Welcome to the October updates, this month we celebrate Black History Month, don’t forget to visit the BHM2021 website and check out a whole range of activities including music, stand-up comedy, talks, courses and more!

We are also introducing the Tower Hamlets Equalities Hub, a initiative to give all Tower Hamlets residents a voice regardless of their age, gender, ethnic background, faith and sexuality, find out more and get involved!

Tuesday 26 October / 11:00am - 13:00pm / Online event

Come and join us to celebrate another year's work, meet the team behind the scenes and celebrate the VCS sector achievements!

We will be joined by Mayor John Biggs and other Tower Hamlets organisations that will tell you their story over the last year.

The Equalities Hub is a new intersectional project key to the new direction for the Council’s equalities provision, providing a central strategic focus, responding to the community’s needs and issues.

The Hub will be vital to bringing about a more coordinated approach to equalities in the borough. 

Do you want to find out more and get involved? ... keep scrolling...

From Monday 18 October there will be a series of public events taking place across Tower Hamlets paying tribute to those who have died of Covid and celebrating the response of residents and partners, and the strength of our community.

Each week the Director of Public Health, Dr Somen Banerjee, publishes a Covid-19 update to keep residents and partners informed about Covid-19 in Tower Hamlets. Read this week’s to find out about Covid-19 rates and how we’re making it easier than ever for everyone to be eligible to get their jabs.

At Tower Hamlets CVS we want your organisation to thrive and Digital has become an important part of your organisation capabilities.

We are introducing monthly surgeries where you can speak with a member of staff about your digital needs.

Among the topics are:

• Equipment
• CRM (Client Relationship Manager)
• Training programmes
• Digital and tech solutions for your operations
• Publicity: Website and social media
• Other topics (please let us know what your query is about)
  

Sundays / 11.00am to 12.00pm @ Mile End Stadium

This 16-week programme (beginning Sunday 25 July 2021) will include 1-hour physical activity using the very popular slow-paced version of the beautiful game” Walking Football”.

The gender friendly sessions are suited for people generally over 50 or inactive who wish to take exercise in a fun filled, safe environment which encourages social cohesion. It is non-contact with redefined rules to compensate for older or less active residents and current Government social distancing guidelines will be applied.

Location: Mile End Stadium Mini Pitches, Mile End Park Leisure Centre and Stadium
190 Burdett Rd, London E3 4HL

For more information, contact derek.bennett@towerhamlets.gov.uk / 020 7364 2681 or 07951 203144

Tuesday 5 October / 11.00am to 12.30pm

A free 90 minute online course for men, providing an introduction to tools and techniques from mindfulness and positive psychology. The course is free for anyone on a low income who identifies as a man.

The session will include a mix of theory and practical exercises, plus plenty of time for confidential, supportive chat in small groups as well as whole group discussion. We aim to create a safe and encouraging space where men can share openly about their experiences.

Wednesday 6 October / 1.30 to 3.00pm

Do you feel the support you receive improves your health and wellbeing? Do you find adult social care services easy to access and use? Come and join this important meeting to ensure future services are designed with you in mind! This session is a great opportunity for clients to directly influence the council on the future of adult social care. Real’s Taking Control of Your Life (TCOYL) project empowers disabled people in Tower Hamlets to have more choice and control in their care. They work to ensure health and social care services are accessible and inclusive of the needs of our diverse community.

This event is for disabled people who live in the London borough of Tower Hamlets.

To sign up for find out more, please contact 07458 304616 or 02305811946 or email TCOYL@real.org.uk. 

Tuesday 19 October / 2.00 to 3.30pm,  Tuesday 26 October  / 2.00 to 3.30pm, Wednesday 17 November / 1.30 to 3.00pm

There is an increasing awareness of the effect bullying and harassment can have on individual, team and organisational welfare. The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) has estimated that over 50% of stress cases at work involve bullying, and the increasing costs of compensation can be staggering.

The three events will be delivered via MS Teams in a live, virtual, interactive format. All by experienced subject experts. Anybody working in North East London Health and Social Care setting can register to attend.

Macmillan Cancer Support offer personalised coordination and navigation support for people with cancer who:

- Have very complex health and social care needs
- Are vulnerable and isolated  
- Need proactive ongoing support close to home
- Live in Tower Hamlets and are aged 18 years and over
Length of support depends on the needs of the individual

How can Macmillan Cancer Support help? Their navigators:- Have personalised conversations to assess people’s wider support needs
- Co-produce a care plan with the person, focusing on their needs
- Coordinate care and support with other professionals as a team around the person- including the GP and hospital teams
- Provide people access to urgent information advice and support in the community
- Enable people to take control, be independent and manage their health

For more information contact: elft.macmillan-carenavigation@nhs.net / 0300 033 5000

This service can provide person-centred, practical daily living support at home for people with cancer who are having surgery and undergoing chemotherapy or radiotherapy, especially those who:

- Live alone and have no network of support
- Are worried about coping at home with everyday life due to the consequences of treatment
This service is available 7 days a week for residents of Tower Hamlets, who are aged 18 years and over. Exact number of sessions will be agreed at assessment, depending on a person’s needs.

