The Wandsworth LGBTQ+ Delivery Network is a space for local LGBTQ+ groups to come together to support each other and to explore the needs of LGBTQ+ people in Wandsworth and to seek ways we can collaborate to meet these needs. We currently meet quarterly with a hybrid option both in person and online.

Recent collaborative projects have included: a joint stall at a Battersea Park summer event, development of LGBTQ+ ally badges, training to Wandsworth commissioners to improve inclusive practices and we are currently exploring 2024 Pride activities.

If you are a Wandsworth LGBTQ+ group or service and would like to join the network, please contact the network chair – Lucie Brooke: lucie@free2b.lgbt

Below are just some of our 10+ member organisations supporting the LGBTQ+ Community in Wandsworth.

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Free2B Alliance

Free2B support LGBTQ+ young people aged 9-19+, we support parents of gender variant children and we deliver LGBTQ+ awareness training to schools and organisations working with young people.

We seek to provide safe spaces and champion empowerment, acceptance and a place where you are Free2B!

Website address: www.free2b.lgbt

Contact: hello@free2b.lgbt

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Spectra

Spectra delivers supportive, knowledgeable, non-judgemental peer-based services to under-served communities, including LGBTQIA communities. These services include Counselling, Social Groups for Young People and people of trans experience, HIV/STI testing outreach community services, One to One support delivered by trained peer staff and Training & Workshops, exploring issues around sexual health, sexual orientation and gender identity.

Website address: www.spectra-london.org.uk

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The Furzedown Project

50+ LGBT Coffee Morning

Every Thursday 10-12pm

Our weekly session is open to anyone who is LGBTQ+, is aged 50 and over, and lives in the borough of Wandsworth. We operate a safe and inclusive space, with an opportunity to listen to guest speakers and take trips out.

Contact: services@furzedownproject.org

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Queer Wandsworth

Queer Wandsworth (previously known as Wandsworth LGBTQ+ forum), has established a broad programme of advocacy, health and cultural activities for LGBTQ+ people of all ages. Queer Wandsworth has embraced provisions of sexual health, primary care, cancer and mental health services and promotion of cultural and inclusion projects in partnership with other organisations. We are a volunteer led organisation.

Contact: contact@queerwandsworth.org

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Age UK Wandsworth LGBTQ+ Coffee Morning

Age UK Wandsworth offers a LGBTQ+ Coffee Morning for over 50s in partnership with and hosted by Avery’s Wandsworth Common Care Home. Come along, socialise, and listen to guest speakers in a fully accessible ground floor function room, with complimentary refreshments and delicious cakes provided. All welcome!

The last Tuesday of each month | 11.00am – 12.30pm

Here’s the address: Avery Collection Wandsworth Common Care Home, 94 North Side Wandsworth Common, London SW18 2QU.

Website address: https://www.ageuk.org.uk/wandsworth/activities-and-events/regular-activities/lgbtq/
Contact: outreach@ageukwandsworth.org.uk | 020 8877 8947

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Wandsworth Carers’ Centre

We run a Project to support LGBTQ+ people, living anywhere in London, who are an unpaid Carer. You may be caring for a friend, neighbour, partner, ex-partner, child, birth or chosen family member. Whether you care for someone once a month or every day, we are here to support you. We offer one to one support and advocacy, peer support groups and free trips for LGBTQ+ Carers. Please get in touch to find out how we can support you.

Website address: https://carerswandsworth.org.uk/specialist-support/lgbt/

Contact: info@wandsworthcarers.org.uk

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Wandsworth Community Empowerment Network, in partnership with South West London Clinical Commissioning GroupIs seeking a Ethnicity Mental Health Improvement Project (EMHIP) Community Health Worker

£30,000 Full time.

All posts are open to Secondments. All posts are on a fixed-term contract, but we have ambitions for long term investment and sustainability.

A fantastic opportunity has arisen to join an innovative, unique approach to service delivery for our Black African Caribbean and Asian Mental Health service-users within Wandsworth.

The EMHIP has been designed to be a practical, locality-based service improvement programme to bring about change for Black Minority Ethnic (BME) communities in mental health care. The aim of the programme is to reduce inequalities in three specific areas where BME communities fare worse: in access, experience and outcomes of mental health care. 

The Community Health Worker will support the team in undertaking needs led, culturally appropriate assessments and interventions for people seeking help, their families and carers, as well as contribute to assessment, support, care and treatment for people who seek help through the Hub.

