You’ll find information and advice related to Coronavirus on things like volunteering, funding, trustees and governance, and health and wellbeing.
On this page we’ve collated all of our Covid-19 guidance and resources for voluntary organisations in Wales
Funding
- As lockdown measures are eased and voluntary services resume some face to face activity, we’re opening a new phase of the Voluntary Services Emergency Fund to enable the sector to address different challenges in the coming stages of the pandemic
- Application are now open for Lloyds Bank Foundation’s COVID Recovery Fund. Join them for this live panel Q&A to learn more about the grant programme. 11 August, 2 – 3.30 pm
- Due to the coronavirus pandemic, demand for mental health services is increasing. The Coronavirus Mental Health Response Fund is designed to help mental health organisations based in Wales continue to provide services – or provide additional support. Apply before 3 August 2020
- WCVA is still accepting applications from the Third Sector Resilience Fund – Welsh Government funding providing cash flow support for voluntary organisations in Wales during the current Covid-19 crisis. Apply on our website
- RECENTLY UPDATED: find the latest funds to support the sector through the pandemic over at Funding Wales
- We’re really pleased to join the Resilience and Recovery Loan Fund as partners, helping to ensure that the fund is accessible throughout Wales. Find out more here
- The Welsh Government has made up to £9 million available to support town centres recover from the coronavirus pandemic
- Read about Media Academy Cymru’s work during the pandemic, diverting young people at risk of entering the criminal justice system by giving them a passion for media and film – with the help of the Voluntary Services Emergency Fund
- 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
- The Institute of Fundraising have just launched a set of recruitment guides to help make a more diverse workforce
- The Steve Morgan Foundation’s emergency hardship fund has been extended until end of September – open to voluntary organisations across North Wales Merseyside and Cheshire
- The main grant giving organisations in Wales are working together more closely than ever to ensure that funding goes to the Welsh organisations and communities that need it most during lockdown- and have distributed £20 million to communities across Wales. Find out more about the Wales Funders’ Forum
- The Fundraising Regulator has published key principles and guidance on public fundraising to support charitable organisations’ return to fundraising activities
- A coalition of leading voices in UK charities has called on the Government to temporarily increase the level of Gift Aid that can be claimed on donations
- The new round of Welsh Government’s Wales and Africa grants will fund activities to alleviate the impacts of the coronavirus on communities in Africa. If this sounds like you, visit the Wales and Africa grant scheme page for more details on how to apply
- A new report detailing our first Different Futures session is now available – financial impact of COVID-19 on voluntary organisations
- New guidance has been released for voluntary organisations in receipt of Welsh Government grants
- Coronavirus funding: which should I apply for? new blog from Alison Pritchard, Sustainable Funding Manager at WCVA
- Welsh Government have released guidance for voluntary organisations receiving coronavirus funding
- Advice for charities on how to enhance their online fundraising presence
- Charity Tax Group – hub of advice and guidance for charities
- WCVA Emergency fast-track loans – for voluntary sector organisations in Wales to help see them through the effects of coronavirus and recent flooding
- We’ve collated a list of various funders’ responses to the virus
Volunteering
- As we gradually ease out of lockdown from the Coronavirus pandemic during the coming months, we look forward to involving volunteers once again. Fiona Liddell, Helpforce Cymru Manager at WCVA, discusses the way forward and identifies some useful resources
- WCVA Volunteering Manager Felicitie Walls covers the main points of consideration when preparing or returning to volunteering after lockdown
- The first volunteering podcast from Volunteering Wales and Helpforce Cymru talks about the role played by volunteers in response to the Covid-19 pandemic
- 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
- Emma Morgan, Volunteer at WCVA, explains why you should consider creating volunteer virtual fundraising roles for your organisation during the pandemic
- 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
- E-gift cards for volunteers – updated guidance from Welsh Government on supermarkets schemes to help volunteers shop for the vulnerable (English only)
- This list of free resources will help you to equip volunteers for new roles, or for roles that they will be carrying out under different circumstances at this time
- You can now find or register volunteering opportunities for coronavirus support on Volunteering Wales
- If you are unable to get support from friends and family and need support from volunteers, please contact your local council
- WLGA has a hub of resources and useful information on volunteering available on their website
- Here is some guidance for volunteering in social care settings for staff who are or likely to manage volunteers within social care
- Guidance for staff who manage volunteers within the NHS in Wales, in primary or secondary care – NHS Volunteers and response to COVID-19
Safeguarding
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Together we can keep people safe – Welsh Government guidance on what do and who to contact if you suspect a friend, a family member or a neighbour is at risk of harm, abuse or neglect
- Children at home – Covid-19 safeguarding good practice
- Here’s a blog from the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) on using videoconferencing software safely
- Checklist – Accepting substantial offers of help
- COVID 19 – DBS update no 2
- Covid-19 – Safeguarding and moving services online
- Sample risk assessment for staff or volunteers working from home
- Volunteering and COVID-19 – Managing unsuitable applicants
- Protecting and Safeguarding Older People – an information pack from the Older People’s Commissioner
- Get Safe Online have launched a campaign to combat social media scams
- Community response to COVID-19 – enabling safe and effective practice
- Guidance on the ease of rules around DBS checks
- Guidance on safeguarding issues relating to financial transactions
