Community survey: Have your say on creating Healthy Places

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Cambridgeshire County Council and Peterborough City Council’s joint public health team is inviting residents to have their say on how new and existing communities can be healthy, supportive and inclusive.

Work is currently underway to develop the Healthy Places Joint Strategic Needs Assessment for Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, a piece of work which will support the development of healthier, easy-to-access, and inclusive communities. To inform this, the team has launched a survey asking for views on access to healthcare services, inclusive and accessible green spaces, opportunities for active travel and healthy play and leisure, and the provision of affordable healthy food options.

The survey is open until Monday 15 April at 5 pm. It will take around 10-15 minutes to fill in and may be completed on behalf of yourself or someone you care for.

If you’d prefer to complete a paper copy of the survey, you can pick one up from your local library or New Shire Hall, Emery Crescent, Enterprise Campus, Alconbury Weald, Huntingdon PE28 4YE.

If you have any questions about the survey or the Healthy Places Joint Strategic Needs Assessment for Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, please email healthinallpolicies@cambridgeshire.gov.uk

New Volunteer Cambs website calls on the local community to make their mark with volunteering

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A new website has been launched by Support Cambridgeshire, promoting exciting opportunities for residents of Cambridgeshire to explore volunteering near them.

Whether you have 10 minutes to spare or 10 hours, in a few clicks, you can be matched with an organisation or group in the community which inspires you to make your mark, expand on the skills you already have, discover new ones, unlock your potential or create lasting friendships with like-minded people.

All you need to do is visit the Volunteer Cambs website at volunteercambs.org.uk, create an account and hey presto! At the click of a button, you can find the ideal cause to support right on your doorstep.

 

“Volunteering is not just about helping others”, say the creators of the new volunteer matchmaking service – “it’s also about what they’ll get in return. This includes a sense of purpose, wonderful experiences, and a whole lot of thanks from the causes they are helping”

 

Volunteer Cambs works by asking organisations and groups to load up their opportunities and profiles directly so there’s always something new for a volunteer to look at every time they visit the site. And the good causes who are promoting their work benefit by having a continuous stream of potential volunteers.

 

Mayor Nik Johnston on volunteer Cambs website

Dr. Nik Johnson, Mayor of Cambridgeshire & Peterborough

The website has also had backing from the Mayor of Cambridgeshire & Peterborough. Speaking about the launch of Volunteer Cambs, Dr, Nik Johnson said: “The role of volunteers in supporting our local communities is crucial, and it’s always humbling to see the efforts of our residents who give up their time and skills to support the causes that are important to them. I’m hugely excited about the impact the Volunteer Cambs portal is set to make in matching volunteers with the organisations that need them – and am proud to see our region leading the charge and shining an even brighter light on the importance of volunteering and making connections like never before.”

 

 

An enquiry form featured on the website will help groups and volunteers match up, contact each other, and there is even a chat function for those who want to dip their toe in first. Would be volunteers can search for opportunities by location if transport is an issue, for instance, or by topics that match their skill set and interests.

 

Mark Freeman, CEO at Cambridge Council for Voluntary Service, Volunteer Cambs lead partner, continued: “Volunteers benefit from knowing they can make a real positive difference and have a strong impact on their local area. And anyone can volunteer, you could be retired, a skilled professional, a student, a family who want to volunteer together, or even a corporate team. Sharing talents with others connects all of us in a really special way and can boost our mental health and well-being too by helping us to feel valued, knowing that what we do as volunteers is appreciated and respected.”

 

The Volunteer Cambs team will be out and about across in Cambridgeshire over the coming year. You can also keep an eye on the site for more information and inspiring stories and photographs of great volunteer/group matches transforming lives and raising awareness of the value, impact and importance they’re having in their local area.

 

To find out how you can match your precious time to local good causes, visit volunteercambs.org.uk. It all starts with one act of kindness.

