Information and Advice for the Lancaster District’s Third Sector – 9 June 2022

We are working with the local voluntary and community sector and Lancashire and District-wide partners to support VCFSE organisations and people living in our communities. We encourage you to share this page with others.

An archive of previous editions can be found here.

Click headings below to expand each section.

We are recruiting
LDCVS is recruiting to three exciting roles: a Youth Foundation Officer, a Community Health Officer, and a Communications Officer.

See the Jobs section for further information, or visit our recruitment page.

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.

ASDA Under 18 Better Starts Grant
This grant will enable us to support a broad range of activities for this age group all of which can contribute towards empowering the community and improving the lives of children in that area. As community need is different and therefore ASDA will support and fund what is needed and important to your community.

Up to £1,500, apply by 19 August

Find out more and apply.

Community Ownership Fund – Round 2
Round 2 of the Community Ownership Fund opens on 10 June 2022. It covers the whole of the UK and will allocate £150M over four years to 2024/25. The aim of the Fund is to support communities wanting to purchase assets of community value such as pubs, halls, sports facilities and shops etc.

Round 2 has brought in changes to the application process that aim to simplify it and give an indication at a very early stage whether a project is eligible for funding through an Expression of Interest stage. There will be three application windows per year.

Anyone wanting to know more about the Fund can sign up for a free webinar with DLUHC on Wednesday 8th June or Thursday 16th June. Sign up here.

For more information, see the Fund prospectus here.

The Banks Lyon Memorial Trust
The Trust exists to help local young people who face barriers to accessing training and gaining qualifications for employment.

  • Local = those living in Lancaster, Morecambe and District (the same as Lancaster City Council).
  • Young = mainly those aged 16-25 years but others are considered.
  • Barriers = of a social and/or financial nature.
  • General benefits = helping young people to fulfil their potential to benefit their local community through their future employment.

The trustees invite applications for grants with no minimum and up to £2,000 for individuals and £5,000 for organisations.
Grants above the limits referred to will be considered in special circumstances and as long as a case is made within the relevant Application Form.

Deadline for current round of applications is 30th June 2022. Next deadline is 30th September 2022.

For application forms, please check the website https://bankslyonmt.org/

If you need any further information, please email [email protected] or call 01524 63371

Escape2Make Creative Courses & Green Festival
Escape2Make are looking for volunteers to help young people attending their summer workshops and forthcoming festival. See the Children & Young People section for more information about this programme.

Volunteers interested in a particular workshop series will need to commit to attending all the sessions.

Find out more here.

Promote Your Volunteer Roles at In-Person Events
Mark from the Volunteer Centre will be in St Nicholas Arcade in Lancaster on 18th June, The Arndale Centre in Morecambe on Saturday 25th June, Lancaster & Morecambe College for their community day on Saturday 2nd July, and the Health Festival in Dalton Square on Saturday 9th July.

He’ll be promoting volunteering, all of its benefits, and any and all roles that we can get information about before then. So, if you haven’t yet registered your roles on our website do so now here.

If you have any leaflets or flyers that you would like Mark to take with him to these events, get them to our office at The Cornerstone on Sulyard Street, Lancaster, before Saturday 18th June.

If you only have electronic flyers, email them to Mark at  [email protected] (but bear in mind we can’t currently print them off, so the plan is to create a slideshow for display on a laptop that we will take on the days).

If you have online application pages, send the links to Mark and he can support people to register in person during the events.

If you have any questions, contact Mark.

Pay With Kindness
We Are Intro is working with the Cumberland Building Society on an exciting new project this June when they will launch the world’s first shops where people pay with kindness.

There will be a shop, in Kendal, full of quality items and a customer will be able to pay for by volunteering to work on a local charity project for a certain number of hours. They might see some quality pottery or a vintage coat, for example and see that it will be theirs if they donate three hours of their time.

