Covid-19

Welcome to The Highland Council’s fortnightly briefing for groups with an interest in local community resilience. 

Covid related information  

• Scottish Government Covid-19 Guidance   
• NHS Inform Covid data   
• NHS Inform Covid information and guidance   
• NHS Highland local vaccination information  

Funding 

SCVO is a key source of funding information for the third sector https://scvo.scot/funding. Funds that may be of interest include: 

• Highlands and Islands Enterprise – Young Business Capital Investment Grant 
  This fund aims to increase productivity, innovation, and employment through investing in young businesses and social enterprises. Next deadline: 29 July 2022
• LNER – Customer and Community Investment Fund
  This fund supports projects with a focus on mental health, education and employability skills, diversity and inclusion, and environmental sustainability. Next deadline 31 July 2022
• Bauer Radio’s Cash for Kids Charities 
  Awards grants to children’s charities and organisations to help them undertake projects or ensure that the services can continue. Next deadline 31 August 2022.

Welfare, Poverty Reduction, and Resilience 

• Linked Fire Alarms – Highlands Low-Income Home-Owners Assistance Scheme 
  Low income home-owners, those who have disabilities and pensioners may be able to get help to supply and install interlinked fire alarms in their homes.  In addition, some families on low incomes who have children with disabilities may be able to get this help too.  
• Lochaber Hospital – The Scottish Government has approved the initial agreement for the construction of a new hospital in Lochaber. Additional information is available in the attachment to this email.
• Summer and Beyond 2022 – See the attachment from Care and Learning Alliance and Early Years Scotland for information regarding online sessions for tips and ideas for a low/no cost summer of play. 
• Free period products consultation 
  The Highland Council is carrying out a consultation to understand the views of people needing to access free period products in Highland in line with the Period Products (Free Provision) (Scotland) Act 2021. We seek to understand what sort of products people may be interested in being available locally and where these should be located.
• SSEN – Networking for Net Zero – See attached document for project updates from SSEN as they progress towards net zero in the north of Scotland. Topics include new job creation, increased biodiversity in Alyth, and the published Annual Engagement plan.
• SSEN – Pathway to 2030 – Attached is the update detailing progress towards increasing renewable energy and net zero. Extensive consultation and engagement with stakeholders are planned to inform design, technology, and route options.
• DIGI Ken?  – CyberScotland has produced adverts containing information about online security.
• Scotland’s Moorland Forum Public Online Discussion –  The Scottish Government plans to license muirburning and introduce further restrictions. Scotlands Moorland Forum plans to hold an online discussion on the 1^st August regarding the benefits and drawbacks of the practice and proposed restrictions.

Mental Health and Wellbeing  

• NHS Highland Mental Wellbeing – a collection of resources and signposts to help people of all ages to look after their own mental wellbeing
• SIPP (Suicide Intervention and Prevention Programme) – Training is being delivered via an online course by approved suicide prevention trainers over 2x2hr sessions. The dates for the next course are the 17^th and 24^th August. More Information is available attached to this email.
• Listening Ear Drop in Hilton – Every Thursday 12-3pm starting 4^th August the Hilton Church will be hosting a free drop-in. It will be a welcoming place to be listened to, connect with others, and engage in activities to support your wellbeing. Information regarding wellbeing will be available and 1:1 talking in confidence will be available. More information can be found in the attachment.

Emergency Planning 

• Met Office Weather Warnings   https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/weather/warnings-and-advice/uk-warnings#?date=2022-07-14  
• Met Office Weather Ready https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/weather/warnings-and-advice/weatherready 
• Floodline Scotland https://floodlinescotland.org.uk/  
• Ready Scotland – preparing for emergencies https://ready.scot/ 

Community Resilience Briefing – 1 July 2022

Dear Community Resilience Group/Community Council/Colleagues,

Welcome to The Highland Council’s fortnightly briefing for groups with an interest in local community resilience. 

