Networks and Peer Support

This is a collection of material that grantholders may find useful in responding to the current crisis. As far as possible these are sourced from reputable, recognised VCS organisations, but inclusion on this list does not imply any endorsement or recommendation by the National Lottery Community Fund.

• IVAR: Covid-19 peer support webinars for leaders of smaller VCSE organisations.

• Covid-19 Charity Preparedness Facebook Group: A group to discuss and share contingency plans, tips and best practice and requests for advice for charities in relation to charity fundraising, operations or service delivery. The group is global and allows posts to be tagged where they have a specific country focus.
• Directors and Heads Of Fundraising Facebook group
• Covid-19 Mutual Aid UK: a group of volunteers supporting local community groups organising mutual aid across the UK. Focused on providing resources and connecting people to their nearest local groups, willing volunteers and those in need.
• The Viral Kindness Scotland project: aims to assist those in need, connect people across Scotland, and build an army of volunteers. https://twitter.com/viralkindscot
• SCVO Digital Slack Community: To share ideas on how to reach those in Scotland who are isolated and have no digital skills. Email digital@scvo.org.uk to join.

Free/Pro Bono Support

• NCVO: Regular webinar training on various topics linked to Covid-19.
• Catalyst Digital Teams: Free access for charities to a combination of digital, design and data expertise to help go through urgent transition.
• NCVO: KnowHow Non-Profit NCVO have made their member-only resources on how to run a charity free to everyone. There is also a specific section on the coronavirus.
• SCVO: Covid-19 Third Sector Information Hub Information resources related to running a charity in Scotland
• Fundraising: Covid-19 response packages Free virtual, social and DIY fundraising site-packages to help charities fill a gap with their planned, cancelled or postponed events and campaigns.
• SCVO: Using digital to help your organisation keep working If you work in a voluntary sector organisation in Scotland and need to talk to someone about how to use tech to help your org work remotely, SCVO's digital team is offering one-to-one 15-minute chats.
• Cranfield Trust: Free management consultancy, mentoring and HR advice to charities.
• Bluefrog: Free resources for creating a coronavirus appeal. Templates created for organisations that don’t have access to a dedicated fundraising team and who’d like to approach their current customers or donors for support.
• Helplines Partnership: Find a Helpline Directory of helplines across the UK offering support via phone, email, text or online.

Alcohol/ Substance Use

• GOV.UK: Guidance for commissioners and providers of services for people who use drugs or alcohol during Covid-19 crisis.

Benefits, Debt and Money

• ​​​​​​​Just Finance Foundation: Coronavirus Financial Help Hub.

• National Debt Helpline: Regularly updated information and resources about Covid-19 and your money.

Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) People

• Racial Equity Tool: Resources for addressing crisis through a racial equity lens.
• Spark & Co: resource hub of organisations and information designed to help those from Black, Asian & Minority Ethnic backgrounds.
• #CharitySoWhite: Scroll to the end of the page for questions to facilitate reflections and conversations on racism within their organisations.
• #CharitySoWhite: Racial Justice in the Covid-19 Response – June 2020
• Association of Charitable Foundations: Foundations, Covid-19 and racial disparity: A time for urgent action. Webinar and resources.
• The Ubele Initiative: Covid-19 Supporting BAME Communities Weekly bulletin.

Befriending

• Befriending Networks: Covid-19 Guidance for Befrienders
• Befriending Networks: Covid-19 Guidance for staff of befriending projects
• Quarantine Chat: Talk on the phone with someone else stuck at home. Free, worldwide initiative to connect isolated people by phone (over the internet through the app Dialup).

Children and Young People

• HeadStart Kernow: Online resilience tool and other resources to help support young people online. It also helps professionals assess young people’s online behaviour.
• National Youth Agency: Managing youth sector activities and spaces during COVID-19.
• Children's Commisioner for Wales: Information Hub for Families and Children.
• National Youth Council of Ireland: Covid-19 Support and Resources. Including guidance for youth organisations on resuming full services.
• NSPCC: Online safety and social media.
• NSPCC: Covid-19 safeguarding and child protection resources to support work with children, young people and their families.

