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Health & Wellbeing e-Bulletin November 2020: Thriving Communities Fund, White Ribbon Day and Food Support

Welcome to the Health and Wellbeing bulletin. We hope that you are keeping safe and well during this lockdown. There are currently many changes in the  health and social care system both locally in Tower Hamlets Together and across the emerging health care system of North East London, in light of this the Health and Wellbeing steering group agreed that it was important for the sector to find out more about what was happening and how you can get involved. The next forum is on the 10th December between 10 -12 we hope you will be able to join us for presentations.

  • East London CCG
  • Update on THT programme
  • Mental Health transformation programme
  • National Academy of Social Prescribing programme Network and learning together programme

We would like to highlight a new funding opportunities now open to VCSFE organisations under the Thriving Communities Together programme:

Coordinated through the Arts council  to develop place based partnerships between health, sports, environment and culture to develop community level activities that address the negative impact of Covid 19 to strengthen the offer for social prescribing. There will be a need to have 20% match funding. The guidance is on the Arts Council website 

We are working with the National Academy of Social Prescribing (NASP) to develop relationships with the NHS charities in East London to explore how the voluntary sector can work across the boroughs of Hackney, Newham, Waltham Forest, Redbridge, Barking and Dagenham and Havering. If you would like to find out more please contact alison.robert@thcvs.org.uk


Alison Robert
Networking event - Thriving Communities Programme
Thursday 3rd December
10.30 - 12.00 pm
Online event

Join us in this networking event to explore the options across the borough to participate in this new funding opportunity
Book your place
Health & Wellbeing Forum: Changes in the Health and Care system in North-East London
Thursday 10th December
10.00 - 11.30 am
Online vent

There will be an opportunity to understand the opportunities that the evolving changes will create opportunities for the sector to be involved.
Book your place
Opportunities to get involved with the locality Health and Wellbeing committees

The Locality Health and wellbeing committees aim to enable greater provision of proactive, personalised, coordinated and more integrated health and social care, and link the approach into the THT priorities. Here is the link to the Living well workstream page so you can see how important your involvement is  https://www.towerhamletstogether.com/the-challenge/living-well

North East Locality -  Contact samantha.gager@nhs.net

North West Locality  - Contact ashraf.ullah@nhs.net

South East Locality - Contact ghislaine.fournigault@nhs.net

South West Locality - Contact aysha.begum11@nhs.net

Or for further information contact alison.robert@thcvs.org.uk
Tower Hamlets Together  
Amy's Monthly Briefing
November 2020

This month's Tower Hamlets Together Exec Board meeting had a jam-packed agenda, with a focus on shielding, digital inclusion, voluntary sector strategy and the locality health and wellbeing committees, plus their  standing local delivery board and performance reports.
Read more
Tower Hamlets GP Care Group Shortlisted for the 2020 HSJ Awards

Congratulations to our friends at Tower Hamlets GP Care Group!!

The THGP Care groups have been shortlisted for this year’s HSJ Awards in the Primary Care Networks, GP or Community Provider of the Year category, recognising our outstanding contribution to healthcare in the borough.
Find out more
Health Campaigns
White Ribbon day: End Violence Against Women
 

On Wednesday 25 November, Tower Hamlets Council is encouraging male residents to wear a white ribbon as a pledge to end male violence against women. Wearers are making a promise to never commit, excuse or remain silent about male violence against women. Residents can also make the promise by signing the White Ribbon online pledge.

The day coincides with the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women and girls, marking the beginning of 16 Days of Activism against gender violence. The campaign will run until Human Rights Day on 10 December and is an opportunity for everyone to take action to increase awareness of violence against women and girls.

Tower Hamlets Council is working with partners to deliver online training, virtual events and information sessions across the 16 Days of Activism. As part of this, the council’s violence against women and girls’ team (VAWG) has teamed up with Hestia Refuge to run A Country a Day, an online project where people will share their personal experiences of domestic abuse. The series will feature survivor stories from Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, India and Pakistan as well as highlighting campaigns running in different countries to tackle domestic abuse.