Macmillan Cancer Support workers can help to:

- Ensure that the home environment is safe, clean and comfortable
- Organise practical support – e.g. personal care, household tasks, support with pets, children or other dependents
- Plan ahead for the treatment schedule
- Provide reassurance and reduce anxiety
- Signpost and refer to other holistic support services in the community, or adult social care if needed

For more information contact: macmillan@ageukeastlondon.org.uk 

LBTH are developing a new Adult Social Care Strategy which will articulate the strategic ambitions of the service and define how the ASC service moves forward.

They have launched a consultation on the new Adult Social Care Strategy, which is open now until 31 October. The strategy has been informed by discussions with people who need social care, unpaid carers, providers and staff. Following consultation, the Adult Social Care Strategy 2021 will be updated in early November in line with feedback and published in November 2021. 

The NHS has launched a national COVID Cancer Antibody Survey to assess antibody responses to the COVID-19 vaccines among cancer patients and is calling on cancer patients to sign up now. 

Vaccination is an important strategy to protect society from the effects of COVID-19, but there is emerging evidence that a small number of cancer patients may have lower levels of antibody response than the general population. 

The COVID Cancer Antibody Survey is one of the first surveys of its kind that will help to understand what protection people with cancer develop following COVID-19 infection and/or vaccination. 

London Borough of Tower Hamlets are pleased to offer FREE places on the Multi Agency Early Help Training programme to all organisations working with children and families in Tower Hamlets.

All courses are free and available on a first come first serve basis. Please note places are very limited and organisations will be allocated max 2 places per course.

qTech is a new programme at Queen Mary University of London, designed to support your local business start-up, SME, or community organisation to grow. The programme will give you access to the knowledge, technology, or techniques that can help to drive your organisation forward, at no cost. You will be paired with a talented Queen Mary student along with a practitioner and an academic who will work with you on a specific acceleration need/project that will benefit your growth and development to move rapidly up the adoption curve for new technology.

The support is free and is tailored, so it could be about developing customer engagement and interaction, evaluating the increased volume and range of data, developing an online portal and improving workflow processes, designing and developing a mobile platform, keeping the human connection when working online, enabling technologies including artificial intelligence and machine learning. There are more numerous areas where qTech can support you.

To mark World Mental Health Day 2021, Thrive LDN and the Mayor of London’s Peer Outreach Team are hosting a series of young Londoner-led events.

This year’s festival, Never Alone LDN, takes a look at how young Londoners can come together to overcome the challenges we face, and reflects on the experiences of young Londoners over the course of the Covid-19 pandemic.

This year, they are partnering with east London’s Rich Mix to host free-to-attend events, showcasing some of London’s best young performing talent, alongside panel discussions, conversation, visual art and workshops.

Never Alone LDN: Speak It / Monday 4 October / 12.30 to 6.00pm

Never Alone LDN: Express It / Monday 4 October / 7.00 to 9.30pm

Never Alone LDN: See It / Sunday 10 October / 3.30 to 7.00pm

Tickets are all FREE, and available now!

Sunday 10 October / 10.00am / Starts from Battersea Park, London

Thrive LDN is pleased to be a supporting partner for mental health charity, CLASP's, Walking Out Of Darkness event on Sunday, 10 October 2021.

The 10-mile fundraising walk starts and ends in Battersea Park, London, to mark World Mental Health Day 2021. The route will see participants taking in the sights and landmarks up and down the River Thames, with the iconic Tower Bridge being a midway crossing point.

Walking Out Of Darkness aims to unite us to assist, fundraise and support mental health charities, whilst increasing mental health awareness and equality rights for people with mental health disabilities.

The Proud to Care Rewards Scheme is a member benefit scheme led on by London ADASS that will help improve the lives of social care workers and unpaid carers and to say a big thank you for the continued hard work.  

Whether it’s for birthdays, weddings, engagements or more, the scheme is free to register and offers a range of discounts that can be applied to purchases helping to lighten the load. Social care workers and unpaid carers can sign up to the scheme for free on the registration page.

September - December 2021 Season

The autumn is often a time for new projects as children go back to school and embrace the fresher air. As we get used to being back together again and opening up it is a time for growth! The new season of events encourages participation and introduces new ways for the community to come together, learn, and grow at St Margaret’s House.

