SCENE Magazine Summer 2020

SUMMER 2020 | ISSUE 10

SCENE

SUPPORTING COMMUNITIES BI-ANNUAL MAGAZINE

The Summer of Zoom Creating and maintaining community connections, 'IRL' or online, matter in ways we can appreciate like never before.

As we settle into the 'new normal', Supporting Communities is helping groups find their feet to cope with the challenges of isolation, social distancing, and learning new ways to work together.

This edition of SCENE highlights how we have persevered and adapted to support community and resident groups throughout Northern Ireland over the past several months.

We are continually heartened and impressed (but not surprised!) by the generosity and the community spirit shown by community organisations. Many have gone above and beyond to care for the most vulnerable amongst us, making a life-saving difference to their neighbours.

We are committed to continuing to be the essential link between residents and statutory agencies, ensuring your voices are heard and your concerns are considered in the decisions that affect your lives - even if it has to be through a computer screen for a while longer!

IN THIS ISSUE

OVER 1/4 MILLION IN EMERGENCY FUNDING ACCESSED

NEW ONLINE PLATFORM FOR ACCREDITED COURSES

THE ONSIDE PROJECT DELIVERS TABLETS

SPOTLIGHT: EAST END RESIDENTS ASSOCIATION

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service has been to help groups make use of these options in addition to applying for grants.

Funding Support in Times of Crisis PHOTO BY MARTIN R. SMITH

by Anita Doonan, Funding and Social Value Officer Supporting Communities supports groups within the Housing Executive's Housing Community Network and other voluntary organisations access much-needed funds to address issues within their local communities. Since lockdown was introduced, we have supported organisations to access an incredible £259,078.69!

Our funding support service has been in exceptionally high demand during this time. We have helped organisations who tirelessly apply for every opportunity, and groups who have made their first funding application due to the pandemic. We have also seen many communities who used this time to increase their capacity to deliver key projects and be more creative in their delivery.

Funding has been used by groups across Northern Ireland to deliver food hampers to those who are most in need, create activity packs for people of all ages, implement digital interventions to provide educational programmes, exercise classes and more. Groups have secured mifi’s and tablet computers for those with no internet access and created new programmes like intergenerational pen-pals, community gardening projects, graffiti projects to thank key workers, community newsletters, mental health and counselling provision, and much more!

Groups not only applied for traditional funding; they also sought out assistance from local businesses and worked in partnership with other organisations. Many set up online fundraising and held fundraising events. Part of our funding

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The impact of all this work is immeasurable when we know that the consequences of this pandemic has been considerable for many. One project beneficiary described the community support she received as a lifeline; without the group, she said she would have feared for her life. Others stood on their doorsteps in tears, overwhelmed by the generosity of community volunteers.

Many have said, ‘I’ve never got anything for free in my life’ as food hampers were delivered.

Many funding bodies have also stepped up, responding to the pandemic by shifting their focus to address the new and emerging issues within our communities. Funders have allowed groups to reprofile monies received and worked with them to ensure the smoothest delivery of funds, sometimes within a matter of days.

As lockdown begins to ease and we reunite with family, friends, and loved ones, I can’t help but to reflect on my work over the last four months supporting organisations and people without whom, we would be in a very different place today.

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Helping Groups Get Connected Online At the start of lockdown, our Digital Inclusion Officer put out an offer to help anyone and everyone get connected online. He even included his personal phone number! As you can image, Martin Quinn has had a very busy few months. We interviewed one group he has been supporting weekly to learn more about their experience of gaining new digital skills remotely.

“As soon as they heard we were visually impaired, they never got back to us. We were so lucky to have come across Supporting Communities. I don’t know where we would have been during all this. I think we would have been in a box.

It’s been very, very sad for us, this lockdown”, said Doris.

Anna agreed, “It’s been very depressive.

But being able to see our friends once a week has been very uplifting. We hope we’ll be able to see a lot more of our friends when they learn too.”

“The training couldn't have come at a better time and it is helping us get through the lockdown”, wrote group member Ann Murphy. "The WhatsApp group has been great for keeping our group together and the quiz Martin organised has become a highlight of our week!”

Interview with members of the Enniskillen Macular Support Group

The Enniskillen Macular Support Group has been together for over 10 years and usually meets about once a month. Having already started some digital skills training with Supporting Communities earlier this year, they were keen to continue online and to learn how to use Zoom.

“We are in a very rural area”, Doris Culter explained. “A lot of members don’t have broadband in their house. We are trying to get them all dongles hoping that they’ll get a taste of digital through this course and then get the broadband in!”

Some have found it very difficult learning remotely while also coping with a visual impairment. Anna Stewart persevered and got the support she needed. “Martin is a great help to me. If I have a problem, I can phone him up and he can sort it out. It’s a marvellous thing that we are being helped in this way at this very awkward time. I am very grateful to all those who put this together”, she said.

The group has had trouble in the past getting help with digital skills because of their sight difficulties.

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"Before we met you lot, we had no way of connecting online. You really have changed so many people’s lives, visually impaired people’s lives."