Sessions will take place from 10 – 11:30am on the following dates:

  • Monday 30 November – Sri Lanka
  • Wednesday 2 December – India
  • Monday 7 December – Bangladesh
  • Thursday 10 December - Pakistan

Anyone who is interested in attending over Microsoft Teams can contact Serita.Myers@towerhamlets.gov.uk

Please see the Timetable for events across Tower Hamlets
 
More info
Support after sudden bereavement during the COVID-19 pandemic
 

Thrive LDN have put this resource together to support you if you are grieving the sudden death of someone close to you, or if you are supporting someone going through sudden bereavement.
 
More info
News from THCVS Members
The Food Store - Tower Hamlets first healthy affordable food store is open for families in need
 

The Food Store is a new food support service based on Food Pantry model, which is a membership-based service accessed only via referrals.

The service will be located on the ground floor flat on the Burdett Estate - 5a Limborough House, Thomas Road, London E14 7AW and co-located with Women’s Environmental Network (WEN) who run food growing and cooking programmes and other food related services.

To learn more about the service and eligibility requirements contact:

Masoom Ahmed
thefoodstoreburdett@outlook.com
 
Find out more
St Paul's Bow Common: Community Engagement

Our friends St. Paul's Bow Common are eager to hear what local people want for their community! they are looking to find new ways to maximise the use of their large and spacious building, primarily by sharing it more widely with the local community. It would help them if you could take just a minute to complete a very short survey:

Survey
Let Voice be Heard: Food support to LGBTQ+ Bangladeshi Community

Let Voice Be Heard,  is supporting the LGBTQ+ Bangladeshi community and LGBTQ+ asylum seekers in Tower Hamlets who are struggling to buy food.

If you want to support the initiative or if you know someone who can benefit from it email Tarek Chowdhury at ctarek95@yahoo.com
Diabetes UK: Tower Hamlets Diabetes support group
 

Diabetes UK charity has recently launched a new support group for people with diabetes in Tower Hamlets.

The second meeting of the group will take place on Monday 30th November at 6pm via Zoom. They will be joined by Diabetes UK Senior Clinical Advisor to talk about Diabetes and Nutrition. The group is planning to meet regularly every 3 to 4 weeks.

If you want to join the group or know someone who would be interested, please email towerhamletsdiabetesuk@gmail.com  and join their Facebook group here 
QMUL: How can Queen Mary University of London support positive social change in east London? Your thoughts are needed

Queen Mary University of London is developing a Civic University Agreement as a way of outlining its commitment to the local area. To ensure the institution is meeting the needs of east London, we are seeking the views of residents, businesses and community organisations to help determine the pressures our communities are facing, gather insights into how you think QM could help to address those challenges, and find opportunities for working together. 

We'd really like to hear from you - you can share your thoughts in a focus group or by completing a survey.

Find out more
QMUL: Shape the next Festival of Communities – join the working group.

The Festival of Communities is one of Tower Hamlets’ largest free community events. Led by Queen Mary University of London in collaboration with community groups, charities and organisations across Tower Hamlets, our aim is to bring people together to explore living and learning in our borough.

We sadly had to cancel the Festival this year due to Covid-19, but we are busy planning for the 2021 Festival to return!

QMUL are seeking organisations to work with them on shaping what the Festival will look like for next year and to make sure what is organise meets the needs of our local residents. If you're interested in joining the Festival working group, please email Sarah Gifford, Community Engagement Officer on s.gifford@qmul.ac.uk for more details.
Find out more
Toynbee Hall: Befriending Service
 

Toynbee Hall is providing a befriending service to match volunteers with those that are living in isolation and are experiencing loneliness.  Volunteers are available to call and chat with those that are experiencing loneliness to support them over the phone.  Organisations and individuals are able to refer clients to us who they feel will benefit from having a volunteer befriender.  If you would like to make a client referral or know others that may wish to volunteer please contact Aklima.begum@toynbeehall.org.uk
Training and events
ELOP: World AIDS Day Online Concert
 
Tuesday, 1st December 19:00
Tuesday, 8th December 22:00
Online event

ELOP’s annual World AIDS Day concert is going online! Going live on Tuesday 1st December at 7.00pm, ELOP's annual benefit concert will be available to stream for one week to watch in the comfort of your own home. Featuring local choirs, musicians and artists as a fundraiser for Positive East and to commemorate World AIDS Day.
 