Voluntary Sector Network – Notes Meeting 28 February 2024

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Read more

How to nominate a voluntary champion for an honour or award

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Karen Cann blog header

The UK honours system recognises people in the voluntary sector who have gone above and beyond to shape and improve their communities, and who have made a significant impact, making life better for others.

For those actively involved in charity or community work, the most relevant honours include the Order of the British Empire (OBE), the Member of the British Empire (MBE), and the British Empire Medal (BEM).

Do you know someone who has been exceptional and made a positive impact in the charity or community sector? Perhaps a community leader, volunteer or philanthropist who has made a real difference?

The great news is, to nominate – it’s easier than you think!

Anyone can be nominated – it isn’t to do with age, class or how long they have been working or volunteering.

When nominating, you don’t specify what honour you would like your nominee to receive – that will be decided by the honours committee.

How do I nominate someone?

You could start today! There isn’t a specific deadline: you can submit your nomination at any time of the year and the process takes one to two years to verify. Try to nominate when your individual is still active.

Nomination forms are available online, and require detailed information about the individual’s accomplishments.

You’ll need to begin with why you are nominating your person, and this will include their:

  • Name
  • Address
  • Contact details
  • Relevant work or volunteering
  • Recognition they have received, such as awards
  • Two supporting letters

Please use descriptive sentences to describe the transformative nature of their efforts. Highlight specific projects, initiatives, or programmes they have contributed to, along with details of the benefits to the community and the lives they’ve touched.

In simple terms: why is their work important?

A few tips!

  • Please use all the characters you are given and try not to leave any part of the form blank.
  • Provide some background to the organisation they are working or volunteering for.
  • Link facts, such as roles, dates, and actions, to the impact your nominee has made.
  • Provide evidence to back everything up.

Please do not list all their work roles, qualifications, and achievements in a ‘CV’ style.

The focus should be on their IMPACT and the selfless way they have provided service and changed lives for the better. Tell their story!

To do this, the committee recommend that you think about:

  • What were things like before their efforts began?
  • How are things now?
  • What makes the nominee different from other people doing similar work?

You will need to gather and provide evidence for your individual’s achievements, such as news articles, weblinks, photos and other relevant files.

Supporting letters 

Anyone who has worked with or has experienced the work of the individual can write a letter of recommendation to be submitted along with the nomination. It should be from people who know the nominee, such as:

  • Someone from the nominee’s organisation or community.
  • A high-profile individual such as a local councillor or MP.
  • Someone who works alongside them.

Confidentiality

Please keep everything confidential – it is very important that the individual doesn’t find out that they are being nominated, as they will feel disappointed if they don’t receive an award. Moreover, there will be personal data collected so be careful where this is stored.

Please don’t worry about nominating, the honours committee doesn’t expect the submission to be perfect or overly formal – so give it a go!

The Honours are announced at New Year and on the King’s birthday. You shouldn’t contact the committee about your nomination – if you are successful, the honour will be made public. If you haven’t heard after two years, then you may submit again.

The UK Honours system is a powerful way to celebrate and elevate those who make a significant difference in the charity and community sector. By nominating individuals for these awards, not only do we recognise their efforts, but it could also inspire others to contribute to the well-being of their communities and highlight some fantastic organisations along the way!

 

So, why not celebrate one of your staff or volunteers, an unsung hero who works hard to create positive change, they may really appreciate the award!

 

For more information please visit: Nominate someone for an honour or award: Overview – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

 

This nomination process is for individuals only, to nominate a voluntary group for The King’s Award for Voluntary Service: The King’s Award for Voluntary Service: Overview – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

Health Alliance -17th January March Library

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Chaired By Sandie Smith 

Sandie welcomed everyone and introductions were done as there were a few new faces around the table. 

Action log. All completed items will be removed. 

Action 66. A template for sharing some good news stories for the ICS/ICB newsletter has been produced and will be shared post-meeting. Has a project you have been doing had an impact on the community? 

