Information and Advice for the Lancaster District’s Third Sector – 16 March 2023

Remembering Michael Hallam
We are saddened to hear the recent news about Michael Hallam. Michael was a long-time friend and supporter of the voluntary community faith and social enterprise sector and incredibly passionate about our communities. His leadership with ESTA and the various programmes he was involved in helped connect small enterprises together for good was an exemplar piece of work which did amazing work across our district. He was innovator, a networker, an activist and everything he did was all about improving the lives of local people. Thankyou Michael for all you did. You will be sadly missed and our thoughts and prayers are with his family at this time. LDCVS team

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Announcing the Closing Loops ‘Pots of Possibility’ Fund
Closing Loops was launched by FoodFutures (North Lancashire’s Sustainable Food Network) in 2022 to support community-led action and local initiatives to transform waste into a valuable resource and stimulate a thriving, regenerative local economy where enterprises, organisations and people are actively contributing to the health and wellbeing of their communities and the environment.

We’re delighted to announce that as part of the Closing Loops project, LDCVS has worked alongside LESS and Shared Future CIC to secure £300,000 from the National Lottery Community Fund. Thanks to National Lottery players, this funding will be distributed locally as ‘Pots of Possibility’ – grants of up to £10,000 to enable community organisations, charities, social enterprises and others implement activities addressing any of the following themes:

• Growing, cooking and eating local, seasonal and sustainable food.
• Initiatives that inspire people around sustainable consumption and zero waste practices.
• Initiatives around composting.
• Regenerative enterprises or initiatives for materials currently going to waste (for instance food, textiles, packaging, electronics and more)- with a focus on reducing consumption or reusing and repurposing of materials.
• Regenerative enterprises or initiatives that enable the sharing and repurposing of resources (tools, materials, spaces and skills) within our communities.

Community Pots grants of up to £5,000 will support pilot projects, test the feasibility of new ideas and support community projects.

REconomy Pots grants of up to £10,000 will be awarded to grow ideas and scale up pilots that contribute to an ecosystem of regenerative initiatives and enterprises locally. The Reconomy pots will be awarded through a participatory budgeting approach which transfers considerable decision-making power to local communities and grant applicants.

The first round of Community Pots is now open offering grants of between £1,000 to £5,000 to help get ideas off the ground. See the Funding section of this Bulletin for more information.

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Lancaster District Directory
On 22 December we were delighted to “soft launch” the Lancaster District Directory with an email to our stakeholders and colleagues in the voluntary and statutory sectors, inviting them to use this new resource to support communities over the Christmas and New Year holiday period. 

We are now working to promote directory.lancastercvs.org.uk far and wide across the district, making sure that it reaches everyone who stands to benefit from the platform. 

Over the upcoming weeks, we will be distributing thousands of promotional postcards and posters to a variety of locations including healthcare sites, local authority buildings, and all our voluntary sector organisations with a directory listing. 

You can also look forward to features in our local media, a social media campaign including graphics which we will distribute for you to use with your own accounts should you wish, and some new videos highlighting the features of the website. 

We’re also working to complete the process which integrates general practice staff into the project, meaning that before very long we will be receiving our first referrals and signposting people to support. Organisations that have indicated they would like to take digital referrals through the online platform will receive initial offers of training and support very soon.  

The project will continue to grow and develop through 2023, so if your organisation is already taking part, please do keep us up to date with your service information and send us your comments and suggestions.  

The directory is a shared resource among our members, partners and communities, so by working together we can make sure it becomes well-used across the district and continues to improve. If you’ve not yet claimed a listing, it’s never too late – just get in touch with Jenny by email at [email protected] or call 01524 555900.  

The Closing Loops ‘Pots of Possibility’ fund – now open!
Have you got a great idea to help grow a zero-waste, circular and regenerative economy in North Lancashire? Community organisations, charities and other not-for-profit organisations can apply for grants of up to £5000 to help get ideas off the ground. Deadline for applications is Thursday 27th April 2023.

Find out more about the Pots of Possibilities Fund

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Dates Announced for Healthy Hearts Grants 2023
The latest rounds of SUBWAY and Heart Research UK (HRUK)’s funding partnership will see five grants of £15,000 each awarded throughout the year with two in England. Funding provision is to help prevent or reduce the risk of heart disease in the UK and will be distributed to new projects that work with communities in heart disease prevention, particularly for vulnerable and isolated groups of individuals who are at an increased risk of developing heart problems in the future.

Application window for England is 11 May 2023 to 8 June 2023.

Find out more about this fund

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Fund Reopens after almost £600K of Cash Seized from Criminals is Invested into Crime Fighting Projects
The Police and Crime Commissioner’s Safer Lancashire Neighbourhoods Fund (SLNF) has reopened after almost £600k has been ploughed into crime fighting projects, across all the strands that make up the fund, since its launch 12 months ago, thanks to money seized from criminals. The Community strand of the fund reopened on this week, welcoming new applications from community organisations, parish councils, Community Safety Partnerships and charities for schemes that will help the Commissioner deliver his Fighting Crime Plan priorities, with a focus on getting tough on antisocial behaviour and targeting dangerous drivers.

Read more about this
Learn more about the Safer Lancashire Neighbourhoods Fund

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Thomas Pocklington Trust Accepting Applications
Registered UK-based charities can apply for funding to support new and innovative projects that benefit blind and partially sighted people in the priority areas of education, employment, engagement, collaboration, and sustainability. The Thomas Pocklington Trust is offering grants of up to £10,000 for registered charities across the United Kingdom to deliver a broad range of projects and activities that achieve positive outcomes for blind and partially sighted people. Funding can be used to cover costs such as new staff posts, professional fees, paid training, resource development, or capital items.

The deadline for expressions of interest is 31 March 2023.

Learn more about the Thomas Pocklington Trust and apply

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Hong Kong Welcome Programme – Regional Priorities for Grants
The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) has announced the national Hong Kong BN(O) Welcome Programme has been renewed for funding for a 3rd year. As part of this funding a new competition for regional VCSE organisations wishing to support Hong Kong BN(O) visa holders in the North West has been launched.

More information on the DLUHC grant programme, and to register for an upcoming information session delivered by DLUHC, can be found here.

As part of the grant applications DLUHC is asking that bids align with regional priorities set by the Regional Strategic Migration Partnerships (RSMP). In the North West there are 6 regional priorities for support, they are:

• Access to English Language for Employment
• Access to Employment
• Access to Housing and Destitution Support
• Access to Mental Health Services
• Integration into Local Communities
• Support for sub-groups within the BN(O) community

More information on these regional priorities can be found on their website here. The North West RSMP will also hold an online information session on regional priorities. This will be held at 10am on Friday 17th March, you can register for a place on this session here.

For more information please refer to our website or contact us at [email protected]

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£10m Energy and Climate Programme from National Lottery Community Fund
As part of its wider commitment to supporting climate action, National Lottery Community Fund (NLCF) is delivering a new grant scheme which focuses on community energy projects across the UK. There is a total funding pot of £10 million, which includes £1.5 million for a Learning Network. More information on this is expected in April 2023. The Fund offers grants of £500,000 to £1.5 million over two to five years for place-based partnerships, UK-wide partnerships or single voluntary and community organisations.

There will online information sessions for interested applicants in the coming months.

Stage 1 applications are accepted on a rolling basis.

The link to register can be found on the NLCF website.

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Funding For Cost of Living Projects
In partnership with Lancaster City Council and using funding originating from the government’s UK Shared Prosperity Fund, LDCVS is pleased to announce a new fund which will distribute grants to community organisations for projects which help households deal with cost of living problems.

The UK SPF Cost of Living Fund will provide grants of up to £5,000 for projects finishing by 31 September.

There is a quick turnaround on this fund, so make sure apply by the deadline – Thursday 23 March, 5pm.

See our Funding section for more information.

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Community Foundation for Lancashire Still Open
The CFLM Cost of Living Support Fund is still open for non-profit groups to support communities struggling with the cost of living. Grants of up to £3,000 are available for community centres – energy costs, food banks, clothing banks, lunch clubs and organisations using their venue as a warm hub. The fund will close as soon as 15 eligible and complete applications have been received for Lancashire.

Decisions on applications will take place in March

More information and application details here

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Subak Accelerator Programme for Climate Not-for-Profits – Deadline of 17 March 2023
A funding and support package for not-for-profit organisations in the UK is available to participate in the Climate Accelerator programme which helps them learn how to run an effective and impactful climate not-for-profit. The three-month Accelerator programme, runs from 15 May to 28 July 2023, and is designed to help early-stage climate not-for-profit organisations develop and scale.

The deadline for applications is 17 March 2023.

Learn more about the Accelerator Programme

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TRANSforming Futures – Deadline Reminder
Groups have just under three weeks to apply for the TRANSforming Futures Fund, provided by the National Lottery. This is funding for projects which aim to create lasting change for trans communities in prison and healthcare settings in England. The funding is intended to support equality-focused projects which improve outcomes for trans people in the areas of healthcare, criminal justice and under 18s (relating to health and justice). There is a total pot of £100,000, with grants of up to £25,000 available. The programme is open to communities-led, grassroots organisations that are led by trans people.

The deadline to apply is 20 March 2023. Decisions are expected within 12 weeks.

Read more and apply for this funding option

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£1.9M Partnership Between National Lottery Heritage Fund and National Churches Trust
Funding for project development and maintenance work in places of worship is now available with Cherish, a new three-year programme which will support places of worship in Scotland, Wales and the North-West of England (Greater Manchester, Lancashire and Cumbria). Alongside grants ranging from £500 to £10,000, the programme will offer wide-ranging support in the form of:

• Maintenance advice.
• Crisis support for communities facing the potential loss of local historic buildings.
• Resourcing for local issues.
• A digital toolkit including buildings care and income generating advice.
• Training to improve local capacity to look after buildings in need.
• Visitor and tourism support.

Applications for grant funding are set to open in May 2023.

More information on the Cherish programme

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Benefact Trust Launches New Fund to Support Capital Works on Christian Buildings
Benefact Trust is offering grants for Christian charities and buildings to support capital works to protect and enhance Christian church and charity buildings, ensuring their continued use and viability, and the safeguarding of their heritage. Christian charities, churches, cathedrals, and denominational bodies across the United Kingdom can apply. The average decision time for smaller grants (up to £25,000) is two months. Larger grants (over £25,000) are considered at grants committee and board meetings and can take between four and six months.

Applications can be submitted at any time.

Find out more about the Benefact Trust funding programme

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Community Shares Booster Fund Offers a Range of Support for Community Businesses in England
Funding to support new and existing community businesses in England that are at all stages of a community share issue are now available with the Community Shares Booster Fund, provided by Power to Change and Architectural Heritage Fund and delivered in partnership with Coops UK, Locality, Plunkett Foundation and Co-operative and Community Finance. The Booster Fund which relaunched recently now offers pre-grant support, development grants, equity match investment, subscription underwriting and loan finance support to community businesses based in England.

Applications are accepted on a rolling basis. There is a two-stage application process.

Expressions of Interest can be made at any time.

Guidance notes and the online Expression of Interest form can be found on the Co-operatives UK website

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Climate Action Fund – Energy and Climate
The National Lottery Community Fund have announced a new themed fund under their Climate Action Fund umbrella. The Climate Action Fund – Energy and Climate is looking for projects that show how communities can address climate change while tackling energy challenges through community-led climate action. Project should last between two and five years, with grants available between £500,000 and £1.5 million.