Covid related information  

• Scottish Government Covid-19 Guidance   
• NHS Inform Covid data   
• NHS Inform Covid information and guidance   
• NHS Highland local vaccination information  

Funding 

SCVO is a key source of funding information for the third sector https://scvo.scot/funding. Funds that may be of interest include: 

• Highland Council – Common Good Fund This fund can be used to support community activities within Dornoch, Grantown, Inverness, Kingussie, and Tain. Next deadline: 22 July.
• Highland Cross GrantsThis grant can be used to fund capital assets, including transport, buildings, and equipment for the benefit of Highland Communities. Next deadline: 30 September
• Peter Samuel Charitable Trust

Supports many areas of interest, including medical sciences, heritage, and forestry/land restoration. no deadlines, apply at any time. 

• The Pebble Trust

Provides funding for projects focused on sustainability and equality, creating resilient communities, and tackling climate change. No deadline: apply at any time.

Let’s Do Net Zero Community Buildings Fund
New funding is now available from the Scottish Government’s Community and Renewable Energy Scheme (CARES). The fund aims to support community organisations to reduce their building energy costs and carbon emissions.

The Let’s Do Net Zero Community Buildings Fund is open now and is planned to run until the end of March 2025, subject to funding availability.

Funding is available for many types of community building, including:

• community cafes
• community hubs
• faith buildings
• public halls
• community halls and centres.

Grant funding is available for up to 80% of eligible costs up to a maximum of £80,000. 
Find out more.

Welfare, poverty reduction and resilience 

• Accessing food in Highland from Cfine/FareShare – No Good Food Should Go To Waste

From June 2022, FareShare will take on the provision of food support to community groups in the Highland Council area requiring help with food supplies for their projects. Contact the FareShare local development officer Michael Sutherland, email [email protected] for details.

Groups considering using FareShare for the first time can find more details at the following link https://fareshare.org.uk/getting-food/.  Once interest is registered online, the local development officer will contact you to discuss the membership process.

CFINE operates FareShare Scotland in the North of Scotland, which is part of the FareShare UK network. They take good, in-date surplus from the food industry that would otherwise go to waste and redistribute it to charities and community organisations. They are already in partnership supporting a number of community organisations across Highland.

• Ready Scotland Resilience Hub
  The Scottish Government’s READY SCOTLAND Resilience Learning Hub https://ready.scot/learn has recently added 3 short online training sessions:

• The Foundations of Emergency Management in Scotland
• Partnership Working in Emergency Management
• The Role of Community Groups in Emergencies

• Highland Council Community Resilience 
  In addition Highland Council Resilience Team have produced 2 short YouTube videos on

• Introduction to Community Resilience
• Producing you Community Resilience Plan 

These can be found on the Council’s website https://www.highland.gov.uk/info/1226/emergencies/72/emergency_planning

• Highland Good Food Partnership

The Highland Good Food Partnership have developed and launched a map of Highland community food growing projects, this map helps us build a picture of all the fantastic community food growing projects which are developing across the region, and allows us to provide links and improved support between groups. 

We would like to ensure that this map is up-to-date and that it includes all growing projects that are established or in development/planning across Highland, so please check if your community enterprise is on the map.  If it isn’t, please complete the survey to ensure we know about the great work happening within your community. 

Projects of all sizes can be included; from those growing in raised beds for a social activity, to large-scale gardens trying to improve community resilience and reduce food miles.

Link to survey: https://forms.gle/JjndFuw5JyE39CtH8

The map is available to view here. https://highlandgoodfood.scot/food-map/

• Be Cyber Safe on your Holidays
  Going on holiday? Whether it’s a staycation or going abroad, it’s easy to forget that protecting your devices and keeping safe online should be on your holiday checklist Here are a few simple tips to support you when you’re away from home. 

• Defence against Conti Ransomware
  This awareness blog highlights prevention, mitigation and support measures to protect from the threat of Conti Ransomware and to encourage individuals, sectors and organisations to protect and prepare against all types of Cyber-attacks.

• Actions to take to securely configure and monitor PowerShell 
  The National Cyber Security Centre and international allies have issued a joint advisory which outlines security features in PowerShell that help with protecting credentials, remote management configuration, anti-virus scanning and logging. A copy of the joint advisory can be read here.

