To keep you updated with the latest developments regarding Covid-19 we have started to populate our online page with all the information you may need. This is available on our website at https://ervas.org.uk/coronavirus/.
This email contains just some of the updates we have seen this week.
ERVAS Services Update
Scams, Fraud and Cybercrime Workshop – We will be hosting a Scams, Fraud and Cybercrime Workshop on Wednesday 20 May at 10am, via Zoom.
The workshop will be delivered by Devan Witter from ERVAS, Detective Sergeant Ben Robinson from the Humberside Police Economic Crime Unit and PC Alistair Kennedy who is currently the lead in Cyber Crime at Humberside Police. We are expecting this to be a popular event, given the current climate.
All the details and to book a space can be found on our website, social media and via Eventbrite.
Message from Sian Broughton, ERVAS CEO re the Retail, Leisure and Hospitality Grant –I am contacting you to make you aware of the Retail , Leisure and Hospitality Grant being administered by East Riding of Yorkshire Council that the Community building you manage may be eligible for – if you are successful in an application please can you let me know. The form is very simple so it might be worth completing regardless to ensure that your organisation is on the radar as making an enquiry as additional funding is going to be placed into support for organisations.
E-learning – We have recently developed a range of free e-learning courses, this now includes a training course developed by Southampton Voluntary Services (SVS) on supporting the bereaved.
Do-It.org –Calling all volunteers, Why not volunteer for one of the fantastic organisations, that support others in the East Riding of Yorkshire, All volunteers can find opportunities via the do-it.org website which is administered by ERVAS within the East Riding.
Active Humber have launched a survey to find out what impact the Coronavirus is having on our physical activity levels and attitudes during this time.
Current research suggests that the majority of adults believe it is now more important than ever to stay active.
Free on-line weekly get-togethers for social enterprises every Friday at 11.00 am
The Social Enterprise Humber network has purchased a Zoom package so that third sector organisations can share news, information and resources or ask for help in a live forum.
If you nominate a Charity this goes into a random prize draw and 500 Charity’s will win £1,000 – it only takes a couple of minutes.
You can only nominate a charity once but the more nominations a Charity receives the more entries are in the prize draw. It takes a couple of minutes. You may like to nominate ERVAS or another organisation of your choice.
CIPD have created some podcasts, which includes a useful piece on return to work planning, and other resources and although Sundays announcements will change some of the current advice, this may not specifically mean returning to work.
Neighbourly is launching a new programme of remote volunteering to support charities and community groups at a time when normal volunteering is restricted.
Through this new programme we will match employee volunteers from our partner businesses with organisations that need help with tasks that can be done without a physical presence, for example skills-based activities like befriending, administration, marketing, IT and fundraising.
Please let us know which tasks you could use help with on the link below. There’s a space to tell us if what you need isn’t listed:
If we are able to match you with business volunteers, we’ll be in touch in the coming weeks. If you would also like to set up a volunteer event on your Neighbourly page you are welcome to do so, but it’s not essential at this stage.
A new change to the scheme, which NCVO pushed for, means charities can now apply for loans even if they don’t generate most of their income from trading.
The latest charity policy news on coronavirus
Elizabeth Chamberlain summarises recent developments in the push for further financial support for charities, and also flags up some useful resources from regulators.
Fraud, Scams and Loan Shark News
Is Zoom safe?
Due to the lockdown, more and more people are using online software to enable them to connect through video conferencing, whether this is through work, connecting with family members or even educational purposes, but how safe are these methods?
Lloyds Bank calls on Brits to join the fight against fraud Lloyds Bank is calling on families to join the frontline in the fight against fraud as a third of Brits report an increase in scam calls and texts since the beginning of March, according to new research.
The survey of over 4,500 UK adults revealed that almost one in four (23%) admit to worrying more about a family member falling victim to fraud since the beginning of March. more
Phishing email scam exploits HMRC job retention scheme The email, revealed by the Lanop Accountancy Group, is targeting business owners using official HMRC branding and purports to be from “Jim Harra, First Permanent Secretary and Chief Executive of HMRC”. more
WhatsApp scam message is back offering free beer
WhatsApp users are being targeted by an old scam message that has started to recirculate during lockdown. Users are receiving forwarded messages which claim to offer free kegs of Heineken beer. more
Which? launches scam alerts as criminals exploit coronavirus crisis
Which? has launched a free email service revealing the latest scams, as criminals take advantage of the coronavirus outbreak. Those who register will receive warnings and examples of scams straight to their inbox as they are uncovered. more
National Trading Standards (NTS) Scams Team
National Trading Standards (NTS) Scams Team launched a new initiative last week called Businesses Against Scams (BAS).
It is a simple toolkit that businesses can use to help train their employees on how to spot certain types of scams that are more prevalent within businesses due to the current pandemic sweeping the UK.
The initiative provides free online training modules that will help staff identify and prevent potential scams.
Criminals are exploiting the coronavirus pandemic to defraud innocent people, with scams ranging from telephone and text messages around fines for leaving the house, right through to phishing emails and spoof websites.
Current wide-spread coronavirus scams include fake tax refund emails from the HMRC or Government, texts from the police and government suggesting an individual has been fined for leaving the house too many times and even fake emails from Tesco offering vouchers for people struggling financially due to the pandemic.
Over £2,360,000 has already been lost by innocent people to coronavirus-related scams in the past couple of months, with thousands of people falling victim to the cruel trickery used by criminals.
Action Fraud have put together these top-tips to help people stay safe from being unfairly defrauded:
Do not give any personal information (name, address, bank details, email or phone number) to organisations or people before verifying their credentials.