With the programme expected to remain open until at least December 2023, application submissions can be whenever you’re ready. Application numbers will also be a deciding factor on application deadline.

Read more about this funding opportunity

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Onward Community Fund
Do you have a great idea for a community project, but need a little help to get it off the ground? The Onward Community Fund supports local groups and projects in Lancashire, Merseyside and Manchester that aim to address one of four themes relating to work, food, greenspace or digital. Up to £2,500 is available to fund your project. Examples could include: IT training, youth projects or community events.

Next applications are taken in April 2023.

Learn more about this fund

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Grants for Science & the Arts Projects (North West of England)
The Granada Foundation has launched a new funding round for projects that encourage and promote the study, practice and appreciation of science and the arts. Awards of £500 to £10,000 are made three times a year (with the average award being around £2,000) to organisations (preferably with charitable status) for imaginative and innovative proposals which will make the North West of England a richer and more attractive place in which to live and work. The grants are usually for projects in art, architecture, cinema, dance, drama, literature, music, and science.

The next closing date for applications is the 31st March 2023.

How to apply – Granada Foundation

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IOP Public Engagement Grant Scheme – One More Month to Apply
Grant funding is available for up to £5000 for individuals and organisations running physics-based events and activities in the UK that improve people’s relationship with physics in their family or community groups. The Institute of Physics (IOP) provides grants for physics engagement projects that align with IOP’s Limit Less campaign. The framework for the 2023 grant scheme is informed by the learning accrued over the last couple of years with respect to equality, diversity and inclusion, the digital divide, and personal wellbeing. There is only one more month left to submit your application for this scheme.

The deadline for applications has been changed from the previously reported 27 February to 24 March 2023 (5pm).

Find out more about this fund and apply

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Electricity Northwest Accepting Applications for Partnership Fund
Charities and organisations across Northwest England can apply for funding to deliver projects and activities that ensure vulnerable individuals and communities are supported in the event of a power cut. Electricity Northwest is offering grants and support to charities and organisations across Northwest England to develop partnerships that support vulnerable individuals and communities in the event of a power cut and address the following priorities:

• Keeping customers safe in a power cut by registering all eligible households to the Extra Care register.
• Under the needs of communities through a network of experienced partners.
• Building trust around Electricity Northwest’s Extra Care register and services.
• Strengthening services through partner-led insights, data sharing, and advancements.

The deadline for applications is 31 March 2023.

Read the Electricity North West guidance notes  

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UK Government’s £150m Community Ownership Fund – Third Bidding Window Now Open
A third bidding window is now open for the Community Ownership Fund in helping fund communities across the UK to take ownership of assets at risk of closure. The £150 million fund aims to support charities and community groups across England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland to take ownership of assets which are at risk of being lost to the community. It will run for four years (until 2024/25) with three bidding windows per year. Groups can bid for up to £250,000 match funding or in exceptional cases up to £1 million for larger sporting assets at risk of loss. The Fund will support community ownership projects where the assets make the biggest difference to the local place.

The deadline for expressions of interest to the third window of Round two is 24 March 2023 with the deadline for full applications on 14 April 2023.

Read more about this fund and how to express your interest

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Association of Independent Museums Announce 2023 Application Rounds
AIM (the Association for Independent Museums) has renewed funding for the Audit, Collections Care and Remedial Conservation grant schemes for a further three years.  The grants support small to medium sized museums to care for their collections more effectively and efficiently and to meet the standards required for Accreditation. Grants of up to £1,200 are available for an audit, and up to £10,00 for a collections care or remedial conservation grant.

For all three schemes, the application deadline will be:

Spring Round – Friday 31 March 2023 (5pm)

Autumn Round – Friday 29 September 2023 (5pm).

Read more about this funding option

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Francis Scott Trust  Social Investment Funding Opportunities
The Francis Scott Trust are offering a social investment funding programme to redress the relative scarcity of genuinely long-term finance available in the region. The programme provides organisations the opportunity to obtain the scale required to ensure greater financial resilience, thereby promoting sustainability in the sector. Loans value from £50,000 to £300,000 over a period of 5 to 10 years. The trust want to improve access to social investment by helping prepare applications via two initiatives, Step Change and Reach Fund.

Charities or social enterprises interested in growing impact via partnering with a trusted local funder, please call 01539 742 608. If you would like to collaborate helping charities plan for growth via the Step Change programme, please email [email protected].

Learn more about the Francis Scott Trust Social Investment Funding

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Education Endowment Foundation Launches Spring 2023 Funding Round
Grants are available to organisations to help raise the standards of underperforming schools in England. The Education Endowment Foundation (EEF) grant funding tests the impact of high-potential projects aiming to raise the attainment and wider outcomes of 3 – 18 year-olds, particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds. The EEF’s funding rounds will now focus on particular topics, and projects will be funded within selected themes under these topics.

For the Spring 2023 grant funding round EEF are looking for applications for programmes that have some evidence of promise for this funding round in the three following research priority areas:

• Teacher retention and recruitment
• Education Technology (EdTech)
• Post-16.

There are no set minimum or maximum award amounts.

The deadline for applications is 23 March 2023.

Learn more about the EEF and grant applications

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Charities Unclaimed Gift Aid Deadline 5 April
Charities have until 5 April to search for any unclaimed Gift Aid for this tax year – an amount HMRC has estimated is as much as £564mn. While Gift Aid declarations for this tax year can be collected after this date, it then becomes a more complicated process. Swiftaid has launched the ‘Great Gift Aid Hunt‘ to encourage charities to make sure they don’t miss out. It offers a quick way for charities to check against over 5 million UK taxpayers to find missed Gift Aid. By sending in donation information from the current tax year, Swiftaid can match it with millions of UK taxpayers, and if a match is found, 25% more Gift Aid is added.

Read more about this

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Canoe Foundation Now Accepting Applications
The Canoe Foundation are now open for applications to award grants to projects that improve the accessibility of available waterways and canoeing facilities and protect the natural environment in the local community. The Canoe Foundation raises money; informs and educates; and allocates funds, in line with its main purpose to “support all to enjoy and benefit from the experience of paddling on our water in a sustainable manner”. Grants of between £500 and £10,000 are available to clubs, community groups, Parish Councils, Local Authorities or anyone in the UK with an active interest in improving access to water for recreational users and protecting the environment.

There are no set minimum or maximum award amounts.

The deadline for applications is 23 March 2023.

Read more about the Canoe Foundation and how to apply

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Magic Little Grants to Open for Applications on 1 March
LocalGiving has announced that it will launch its annual Magic Little Grants scheme for the sixth year in a row with more money than last year. Not-for-profit groups and organisations must be in their first year of operation or have an annual income under £250,000 in order to apply for a one-off grant of £500. The Magic Little Grants fund reduces the work required for grass-roots organisations to access the funding they need to launch or strengthen their services.

Applications will be accepted from 1 March to 31 October 2023.

Find out more about the funding criteria and application process

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Children’s Summer Playschemes Grants Programme Opens for UK Applications
Trustees of the Woodward Charitable Trust have set aside funds for summer playschemes for children from disadvantaged backgrounds between the ages of 5-16 years. The Woodward Charitable Trust is currently accepting applications to its annual funding round from UK registered charities, community interest companies, charitable incorporated organisations or exempt charities with an annual turnover of less than £100,000. Each year, the Trust offers around 35 one-off grants of between £500 and £1,000 for activities taking place during the summer that make a difference to children who are from disadvantaged backgrounds. The funding will cover up to 50% of the total cost of a scheme.

Applications are now open with a deadline of 6 April 2023 (noon).

Learn more about the Woodward Charitable Trust and Summer Playscheme Grants

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National Allotment Gardens Trust Accepting Applications for 1 April Deadline
The National Allotment Gardens Trust, a registered charity, has a small amount of funding that it provides each year for allotment and garden projects. Applications are currently being accepted for grants of between £250 and £2,00 for projects that will improve or develop the facilities of permanent and registered allotment gardens in the UK. Registered non-profit making allotment associations, societies and committees in the UK can apply along with non-statutory sites if a long-term lease is in place.

Applications are considered four times a year.

The next deadline for applications is 1 April 2023.

Grow your allotment or garden project with this funding option

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Refugee Week 2023 Grant Scheme
The Lancashire Refugee Integration Team (LRIT) are delighted to announce that the Refugee Week Grand Scheme has been launched. This grant scheme is designed to support projects and events with a maximum budget of £1500 which will be held during Refugee Week (19-26 June). The purpose of the fund is to celebrate refugee cultures and contributions, tackle misinformation, and platform refugee voices. Applications must be submitted by 5 pm on 14 April. Refugee week 2023 grant scheme – Lancashire County Council. To include any of your events or projects you must complete the attached content form for the Refugee Week 2023 brochure. Once completed, please return the form to [email protected].

Read more about the Refugee Week 2023 Grant Scheme

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Barclays Community Football Fund 2023 Invites Applications
Grants are available for not-for-profit groups in the UK to help improve access to football for all by running football activities for underrepresented groups. This is only open to new groups who have not already received a grant through this fund. Now in its second year, Barclays Bank in partnership with the Sported Foundation is offering small grants of £500 to groups that are running football activities for one or more of the following underrepresented groups: women and girls, young people with disabilities, young people from racially diverse communities, young people from the LGBTQ+ community and young people from lower socio-economic groups.

The fund is currently open until 31 December 2023. However, it may close earlier if a large volume of applications is received.

Kick off your project with the Barclays Community Football Fund

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National Citizens Service Launches 2023 Grants Programme
Starting this year, National Citizens Service Trust (NCST) has announced it will be awarding two different types of grants to local organisations delivering community-based experiences at a grassroots level, for the first time. The Trust’s funding is for not-for-profit organisations delivering community-based experiences at a grassroots level for young people (16- to 17-year-olds) in England.

Applications will be accepted from 13 February 2023 (11am) until they close on 20 March 2023 (9am).

Read more about this programme

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Round Two of Defra’s UK Seafood Fund: Skills and Training Scheme Now Open
Defra’s UK Seafood Fund: Skills & Training scheme has opened a second round of funding for up to £8 million available to modernise training facilities and increase access to opportunities across the UK. Applicants can apply for a minimum of £50,000, and a maximum of £3 million. The scheme offers funding to improve training in the seafood industry, including the catching, processing and aquaculture sectors.

Applications are open until 21 April 2023 12:00 BST

Read more about this scheme

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Eric Wright Charitable Trust – Additional Application Deadline Added
There has been an application deadline added for the Eric Wright Charitable Trust’s fund upcoming round.  Along with the 24th February deadline the additional date of 16^th March 2023 has now been included. The fund administered by Lancaster CVS on behalf of the EWCT aims to support community projects that are charitable in nature and provide social activities. Applying is easy and we would like to encourage all small groups around the Lancaster District to consider whether they could benefit from £500 towards a project. Grants are awarded to organisations with income under £50,000, providing activities that can make a positive difference to people’s lives.

The additional deadline added is Thursday 16^th March, 2023, 5pm

If you have any queries about the fund or how to apply, get in touch by email at [email protected] or by ringing CVS on 01524 555900.

