Home - DCMS blog

Bluebell Railway: Virtual tours that take culture online, into care homes and around the world

Ruth Rowatt, February 26, 2021 — #HereForCulture

Marketing and Communications Manager, Bluebell Railway

Irene Baker enjoying a virtual tour using an iPad, sat in her care home

A grant from the Culture Recovery Fund for Heritage to the Bluebell Railway has enabled us to create virtual tours of our stations, locomotive shed and museum. This project is ongoing with more tours coming soon, including Kingscote Station, booking office and signal box!The link to our first tour was put on the Bluebell Railway…

MindOut provides vital support for LGBTQ mental health

Helen Jones, February 23, 2021 — #CommunitiesCan

CEO, MindOut

As part of DCMS Community Match Challenge through Global’s Make Some Noise, MindOut, based in Brighton, has received a £20,000 grant for their virtual mental health service for the LGBTQ+ community. The funding covers online Support Worker salaries and training costs to extend hours for the online support service. This temporary increase in hours and…

#NAW2021: Being an Apprentice for the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games

Sadie Cooper, February 12, 2021 — Sport

Apprentice, Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games

When I got the role at Birmingham 2022 I was absolutely delighted. I’d been furloughed from my previous job, where I’d completed a level two apprenticeship and gone on to work in customer services.I saw this level three apprenticeship advertised on the Government’s website and as soon as I read it, I knew I wanted…

Reflections on the National Data Strategy

Phil Earl, February 3, 2021 — Digital

Deputy Director, Data Strategy, Implementation and Evidence, reflects on the National Data Strategy

As Deputy Director responsible for the National Data Strategy (NDS) I wanted to share some reflections about our recent consultation, and what’s next for the strategy.We received well over 250 responses to the consultation, and I was really pleased to note the wide range of organisations and individuals represented. It reflects the ambition of the…

The Value of Culture and Heritage

Lord Mendoza, January 21, 2021 — Culture

Commissioner for Cultural Recovery and Renewal

When we visit a gallery or a local museum, attend a concert or dance performance, visit a Neolithic site or take a ride on a steam railway we experience cultural nourishment and joy. We experience this communally, with our families and friends. Cultural organisations also provide needed societal work for communities across the country. We…

Using Dormant Assets to get charities and social enterprises the capital they need

Seb Elsworth, January 9, 2021 — Civil Society

CEO, Access - The Foundation for Social Investment

Access uses money from dormant assets to support more charities and social enterprises to get the capital they need to grow and help more people in their communities. We do this through a model we call blended finance. This means combining loans and grant so that social lenders are able to support smaller organisations who…

Supporting frontline organisations to make a real difference

Stephen Muers, — Civil Society

Interim CEO, Big Society Capital

Image from Acorn childcare video of a smiling baby playing

Big Society Capital was set up with the promise of £425 million from dormant bank accounts and £200 million from our four bank shareholders. Our mission is to improve people’s lives in the UK through investment. It is the frontline organisations that deliver such impact, so far more than 1,200 of them, and the fund managers…

2020 is ALL THE FEELS | Bristol’s Watershed on the impact of lockdown and the Culture Recovery Fund

Clare Reddington, October 30, 2020 — Culture

CEO, Watershed

Exterior of Watershed with a boat going past right to left on the waterway

Clare Reddington, CEO of Watershed in Bristol discusses what happened when covid closed them down, how they have been using the lockdown to do some deep thinking and how they are re-emerging wrapped in renewed values to make a sector that is representative, safe and welcoming for all. Before lockdown, Watershed was thriving and…

Remembrance Sunday & Armistice Day 2020

DCMS, — Culture

This year the annual National Service of Remembrance at the Cenotaph will be a closed ceremony due to the coronavirus pandemic.However, there are many ways you can mark the occasion safely, either outdoors, while following social distancing guidance, online or at home. Things you can do and watch in the run-up to Remembrance Sunday and…

Military Wives Choirs: A thank you for supporting our virtual activity #CommunitiesCan

Eleanor Pullen, October 9, 2020 — #CommunitiesCan

Digital Engagement Officer, Military Wives Choirs

12 members of the Military Wives Choirs pose for a photo wearing choir outfits including a black dress and purple cardigan

The grant funding that the Military Wives Choirs has received has enabled us to continue to bring our network together, albeit virtually, during these unprecedented times in the COVID-19 pandemic. With over 70 choirs and more than 2,000 members in British military bases across the UK and overseas, the Military Wives Choirs is a charity…

DCMS blog

Bluebell Railway: Virtual tours that take culture online, into care homes and around the world

MindOut provides vital support for LGBTQ mental health

#NAW2021: Being an Apprentice for the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games

Reflections on the National Data Strategy

The Value of Culture and Heritage

Using Dormant Assets to get charities and social enterprises the capital they need

Supporting frontline organisations to make a real difference

2020 is ALL THE FEELS | Bristol’s Watershed on the impact of lockdown and the Culture Recovery Fund

Remembrance Sunday & Armistice Day 2020

Military Wives Choirs: A thank you for supporting our virtual activity #CommunitiesCan

Connect

Subscribe to our blog

Follow our RSS Feed