South West London Integrated Care System is looking for an experienced and enthusiastic director to lead the development of the Voluntary Community and Social Enterprise (VCSE) Alliance across our six boroughs. The post will be hosted by Croydon Voluntary Action (CVA) as the lead organisation for the development of our Alliance in South West London.

The role is full-time and is offered for a fixed term of 2 years initially and the successful candidate will focus on developing strong partnership working with VCSE organisations and south west London’s health and care system.

Apply on the NHS website here. The closing date is 09 February 2023

After voluntary and community groups did so much to support local people during the pandemic, the local NHS is now working more closely with our partners to benefit from their skills, experience and deep knowledge of local communities. 

To help us connect with our communities and the voluntary sector across our six boroughs, the NHS is working together with local leaders to create a south west London voluntary sector alliance.  This alliance will help join up our voluntary sector partners, make sure the NHS understands their potential to connect and support our local communities. 

While the NHS has always prioritised the voices of local people, the aim now is to provide an official seat at the most senior decision-making table in south west London by creating a new director role.

The NHS in South West London has created a new Director of Voluntary and Community Sector Engagement and Partnership.  The new director will have the opportunity to drive change and the ability to make a tangible difference to the relationship between the voluntary sector and the NHS – building on the strong relationships developed during the pandemic.

The post holder will sit on the South West London Integrated Care Partnership Board – alongside chief executives and senior leaders from health and care organisations in South West London.

This is a fantastic opportunity for someone who is passionate about making a real and tangible difference for local people.”Sarah Burns, Director of Communities at Croydon Voluntary Action

Sarah Blow, chief executive of the NHS in South West London, said:

“For leaders of the NHS and local authority organisations, partnering with voluntary and community sector– especially grass-roots organisations – can be transformative.

“It means we can include our communities’ voices, experiences and resources at the core of our work to improve health and wellbeing. For VCSE organisations, these partnerships offer the opportunity to become more embedded in local decision-making, rather than engagement on an issue-by-issue basis.”

Sarah Burns, Director of Communities at Croydon Voluntary Action, said:

“This is a fantastic opportunity for someone who is passionate about making a real and tangible difference for local people and we are looking forward to welcoming a board member who is ready to help us deliver services for everyone in south west London.”

South West London Integrated Care System is looking for an experienced and enthusiastic director to lead the development of the Voluntary Community and Social Enterprise (VCSE) Alliance across our six boroughs. The post will be hosted by Croydon Voluntary Action (CVA) as the lead organisation for the development of our Alliance in South West London.

The role is full-time and is offered for a fixed term of 2 years initially and the successful candidate will focus on developing strong partnership working with VCSE organisations and south west London’s health and care system. More information can be found here.  

The Wimbledon Foundation has recently re-opened two grant programmes for charitable organisations working in Merton and Wandsworth: Wimbledon Foundation Community Fund and Get Set, Get Active Fund.

They will be hosting an online Meet the Funder event on Thursday 9 February 10am-12pm. At this event we will provide more information about the funds, application process and answer any specific questions applicants may have. Attendees can sign up for the event here.

Wimbledon Foundation Community Fund

Grants of up to £10,000 are available to support community organisations working in Merton and Wandsworth towards projects which meet local needs by addressing one or more of the following themes:

• Mental health and wellbeing
• Education, training and employability
• Advocacy, specialist support and advice
• Community cohesion

In addition to these themes, we will prioritise applications from organisations supporting any of the following groups.

• Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic groups
• Disability groups
• LGBTQIA+ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, queer, intersex, asexual, +)
• Young people
• People not in education, employment or training
• Older people

We actively welcome applications from organisations not previously funded by the Wimbledon Foundation.

The closing date is Monday 6 March 2023.

To access the full Fund Guidelines and to make an application, please visit the London Community Foundation website, here.

If you have any questions, please contact the London Community Foundation on 020 7582 5117 or at applications@londoncf.org.uk.

Get Set, Get Active Fund

Grants of £500 to £3,500 are available to support community organisations working in Merton and Wandsworth to deliver a variety of physical or sports activities.

