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
- WCVA’s Active Inclusion Fund is an important way for voluntary organisations to tackle unemployment in the wake of Covid-19. Watch Prime Cymru and bike shop owner Ian Davey’s story
- A new round of large Wales and Africa COVID grants has been announced to help partnerships adapt to new ways of working. If you’ve run a Wales and Africa project in the past five years and have an income of over £100k p/a, you may be eligible for a grant
- WCVA has come out as the ninth biggest Covid-19 funder in the UK, but we’re encouraging more organisations to apply with concerns about the availability of such funding in the future
- Right now, charities are doing everything they can to make a difference – but they need more support. The #RightNow campaign is your opportunity to send a public message to UK Government that charities urgently need an Emergency Support Fund so they can provide vital support to our communities. Find out how you can support the campaign
- Nesta’s Rapid Recovery Challenge Community Outreach Grants applications are closing on Monday 1 Feb. Three to four Community Outreach grantees will each receive £50-£90k in grant funding. Find out more about the scheme on their website
- The Moondance Foundation has announced an additional £10 million in 2021 to distribute to Welsh voluntary organisations struggling as a result of the pandemic
- Registered charity or CIC’s with a fundraising issue can apply to the Chartered Institute of Fundraising Cymru’s Coaching Covid Response Programme and receive five hours of professional responsive coaching free of charge
- Following high demand for funding support across the arts and cultural sectors a further £10.7 million will be made available from the Cultural Recovery Fund to support organisations and individuals during the pandemic
- Full details of how smaller organisations apply to the DWP’s Kickstart scheme are now available on our website. The scheme will provide fully subsidised jobs for young people, and WCVA is assisting smaller voluntary organisations with applications
- Deputy Minister and Chief Whip Jane Hutt has announced Welsh Government funding of £900k for improvements to community-based facilities through the Community Facilities Programme
- The National Lottery have relaunched a £10 million programme to help redesign services to making homelessness rare, brief and non-recurrent
- Tenancy Saver Loans are now available from Credit Unions. WCVA is pleased to be running this new scheme with Welsh Government and Credit Unions Wales. More information on our website
- The Arts Council of Wales is opening a new National Lottery derived fund. Connect & Flourish has new goals so find out more here
- Deputy Minister for Culture, Sport and Tourism, Lord Elis-Thomas has today announced a funding package to support Wales’ sport and leisure sector
- Organisations in the culture and heritage sector can now find out if they are eligible to apply for financial support from the Welsh Government’s £53 million Cultural Recovery Fund
- Welsh Government have announced a £4 million funding pot for childcare providers. The Childcare Provider Grant will offer dedicated funding for the childcare sector to help ensure more providers re-open as the schools return in September
- The European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) is launching a Civil Solidarity Prize, a one-off grant with the specific theme of ‘Civil society against COVID-19‘
- Welsh Government has confirmed up to £50 million to support projects across Wales, providing people with safe and secure homes to make sure they do not fall into homelessness and no-one is forced back onto the streets
- Find the latest funds to support the sector through the pandemic over at Funding Wales
- The Welsh Government has made up to £9 million available to support town centres recover from the coronavirus pandemic
- 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 Steve Morgan Foundation’s emergency hardship fund has been extended until end of September – open to voluntary organisations across North Wales Merseyside and Cheshire
- Coronavirus funding: which should I apply for? – blog from Alison Pritchard, Sustainable Funding Manager at WCVA
- 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
- One of our most read articles this year has been this article on how volunteers can support vaccinations across Wales, including information on who to contact about local NHS volunteering
- Volunteers have made a huge difference during the pandemic. Here’s how to keep your volunteers safe in line with Welsh Government guidance when supporting their communities
- If you’d like to volunteer or offer support during alert level 4, it’s important that you keep yourself and others safe. We’ve updated our guidance on volunteering during the pandemic
- You can still do voluntary work under Welsh Government guidelines – but must do so from home if practicable. Find out more about alert level 4 restrictions in the Welsh Government FAQs
- People with a clinical background can find out more about volunteering to support the COVID-19 vaccination programme in Wales and register their interest
- The National Lottery, ITV and STV have teamed up on a new campaign encouraging viewers to miss an episode of their fave TV show to lend a helping hand by volunteering in their community
- The Welsh Government has launched a community survey into the impact of the restrictions imposed by Covid-19 on volunteering through the medium of Welsh and use of the Welsh language
- 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
WCVA RESOURCES
WCVA’s Safeguarding team, Suzanne Mollison and Mair Rigby, share their reflections on what we have learned about safeguarding from COVID-19.
