Employing Ex-Offenders
BBC Radio 4 - Lent Talks, Faith in 'Lost Causes' was broadcast on 7th March 2021 and features Sir John Timpson who owns Timpson- the UK shoe repair and key cutting chain.
Sir John discusses Timpson’s positive experiences of employing ex-offenders or even those still serving a sentence. Unemployment is a huge risk factor in recidvism rates, exacerbated by employers often dismissing those with a criminal record; The Timpson Foundation’s commitment to employing this marginalised group helps address this risk factor. Timpson is one of the UK’s largest employers of ex-offenders in the UK; approximately 10% of its workforce have had criminal convictions, giving people a second chance. Prisons and re-offending are a huge financial burden on the tax payer and thus by including rather than excluding this vulnerable group, Timpson are able to make a real difference to society.
With this in mind, if a commercial business can employ those straight from prison could the VCFSE sector also? Yes, it is a challenge, but isn’t that what motivates us? If Timpsons (and group companies) can allow recent prison inmates the responsibility of banking the cash takings from shops then why can’t we? Safeguarding and DBS processes can allow this to happen – we just need to manage the risk. .
How could this work? Many, but not all, VCFSE groups have premises; do these need decorating; can the grounds be tidied up; are there groups that need refreshments served etc? Community payback has been used to provide staff for charity shops. It is also another means of assisting the rehabilitation process and this works even better if there is integration between teams of employees and paybackers; this may only be at a shared tea break but it is an important part of the process.
Covid-19 Vaccine Queries Answered in Several Languages
Sharing information and encouraging vaccine uptake is vital to help take control of the Covid-19 pandemic. The UK proudly is the home of citizens from a plethora of different backgrounds and mother tongues, and thus it is imperative that information as important as this, can be understood and digested by as many people as possible. This is a step in the right direction to addressing some of the inequalities that exist in our society.
AskDoc have a growing online resource of videos answering common questions about the Covid vaccines, translated into a range of languages. AskDoc put the health of the BAME community at the forefront of their mission, which aims to “engage, educate and empower the Great Manchester BAME communities”.
Please follow them on Twitter.
Green Space for Well-being
Green Space for Well Being
The Tidy Britain Group held a seminar on 1st March which explored the value of green space to well being and mental/physical house. Just occasionally a seminar will contain a nugget that makes one think “doh” (Homer Simpson style) as it is so obvious. This one was the nugget that Green Space is more than just parks and publicly owned/operated open space. It is gardens (that some of us have) and office/work space grounds that many of us have. What can we do about those?
Some of the obvious things are that we can ensure that they are litter free. In some cases this is difficult to achieve but we can all plan a litter pick just before grass cutting rather than let the machine shred what is there into zillions of little pieces. If we start doing that we are in a stronger position to argue for the local council to do likewise.
Is it possible to consider the planting in the spaces over which we have control? Bee friendly plants may work well. There are a number of places that are seeking to plant bee friendly plants on the edge of car parks as, sometimes, it is thought that bees and people are not a good mix. Pyracantha is a spiky plant that is excellent for crime prevention and provides valuable bird food just as winter draws on. You will need gloves to pick out litter from it.
There are large number of voluntary “friends of park” groups dotted around the country. How many of them connect with their local CVS (or vice versa). Could it be possible for every park to have a friends group? Some groups raise money for additional items in the park. Others provide a cohort of volunteers who can pick litter just before grass is cut; who can be stewards at events; who can encourage the use of the park to deal with well being and mental health issues in addition to the obvious physical benefits. Some friends groups run the catering concession. All should be valued by local councils.
The seminar highlighted the work of Birmingham City Council. Their web-site www.naturallybirmingham.org provides detail of what they are doing and what they want to do. They are seeking to create additional green spaces and have metrics to show shortfalls on a ward by ward basis. Your premises may be able to help to address any deficit in the area in which you are based.
As is the case with these things there were a lot of powerpoint slides showing huge levels of detail. If this article has prompted some thinking of how you can develop something around green spaces in your area please contact Andrew Rainsfor, our Research and Policy Officer: andrew.rainsford@vsnw.org.uk; slides can be forward which will save on some thinking time and signpost areas of good practice.
Coronavirus Campaigns & Resources
Here you can access government- provided resources for the following campaigns:
New 'Covid-19 Response: Spring 2021' - Road Map Resources
Including:
New 'Let's Keep Going' Stay Home, Protect the NHS, Save Lives creative
New 'Back to School' resources will be live on the Campaign Resource Centre from Saturday 27th February.
VS6 VCFSE Manifesto & Consultation
VS6 Partnerships are pleased to announce that the draft manifesto for the VCFSE sector in Liverpool City Region is now available to read ahead of the Consultation events taking place on Monday 8th March and Monday 22ndMarch.
This draft manifesto has been developed following VS6’s sector engagement over the past few years, drawing on key areas and recommendations for action from publications developed following various VS6 events held with the sector.