Mental Health and Wellbeing  

• NHS Highland Mental Wellbeing – a collection of resources and signposts to help people of all ages to look after their own mental wellbeing

Emergency Planning 

• Met Office Weather Warnings   https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/weather/warnings-and-advice/uk-warnings#?date=2022-06-30   
• Met Office Weather Ready https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/weather/warnings-and-advice/weatherready 
• Floodline Scotland https://floodlinescotland.org.uk/ 
• Ready Scotland – preparing for emergencies https://ready.scot/ 

Kind regards,

Douglas Crawford

Welcome to The Highland Council’s fortnightly briefing for groups with an interest in local community resilience.

Covid related information 

·        Scottish Government Covid-19 Guidance  

·        NHS Inform Covid data  

·        NHS Inform Covid information and guidance  

·        NHS Highland local vaccination information  

Funding 

SCVO is a key source of funding information for the third sector https://scvo.scot/funding. Funds that may be of interest include: 

• Foundation Scotland – GVC Fund

Supports projects that using physical activities to support mental and physical health problems in men. Next deadline: 6 June 2022.

• British Science Association – The Ideas Fund

Offers support to projects promoting diversity, inclusion, and improving mental wellbeing though grants and connecting communities with professionals to work alongside. Next deadline: 8 June 2022.

• The 7stars Foundation

The foundation is awarding grants to organisations with projects aimed at helping enable young people, especially those challenged by abuse, addiction, young carers, those in a transition, or homeless. Next deadline: 31 July 2022.

• FCC Scottish Action Fund

Funds projects which meet community needs and are environmentally friendly, specifically – land reclamation, community recycling, public amenities and parks, biodiversity, or historic buildings. Next deadline: 8 June 2022

Highland Green Health Small Grant Fund 2022    

The Highland Green Health Small Grant fund 2022 will open on Monday the 16^th of May. Applications are invited from community groups within the Highland Council area, for projects up to a value of £1500.  The fund is open until the 13th of June 2022. For more information about Green Health Week and for further details on how to apply for the fund please visit: www.thinkhealththinknature.scot 

Corra Foundation Grants  

Corra’s Henry Duncan Grants are open to organisations supporting children and young people (aged 6-26 years) experiencing inequality. Grassroots organisations with an annual income of £500,000 or less can apply for up to £8,000 a year for up to five years.   

This year Corra is working alongside children and young people to support the design and decision-making processes for Henry Duncan Grants. The theme for this year was developed with children and young people, and two key priority areas were identified:  

·        Organisations that are supporting children and young people to shape their own lives.   

·        Organisations that are supporting children and young people to develop skills for the future.   

More info: https://www.corra.scot/grants/henry-duncan-grants/ 

The closing date for applications is 12pm on Tuesday 5 July 2022. 

Investing in Communities Fund (ICF) Round 2 

Round 2 of the Scottish Government’s Investing in Communities Fund (ICF) is now open for applications. The application process will be delivered through a web-based online funding portal until 2pm on Tuesday 28^th of June 2022. 

ICF supports our most disadvantaged or fragile communities to tackle poverty in all its forms on their own terms – encouraging more joined up collaborative approaches to services and assets to achieve better outcomes for people and communities. 

Please visit the Scottish Government webpage for all information and final guidance regarding ICF Round 2.   

Welfare, poverty reduction and resilience 

• Public defibrillator – registration 
  Many community groups and other organisations have defibrillators available for anyone to use in an emergency – they may be inside a community hall or a shop or perhaps outside allowing 24/7 access.  However, many defibrillators are never used because emergency services don’t know where they are or how to access them. A new website has been set up to allow every defib in the UK to be registered – this site is used by the emergency services to ensure that they can identify the closest defib to someone suffering a cardiac arrest.  

The Circuit – the new national database – will also help you to keep your defib in full working condition by reminding you when pads etc need to be changed.  Registration is simple and can be used by both community and private sector businesses.  Please register at www.thecircuit.uk .  Full information is on their website and by doing this today, you could save a life. 

• Accessing food in Highland from Cfine/FareShare – No Good Food Should Go To Waste 

From June 2022, FareShare will take on the provision of food support to community groups in the Highland Council area requiring help with food supplies for their projects. Contact the FareShare local development officer Michael Sutherland, email [email protected] for details. 

