Sustaining a community organisation is a challenge at the best of times, but what happens when a group loses not only almost half of its income, but also a long-standing member of staff whose tireless efforts over years have made…
Just a few days before her departure from the Cabinet, Suella Braverman, described rough sleeping as a “lifestyle choice.” We asked Phil Moore, Centre Manager at Lancaster and District Homeless Action Service (LDHAS), for his thoughts. What follows is from…
One of the most popular volunteering opportunities is befriending, but despite its popularity, there is still a significant need for new befrienders. Not everyone is aware of what befriending is and what befrienders do, so we talked to some Bay…
A new funding scheme for Lancaster and Cumbria, developed by young people, is now open to applications from not-for-profit organisations working with and supporting young people aged 16-24. The grant is called Break the Mould and is divided into two…
As the dark nights creep in and the wind picks up it’s a sure sign that we are spiraling towards winter. For many people the coming months are far from cozy. Autumn and winter, up to and through Christmas and…
What is ‘community’? Growing up in the 1980s, community to me was my immediate neighbours, basically the street that I lived on. That sort of mindset has stayed with me, in most part, but working in the voluntary sector has…
All charities and not-for-profit groups and projects need money. Volunteers might do everything that they do for nothing, but funds are always needed, whether it’s to provide the infrastructure that allows volunteers to carry out their roles or to literally…
Is there a crisis in volunteer recruitment? Data from across the country seems to suggest that at the very least the number of people volunteering on a regular basis is going down. This is true for both existing volunteers stepping…
For those of a certain vintage, say ‘Threads’ and it might conjure apocalyptic images and Cold War fears of nuclear Armageddon, but as of this past week it’s the latest social media platform, offering an alternative to Twitter. Coming from…
Summer is finally here and for now at least the weather is just perfect for some outdoor volunteering. At this time of year we see lots of events, right across the district, and many of them offer some excellent opportunities…