Andrea Grobois gave a presentation to the meeting explaining the Integrated Care Board (ICB), the Integrated Care System (ICS) and the Integrated Care Partnership (ICP) and the areas that are covered. 

We discussed how the voluntary sector fits with this and how we can increase our profile.  

Andrea mentioned the Joint Forward Plan Our Joint Forward Plan | CPICS Website and how it is worth looking at that when thinking about pieces of work organisations may want to get involved in. There is also an operational plan that looks at year-by-year proposed activities. The voluntary sector has a strategy for working with the ICS- “Working Together for a Better Future”. This can be found on the Health Alliance webpage: 

ICS-VCSE-strategy.pdf (supportcambridgeshire.org.uk)  

It was suggested that maybe HA members who work in the same area, eg housing could come together to look at joint projects. 

It was asked if the voluntary sector should be setting the agenda – Andrea explained that she is working to ensure that the voluntary sector is considered in conversations. The key purpose of this Alliance is to influence the agenda and enable VCSE to be equal partners.  

An issue was raised when patients/ clients lived around county borders. As there are different approaches to health in different areas it is difficult to navigate- for example, hospital discharge from Queen Elizabeth Hospital for people living in Wisbech is different to those who are discharged from NWAFT. 

ACTION- for the issue of cross border policy to be raised with the Commissioning and Investment and Improvement and Reform Committee- Miriam Martin and Michael Firek attend. 

ACTION- Melanie and Keith to give examples where cross-border issues have affected care/ support. 

Sandie’s Update 

Safeguarding- the task and finish group have now finished this piece of work. A mission statement for organisations has been shared and organisations have been asked to sign up. (contact Debbie if you need this resending). Sandie has shared a list of training and for any more information about this, you should refer back to your CVS. 

  • Quality Development Tool Workshops – These will look at the maturity of the Health Alliance and outcomes will be used to plan for the future. The first session in Peterborough will cover 2 of the priorities (places are fully booked) the second session will look at the final 4 – this is on 15th February in Ely and there are still a couple of spaces available. Please get in touch. 
  • Branding and Name Update – There is a rescheduled (due to illness) meeting for the final piece of this work before the end of January. Look out for the new name; Voluntary Sector Network- Together for Healthier Communities. 
  • Community Grants – The £75,000 fund from Assura Investment Trust will be allocated to 10 grassroots community organisations to undertake work in a defined local area that addresses health inequalities. This will be administered by the Cheshire Community Foundation. More details on this will follow soon. 

Sandie met with the Reps and the Partnership Development group and it has been agreed these will join to produce a steering group for the Health Alliance – this gives good representation across the patch. 

Representatives feedback – The reps that attend the ICB committees gave a summary of their committees (shared in slide pack). Sandie confirmed who attended which committee. Keith is going to represent the Health Alliance on the North partnership but he has not received invites/ papers yet. Chris from PVCS said she would raise this. 

Data Project- Michael Mitchell 

The data project aims to facilitate better data sharing across the Health Alliance. Cambridge CAB is leading a project to create a data catalogue for all members to add their data headings and descriptions for the data they collect. This data catalogue will allow the Health Alliance and members to see who is collecting what data and request data from the organisation. The shared data will be anonymous or aggregated. Combining data from different organisations should help to enrich the unique insights of each member of the Health Alliance. 

AOB  

  • The next Health and Wellbeing network meeting will be on 13th February and will look at digital access across the county: Will Plant (CCC Digital Strategy), Karen Igho (Healthwatch community researcher’s findings) and Rosie Veitch (library services) will discuss the current picture and the support/ options that are available. To book, click the link: https://forms.office.com/e/BeQPiLyjN4 
  • Organisation Showcase event – This has been organised for 14th March. 11 organisations will showcase what they do and there will be opportunities for others to ask questions. The demand for this was extremely high and 8 organisations (that did not get a place) are interested in doing this if we put it on again. 