St Margaret’s House are also providing an exciting arts and wellbeing programme this season, with plenty of opportunities to grow! With theatre, live performances, visual arts, and lots of wellbeing activities There is something for everyone this season!

There are many ways to join us and explore, learn and grow. Have a look through the programme and see what you can get involved in at the St Margaret’s House hub!

Monday 4 October / 10.00am to 1.00pm / @ the Museum of London Docklands

The Canal & River Trust are really looking forward to you joining them at the launch of the  programme of events for Black History Month. Lord Boateng will be the key speaker and the event will be chaired by Sir William Atkinson, the chair of Canal & River Trust's Regional Advisory Board. 

There will be a Q&A session - you are invited you to submit in advance to: Emma.harrington@canalrivertrust.org.uk. You will also be able to ask questions during the meeting.

The event will conclude with a half hour guided walk around the Dock area by the Canal & River Trust Heritage Advisor, Phil Emery. You can sign up for this walk when you arrive on Monday. It will be a slow paced walk and on a flat service, but please wear shoes and clothing to suit the weather.

The Canal & River Trust are requesting, that if possible, you do a lateral flow test before arrival and avoid the event if you test positive. Hand sanitiser will be available inside the Museum.

Monday 4 October / 1.00 to 3.00pm / On Zoom

This session is aimed at supporting local partners to gain a basic understanding of what NPS are and what their use and dependency looks like, it’s impact and associated risks, physically, mentally and socially. Alongside this, support options available will be identified and explored. 

The session is designed to be accessed by all staff from various community agencies and groups including: Mental Health, Adult and Child Social Care, Housing, Probation/DIP/Community Safety, Hostels, Primary Care, Employment and Education Services and Local Community Groups. 

Places are limited and colleagues are requested to register early by contacting: alan.briggs@cgl.org.uk or stephanie.banjac@cgl.org.uk 

Aviva are working with The Foundation for Social Improvement (FSI) to help causes to create a brighter, more sustainable future.

Fundraising Strategy / 12 October / 12.00 to 1.30pm
A comprehensive and effective fundraising strategy is at the core of sustainability for any non-profit. This webinar will help you to consider a variety of fundraising options, and their appropriateness for your organisation and both short- and long-term needs. Click HERE to register.

Strategic Planning / 19 October / 12.00 to 1.30pm
It is a key strategic responsibility of Trustees and charity leaders to ensure that the charity has a clear strategy and supporting plan to deliver organisational purpose. This webinar is designed to do just that and get insight and tips from other charity leaders. Click HERE to register.

Wednesday 13 October / 11.30am to 2.00pm

Venue: Brady Arts & Community Centre, 192-196 Hanbury Street, E1 5HU

Learn about Social Prescribing in Tower Hamlets. How does it work, how to get involved and what benefit it has for our community? "Social prescribing" are words we are hearing more and more in regards to health - the idea of prescribing an activity rather than a pill. But what exactly what does that mean and how does it work in practise?

This event is for anyone with an interest in social prescribing. Speakers will include: Dulcie Alexander from the Arts Council , Sahdia Warraich Social Prescribing Manager for Tower Hamlets GP Cares and Cllr Rachel Blake

Group 1 / Tuesdays from 21 September to 26 October / 1.00 to 4.00pm

Group 2 / Wednesdays from 20 October to 24 November / 10.00am to 1.00pm

Thrive LDN is working with Mind in London to bring together a new 6 week wellbeing peer support training programme for Londoners. Peer support happens when people use their own lived experiences to help each other and creating a peer support group can be an amazing way to build spaces of understanding, strength, safety and acceptance.

Peer support groups can bring people together for many reasons. This could be a shared experience such as identifying as LGBTQIA+, it could be a shared cultural background or even a similar personal interest.

The aim of this training is to give you the information you need to set up your own group in your community or organisation. We will go through the journey of setting up a group step by step, considering how you might manage different situations and support yourself along the way.

Please note, this is a 6 week training course with 4 peer support sessions thereafter. There are limited places available on two separate groups.

The OITIJ-JO collective are very excited about their programme of events and activities planned for the start of Autumn (September and October).

There is something for everyone:

- TATI Lunch every Wednesday (8th/ 15th/ 22nd/ 29th October) served at Arts Bar Cafe, Toynbee Studios. All freshly made.

- TATI Lunch Time Taster Sessions: Book you place now!