We Are Intro and the Cumberland Building Society are hoping to work with charities in north Lancashire and Cumbria to establish projects that people can volunteer for. They hope that they can work with you on including a project that would make a big difference to your work.

In terms of how many hours you might want to suggest for an opportunity, it really can be flexible to suit your needs. For example, some organisations where lots of training is required are saying a minimum of 15 hours including training, but others (say for a gardening project) are saying at least 3 hours.

Running alongside the above is the 15 Minutes of Kindness project, which will be more about micro-volunteering. For this, leaflets listing micro opportunities will be put in all the Cumberland’s branches and people can sign up to take part. These kinds of opportunities could be things that can be done from home or that just require very little time.

To find out more, or to be introduced to the project, please contact Mark by email at [email protected]

Find out more about the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service
Could you be eligible for an award that may help you increase your funding and recruit more volunteers?

Do you know a group that deserves to be recognised?

Would you like Royal recognition for your group? The equivalent of an MBE!

Get details of how to nominate organisations and hear from previous QAVS winners about the advantages of receiving the award.

29 June 2022, 2pm – 3pm, online

Find out more and register.

How are rising costs impacting your charity?
With inflation expected to peak around 10% in 2022, rising costs are a concern for charities and communities alike. In order to better understand your concerns and how you are mitigating them, the Civil Society Group is running a short survey. They will use this information to advocate to government and to provide support to the voluntary sector.

Read more about the Civil Society Group here.

Complete the survey here, deadline 24 June. 

Cost of Living Support Factsheet
Access this new government factsheet to find out how and when the variety of cost of living support measures recently announced will be paid.

Life on a Low Income in Lancashire
Citizens Advice North Lancashire have collaborated with colleagues across the county to produce this report which looks at the difficulties people living in Lancashire experience in managing their lives on low incomes whether they be wages, benefits or both. It combines research undertaken by the Citizens Advice Lancashire Research & Campaigns group about benefits and wages in our region, an analysis of our statistical data and some case studies, and a look at DWP statistics.

Download the report and recommendations here.

Active Lancashire Club Support Survey 2022
Organisations delivering sports and physical activities are invited to complete this survey which will influence the training and support package offered to clubs and community groups by Active Lancashire.

Complete the survey here.

Planning to use the 2021 Census
The UK Data Service is running a series of online workshops on using the 2021 Census. Apply for a place by Tuesday 14 June for a unique opportunity to access free workshops aimed at participants from the voluntary and community, and public sector. 

With the release of the 2021 census due to start shortly this is an opportunity to plan your research with support from UKDS.

Find out more and apply.

Writing for Wellbeing Project
Catherine Westwell, (former Charities Coordinator for A.C.E., and Transitions Officer at Lancaster University) is working to set up a Writing for Wellbeing Project.

The aim of the initiative is to facilitate adults with mild mental health difficulties and those who are socially isolated to engage in creative writing workshops, culminating in an exhibition of work. Through participating in creative activities and connecting with others, beneficiaries will experience improved mental wellbeing and feel less lonely.

Catherine is in the process of applying to Arts Council England for funding from The National Lottery to develop the project which will be based in Lancaster.

Organisations with an interest in this work and who may wish to partner with Catherine to develop additional funding streams and deliver the project should contact her for more information by email at [email protected]

NHS Lancashire and South Cumbria boundary review
The new NHS integrated care board is reviewing its boundaries within Lancashire and South Cumbria, as it develops health and care services in the area and has launched a survey, inviting the views of staff from the NHS and partner organisations (including those in the voluntary sector). The survey closes on June 17th.

Find out more about the boundary review here.

Complete the survey here.

Pickleball at Lancaster Tennis Club CASC
The Eric Wright Charitable Trust recently provided a grant to Lancaster Tennis Club enabling them to paint new court lines and buy equipment to introduce Pickleball, a variation on tennis suitable for beginners and older people.

