Information and Advice for the Lancaster District’s Third Sector – 8 July 2022

Digital Directory of Services – Repeat Briefing
We are working with colleagues across the statutory and voluntary sector to publish an online directory of services for North Lancashire, including GP and self-referral capabilities.

We are making great progress in implementing the software which will provide the Directory website and will be able to share more information soon.

While we prepare, we are also busy engaging with any community group or organisation that may be interested in becoming involved by listing their services and activities.

If you haven’t yet received our voluntary sector briefing relating to the Directory, please drop us a line at [email protected] – we will send an invitation to the next online briefing session, which will be held on Monday 11 July at 3pm.

All organisations, providing any kind of service or activity in the community, are welcome to join us via Teams to find out more.

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My Community
All the latest tools, tips and ideas to make your community an even better place to live

My Community is a website for people and organisations who are passionate about their communities. Whether setting up a foodbank or planning finances, we all need a little help at times. My Community is the go-to place for this support.

Importantly, these are resources you can trust. All the content on My Community has been curated, written, designed or hand-picked by leading voluntary sector organisations who truly understand what communities need to survive and thrive – including Lancaster District CVS!

Check it out here.

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Lublin Refugee Appeal
The Lancaster district has close ties with the Polish city of Lublin, having been twinned since 1994. Lublin is situated just 70 miles from the Ukraine border and is one of the first places refugees travel to on arrival in Poland. As a result, Lublin has seen an enormous influx of refugees, and the Mayor of Lublin has reached out to the city’s friends for help as it struggles to support so many vulnerable people.

A result of calls from our community for a practical method of collective help to be organised, a fundraising page has been set up by Lancaster District CVS, which will see all donations sent to Lublin to help our twin city and the refugees that they are supporting.

To find out how to donate, visit our dedicated fundraising page.

Lancaster District Hardship Fund
Lancaster City Council has set up the Lancaster District Hardship Fund. The scheme is being run in partnership with North Lancashire Citizens Advice and the Lancaster District Food Justice Partnership.

The aim of the fund is to provide longer term support to residents who are struggling financially.

The types of short term support the fund can help with include:

• Utility bills
• Food
• Debts
• Housing costs
• Household appliances
• Other essential items

Applicants will go through an assessment with Citizens Advice who will submit requests to the fund and make recommendations to the Council.

Find out more and begin the application process.

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Coalfields Regeneration Trust
Following the impact of the pandemic on income and employment and the increase in cost of living people are finding it harder to make ends meet, and low income households are having to choose between food and fuel. These small grants are available to help organisations provide the much needed support that low income families need.

The types of projects the fund hopes to provide grants for are:

• Food Poverty projects
• Information, Advice & Guidance projects
• Social groups
• Projects supporting the homeless
• Or any other project which would benefit those in crisis

Find out more and apply.

Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service – Online Workshop
Come and join us for a one hour workshop on nominating to the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service (QAVS) at 1pm on Monday 18th July. The session will take place on Zoom and we will be joined by Helen Bingley OBE, who is a previous recipient of the Award with her organisation the Abaseen Foundation in Lancaster.

Helen will be able to answer questions and offer guidance and support to make sure that the nomination for your chosen organisation has the best chance of success.

To be nominated, a group must:

• be made up of at least 3 people
• be led by volunteers, not paid staff
• have been running for at least 3 years
• be based in the UK, Channel Islands or Isle of Man
• provide a specific and direct benefit to their local communities

The majority of the group must be volunteers, and more than half the volunteers must have the right to live in the UK. Read detailed guidance on the eligibility criteria.

The QAVS is the organisation equivalent of an MBE and successful organisations see an immediate boost to their public profile. Being successful in receiving the Award can also make a positive difference to future fundraising efforts.

If you would like to attend the session, please email Mark at [email protected] and you will be sent the link.

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Independent Visitor at National Youth Advocacy Service
Independent Visitors directly support and befriend a child or young person who is under Local Authority care. The aim is to support them by visiting, advising, giving them practical help where possible, and acting as a trusted friend.

Find out more on the LDCVS volunteering website.

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School Service Volunteer at NSPCC
Speak out. Stay safe. volunteers visit primary schools to deliver Speak out. Stay safe. workshops that teach children about the different types of abuse and how they can speak out and stay safe.

