if your group is shortlisted for the People’s Choice award. There are four categories for groups: Nature Lovers, Community Connectors, Happy and Healthy and TLC. You can nominate your own group for one or more of these awards. In each category there will be one winner and two special mentions. The 12 shortlisted groups (3 from each category) will be entered into a People's Choice award in January 2022, and this is where you can get your supporters to vote for your group! The group with the most votes will win a cash prize of £200! All the winners will be announced at the event on the 29th January 2022. If you have any queries, do get in touch with Judy at judy@yourpark.org.uk

The Bath Echo has reported on the acquisition of Virgin Care and rebranding as HCRG Care Group by private equity firm Twenty20: https://www.bathecho.co.uk/news/politics/concern-takeover-virgin-care-contract-extended-96694/

It’s officially Christmas, and helping you to jingle all the way to the big day, are easyfundraising who are giving third sector organisations daily opportunities to win free donations. Open the doors in their big Advent giveaway and open doors to Christmas magic - daily donation prizes of £250 and a huge £10,000 donation giveaway on 25 December. Give your organisation the gift of free donations this year, more info here. Find out more about easyfundraising The biggest shopping weeks of the year are here, which means it’s the best week of the year for your organisation to earn free donations with online fundraisers easyfundraising. eBay’s Christmas Spend Report estimates that 57% of consumers expect to do most or all of their Christmas shopping online this year, so it makes sense for your organisation to be registered and earning free donations with easyfundraising. easyfundraising is a fundraising platform that turns online shopping into free donations for your charity, voluntary group, CIC or community organisation. easyfundraising works with over 6,000 online retailers including much-loved brands, Amazon, John Lewis & Partners, eBay, Debenhams, TUI, Sainsbury’s, Not on the High Street, and many more, who will all donate to your organisation to say thank you for shopping with them. This means that every online purchase made by your volunteers, staff and supporters can mean more: more supplies, more support, and more opportunities for the members who rely on you. Good causes have raised over £37M through easyfundraising to date, and we want your organisation to start benefiting too. You do not have to be a registered charity to use easyfundraising as it is open to all third sector organisations and groups. Three steps to getting started: Register your organisation with easyfundraising – this only takes a couple of minutes. Book a free 1-2-1 call with a community group specialist for a quick demo of the easyfundraising site. Share your page with everyone associated with your organisation, so they can start supporting you every time they shop online.

The Social Care Institute for Excellence held an excellent explainer event on Tuesday looking at how the 3rd sector can be the vital cornerstone of the Integrated Care System. The slides and a recording of the event are now live here: https://www.scie.org.uk/integrated-care/delivering/nhs-england-webinars/voluntary-sector

People living across Bath and North East Somerset, Swindon and Wiltshire are being invited to join leaders of local health and care organisations in shaping a healthier future for the region at two upcoming virtual events. Taking place at 6.30pm on Wednesday 8 December and at 1.30pm the following day, the two online sessions will give local people the chance to have their say on the region’s new health and care model, which outlines how services will be provided over the next ten years. Almost 500 people have already shared their thoughts on the new model, with feedback ranging from praise around how services from different providers will be more joined up to concerns about conflicting priorities between organisations. All feedback, whether collected through the online survey (complete here by 14th December 21), for which print copies are also available, or at one of the many in-person and online community events, will be listened to and used to shape the final version of the plans. Dr Ruth Grabham, Medical Director, Bath and North East Somerset, Swindon and Wiltshire Clinical Commissioning Group, said: “The response we’ve had to the proposed new model has so far been fantastic, and I’d like to thank all of those who took the time to share their feedback with us. “With these two virtual events happening at the beginning of next month, we’re really hoping to continue to build a productive dialogue with the very people who work in and use local health and care services, as well as tap into their unique insight and experience. “The emergence of Covid-19 nearly two years ago forced us to review and refresh our original plans and, although the continued threat of the pandemic has limited the amount of face-to-face engagement we have been able to do, we want to use all available resources to give members of the public the opportunity to have their voices heard. “I hope as many people as possible will be able to join us in December, to not only share their opinions but also contribute to our plans for a healthier future.” Feedback on the new health and care model has been coming in since the beginning of this month, and people have until Tuesday 14 December to have their say in this stage of the process. Detailed within the model are plans for improving personalised care, supporting healthier communities, establishing more integrated local teams, prioritising local specialist services and introducing new specialist centres. The model’s production, as well as its corresponding engagement activity, is being carried out by the BSW Partnership, which is an integrated care system made up of NHS providers, local authorities and the voluntary, community and social enterprise sector working together. More information on the BSW Partnership, as well as details of how people can sign up for the virtual sessions or complete the survey and leave feedback on the new health and care model, can be found online at www.bswpartnership.nhs.uk/about us/shaping-a-healthier-future