Communications

• CharityComms: Charity communicator coronavirus resources. Links to tips and resources for coping with coronavirus and changing ways of working.
• Third Sector PR & Comms Facebook group. Group for people working in Comms, PR or Marketing in the Third Sector with a dedicated thread to post about support needs around Coronavirus.
• Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR): #CIPRLearn webinars a new weekly series aimed at advising public relations professionals on managing their work during the Covid-19 outbreak.

Community Centres and Village Halls

• VODA: Making Your Community Building ‘COVID Secure’. A webinar from VODA and North Tyneside Council on how to ensure you keep your community building secure when reopening.
• Action with Communities in Rural England (ACRE): Information to help village halls reopen.
• ACRE: Covid-19 Safer Community Centres report. Helping community centres and village halls reopen safely.
• Norris and Fisher Insurance Brokers: Coronavirus Advice For Village Halls.

Community Transport

• Time to Shine: Safer transport options after lockdown.
• Community Transport Association: Covid-19: Guidance for Community Transport

Criminal Justice

• Clinks: Support and FAQs for the voluntary sector working in criminal justice.
• GOV.UK: Coronavirus (Covid-19) and prisons.

Data Protection and GDPR

• Information Commissioner's Office: Data protection and Coronavirus Information Hub.

• Information Commissioner's Office: Freedom of Information (FOI) and coronavirus – preparing for recovery.

Digital Services

• Time to Shine: Helping people to get on-line before winter 20/21
• Catalyst Service recipes: Practical guides to help charities reuse and learn from one another’s services.
• Digital Communities Wales: Covid-19: digital inclusion webinar programme.
• Catalyst Digital Candle: Free expert advice for charities on any digital challenge.
• Scottish Tech Army: They connect technical volunteers to support organisations responding to COVID-19. You will need to make a project submission to take part.
• Third Sector Lab and SCBO Digital: Covid-19: Digital service delivery for charities. Content in this document is open source - collecting case studies, policies, best practice and guidance specific to delivering charity services online.
• Coronavirus Tech Handbook: A Crowd-sourced set of tech, tools and data relating to the coronavirus pandemic.
• ProMo-Cymru: Digital Resources for the third and youth sector in Wales #Covid-19

Disabled People

• SCIE: Covid-19: Supporting autistic people and people with learning disabilities.

Domestic Abuse

• Standing Together Against Domestic Abuse: Covid-19 resources.
• SafeLives: Domestic abuse and Covid-19.
• Womens Aid: Covid-19: Safety Advice for Survivors.

Easing lockdown: Returning to face-to-face support and re-opening offices and venues.

• SCVO: Leaving Lockdown. A wide-range of resources for charities as lockdown eases including supporting staff and volunteers, governance, and safe premises.
• Charity Retail Association: Reopening pack.
• NCVO: Easing of lockdown – practical considerations for managing and supporting staff webinar.
• Refugee Action: Returning to face-to-face services. Practical advice and resources on delivering face-to-face services safely
• Time to Shine: Re-opening venues for indoor activities.
• Time to Shine: Restarting face-to-face support outdoors.
• Community First Yorkshire: Information and guidance for organisations, businesses, and buildings re-opening after lockdown.

Fundraising

• Third Sector: Covid-19 funding – live tracker. A list of Covid-19 funding and grants that collates information on funds available, eligibility and deadlines in one place.
• Charity Fundraising Ltd are offering free fundraising advice / mentoring sessions.
• The Social Change Agency are 'hosting' community groups responding to Covid-19 on Open Collective, so groups can transparently receive and pay money.
• Civil Society Consulting: Covid-19 briefing. Includes suggestions for short and medium-term strategic and operational thinking and planning in the wake of Covid-19.
• Charity Excellence Framework: Covid-19 Funder database (Free - but registration is required)
• Institute of Fundraising: Covid-19 resources. Including guidance on restarting fundraising after lockdown.
• Association of Charitable Foundations: Foundations and coronavirus.
• London Funders: Information, articles, and resources relating to Covid-19.

Governance

• Charity Commission for England and Wales: Coronavirus (Covid-19) guidance for the charity sector. Guidance to help with running your charity.
• OSCR Scottish Charity Regulator: COVID-19 Guidance for Scottish Charities.
• The Charity Commission for Northern Ireland: Covid-19 (Coronavirus) information. Guidance on changes during the crisis.

