North West Community Network would like to invite you to join us as a member. There are so many benefits to joining including:
Support for members e.g. governance, committee skills, strategic planning
Invitation to member only networking events throughout the year
Relevant and bespoke training
Plus much more....
Your membership also gives us a stronger voice in the north west and helps us to achieve our Vision of a vibrant, sustainable, inclusive C&V sector in the NW.
If you would like to renew membership or join us for the first time you can access our membership form here
We are delighted to announce that we have received funding from the National Lottery Community Fund and the Halifax Foundation to continue our Human Library Project.
What is the Human Library?
A conversation at the Human Library is an interactive experience that engages people.
The Human Library creates a safe space for a conversation where topics are discussed openly between our human books and their readers.
You will hear lived experience from someone from a community you might not have met before, someone who is different from you.
A place to ask questions about difficult issues.
An opportunity to challenge stereotypes.
Here’s what previous participants had to say:
“Powerful – emotive”
"I thought all the human books were amazing. I really enjoyed listening to all their stories and I would really like to come back again."
“This was mind-blowing. My first experience and something I look forward to experiencing again. The speakers are all inspirational.”
For more information or to book a FREE Human Library session contact Roisin McLaughlin – roisin@nwcn.org or 028 71 261941
Calling all local charities! If you could make use of a grant of up to £1,000 for your work in local communities, we want to hear from you.
Apex Housing Association is now inviting applications for funding from its Common Fund.
Applicants must be registered charities with a proven track record of delivering services and projects in Northern Ireland and must not have not already received a Common Fund grant within the last 3 years.
Funding must be used to support social, environmental, recreational, health and well-being, educational or training and employment activities.
Applicants should be able to demonstrate that Apex tenants / residents will benefit from any funding awarded.
Tranche 1 of the Housing Executive Sustaining Tenancies Grant Funding Programme 2023-2025 has opened to expressions of interest.
The fund will support our tenants in creating more:
Resilient, sustainable tenancies in the short, medium and long term.
We are particularly keen to help vulnerable customers at greater risk of tenancy breakdown.
We aim to invest over £3 million in the voluntary, community and charitable sector through grants between £5k and £100k for this purpose - to be delivered over three tranches for projects lasting up to 36 months.
Expressions of interest should be for funding for projects lasting up to 36 months.
The Core Funding Scheme provides support for organisations which are considered of strategic importance in promoting community relations work across Northern Ireland.
The scheme contributes towards salary and organisational running costs.
Regardless of the grant scheme, a programme must have a clear good relations purpose from the outset with deliberate and planned activities which directly address sectarianism.
All applications must be able to clearly demonstrate the good relations need they want to address and how they have identified this need.
Applicants are required to outline the outcome in Together: Building a United Community to which the proposed project will contribute.
Closing date: Friday 17 November 2023 at 4 PM.
Information Sessions
CRC has organised a number of online information sessions at which further guidance on the Core Funding Scheme and the application process will be given. At these sessions, organisations will also have opportunities to ask questions relating to the Core Funding Scheme.
Tuesday 10 October 2023 at 11-12.30 PM
Wednesday 11 October 2023 at 11-12.30 PM
To register for either of the sessions please contact Paul Killen at the following email address: pkillen@nicrc.org.uk
We support a wide range of charities that make a positive difference, working in different sectors in the UK. These include welfare, youth, community, environment, education, health, arts, heritage and faith.
We fund small local organisations and large national institutions. Our grants range from £1,000 to several million pounds, depending on each charity’s size and scope of work. Our grants can be for your organisation’s running costs, for a specific activity or for capital projects. We are flexible and fund what charities need the most.
What type of grants do we make? Capital projects: Capital means building works or repairs, or equipment that's necessary to your organisation's work.
Operating/Core costs: Operating/Core cost grants are made towards the general costs of running your organisation.