Find out more and apply

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Cost of Living Grants
Over recent months an increasing number of UK households have been struggling with rising prices for food, fuel and other essential goods leading to a cost of living crisis. To alleviate the impact of the cost of living crisis, support organisations such as charities and community groups, as well as individuals can apply for a range of grants. Funding may be available from a range of sources including Central Government, Local Authorities, Community Foundations and other Grant Making Bodies.  Here are a list of useful resources:

Government Support
In response to the cost of living crisis, the Government has launched a support package targeted at those most vulnerable households.

The support available includes:

• £15 billion energy bill rebate package
• £650 Cost of Living payment for those on benefits
• £300 Pensioner Cost of Living Payment
• £150 Disability Cost of Living Payment
• The Warm Homes Discount
• Winter Fuel Payments
• Cold Weather Payments

Read more about this government support

Community Foundations
Within the UK there is a network of 47  Community Foundations.  These cover specific geographic areas ranging from countries like Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales to smaller areas such as specific counties or cities. Community Foundations are grant making bodies that exist to benefit disadvantaged communities.  Grants are awarded to charitable, community or voluntary organisations.

Learn more about Community Foundation

Local Authority Help
Local councils may be able to help individuals to pay for things like energy and water bills, food and essential items such as for example clothes or household items. This help is known as ‘welfare assistance’ or the ‘Household Support Fund’. Each council runs their own scheme. The help they offer and who can get it varies.

Lancaster City Council provide Financial Support for Households. Visit their webpage to find out more.

Latest Funding Opportunities

National Lottery Community Fund – Awards for All (England)
The National Lottery has announced that this year, funding will also be available through the Awards for All England scheme to help communities mitigate cost-of-living issues.

Learn more about this fund

Cash for Kids – Cost of Living Fund (UK)
A new £1 million fund has been launched to support the UK’s most vulnerable families during the cost-of-living crisis. The Cash for Kids Cost of Living Fund will target families who have a genuine need for support and are suffering from disadvantage due to the crisis, allowing them to apply for grants of £50 per child which can be used for basic essentials such as food, heating, clothing, and school uniform.

Read more about Cash for Kids Grants

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Fifth Round of England’s Urban Tree Challenge Fund Now Open
Funding is available for planting trees in urban areas, helping to support people’s health and wellbeing, as well as wider environmental benefits. The Urban Tree Challenge Fund (UTCF) was first developed in response to the Government’s commitment to provide millions of pounds for planting trees in and around England’s towns and cities. Funding is available for planting trees in urban areas, helping to support people’s health and wellbeing, as well as wider environmental benefits. The Fund will now provide 80% funding of standard costs for planting large trees and their establishment costs for three years following planting, compared with funding 50% of standard costs in previous rounds. There is a minimum application value of £10,000.

Round 5 is open for applications. Those wishing to plant trees in 2023/24 must submit their applications by 30 June 2023 (23:59 BST).

Read the Government’s Fund Guidance on this Fund

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Launch of £32m Heat Network Efficiency Scheme for England and Wales
Grants are available for organisations operating across the public, private and third sectors in England and Wales for upgrading existing heat networks to reduce emissions and energy costs. The Heat Network Efficiency Scheme (HNES) provides funding to support improvements to existing district heating or communal heating projects that are operating sub-optimally and resulting in poor outcomes for customers and operators. HNES has an overall budget of £32 million, which will be distributed through capital and revenue grants. There is no upper or lower limit for capital grants, and up to 50% of eligible projects costs can be funded. Revenue grants will typically be in the range of £15,000 to £24,000 per project, covering up to 100% of eligible costs.

The scheme will run multiple funding rounds, which will take place approximately bi-monthly. The deadline for Round 1 is 31 March 2023.

Find out more about this scheme

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Cost of Living Support Available for Youth Organisations across the UK
Charitable and not-for-profit youth organisations delivering high-quality youth provision whose work is being hindered, curtailed, or cut back due to rising core costs can apply for funding to address these unprecedented demands. UK Youth, in partnership with Pears Foundation, is offering unrestricted multi-year grants for charitable and not-for-profit youth organisations across the UK with an annual turnover of less than £500,000 to help them cover rising prices and increased costs due to the cost-of-living crisis.

Applications can be submitted at any time.

Learn more about this grant programme

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TRANSforming Futures Fund Now Accepting Applications
National Lottery Community Fund is supporting the five-year TRANSforming Futures project to provide solutions to the issues in healthcare and justice for transgender people across England. The focus of the Fund is communities-led, grassroots organisations that are led by and for trans people. Broader LGBTQ+ organisations undertaking trans-specific activity that is being run by trans people will also be considered. Projects should seek to improve existing outcomes, make changes to current systems or pursue different kinds of systems altogether. There is a funding pot of £100,000, from which grants of up to £25,000 will be made.

The deadline to apply is 20 March 2023.

Find out more about the TRANSforming Future Project

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Asda Foundation’s Investing in Spaces and Places Grants Programme Opens 6 February
For a second year in a row, the Asda Foundation is offering large grants of up to £25,000 for local groups across the UK who are working to improve spaces in the heart of their local community. In 2023, there is a total funding pot of £500,000. Grants of between £10,000 and £25,000 are available to cover between 25% and 75% of the total project costs for projects that address specific criteria of improvements to community spaces.

Applications will be accepted from 6 February 2023 to 19 March 2023.

Learn more about the ASDA Foundation

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Innovation for All Grants Now Available
Kilburn & Strode LLP is a leading practice firm of intellectual property attorneys. Annually, it donates 1% of profits to its charitable arm, the Innovation for All Foundation. Grants from the Foundation are intended to support technological innovation as a tool for community benefit, including through improved wellbeing, greater access to opportunities and improvements to community safety. This year, a number of grants of £10,000, £20,000 and £30,000 will be made.

Applications are open until 31 March 2023.

Learn more about the Innovation for All fund

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Michael Tippett Musical Foundation Reopens for 2023
Grants are available for young musicians and composers across the UK to support the performance, recording, and promotion of the music of Michael Tippett. The Michael Tippett Musical Foundation offers grants of between £500 and £3,000 available to support the following objectives:

• To award grants to support the development of group music-making especially involving young people, with composing central to the project.
• To support the performance or recording of works by Michael Tippet.

The deadline for applications is 30 September 2023.

Find out more about the Michael Tippet Musical Foundation

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Together Fund Open for Applications
If you are a part of a Lancashire-based group or club that supports communities and individuals in being active, then you may be able to apply for funding to help run your projects. Following an initial round of funding, Active Lancashire have secured a further £208,000 from Sport England to help groups and clubs that have been disproportionately affected by the pandemic, significantly impacting on their ability to support communities and individuals in being physically active. The Together Fund provides the opportunity for your community club or group to access extra funding (up to £10k) to help you incentivize attendance, purchase equipment, and more.

The application deadline for this funding option is 31^st March 2023

Learn more about the Together Fund and how to apply

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Ofwat Launches £4m Water Discovery Challenge
Ofwat’s new Water Discovery Challenge is a £4 million competition for innovations that can help solve the biggest challenges facing the water sector; today and in the future. The aim is to directly support organisations with innovative propositions and facilitate their engagement with water companies. Successful applicants can win up to £500,000. Up to 20 finalists with the most promising entries will be awarded up to £50,000 to develop their innovation, with a range of expert support and access to mentoring from water companies.

The deadline for applications is 5 April 2023, 12:00 GMT

Learn more about this competition and how to enter

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National Lottery Awards for All Accepting 2023 Event Applications
The National Lottery Awards are offering grants to support communities with the things that are important to them, including mitigating the impact of the cost-of-living crisis and supporting them as they seek to recover, rebuild and grow following the Covid-19 pandemic. Groups applying to the National Lottery Community Fund’s Awards for All programme in England can request funding for the following major events in 2023:

• The Coronation of His Majesty the King on 6 May.
• The Eurovision Song Contest in Liverpool from 9 to 13 May, and the UK’s role hosting it on the behalf of Ukraine.
• The 75th Anniversary of Windrush on 22 June, and the contribution the Windrush generation and their families have made to the UK.

Grants of between £300 and £10,000 are available for up to one year.

The application deadline for this is ongoing.

Learn more about the this funding opportunity

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Large Grants Available from Charles Plater Trust
In the latest round of funding, Charles Plater Trust will distribute up to £400,000 to organisations throughout England and Wales for activities that contribute to one of its three aims:

• Leadership of Laypeople: Projects that deepen the awareness of Catholic Social Teaching and Catholic Social Thought to better equip people to take on leadership roles in tackling poverty, exclusion, economic inequality and environmental concerns.
• Social Action: Projects that deliver tangible outcomes to tackle poverty, exclusion, economic inequality and environmental concerns for marginalised people and communities.
• Applied Research: Projects that develop and apply Catholic Social Teaching and Catholic Social Thought, in partnership with those who are delivering social action work, to ultimately improve public policy and practice.

Grants of £5,001 to £60,000 will be made to registered charities with an annual turnover of less than £10 million. Applicants do not need to be Christian as long as their aims align with the principles of Catholic Social Teaching.

Deadline for applications to be received is Friday 17th March 2023 by 5pm.

Discover more about the Charles Plater Trust and how to apply

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VCSE Contract Readiness Programme launching in February
Last Autumn, DCMS launched the £900,000 VCSE Contract Readiness Fund to help enable VCSEs increase their participation in public service procurement in England. The programme will primarily focus on providing training and support to VCSEs who are interested in bidding for public contracts with a smaller portion of the programme aimed at increasing commissioners’ awareness and understanding of the sector. The first part of the programme to support VCSEs will be launching this February.

Further details on the programme and how VCSEs can sign up

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Social Entrepreneur Funding, Investment & Support from Unltd
UnLtd work with social entrepreneurs, individuals with bold solutions to today’s problems, working with the most impactful ventures.

They are a foundation that offers financial and business support to individuals who want to set up a social venture in their community, and specifically look for social entrepreneurs who have a venture that 

• is meeting a clear social need/issue
• is truly inclusive
• is sustainable/has the potential to be sustainable
• has impact and will make a difference

Help available includes funding, investment, one-to-one coaching, specialist advice, impact measurement, and other mentoring and pro-bono support.

To find out more, visit the UnLtd website.

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James Bond/Henry Welch Trust
Families of children with special needs and disabilities can qualify for help from a Lancaster district charity.

The charity, the James Bond/Henry Welch Trust, encourages grant applications to benefit children with special needs and also adults suffering from chest or lung disease.

Applications are encouraged from residents of the administrative area covered by Lancaster City Council who have limited income to apply for grants towards equipment or services to improve the quality of their lives.

If you would like further information or to apply to the Trust for help (preferably by email), contact details can be found on their  website.

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New £3m Platinum Jubilee Village Halls Fund Accepting Applications – Deadline of 20 January
Capital grants have become available for village halls in rural areas across England to enhance, upgrade, extend, improve, and construct halls so that, as a result, new activities can take place bringing communities together. The new £3 million Platinum Jubilee Village Halls Fund is provided by the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra) and administered by the charity Action with Communities in Rural England (ACRE).

Announced by Defra to mark the occasion of Her Late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee in May 2022, the fund recognises the important role that village halls play in supporting rural communities. The £3 million funding pot offers grants of between £7,500 and £75,000 which will be 20% of eligible project costs. The total project cost can be more than £375,000 but the maximum grant available is £75,000. All project work must be completed by 31 March 2025.

The funding aims to support the modernisation and improvement of village halls, so that they are fit for purpose and can provide activities which seek to achieve one or more of their set criteria.