The Carers’ Centre have launched a revitalised website this week, improving their online offer for carers. The new site offers a better experience for unpaid carers, including online booking for activities and advice & support articles, and brings together the two previous sites they had for young and adult carers in to one place. There is also a section dedicated to professionals working with carers of all ages. Earlier this year The Carers’ Centre heard that it wasn’t clear enough what they did, or how they helped people who care. This new section is designed to help change that. Over time, The Centre aims to develop this Professionals section further, to improve the information and tools they provide for those working with unpaid carers. The process for referring an adult carer or young carer has also been streamlined within the site. Take a look around, pass on to your colleagues and stakeholders and let The Carers’ Centre know what you think! Contact Janine.woodward-grant@banescarerscentre.org.uk with any feedback you have.

Want to understand the data you have, improve what you collect or use data to make decisions? Get in touch with Statisticians for Society, a pro bono service that connects volunteer statisticians with charitable organisations in need of statistical expertise. To be eligible for the initiative, an organisation must be: A third sector organisation Based in the UK Have an annual turnover of less than £1 million If your organisation does not meet the main criteria but wishes to be considered, they would still like to hear from you. Please contact Amaka Nwagbara to discuss your potential project. Find out more & apply here

Barnardo’s Boloh Helpline is pleased to announce the expansion of their service to support the mental health and wellbeing of adult asylum seekers across the UK. This project is funded by the Home Office and is in addition to their current service that offers support to children, young people and their parents. The Helpline will offer advice, signposting, emotional support and 8 free sessions of therapy by qualified Barnardo’s therapists. These sessions can take place remotely via telephone or online. Barnardo’s has a large pool of culturally informed therapists who speak a range of languages. Sessions can take place in your own language at a time that works for you. Helpline Advisors can also offer practical support such as food vouchers and access to digital devices. They are continuing their partnership with Vodafone to ensure that asylum seekers can access support by providing refurbished tablets and mobile phones. We welcome referrals from professionals via our referral form, as well as direct contact from asylum seekers by telephone, email or online chat. You can make a referral to the Helpline here. The Helpline is open Monday – Friday (10am-8pm) and Saturday (10-3pm) via phone, webchat and email. Below is a printable awareness poster and an information card. Please share among your colleagues and community networks. Hard copies of the poster and credit cards are also available if you would like copies to hand out. Copies are available in different languages. Please contact boloh.helpline@barnardos.org.uk to order hard copies or for further information about this project.

A £606,381 cash boost will help build community resilience and put voluntary and social enterprise organisations and businesses in Bath & North East Somerset at the heart of economic recovery and regeneration. The funding was awarded to the School for Social Entrepreneurs (SSE) following a successful bid coordinated by the West of England Combined Authority. SSE will partner with local third sector lead 3SG to help people from underrepresented groups and communities into self-employment and help them gain the confidence, skills, and funding they need to set up their own social enterprises. Over 200 voluntary, community and social enterprise organisations will also benefit from workshops events and courses and 30 individuals and enterprises will receive intensive support and Match Trading Grants of up to £13,500. Chief Executive for the West of England Combined Authority, Patricia Greer said: “This is great news. This programme offers the skills, support and funding needed for would-be entrepreneurs to take the first steps into self-employment, bringing benefits to their communities. It will also help build the resilience of voluntary community and social enterprise organisations many of which have been impacted by the pandemic.” Sally Heard, director of development & external affairs at SSE, says: “We are thrilled to be able to grow the social economy in Bath & North East Somerset. At SSE, we are committed to igniting entrepreneurship to transform our communities and accelerating social innovation to tackle systemic challenges. This exciting programme enables both, and we are delighted to work with the West of England Combined Authority and 3SG to deliver it.” James Carlin, Director of 3SG says: "This is brilliant news for the 3rd sector in BaNES and there will be plenty of opportunities for all our members to get involved and benefit from this exciting programme." The funding comes from the government’s UK Community Renewal Fund (UKCRF). The West of England Combined Authority collated the bids into this Government fund, as lead authority for the West of England. This includes the Bath & North East Somerset, Bristol and South Gloucestershire area.