Find out more on the LDCVS volunteering website.

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Brew Me Sunshine
Barista Volunteer
The role involves making barista coffees, prepping hot and cold food, using a till, and keeping the kitchen and coffee shop to high standards of cleanliness and hygiene.

Find out more on the LDCVS volunteering website.

Cafe Helper
The role involves serving customers, wiping down tables, and guiding people who may need that extra helping hand.

Find out more on the LDCVS volunteering website.

New Support for Households: Lancaster District Hardship Fund
See the Funding section for further information.

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Lancaster District Food Justice Partnership Social Media
The Food Justice Partnership have now launched social media accounts. Take a look at the links below and follow for the latest updates.

Facebook

Instagram

Twitter

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Pro Bono Economics’ Data First Aid service is open for new applications
Is your charity struggling to tell a story with your data or to transform it into impactful visual designs? Do you need your data analysed or simply want to know how to make the most of your spreadsheets?

The good news is PBE could match your charity with a dedicated volunteer economist to help you with your ad hoc data needs – all free of charge. That might include data analysis or visualisation, spreadsheet task automation or short pieces of research.

Visit their website to find out more and apply.

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KeepConnected
KeepConnected can help with your community projects!

If you are part of a organisation/group and need further information for projects, this Lancaster City Council initiative can help you gather that information, by making use of:

• Forums
• Surveys
• Quick Polls
• Questions
• Ideas
• Map Pin Pointing
• Forums
• Promote projects/events

To find out more visit the KeepConnected website.

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A Good Thing – Equipment Donations
This new CIC work to link charities to businesses which have surplus items or equipment available for donation.

Find out more here.

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Charity Banking Briefings
The Civil Society Group received over 1,200 responses to their recent charity banking survey, and the results are now being reported in a series of briefings.

NCVO and others, including Charity Finance Group (CFG), Action for Rural Communities in England (ACRE), NAVCA, and WCVA are using the results of the survey to work with the banks, UK Finance, and the Charity Commission to find solutions to the issues raised.

View the first briefing in the series here.

Walk with a Doc-Lancaster
Dr Nick Johnstone, a semi-retired GP, will lead a ‘Walk with a Doc-Lancaster’ programme which is aimed at local people who do not take regular exercise, allowing them to improve their health and wellbeing.

The Lancaster walks are free and will take place every Tuesday from 11am starting at the Lancaster side of the Millennium Bridge. The first walk will take place on Tuesday 12 July.

Find out more about the worldwide Walk with a Doc movement here.

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The Bay Health Festival, 7 – 10 July
The Festival will be in Dalton Square on Saturday the 9th and Sunday the 10th from 10am-4pm. Grab a bite to eat from the food court with Ninja Wraps, Big Bears BBQ, Mio Gelato and enjoy entertainment from Haffner Orchestra, Samba Espirito, C&C Entertainment, Bex poles, Kogen Ryu Jujitsu and more! Whilst you’re visiting, get yourself a health check-up or have a conversation the with numerous health and well-being organisations who will be in attendance.

This year The Bay Health Festival is partnering with The Gregson Arts and Community Centre to run a series of health and well-being events and workshops across the weekend including, singing for lung health, everybody dance with DanceSyndrome, meditation, T’ai Chi and many more!

Find out more and book onto the events online.

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Bay Health & Care Partners Newsletter
The latest BHCP newsletter can be found here. To subscribe, email Karen Evans at [email protected]

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Therapeutic Family Support Group
St Thomas’s Family Life Centre are launching a new support group at the Family Life Centre specifically for therapeutic parents, this may be adopters, foster carers, kinship carers or other parents whose children may have experienced trauma and they want to parent therapeutically.

The group will be semi structured with a brief topical talk and then space for the group to develop support amongst each other, chat and be listened too. There will be guest speakers ranging from a child psychologist and an adopter who will share about their experiences.

The first session is the 18th July, 7.30pm at the Centre@ St Thomas’s Church.

Download the flyer here.

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Ride Lancaster
Cyclists of all ages are invited to ‘Ride Lancaster’ on Sunday July 10 as part of the Bay Health Festivals led by the University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust Chaplaincy team.

