We Wish All Our Partners, Members, Supporters, Volunteers and Funders a Wonderful Festive Season and a Peaceful, Happy, Healthy and Successful New Year in 2022!
The picture above appears by kind permission of the creator Nigel Lomas who designed it for the Facebook group "Photos of Hertford, Ware and Surround" raising funds for Mudlarks in Hertford and Bridgets Tearoom in Ware.
Here are a few memories of another successful year for CDA Herts supporting volunteers and communities and working in partnership across the county.
If you are unable to view the whole of this eBulletin, please Click Here to access it on our website. Thank you.
A Year of reflection and thanks from our CEO Kate Belinis DL
Welcome to our Christmas edition and I would like to take this opportunity to thank Tim Hayward-Smith, Community Services Manager, who undertakes this monthly challenge of getting copy from staff and stakeholders to contribute to the publication. Almost a thankless task BUT we appreciate his collection and production of information.
Well again, what a year that was! We continue to strive to ensure that our vision for being the "Catalyst for Change", has been achieved through our delivery of innovative and relevant projects across multiple themes of social injustice, health and inequalities, communities' access to services whether they are from Black Asian Minority Ethnic, rural, small volunteer-led communities and established groups who are doing amazing and commendable activities for their own communities of interest. We are so proud to be working with and for you.
In January, we welcomed Sue Whiterod as the Project Manager for our Jobs Pathway recruitment agency project, working with HACRO and Emmaus to give ex offenders the opportunity to turn their lives round and integrate back into society.
In April and July we welcomed the Covid Recovery Black Asian Minority Ethnic Team of Mercy Bwomono, Naomi Duncan, Rushna Miah and Daniella Broomes working on the separate Health Equalities Partnership Programme with Herts CC, Healthwatch Herts and Integrated Care Services.
Throughout the year we have been greatly supported by specialist rural community development consultants Stuart Izzard and Lynsi Hayward-Smith with our digital inclusion project and rural support networks. For more information on the above projects, please look at our website.
We were delighted with our first Kickstart Placement Larne Cordt, who has left us after six months to a job in Liverpool as a Charity Shop Manager and we welcomed Freya Butterworth as our second placement. Both have provided wonderful support to all the project staff.
We felt so sad that we were unable to open the Play Area Scheme based in HMP The Mount Prison since March 2020 but there is a glimmer of light that we will be able to open a limited service this month before Christmas.
Our core staff of Tim, Giles, Yvonne, and John carried business as usual with solid steadfastness which resulted in our ability and capacity to support the communities as everyone tackled the management of services for those in need.
I would like to thank all our colleagues and friends from the public and voluntary organisations for working together to make a difference.
On behalf of the Board, staff and volunteers @ CDA Herts, we wish you a Merry Christmas and a peaceful New Year. Stay well and see you in 2022.
JANUARY
CDA Herts was part of the ACRE Centenary celebration of National Village Halls Week 2021
Click Here to visit the Domesday Book which was launched as part of the celebrations and see which Herts' Halls have signed up
Click Here to read about Village Halls Week 2022 "Innovating for the Future" taking place from the 24th to 30th January.
FEBRUARY
CDA Herts Delighted to Help Distribute over 600 Bags Of Kindness
In February we were very busy continuing to support Rural Support Networks. Thanks to our links with these 2,000 rural volunteers and to HCC and Small Acts of Kindness we helped to distribute 176 Bags of Kindness to vulnerable and elderly people in villages and in November we helped to deliver another 450 Bags!
Pictured is Moira from Park Street who was delighted with her surprise Bag of Kindness!
MARCH
CDA Herts Jobs Pathway is open for business!
Jobs Pathway is a new community employment agency that launched in March. It's aim is to support people facing barriers to employment to find meaningful jobs. Jobs Pathway is a key link with local employers, building working partnerships and enabling successful recruitment into jobs.
Sustainable Fest was back this year and our Community Garden St Albans hosted an event to help develop a wildflower garden, renovate our pond for the frogs and toads and enjoy a talk on our beehives! CDA Herts Community Garden St Albans is a place which provides opportunities for local people and organisations to freely enjoy its open space.
New Affordable Homes for local people in Holwell Village North Herts
Meeting the need identified in a CDA Herts' Housing Needs Survey, Settle Housing Association, part of the North Herts Rural Affordable Housing Partnership, completed eight new high quality Homes, with EV Chargers, for local people at Farm View in Holwell.
Please contact our Rural Housing Enabler Giles Meredith giles.meredith@cdaherts.org.uk to learn more about how we support affordable rural housing need.
JUNE
CDA Herts Grants for Rural Support Networks helping the Elderly and Vulnerable in Villages.
Thanks to Herts Community Foundation we were able to give £4,000 in grants to 37 Rural Support Networks across the County to help support their activities and work helping the elderly and vulnerable during the Covid crisis.
Click Here for a list of where the Grants went and how they were used
JULY
CDA Herts Celebrates 55 Years By Thanking Our Volunteers!
It was Party Time to celebrate our 55th anniversary, the 10th anniversary of the Community Garden St Albans and the work of our Volunteers.
AUGUST
CDA Herts Covid Recovery BAME Project
As part of the response to the Covid-19 pandemic and its impact on Hertfordshire’s BAME communities, CDA Herts, working in partnership with Herts Clinical Commissioning and Herts County Council, has been commissioned to deliver the Covid Recovery BAME project (CRB).
CDA Herts & Herts Black Diaspora held a joint event on 28th September to present Sickle Cell Awareness Month with different speakers to raise Awareness of Sickle Cell disorder. The event aimed to provide attendees with knowledge of the myths, facts, stigma, pain and the support that is available.
Click Here to read about CDA Herts Sickle Cell project
OCTOBER
CDA Herts BAME Team marked Black History Month with a Zoom Event celebrating Black History, heritage, culture, achievements and health and wellbeing.
CDA Herts Annual Village Halls Conference 26 November
Thanks to the Committee and volunteers of Little Hadham Village Hall we were able to hold a hybrid event with Speakers both live in the Hall and on Zoom presenting to the participants present in the Hall who were joined online by others at home. It was mad but it was a great success!
Click Here to view and download all the Conference content
DECEMBER
CDA Herts works in partnership with Herts County Council to distribute Festive Funding
We were delighted to receive £4,000 to distribute to our rural groups to help them bring some Christmas joy to the lonely, elderly and vulnerable in our villages. Thanks to all the amazing rural Volunteers!
Details of the recipients will be available in the New year
Email us or join us on social media and let us know how we can help you and your Community
We will be here to help you in 2022
CDA Herts (Community Development Action)
Hertford Castle, Hertford SG14 1HR 01992 289060
office@cdaherts.org.uk
www.cdaherts.org.uk
A Co Ltd by Guarantee in England and Wales No. 3712283
Registered Charity No. 1075224