We will prioritise applications from organisations supporting any of the follow groups.

• Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic groups (global majority)
• Children and young people
• Ex-offenders / At risk of offending
• LGBTQIA+ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, queer, intersex, asexual, +)
• Mental Health
• NEET (people not in education, employment or training)
• Older people
• People with disabilities
• Refugees and asylum seekers
• Women and girls

We actively welcome applications from organisations not previously funded by the Wimbledon Foundation.

The closing date is Monday 6 March 2023.

To access the full Fund Guidelines and to make an application, please visit the Wimbledon Foundation website, here.

If you have any questions, please contact the Wimbledon Foundation on 020 8939 6369 or at foundation@aeltc.com.

Please note that organisations may only apply for one of the grant funds.

We are really grateful for your help in spreading the word so that we can reach and support even more local charities and community groups.

BATCA is delighted to announce the launch of the BATCA Community Awards 2023. 

• Please nominate your community hero using the link below. 
• We plan to present the awards at a live event open to all at 7pm on Thursday 15^th March (venue tbc). 

The aim of the Awards is to recognise the volunteers who do amazing work to serve our community and its people. They are a much cherished part of local life. Please give the Awards your support.

• Has someone made a difference in our Tooting and Balham community that deserves recognition? 
• Do you know a person or an organisation that goes the extra mile for others? 
• If so, think about nominating them through the link below.  

MAKE YOUR NOMINATION HERE  https://forms.gle/7vKBk25Gjps53v5v5 

Closing date for nominations is TUESDAY 14TH FEBRUARY 2023 

Who can be nominated? 

• Anyone of any age and background is eligible 
• Any field of activity counts- whether helping neighbours, looking after the less fortunate, being a mover and shaker in community group or faith body.  

• What matters is sustained effort that makes a real difference to others’ lives.  
• There are awards for teams and individuals 
• Nominations for people who serve modestly with little recognition, and nominations for young people are especially welcome 
• Previous award recipients include those supporting refugees and the elderly, community gardeners, shopkeepers who look after their neighbours, community artists, advocates for women’s rights, people running lunch clubs for the elderly, heroic fundraisers for good causes, those running food banks…so nominate your own hero!  
• Although primarily for volunteers, heroes in the workplace can also be nominated Nominations will be assessed by a panel of independent judges. 

SPECIAL CATEGORIES 

This year we are emphasising two special categories, i) Promoting sustainability and the fight against climate change and (ii) Fighting poverty and social exclusion. Other nominations are welcome too. 

Promoting sustainability and the fight against climate change  

Activities to promote sustainability and contribute to tackling climate change. For example / leading or helping with initiatives to raise awareness of climate change and how to tackle it / working to increase biodiversity/ tree planting/ litter picking/ promoting a sustainable lifestyle/ promoting walking, cycling and safer, less polluted streets /caring for our green open spaces/ leading recycling and reuse schemes

Fighting poverty and social exclusion   

Activities that help those impacted by the cost of living crisis or who face social exclusion For example running or helping at advice schemes for those facing crippling energy costs or food banks or homeless drop ins, giving quiet support to frail or housebound neighbours, helping disabled people take part in activities they would otherwise be unable to access. 

General   

Any activity involving service to others that doesn’t fall into the categories above. Anything that brings benefits to neighbours and/or the community counts. For example simple sustained acts of kindness that don’t fit any pigeon hole/ strengthening our community through reaching out to and/or bringing together people from diverse walks of life/ boosting others’ life chances by passing on skills eg cooking, crafts.  

Please note these examples are not exhaustive – just a few illustrations. The grouping of nominations and final award categories are at the discretion of the judging panel and may be subject to change

 

BATCA COMMUNITY HEROES AWARDS EVENING 

7pm Thursday 15^th March 

This will be a great community celebration. More information, including on the venue and how to book, will be provided in due course. 

How can I find out more? 

Contact Kate Allan (Secretary) at secretary@batca.org, or 07966 690308  or Kitty Grant at drkittygrant@gmail.com