For more information see https://lancastertennis.co.uk/pickleball, call Susan on 07771 734920 or email [email protected]

LGBT+ Mental Health Hour
Lancashire LGBT’s seventh episode in this series is entitled ‘Using art as a means to explore trans mental health’. Community Support Worker Beth Meadows will be in conversation with Emma Preston – an artist, author, public speaker and Television Production UCLAN student.

Emma will discuss her personal journey as a trans woman, how she has navigated mental health and the support available, and significantly, how important her creative outputs are to her life.

16 June, 12 noon, online.

Find out more, register and submit a question.

RNIB Revealing Reality Research
Galloways are encouraging people in the Lancaster district who have a vision impairment that can’t be corrected by glasses to take part in an RNIB telephone survey. The results will be used to improve the lives of vision impaired people in the UK

Find out more and register here.

The Dukes Summer School
The Dukes is providing five action-packed days of theatre and performance skills from 15th to 19th Aug for children aged 8-14 in the Lancaster and Morecambe area.

Children will enjoy workshops with theatre professionals, act scenes, read new scripts and learn stage combat, culminating in a final sharing for families on one of our stages.

The week will cost £120 per child, however there are limited non-means-tested half or full bursaries available. To inquire about bursaries, contact the Creative Communities Coordinator via email: [email protected]

Find out more and book.

Escape2Make Green Festival – 15 free courses
Escape2Make (E2M) are an all-inclusive charity in Lancaster & Morecambe, that offer free creative activities to help 11-18s with their wellbeing and life chances.

Each of these 15 free creative courses are composed of five workshops, and each will contribute to the forthcoming Green Festival in Lancaster on 27 August.

It’s a great way for young people to try out a new skill, make new friends and have something interesting to add to their CV.

Download the poster for more information and encourage young people who you think will benefit to sign up here.

Changemakers
This is an exciting opportunity for young people based in or near Lancaster who are interested in making a positive difference in society through art.

Graft Lancaster will be working with a group of young people aged 13-19 to learn about art and activism and curate an exhibition of early career Black artists at Lancaster Maritime Museum.

There are four workshops the group will take part in:

  • Tuesday 28th June 4-6pm
  • Saturday 2nd July 12-3pm with Lancaster Black History Group
  • Tuesday 5th July 4-6pm with Lancaster Maritime Museum
  • Saturday 9th, July, 12-3pm

Find out more about the project and sign up here

Online Safety Live
Online Safety Live is a programme of free online safety briefings designed exclusively for professionals working with children and young people, delivered by the UK Safer Internet Centre

Topics covered include cyberbullying, screen time and online privacy, and current issues like remote and blended learning, latest games, trends, resources, legislation and research.

Find out more and register (scroll down for England sessions).

CYPMAF – Next Meeting
The next Children & Young People Multi Agency Forum meeting will be held on Wednesday 6 July, 9.30am – 11.30am.

This will be the final CYPMAF meeting prior to the summer, which is generally full of really useful updates regarding availability of support and activities over the holidays.

To join the meeting, and the CYPMAF mailing list, contact Sharon Phillips at [email protected]

Lancaster Friendship Centre 20th Anniversary/Jubilee Open Day
Over 55s are invited to this event celebrating two significant anniversaries.

There will be refreshments and information about classes available for older people including singing, dancing, keep fit, crafts, local history, art group etc..

Baptist Church Rooms, Robert Street, Lancaster, on 10 June from 10am until 2pm.

Download the flyer here.

Building local food infrastructure in Lancashire
For farmers, food partnerships and other farming and food organisations, the UK Government’s ‘Levelling Up’ agenda should present opportunities to invest in local food systems, for example through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund and the Community Ownership Fund.

This in-person workshop by FoodFutures and Sustain will explore the findings from a recent report on food infrastructure in Lancashire and be an opportunity to start building infrastructure proposals around the emerging themes.

15 June, 10am – 2pm, Myerscough College (Preston), free

Find out more and register.

