COVID-19 updates and guidance

Last updated 13 July 2020

Read Public Health Wales’ daily statement here.

COVID-19 DAILY UPDATES

If you’d like a daily (Mon – Fri) update on the latest COVID-19 news for the voluntary sector in Wales, please sign up here.

LATEST UPDATES

• WCVA Board Member Fran Targett, formerly Director of Citizen’s Advice Cymru, takes a look at how the Covid-19 crisis has highlighted pre-existing inequalities in health and social care and asks how we can move forward to a positive outcome
• Vaughan Gething has said that the voluntary sector was ‘hugely important’ in the coronavirus crisis as service deliverers
• WCVA Volunteering Manager Felicitie Walls covers the main points of consideration when preparing or returning to volunteering after lockdown
• During this time, we need to look out for signs that children, young people or adults in our communities may be being abused, neglected or harmed. Call 101 or visit the Welsh Gov website if you are concerned someone is at risk
• Wales Co-operative Centre are hosting a webinar to launch their Vision and Action Plan, which sets out how social enterprises can help rebuild the economy following the Covid-19 pandemic. 15 July, 2 – 3.30 pm
• Menai Owen-Jones blogs about the role of leadership in building a different and better future for Wales, and how we have choices and decisions to make that will profoundly influence what comes next
• WCVA Trustee Joe Stockley and six other young Welsh people express their ideas for what they’d like ‘the Wales of the future’ to look like post-pandemic
• This new online tool from Welsh Government will help people in Wales find advice and support for their individual circumstances during the COVID-19 pandemic
• We have updated the safeguarding resources section of our COVID-19 guidance page

OTHER NEWS

• This informative guide from Building Materials focuses on safe independent living for older people, with useful tips and advice on well-being, safety and dealing with loneliness
• Public Health Wales is seeking to better understand how COVID-19 has affected disabled people and how they can improve the resources they provide, including they website. To facilitate this, they’re hosting an online forum on Wednesday, 15 July from 2-3pm. More info here
• Here’s a blog from the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) on using videoconferencing software safely
• This webinar will highlight some of the common ways that charities may be affected by fraud during the COVID-19 pandemic and provide some simple prevention tips
• This blog from Association of Chairs focuses on health and safety for trustees
• Has COVID-19 effected your local sport activity? You can now apply for a grant through Sport Wales’ Be Active Wales Fund in order to ensure your sport offer survives the pandemic, or to help you prepare for your activity to restart safely
• COVID-19 has seen a fundamental shift in operational practice with employees moving from the office to the home as their default workplace. Our new webinar will focus on voluntary sector workplaces beyond COVID-19. 16 July, 2-3pm
• The Institute of Fundraising have just launched a set of recruitment guides to help make a more diverse workforce
• Korina Tsioni at WCVA blogs about five simple ways to keep on top of your quality assurance during the pandemic
• The Information Commissioner’s Office have produced five simple steps for collecting visitor’s personal details for contact tracing
• Protecting and Safeguarding Older People – an information pack from the Older People’s Commissioner
• New report: tackling climate change post-lockdown – independent report outlining the findings from our #DifferentFuturesWales session
• Charity Commission guidance for trustees on what matters may need to be reported as a serious incident during the coronavirus pandemic
• These tips aim to give Chairs some ideas for making online meetings work well for their boards

COVID-19 GUIDANCE AND RESOURCES

We’ve collated all of our guidance and resources for voluntary organisations in Wales onto this Covid-19 guidance page. Here you’ll find information and advice related to Coronavirus on things like volunteering, funding, trustees and governance, and health and wellbeing.