For more information about EMHIP please visit www.emhip.co.uk

To apply please request a job pack and application form from selina@wcen.org.uk

Closing date: 12/05/2023 

Short listed candidates will be notified week commencing 15/05/2023. 

Interviews will commence week 22/05/2023. 

Money Counts training for Wandsworth: Promoting a cash first approach to food insecurity

The Wandsworth ‘Worrying About Money?’ leaflet is a straightforward resource for people facing financial crisis and support workers to quickly see available cash first support options and which local agencies are best placed to help.

Now more than ever, it is vital that people facing money worries are linked to cash first advice and support at the earliest opportunity. This one-hour online training session is designed for frontline staff and volunteers in Kingston who may have brief conversations with people about their money worries or financial struggles as part of their work.

After the one-hour session you will:

• be fully aware of the local financial advice and cash first support options currently available in Kingston
• feel confident about using the Kingston ‘Worrying about money?’ leaflet to ask people about wider money worries and guide them to appropriate support
• understand more about the importance of a ‘cash first’ approach to growing food insecurity and poverty

We will be running the session on Tue 2nd May 10-11am. Link to the session will be shared on the day.

Please book your place here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/wandsworth-money-counts-training-online-tickets-594615540087

This training session will be led by Abby Preston and Emma Österberg, IFAN, and includes input from Wandsworth Citizens Advice.

You can find out more about ‘Worrying About Money?’ cash first referral leaflets at www.foodaidnetwork.org.uk/cash-first-leaflets

If you have any questions about these sessions or if you face any difficulties signing up to attend, then please contact Emma Österberg at emma@foodaidnetwork.org.uk.

The Greater London Authority in partnership with City Bridge Trust and the National Lottery Community Fund is launching Round 2 of the Mayor’s Civil Society Roots Fund on 24th April 2023.   Ahead of the launch, we are inviting interested groups to book for information sessions happening on Tuesday 2nd May 2023. 

Round 2 of the Mayor’s Civil Society Roots Fund will continue to support equity led organisations in the 10 London boroughs – Bromley, Enfield, Harrow, Havering, Hillingdon, Hounslow, Newham, Redbridge, Sutton, Wandsworth to strengthen their networks, capacity, and voice.  

We are looking for organisations that want to develop new sectoral and/or cross sectoral partnerships, invest in organisational capacity building, research, training or enable space and time to think about what our communities need most. The fund is specifically aimed at supporting groups to be in a stronger place to respond to and serve the increasing and ever-changing needs of our communities.  It is not for delivery of front-line activity.     

Grants of up to £30,000 over 12 months (plus up to £2500 for additional access costs) will be awarded for projects starting September 2023. 

In the first instance, interested groups will be requested to submit an Expression of Interest form by 19^th May 2023, and successful applicants will be subsequently invited to submit a full application by 30^th June 2023. The grants prospectus and EOI form will be available on our website from 24^th April 2023. 

To support applicants through the two-stage application process, Community Regen, the programme support partner, are running in person and online information sessions on May 2nd, at Resource For London, 356 Holloway Rd, London N7 6PA (fully accessible venue) which can be booked via here for in person sessions and here for online sessions.  
  
Interested attendees with access needs, are requested to register by Wednesday 26th April, so we can make arrangements to support their participation.  

Please share information about the information sessions with other equity-led organisations in your borough/ network.   

If you have questions about this fund, please email us at civilsociety@london.gov.uk  

You are invited to attend a demonstration of the new Low Income Family Tracker (LIFT) dashboard developed by Policy in Practice. The dashboard provides with up to date information on our most vulnerable households providing a geographical picture of vulnerabilities across our Borough and allows us to drill down to ward and household level.  

LIFT has been successfully used by a number of other local authorities to help direct resources to provide support to those households that need it most. This includes directing funding through the Household Support Fund, informing proactive engagement with households to help improve their financial resilience and undertaking proactive campaigns to target households who are eligible for benefits that they are not currently receiving.

More information on the LIFT can be found here: https://policyinpractice.co.uk/low-income-family-tracker/

Whilst the LIFT dashboard currently includes  only Council data, we acknowledge that our voluntary sector partners hold a wealth of data about our vulnerable households. We are hoping that as many of you as possible will attend the session to see what the LIFT dashboard does, how it might help inform what the Council does and how it works in partnership with you. The data might also help inform the work that you do and we are keen to hear your thoughts.

This meeting will be on Tuesday 2^nd May at 2pm and on  Microsoft Teams

Click here to join the meeting

Meeting ID: 387 215 314 168
Passcode: SBkCtf