This page was last updated on 17 June 2021.
- Government pauses at Step 3 of the Spring 2021 Roadmap – what your charity or community groups needs to know
- Free ACAS webinar on small scale redundancies and RVA employment support for charities
- RBC has launched two pots of funding to support community and voluntary groups – both close on 25 July 2021
National lockdown 2021
- Voluntary sector vaccine support helpline opens
- Coronavirus testing for staff and volunteers – guidance from ACAS, ICO and DCMS
- Government roadmap to lifting lockdown – Spring 2021
- Updated shielding guidance and reviewing your risk assessments
- Business Interruption Insurance – guidance from the FCA
- Covid-19 community testing programme for essential workers and volunteers
- Berkshire weekly Covid-19 briefings from Public Health for Berkshire
- Request support from the Voluntary and Community Sector Emergencies Partnership.
- Support and resources to help you deliver services safely online
- Updated guidance on the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme – furlough and caring responsibilities
- NCVO Coronavirus Guidance for charities and voluntary organisations
- Charity Commission updates: holding trustee meetings and AGMs
- National lockdown January 2021: what charities need to know (updated 14 January 2021)
- Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust press release: Covid-19 vaccination roll out in Berkshire West
RVA services
- RVA Advice Service: if your organisation needs advice or support contact advice@rva.org.uk. We are continuing to offer our advice service remotely through email, telephone and video calls.
- For funding news, advice and opportunities go to RVA’s funding pages.
- For training from local and national organisations, go to RVA’s training page.
- RVA News: subscribe to our weekly newsletter here. If you would like us to publicise updates about your services via RVA news and the RVA website, please email them to info@rva.org.uk.
- Team Reading coronavirus response volunteers: if your organisation is registered with RVA and needs some extra volunteer support please email steve.hendry@rva.org.uk.
- Social Prescribing: if you are a professional looking to make a referral, please email readingsocial.prescribing@nhs.
net. Individuals who have received support from the Social Prescribing service in the past and would like us to get in touch again can email social.prescribing@rva.org.uk.
National lockdown – November 2020
- RVA article: Energy vouchers available from Citizens Advice Reading – by referral
- RVA article: Updated government guidance for organisations who involve volunteers
- Government guidance: COVID-19: letters to clinically extremely vulnerable people, including translations
- RVA article: Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme extended to March 2021 and further economic support
- NHS: Winter services from health and social care teams across Berkshire West
- RVA article: How do the new national restrictions apply to charities?
- RVA article: CJRS Furlough scheme extended until December 2020
- Future Learn online training: Covid-19 Psychological First Aid for front line staff and volunteers
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These articles and resources from 2020 are retained for reference
Contingency planning and adapting your services
- Changes to the social distancing rules from Monday 14 September 2020
- New process maps from ACAS to help you navigate workplace changes
- Community Buildings briefing from the RBC Facilities Team
- Changes to the shielding rules and how to keep your volunteers safe
- How to complete Covid 19 Risk Assessments – watch the recorded presentation from July 2020
- How are charities approaching the easing of restrictions? Watch a recorded presentation from July 2020
- Need help with Zoom and adapted services? Slides from session held 25 June 2020
- Resources to help organisations plan for the road ahead
- Mid-term planning – key questions for trustees
- Charity Commission guidance: how to hold remote trustee meetings
- 14 April: Charity Commission – updated guidance for the sector
- RVA guide for community groups offering coronavirus support services
- NCVO guidance on involving and managing volunteers during the coronavirus outbreak
- NCVO: guidance for charities
- NCVO: coronavirus and governance – what charity trustees need to think about
- Zurich: organisational resilience guidance on pandemic planning
- MindTools: contingency planning, including templates
- For guidance and advice aimed specifically at befriending organisations, please see our Ready Friends page
- Bates Wells – governance, solvency, contracts and employment update
- Bates Wells: key issues for charities in public service delivery – procurement and contracts
- ABI Guidance: business insurance and unoccupied premises
- Unoccupied charity premises – contact your insurers or landlord
- Cranfield Trust: free webinar on cash flow forecasting for charities
- Claiming Gift Aid on cancelled events
Employment and staff
- How to support staff wellbeing during coronavirus – July 2020
- Public funding and furlough guidance for trustees, including ACAS template
- Government guidance: coronavirus job retention scheme
- Government guidance: furloughed workers
- Civil Society guidance: job retention scheme and employment FAQs
- ACAS: guidance for employers and employees
- ACAS: guidance on homeworking including a template policy and checklist
- Bates Wells: coronavirus and your staff: what if working from home is not an option?
- Changes to the DBS service during the coronavirus pandemic
- Download: Small Charities guide to better mental health and wellbeing during Covid-19, including a section on working from home
Online training, safeguarding and data protection
We’ve updated our training page with a list of training you can access online on an ongoing basis, through local and national organisations.
- Advice on coping with hot weather and Covid-19 – June 2020
- RVA guide: Online training for charity trustees, staff and volunteers
- How to communicate in a crisis – two webinars from Lloyds Bank Foundation
- Online safety when delivering digital services to children, young people and adults at risk
- RVA’s guide to safeguarding resources during the coronavirus pandemic
- Information Commissioners Office: Data protection and coronavirus – what you need to know
- Bates Wells: The GDPR should not thwart a sensible approach to COVID-19 concerns