Wellbeing Fund now open

Published on by Yvonne Hendry

The Wellbeing Fund aims to support organisations across the third sector that are providing important services to people who are most affected by the coronavirus pandemic. This forms part of a £350 million package from the Scottish Government.

This round of funding opened for applications on 8th May 2020. To be considered for funding, applications must be received by noon on 22nd May 2020.

  1. Your activity should be focused on working with at risk groups with new needs which are not currently being met by existing services
  2. Your activity should be focused on providing vital wellbeing support on issues such as mental health, personal finances, employment, housing, food, physical health and home life.
  3. Your activity should be focused on immediate and emerging forms of support

What is funding available for?

The Wellbeing Fund is focused on providing funding to organisations that can support people who are facing additional barriers or have increased requirements as a direct result of the coronavirus pandemic. It can fund both immediate and emerging forms of support, from now up to the end of July 2020, reflecting that the context for people and communities may change over that time.

Application process

You should complete the online application form and return it along with any requested supporting documents before noon on Friday 22nd May 2020.

You can download a template application form to help you prepare your application. We strongly encourage you to draft your application in this form first, but you must use the online form to complete your application. You will receive an acknowledgement that your application has been received and will hear back from us no later than June 5th 2020. to find out more go to https://scvo.org.uk/support/coronavirus/funding/scottish-government/wellbeing-fund/guidance-for-applicants

 

 

Zoom Bombing

Published on by Yvonne Hendry

Since the start of the Covid 19 lockdown, people have needed to find alternative ways to communicate with friends and family. Many are using Zoom – a popular video conferencing application that has seen a meteoric rise in popularity since the pandemic began. Unfamiliar users can leave themselves vulnerable to ‘Zoom Bombing’ where uninvited users gain access to the meeting for nefarious purposes. This guidance has been prepared following a particularly unpleasant incident that took place in Sussex.
How do you use Zoom?
The Zoom app is available on a multitude of devices, enabling communication between a range of devices. Subscribers can use a paid-for licenced version or a free version which has some restrictions. Upon registration, users are allocated a Personal Meeting ID (or PMI) which they can use to host meetings. It is not necessary to register with Zoom to participate in a meeting – all you need is the meeting ID which is made available by the host and the Zoom software. If inadequate settings are applied to the meeting, it may be vulnerable to Zoom Bombing. As a result, the host must take some basic precautions.

What precautions should I take?
Before starting the meeting, hosts should ensure the following settings are applied: –
Make the meeting private.  This can be done in 2 ways – (1) by requiring a password to access the meeting and (2) by using the ‘Waiting Room’ to control the admission of participants. In the latest version of the Zoom software, the default setting for the ‘Waiting Room’ feature is set to ‘enabled’ and passwords are also issued by default.
Manage your participants. Remember – links to meetings (invitations) should only be sent to those individuals you wish to participate.
Consider other options like video and audio use and set your requirements accordingly.

 

Coronavirus and your Wellbeing

Published on by Yvonne Hendry

I f you are worried about coronavirus (COVID-19) and how it could affect your life. Mind website offers support and information. You might feel stressed.  There   are  things you can try that could help your wellbeing. This information is to help you cope if: