Support and Advice for organisations affected by coronavirus
Covid-19 information for the voluntary and community sector
There is fresh advice, information and support being shared daily to help businesses, charities, social enterprises and other organisational structures. We can’t suggest we’ll keep on top of it all, but here’s a selection of news and updates and useful sources of information we’re coming across. We’ll try and keep this page as up to date as possible, but please keep checking the pages below as they are themselves compiling up to date information regularly.
Key Information – start here
The Government information page should be your first read:
www.gov.uk/coronavirus
You can subscribe to a daily email update from Gov.uk to keep up with all the official news
The new Business Support Finder tool from the Government is a useful way to find out what help you could get.
The NHS page on coronavirus is here. Make sure you’ve read it.
Government guidance specifically for the charitable sector.
Government support for businesses.
Regional and Local information
Sector Support North East Lincolnshire are keeping a page of information up to date with everything relevant for the voluntary and community sector. Visit it regularly.
Local grants and support to help businesses (which may include the voluntary sector) via Humber LEP. They have a dedicated webpage here https://www.humberlep.org/coronavirus/ and a useful set of resources (including advice on funding) on a business support page here.
Advice from National Support bodies
Nationally, NCVO is keeping an up to date resource page of information here.
If you need developmental support during the crisis, then NCVO have also made their KnowHow information knowledgebase free for the during. Visit it here.
The Small Charities Coalition has a few information pages about Covid-19 including this overview here They also have various information including this list of resources for small charities https://www.smallcharities.org.uk/covid-19-guidance-for-small-charities/
Charity Bank has produced a comprehensive resource page for the sector here. Includes many resources including information about grants.
Grants and Funding
The majority of national and local grant making organisations and trusts have almost completely stopped their ‘normal’ grant programmes and application processes. Instead they are refocussing their efforts and money into more reactive, emergency grant funds. There are a lot of them out there and lots of organisations are compiling and maintaining lists so rather than create a list of our own, here are some of them. Please keep checking them as they change regularly
Possibly the largest single database of Covid-19 related funding is via the Charity Excellence Framework. You can register here https://www.charityexcellence.co.uk for free in a few seconds and as well as other support, there is a searchable database of 600+ grant funders* to look through.
* as of 26th April
NCVO have posted a list of funders on their Funding Central blog here and if you’re a subscriber to Funding Central you can find out more. (Subscriptions are free for smaller groups).
If you’re fundraising at this challenging time then the Institute of Fundraisers has shared some important information here https://www.institute-of-fundraising.org.uk/news/information-for-fundraisers-about-coronavirus/
HR, Legal and Governance
If you want advice on legal matters then Bates Wells have a very useful portal of information of legal issues related to Covid-19 here. Their regular briefings for charities are useful too. (Latest here for 21st April )
For HR advice then the resource portal from ACAS is helpful https://www.acas.org.uk/coronavirus
HR organisation Croner has produced a Covid-19 information page full of HR advice sheets and downloadable information. Go here. https://clients.croner.co.uk/covid-19-toolkit
Charity Commission has published guidance on how to “Manage financial difficulties in your charity caused by coronavirus”
Bits and Pieces
Remember that very many of these support organisations referenced above will have e-newsletters and updates that you can subscribe to. These can be really helpful in keeping up to date. Subscribe if you can.
If your volunteers are using your car whilst volunteering then they don’t need to inform their insurers
read the press release here and the guidance here.
Working with volunteers. The Government has shared advice on a Safeguarding and DBS Factsheet: FAQs here.
If you host volunteers and you’re part of VANEL’s Volunteer Development Service (VDS) or Volunteer Managers Network (VMN) then they’re moving the face-to-face groups online. Contact Liz or Karl at VANEL and get logged in.
page last updated 27th April 2020