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The Empowering Communities Partnership Newsletter
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New scheme to deal with cost-of-living crisis announced
This month Norfolk County Council announced a £7.7m package of hardship support offering increased flexibility and choice in the way a broader range of households can access help. The new Norfolk Cost of Living Support Scheme will help people who are struggling to pay for food, energy and water bills, and other essentials. The Voluntary, Community, and Social Enterprise (VCSE) sector in Norfolk will play a vital role in the new scheme, through the return of the Household Support Fund (HSF). Norfolk County Council recognise that the VCSE is well placed to get support to those facing hardship, by building on the trusted relationships you have with your beneficiaries. A briefing from Norfolk County Council to VCSE groups can be found here.
The HSF will this time be targeted at supporting older people, adults and children with disabilities and their carers’. The HSF has been created to provide a straightforward route for frontline VCSE organisations to deliver vital and immediate financial help with utilities and other household essentials to the people you support facing hardship around the increasing cost of living.
Also on the cost-of-living crisis…
CAN are launching a campaign soon about how the energy price increase is impacting village halls and charities in Norfolk. Find out more about all of what Empowering Communities is doing to tackle the cost of living crisis by clicking the link below
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Volunteers' Week Fast Approaching
Volunteers' Week runs from June 1st -7th 2022 and is a great opportunity to say a big thank you to all the volunteers involved in charities and community groups across Norfolk. This year Volunteers' Week coincides with national celebrations for the Queen’s Jubilee, Empowering Communities partners will be taking to social media to share stories from a range of volunteers across Norfolk.
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Exciting new numeracy programme coming to Norfolk
Multiply, is an exciting new government-funded programme that aims to help adults improve their numeracy skills and boost their number confidence through a range of innovative learning opportunities that aim to break down the barriers that many adults experience when it comes to numbers. Over a 3-year period, the government has allocated £4.7 million to Norfolk. We have a unique opportunity to use this funding to develop something new and innovative that will make a real difference to Norfolk residents.
NCC is inviting VCSE organisations to a stakeholder meeting on 25th May to discuss the new numeracy programme. Your voice is important, please come along and help to influence how the programme is delivered in Norfolk. Find booking details here.
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New Volunteering Platform coming online this summer
We are pleased to announce that Voluntary Norfolk will be launching a new Volunteering Platform at the beginning of July 2022. The new platform has been developed in partnership with Deedmob and will replace the current system, Simply Connect. It will offer a user-friendly interface where organisations can promote volunteering opportunities and where volunteers can search for roles. The platform can also be used to communicate directly with volunteers and other organisations, link to social media, advertise events, and promote activities. Similar platforms have already been successfully set up in Somerset and Hertfordshire. To find out more sign up to our Good Practice event here.
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Upcoming key training and events
- Introducing Voluntary Norfolk’s New Volunteering Platform. This Good Practice workshop will be helped online on 9th June from 10-11am. For more information and to book, please click here
- An Introduction to Safeguarding Adults Training for Norfolk VCSEs. This will be a Zoom session on 9th June from 10am – 12noon. To book, please email tasha.higgins@communityactionnorfolk.org.uk
- How to Make your Charity Premises Green, Accessible & Energy Efficient - Ethical Property Foundation – This will be held on Zoom on 21st July from 1pm – 2pm. To book, please email: tasha.higgins@communityactionnorfolk.org.uk
- Lovewell Blake are offering free charity workshops. The next ones are in July (Importance of good financial management) and September (How to improve success in raising funds) Events at Lovewell Blake (lovewell-blake.co.uk)
For a full calendar of upcoming events a training please go to the events page on the Empowering Communities website.
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Funding opportunities
Visit our Funding Notice Board to find out about latest funding opportunities, as well as funding-related training and resources.
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