Supporting food access through partnership working – learning from COVID-19
This webinar will share experiences of partnership working to support food access during the pandemic and reflect on what can be learned from this time, particularly in the context of the current cost of living crisis.

13 June, 11am – 12.15pm, online, free

Find out more and register.

FoodFutures Midsummer Market
The Midsummer Market returns to Lancaster once again to celebrate seasonal local food and crafts, and to launch the midsummer edition of THRIVE: North Lancashire’s community food magazine.

Friday 17 June, 10am – 5pm, Lancaster Market Square.

If you would like a stall at the market, please contact Andi Chapple at [email protected] or telephone 07891 908025.

National Youth Agency Volunteering Tea Break
Join the NYA for on June 15 at 10.30am to discuss encouraging and supporting volunteers and volunteering in the youth work sector.

Sign up here.

World Refugee Day – local briefing and Q&A
This year for World Refugee Day on June 20th, which also marks the beginning of Refugee Week, local voluntary sector partners are holding an online event which we hope will be useful to anyone who comes across refugees and asylum seekers through either their professional or personal lives.

The event will be a combination of presentation, digital story and Q&A with Global Link, East Meets West, RAIS and the Tara Centre (representing a wider network of partners through the Lancaster & Morecambe City of Sanctuary network).

The event will be on Monday, June 20th at 11 – 12.00. Click here to book and you will be sent the zoom link: https://www.trybooking.com/uk/BRJI

Recruitment Events – Children and Family Wellbeing Service
Lancashire County Council is currently recruiting to a number of roles within the service. These events provide open interviews or just a chance to have a chat about the roles available.

Our nearest event is at Lancaster University on 15 June from 12 noon until 8pm.

Download the flyer to find out more.

Funding Coordinator at FoodFutures
LESS and FoodFutures are seeking a fundraising coordinator to support them in delivering their strategic funding strategy for FoodFutures and the 10-year community food strategy.

Salary: £14,929
Contract: 22 hours per week
Closing date: 10 June 2022

Find out more and apply.

Therapy Services Coordinator and Youth Workers at CancerCare
Therapy Services Coordinator
Therapy services coordinators are responsible for processing all the referrals which are received by CancerCare and you will liaise with assessors, therapists and the wider team to ensure that clients receive the most appropriate service for them, in a timely way.

Salary: £12,858 pro rata
Contract: 22.5 hours per week
Location: Lancaster, Kendal or Barrow
Closing date: 19 June 2022

Find out more and apply

Youth Workers – Re-Fresh Peer Support Group
CancerCare is looking for two part-time youth workers to support its Re-Fresh peer support work with young people in North Lancs and South Cumbria. The two roles are 13 hours each and will be required on the following days:

South Cumbria – Tuesday (Kendal) and Wednesday (Barrow) approx. 2.00 – 8.30pm to accommodate drop-in from 4-6 and peer support group from 6-8 (inc. preparation and admin duties)

Lancaster – Wednesday and Thursday approx. 2.00 – 8.30pm to accommodate drop-in from 4-6 and peer support group from 6-8 (inc. preparation and admin duties)

During the school holidays activity groups will instead be in the daytimes, and subject to arrangement by the team.

Salary: £7,456 (£21,510 FTE) JNC Scale point 9
Closing date: Sun 19 June.

Find out more and apply.

Three roles at LDCVS
We are recruiting to three exciting roles. If you’re an expert communicator, have experience of working with community organisations delivering health and care activities, or could work in partnership to build new opportunities for children and young people, we’d like to hear from you.

To apply, send a CV and covering letter to the email address in the application pack (find the relevant pack through the download links below) by 5pm on 15 June.

Youth Foundation Officer
This role will develop and support a new Youth Foundation. The purpose of the Foundation is to improve the lives of children and young people, and to support and strengthen the work of the young people’s sector.