- Sewing Surgery (starting Monday 20th) with Anjum Ishtiaq 

- Craft and Well- Being (starting Tuesday 21st) with Momtaz Begum-Hussain

- Macmillan Coffee Morning on Friday 24th (Arts Bar & Cafe) and Wednesday 29th (Unit C, Republic)

Please spread the word!! Contact OITIJ-JO for more information: info@oitijjo.org 

Sustainability is an increasingly important issue for all businesses. That's why Aviva have joined forces with Enterprise Nation AND Smart Energy GB to launch Plan It With Purpose - to help 10,000 businesses implement sustainable best practices that deliver a positive impact on the planet, society, and the economy.

The 12-month programme will help business owners understand environmental, social and economic sustainability and provide free tools, content, recommendations and resources to help them define and achieve their goals.

Deadline: Tuesday 5 October

The Aviva Community Fund supports small UK causes making a big difference in their communities. They have partnered with Crowdfunder to build capabilities of these causes, drive sustainable fundraising and leverage our talented and enthusiastic workforce to get their best ideas off the ground.

Every quarter, they distribute £250,000 funding, supported further by donations from the public. They're supporting projects that are fighting climate change and building stronger, more resilient communities across the UK.

Deadline: Friday 8 October @ 12pm

This year’s theme ‘Powered by Women’ aims to shine a spotlight on local women-led organisations and inspiring women leaders making a meaningful difference in their communities.

Women-led organisations and women leaders have always, and continue to, create lasting change and sustained impact in their local communities around a diverse and far-reaching range of issues. The London Community Foundation want to celebrate these women and their contribution to the lives of those they support. The London Impact Awards will be presented at an Awards Ceremony in February 2022, where three grants of £30,000 will be awarded to the winning organisations, and two individuals will be awarded £2,500 towards professional development.

Tower Hamlets Council has established the Loneliness Fund, made available from the Mayor’s COVID Recovery Fund, to award grants of between £10,000 to £25,000 to organisations delivering activities designed to reduce the impact of loneliness and social isolation on vulnerable residents across the borough. The Loneliness Fund focuses on re-connecting those communities who have been most affected by the pandemic, helping them to re-engage with social activities and build lasting connections.

The Mayor’s COVID Recovery Loneliness Fund is being administered by East End Community Foundation (EECF) on behalf of Tower Hamlets Council.

Application Process: This is a two stage application process. Expressions of Interest should be submitted in the first instance by 12 noon on Monday 18th October 2021.

Deadline: Friday 22 October / @12 noon

School holidays can be particular pressure points for families because of increased costs (such as food and childcare) and reduced incomes. Free holiday clubs are a response to this issue and evidence suggests that they can have a positive impact on children and young people.

The Department for Education is providing funding to local authorities to coordinate a holiday programme that provides healthy food and enriching activities to school age children on Free School meals during Christmas Holidays. The application process is being administered by East End Community Foundation and grants will be awarded and managed by Tower Hamlets Council.

Deadline: Friday 22 October

The Trustees of Action for Bow are pleased to invite applications from organisations for funding to provide services or activities for residents in Bow East or West from January 2022. Action for Bow is interested in supporting projects that will benefit the residents of Bow East and Bow West and meet the following objectives:

- Improve the health and social wellbeing of local people
- Increase prosperity in the area, including job opportunities, access to good quality training and access to appropriate financial support and guidance
- Improve opportunities for young people, including educational attainment and personal development
- Reduce crime and anti-social behaviour
- Provide recreational and leisure opportunities
- Improve the physical environment and encourage long-term sustainability measures
- Contribute to building and sustaining a vibrant inclusive local community

Please contact Ahmed Hussain to enquire about potential bids and to request the application form: ahmed.hussain@bbbc.org.uk. 

People’s Health Trust’s Active Communities funding programme is opening soon in Tower Hamlets (London East) - until 1pm on Wednesday 8 September 2021.

Active Communities is a funding programme for community groups and not-for-profit organisations, with an income of less than £350,000 a year or an average of £350,000 over two years. Funded projects could be almost anything that encourages strong connections between people, and that help people to make their communities or neighbourhoods even better places to grow, live, work and age.

Disadvantage is any form of limiting factor that prevents an individual from reaching their full potential or enjoying a fulfilled life. The broad scope of this definition invites a wide range of organisations, from those tackling housing insecurity, prison rehabilitation, food poverty, domestic abuse to those supporting mental and physical health, to apply. Merchant Taylors' Foundation support educational charities and programmes so that anyone striving for a better future can achieve it.

LBTH is offering social value resources for organisations with a turnover of less than £100,000.

Organisations can apply for resources including first aid training, ICT support, equipment in good working order, annual subscriptions, and officer support and mentoring from senior managers. Organisations can apply up to a value of £2000. Resources will be offered first come, first served as organisations who fit the eligibility criteria apply.