Read more about the criteria and funding application process

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Sport England Reopens Small Grants Programme
The Sport England Small Grants Programme has reopened with the aim to support local community sports projects that encourages people in England regardless of age, background or level of ability, to feel able to get involved in sport and physical activity. Grants of £300 to £15,000 are on offer for a twelve-month period to a variety of non-profit and community focussed organisations.

The application deadline is 30 June 2023

Learn more about this funding opportunity and how to apply

Find out more and apply

The Coronation Champions Awards
To mark the Coronation of Their Majesties, The Coronation Champions Awards, with the support of Her Majesty The Queen Consort, will celebrate and recognise inspiring volunteers who have made an exceptional difference in their communities.

Her Majesty is a passionate and long-standing advocate of volunteering, and the Royal Voluntary Service is organising the awards to acknowledge the contributions of volunteers across the UK. They will commend outstanding volunteers from all communities and also aim to inspire others to explore what volunteering has to offer. There will be eight categories of awards, from volunteering in health or animal welfare, to supporting the environment or sports and heritage. Anyone can nominate a volunteer they know for an award. Judges will also be on the lookout to celebrate rising stars as ‘Young Coronation Champions’ (aged 14-18).

The awards opened for nominations on 20th February 2023 and will close on 2nd April. 500 Coronation Champions will be announced before the Coronation weekend. The Coronation Champions Awards, along with the Big Help Out, will place volunteering at the heart of the Coronation celebrations, aiming to build a lasting legacy of volunteering spirit. The RVS website should answer most questions about the aims and process for nominations.

Visit the awards website to nominate a volunteer or to find out more.

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Volunteer Centre News Update
For the latest from the Volunteer Centre you can read our Volunteering News Update here

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Volunteer Recruitment Fair – Lancaster Library
Our Volunteer Recruitment Fair took place on the 3rd March at Lancaster Library and was a great success, connecting community organisations and prospective volunteers. We had over 20 local volunteer involving organisations that attended, and their representatives were there to share their projects. If any of your service users would like to find out about volunteering in Lancaster, please do get in touch. The Volunteer Centre here at CVS provide an ongoing volunteer support and recruitment service. 

Have a watch of our video compilation from the event

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Volunteer Opportunity Promotion and Recruitment
Have you registered on our website to promote your volunteer roles? By adding your opportunities to our website you will be making them available to the hundreds of people per month who check our site looking for something to do. You will also enable our team to easily and quickly signpost people to your roles, to give them the information that they need to decide whether they would like to apply.

Registering is quick and easy and you can do it here.

Once registered you will be able to add your roles. If you need any help, or have any questions, you can contact Mark by email at [email protected].

In addition to the website, the Volunteer Centre can promote your roles via our bulletins and newsletters; through attendance at in-person events such as volunteer fairs; in 121 meetings with potential volunteers; through visits to various support organisations; drop-in events at local Job Centres; by posting to our social media platforms (#LDCVSVolunteerTuesday); and through our bi-weekly column in the Lancaster Guardian.

If you would like to discuss any of this, including having space in our Lancaster Guardian column, please contact Mark.

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DBS Checks
We offer a DBS check service, working in partnership with Burnley, Pendle, and Rossendale CVS. If you need DBS certificates for your staff or volunteers, please visit our website here.

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Volunteering Opportunities

Green Rose Energy Volunteer
Green Rose are advertising a variety of roles to choose from including social media support, helping at drop ins and events, delivering energy advice and holding the phone. There will be support around delivering energy champions training and briefings. The CIC provide a friendly and fun environment in which to meet new friends and learn new skills.

Explore this opportunity

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The Bay Morecambe Hub Volunteer
The mental health & wellbeing project The Bay: A Blueprint for Recovery have recently opened a Community Hub in the Arndale Shopping Centre in Morecambe and are looking to use the space for events, closed group sessions and drop-in wellbeing support and signposting. The team are looking for friendly, reliable and empathetic volunteers to support with the running of the Community Hub and activities. The Bay programme is designed to help people to recover from the effects of Covid-19 and the resulting social isolation by providing opportunities to connect with nature and participate in environmental activity around Morecambe Bay. The role will be flexible and there are plenty of ways to get involved.

Find out more about this volunteer role

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Trustee – HR with Community Foundations for Lancashire & Merseyside
Community Foundations are looking for an individual with experience in a senior HR role to join the Board to advise the organisation on all matters relating to HR using their specialist skills. The Community Foundations for Lancashire and Merseyside is an independent charity, which promotes local giving to address local disadvantage. The charity help individuals, families, companies, charitable trusts and public sectors bodies to connect, support and invest in communities across Lancashire and Merseyside through strategic grant making.

They are keen to offer Board experience to individuals seeking to develop their future career aspirations, encouraging individuals from diverse backgrounds who are underrepresented at Board level. This includes people from BAME communities, people part of the LGBT+ community, people with a disabilities, young adults and women.

Closing date: 17^th March 2023, 23.59

Find out more about this opportunity

Key Unlocking Futures Charity Roles
The family support charity Key unlocking futures are seeking to fill two roles to become part of their team to drive their mission ‘helping people build better lives’. For more than 25 years, the charity have provided prevention and critical support to people across Lancashire and in the last year alone, Key has helped 2000 people take control of their lives.

Chair
The role of Chair will be responsible for bringing Key’s vision alive for the Board of Key and providing a clear direction on the role of the Board to drive the delivery of services and more. 

Learn more about this role

Trustee
The key duties of the role of Trustee involve ensuring organisational compliance with its governing documents, ensuring the organisation applies its resources according to its objectives, contribute actively to providing firm strategic direction and more.

Learn more about this role

Help Map Small and Medium Enterprise Waste in the Lancaster District
As mentioned in previous sections, over the next four years FoodFutures and the Closing Loops project partners will be running a local grants scheme called ‘Pots of Possibility’ to develop and support initiatives and interventions to reduce, redirect, reuse or repurpose materials currently being discarded.  As part of this they are looking to better understand different types of local waste streams and interventions that might have a positive impact.

If you run a small or medium enterprise or community initiative in the Lancaster District, you can take the waste stream mapping survey to share what you do and what you would like to see happen locally to help this project. The mapping will inform idea generating events and feed into future rounds of the ‘Pots of Possibility’ fund. Take the survey here.

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New Dormant Assets Funding Unlocks Investment for Community Business
Last week the government expanded the Dormant Assets Scheme, which will unlock £880 million of forgotten money to fund much-needed investment into organisations tackling social problems in their communities including social enterprises and charities. This decision follows an extensive public consultation last summer. The announcement creates the opportunity to implement the Community Enterprise Growth Plan by confirming that social investment will continue as a recipient cause of the scheme alongside youth, financial inclusion, and, a new cause, community wealth funds. This could be a game changer for community businesses.

Read more about this

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Charity Digital FREE Webinar: Using Social Media to Raise Awareness and Increase Donations
Charity Digital are set to run a webinar that could help stand you out from the crowd. James Shamsi, Growth Marketing Manager at Charity Digital, will show charities how to find influencers that will champion your cause, how to locate donors to boost funds, top tips for Instagram and Twitter growth, a short introduction to TikTok, the increasing value of overlooked platforms such as Be Real and Snapchat, and so much more.

Find out more and book your place

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Utilising QR Codes for your Business Guide by Hubspot
There was a time when QR codes were a puzzling pixelated black and white square that caused nothing but confusion for most people. Nowadays, organisations are increasingly harnessing their power.  The third sector are utilising them more and more advantageously to help with their cause, from marketing your charity campaigns to streamlining access and payments on your Just Giving and Crowd Funding pages. Hubspot have created a useful guide on how to create, use and analyse QR Codes for your business. 

Learn about QR Codes with the Hubspot How-to-use guide here

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Lloyds Bank Foundation & Barrow Cadbury Trust – Supporting Leaders Programme
Barrow Cadbury Trust and Lloyds Bank Foundation are looking for expressions of interest from organisations keen to get involved in the development and delivery of a pilot community leadership programme. The programme is specifically aimed at Black, Asian and minoritised ethnic leaders of voluntary and community organisations supporting people in, or at risk of getting caught up in, the criminal justice system.    

Informed by conversations with leaders of Black, Asian and minority ethnic-led charities, the pilot will aim to enable organisations to give them the tools to have their voices heard in the national policy debate, build personal and organisational resilience and develop networks with other criminal justice leaders.  

The provider is expected to be, or work in partnership with, an organisation which is led by people from Black, Asian or minoritized communities and have knowledge of the policy context for criminal justice charities and leadership development for charities. The provider/partnership should have clear demonstrable experience of delivering work in line with the programme design brief.

The application process consists of two stages. The deadline for the first stage is 5pm 27th March, with the preferred supplier appointed at the end of June.  

Learn more about the programme here

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Third Sector Trends in England and Wales 2022: Relationships, Influencing and Collaboration
The fourth of five reports from Third Sector Trends England and Wales 2022 has been published. The report breaks new ground by looking at the extent to which VCSE organisations get involved in campaigning and influencing at a national level – including, controversially, analysis of the use of digital media for campaigning. The report also looks at partnership working across the sector and examines how this has been affected by the pandemic by comparing with 2019.

Third Sector Trends has been surveying the voluntary, community and social enterprise sector every three years since 2010. In 2022, 6,070 responses were received across England and Wales (an average of 600 responses in each region). This is the only fully representative longitudinal survey which can produce robust and detailed comparative analysis at a regional and national level.

The latest full report can be downloaded here

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Centre for Sustainable Energy – Energy Efficiency Guidance
The Centre for Sustainable Energy have release a useful resource to improving the energy efficiency of your community building. The Centre advise using their ‘Energy Hierarchy’ as your framework to reducing bills, lowering carbon emissions and more.  Find out all about the available technologies and whether your community building would be suitable on their website.

Get tips from their Energy Framework here

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Lancaster University Library – Community Membership
Anybody over the age of 16 is welcome to join Lancaster University Library as a Community Member to borrow books. Membership is free of charge. Members of the public are also able to use the library building without joining as a member. Currently the building is open for all to access from 8am – 8pm on weekdays and 8am – 6pm on weekends.

Joining as a community member online can be done on their online form or in-person at the library and completing a paper form. Members will be issued with a Community Card which allows borrowing of up to 6 books for 5 weeks. Proof of address must be provided in order to collect a Community Card.

To find out what resources you can access in the library, you can search their catalogue, OneSearch. Once in go to –  Refine my results > Show only > Available in the library. This filters the results to display only content that’s available for Community Members.

You can also access resources online, by visiting their Open Access Guide. More information about joining the Library as a Community Member can be found on their website here and here.

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Household Support Fund – Lancaster City Council
As part of a community partner collaboration we are helping to support Lancaster City Council to deliver the Household Support Fund – a government fund provided by the department for work and pensions to support communities with the rising cost of living. It is available to help with household essentials and other bills such as food or fuel.

If you apply to the Household Support Fund you will need to supply a recent bank statement for each adult in the household. If you are on Universal Credit you will also need to provide the full breakdown of your award. As part of the scheme, you will get a phone appointment with an advisor from either Lancaster City Council or North Lancashire Citizens Advice. The Council team will help you through the whole process.

All calls are confidential.

It is easy to apply, you can do it online or by calling Lancaster City Council on 01524 582 000. They may also be able to offer other support, including connecting you with other local support services.