The centre-piece of this year’s event will be a ‘cycling village’ in Lancaster’s Dalton Square, with chance to meet cycling experts and try fun cycling activities.

A section of Lancaster’s one-way system will be reduced to one lane on the morning of the Sunday to allow visitors to enjoy traffic-free riding from the Lune cycletrack to Dalton Square.

For more information on Ride Lancaster and the Bay Health Festivals, visit www.thebayhealthfestivals.org.uk

Escape2Make Green Festival and Free Creative Workshops
11-18 year olds in Lancaster and Morecambe who want to try something new this summer and contribute to an amazing festival can sign up to one of Escape2Make’s fifteen five-week creative courses.

Courses range from woodwork to music to textiles to graphic design and much more – and they are all free.

The courses will culminate in a festival on 27 August.

Find out more and sign up here.

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Girls Can Bootcamp at More Music
July’s boot camp will focus on advanced songwriting techniques. Girls will have the opportunity to nurture and develop their musical, technical and professional practice, focusing on:

• developing advanced songwriting techniques
• learning to write in a team
• exploring the demo process
• developing creativity within songwriting
• developing understanding of production terminology
• vocal care
• building professional working relationships

16 & 17 July, 11am – 8pm

Email [email protected]  to find out more.

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Children and Family Wellbeing Service
The 2022 Summer Holidays what’s on guide from Lancashire County Council’s Children and Family Wellbeing Service is available here.

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Healthy Happy Holidays
Children and young people receiving free school meals are being invited to sign up now to enjoy free activities during the summer break with Lancaster City Council’s Holiday Activities and Food Programme (HAF).

The sessions include a variety of fun activities alongside a nutritious meal each day.

The programme includes specific provisions available for children with SEND or additional needs, at no cost to you.

Visit the HAF website to find out more.

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Bay Medical Group Young Persons Social Prescribers
Young Persons Social Prescribers can accept referrals for people aged 11 and up to and including people aged 19 who are registered with Bay Medical Group.

Social prescribing can help support people to make lifestyle changes, connect with groups and activities in the community and includes supportive person-centred conversations to help improve health and wellbeing. The prescribers will make contact with the young person and arrange to meet them at an agreed community venue or provide telephone support. They aim to work with young people to understand what matters to them and provide support to empower young people to reach their goals.

BMG are unable to accept referrals for people who:

• Are experiencing suicidal ideation
• Have significant forensic history particularly including violent and sexual offenses (NB this criterion will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis)
• Have care-coordination already in place from mental health services
• Are receiving current support or have met the criteria for and are awaiting an appointment from the Child and Adolescent Mental Health service

Please note this is not a mental health or emergency service and whilst we aim to make initial contact within 10 working days this may vary depending on case load.

Download the referral form here.

Procurement Bill Information Session
The Procurement Bill is currently being debated in parliament. NCVO and Lloyds Bank Foundation are offering a session for anyone responsible for public service delivery tenders and contracts to explore what’s included in the new Bill.

This session will provide:

• an overview of the ambitions of the Bill and key changes that are planned
• an overview of key areas of the Bill where NCVO are keen to influence further change
• an overview of how the Bill will progress and how you can get involved in influencing
• a chance to discuss your priorities for the Bill and how these can feed into sector influencing

12 July at 10:30, online (free)

Find out more and register here.

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Williamson Park Family Fun Day
As part of the Lancaster Grand Prix Cycle Race, there will be free family activities at the park, including a bouncy castle, face painting, live music, and stalls.

17 July, 9am – 6.30pm

Find out more online.

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Women and Numbers
This 4-session lunch time learning programme offered by The Growing Club is a pilot open to all women, to test out some workshops that will get you feeling comfortable with numbers, to enable you to fully participate in decision making for your own life.

Tuesdays from 12 June to 2 August, 12 noon to 1pm, online.

Find out more and register

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COVIDNOW at The Storey
This event, taking place on 27 and 28 July is intended to open up conversations about people’s experiences during the pandemic through arts, crafts, poetry and music.

The organisers are interested to hear from potential artist/maker exhibitors and those who may wish to help out on the day.

