COVID-19 updates and guidance

Last updated 12 January 2022

Read Public Health Wales’ daily statement here.

COVID-19 EMAIL UPDATES

If you’d like email updates on the latest COVID-19 news for the voluntary sector in Wales, please sign up here.

LATEST UPDATES

• Welsh Government have updated the assets for their reassurance campaign for those working in education
• Eluned Morgan MS, Minister for Health and Social Services, released a statement about changes to the PCR testing system
• Welsh Government has provided a list of information and contacts for anyone who may have missed their booster appointment or need to reschedule
• Welsh Government have produced a new series of vaccine posters and leaflets in a variety of languages. This is in addition to their suite of vaccination assets
• The Chief Medical Officer has written to patient facing health and social care workers about updates to guidance on potential COVID-19 contact and returning from international travel
• As the COVID-19 booster vaccination programme ramps up, health boards are looking for additional volunteers. To find out more about what roles are available, get in touch with your local health board. All volunteers are required to complete self-assessments of their personal vulnerability in relation to COVID-19, such as the all Wales COVID-19 workforce risk assessment
• Minister for social justice Jane Hutt released a letter to the sector asking organisations to keep their members and communities up to date with current measures
• The recently launched Recovery Loan Fund is currently available for voluntary organisations in the UK that have been impacted by COVID-19 and need funds to help them to survive, recover and grow
• We share key findings from our independent study on UK charities’ presence in Wales and the impact of COVID-19

OTHER NEWS

• With the Welsh Government announcing its Autumn & Winter Strategy Public Health Wales has put together a booster vaccine FAQ
• As 12-15 year old’s are now eligible for vaccination NHS Wales has produced a leaflet to answer any questions young people might have
• The Welsh Government has published an updated Coronavirus Control Plan which aims to to keep Wales open and safe during ‘challenging’ winter ahead
• The First Minister has announced that people will have to show a NHS COVID Pass to enter nightclubs and attend events in Wales from next month
• A new £48m package of funding to support social care in Wales has been announced by Deputy Minister for Social Services Julie Morgan
• Eluned Morgan MS, Minister for Health and Social Services has released a written statement regarding the JCVI & Chief Medical Officers’ advice on vaccinating 12-15 year olds as well as an announcement about Autumn booster programme
• The Joint Committee for Vaccination and Immunisation have recommend an expansion of the list of specific underlying health conditions for children and young people aged 12 -15 years who are eligible for two doses of COVID-19 vaccine
• Expanding on the Third Sector Resilience Fund our Governance and Safeguarding Manager, Mair Rigby, hosts WCVA’s podcast in which she’s also joined by our Resilience Officer, Sian Eagar, to discuss the concept of resilience in the voluntary sector
• During the pandemic more health and social care services have engaged with volunteers than ever before. Fiona Liddell talks about the new Framework for Volunteering in Health and Social Care, designed to support any organisation to involve volunteers

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

• The pandemic has meant that many organisations have lost income and been forced to cut services, or close entirely. Russell Todd of Grow Social Capital CIC wants to know how the sector can rediscover its resilience. Read on to find out how to get involved
• We want to build a clear picture of how the pandemic has affected sector funding. Our Sustainable Funding Manager, Alison explains why this is so important and how you can help
• The experience of COVID-19 has created an increased appetite for organisations to work more collaboratively. Fiona Liddell, Helpforce Cymru Manager, looks at what we mean by volunteer ‘passports’ and how we may benefit from developing more shared volunteer processes
• John Griffiths, MS for Newport East and Chair of the Senedd’s Equality, Local Government and Communities Committee writes about the Committee’s recent inquiry looking at the impact of COVID-19 on the voluntary sector
• WCVA’s Safeguarding team, Suzanne Mollison and Mair Rigby, share their reflections on what we have learned about safeguarding from COVID-19
• 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
• Emma Taylor-Collins and Hannah Durrant from Wales Centre for Public Policy, and WCVA’s Helpforce Cymru Manager Fiona Liddell look for a pattern in recent volunteering success stories from across Wales
• How do we maximise the impact of volunteering post-pandemic? Fiona Liddell, Helpforce Cymru Manager at WCVA argues that this is a good time to reappraise the potential of volunteering to achieve positive outcomes for your organisation
• Ben Lloyd, Head of Policy at WCVA, examines Levelling Up Our Communities, a report by Danny Kruger MP which proposes actions to ‘sustain the community spirit we saw during the lockdown’
• Our Policy Officer David Cook explains what we’re doing to stand up for Wales’ voluntary organisations in Westminster since the coronavirus pandemic
• This summer, Welsh Government ran its Our Futures Wales consultation to find out people’s thoughts about the best approach to recovery from COVID-19. WCVA Head of Policy, Ben Lloyd, looks at how we engaged with the sector about this and highlights the key points in our response
• As we move towards a ‘new normal’ Anna Nicholl, Director of Strategy and Sector Development at WCVA, reflects on what we’ve learnt from our ‘Preparing for different futures’ sessions with the voluntary sector, discussing community response, wellbeing economies and more
• 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 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
• WCVA Volunteering Manager Felicitie Walls covers the main points of consideration when preparing or returning to volunteering after lockdown
• 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
• Korina Tsioni at WCVA blogs about five simple ways to keep on top of your quality assurance during the pandemic
• 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

• Voluntary Services Recovery Fund recipients Brighter Futures used their funding to adapt their services to stay open throughout the pandemic, and last week they received a visit from Prince William. If you’ve received any media coverage of progress you’ve made due to your COVID emergency grant funding, please let us know
• Active Inclusion projects in North Wales took part in an event to share how they’ve been helping people deal with the economic challenges over the pandemic
• Richard Smith leads a team of eight as the British Red Cross team leader for the PIVOT service in Haverfordwest. We asked him to tell us how Coronavirus had impacted on the service, which is provided by a team of staff and volunteers
• Volunteers at Hear to Help clinics have been helping the hearing-impaired community of Powys by undertaking minor repairs of hearing aids. Read their story on our website
• The turbulence of 2020 has been difficult for us all – read Hope Rescue’s story of how Third Sector Resilience Fund money kept them above water
• We spoke to Innovate Trust about what they’ve been doing with their Active Inclusion participants during lockdown – they’ve really been living up to their name! Read their story
• Since we last spoke to Welsh Charity Awards winners Blood Bikes Wales, the COVID-19 pandemic has made unprecedented demands on the charity’s ability to adapt and respond through the crisis. Nigel Ward, Chair of Blood Bikes Wales explains
• 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
• 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.