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Platform Places: Start a Local Property Partnership webinar
The social enterprise organisation Platform Places are hosting a practical online workshop to learn more about the Platform Places process and how to start a Local Property Partnership. Platform Places aims to help unlock town centre buildings for amazing ideas that help us live affordably, sustainably and together. They convene and support councils, communities and asset owners to bring buildings into long-term community use or ownership.

During this webinar, attendees will:

• meet some of the people behind Platform Places
• learn how to start the journey towards a Local Property Partnership in your town centre
• meet others looking to do the same where they are
• get your questions answered
• Multiple dates, free of charge

Find out more and sign up to this webinar

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Eden Project £50m Levelling Up Fund Green Light
You will likely have heard the good news about funding for Eden Project Morecambe. Read about the first part investment of the coastal-themed project here.  For updates about the project, including community consultation, construction and recruitment information, see the Eden Project’s page.

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Charity Commission Cost of Living guidance for Trustees
The Charity Commission recognises that many charities are facing difficult circumstances resulting from rapidly increasing costs, from their own cash flow to the issues faced by their staff. Some charities are also experiencing increased demand, particularly charities providing services to people in need. The Charity Commission has published new guidance for trustees, especially trustees of smaller charities, who may need help when facing difficult decisions about their charity’s financial position.

View the guidance here

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Cheaper broadband and mobile deals available through social tariffs
The Government is raising awareness of reduced broadband prices and mobile deals through a UK-wide public awareness campaign. The campaign promotes cheaper, reliable packages being provided to people claiming Universal Credit, Pension Credit and other benefits. The social tariff deals will help people to save money on bills and pay less to stream, chat and shop online.

Learn more about the campaign on OfComs webpage

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SEUK State of Social Enterprise Survey 2023
From late January, SEUK will begin to collect data for the State of Social Enterprise Survey – the most comprehensive UK research on social enterprise. This vital evidence helps shape local and national policy, influence support, funding and finance to grow the social enterprise movement. The State of Social Enterprise survey runs every two years and is the most comprehensive survey of UK social enterprise.

Social enterprises can register interest to take part by emailing [email protected] and will then be contacted by BMG Research to take the survey.

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Lloyds Banks Foundation Charity Support Free Tools & Resources
Lloyds Bank Foundation have provided a number of  free tools and resource links for service users to help manage their money and budgeting to help with the rising cost of living.

There are free tools and resources available from the Money and Pension Service across the UK which might help your staff support your service users.  There is also access to free (City & Guilds accredited) learning modules for staff giving non-regulated money guidance and support to individual service users and clients. They call this support for Money Guiders.

These are in addition to the free resources around Money Management on the Lloyds Bank Academy website too.

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The Herbert Protocol
The Herbert Protocol is a national scheme being implemented by Lancashire Constabulary in partnership with the Alzheimer’s Society, Lancashire Fire and Rescue Services and North West Ambulance Service.

It involves carers compiling useful information which could be used by Police and other agencies to search for and locate a loved one in the event of them going missing.

Carers, family members and friends complete the form in advance, giving all vital details including medication required, mobile numbers and places known to visit, along with a recent photograph.

Should that person then go missing, the form can be quickly and easily used to assist the search process.

Find out more on the Lancashire Constabulary website.

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Free Cost of Living Support and Advice for Community Businesses
As part of the Resilient Communities Fund, launched last year, Power to Change is offering bespoke advice and support to help community businesses navigate the cost of living and energy crises, build resilience and strengthen local communities in the shift to a fairer, greener future.

Power to Change grantees can book sessions for tailored support from CSE’s broad range of experts. This includes advice about retrofit, energy-efficiency measures, fuel poverty, community action, engagement and building long-term resilience in the energy market.

CSE will also host a series of online resources and webinars, available to the wider community business sector.

Find out more here

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Energy Bills Discount Scheme – Government Announcement
The Government has announced a new Energy Bills Discount Scheme (EBDS) to run from 1 April 2023 for eligible non-domestic consumers in Great Britain including UK businesses, charities and the public sector. This replaces the current Energy Bill Relief Scheme for non-domestic customers, which comes to an end on 31 March 2023 and provided a reduction on wholesale gas and electricity prices. The new scheme will mean all eligible UK businesses and other non-domestic energy users will receive a discount on high energy bills until 31 March 2024.

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Cost of Living Support Factsheet
With the ongoing cost-of-living challenges that we are faced with, the government have provided a helpful factsheet for supporting households including useful information covering benefits and cost-of-living payments, national living wage, energy price guarantees and more.

Follow this link to view the factsheet

What’s On Guide – Lancaster District Children and Family Wellbeing Service April-June
The LCC Children and Family Wellbeing Service latest What’s On Guide for April-June has now been released with lots of activities and support available in the district.  Their service is there to provide early help on a whole range of issues affecting you and your family.

Download their What’s On Guide here

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Integrated Care Partnership Strategy
Hearing your views and those of communities

A strategy has been produced by members of the Lancashire and South Cumbria Integrated Care Partnership (ICP). The joint strategy focuses on the most complex issues that can only be solved by the organisations within the partnership working together. In October 2022 people living in Lancashire and South Cumbria were asked to to share their views on the six proposed priorities for the strategy. Feedback was received from a broad range of partner representatives and residents, which included over 700 survey responses. This feedback was shared with the partnership, which reviewed the priorities and developed the final strategy, which will be the initial focus of the partnership going forward.

Now the ICP are looking for your feedback for the final strategy document and the priorities it identifies ensuring they can be easily understood; that they make sense and are meaningful to partners and residents of Lancashire and South Cumbria.

View the draft strategy here

For more information on how to get involved

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Social Prescribing Day 2023
March 9^th was Social Prescribing Day, an annual celebration of social prescribing, recognising link workers, local community groups and regional and national organisations which support people’s health and wellbeing. Sometimes our needs for our health and wellbeing require something outside the realms of medication and clinical services. With people’s health determined primarily by a range of social, economic and environmental factors, social prescribing takes a more holistic route. The Social Prescribing Academy have provided a few short videos which you may find useful:

Our brand new Lancaster District Directory is the perfect tool for social prescription.  You can search, browse and discover a whole range of useful health and wellbeing services in the area to provide you with that wellbeing boost. 

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Healthy Relationships 6 week Course
Lancashire County Council and the Children & Family Wellbeing Service are promoting a 6 session course supporting ‘Healthy Relationships’.  The course is for parents, grandparents or carers that are either separated or still together that are experiencing conflict in their relationship. The course aims to build healthier relationships, and help with more constructive communication to improve children’s physical and mental health.

The six week course begins on Tuesday 18^th April 2023, 9.30am-11.30am at LunePark Neighbourhood Centre.

For more information on the session topics view the e-leaflet here

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Managing the Menopause in Life and Work
Lancashire Adult Learning are running a FREE online event Managing the Menopause for anyone aged 19 and over in Lancashire. Come along to learn more about the menopause and discover some helpful tips and tricks to make the journey smoother.

Date & time: Tuesday 25^th April 2023, 6-8pm

View the course e-leaflet here

For more information and book your place

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#CovidNOW Resources
Resources and workshops created by Maya Abeysuriya and Will Doe resulting from the #CovidNOW events held at The Storey last March are offered for use at other relevant events and activities.

A short summary of resources is below. For further information please contact Maya at [email protected]

Cathy Covid

Cathy is an interactive puppet who helps us learn more about Covid 19 and how it affects our bodies. She is a conversation starter who helps adults and children learn more about public health, and inspires art and writing in workshops.

Printmaking and Craft Workshops

Pop-up printmaking or craft workshops for schools and groups – an opportunity to make art while discussing experiences of the pandemic.

Poetry Workshops

Telling stories and making a difference through writing poetry, for all ages and abilities.

Sound Booth

A recording booth which gives participants the opportunity to speak in private about their Covid 19 experience.

A Quick Recap of that Thing That Happened
Video installation by Will Doe, available to view on Youtube

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The Bay: A Blueprint for Recovery – Taster Sessions
The Bay: A Blueprint for Recovery is a free Nature and Wellbeing programme for people in Morecambe Bay, helping individuals to improve their wellbeing and tackle feelings of isolation through learning about nature. The programme includes public events and weekly wellbeing sessions for small groups in Morecambe and Lancaster that individuals can refer onto. Activities link into the 5 ways to wellbeing and include bushcraft, conservation, environmental art, mindfulness and nature walks. 

To join a Nature and Wellbeing session please contact Alex (Nature and Wellbeing Officer) for more information: 07884 605256 / [email protected] or complete an online referral form.

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Venus Revisited Workshops
Supported by LDCVS, King Street Arts, Lancaster are running a series of workshops working with clay and celebrating the form and nature of older women. The sessions will explore different making techniques and there will be opportunity to make one or more creations to keep. The project is for women 55 years and older in the Lancaster & Morecambe District. The sessions are free and are suitable for beginners or those with some creative experience: no previous art or clay skills are needed to join in.

Venue & Location: The Cornerstone, Lancaster
Date and times: Wednesdays, 2.30-5pm | April 19^th & 26^th / May 3^rd & 10^th

Find out more about the Workshops

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Tackling Inequality and Disadvantage – Health and Wellbeing Alliance Resource
Members of the VCSE Health and Wellbeing alliance have launched a report that highlights how groups of people who experience the greatest barriers to accessing health and care are often the most likely to experience digital exclusion.  The document also contains additional, detailed insights into how digital exclusion affects groups who experience health inequalities. This includes people with learning disabilities, people seeking asylum, people in contact with the criminal justice system, people from Black, Asian and minority ethnic communities and others. The report is part of a wider body of work by the VCSE Health and Wellbeing Alliance, whose mission it is to enable policy, commissioning and provider organisations to design services and support based on the needs of people and communities who face disadvantage and exclusion.

Learn more about this

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Request for Guest Speakers – Jamea al Kauthar School
The independent boarding Islamic college for girls Jamea a Kauthar, Lancaster are looking for guest speakers to visit the school to speak to their students, in particular with those studying health and social care. The college are requesting speakers who currently work in the health and social care sector and happy to talk  about their role, responsibilities, skills, experiences and challenges they may have faced.  The aim is to inform and inspire the students about the different ways children, young people and families can be supported either in the community or through primary care. If possible it would also be favourable for activities/workshop on relevant topics to be incorporated into the session. The sessions are initially planned to take place on Thursdays for around an hour, most likely between 1-3:30pm, but this can be discussed further.

Please contact Ayesha Zafar at [email protected] for more information.

For more about the Jamea Islamic College visit their website here

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New Year Programme From Adullam
To refer in or get further information about any of these courses, visit the Adullam website

Living Life to the Full – Fridays, 10am, Hope Church
A 6-week course based on CBT principles to help people with their mental health. This runs on a Friday morning at 10.00am in person.

Social/Community Groups – Tuesdays, 10am, Hope Church
A variety of activities including craft groups, a book club, a monthly trip out, and cook-along sessions.

Walk with a Doc – Tuesdays, 2pm, Millennium Bridge
Walk with a Doc aims to improve physical and mental health by promoting a one hour walk in company. As well as the walk, local GP Nick Johnstone offers a short discussion on a health-related topic and for the rest of the hour, participants can enjoy chatting with the walk leaders and other walkers.