There are 12 manifesto asks in total which are split into the following main headings:
A Healthy VCFSE Ecosystem
Driving an Inclusive Economy
Championing our Communities
At the VCFSE Manifesto Assembly events, attendees will be asked for their input to further develop the manifesto to ensure that it reflects the kind of city region they want to see for the VCFSE organisations, beneficiaries, and communities. The first of the two events will cover the first two areas of the manifesto, and the second event will cover the final area with attendees split into breakout rooms to discuss and provide feedback in order to strengthen the manifesto.
Following these events, VS6 will formulate a final draft of the manifesto with a further chance to endorse and sign up to the final version before asking the LCR Metro Mayor candidates to commit to its implementation at a Mayoral Hustings event later in April.
Sign up here to attend the manifesto consultations.
Accidental Savers into Deliberate Donors?
Accidental Savers into Deliberate Donors?
The ONS have reported that there are 6m accidental savers as a result of Covid. It is also reported that there are 9m people experiencing financial issues as a result of the pandemic. Trying to steer a course between the two may not be easy but it is a course well worth steering. The experience of food banks, during the pandemic, does indicate a desire to meet need where it is communicated. Can ‘accidental savers’ be encouraged to donate to worthy causes?
How do we communicate need?
Almost certainly the answer is to communicate what a donation will achieve. A shopping list approach raises the horizon of a potential donor. An example list may be
£5.00 could enable an extended visit for our respite at home service.
£20.00 could enable the hire of a hall for an older persons loneliness club.
£100.00 could enable lunch to be provided for 40 lonely older people.
Somewhere in the communication needs to have an indication that, in the event of over donation, funds will be used for general charitable purposes. You don’t want a situation arising where the phone lines are staffed but the back up services that enable signposting are not well resourced.
It is important to be aware that people give to all kinds of causes. Birmingham City Council currently have a crowd funding campaign to support habitat for slow worms. A four figure sum has been raised in less than three weeks.
Further, it is vital to be even more aware that not everyone who reads your appeal will be in a position to respond as they would wish. Some will not be in a position to respond at all as shown by the figures in the opening paragraph of this article. So, it is a very good idea to get at least two other people to read what you intend to say before it is communicated to the wider world.
How do we enable people to give?
By far and away the easiest method is to use an online platform. Just Giving is the most well known. Local Giving is less well known but, from time to time, has match funding challenges where donations can be doubled. This is ideal for encouraging supporters to make a donation. It is also ideal for encouraging accidental savers to give as their money will go further. You must choose your own platform. The following characteristics are helpful:
Anonymous donations have to be possible – where the platform knows who has given and you do not. Many people like this option as it removes the fear of follow up mail shots etc.
Gift Aid is possible on donations with the platform making the claim for you. This saves time for you.
Whilst there may be suggested donation sums it is important to allow donors to make a choice themselves.
What do we do when people have given?
The first requirement is to use the money in line with the terms of the donation. If there are limitations imposed on a donation it creates a restricted fund. Otherwise it is important to say thank you – using contact details if provided. If contact details are not provided a general thank you on your website and in your annual report and accounts will have to suffice. This should make reference to the appeal and speak about what it has achieved. For example
“Our older persons appeal resulted in £1,465 and with this money we held :10 older persons lunches; 20 pop up cafes for lonely older people; and 55 extend visits under our respite at home service. Thank you for making this happen”.
What next?
Have a look at what your organisation could do with a modest sum of money and try an appeal. If the target is relatively small it has a greater chance of success. You can then communicate that success.
People respond to positive messages. If you only issue financial communications when it is a crisis (we need £600 by Friday or we have to stop doing X) then it always will be a crisis. If regular (note that the word regular is not the same as frequent) supporter requests are issued which explain what the money will do as well as reinforcing what it has done there should be a greater response and that will lead to greater supporter stakeholder engagement.
Community Spaces Facing Crisis
The pandemic has had significant effects on the sustainability of community spaces. The mind pictures bucolic village halls that just tick along – they always have and they always will. But, what of urban spaces? What of those spaces that have resulted from the Community Asset Transfer process that has operated for the past decade? What of those that have moved away from grant funding as they have transitioned into earned income? And, what about the bucolic village hall?
The report How Many Of Us Had Pandemic In Our Risk Register?, published by Community Matters in January shows that the situation for charities and other community groups was made more confusing by “shifting and contradictory guidance” from the government about how public buildings could be used during national and regional lockdowns. The rule of six has caused particular issues with social distancing requirements causing problems for user groups who now have to have fewer people attending – thus affecting the economics of the entire operation.
The report also warns that some of these charities were already running out of financial reserves by the time the second national lockdown ended late last year. A third lockdown was imposed this month (Jan 2021), which began after the data for the report was collected. This is going to make an already critical situation worse.