Groups considering using FareShare for the first time can find more details at the following link https://fareshare.org.uk/getting-food/.  Once interest is registered online, the local development officer will contact you to discuss the membership process. 

CFINE operates FareShare Scotland in the North of Scotland, which is part of the FareShare UK network. They take good, in-date surplus from the food industry that would otherwise go to waste and redistribute it to charities and community organisations. They are already in partnership supporting a number of community organisations across Highland. 

• Highland Council Welfare Team – benefits advice 

Mental Health and Wellbeing  

• Supporting the Wellbeing of C&YP 

The Wellbeing Website for Highland has a range of resources and links to support mental health and wellbeing for children, parents, and professionals. It also has information and advice to support practitioners with the Whole School Approach to Mental Health. Many of the resources and supports have been created in Highland and this website pulls them all into one place for ease of access. 

• NHS Highland Mental Wellbeing – a collection of resources and signposts to help people of all ages to look after their own mental wellbeing 

Emergency Planning

• SEPA produce regular reports on water scarcity risk.  Attached is the latest report.  Below is the link to the SEPA website where there is further information https://www.sepa.org.uk/environment/water/water-scarcity/ 
• Met Office Weather Warnings  https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/weather/warnings-and-advice/uk-warnings#?date=2022-06-01
• Met Office Weather Ready https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/weather/warnings-and-advice/weatherready 
• Floodline Scotland https://floodlinescotland.org.uk/ 
• Ready Scotland – preparing for emergencies https://ready.scot/ 

Food support to community groups – new arrangements

Firstly, we would like to thank you and those who work with you for all your efforts – and your continued contributions – to help our communities in the Highlands when it was most needed.

With the changes to covid restrictions, the Highland Council has been reviewing its approach to food distribution across Highland.  This message is to inform the community groups and volunteers who have undertaken a crucial role working with the Council and their partners to provide food and general welfare support to their local communities during the COVID-19 pandemic of some forthcoming changes to the way that food support will be delivered. 

These changes are in line with the removal of Covid restrictions and will allow communities to continue do what they do best, which is support local communities with advice and assistance from the public sector.

What is Changing?

From June 2022, the Council’s current food distribution operation in Highland through a hub network will end; all subsequent requests for food support from community groups should be addressed to our partners, FareShare.  Any community organisations or charities looking for support with food for their projects in the Highland Council area should contact the FareShare local development officer Michael Sutherland at email: [email protected].

In the North of Scotland, CFINE operates FareShare Scotland which is part of the FareShare UK network. They take good, in-date surplus from the food industry that would otherwise go to waste and distribute it to charities and community organisations for redistribution to those in need. They are already in partnership supporting a number of community organisations across Highland and therefore this new approach builds on their existing role in Highland.

Community groups considering using FareShare for the first time can find more details at the following link https://fareshare.org.uk/getting-food/.  Once interest is registered online, the local development officer will contact you to discuss the membership process.

The Council will continue to work with local groups to support the welfare and sustainability of our communities. We will maintain our existing Ward arrangements to provide local advice and support, and our Welfare Support Team will continue to offer assistance to individuals.

We highly value the links developed with local communities throughout the COVID-19 Pandemic and wish to ensure that we build on these as we move forward.

If you have any further questions, please make direct contact with your local Ward Manager or the Council’s Welfare Support Team, email [email protected].

Kind regards

Douglas Crawford

On behalf of 

Alison Clark, Head of Community Support and EngagementUnless related to the business of The Highland Council, the views or opinions expressed within this e-mail are those of the sender and do not necessarily reflect those of The Highland Council, or associated bodies, nor does this e-mail form part of any contract unless so stated. 
Mura h-eil na beachdan a tha air an cur an cèill sa phost-d seo a’ buntainn ri gnothachas Chomhairle na Gàidhealtachd, ‘s ann leis an neach fhèin a chuir air falbh e a tha iad, is chan eil iad an-còmhnaidh a’ riochdachadh beachdan na Comhairle, no buidhnean buntainneach, agus chan eil am post-d seo na phàirt de chunnradh sam bith mura h-eil sin air innse.