Celebrate Recovery (12 Step) – Tuesdays 7.30pm or Wednesdays 10am
Providing weekly support for anyone struggling with any of life’s hurts, hang-ups and habits (not just addiction). Participants can find help with trauma, depression, bereavement, divorce, low self-esteem, anxiety – the list of issues is very varied.

Budgeting Course – dates TBC
In partnership with LM Debt Centre, this course is much needed at the moment and will be running again this term starting February.

Purpose Workshop – dates TBC, Hope Church
This workshop offers participants the opportunity to work alongside a professional life coach who will help them discover their skills and talents and learn how to navigate through life’s transitions.

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Health & Wellbeing Support Coaching – VCFSE Bursary Available
The Morecambe Bay Population Health Team are working with voluntary sector organisations in the Lancaster District to widen access to accredited health coaching skills training, which aims to upskill individuals to have better conversations and support people to reach their self-identified goals.

The course is for staff and volunteers who perform roles where they have the opportunity to support people to make behavioural changes that will encourage improved health and well-being. It will provide a range of tools and techniques that will help structure conversations to help individuals set and work towards goals that are important to them, whether this is about lifestyle changes that will promote better health and wellbeing, or being better able to manage long term conditions.

VCFSE organisations which would like help to enable their staff or volunteers to access this training can apply to Lancaster District CVS for an attendance bursary. This is to help cover the costs of time taken to attend the course. The bursary totals £87 (£12.50 per hour) which will be paid to the organisation’s bank account once the course has been completed.

Please complete this form to choose course dates and request a bursary place.

Lancaster District CVS will then get in touch with you to confirm the bursary and explain how to make your booking for the course.

Places are limited and subject to a first come first served basis

If you have any questions regarding this training, please contact Jenny by email at [email protected]

The course is currently running as an online workshop delivered over a pair of sessions lasting 3.5 hours each. Course dates are below.

Day 1: Wednesday 8 March 09:30 – 13:00
Day 2: Wednesday 22 March 09:30 – 13:00

Day 1: Tuesday 11 April 13:00 – 16:45
Day 2: Tuesday 25 April 13:00 – 16:45

Day 1: Tuesday 2 May 09:30 – 13:00
Day 2: Tuesday 16 May 09:30 – 13:00

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FREE Transport Service to Growing Well
The well-respected mental health charity and horticultural enterprise Growing Well are now offering a no charge minibus service from the Lancaster District for day visits to their organic vegetable farm, just off the M6 near Kendal.  Pick-ups are available from Lancaster, Morecambe, Carnforth and Milnthorpe. The mental health charity provide a hands-on activity-therapy focussed service where you can find help in rebuilding confidence, learn new skills and meet new life goals.

For more information on their free minibus service contact the team by email at  [email protected] or phone 07903 013 648.

View the Growing Well e-leaflet to learn more

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Bay Health & Care Partners – Looking after yourself over Winter
Bay Health & Care Partners have provided a useful guide to looking after yourself during the winter months. With shorter days and drops in temperature, pressures increase across the healthcare system. Promoting local support throughout the winter period, BHCP offer top five ways to look after yourself and your loved ones from managing your heating at home to financial support.

Read more about their guidance over Winter

Easter Fun Days – Lancaster District Children and Family Wellbeing Service
The Lancaster District Children and Family Wellbeing Service have egg-celled themselves once again with organising some egg-citing Easter Fun events in April. These free family events will have a range of easter activities such as egg rolling, facepainting, egg decorating and crafts.  Not only that, you’ll be egg-static to know there will be the opportunity to meet a real Easter Rabbit.

Lune Park Neighbourhood Centre
Date & time: Wed 5^th April 2023, 10am-12.30pm

Westgate Neighbourhood Centre
Date & time: Weds 12^th April 2023, 10am-12.30pm

View their Easter Fun Poster for more

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BEE UNIQUE Parents, Carers & Families Support
BEE UNIQUE Parents, Carers & Families Support are running regular sensory play sessions for children not in school. Sessions can be tailored to suit those that attend regularly with activities including crafts, lego and more. The sessions are ran by Kirsten and welcomes children of all ages. All sensory play sessions double as parent/ carer support so families can bring their worries and queries along to talk with Kirsten who will provide the best help she can.

Find out more on the BEE Unique Facebook Page

For bookings and to see other activities available

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Invitation from Lancaster and Morecambe Prince’s Trust
Young people in the local community have been taking part in a 12-week development programme by The Prince’s Trust delivered by the Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service.  This programme has been an opportunity for them to develop new skills that will help them in their future lives, whether that is at work, college, or in training. As a celebration of their success and development The Lancaster and Morecambe Prince’s Trust would like to formally invite you to the Final Presentation of Team 61. It is a fantastic opportunity for those attending to connect and build professional relationships with members of the local community.

Date & time: Tuesday 11th April 2023, 12.30pm
Location: King Community Church, Phoenix Street, Lancaster, LA1 1DD.

It is advised to arrive no later than 12.15pm for a prompt start.

Visit the Eventbrite link to book your tickets

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Your People Recruitment – Lancashire Wildlife Trust Youth Council
The Lancashire Wildlife Trust are currently recruiting young people aged 13-25 years for their Youth Council. They are looking for up to 15 new members to join the Youth Council in April and this will include one Chair and one Vice Chair. The LWT are looking to recruit a spread of young people from across the region with a big focus on diversifying the Youth Council. Members do not need any qualifications or specific skills, just a love of nature and a willingness to get stuck in.

The closing date is the 31st March.

For more information and to apply

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Inside Out Children Support Sessions
The Children & Family Wellbeing Service and Lancashire County Council are running support sessions for children to help with expressing and managing their emotions, and building self-confidence. The Sessions are aimed at those aged between 8-11 years (Key stage 2). The kids will be able to get involved with a variety of activities and games whilst developing social skills and more.

Location: Morecambe Library
Dates & times: Tuesdays from 3.30pm-4.45pm
To book onto sessions contact Briony or Nichola on 01524 581280
View their session e-leaflet here

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Children & Family Wellbeing Service ‘What’s On’
The Children & Family Wellbeing Service are promoting a variety of family sessions taking place in the district over the coming months.  A useful ‘What’s on’ timetable of the latest events in your area can be found here.

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We Are With You Support Services
The young persons wellbeing support charity We Are With You deliver drug and alcohol services throughout Lancashire. The services now have a dedicated Schools Team to support, educate and train young people and school staff. The organisation offer a variety of completely FREE services to help you help your students:

Groupwork
Through fun and engaging activities and discussions, With You can deliver bespoke Drug and Alcohol awareness and harm reduction sessions to support parts of the school PSHE programme.

Assemblies
Introduce the school to With You, the positive impact With You can have and how individuals in the school can receive support.

Staff Training
The team at With You can provide school staff with knowledge on substance misuse and the wider risks associated.

Free Short Course for students
With You deliver the ASDAN accredited qualification in Peer Mentoring for students, which is aimed at young people in the  greatest need. The short course provides certification and  recognition for skills in mentoring and buddying younger ones.

1:1 and Small Group Support
Work one to one and in groups with young people to address their own substance or alcohol misuse and help them to make positive changes.

For session bookings or for more information please contact Nikki at [email protected] or call 07977830453.

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What’s On Guide – Lancaster District Children and Family Wellbeing Service
The LCC Children and Family Wellbeing Service latest What’s On Guide for February-April has now been released with lots of activities and support available in the district.  Their service is there to provide early help on a whole range of issues affecting you and your family. 

Download their What’s On Guide here

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Kooth Online Mental Health & Wellbeing Support for Young People
Kooth is an online support service for young people that offers wellbeing support 365 days a year via a range of self-help materials and peer to peer support which young people are able to contribute to. Kooth also has an online wellbeing team from 12pm- 10pm on weekdays and 6pm- 10pm on weekends offering 1:1 text- based online counselling via live chat or messaging.

Find out more about Kooth

 Kooth March Webinars
During the month of March Kooth will he holding a number of webinars relating to Children’s mental health, details as follows:

• How Kooth Can Support Eating Disorders and Self Injury & Harm – for Professionals supporting young people – Tues 21^st March, 4-5pm | Book your e-ticket here
• How Kooth and Qwell Can Support Eating Disorders and Self Injury & Harm – for Professionals supporting young people or adults – Weds 29^th March, 12-1pm | Book your e-ticket here
• Kooth Information Session for Professionals – Weds 29^th March, 4-5pm | Book your e-ticket here
• Kooth and Qwell Information Session for Professionals – Weds 22^nd March, 12-1pm | Book your e-ticket here

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Yoga at The Ashton Memorial
Do you want to escape, have some YOU time, some tranquillity? Did you know that every 2nd Monday E2M provide a FREE yoga session for 11-18s? The practice of yoga is a great form of selfcare but imagine your session being in one of the most iconic buildings in Lancaster!

View their event e-flyer here

Find out more and how to sign up

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Women’s & Children’s Care Group –Health Services Survey for Young People
The Women’s & Children’s Care Group are calling for young people with experience of health services to help improve how health services prepare young people with long term health conditions or complex needs with the right knowledge, skills and confidence to manage their health as adults.

Please complete the Transition in Health Care Survey here

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Find your Purpose Project with Lancashire Youth Challenge and the Adullam Programme
With funding from Banks Lyon and the Westminster Foundation, Lancashire Youth Challenge in partnership with the Adullam Programme, has been able to develop another ‘Find Your Purpose’ project for young people aged 16-25 years from the local area. If you are interested in finding out  more or if you have any young people that would benefit from taking part, please contact Ant directly at [email protected].

Please see the attached flyer for more information.

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Escape2Make FREE Cabaret Workshops
E2M are calling all 11-18s who live in the Lancaster & Morecambe Area to take part in their free creative workshops to try something new and make new friends. Escape2Make are excited to offer you an exclusive invitation to sign up to 1 of 10 FREE workshops as part of their CABARET event! This is a first opportunity to snap up these sought-after spaces, but you will need to be quick as this will go live online in the coming days.

You can meet new people, learn new and exciting skills over 5 workshops through February and March, then deliver a celebratory event at the iconic Alhambra Theatre in Morecambe on 25th March. The experiences include Wild Cooking, Magic, Upcycled Fashion Show, Cartoon Portraits, Mini Musical and much more, and no experience is necessary to get involved…..just turn up and have a go!

If you need any help contact the team at [email protected]

For more info and details of how to sign up

Training Sessions with LDCVS & Lancashire Adult Learning

Introduction to Safeguarding
LDCVS and Lancashire Adult Learning are once again working in partnership to bring to you a Free Introduction to Safeguarding course. Targeted at the voluntary sector, this training is aimed at supporting people who require further knowledge about safeguarding. This could be for a volunteer role or job, or it could be for personal development.

You will learn:

• The principles of safeguarding
• Who is at risk
• Who can be affected by safeguarding
• Who should be informed about a safeguarding issue
• How to signpost people who have raised a safeguarding issue

The session will be delivered once in person and once online.

Monday 17 April 2023, 9.30am – 12 noon at The Cornerstone, Sulyard Street, Lancaster LA1 1PX – find out more and book

Thursday 20 April 2023, 6pm – 8:30pm, online – find out more and book

For further information please contact [email protected]

Introduction to Equality and Diversity (Level 1)
This programme provides an overview of Equality and Diversity with the opportunity to gain a Level 1 accredited Award. Learners will explore at an introductory level the topics below and can choose to undertake a short online assessment which will lead to an accredited qualification.

