Everyone Health Launches a Pop-up Shop

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Everyone Health has opened a pop-up shop at 6 Chequers Court in Huntingdon, (the old Robert Goddard shop) to support residents’ health and well-being. It’s open until Friday 22 February; opening hours are Monday to Saturday, 9.30am to 5pm, and Sunday 10am to 4pm.

It’s all absolutely free, no catch, no ‘after a free trial you have to pay’! All of their services are led by staff qualified in their professional field – nutritionists, physical activity specialists, smoking cessation trainers, falls prevention specialists, health trainers and NHS Health Check trainers. The team is friendly, supportive, confidential and non-judgemental, dedicated to helping the community make changes that will improve their physical and mental well-being, enabling them to live longer, healthier and happier lives.

The pop-up shop is part of a commission by Cambridgeshire County Council to offer free services across the county to support residents’ health and well-being. The Everyone Health team can be found working in community centres, church halls, libraries, leisure centres and GP surgeries. People can self-refer into our services or many are referred by health professionals looking to support their patients. They take their services into businesses and schools around the county, doing ‘Be Active Be Healthy’ workshops for children, and NHS Health Checks for the staff. They deliver ‘MHFA’ (Mental Health First Aid) and ‘MECC’ (Make Every Contact Count) courses to further support understanding around Mental Health issues and to start the conversation about health and well-being.

Please call Everyone Health on 03330 050093 or email changepointcambs@everyonehealth.co.uk for more information.

Brexit and The Road Ahead….

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Brexit has been dominating the news for months now as we move towards some form of conclusion (whatever that may be) – but what lies in store for voluntary and community organisations.

NAVCA have just produced a summary Brexit update which is well worth a read and can be found here: 

It covers a whole range of subjects including freedom of movement, European funding and the UK Economy.

NCVO  have also produced their annual The Road Ahead Report which can be viewed in Summary here:

Subjects covered in this analysis include our current political landscape, the economic outlook and how Charities can play a bigger role in delivering services and projects across the country.

The Power of the Portal

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Over the past 12 months, the Support Cambridgeshire Funding portal has been visited by over 300 new and registered organisations.

Over £57,000 has been achieved in funding by organisations using the portal as a first step in making an application.

The portal has over 2,400 funds available to browse or search every week.

Simply click here to register and start your search – who know’s where it will lead.

If you want to see the portal in action join us at our Funding Master Class on the 27th February in South Cambridgeshire.

Simply book your space by contacting russell@huntsforum.org.uk

Cambridgeshire Timebanks receive a boost

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Cambridgeshire housing association and social enterprise, CHS Group, are delighted to have made a successful application to the Big Lottery Building Communities fund.

Gerry Cano, Timebank Project Manager said:

Timebanking provides a way for local people to come together to help others and help themselves at the same time. Participants ‘deposit’ their time in the bank by giving practical help and support to others and are able to ‘withdraw’ their time when they need something done themselves. So, one hour of time given gains you one hour of ‘credit’.  We are very grateful to HM Government and to National Lottery players for this award.

Over the past 5 years our Timebanks in Cambourne and Littleport & Ely have been tapping into the resources in their communities and harnessing hidden skills and talents for the benefit of all involved. These monies will enable us to continue running our Timebanks and will help us increase our impact by allowing us to increase the number of older people involved, strengthen our befriending scheme, increase the number of volunteer hours in both communities and provide support to 3 more communities wanting to develop Timebanks”.

Here’s a simple example of how Timebanks bring people together:

Rasha Lulua got in touch with Cambourne Timebank to ask if we could arrange a visitor to spend time with her mother. Mariam has dementia and mobility problems and rarely leaves the house. She has carers to help her get up in the morning and her husband and daughter care for her the rest of the time but she was getting lonely when they were working and she wanted someone to talk to. Renata Dory has been visiting Mariam for an hour once every 2 weeks since October for a chat. Mariam is very happy to see Renata and welcomes her in her native Arabic saying ‘you are the light of my eyes’.  Rasha is pleased that her mother is having company and variety in her routine. They talk about Mariam’s children and grandchildren, music and how she used to teach Arabic.