The group plans to continue using online meetings to supplement their regular in person meetings in the future.

“No doubt about it. We could have Zoom calls in between our regular meetings", said Doris. "You feel sometimes when you’re in rural Fermanagh that you are so far away from the city, but we are leading the way, aren’t we!”

Many in the group are now continuing their digital training with the ONSIDE Project and look forward to learning even more using their new tablets.

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New Online Platforms for Training Courses

by Aidan Kearney, Senior Training Officer With the introduction of COVID-19 restrictions on meeting in person, our day to day lives have been radically transformed.

Most of us have had to embrace digital platforms to keep in touch with loved ones and to do everything else we need to from within the confinement of our own homes. It has been a tough time, and even now, with restrictions easing in the coming weeks and months, the way we deliver training will look very different for some time to come.

Since we are unable to be physically present, we have adopted a more blended delivery method for our services.

Community support and development is as essential now, if not more so, as it has been in the past. That’s why our staff are taking to Zoom, Microsoft Teams, webinars, and video conferencing – so that our services can continue to support and empower communities.

Since the start of lockdown, we have delivered our most popular accredited course, Community Capacity Building, free to members of the Housing Community Network in the new digital format. Our trainer Karla has been working closely with the participants to ensure that classes run smoothly, providing technical support alongside course content. Karla has been using Google Classroom for online assessments and Zoom for virtual classroom sessions.

Participants have noted that although restrictions are in place, it is incredibly positive that learning and development can continue.

As staff, we are continually reminded of the vital role that

Supporting Communities plays in the development of community groups. We are so glad we can continue to provide a training service through new mediums.

Supporting Communities has also been working in close partnership with OCN NI to develop a new online platform that will streamline the delivery of our accredited courses. The OCN NI platform will provide a complete learner experience, including virtual classrooms, online assessments, tutor feedback, and even a digital certificate when the course is completed.

“The course was enjoyable and informative. I found it really useful for our community group as it gives a good overview of many important areas.

Karla was very clear and helpful - an excellent trainer.

I’m looking forward to completing the Level 2!”

We're all looking differently at the way we conduct other one-off sessions and meetings. Zoom is a free, easy solution that most people can learn quickly and we are always happy to help anyone to access new technologies.

Ultimately, we want to continue to reach as many people as possible. We have adapted our approaches to training delivery while providing quality courses in an approachable and friendly way that keeps everyone safe. We are glad to report, it is a process that is now in full swing!

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The ONSIDE (Outreach, Navigation, Social Inclusion and Digital Engagement) project aims to improve the health and wellbeing of disabled people through increasing their social and digital involvement in the community.

The ONSIDE Project Pivots to Online Delivery

by Helen Maquire, Digital Inclusion Coordinator Despite a somewhat delayed start due to the global pandemic, the ONSIDE Project’s digital skills training programme is now fully up and running.

Supporting Communities is running the digital skills training strand of the work alongside the work of project partners Disability Action NI, the Housing Executive and the Independent Living Movement Ireland. The project is supported by the EU’s INTERREG VA Programme and managed by the Special EU Programmes Body.

All participants were to receive a Lenovo tablet computer at the start of our work, but their delivery was prevented by shipping delays and the initial training had to start without them. Finally, the first batch of tablets arrived in May. Everyone was delighted to receive their new devices! Unfortunately, by this point, we could no longer meet in person to show folks how to use them.

Our training team quickly shifted gears to find new ways to deliver the training online, such as creating written step by step manuals, setting up the tablets before delivery, and adapting lesson plans for online learning.

Still, for participants with no previous digital experience at all, the prospect of doing an online course was a bit daunting. We started out by providing support over the phone and doing practice Zoom meetings to get used to the device. Now, most of our participants have successfully joined the online training sessions, something they wouldn’t have thought they could do a few months ago!

In June, we started the first online sessions for participants who had already begun the course prior to lockdown. Those initial courses are now complete, and we are thrilled to be starting training with another 13 new groups in July.

Supporting everyone to get online is so important, now more than ever. The ONSIDE Project came just in time for many who would have been stuck at home for months without access to online shopping, video calling, and other online services.

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“I’ve recently finished the ONSIDE course, it was really useful and helpful. I only thought I knew my way around the internet and could do some stuff like banking and shopping, but that’s only a small amount compared to what I know now. The tablet is an amazing piece of kit, I use it every day. The trainers that took the class were really friendly. If you get the chance, go for it, you won’t regret it."

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Communities team have been working together to deliver a bespoke support package to the group. We have delivered an OCN Level 2 Community Development course and a Digital Inclusion course to volunteers. We have facilitated a one-off inter-agency meeting to raise awareness of the group’s existing activities, to discuss plans and promote partnership working. We will continue to provide ongoing support, advice and 1-1 training as needed, including funding support sessions which consider short and long term funding needs.

PHOTO BY MARTIN R. SMITH

A Holistic Approach to Development in the East End Like many community groups in Northern Ireland, the East End Residents Association (EERA) in Newtownards reacted quickly and purposefully to the COVID-19 emergency. Although the committee agreed to close the office to protect everyone’s health, their core work never stopped and planning for the future has continued.