• What the terms Equality and Diversity mean
• Recognising Equality and Diversity in Action
• Understanding how law impacts on Equality and Diversity
• Recognising and Supporting Equality and Diversity at Work

The session will be delivered once in person and once online.

Tuesday 24 April 2023, 9.30am – 12 noon at The Cornerstone, Sulyard Street, Lancaster LA1 1PX – find out more and book

Thursday 27 April 2023, 12.30pm – 3pm, online – find out more and book

For further information, contact Catherine Westwell by email at [email protected] or see the Lancashire Adult Learning Course Information Sheet

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Lancaster University Exchange 2023 – Building a Sustainable Future, Together
Lancaster University are to host an annual public meeting which brings people together to discuss ideas on topics that are affecting local, regional and national communities. An update will be provided on University activities, showcasing collaborative research projects and offering space to ask questions, the Exchange provides a forum for communities to hear more from the University, and explore ways to overcome challenges impacting us all.

Date & time: Wednesday 22 March 2023 5:30 PM – 8:30 PM
Location: Banqueting Suite at Lancaster Town Hall, Dalton Square, Lancaster, LA1 1PJ

Find out more and reserve your place

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Strategic Collaboration & Stakeholder Engagement Short Course Funded Places

There are funded places available for the Strategic Collaboration and Stakeholder Engagement short course that will be delivered from 16-18 May 2023 in Ambleside. There is one free place available for each Voluntary, Community, Faith and Social Enterprise (VCFSE) organisation/group that is working on the Netmakers project.

A return minibus has been organised for transportation each day from the University of Cumbria’s Lancaster campus (Bowerham Road, LA1 3JD) to the Ambleside campus (Rydal Road, LA22 9BB). Lunch and coffee/tea breaks will also be covered for all VCFSE participants for the duration of the three-day course.

Please register for your organisation/group’s free place by signing up via this link as soon as possible due to limited places. If you have any questions about the course or anything else about the Netmakers project, please feel free to contact David Murphy at [email protected]

A Teams meeting or WhatsApp call can also be arranged.

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Problem Gambling Seminar by Lancaster University
This month is Problem Gambling Awareness Month. With this Lancaster University are holding a seminar for anyone interested in learning more about problem gambling, research in the area, and local efforts to combat the problem. Lancaster University are currently working with the NHS and other partner organisations across the northwest exploring problem gambling among help-seeking populations.  This free event will take the form of brief presentations and detailed discussions, with key local organisations attending and providing their perspectives on this public health emergency. A networking lunch is included to foster further partnership working.

The event aims to increase public awareness of problem gambling and the availability of prevention, treatment & recovery services. It also aims to encourage healthcare providers and others to screen clients for problem gambling.

You are invited to attend this free event on Friday 31 March 2023, 10am-2pm. The event will be held at Private Dining Room 1, Floor A, County South, Lancaster University, LA1 4YU

Reserve your place here

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2027 Professional Development Programme
2027 is an initiative which exists to hire, develop and support anybody passionate about forging a career that helps them serve communities through grant-giving, and has some lived experience of being working class and working in the community. The ultimate aim of 2027 is to bring 15 people a year into the grant-giving sector over 10 years, in order to fundamentally change how decisions are made about where money is going, and who is involved in the decision-making process. Further details are outlined below:

The opportunity at a glance:

• Job Title: 2027 associate
• Salary: A minimum salary of £25,000
• Employer: One of our 2027 host organisations, a leading Foundation, Trust or social investment organisation
• Location: We have opportunities throughout England and Scotland and you’ll tell us your preferences
• Hours: Typically 9 am-5 pm with some flexibility according to the requirements of your employing host organisation
• Term of contract: Fixed-term, 12-months starting October 2023

Alongside your job, you will also take part in an acclaimed Development Programme where Associates will attend masterclasses and residentials, receive coaching and mentoring and connect with alumni and experts throughout the sector.

How can I find out more?

Apply today by following this link
Have a look at the 2027 Application Pack
Browse the 2027 Programme Website
Watch a video covering the 2027 Grant Making Career Programme

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Wise Up Workshops Weekly Activities
The performance-based Community Interest Company Wise Up Workshops have released their current weekly activity programme for the coming months. They will be hosting a variety of sessions from film club to wellbeing workshops, creative movement workshops to theatre group, all with the aim of promoting health and wellbeing and building resilience and self-confidence.

All activities are either low cost or free and are inclusive of everyone, all ages and abilities.

View their weekly timetable here

More information on Wise Up Workshops

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Lights on the Lawn with Cancercare
CancerCare invites the community to join them at Lights on the Lawn: a special evening of celebration & remembrance. For this special event, they will be adorning the gardens of the Slynedales centre with hundreds of lights as coming together to pay tribute to lost loved ones. Everyone is invited to dedicate a candle, which will bear your unique, personal message and be added to display, setting the garden aglow with light. Dedicating a candle in memory of a loved one is a wonderful way to honour their memory, and by making a donation in their name, you will also be helping to provide vital support to others in the community affected by cancer or bereavement.

For those unable to attend, a dedication can be placed with a candle on your behalf. To dedicate a candle to a loved one, please visit Lights on the Lawn or call Anna on 01524 381820.

The event will take place on April 1st 2023, 6.30-8.30pm.

More information on the Lights on the Lawn event

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Lancashire Adult Learning Mentoring & Guidance Courses
Are you a volunteer, community member or support people as part of your role? Do you support individuals or groups by helping them and guiding them to become more independent by using mentoring and information, advice & guidance techniques? Did you know these skills in Mentoring, Information Advice & Guidance can be transferred into a recognised accredited qualification?

Join Lancashire Adult Learning on the dates below to explore these learning opportunities and speak to their expert tutors in live online classes.

Introduction to Information Advice and Guidance
Tuesday – 21/03/2023 at 09:30 AM till 12:00 PM
More information and book onto the above course

Introduction to Mentoring
Wednesday – 22/03/2023 at 09:30 AM till 12:00 PM
More information and book onto the above course

View the e-poster for the above Lancashire Adult Learning courses

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NFP Workshops – Affordable Training Courses for Charities (Extra Dates)
NFP are running a variety of workshops in the coming weeks that cover a range of subject areas for charities, schools, healthcare and public sector organisations. The online sessions can be attended via Zoom and take place from 10am-12.30pm.  The workshop timetable has included more dates in the coming months as follows:

Capital Campaigns –26 Apr

Managing staff – 26 Apr/24 May/ 21 Jun

Bid Writing – 20 Mar/ 17, 24 Apr/ 8,22 May/ 5,19 Jun

Trust Funraising – 9 May

Major Donor Fundraising – 21 Mar/ 23 May

Corporate Fundraising – 10 Mar/ 18 Apr/ 6 Jun

Legacy Fundraising – 25 Apr/ 20 Jun

Recruiting & Managing Volunteers – 27 Apr/ 10 May/ 7 Jun

Fundraising Regulations & GDPR – 22 Mar/ 25 May

Introduction to Fundraising – 19 Apr/ 22 Jun

Project Management – 11 May

Managing Staff – 13 Mar/ 23 Mar/ 26 Apr/ 24 May/ 21 Jun

Charity Finance – 24 Mar/ 20 Apr/ 8 Jun

View the full workshop schedule and booking links

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Introduction to Safeguarding
LDCVS and Lancashire Adult Learning are once again working in partnership to bring to you a Free Introduction to Safeguarding course. Targeted at the voluntary sector, this training is aimed at supporting people who require further knowledge about safeguarding. This could be for a volunteer role or job, or it could be for personal development.

You will learn:

• The principles of safeguarding
• Who is at risk
• Who can be affected by safeguarding
• Who should be informed about a safeguarding issue
• How to signpost people who have raised a safeguarding issue

The session will be delivered once in person and once online.

Monday 17 April 2023, 9.30am – 12 noon at The Cornerstone, Sulyard Street, Lancaster LA1 1PX – find out more and book

Thursday 20 April 2023, 6pm – 8:30pm, online – find out more and book

For further information please contact [email protected]

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Citizens Advice Cost of Living Data Briefing
Citizens Advice are hosting a cost-of-living briefing, which this month will be live streamed from the House of Commons. The CA policy team will be bringing their real-time data insights into the heart of government and hosting a panel discussion on the key issues facing policy makers and civil servants. This online event will take a look into the debt crisis this year and alongside their Chief Data Analyst, will be an expert panel to discuss the impact that the cost-of-living crisis is having and how the problems on the frontline can be alleviated.  

Date: Tuesday 21^st March 2023, 3-4pm

Reserve your e-ticket for this event

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Lancaster & Morecambe Primary Mental Health Sessions – Last Remaining Places
The Lancaster & Morecambe Mental Health Team are running an upcoming session and the last few places are available.

Bereavement and Loss (full day face to face) Monday 27th March 

To reserve a place on these sessions please email [email protected]

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Sponsored Run & Walk – Wise UP Workshops CIC
Wise Up Workshops will be holding a sponsored run and walk for all ages and abilities this month.  The money raised will go towards supporting the work of the organisation. The run and walk will start at the Battery to the stone jetty and back and it’s a dog friendly event, so long as the dogs are friendly.

Date: Saturday March 25^th 2023, 11.30am start
For more information call Emma on 07398104149

View the event e-flyer here

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More Music HERchester Up North Rap/MC/Lyric MCing and Lyrical Workshops
More Music are launching some exciting Rap / MC / Lyric writing sessions as part of their Wednesday offer. The sessions will be run by signed artist Oneda and will be open to women, non-binary people, transgender women and those that identify as women. The workshops are ideal for those just starting out or for the more seasoned rapper. The sessions will take place at More Music during term time. Young people can sign up via the email on the event e-flyer or by emailing [email protected] or they can just turn up.

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Primetime Creative Workshops for the Over 65s
The Dukes Theatre is offering FREE creative weekly workshops for older people. Prime Time is back for 2023 with a scheme of weekly social and creative workshops. Supported by the National Lottery Community Fund, aimed at older community members 65+ who want to meet up with like-minded people, looking for creative opportunities and new experiences.

Sessions will include acting, performance, script writing, directing and theatre technology, and will be delivered by an extended team of creative freelancers and specialists. During 2023 all sessions are free! With weekly sessions in Morecambe – 11am – 1pm at the Memorial Hall and Lancaster 1:30 – 3:30pm at the Dukes.  There are spaces available in both groups, but Morecambe has more availability at the moment as it is a brand new group!

For more information or to register your interest, contact Charlie: [email protected] 01524 598522

View the Primetime e-leaflet here

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Inspira Money Management Sessions
Inspira, the employability skills expert are offering FREE sessions based around money management, budgeting and the cost of living crisis. Available to those aged 19+, these sessions can also cover employability skills based around CV writing, interview skills and how to job search effectively.

If you would be interested in discussing a session which could be tailored to suit the needs of your visitors, please get in touch at [email protected]. Sessions typically last around 2 hours with a small amount of paperwork involved. Inspira are also able to offer support on a 1:1 basis at their office at The Storey, Lancaster.