BLOGS AND VIEWS

• What COVID-19 means for creating a wellbeing economy – Jess Blair summarises the discussion from our final #DifferentFuturesWales event
• Felicitie Walls, Volunteering Manager at WCVA, explores how changes to volunteering could enable young people to counteract the negative effects of lockdown restrictions on their lives, in the short and medium term
• Sally Rees, National Third Sector Health and Social Care Co-ordinator at WCVA shares her experiences of caring for her mother with dementia during the Covid-19 emergency
• The latest in the #DifferentFuturesWales series of COVID-19 events focussed on what the pandemic has meant for influencing decision makers. Jess Blair summarises the discussion
• Last Thursday WCVA held the fifth in the Preparing for Different Futures event series, examining the impact of the Coronavirus pandemic on climate change. Jess Blair reports back
• Judi Rhys, CEO at Tenovus Cancer Care raised in a recent #DifferentFuturesWales event that voluntary orgs should consider mergers as a way to adapt post-pandemic. In this blog she shares her views on merger and her personal experiences of mergers as CEO of Arthritis Care
• Mike Corcoran, Evaluation Specialist with Co-Production Network for Wales, outlines seven questions for meaningful evaluation of your services in a time of crisis
• Lauren Pennycook, Senior Policy and Development Officer at Carnegie UK Trust, looks at how storytelling can help improve towns across Wales once the Covid-19 crisis has abated
• Short-term homeworking solutions could be costing charities more. Jonathan Levy, Managing Director of Class Networks, explains why it’s time to set up longer term solutions and business continuity plans
• In this blog, Joseph Carter, Head of Devolved Nations for British Lung Foundation and Asthma UK, details the present concerns of both organisations, and how they’re supporting those with lung conditions through the pandemic
• FareShare Cymru and Neath Port Talbot CVS have come together to keep foodbanks stocked as they struggle for donations in the wake of Covid-19
• Our Risk, Procurement and Governance Manager Emma Waldron talks to CIPS about difficulties with PPE provision to the voluntary sector
• Emma Morgan, Volunteer at WCVA, explains why you should consider creating volunteer virtual fundraising roles for your organisation during the pandemic
• Elen Notley, our Marketing and Communications Manager, urges the voluntary sector to shout about the incredible impact the sector is having during the pandemic
• Judith Stone provides some examples of how voluntary organisations in Wales are adapting and rising to the challenges of the pandemic
• Coronavirus funding: which should I apply for? New blog from Alison Pritchard, Sustainable Funding Manager at WCVA
• Felicitie Walls, Volunteer Manager at WCVA, asks would-be volunteers who’ve signed up to help fight against coronavirus to be patient while the sector gets its bearings at this strange time
• An eye on the future in uncertain times: Anna Nicholl, our Director of Strategy and Sector Development, talks on the challenges of the present and the importance of looking forward past the current crisis
• Rocio Cifuentes outlines key concerns which are emerging around the impact of Covid19 on BAME communities in Wales
• Stepping up: Ruth blogs about the resilience and commitment she’s seen in the voluntary sector during this time of need, and how we can carry this beyond the current crisis
• The national networks from across the voluntary sector have met to discuss COVID-19 and how the voluntary sector can contribute to supporting those most vulnerable at this time. Ben Lloyd, WCVA Head of Policy, reports from that meeting
• We’ve collated a list of various funders’ responses to the virus
• Our Chief Executive Ruth Marks outlines the role of WCVA and the current focus of our work to support voluntary organisations during this difficult time
• How can charities keep doing social good during social distancing? Judith Stone, our Assistant Director of Sector Development, makes a return from secondment to talk about what charities can do to continue their vital work
• Lauren Swain, Wales Development Manager for Localgiving, highlights some of the fundraising activities that organisations in Wales are proactively undertaking at this difficult time
• Due to the coronavirus pandemic charities in Wales are losing income as fundraising events are cancelled and individual donations decrease. Alison Pritchard, Sustainable Funding Manager at WCVA, has some advice for charities on how to enhance their online fundraising presence

POSITIVE STORIES

• Read the story of Stephens & George Centenary Charitable Trust, an education charity in Merthyr Tydfil, and how they’ve mobilised to take on the challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic
• With help from the Voluntary Services Emergency Fund, the Centre for African Entrepreneurship (CAE) has been providing Swansea’s BAME community with vital services during the coronavirus pandemic. Read their story
• Bridgend Carers Centre has seen a rise in carers feeling isolated and anxious about keeping their loved ones safe during the pandemic. Read about how they’ve had to adapt and create new services to help their community
• Thousands of people across Wales will be able to access extra support for their mental health from Mind Cymru thanks to funding from the Voluntary Services Emergency Fund
• Cardiff’s Coronavirus Relief Project marked Ramadan with a fantastic community response, sending out 500 food parcels and collecting over £5,000 in generous donations, with over 100 volunteers signing up to help. Read their story
• Home-Start Cymru are among the first recipients of grants from the Voluntary Services Emergency Fund. Read how they’re adapting their services to the coronavirus pandemic
• 14 voluntary organisations working on the frontline in the battle against coronavirus have received funding in the first round of the Voluntary Services Emergency Fund
• Talbot Community Centre are showing that even in times of dire crisis, resilient communities can come together and help their most vulnerable. Read their story
• Generous citizens across Wales have been more than willing to give up their time for others – we share some stories from voluntary sector staff

MORE GOOD NEWS NEEDED

There hasn’t been a lot of positive news lately – between COVID-19 and the recent devastating floods across Wales, the mood seems pretty sombre across the nation.

What we haven’t been lacking in is stories of resilient communities coming together – for example the news that groups such as Coronavirus Support Blaenau Gwent have been assembling volunteers to help people in need.

We’ll be sharing good news stories and examples of good practise as part of this newsletter. If you know of any other positive stories like this of communities pulling together to cope with COVID-19 then please let us know!

OUR STANCE ON THE CONTINUING PUBLIC HEALTH DEVELOPMENTS

Ruth Marks has written a piece on the role of WCVA and the current focus of our work to support voluntary organisations.

As part of the ongoing response to the outbreak of Coronavirus (COVID-19), WCVA is paying close attention to advice provided by UK Government as well as guidance from Public Health Wales.

We would recommend that everyone follow NHS hygiene advice.

Due to the current advice on the Coronavirus we’ve taken the decision to close our offices. However, all of our staff have been equipped to work from home and we’re still here doing everything we can to support voluntary organisations during this difficult time.

We’re currently suspending all face-to-face training and events, but will continue to deliver online learning where possible.

We will continue to monitor any developments and will inform the voluntary sector of any further action we take as things change.