- NSPCC guidance on the coronavirus and child safeguarding
- Welsh Women’s Aid toolkit to help support survivors of domestic violence and abuse during the COVID-19 pandemic
Trustees and governance
- Welsh Government are holding a Q+A on the reopening of community centres on Thursday 6 August from 1.30 to 2.30 pm. Register interest by emailing thirdsectorqueries@gov.wales
- The Governance Institute (ICSA) has published new guidance on re-opening for charity trustees
- Adam Fletcher, Head of The British Heart Foundation Cymru talks about the benefits of working together with other organisations across the voluntary sector
- The Social Enterprise Academy are running multiple training sessions on leadership during the pandemic. Book your place now
- When lockdown ends, what will be the deciding factors in shaping your future workplace? This webinar will share ideas on how the voluntary sector can update their places of work. 16 July 2020, 2 – 3pm
- This new guidance is for community centres based in Wales to provide you with a brief overview of how to prepare for restarting your services when it is permissible to do so
- 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
- 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
- Wales Council for the Blind and Wales Council for Deaf People have released guidance on making meetings accessible for people with sensory loss
- 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
- Korina Tsioni at WCVA blogs about five simple ways to keep on top of your quality assurance during the pandemic
- You can now catch up with all our #DifferentFuturesWales events on Youtube – spanning issues from financial resilience to climate change, the discussions really shine a light on the challenges facing the sector right now
- 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
- This webinar with Darwin Gray will offer guidance on returning employees to their workplaces
- The third event focussed on what the pandemic has meant for delivering services, and the implications for how we deliver services in the future. Jess Blair reports back
- Mike Corcoran, Evaluation Specialist with Co-Production Network for Wales, outlines seven questions for meaningful evaluation of your services in a time of crisis
- 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
- The Charity Retail Association has released a draft Reopening Pack for when charity shops can re-open, and provides some suggestions of things to think about in the meantime
- Here’s guidance on the support available from the CIC Regulator and FAQ for CICs during the pandemic
- Guidance from the Charity Commission for trustees on how to manage financial difficulties caused by coronavirus
- This blog from the ICO clarifies some of the basics of data protection for community groups
- Inspiring Impact has created a webpage to support organisations with measuring their impact during the crisis
- Free business support is available for charities from Cranfield Trust during the crisis
- The Charity Commission has issued an alert for charities about fraud and cybercrime
- The ICO have shared a guide on working from home for organisations
- The Charity Commission has provided guidance on running your charity during the coronavirus crisis
- Statement reminding charities that coronavirus could cause serious incidents that need to be reported to the Commission (English only)
- Filing charity returns during the coronavirus pandemic (English only)
- Statement reminding charities that coronavirus could cause serious incidents that need to be reported to the Commission (English only)
- ICSA has produced an update on holding charity AGMs during the pandemic
- 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
- The coronavirus pandemic has raised serious issues for trustees of all charities, meaning that risk management and effective decision-making are more important than ever. Read our guide for trustees
- NCVO – Coronavirus and governance: what trustees need to think about (English only)
- Russell Cooke Solicitors have released a briefing for charities on a number of legal points relating to COVID-19 with links to other sources of information
Health and wellbeing
- Welsh Government has announced £22.7m in extra funding to help meet the additional costs adult social care providers are incurring as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic
- A new Samaritans enhanced helpline is available for health and social care workers in Wales
- Help Keep Wales Safe through the pandemic by using this campaign pack from Welsh Government – featuring materials to help you promote the latest guidance
- The self-isolation period has moved from 7 days to 10 days from the onset of symptoms across the UK
- We’ve added guidance on setting up community transport and what to do if you suspect domestic abuse – they’re designed for applicants to our emergency fund, but probably useful for everyone. Visit the bottom of the VSEF page for more info
- The Chief Medical Officer for Wales Dr Frank Atherton has confirmed people in Wales who are shielding will no longer need to do so after 16 August
- A new NHS symbol has been announced today called Distance Aware – a badge for members of the public that reminds others to socially distance. More information here
- Wales’ new coronavirus testing strategy has been published today by Health Minister Vaughan Gething
- 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
- 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
- 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
- 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
- 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
- What COVID-19 means for creating a wellbeing economy – Jess Blair summarises the discussion from our final #DifferentFuturesWales event
- The Information Commissioner’s Office have produced five simple steps for collecting visitor’s personal details for contact tracing
- Darwin Gray are running free webinars in partnership with WCVA around managing work and mental health during lockdown
- Family Lives, the parenting and family advice charity, has been awarded funding to extend its helpline service to Welsh speakers
- Welsh Government have produced an easy read overview on ‘What happens when you get a test for coronavirus’
- Test, trace, protect: process summary – Welsh Government guidance available in a range of languages on what you need to do to help contact tracing control the spread of coronavirus
- The First Minister has announced that people from two separate households will now be able to join together to form one exclusive extended household