The report was compiled by Community Matters who surveyed 20 groups in England and Wales. These groups operate assets in their local communities, including sports halls, libraries and a former police station. The research showed that many charities chose to end some, but not all, of their activities
The report states that, during the first lockdown, charities reached a number of different decisions on how to adapt their work, “from complete closure to full-scale provision of a service to people in need”.
It was not all doom and gloom as the survey showed that “there were those who kept childcare provision open for key workers, those who took the opportunity of an empty building to get maintenance and work done on the property, from decorating to major renovation, and those who kept some services running remotely”. However, some respondents also commented that they had only managed to survive, financially, by raided reserves designated for ongoing repair and maintenance with improvements being kicked well into the long grass.
Plans to reopen were disrupted when new government rules were introduced, often at short notice, the report found. It said: “Shifting and contradictory guidance has created problems for a number of organisations, especially those with no paid staff or where staff have been furloughed. As plans have been made, so restrictions have changed again.”
It also noted that respondents “were particularly concerned about the confusing information about what the restrictions were that they are supposed to abide by, and were trying to keep up with issues around the ‘rule of six’ but also exemptions that applied to educational activities and voluntary and community sector meetings and gatherings”.
The research found that many charities had been “prudent” in using government schemes to maintain income during lockdowns. None had “never envisaged this situation being so long lasting. The data was collected as the second lockdown was in progress. There was some evidence of organisations reaching the near end of their financial reserves”. The situation has been made more acute for some community groups which have in recent years been “persuaded of the wisdom of generating their own income rather than relying on grant income”. In one reported case the number of invoices issued, in a typical month, has changed from approximately 100 to none. Income from community hiring; service delivery; hot desking and workspace and a community café all stopped. Some income has returned but not in the volume required. In some cases the possibility of handing the asset back to the local authority, or transferring it to another community body. The report does question what a new business plan will look like in that situation.
John Wilson, project manager at Community Matters, told Civil Society News: "As the country enters its third lockdown, there is tremendous strain on communities. The potential issue for community spaces is that, having taken the government's advice to heart and set out to generate their own income rather than being reliant on grants, [they] have struggled as they have been forced to close or opened for reduced hours. In normal times community spaces and centres form the beating heart of their locality, and often provide the only opportunity for social interaction amongst some of the older and more vulnerable members of their community. As we seek to return to whatever passes as normal in the future, communities will need to come together. To make this happen communities will need places to gather, and the crisis in funding for community spaces means that many may not reopen."
In the North West we have a huge range of community spaces. This report, at 38 pages, is lengthy but readable. It indicates some trends and data that may help funding applications. It provides reassurance, to trustees, that this is an unprecedented situation, and they must not berate themselves over forward planning. None of us expected this! It foretells a potential major crisis that will be in full flow as the year develops.
Community spaces in well off areas may well be rescued by “the big house in the village”; a medium sized legacy or even a community appeal to rebuild operational reserves. If the government is serious about “levelling up” then it needs to address this issue as a matter of urgency. The fabric of community life is at threat.
Following this report, Community Matters are asking for survey respondents to obtain more information about community spaces and Covid-19.
Mental Health Issues in the Workplace
In current times it is too easy to push on with the “day job” by concentrating on service users/customers/clients/those who we help. Regardless of the nomenclature we focus on outward facing services. Those same outward facing services are delivered by staff or volunteers. How do we reach out to them?
Charities and community bodies pride themselves on support, despite this, there is always scope to learn from others. This article, from Route One magazine, provides some very helpful thoughts on what and why to do. Some highlights:
1. The company director actually has qualifications in the subject
2. The ideas are practical for all.
3. The company director has also created a mental health charity to support others. This is no “lip service” operation. There is commitment.
4. She also appears to engage with the work that she expects her employees to do which does break down barriers.
The company mentioned in the article is a long established family business operating in a sector of the economy that has been badly hit by Covid lock downs and tiers. They also have to contend with a concerted government campaign which urges people not to use the services offered in the sector in which this company operates. So, just because they are well established and highly respected does not mean that they are immune from the issues that many of us face. If they can find time for staff well being so can we.
Pilotlight Race and the Voluntary Sector Report
Pilotlight have released their new report 'Learning and Listening for Mutual Action: surfacing and building the evidence base to support Black African, Black Caribbean, Asian and other Minoritised Ethnic led voluntary sector organisations', in which they explore and ask what the specific support needs of organisations in BAME communities and led by BAME individuals are. It is authored by Fancy Sinantha, an independent consultant, together with the support of Cornish and Grey.
The pandemic has cast further light on the level of inequality experienced in our society and especially in BAME communities. Thus, it is ever more imperative that we explore what is needed to minimise this inequality, especially across the VCSE sector. The sector itself is plagued with institutional racism, a critical subject explored by many of our speakers at VSNW’s Festival of North West Thinking, and a problem that needs to be triumphed. Pilotlight’s report recognises that ploughing money into these organisations despite being necessary, does not address these systemic issues, thus paving the way for their report questioning: what are the needs of these organisations?