HomeKIT is an exciting scheme by Share and Repair that takes small household electricals - like kettles, heaters and vacuums - has them PAT tested (and repaired if necessary) by kind volunteers and then rehomes them by donating them to people in need. The rehoming process of these items is done through local charities that work with low-income families, domestic abuse victims and more. The HomeKIT project has been inundated with donated appliances from the public and is looking for new charities to help rehome these items and give them to people in need. If your charity could make use of these appliances please get in touch with Share and Repair at hello@shareandrepair.org.uk. Find out more about HomeKIT: https://shareandrepair.org.uk/homekit/

As you may already be aware, B&NES Council's COVID-19 mobile testing van has been travelling to many different areas within B&NES to enable residents who don't have symptoms of COVID-19 to pick up a rapid test, get a supervised test or ask any questions. The van also provides an opportunity for residents to gain reassurance around COVID-19 testing guidelines and further national guidance. Recently, they have partnered up with Age UK, Julian House, and BEMSCA to bring the testing van to their services. Given the success, they would like to open up this offer to other organisations. The van runs every day of the week 9-5PM, and they are looking to attend any venue, group meeting or group event you may have planned. They can offer our support by arranging the van to attend a nearby location or provide a pop-up indoors to support the meeting/event. If you are interested and would like to arrange the mobile testing van to support your organisation, please get in touch by emailing: Public_Health@bathnes.gov.uk www.bathnes.gov.uk www.twitter.com/bathnes

National and local charities, large and small, are encouraged to share their stories with the Charity Governance Awards; entry is free and applications are easy to submit. The shortlist is announced in April, and shortlisted charities are invited to a complimentary and exclusive awards ceremony in May, where the winners are announced. The winner of each category will receive a £5,000 unrestricted grant as a prize. Runners-up will receive cash prizes as well (£1,000 each), and each shortlisted charity will be offered a paid one-year membership to the Association of Chairs for its board as well as a complimentary place on a Cause4 Trustee Leadership Programme for a new trustee. Before beginning your entry, please download and read the Entry Guidance document to help you decide which category to enter, and to plan your application. They also recommend reviewing the ‘Advice and Resources‘ page, where you can find specific tips from their professional judges on what they are looking for when reviewing entries. To enter charities must: be registered in the UK by the Charity Commission (or the equivalent in each devolved nation) have been established before 31 December 2018 only submit one entry across all five awards* Deadline for entry: 26 January 2022 View Criteria & Enter Now