Renata said “Working with the Timebank in order to help people who genuinely need support, is one of the most enjoyable things I can imagine spending my free time doing. Visiting Mariam for just a bit of chit chat lights up her day and that lights up mine too.  I’m fortunate to have a community that is engaged with such a compassionate volunteer base.”

About the CHS Group:

CHS Group is a charitable housing association, established in 1927, providing high quality and good value affordable housing together with support, care and community services.

CHS is there to support people to achieve a better quality of life.  They offer good value services that all of us would be proud to use.

They are all about the 7,000 people living in our affordable homes and the 2,000 people who choose to rely on their care, support and community investment services.

Our 90 years of experience means that the Group can take both the long-term view and a fresh look at issues which cut across traditional boundaries.

 

 

 

Village Halls Week

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Village Halls Week runs from the 22nd to the 28th January 2019. Its an event aimed at celebrating the role played by village halls in our local communities.

Locally, Cambridgeshire ACRE will be facilitating a programme of events to demonstrate the role played by village halls and Trustees across Cambridgeshire.

They will be looking at themed areas throughout the week, highlighting different aspects of why village halls are so important to our local communities.

For more information on both the launch event and other activities taking place throughout the week simply click here:

This years launch event will be taking place on Tuesday 22nd January at Little Thetford Village Hall. The event will have a national and local focus which features the history of village halls and community buildings in Cambridgeshire over the last 90 years. To book a space to the launch event click here:

 

Giving Theory Impact

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The Cambridge Cycling Campaign (CamCycle) is a charity with 1280 members run by volunteers and 2 part‐time staff, a Communications and Community Officer and a Cycling Campaign
Officer. Founded in 1995, their aim is safer, better and more cycling in the Cambridge area, where about half of the local population uses a bike at least once a month. Many
of the cycle facilities such as paths, lanes, traffic signals, bridges and cycle parks would not exist without the work delivered by CamCycle members.

The Cycling Campaign Officer was initially motivated to attend the Cambridge CVS workshop ‘Measuring the difference you make: An Introduction to Social Impact’ because she was aware of the emphasis funders put on Impact and she wanted to ensure her organisation was up to speed. She also wanted to explore the use of the Theory of Change (ToC) model to focus campaign efforts and to help move the organisation forward.

At this stage CamCycle had only recently employed her as their first paid member of staff and they were embarking on a new phase of growth and development.

The Workshop provided an opportunity for all those attending to spend time reflecting on what their organisation exists to achieve, and how they are currently working to deliver their aims. Those attending were able to share their ideas and experiences and collaborate in group activities. The workshop helped participants to review some planning models including ToC and, rather than just
viewing impact measurement as a funder requirement, CamCycle realised the benefits of using it to guide how they could prioritise and consolidate their activities to help them deliver their aims.

Following the workshop CamCycle developed their own Theory of Change model, (which features in their annual report) enabling them to create clarity on how the organisation needs to move forward. CamCycle see their Theory of Change as a living model which can be adapted as new factors are brought in to play.

The workshop provoked an important change in the way CamCycle look at project planning. Taking a ToC approach they now look at what needs to happen to achieve the desired impact and develop activities that will deliver defined outcomes. They intend to produce an impact model for each new project they embark on in order to give it the chance to have the greatest impact.

Testimony:

Roxanne De Beaux their Cycling Campaign Officer stated:

The workshop was a great starting point and created a shift in my mindset helping guide my thinking on how we could plan change and communicate why and how we achieve this change to everyone involved.

 

The Ancient Heart of Hardwick

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Hardwick is a village about 8 miles west of Cambridge. The church is located on the southern outskirts of the village in what until now has been a relatively undeveloped area.

Construction is now underway on a new development which will see a significant increase in the population of this part of the village. The school, community buildings, shops and other facilities are located in the northern part of the village.

A cabin was placed on a woodland area behind the church in 1995 as a temporary community facility. Despite the efforts of the volunteer group to maintain it, the condition of
the cabin is poor. It is not well insulated and is heated by electric radiators which are not safe or efficient. The toilet area, which leads straight off the kitchen, is very cramped and has no hot water. The floor is rotting, and the structure is now leaning out of true so that there is sometimes a problem with closing doors. The lighting is unsubtle, but adequate.