Projects/specific activity: These grants are for a specific project or area of your work. It will have a defined scope of work and timescale.
The purpose of the Commissioning Programme is to enable organisations to commission new work.
The finished work should be in a form capable of being presented, exhibited, published, performed and/or disseminated in its entirety at the point of completion in Northern Ireland (if applicable abroad) either live or online.
The Commissions Award only supports fees paid to the artist(s) by the commissioner. All other costs relating to the rehearsal, production, presentation, exhibition or dissemination of the commissioned work must be borne by the commissioner.
The Marine Litter Capital Grants support organisations and groups to purchase items that:
Prevent litter and plastic pollution from entering the marine environment
Enhance the environmental management of a local area to reduce marine litter
Improve the health and wellbeing of communities and marine biodiversity recovery by helping to improve and/or maintain the quality of public open spaces
Improve the quality of their local environment by changing behaviour through creative concepts to reduce the incidence of littering.
Grants are available across the whole of Northern Ireland and are not restricted to coastal areas.
The Movement for Good Awards is our annual programme of giving. This year we’ll be giving over £1million to charities and good causes – with your help.
You can nominate a registered charity, not-for-profit organisation or community interest company in the UK, Republic of Ireland, Channel Islands or Isle of Man for a £1,000 award.
In December, 120 charities will receive a £1,000 grant, spread across 12 days.
Deadline to be included for Draw 3: 17th December 2023.
10Time to Strengthen the Regional Impact of Greater North-West
The John and Pat Hume Foundation and Royal Irish Academy will hold a conference on ‘Time to Strengthen the Regional Impact of Greater North-West’.
Ulster University Derry~Londonderry Campus
Thursday 5 October 2023 from 10am to 4pm.
The conference will examine the socioeconomic, infrastructure and investment policies that are needed to address regional inequalities and imbalance. It will also explore possibilities for cross-border planning and coordination to enable the greater North-West region to fulfil its potential and not remain an outlier in terms of economic performance in Northern Ireland and Ireland.
11 Registered Childcare and Financial Assistance Online Info Session
Did you know, most working families in Northern Ireland are entitled to Government financial assistance with childcare costs?
Family Support NI and Employers for Childcare will be delivering an online information session on Thursday 12th October 7-8pm to help families understand the process to accessing financial assistance.
Agenda
Welcome from the Mayor of Derry City and Strabane District Council, Patricia Logue
Helen O Neill from Family Support NI will raise awareness about the information available to support parents on the Family Support NI website.
Chris Briggs, a Family Benefits Advisor from Employers for Childcare will give an overview of the financial support available for working parents towards the cost of childcare, and other financial supports.
Questions and Answers.
This information session will be useful for families considering a return to work, families who are not receiving financial support and professionals working with families who want to find out more to enable guidance and signposting.
The Western Trust, in partnership with Macmillan Cancer Support is inviting anyone impacted by cancer or other long-term conditions to one of our service-users engagement sessions.
We want to hear what you think of our environment at the Macmillan Health & Wellbeing Campus, Altnagelvin and the Macmillan Information & Support Service available Trustwide.
If you have experience of a cancer diagnosis or live with a long-term condition, or if you care for someone who does, please come along and tell us what’s good, what we could do better and what we’re missing
Sessions take place as follows:
Strabane:
Date: Wednesday 11th October
Time: 11.30am – 1.30pm
Venue: Riversdale Leisure Centre
Derry/Londonderry
Date: Thursday 26th October
Time: 11.00am – 1.00pm
Venue: Macmillan Centre, Altnagelvin
Light lunch provided. If you require support with the cost of travel to enable you to attend or have any special access or dietary requirements, please let us know.
14 Compassionate Conversations - Hospice Care Week
Final Chapters Information Session
Monday, 9 Oct 2023 10:00 - 12:00
Foyle Hospice, 61 Culmore Road
This session is for individuals, professionals, and community-based support organisations, to improve understanding and knowledge that enables informed choices for the people we support.