- UPDATED: Community response to COVID-19 – enabling safe and effective practice
- Safeguarding recognition and response procedures
- DBS Checks and Covid-19
- Guidance on safeguarding issues relating to financial transactions
- Checklist – Accepting substantial offers of help
- Covid-19 – Safeguarding and moving services online
- Sample risk assessment for staff or volunteers working from home
- Volunteering and COVID-19 – Managing unsuitable applicants
- Checklist: Reviewing your Safeguarding Policy in the light of COVID-19
OTHER RESOURCES
- This factsheet and FAQs provide advice on DBS checks for those organising a community volunteer group, and individuals wanting to assist those in their local community
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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
- Here’s a blog from the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) on using videoconferencing software safely
- 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
- 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
Governance, leadership & management
GOOD GOVERNANCE
- A new Charity Commission campaign is helping trustees to refresh their knowledge of charity governance and be ‘certain in uncertain times’
- Here’s a useful blog from the Association of Chairs with tips for making online meetings work better for boards
- ICSA have published guidance for charitable companies and CIOS on holding virtual and hybrid AGMs
- COVID – How do I make tomorrow better than yesterday? This toolkit asks seven simple questions to help you think about impact
- The Charity Commission has provided guidance on running your charity during the coronavirus crisis
- The question of how and when to hold an AGM during a pandemic is a challenging one for charity trustees. We’ve collected some resources and info to help you decide
- The Governance Institute (ICSA) has published new guidance on re-opening for charity trustees
- Charity Commission guidance for trustees on what matters may need to be reported as a serious incident during the coronavirus pandemic
- 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
- 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
- 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)
- 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
LEADERSHIP
- 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
- Adam Fletcher, Head of The British Heart Foundation Cymru talks about the benefits of working together with other organisations across the voluntary sector
- 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
- 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
- What the pandemic has meant for delivering services, and the implications for how we deliver services in the future. A blog from Jess Blair
MANAGEMENT
- The business rates holiday for charities in Wales has been extended for 12 months
- Media Trust have launched free digital communications training for UK charities in partnership with Google.org
- Carnegie UK Trust have released a report, blog and vlog series to help organisations moving their services online due to the pandemic
- We’ve released sample Terms and Conditions for community centre managers in Wales to use when hiring out community centres
- We have now updated our guidance for community centres reopening in Wales
- This helpful guide from Function Central contains advice about inclusive and accessibility event planning during COVID-19
- Korina Tsioni at WCVA blogs about five simple ways to keep on top of your quality assurance during the pandemic
- 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
- Wales Council for the Blind and Wales Council for Deaf People have released guidance on making meetings accessible for people with sensory loss
Health and wellbeing
CORONAVIRUS CONTROL INCLUDING TEST, TRACE, PROTECT
- The First Minister has confirmed the current conditions mean Wales has met the criteria in the new traffic-light Coronavirus Control Plan to move to alert level four
- Governments across the UK have issued a statement on staying safe over Christmas
- Welsh Government have published an update to their Coronavirus Control Plan, which builds on the traffic-light framework of restrictions originally put in place in May
- Routine testing of asymptomatic frontline health and social care staff will start this month in Wales
- Public Health Wales have published FAQ’s about the COVID-19 vaccine
- An online COVID response map has been developed by Public Health Wales to help agencies, public and voluntary organisations better identify where there may be a need for greater support
- Vaughan Gething MS, Minister for Health and Social Services has published a Coronavirus Control Plan for Wales (18 August 2020)
- The self-isolation period has moved from seven days to ten days from the onset of symptoms across the UK (update 4 August 2020)
- The Distance Aware NHS symbol is a badge for members of the public that reminds others to socially distance. More information here
- Wales’ coronavirus testing strategy has been published by Health Minister Vaughan Gething
- The Information Commissioner’s Office have produced five simple steps for collecting visitor’s personal details for contact tracing
- 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 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
- Coronavirus guidance from Welsh Government for those who provide unpaid care for family and friends
- 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
- The Minister for Health and Social Services has issued a Written Statement Test, Trace, Protect
- Deputy Minister for Health and Social Services Julie Morgan has published a written statement about coronavirus and older people’s rights
- If you’re experiencing coronavirus symptoms, you can now apply for a home test. Find out more here
- Housing, health, social care and support settings: Examples to inform implementation of the updated Infection Prevention and Control guidance from Public Health Wales
VACCINE PROGRAMME
- The #ValuingVaccines campaign has got Wales specific bilingual resources to help you promote the vaccine
- The British Red Cross have released some guidance on How to have a difficult conversation about vaccines
- This Doctors of the World page provides translated coronavirus vaccine guidance for migrants and other excluded communities in England, Scotland and Wales. Guidance is in a range of languages with more coming
- The take up of the Covid-19 vaccine is lower in Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) communities. tellmemore.wales has vaccine information for BAME people backed by local faith leaders and prominent figures from Swansea and Neath Port Talbot’s BAME communities
- Unpaid carers who may not be registered as an unpaid carer with their GP are being asked to come forward by completing a new online self-referral form in order to receive their Covid-19 vaccine as part of priority group 6
- An updated vaccine strategy for Wales has been published, confirming earlier key target dates