- Ethnic Minority Women in Welsh Healthcare have organised a webinar to showcase the lived experiences of healthcare professionals dealing with coronavirus patients – 15 July
- VAWDASV (violence against women, domestic abuse and sexual violence) services in Wales are set to receive an additional £1.5m in revenue to help them respond to increased demands on services as a result of Covid-19
- The Welsh NHS Confederation has published a briefing paper on cross-sector partnership working to support the response to COVID-19 in Wales
- Wales Council for the Blind and Wales Council for Deaf People have released guidance on making meetings accessible for people with sensory loss
- Here’s new Welsh Government guidance for care home providers for adults and children on how to enable safe visiting during the coronavirus pandemic
- Welsh Government’s official report of the BAME Covid-19 Socioeconomic Subgroup that identifies systemic racism as a risk factor is now available to read in full
- Book your place on the Welsh NHS Confederation’s webinar COVID-19, EU Transition and the Welsh health and social care sector – 23 June, 2 pm
- What possibilities has COVID-19 created that could lead to long term change? We’ve been asking this question every week as part of our #DifferentFuturesWales series, and in the final session on Thursday we’ll be focusing on the Wellbeing Economy. Book your free place now
- Care homes across Wales are benefiting from digital devices being delivered to them as part of a Welsh Government scheme to help residents keep in touch with friends and family, and to assist with video medical consultations
- 2buy2 are supporting the PPE requirements of organisations throughout the UK by creating a PPE buying group. Find out more info and join their aggregation here
- 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
- The Welsh Government is following updated advice from the World Health Organisation (WHO) and recommending people in Wales wear three-layer face coverings in situations where social distancing is not possible
- 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
- Coronavirus guidance from Welsh Government for those who provide unpaid care for family and friends
- This week is #CarersWeek, and Carers Trust are promoting a survey for young carers around COVID-19. Have your say here
- Almost 130,000 people will this week start receiving a letter from the Chief Medical Officer for Wales setting out the latest advice to protect them from coronavirus
- Age Cymru is launching the Friend In Need service to help tackle loneliness and isolation amongst the over 70s as a result of social distancing, self-isolation and shielding
- The COVID Response Map Wales has been designed to help identify areas where there are more people who may be more vulnerable to COVID-19
- Changes have been made to the Welsh Government advice for people shielding at home from coronavirus
- The Minister for Health and Social Services has issued a Written Statement Test, Trace, Protect
- Welsh Government have produced FAQs for the voluntary sector on providing support for people that are shielding
- Social Care Heroes is a social media initiative developed by a partnership of agencies and individuals who want to raise awareness of the social care workforce in Wales
- Deputy Minister for Health and Social Services Julie Morgan has published a written statement about coronavirus and older people’s rights
- Updated discharge guidance for health, social care, third and independent sector partners in Wales has been published
- If you’re experiencing coronavirus symptoms, you can now apply for a home test. Find out more here
- British Red Cross has set up a coronavirus support line to provide a listening ear and help to people affected by the pandemic
- To mark VE Day Carers Wales, in partnership with Age Cymru’s Project 3600, has produced a guide on entitlements and support for veteran carers and people caring for veterans
- Our Risk, Procurement and Governance Manager Emma Waldron talks to CIPS about difficulties with PPE provision to the voluntary sector
- The Health Minister has announced new arrangements to ensure people who are shielding or self-isolating can continue to get their prescription medicines through delivery
- Housing, health, social care and support settings: Examples to inform implementation of the updated Infection Prevention and Control guidance from Public Health Wales
- Wales Carers Alliance has sent a letter to Welsh Government on the impact on unpaid carers
- The Violence against women, domestic abuse and sexual violence team have made online training accessible to all for free during the coronavirus outbreak, to help people recognise the signs of abuse and how they can safely help to help combat the increased risk of some people stuck in abusive relationships during lockdown – you can access it through guest log on at learning2.wales.nhs.uk/course/view.php?id=71
- Welsh Government have issued a written statement on the full extent of the actions our health service is taking, which can be viewed here: Welsh Government statement
- Letter from Albert Heaney to Care Providers – Distribution of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) to Social Care Settings
- Read the Welsh Government’s statement on their ongoing provision of school for vulnerable children and children of key workers
- Welsh Government: guidance for social, residential and community care providers – for care workers who may have to work with potentially vulnerable people
- The Minister for Health and Social Services has issued a statement on Personal Protective Equipment
- UK Government – Latest information and advice
- Public Health Wales – their most recent statement, updated daily at 11am
- Public Health Wales – collected guidance
- Public Health Wales guidance for schools. They have also produced a series of infographics for organisations looking for social media-friendly ways of sharing advice, which can be downloaded here
- NHS hygiene advice
- Association of Charitable Foundations – Response to coronavirus (English only)
- The British Lung Foundation have guidance for people with pre-existing lung conditions (English only)
- Mind have provided guidance on mental health and wellbeing while dealing with the coronavirus (English only)
- People in Wales at a very high risk of severe illness from coronavirus will get a letter asking them to isolate for 12 weeks and advice on the support available
COVID-19 updates
The latest updates, blogs and good news stories for voluntary organisations in Wales.