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Call for Papers: Rethinking Poverty, Insecurity and the Cost of Living Crisis in the North West and Beyond | One-Day Conference
The ongoing cost of living crisis is causing immense stress and hardship for individuals, families, and communities. The price of basic goods and services – food, electricity, fuel – is increasing at a much faster rate than average household wages and benefit increases. Moreover, recent tax changes mean that more people are now experiencing poverty and insecurity, unable to meet their basic everyday needs. In light of this, Liverpool Hope University are organising a one-day conference which aims to bring together researchers, academics, activists, politicians and members of the third sector from across the northwest and beyond to advance knowledge and further understanding of the specific ways in which people are experiencing the cost of living crisis. The conference will thus provide a knowledge exchange/ social partnership platform for researchers and stakeholders working in this area to share their expert opinion on the emergent issues, experiences and wider consequences associated with this crisis.

Date: Wednesday 28th June 2023
Location: Liverpool Hope University, Creative Campus

Find out more about this event

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Triple P Parenting Courses
The parenting programme Triple P are providing courses for parents in the Lancaster District that aims to promote a positive, caring relationship between you and your child. The courses provide the opportunity to be empowered as parent/carer and to choose the skills and values you with to promote in your child and help them develop skills they need to tackle everyday situations. The courses are being run between April and November with sessions held both in-person and online via Zoom. 

To find out the timetable for the year follow this link.

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Life within easy reach: 15-Minute Neighbourhoods Framework
15 minute neighbourhoods aim to bring jobs, services, education, green transport and essential retail closer to where people live. With increasing interest in the concept across the UK, join the Town & Country Planning Association to find out more about how they create healthier, more sustainable and cohesive places. Officers from Waltham Forest Council will explain their ambition and framework for such neighbourhoods in their part of London.

Learn more about the 15-Minute Neighbourhoods Framework

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Platform Places – Start a Local Property Partnership Webinar
Platform Places is a social enterprise unlocking town centre buildings for amazing ideas that help us live affordably, sustainably and together. They convene and support councils, communities and asset owners to bring buildings into long-term community use or ownership.

During this webinar, attendees will:

• meet some of the people behind Platform Places
• learn how to start the journey towards a Local Property Partnership in your town centre
• meet others looking to do the same where they are
• get your questions answered

Multiple dates, free of charge

Register here

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Basic Drug & Alcohol Awareness Sessions
We are Lancashire for Young People are running free online workshops for anyone working with those under 25. The session will be roughly 2 hours long, interactive and fun. You will learn a little more about the services that are available at We Are With You in Lancashire and will talk about current themes and trends.

The group will look at some of the reasons why young people use substances, risks and some harm reduction messages. You will also gain access to their Tier 1 resource booklet & drug use screening tool which includes practical information and worksheets, useful when working with young people.

Sessions dates include:

• Thursday February 2^nd 2023, 10am
• Thursday March 2^nd 2023, 10am
• Thursday April 6^th 2023, 10am

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Lancashire LGBT Manspace Online Support Group
Lancashire LGBT are hosting an online support group via Zoom for 18+ year old men who identify as gay, bisexual, trans or transmasculine non-binary.

To join the group completion of the following registration form is required.  

View their event e-flyer here

Manager at The Rainbow Centre
The Rainbow Centre (The Youth Club for the over 50s) are seeking to recruit a Manager to run their centre. They are seeking someone that is a people person, flexible, welcoming and able to adapt to situations as they arise. Previous experience of at least 12 months in a managerial role of a similar organisation would be beneficial. The post holder will need to be computer literate with experience of Microsoft Word, Excel and Publisher.

Salary: £18,870 based 44 week contract, annualised hours paid fortnightly
Contract: 27 hours per week, Mon-Thurs
Location: Morecambe
Closing Date: –
Interview Date: Tuesday 18^th April

To apply and arrange an informal visit please phone us –  01524 415502

Find out more here

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Crisis Recovery Worker – Richmond Fellowship
The Lancaster Outreach Service Richmond Fellowship are looking to appoint a caring, flexible and creative individual to fill the role or Crisis Recovery Worker.  The post holder will be responsible for helping and inspiring the people who use their services and to maintain their tenancy and independence in the community, work to develop personal support plans for those in recovery that will see them achieve their goals and aspirations.

Salary: £20,054 per annum
Contract: Permanent, Full-time
Location: Lancaster Lancashire
Closing Date: 12 April 2023, 23:59

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Anne Frank worker with Anne Frank Trust
The education charity Anne Frank Trust UK are recruiting a permanent position to fulfil front-line delivery for all the education programmes of the Anne Frank Trust UK.  The post holder will be leading their workshops, training the organisation’s peer educators and mentoring their ambassadors in schools and communities across the country. This is a varied, exciting and demanding role for highly organised professionals with a deeply held commitment to equality and the skills to engage 9 to 15-year-olds in a structured, creative journey of learning and empowerment.

Salary: 27,820 per year
Contract: Permanent, Full-time
Location: Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria
Closing Date: 3 April 2023, 23.30

Find out more about this role and apply

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Cook at The Centre @ Halton
An opportunity exists for an enthusiastic and reliable person with experience of cooking for large numbers (up to 50) to join the team at The Centre @ Halton to plan and provide meals for their Luncheon Club. The role will be supported by a team of volunteers and staff.

The successful applicant will be required to start as soon as possible. 

Salary: Competitive salary
Contract: Minimum 5 hours on 2nd and 4th Fridays of the month.
Location: The Centre @ Halton
Closing Date: 24th March 2023

For detailed information and an application form please contact: Naomi on 01524 811316 [email protected] 

Find out more and apply

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Social Worker – Children & Families with Love Barrow Families
The Community Interest Company Love Barrow Families are looking for a Social Worker to join their team and help with the delivery of a comprehensive “all under one roof” support service that includes all family members from birth to old age. Love Barrow Families work with local disadvantaged families facing multiple and complex challenges. They use true co-production principles to design and deliver services in a way that recognises and welcomes the strengths and assets that all families contribute.

Salary: 32,500 – £38,500 Dependent on experience
Contract: Permanent, Full-time
Location: Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria
Closing Date: 5 April 2023, 23:59

Learn more about this role and apply

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Recovery Lead – Richmond Fellowship
The Richmond Fellowship are seeking a Recovery Lead to open up a new Recovery House and heading up a provision across a defined geographical area and multiple contract strands. This role will be a great opportunity to act as a champion for Recovery Services, where you’ll be expected to create continuity and consistency across the teams in teams sharing good practice. You’ll also be responsible for provide training, mentoring and supervision to direct reports and the greater team. There will be opportunity to work closely with the local NHS Trust, directors and managers, and a variety of stakeholders.

Salary: 32,624 with progression to £32,236 pa + £500 Home Worker Supplement
Contract: Permanent, Full-time
Location: Morecambe, Lancashire (hybrid role).
Closing Date: 17 March 2023, 23:59

Find out more about this role and apply

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Care and Accommodation Sessional Support Worker with Child Action North West (CANW)
Child Action North West are looking to recruit a Sessional Support Worker to work as part of the designated project/team and provide support to children and young people along with supporting the work of Care & Accommodation Services across CANW.

Salary: Hourly paid £9.50 plus holiday pay
Contract: No set pattern, hours to be agreed
Location: North West, delivery Lancaster/ Heysham area
Closing Date: Unconfirmed

Find out more about this role

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Business Support Officer –  Preston Domestic Violence Services
The PDVS are looking for a Business Support Officer to be responsible for the efficient running of the charity’s administration, including payroll and accounts.

Salary: £10,881 actual (£26,839 pro-rata)
Contract: 15 hours per week
Location: Community Gateway Offices, Preston
Closing Date: 10^th April 2023, 12pm

Learn more about this job and apply

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Family Support Worker – Rainbow Trust
The children’s charity Rainbow Trust are looking to appoint a Kentown Family Support Worker to deliver a high-quality family support service as part of the pilot Kentown Children’s Palliative Care Programme, in collaboration with Kentown Wizard and Together for Short Lives.

Salary: £20,100 pa + benefits (company car, 25 days annual leave, reward scheme and pension)
Contract: Permanent, Full-time
Location: Barrow in Furness
Closing Date: 24 March 2023 at 23.59

Apply for this role

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Roles with Child Action North West (CANW)

Appropriate Adult with CANW
Child Action North West (CANW) are looking to expand their team and are looking for caring and compassionate individuals with excellent communication skills to provide support for the most vulnerable within a custody environment.  Child Action Northwest is an award winning charity providing a range of innovative and creative services across the North of England that support children, families and vulnerable adults.

Salary: £10.65/£15.44 Session Paid (inclusive of holiday pay)
Contract: Rota system in place
Location: Lancaster Custody Suite
Closing Date: Ongoing vacancy remaining open until vacancies filled.

Read more about this role and apply

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Asylum Lead – Lancashire County Council
Lancashire County Council are looking for an experienced Asylum Lead Officer to deliver on the key strategic priorities of the Lancashire Refugee Integration Team (LRIT). The Asylum Lead Officer will be the main point of contact within LRIT for a range of internal and external stakeholders responsible for the delivery of asylum services across the region. The post holder will be required to be dynamic, adaptive and will also be expected to work proactively. The team are particularly welcoming candidates with lived experience of being a refugee or asylum seeker.

Salary: £27,852-£32,020
Contract: 37 hours, Full time, Fixed term until 31.12.2023
Location: Preston County Hall
Closing Date: 3 April 2023, 23:59

Find out more about this role

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Multiple roles at CancerCare
CancerCare is looking to expand its team of therapists with some experienced and qualified practitioners in the following fields:

Nutritional Therapists – to work across the whole of our area, both face-to-face and online

Children and Young People’s Therapists – to work at Kendal (Monday, Wednesday, Thursday or Friday), Lancaster (Friday) and Morecambe (Tuesday)

Aromatherapists – to work at Lancaster on Tuesdays and Wednesdays 4-8pm and Friday (during the day)

You will deliver therapy for CancerCare clients affected by issues surrounding cancer and bereavement and you will be contracted on a self-employed basis.

If you are interested in any of the above roles please email your CV and a covering letter to Head of Therapies Alison Dixey [email protected]

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Frontline Programme 2023 (Paid Social Work Training)
The Frontline programme offers two years of intensive, paid training and a fully-funded master’s degree with Lancaster University to develop the skills you’ll need for the role. You’ll qualify as a social worker employed in your local authority and become an agent of change, improving people’s lives and the social work profession through excellent practice, leadership and innovation.

Receive up to a £20k tax-free bursary in your first year and earn up to a £34k salary in your second as a qualified social worker.

Closing date: 16^th March 2023, 11.30pm

Learn more about this training-work opportunity

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Finance Officer with Lonsdale District Scouts
Lonsdale District Scouts are seeking to fill the key role of Finance Officer for this charity which supports those successfully delivering Scouting to over 1,400 young people in an area centred on the City of Lancaster. The role encompasses all finance functions and is a voluntary one; appropriate expenses can be paid.

For more information contact the Chair of our Finance sub-Committee by email at [email protected].  Please include your contact telephone number so we can arrange to chat.

For more information visit the post recruitment page or contact the Chair of the Finance sub-Committee by email at [email protected].

If your organisation needs support whether it be working with volunteers, completing accounts and payroll, finding funding, solving governance issues, or just want a listening ear, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with our team:

Funding and governance support, contact [email protected]

Volunteering and DBS,
contact [email protected]

Payroll, bookkeeping and independent examinations, contact [email protected]

Health and social prescribing, contact [email protected]

Children and young people, contact [email protected]

Membership queries to: [email protected]

Partnerships, networks and strategic development, contact [email protected]

Alternatively, call us on 01524 555900

To promote your events, training, jobs, and sector news, email [email protected]