- The JCVI has set out that people with a severe/profound learning disability and individuals with any mental illness that causes severe functional impairment, should be invited for vaccination as part of priority group 6
- Do you think you should have received your vaccination appointment letter by now? Here’s what to do if you are due your COVID-19 vaccination and have not been contacted
- Valuing Vaccines have launched new content for February to help you promote the COVID-19 vaccination programme
- Our Marketing and Communications Manager, Elen, has updated her blog on how voluntary organisations can support the roll out of the COVID-19 vaccine in Wales by sharing communications
- Welsh Government have posted their weekly vaccination programme update
- Find out how the voluntary sector can support the vaccine programme through communications at this free webinar, Thursday 4 February, 3pm – 4pm
- Some criminals are using the COVID-19 vaccine as a way to target the public by tricking them to hand over cash or financial details. The UK Government have released this guidance and this poster to help raise awareness
- Letters about the Welsh Government’s COVID-19 vaccination plans will shortly begin to arrive at the front door of every household in Wales
- This map outlines the locations of vaccination centres in Wales
- The British Society for Immunology has lots of helpful guidance and resources to help you address common issues and concerns about the COVID-19 vaccine
- Public Health Wales have updated their vaccine FAQs for Health and Social Care professionals
- As we gear up for a COVID-19 vaccine, we hosted a webinar to discuss how the sector can help with vaccine communications. Find information and resources here
- Health Minister Vaughan Gething has published a written statement about the COVID-19 vaccine deployment
- As we prepare for the launch of the Covid-19 vaccine, Welsh Government have issued this statement
- The new Winter Protection Plan describes Welsh Government’s priorities for health and social care until March 2021
CARE AND SUPPORT FOR ADULTS, CHILDREN & YOUNG PEOPLE
- A further £250k has been announced to help unpaid carers in Wales cope with the financial pressures of the coronavirus pandemic
- Minister for Mental Health Eluned Morgan has made a statement about strengthening our response to the impact the pandemic is having on people’s mental health
- New revised NHS Wales hospital visiting guidance during the coronavirus outbreak has now been published
- There is new guidance for people shielding around Christmas
- The new national measures in place after the firebreak allow care home visits to take place – each local authority will advise care home providers about the approach in their area based on their local circumstances
- As Covid-19 restrictions ease, the Welsh Government is stepping up support to promote face to face services for victims and survivors of violence against women, domestic abuse and sexual violence (VAWDASV)
- 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
- 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 and that shielding has been paused
- 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
- 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
- Wales Carers Alliance has sent a letter to Welsh Government on the impact on unpaid carers
- Adults living alone, including single parents, in areas under local restrictions are now able to form a temporary bubble with another household in their local area under the new rules
SOURCING PPE & RESOURCES
- 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
DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY
- 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
USEFUL TOOLS, WEBINARS & ONLINE TRAINING
- The Mentor Ring is hosting a virtual global event on the COVID-19 ‘infodemic’ on Saturday 20 Feb to dispel myths around the pandemic
- The Dangos project aims to increase the knowledge and awareness about the availability of help for frontline workers. They’re running these information sessions to help raise awareness
- This online tool from Welsh Government will help people in Wales find advice and support for their individual circumstances during the COVID-19 pandemic
- 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 wales.nhs.uk/course/view.php?id=71
BRIEFING PAPERS, REPORTS, & OTHER GUIDANCE
- Here’s new Welsh Government guidance for care home providers for adults and children on how to enable safe visiting during the coronavirus pandemic
- 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
- 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
- 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
- Updated discharge guidance for health, social care, third and independent sector partners in Wales has been published
- 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
- Association of Charitable Foundations – Response to coronavirus (English only)
- Mind have provided guidance on mental health and wellbeing while dealing with the coronavirus(English only)
- The British Lung Foundation have guidance for people with pre-existing lung conditions(English only)
- The Welsh Government COVID-19 FAQ has been updated to reflect the new Wales-wide changes. FAQs in the local lockdown section of the site have also been amended
ADVICE & BEFRIENDING HELPLINES
- A partnership of BAME organisations in Wales have collaborated to launch a new multi-lingual helpline offering a range of specialist guidance for BAME people
- A new Samaritans enhanced helpline is available for health and social care workers in Wales
- Family Lives, the parenting and family advice charity, has been awarded funding to extend its helpline service to Welsh speakers
- 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
- British Red Cross has set up a coronavirus support line to provide a listening ear and help to people affected by the pandemic
- NHS hygiene advice
- Eight fully-funded counselling sessions for people struggling with mental health are available through Breathe
CAMPAIGNS
- The Keep Wales Safe campaign has some assets available for you to share with service users to help promote the COVID guidelines
- Help Keep Wales Safe through the pandemic by using this campaign pack from Welsh Government – featuring materials to help you promote the latest guidance
- 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
- ‘Now more than ever we need people to think carefully about where to seek advice to avoid extra pressure on the NHS this winter’ – This is the call from the Minister for Health Vaughan Gething as our health care services and health boards continue to deal with the coronavirus pandemic
- Community pharmacies are reporting an increased flu vaccine uptake as Wales embarks on biggest vaccination programme
- People across Wales and England are being urged to download the new NHS COVID-19 app to help stop the spread of coronavirus and protect themselves and their loved ones as case numbers rise
COVID-19 updates
The latest updates, blogs and good news stories for voluntary organisations in Wales.