Join the Movement and #StayInWorkOut
We’re all spending a lot more time at home than we might like, and as we adjust to this new normal, we believe it’s more important than ever that we stay as physically active as possible.
Join the Movement is a brand-new campaign from Sport England designed to give you the advice and tools to help you do this while the country deals with the coronavirus (Covid-19) outbreak.
Official advice is to stay at home, and to only go outside for one form of exercise a day, to shop for basic necessities, if there’s a medical reason and travelling to and from essential work.
The campaign’s new webpage is packed with fun and creative ideas on how to get active at home and outdoors and features exclusive offers and workouts from content providers such as Les Mills on Demand, Joe Wicks (The Body Coach) and FiiT.
So, if you’re looking for a little inspiration, why not check out how you might get active in a way that works for you and then share your experience by using the hashtag #StayInWorkOut on social media.
Volunteer for the NHS
The NHS is looking for 250,000 volunteers to help up to 1.5 million people who’ve been asked to shield themselves from coronavirus because of underlying health conditions.
Be Inspired subscribers can sign up to become NHS Volunteer Responders, who’ll be called on to do simple but vital tasks such as:
- Delivering medicines from pharmacies
- Driving patients to appointments
- Bringing them home from hospital
- Making regular phone calls to check on people isolating at home.
NHS Volunteer Responders is not intended to replace local groups helping their vulnerable neighbours, but is an additional service provided by the NHS.
GPs, doctors, pharmacists, nurses, midwives, NHS 111 advisers and social care staff will all be able to request help for their at-risk patients via a call centre run by the Royal Voluntary Service, who will match people who need help with volunteers who live near to them.
Some charities will also be able to refer people to the service.
ESF Project Bulletin – COVID-19 Response
The European Social Fund Project Bulletin, issued by the ESF Managing Authority in the Department for Work and Pensions, is aimed at partners delivering ESF projects to keep you up-to-date with the latest news and developments in the programme, and help you deliver your project in line with requirements.
This special issue of the bulletin sets out how you can access the latest information on how the ESF Managing Authority and other ESIF Programmes are responding to COVID-19 and addressing the questions and concerns of Funding Recipients and Delivery Partners on current and future programme delivery.
This Bulletin is to inform you of the launch today (26 March 2020) of an ‘ESIF Coronavirus (COVID-19) Response’ page on GOV.UK‘.
This new page (url: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/european-structural-and-investment-funds-coronavirus-covid-19-response) is the Go To place for the latest available information for all ESF (and ESIF) Funding Recipients and Delivery Partners on COVID-19 Response issues.
You are asked to:
- Note that the website page includes ESF (and other ESIF) programme Q&A document(s) that will be updated regularly.
- Regularly access the new website page as there will be new content plus frequent updates to the ESF Q&A – including revisions to individual responses as more information becomes available.
- Publicise the launch of the new GOV.UK ‘ESIF Coronavirus (COVID-19) Response’ page to your colleagues, delivery partners and networks and encourage them to access it regularly.
- Note that the launch of the page has also been publicised through ESF Action Note 047/20 Launch of GOV.UK ‘European Structural and Investment Funds Coronavirus (COVID-19) Response’ website page.
- Note that ESF Action Note 046/2020 published on 20 March 2020 is no longer current. It’s purpose was to provide an initial response to early questions, pending the launch of this website page.
Background
The response to the Coronavirus (COVID-19) crisis creates significant challenges for us all. We are in an unprecedented situation with very wide-ranging impacts across the wider community.
The Managing Authority recognises that this is affecting the way in which ESF projects are being delivered. We are committed to working flexibly and pragmatically with all of our Funding Recipients and Delivery Partners to ensure stability in the short term, allow projects to respond positively to the challenges we face as a nation and to ensure capacity is in place to support economic recovery once the current situation subsides.
We are discussing the response to Coronavirus (COVID-19) as a top priority across Government and are also in discussion with the European Commission about potential ways of responding to the situation (including possible easement to requirements).
We ask that as far as possible you and your stakeholders continue to deliver your ESF project as fully as you are able; and plan to submit claims and applications as normal.
Many of you have raised questions and queries about the continued delivery of the ESF programme. As further information becomes available, the Managing Authority will regularly update and add to the Q&A responses that are being published today on the new ‘ESIF Coronavirus (COVID-19) Response’ website page.