The church and volunteer group have a vision to provide a community hub in a woodland garden. As it will be the only fully accessible community building in Hardwick, it will be
available for use by any group, family or individual in the village for activities, clubs, meetings, social gatherings and parties for at least 80% of the week. The fully accessible toilets and other hospitality facilities will support the continued and more frequent use of the neighbouring historic Church building as a community venue, thereby doubling available community space provided by this project.

We want to re-imagine our buildings and land as community and spiritual spaces for the village, restoring its ancient heart as a place where we experience what it means to belong.

Support Cambridgeshire partner Cambridge CVS first encountered the volunteer group when two members attended a funding applications workshop held in March 2015.

The workshop helped them consider what they needed to undertake before any funding applications could be made, including carrying out a consultation with their community. A one to one meeting and resources sent by email helped them shape this and the consultation took place later that year. In the summer of 2016 a funding search gave them some ideas of opportunities for funding applications. They had by this time joined Cambridge CVS as a member and had made good use of the Support Cambridgeshire funding bulletins. They had hoped to receive section 106 money from the development of housing in the village but were disappointed. However, they had achieved a massive outcome for a relatively small Church community and had £95,000 pledged towards the overall project cost of about £300,000.

Further support was given in the summer of 2016 and then in May 2018. Cambridge CVS supported an application to the Garfield Weston Anniversary Fund. At this time Cambridge CVS also worked with the group to enable them to write a business plan. As part of this Cambridge CVS were able to help develop a strong vision for how the building would become a hub for the community, taking full advantage of its woodland setting. The strap-line of ‘Re-imagining the heart of the community’ grew out of this session: The Group started to see how the new building could be re-imagined for the 21st Century.

In October 2018 Cambridge CVS were able to review the business plan and help the group to fine tune their applications. The group is awaiting confirmation of the outcome from these bids and
continues to raise funds locally.

From the start of their journey, this Group of Volunteers have become a strong and capable unit. They have developed a strong vision for how the new building will be the heart of village life.

To serve the community by providing and promoting activities that contribute to building positive relationships and understanding between people of different faiths,
ages, ethnic origin and gender, working together to improve the quality of life in the village.

The working group has made 3 good applications to funders, developed a business plan and raised over £180,000 through their own fundraising. A considerable achievement in a very constrained market=place where funders expect more and competition is growing.

Testimony:

St Mary’s Church in Hardwick began fund-raising for a new community hall back in 2015. One of our group attended a training course led and hosted by Support Cambridgeshire partner Cambridge CVS which was very helpful in terms of enabling us to get a grip on the steps that needed to be taken, and how to go about it. They have always been available for support and advice, and this has made a daunting task seem more manageable – they are a great encourager!

In the early years we talked with them about how to undertake community consultation and get ‘grant ready’ with regard to policies in place. They set us up with a project plan proforma and met with us to review our progress in completing it and suggest the next steps. They also made available the business plans from other similar projects to help us see the kind of document we might produce. 

Cambridge CVS  have always been professional, helpful and knowledgeable. If they say they will find out about something, they do. They take time and trouble on our behalf (reading some quite
lengthy documents and coming prepared with notes and suggestions that are particular to our situation). They have provided an excellent service, for which we are very grateful – as
will all the Hardwick residents be, once we have the hall.

More than a Giving Machine

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We all know that Corporate and Social Responsibility (CSR) is partially about giving, but its also about creating meaningful partnerships between the business and community sector.

Support Cambridgeshire are working with Rachel Briant of Get Synergised to deliver a workshop event where local business (including Barons Cambridge BMW, Kameo Recruitment, Pure Professional Recruitment Specialists and PwC) will talk about how they approach their Corporate Social Responsibility and what they are looking for in a community partner.

This event is Free to any community based organisation in Cambridgeshire, which includes Village Halls and Parish Councils, and takes place on the 25th April 2019 between 9am amd 2.30pm at Barons BMW, Sheepfold Lane, Cambourne, CB23 6EF.

If you want to discover what makes a business tick, how they discharge their CSR and what they want or expect from a community partner then book your space now. It’s sure to be an interesting and lively debate: Get inside the head of business and work out new ways to support your projects or services.

Refreshments and lunch are being provided by Barons BMW.

To book a limited space contact Keith Johnson at Keith@huntsforum.org.uk

 

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