Each time slot is only half an hour so please see if you can sign up and see what fellow Alliance members have to offer. The event will be shared across the voluntary and statutory sectors.  

Organisations are Cambridge United Foundation, Caresco, Pinpoint, Richmond fellowship, Animals and People, Camcare, Care network, Lifecraft, ARHC, Bobby scheme and Magpass. Book your place, click the link: https://forms.office.com/e/jUnnPcGCis 

Next Meeting 

28th February on Zoom 9.30-11.30 am 

Discover our funding sources page for Cambridgeshire

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Did you know that Support Cambridgeshire offers a comprehensive funding source page?

Explore our platform to discover a variety of charitable funders dedicated to supporting various causes across Cambridgeshire.

Latest Update:

• Children and Young People: These funders specialise in projects aimed at benefiting children and young individuals.

New funders:

and many more…

Access the latest updates here: https://supportcambridgeshire.org.uk/funding/funding-sources/children-and-young-people/

This page is updated annually. Did you spot an error? Please let us know.

Masonic Charitable Foundation/Children Young and Older People/Rolling

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Grants available:  Small (£1k to£5k) Large (£10k to £60k)

District: England and Wales

Application closes: Rolling

Who is the funding for: 

Link:https://mcf.org.uk/

About:

The MCF is dedicated to supporting disadvantaged children and young people, as well as vulnerable older people, in England and Wales. Their Charity Grants programme is open to registered charities in England and Wales working with any of our four main priority groups:

People With Dementia and Their Carers

The MCF are particularly interested in targeted interventions such as carers support and social groups, Maintenance Cognitive Simulation Therapy, or other interventions working to achieve outcomes such as the following:

  • Improved ability of carers to meet the needs of people with dementia (i.e. resources, knowledge, skills)
  • Reducing loneliness, and isolation and creating social connection
  • Improvements to physical health and cognitive function
  • Better access to support services
  • Increased independence and influence over their own lives and treatment

Children Affected By Domestic Abuse

The MCF is interested in funding projects that work with vulnerable and disadvantaged children and families towards the following outcomes:

  • Learning coping strategies and tools to effectively handle challenges
  • Increased self-esteem, resilience, confidence, and feelings of safety and wellbeing
  • Families experience positive behavioural changes
  • Children will have better relationships with their family and peers
  • Decreased feelings of anxiety and isolation
  • Improved engagement with education and other related support services

Early Years

The MCF is interested in funding projects that work with vulnerable and disadvantaged children whose interventions:

  • increase the likelihood of children achieving developmental milestones;
  • support children to make successful transitions to primary school;
  • improve children’s physical health through access to healthcare, nutrition, check-ups, immunisations etc.;
  • give families a better understanding of their child’s needs and improve confidence in parenting/caring so they are better able to meet the child’s needs;
  • increase families’ positive engagement in services enabling targeted support to address specific issues e.g. domestic violence, mental health, substance abuse, and neglect.

Children With Special Educational Needs and Disabilities

They want to hear from charities who are working with children with SEND, and examples of services and interventions may include: practical/life skills; supportive education, volunteering and work opportunities; assistive technology etc.

We are looking for charities whose support for children with SEND will:

  • Increase their social inclusion;
  • Increase their independence and connections to their local community;
  • Improve their access to early intervention services and therapies, for diagnosed, suspected conditions and pre-diagnosis;
  • Ensure their parents/carers are better able to cope in their caring role and meet their child’s needs;
  • Enable their parents/carers to be better informed of their child’s options and rights, and the services available to them.
Who can apply:

Grants are only made to charities/projects whose beneficiaries are in England and Wales

Charities must be registered with the Charity Commission or relevant Central registry of the respective Guernsey, Jersey or Isle of Man government

Charities must have at least one year of independently examined or audited accounts published on the Charity Commission website for the registered charity number they are applying from

 

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