Book your place
Help Us Help You - Protect yourself from flu
Monday 30th Nov 18:00
Monday 28th Dec 19:00
Online event

Join other pregnant women across north east London to talk about the flu and how you can protect yourself and your baby this winter.
Book your place
Help Us Help You - Protect yourself from flu
Tuesday 1st December
18:00 – 19:00 GMT
Online Event

Join others living with long-term health conditions across north east London to talk about flu and how you can protect yourself this winter.
Book your palce
DSC Zoom Talk: Faith based fundraising during COVID and beyond
 
Thursday, 3rd December 17.00 - 18.00
Online event

Fundraising during the current climate has been particularly difficult, but what are the challenges and hurdles faith based charities have had to overcome? And what new changes and strategies have they embraced and implemented in order to survive?

Join this zoom talk were we will discuss faith based fundraising during the current climate, challenges we face as we move from 2020 to 2021 and positive changes and strategies we can share and learn from.
 
Book your place
Funding Opportunities

Thriving Communities Fund
Grants of between £25,000 and £50,000
Deadline: 12pm (midday), 8 January 2021

The funding is designed to increase social connectedness, and help communities cope with the impact of COVID-19 by working with those communities most impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, including black, Asian and ethnically diverse communities.

London Community Response - Wave 4 - Navigating Crisis
Grants of up to £10,000
Deadline: 3rd December 2020

To ensure we can respond to need quickly and reduce pressures on frontline organisations, LCF is working collaboratively with other London funders to provide emergency and response funding during the coronavirus crisis.                        

Voice4Change COVID-19 Partnership Fund
Grants of between £5,000 and £10,000
Deadline 4th December 2020 

This grants programme is designed to help tackle the disproportionate impact of COVID 19 on BAME communities.

The grants programme has three sections:

  • Delivering COVID 19 services. Groups can apply for help with current costs, if their funding has been affected by the pandemic.
  • Delivering mental health and well-being services, particularly to those who have been further impacted by COVID 19
  • Delivering sports activities to tackle BAME inequalities and help with the impact of COVID 19 including well-being initiatives
Tower Hamlets Council Small Grants Fund
Theme 8: Covid-19 Test and Trace Outreach and Engagement
Grants of up to £3,000

Tower Hamlets Council is seeking to support projects that take a culturally sensitive and responsive approach to enable communities to proactively engage with NHS Test and Trace. We want to encourage local actions that support the dissemination of key messages around Test and Trace to a number of priority communities. The priority communities are:

  • Young people
  • Carers
  • Homeless people
  • New migrants
  • Students
  • People experiencing domestic violence
  • People experiencing digital exclusion and/or digital poverty

Grants of up to £1,000 are available to un-constituted groups of residents and grants of up to £3,000 are available to constituted not-for-profit organisations.

MOPAC Victims Fund
Grants of up to £80,000
Deadline: 11th January 2021

The aim of this fund is to build the capacity and maximise the potential of voluntary, community and social enterprise organisations to help ensure the continued and improved provision of vital services to support victims of crime and help them cope and recover. 
Job Opportunities
Join the THCVS Team!
 

Partnerships Officer - BAME disparities project
Closing date: 9.00am on Thursday 3 December 2020
Interviews will be held on Friday the 11th of December

Tower Hamlets CVS has secured funding for a one year action research project to support BAME community groups across Tower Hamlets to build on and sustain the impact achieved in response to the Covid-19 pandemic.  The Project will work with BAME community groups and with System Leaders to develop effective and sustainable mechanisms for influencing health and social care systems across Tower Hamlets.  The Project will also provide practical support to participating BAME community groups to develop their digital capabilities and longer-term sustainability.

If you would like an informal chat or require further information about the role or working arrangements, please email THCVS CEO, Peter Okali at peter.okali@thcvs.org.uk

To apply for the post, please email info@thcvs.org.uk to request an application pack.
 
More info
Keep in touch

Please email me if you would like to have anything included in the bulletin. Alison.robert@thcvs.org.uk 

Unit 3.10   |   The Green House
244-254 Cambridge Heath Road
London E2 9DA
T: 0203 559 6696

Tower Hamlets CVS is a Registered Charity No. 1137143 and a Company Limited by Guarantee No. 07251141