Salary: £27,456 per annum pro rata
Contract: 28 hours a week, permanent
Location: Lancaster city centre, home working, and other locations as required

Download application pack here

Community Health Officer
This role will coordinate our work in partnership development between the voluntary sector, health services and local government; support community health care initiatives; manage community grant programmes, and ensure the successful implementation and growth of a digital directory of health and care services.

Salary: £27,456 per annum
Contract: 35 hours a week, permanent
Location: Lancaster city centre, home working and other locations as required

Download application pack here

Communications Officer
This role will plan and execute promotion of LDCVS membership and services, create content for print and web (including video and audio), collaborate with staff on reporting project outcomes, and lead on social media engagement.

Salary: £24,100 per annum pro rata
Contract: 28 hours per week, permanent
Location: Lancaster city centre, home working, and other locations as required

Download application pack here

Various Roles at Change Grow Live
2 x Receptionist/Administrator
Salary: £19,688.66 – £20,574.23 per annum
Contract: Full time, permanent
Location: East Lancashire
Closing date: 22 June 2022

Find out more and apply.

Prescribing Administrator
Salary: £19,688.66 – £20,574.23 per annum
Contract: Full time, permanent
Location: Central/North Lancashire
Closing date: 22 June 2022

Find out more and apply.

Administration Team Leader
Salary: £31,165.47 – £33,026.32 per annum
Contract: Full time, permanent
Location: Central/North Lancashire
Closing date: 22 June 2022

Find out more and apply.

5x Recovery Worker
Salary: £24,193.77 – £28,116.74 per annum
Contract: Full time, permanent
Location: Central/North Lancashire
Closing date: 22 June 2022

Find out more and apply.

4 x Team Leader
Salary: £31,165.47 – £33,026.32 per annum
Contract: Full time, permanent
Location: Central/North Lancashire
Closing date: 22 June 2022

Find out more and apply.

Funding Officer (North West) at The National Lottery Community Fund
Funding officers assess applications for funding and manage grants from TNLCF Reaching Communities and Partnerships programmes. They use local knowledge and experience, and the experience of grant holders and local stakeholders, to ensure the fund makes the best decisions.

Salary: £25,282 per annum
Contract: Full time, permanent
Location: Mobile, Greater Manchester/Lancashire
Closing date: 26 June 2022

Find out more and apply.

Chief Executive at Springfield Domestic Abuse Service
The Chief Executive will work with our Trustees to set the strategic direction for the charity, lead the staff team and manage the delivery of the integrated accommodation and community support services.

Salary: £33,000 to £35,000 per annum
Contract: Full time, permanent
Location: Kendal
Closing date: 13 June 2022

Email [email protected] for a job description and application form.

National Citizen Service Delivery Staff (North West) at Inspira
Working with groups of young people, both residentially and in the local community, delivery staff are responsible for the pastoral care, behaviour management and support needs of an allocated group of young people. They facilitate and support activities whilst inspiring and assisting in the participants’ personal development through the residential and community focused elements of the NCS programme.

These are temporary positions working in blocks of 2 consecutive weeks work between 27th June 2022 & 26th August 2022.

Find out more and apply.

Network Coordinator at Let’s BeFriends
Let’s BeFriends are are looking for a Network Coordinator to help recruit and grow their befriender volunteer workforce, to manage the collaboration and networking with other statutory and non-statutory organisations and to lead on feedback and evaluation of the befriending service they offer in our community.

Rate: £12 per hour
Contract: 6 hours per week for 12 months
Location: Lancaster
Closing date: 20 June 2022

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

Community Sight Loss Advisor – North Lancashire at Galloways
By providing community based person centred information, advice and support services to people affected by sight loss, this role with enable people living with sight loss to achieve connection, choice and confidence, delivering the best outcomes for everyone.

Salary: £23,000 FTE
Contract: 22.5 hours per week
Location: Community based in North Lancashire with an office base in Morecambe
Closing date: 15 June 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]