Grief

• Irish Hospice Foundation: Grieving in Exceptional Times.

Health

• Royal Society for Public Health: Covid-19 resources to help support the public's health and wellbeing.
• Chartered Society of Physiotherapy: Information, guidance, and latest developments on the coronavirus pandemic. Including reopening your services.
• SCIE: Covid-19 advice for social care providers.
  Alzheimer’s Society: Coronavirus: Information for people affected by dementia.
• Stroke Association: Coronavirus (Covid-19) information for people affected by stroke.
• Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, Royal College of Midwives, Faculty of Sexual and Reproductive Healthcare and British Society of Abortion Care Providers: Coronavirus (Covid-19) – Information for women requiring abortion.
• Asthma UK: Health advice for people with asthma.
• British Lung Foundation: Coronavirus and Covid-19.
  

Homelessness

• Shelter: Covid-19 housing advice

• Centre for Homelessness Impact: Covid-19 response. Resources to support communities to help people who are homeless or at risk to stay safe and healthy.

• GOV.UK: Information on coronavirus disease (Covid-19) for hostel or day centre providers of services for people experiencing rough sleeping.

• Homeless Link: Monthly webinars on Covid-19 and homelessness.

• Homeless Network Scotland: Guide for Housing Support workers to help provide phone-support during Covid-19.

Loneliness and Social Isolation

• Campaign to End Loneliness: How organisations are adapting to support those who have been shielding.

Mental Health and Wellbeing

• Gov.uk: Guidance for the public on the mental health and wellbeing aspects of coronavirus (Covid-19).
• Mind: Coronavirus and your wellbeing.
• Samaritans: If you're worried about your mental health during the coronavirus outbreak.

Multiple Disadvantage

• Fulfilling Lives: resources and learning developed during Covid-19.
• Making Every Adult Matter (MEAM) are producing a series of recordings focused on multiple disadvantage and Covid-19 over the next few weeks.
• MEAM are producing a weekly newsletter which includes policy updates and resources.

Refugees, Asylum Seekers and Migrants

• Leeds Asylum Seekers’ Support Network have created resources for organisations and volunteers who are teaching English remotely.
• Refugee Action: Covid-19 advice and guidance for refugee and asylum organisations.
• Refugee Action: Coronavirus Asylum Handbook.
• JCWI, Migrants Organise, and Medact: Covid-19 Mutual Aid UK: Guide for Supporting Migrants During Coronavirus Collaborative guide for Mutual Aid groups to consider how best to support at risk migrants.

Research and Evaluation

• Inspiring Impact have collated resources and upcoming events around data and evidence.
• Evaluation Support Scotland: Simple guidance and resources on how to learn, measure and report during Covid-19.

Supporting Staff Wellbeing

• NCVO: How to support staff wellbeing during coronavirus.
• Help Through Crisis: Covid-19 factsheet: Supporting staff wellbeing.
• The Women and Girls Initiative: Supporting staff in the women and girls’ sector. A webinar and reflections on workers wellbeing.
• Mental Health at Work: A toolkit for supporting staff mental health in the voluntary sector.

Volunteering

• Reach Volunteering: This page includes tips and sample role profiles for recruiting skilled volunteers during Covid-19.

• NCVO: Involving Volunteers. Advice on involving and managing volunteers during Covid-19.

• Volunteer Scotland: Coronavirus (Covid-19) advice for volunteers.

• Doing Good Leeds: Top tips to safely help others in your community.

• Volunteering Matters: How to Volunteer Safely in Response to Covid-19.

• GOV.UK: Coronavirus: How to help safely.

• Furlough Go: Furlough swap scheme, set up to enable charities and community groups to connect with and involve skilled and experienced furloughed staff as volunteers.

• Team Oxford: Furlough Exchange, a network of furloughed staff and charities / voluntary organisations who need help.

We’re making sense of what we’re seeing and hearing from our grantholders at pace, so there’ll be things we’ve missed, haven’t noticed yet or, perhaps, misinterpreted.

We welcome comments or challenge, so that we can continuously improve and develop, and make this work practical and useful.

Please send feedback and suggestions on this content to knowledge@tnlcommunityfund.org.uk

This page was last updated: 25 September 2020