Borderline Arts focuses specifically on Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD). They use arts and creativity to raise awareness of this often misunderstood mental health conditionn and to tackle the stigma that surrounds it.

They have launched a postcard project and would like to invite anyone with Borderline Personality Disorder (anywhere in the world!) to join in with this new venture!

They are asking for participants to send them postcard-sized (150 mm x 105 mm, landscape) pieces of art created in any medium: pencil, paint, collage, photography etc. The artwork can be of anything at all, as long as it is a positive or neutral image, which is suitable to give as a ‘thank you’ gift!!

These postcards will be used in 2 ways:
Digital Montage: Photographs of these postcards will be compiled together as a digital wall montage on the Borderline Arts website, to showcase the artwork, promote you as artists and hopefully inspire others to also get involved!

Thank You Cards: Borderline Arts will use the physical copies of the postcards as thank you cards to give to those who support Borderline Arts. They hope that receiving a message written on a one-of-a-kind postcard created by someone with BPD will be really special for them to receive (and hopefully it will be special for you to have been part of that too!).

Visit https://www.borderlinearts.org/postcardproject to find out to take part.

Borderline Arts have lots of other exciting projects for Spring/Summer 2020, you can find out more HERE.

Tesco Bags of Help has responded to the current COVID-19 crisis by setting up a new fund to support local communities. In order respond quickly to the emergency they have created a streamlined application and payment process to make it easier to get funds out quickly.

If your application is successful the fund will provide a single payment award of £500 to organisations who are supporting vulnerable groups. The programme is set up to support organisational need in this time of crisis rather than fund specific projects with the situation of the Coronavirus.

Link to apply: https://tescobagsofhelp.org.uk/tesco-cv-fund/

For any queries please contact: tescocv@groundwork.org.uk

Interested in your wellbeing? Then join us for our weekly wellbeing sessions and start your wellbeing journey today.

Are you a patient, a carer, are you bereaved? Has life changed, leaving you feeling demotivated, isolated or struggling to cope? Are you someone looking for new ways to achieve a healthy balance in your life? Then our Virtual Wellbeing Programme may be for you.

If you would like relaxed conversation over a virtual cuppa and to meet others in similar situations, then please join us and kickstart your wellbeing journey. We would love to see you.

The virtual programme will run every Tuesday from 2.00pm – 3.00pm starting the 21st July 2020 

For more information or to register for the Wellbeing Programme, please e-mail: Jo Gregory, Counsellor & Support Worker, at: joanne.gregory@ashgatehospicecare.org.uk.

The Wellbeing Programme is a virtual weekly meeting held on Zoom. Members will receive weekly zoom link invitations via e-mail to join the Wellbeing meetings.

Shelagh’s Sewing Circle is a group of 150+ volunteers based in Dronfield/S.Sheffield area who are currently making & distributing free face masks to a wide range of health, voluntary & charity organisation.

Our initial priorities have been surgeries, care homes & health professionals, but as capacity grew, we broadened out to nurseries & other priority key workers, like charities in contact with vulnerable groups & 3rd sector organisations needing to supplement their PPE. 

As of last night we have made and distributed nearly 30.000 masks, mostly to the Dronfield, South Sheffield, Chesterfield, S.Yorkshire & NE Derbyshire areas, but word of mouth, appearances on local radio & TV (Look North & Calender News) & support from Patrick Grant of Sewing Bee has resulted in orders from wider care homes & key workers across the country, including London, Norwich, Liverpool & Scotland!! 

The masks are completely free and are being made from donated goods. They were originally produced in consultation with local health professionals and are washable for cleansing, although steaming with a hot iron can sterilises them between contacts.

 You can find more information by looking at our website Shelaghssewingcircle.org.uk. People who are interested in getting some of these free masks can order them via this website.

Tell us about your experience of the last few extraordinary months, and what support you need – and win a £25 supermarket voucher!

Closing date 31 July 2020

We want to hear community groups, voluntary organisations, charities and social enterprises of all kinds and all sizes, from all parts of Derby City and Derbyshire.

This includes established organisations (whether or not you have been able to provide services during the lockdown), as well as new informal mutual aid / neighbourhood groups; and faith organisations, parish councils and food banks responding to the crisis.

All completed surveys will be entered into a draw to win 1 of 3 x £25 supermarket vouchers!

We want to find out, capture and share:

• All the good work that you have been doing to make sure that people affected by COVID, especially the most vulnerable, have been supported.
• What you have learned and experienced
• What the impact has been on your organisation
• Crucially, we also want to know what support and resources you will need in future, so that we can make sure that you get this

The survey should take about 20 minutes, and will ask questions about:

• Your organisation (what you do, where you work, who you support and your annual income)
• What you have been doing (if anything) to support people during COVID (including the kinds of support you have provided, the numbers of people you have helped and the number of volunteers who have been involved).
• The impact of COVID on your organisation, including your income, staff (if any), volunteer numbers, levels of demand, needs and geographical differences.
• Your experience of COVID – what the challenges have been, what you have learned – and what support you will need going forward.

Click here to start the survey https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/3D2020

This survey is being carried out by the 3D (Third Sector Support for Derbyshire) network of local CVS, Volunteer Centres and other local voluntary sector support organisations working in partnership with public sector colleagues.

If you have any questions, or if would rather complete the survey on paper or as a Word document, or if you need someone to help you fill it in please email 3derbyshire@gmail.com 

Connex would like to tell you about a new idea their wonderful Dales team has started! Here’s more from Sarah……

‘Here over in the Dales we have started a Connex Pen Pals project, whereby youngsters are writing letters and drawing pictures for our older and more vulnerable residents of the Derbyshire Dales.

If you are working with any children or your own children or grandchildren would enjoy writing an occasional letter to help send to someone who is isolated, please drop me an email for more details. We are accepting children pen pals from all over, to prove to our clients they are never alone!’

You can contact Sarah on sarahc@connex.org.uk

Derwent Rural Counselling Service are still operating and have been throughout the epidemic, offering telephone and video counselling sessions to Derby and Derbyshire residents. They have been taking referrals by phone, email and web form. Their therapists are offering a lot of additional appointments and therefore their waiting times are very short, as soon as the assessment is completed an appointment to begin treatment will be offered straight away.

Rural Action Derbyshire has launched a Rural Hardship Support Fund to help people in rural areas of Derbyshire suffering extreme hardship as a result of Covid-19.

The fund will provide regular food parcels and assistance with some critical household expenses. People will also be able to access information on other support available to them relative to their specific needs.

In response to the current crisis, the Co-operative have made some changes to their Community Dividend Fund to provide immediate financial support for local good causes, community groups and charities who are responding to some of the most worrying impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic. 

Many charities and organisations are suffering financial hardship due to the pandemic – incomes have fallen, demand has risen. 

In particular, they know that providing the basics including food has become a challenge for many people.  Isolation and lack of access to normal services means that mental health and wellbeing is a growing concern. 

The Community Dividend Fund particularly welcome applications from organisations that are meeting needs in these areas.

To find out more and apply visit: https://www.centralengland.coop/community-covid/

Closing date 31^st July 2020