Today marks the start of Alcohol Awareness Week (15-21st November 2021), which is hosted by Alcohol Change UK and this year focuses on the theme ‘alcohol and relationships.’ The aim of the week is to educate individuals about alcohol so they can feel empowered to make informed choices about their drinking, seek support if they need it and are confident in supporting others who maybe struggling.[1] There is clear evidence that alcohol increases the risk of many serious health conditions and by making changes to drinking habits the risk can be reduced. Alcohol related harm soared during the pandemic, creating conditions for more people to drink more heavily and more than usual. This is reflected in figures presented by the Office of National Statistics and findings from the Office of Health Improvement and Disparities (formerly Public Health England) who identified a 20% increase in alcohol specific deaths in 2020 (compared to 2019) and an unprecedented rise is alcoholic liver disease deaths. [2] Through offering information and advice to raise awareness of the harms caused by alcohol. Giving people the tools to change their relationship with alcohol and signposting those and their families who need it - support has never been so important. How can you or your service support the campaign? Share / re-tweet the posts via the Bath and North East Somerset Council Twitter or Facebook using the hashtag #AlcoholAwarenessWeek. The Public Health Team will be showcasing key messages and activity on social media and providing training to professionals and volunteers in the local area. Signpost anyone under 18 to the new self-help website The Wrap or refer them to Project 28 for further support with alcohol. There is now a transitional service in place for anyone aged 18 – 25 years. For anyone over 18 experiencing problems with drug and alcohol use, signpost them to DHI. Encourage colleagues, professionals, volunteers to sign-up to the new Think Family or Alcohol Awareness training. Multiple dates available for 2022. Check out the Workforce Directory 2021- 2022 PDF for further information on training and development opportunities. What’s on? Many organisations, settings and workplaces across the area will be promoting this week either virtually or face to face. Here is a snapshot of some of the things happening during the week: People can pop down to DHI St James Parade for a free and confidential chat about their alcohol use from Monday – Friday, 9am – 5pm. Think Family Alcohol Awareness Training, a new training package developed by Project 28 and B&NES Public Health is being delivered to professionals on Tuesday 16th November. Alcohol Awareness Training is being delivered to professionals and volunteers on the Wednesday 17th November. An internal training session has been organised for B&NES Council staff on Thursday 18th November. Project 28 will be doing some outreach work across B&NES throughout the week. Referral information DHI Bath - The Beehive Telephone: 01225 329411 Email: TheBeehive@dhibath.org.uk Address: The Beehive, Beehive Yard, Walcot Street, Bath BA1 5BD DHI Midsomer Norton – Rural Recovery Hub Telephone: 01761 419086 Address: The Recovery Hub, High Street, Midsomer Norton, BA3 2DP DHI Project 28 (services for Young People) Telephone: 01225 463344 Email: office@dhiproject28.org.uk Website: https://www.thewrapdhi.org.uk/ Fax: 01225 463345 Address: Project 28, 28 Southgate Street, Bath, BA1 1TP SPOTLIGHT ON SPIKING RESOURCES Talk to Frank Spiking – Top Tips to Stay Safe Alcohol Education Trust – Drink Spiking Fact Sheet for over 16 years Alcohol Education Trust Drink Spiking in the UK short video Drinkaware Drink Spiking and Date Rape Drug Webpage Release Basic Drug Harm Reduction Bristol Anti-Spiking Campaign – signs and symptoms to look out for, what to do inside and outside of the venue and where to get support. Bath Bid will soon be sharing the campaign around Bath in the next few weeks. Additional links and resources Drinkaware Digital Scratch Card Tool - find out what type of drinker you are. DHI webFam - an online self-help tool for families & carers of drug or alcohol users. Alcohol Change UK Unit Calculator NHS Drink Free Days information page and smartphone app. B&NES Local Alcohol Profile to track and monitor recent trends and data. We Are with You Over 50’s Alcohol Helpline on 0808 801 0750 or book an online appointment. Brakes Drink Driving Prevention Webpage Adfam – comprehensive list of supporting organisations for families. Drink Well, Age Well Professional Resources including a good practice guidance for supporting older adults who have an alcohol problem and cognitive impairment. Next steps – 16 days of action and Dry January 16 Days of Action 25th November 2021 – 10th December 2021 With this year’s theme Alcohol Awareness Week being around relationships, it’s important to be aware of the 16 days of Action Campaign and supporting materials, see here. The 16 Days of Action is an annual international campaign on domestic violence and abuse. The campaign kicks off on 25 November, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, and runs until 10 December, Human Rights Day. The campaign is endorsed by Office of Health Improvement and Disparities. This year’s theme is “Orange the World: End Violence Against Women Now.” Dry January – 1st January 2022 – 30th January 2022 In 2021 6.5 Million people took on the biggest Dry January ever meaning that they went alcohol-free for the month of January, and that can bring huge benefits. People who take on the official Dry January with Alcohol Change UK are twice as likely to have a totally alcohol-free month. For campaign information and promotional materials, see here.