Always question unsolicited calls, texts or emails requesting your personal or financial information. Instead, contact the company directly using a known email or phone number.
Make sure your computer has up-to-date anti-virus software and a firewall installed.
Many frauds start with a phishing email. Remember that banks and financial institutions will not send you an email asking you to click on a link and confirm your bank details or otherwise. Do not trust such emails, even if they look genuine.
Never automatically click on a link in an unexpected email or text.
Remember, email addresses and phone numbers can be spoofed, so don’t use those as a means to verify that a message or call is authentic.
The best way to get in touch with a company is to use a known email or phone number, such as the one on the back of your bank card.
Be extremely wary of post, phone calls or emails offering deals out of the blue. If an offer seems too good to be true, it probably is.
Find out more about types of fraud, how to prevent it and how to report it, on the Action Fraud website here: www.actionfraud.police.uk
Health Updates
Updates from the East Riding CCG
Help us help you get the treatment you need over the bank holiday weekend
To help with the increased demand due to coronavirus (COVID-19), GP practices, pharmacies and Urgent Treatment Centres (UTC) across Hull and East Riding of Yorkshire will remain open on the bank holiday Friday, 8 May 2020.
If you need to be seen by a GP or other clinician on the bank holiday Friday, please be aware that you may be directed to another nearby practice instead of your usual practice.
Many pharmacies will also be open on bank holiday Friday between 2pm and 5pm and a limited number will be open in the morning. You can find the latest pharmacy bank holiday opening hours across Hull and East Riding here.
Access to GP and pharmacy services over the weekend (Saturday and Sunday) will operate in the same way as any normal weekend. For information on how to access GP services on evenings and weekends, click here for Hull and here the East Riding.
If you need urgent medical help, use the NHS 111 online service. If you cannot get online, call 111. UTCs can treat minor ailments such as cuts, burns and suspected fractures, with no appointment necessary. Find out more about East Riding UTCs here and Hull UTCs here.
If you are in a serious or life threatening emergency, call 999.
Please remember that if you need medical help, the NHS is still here for you.
Alzheimer’s Society support during lockdown
Staff from the Alzheimer’s Society in Hull and East Riding are working hard from home to continue providing information, advice or support around living with/supporting someone with dementia.
(Please note the phone will go to answerphone, but the team are picking up messages throughout the day and will call back.)
Dementia toolkit for Coronavirus volunteers
The Alzheimer’s Society has also created a toolkit for volunteers supporting the coronavirus response.
It is important that those offering their time to help vulnerable people within their communities are more aware of what it is like to live with dementia, so they can better support those living with the condition.
The toolkit included top for a volunteer to follow, including; learning a little more about the condition, communicating effectively and where to signpost to for specialist support.
#CovidCommunityHereos Campaign
In recognition of the amazing work-taking place within communities across Hull and the East Riding we have launched a new campaign called #CovidCommunityHereos to celebrate and thank those people who are going above and beyond to help make a difference during the Covid-19 pandemic.
If you know someone who has made a positive difference to their local community, or you have been helped by someone and you would like to say thank you, please let us know.
How to spot the signs of Modern Slavery
A number of newspapers cover the Public Accounts Committee report on modern slavery today. The report acknowledged that the UK is ahead of many countries when responding to modern slavery but makes a number of recommendations for further progress.
The Neighbourhood Network have included more information about this on their website.
Domestic Violence Campaign
Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) for Humberside, Keith Hunter, has launched a social media campaign to raise awareness of the support services available for those affected by Domestic Abuse. The campaign message is:
“Can’t Wait For This To Be Over – Lockdown is no excuse for abuse”
During the Covid-19 lockdown, the risks of domestic abuse are heightened and with many support services having to review their ways of working, it is important to reinforce the message that all of them are still operating, ready to hear from those affected and can help.
Keith Hunter said, “In the current COVID-19 lockdown, people affected by Domestic Abuse may be at further risk due to being in constant close proximity with their abuser. We know that there is a clear escalation of risk at this time and the lockdown could also influence new instances of Domestic Abuse where there were none previously as relationships come under strain. If anyone is affected or at risk, it is important to raise awareness that support is available and continuing to operate.”
The campaign will run for four weeks with sponsored messages on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram and a webpage www.youarenotalone.online which provides contact details for all support services across Hull, East Yorkshire and Northern Lincolnshire.
Please support this campaign by sharing the information poster (Please click here to download) via your social media channels and websites.
Celebrating the young people who took on the Night Challenge
Earlier this year 109 young people put on their hiking boots and trekked just over 12 miles through the countryside of Brantingham Dale as part of the Night Challenge. Along the way the teams were set challenges to complete, all designed to teach them about the dangers of Child Exploitation, Arson and Road Safety.
Two Ridings Community Foundation launch second grant Two Ridings Community Foundation has launched a second grant in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Phase 2 of their grant making strategy focuses on the needs of key community organisations. In this phase they will be offering larger grants of up to £10k and will also welcome larger partnership bids from groups that are seeking to come together to provide a strategic solution to a particular issue for example, food provision in a particular geographical area or support for people affected by homelessness. They will also prioritise groups that are working with the most marginalised and underrepresented people in our communities.
So far across the Humber there has been 179 submitted applications, 78 assessed, 53 approved. The average award for the Humber is £3,564 and a total of £205,270.
If you would like to know how you can get involved in the UK Youth Parliament elections taking place in East Riding, please contact Detty Tyler, via email or call 01482 871077 (option 4).