Hear from our medical professionals and have the opportunity to get to know your local hospice better.
15 Cancer through our eyes creative project using wool
The Macmillan Health & Wellbeing Campus at Altnagelvin Hospital is inviting anyone impacted by cancer to participate in a creative arts project funded by Macmillan Cancer Support using wool.
Whether you are an expert knitter, enjoy crochet, like to work creatively with wool or are a complete beginner, our facilitator will support you to work as a group to create a collaborative piece using wool to represent the theme of ‘Cancer: Through Our Eyes.’
Sessions are open to anyone who has experienced a cancer diagnosis, supported a family member, friend or work colleague who has experienced cancer, is bereaved due to cancer or works or volunteers with anyone impacted by cancer.
Sessions will take place Mondays 7-9pm at Macmillan Health & Wellbeing Campus, Altnagelvin Hospital starting Monday 2nd October until mid December.
The finished piece will be showcased at a regional event to promote World Cancer Day on Friday 2nd February 2024.
This is a monthly support group - which alternates between day and evening runs to enable those who work to attend the evening sessions. Just simply turn up at the session. We will cover a range of topics during these sessions.
All Sessions are held in the Old Library Trust, 2 Central Drive in Creggan on following dates: 28th September at 6pm
26th October at 11am
23rd November at 6pm
14th December at 11am
For more information contact Sinead on 028 71 37 38 70 or email sinead@olt.ie Flyer
17NSPCC Young Witness Service volunteer Opportunity
We’re currently recruiting Volunteers to the NSPCC Young Witness Service in Northern Ireland!
Are you passionate about protecting children from harm?
Become a Volunteer Young Witness Supporter
Role: Support children and their families who have to attend courts as alleged victims or witnesses of crime
Minimum commitment twice a month.
Full training and support provided.
Volunteers needed: All locations in Northern Ireland
Between now and the end of March, Libraries NI will be hosting a series of online sessions designed to boost your wellbeing.
Yoga virtual events This is gentle yoga designed to soothe the nervous system, with an emphasis on the breath and relaxation. It will help improve strength, flexibility, balance and focus. With facilitator Fiona Jones.
These sessions will take place every other Tuesday (fortnightly), except during February, when they will take place every Thursday.
Chi Me virtual events
Chi Me is a simplified and accessible form of Tai Chi. It gently helps to improve overall health and reduce stress. It improves posture and balance and helps to strengthen vital internal energy. With facilitator Gareth Klein.
These sessions will take place every other Tuesday (fortnightly), except for in February when the Chi Me events take place on Thursdays.
To take part in these Zoom sessions, register on the library website or ask staff for more information.
The Cross Border Partnership for Employment Services (CBPES) will host a virtual cross border jobfair – North West Border Region on Wednesday 8th November from 10am– 3pm. www.crossborderjobfair.com event . This jobfair will be for all sectors.
There will also be Mini Job Fair events taking place in the local Jobs & Benefits Offices organised in collaboration with the local Labour Market Partnership:
Foyle Jobs & Benefits Office - Wednesday 11th October from 1pm-3:30pm Lisnagelvin Jobs & Benefits Office - Thursday 12th October 1pm-3:30pm.
21 Public Appointment - DAERA - Agricultural Wages Board
Appointment of a Chair and two Independent Members to the Agricultural Wages Board (AWB)
The Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) is seeking to appoint a Chair and two Independent Members to the Agricultural Wages Board (AWB). AWB is an Executive Non-Departmental Public Body sponsored by DAERA. The AWB is a statutory body responsible for setting minimum wages, and certain other employment rights, such as holiday entitlement, for agricultural workers in Northern Ireland.
The total time commitment for the role of Chair of the AWB is up to five days per annum and is remunerated at £294 per day.
The total time commitment for the Independent Member role is up to five days per annum and is remunerated at £152per day.
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