“Even though these were challenging times, it has been business as usual”, said the group's Chairperson, Ian Cox. When the pandemic first struck, the EERA came to Supporting Communities for help in accessing emergency funding, which they were successful in securing from the Housing Executive and the Community Foundation for Northern Ireland. Between these grants and local donations, the group delivered 1,800 food parcels over 12 weeks, along with activity packs and selfcare packs.

With the initial emergency response under control, the group returned to their earlier planning for long-term service delivery, making changes to reflect the 'new normal' and anticipating the area’s changing needs. Supporting Communities had already been working with the group to develop their capacity to provide new activities and services and we have continued to support this effort over the past several months.

Taking a holistic approach, staff from across the Supporting

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The group has also continued to engage with the Housing Community Network by participating in the South Regional Housing Forum and the Ards and North Down Area HCN meetings held via Zoom.

Participation at these meetings has encouraged the group to hold some of their regular activities virtually. For example, the women’s group now meets online for a coffee and a natter. The EERA is even looking at hosting virtual networking meetings with groups from other areas to share good practice and build and develop relationships.

Sarah Harkness-Robinson, CDO for the area, commented, “The EERA has done a tremendous amount of work over the past year, from undertaking training to embracing new ways of carrying out their day-to-day activities and supporting the most vulnerable in their community during these difficult times.

With over 400 surveys returned during their Community Consultation Week in February, it’s clear there is an appetite for community-led activities and services in the area. My colleagues and I look forward to supporting the East End with their exciting plans for the future.”

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'Tenant participation is like an inflatable boat. It requires constant pumping.’

Tenant participation does not end with the creation of a strategy", she continued, "it is only the beginning. Tenant participation is continually evolving, and the key to its success is a genuine and meaningful partnership."

A New Partnership Approach to Tenant Engagement at Clanmil Earlier this year, Supporting Communities, via its trading subsidiary, worked with Clanmil Housing to refresh their tenant participation activities and engagement structures.

We carried out an independent evaluation of the existing tenant engagement methods on behalf of Clanmil, and, with no stake in the final decision, we were able to interpret the findings of the consultation exercise objectively, ensuring accountability to those who shared their thoughts.

The exercise included several stages involving Clanmil tenants.

First, we formed a tenant working group to devise the survey that tenants could complete online or on paper. Next we held a series of roadshows across the province where our Tenant Participation & Community Engagement Officer, Siobhán ONeill, along with Clanmil's senior management team could meet in person with tenants.

Siobhán facilitated 11 roadshows where she delivered a presentation on the consultation’s objectives before having discussions with those present. Attendees considered the benefits of getting involved, barriers to participation, ways to break down those barriers, and what a possible new engagement structure might look like.

Following a comprehensive analysis of the roadshow discussions and the surveys submitted, Supporting Communities provided an independent report, including a list of recommendations for Clanmil’s consideration. We feel that implementing our recommendations will put tenants firmly at the heart of Clanmil in an updated and fit for purpose tenant engagement model.

Clare McCarty, Group Chief Executive at Clanmil said, "We are embedding a new partnership approach to tenant engagement at Clanmil and are excited about what we can achieve together.

The Big Clanmil Conversation, where we heard directly from tenants about how they want to engage with us, was invaluable and the feedback we received has helped shape our plans for this year. Our new approach to tenant engagement will see tenants become valued partners in shaping and improving our customer offer.”

Siobhán commented, “Tenants provide rich and valuable information for their landlords, and Clanmil tenants certainly did not disappoint. One of the most memorable comments made throughout the process was:

Consultation Roadshow at the Curzon in Belfast

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CHIEF EXECUTIVE'S MESSAGE The community and voluntary sector’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic has shown how vital our role is in society. For many of us, this is no surprise, and it has filled me with great pride. I am especially proud of Supporting Communities, our staff, Board, and stakeholders. They have shown tremendous dedication, resilience, and flexibility - characteristics that have always been synonymous with the third sector in general, but especially so since mid-March of this year.

On behalf of Supporting Communities, I have been a part of the Emergency Leadership, a group of key community and voluntary sector personnel first convened on the 20th of March by Deirdre Hargey, Minister for Communities. Since then, I have taken part in fortnightly meetings of the Emergency Reference Group, ably facilitated by Seamus McAleavey from NICVA. These meetings are an opportunity for the Department of Communities to update their third sector colleagues on what is being be done to

support the most vulnerable in our society during the COVID-19 emergency, including: The COVID-19 Community Helpline Co-ordination of volunteering effort Contingency arrangements for the supply of food Contingency arrangements for the supply of medicine/pharmacy supplies COVID-19 funding Mental health & well-being For me, the emergency response has shown how central government (through DfC) and local government can work hand in hand with other statutory agencies, including social care trusts, and the third sector, to achieve our goals.

As we move from Response to Recovery, and eventually to the Renewal Phase, I have no doubt that the collaborative ways of working which we’ve established will continue, and that the community and voluntary sector will play a key role as we move forward.