To find out more, contact Maya Abeysuriya at [email protected]

COVIDNOW has been funded with support from the Community Health Champions Fund.

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Roots UK Exchanges
Do you dream of living in a more connected society?

Roots arrange 6-week online exchanges of life experience between adults that lead very different lives in the UK today. A commitment of up to one hour a week in your own time, our programme is small in scale but big in individual impact, designed to smash assumptions, ease fears around ‘other’ and help us overcome our British awkwardness when it comes to being curious about our differences.

Find out more and apply.

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Applied Community and Social Care BA (Hons) at UCLAN
Increasing social inequalities in our communities mean understanding the causes of social problems and how we attempt to solve them is needed more than ever. The Applied Community and Social Care BA (Hons) degree course equips students to do this and make changes to policy and practice in community and social care organisations in order to improve opportunities for all.

Find out more on the UCLAN website.

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Powering Up: Support for Community Businesses
The Powering Up programme offers training, mentoring, and financial support for community businesses (businesses that are locally rooted, accountable to the community, trade for local benefit, and have broad community impact).

The next round focuses on community businesses looking to address the climate crisis and/or improve their use of digital.

The next round opens on 4 July, with webinars for those who want to find out more.

Retail Store Manager at Cancer Research
Cancer Research are looking for a commercially aware manager with a passion for charity, keen to engage with the local community.

Salary: £21,775 – £26,825 per annum
Contract: Full time, permanent
Location: Lancaster
Closing date: 21 July 2022

Find out more and apply.

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Services Manager at Sight Advice South Lakes
The postholder will lead the operational delivery of person-centered services across South Lakeland. They will collaborate with people living with sight loss and develop these services to ensure they will deliver new and innovative opportunities.

Salary: £25,966
Contract: 30 hour per week, permanent
Location: Kendal
Closing date: 18 July 2022

Find out more and apply

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Relationship Manager at Cancer Research
The postholder will be building, maintaining and growing relationships with a wide range of CRUK supporters within your community. They will deliver tailored information about legacy giving and offer the opportunity to attend Cancer Research UK events.

Salary: £30,500 – £33,500 per annum
Contract: Full time, permanent
Location: Lancaster/Manchester/Liverpool/Preston
Closing date: 18 July 2022

Find out more and apply.

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Dementia Service Manager at AgeUK
AgeUK Lancashire are looking for an individual with professional and personal attributes who can make a real difference to the lives of older adults in Lancashire, ensure that services are person centered, high quality and that people affected by Dementia are at the heart of all service delivery.

Salary: £29,100
Contract: Full time, permanent
Location: Lancaster/Lytham Saint Annes/Burnley/Ormskirk
Closing date: 29 July 2022

Find out more and apply.

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Network Coordinator at Let’s BeFriends
Let’s BeFriends are are looking for a Network Coordinator to to help recruit and grow the team of befrienders, to coordinate and implement a recruitment plan to attract new volunteers and to lead on planning and organising recruitment campaigns. The post holder will be expected to network, build and maintain relationships with various organisations to aid the sustainability of recruitment.

Rate: £12 per hour
Contract: 6 – 8 hours per week for 12 months
Location: Lancaster
Closing date: 27 July 2022

To find out more and apply, download the details here.

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Communications & Marketing Officer at Shared Future CIC
This role is the voice of Shared Future, shaping and managing their digital communications. Shared Future want you to help them shout about what they do, and show them how to do it better.

Salary: £25,500 per annum pro rata
Contract: 0.4 FTE, temporary
Location: flexible
Closing date: 18 July 2022

Find out more and apply.

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Operations Co-ordinator and Communications Co-ordinator at Morecambe Bay Foodbank
Operations Co-ordinator
The postholder will be responsible for managing the stock and logistics operations of the Foodbank, including warehousing, stock control, facilities, buildings and vehicle management.

Salary: £23,000 per annum pro rata
Contract: 18 hours per week
Closing date: 15 July 2022

Communications Co-ordinator
The postholder will be responsible for communications across the organisation, both internal and external.

Salary: £23,000 per annum pro rata
Contract: 18 hours per week
Closing date: 15 July 2022

Find out more and apply.

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 upskilling your workforce, contact [email protected]

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

Membership queries: [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]