Transformation Cornwall Newsletter - 11th March 2021
Dear Friends,
Welcome to our March Newsletter. This month as we are in the duration of Lent let us be hopeful of new beginnings as we near to Easter. In his communication for Lent 2021, Pope Francis calls on the faithful to "renew our faith, draw from the living waters of hope, and receive with open hearts the love of God" which is a powerful and wonderful message to hold onto.
In this month’s newsletter we feature in our one-to-one work the Inspiring Women’s Network CIC which is pertinent this month with International Women’s Day just past. Also we provide you with updates on our Meet the Funders Spring Event which is being held online over two days on 25th & 26th May. Don’t worry you will still being able to meet the usual funders and more! In addition we have news of the Cornwall Community Foundation supporting our work to strengthen faith based social action. Read on for further information.
We hope you enjoy and find the newsletter informative and helpful.
What do we do at Transformation Cornwall?
At Transformation Cornwall, we work to strengthen faith based social action by providing capacity building support. Our vision is to see faith in action at the heart of flourishing communities.
We work in three main ways:
Providing conferences and workshops giving networking, support and information through our 'Meet the Funders' programme.
Supporting individual groups and organisations through our 1:1 work to inspire, inform, and signpost.
Strengthening links between faith based and mainstream organisations.
Meet the Funders is an innovative year-long programme that strengthens community work in Cornwall. The programme is run as a partnership between Transformation Cornwall and the Diocese of Truro and runs throughout the year. It begins with a large Spring event and continues with a series of six smaller community workshops supporting people and projects that are working to address poverty, exclusion, isolation, and rurality.
Meet the Funders Spring event Tue 25th & Wed 26th May 2021 Our Meet the Funders Spring event will go ahead as an online this May, spread over two consecutive mornings (25th & 26th May 2021 from 10:00am-1:00pm). We will be making the days as innovative and exciting as possible and using technology to host various breakout rooms, workshops, and Q&A sessions. The days will be hosted by the Bishop of St Germans, the Rt Revd Hugh Nelson, and Donna Birrell, Vice-Chair of Churches Together in Cornwall.
1:1 work with churches and faith groups in Cornwall
This month we have asked Nour Chakroun, Project Manager of the wonderful Inspiring Women Network CIChttps://www.facebook.com/inspiringwomennetworkabout their work with Transformation Cornwall.
What Inspiring Women’s Network does Inspiring Women Network is a women-led diverse community organisation that aims to empower women and girls in Cornwall by creating opportunities, developing potential, and raising awareness in the community of issues that affect women and their families.
What you have sought help from Transformation Cornwall for We have been supported by Transformation Cornwall at different stages of our existence over the years. We received a lot of 1:1 support at the very start with setting up and registering as a CIC, meetings to help us strategize, as well as a providing us with space for our meetings. They also helped us with completing funding applications, references for our applications, as well as always being available to give support and advice.
A brief quote on how you find our help Transformation Cornwall is such a valuable asset for community groups in Cornwall. They have always had a really helpful, caring, knowledgeable, and reliable team. We are so grateful for all their support; we would not be here if it were not for their support.
Cornwall Community Foundation Support
Transformation Cornwall is delighted to have received funding from the wonderful Cornwall Community Foundation Emergency Fund. This support will help us to continue and expand our work to strengthen faith based social action in Cornwall. The funding will contribute to our core costs for our three work areas to continue to work with emerging and established community groups as they respond to key issues related to the impact of coronavirus and poverty.
Modern Slavery in Cornwall Training
In partnership with Churches Together in Cornwall, Clewer Initiative, New Street Church (Falmouth) and Falmouth and Penryn Churches Together, Transformation Cornwall helped to shape and deliver a 5 week Modern Slavery in Cornwall Training course. The ecumenical training was delivered throughout February to a dedicated core team of over 20 people who are committed to sharing their learning across the county. We will be sharing opportunities to get involved as we roll this out in newsletters and social media posts from all the partners.
Racial Justice Toolkit
In February 2021, we partnered with Churches Together in Cornwall, All Saints Church Highertown to develop a Racial Justice Sunday Toolkit for Cornish Churches. With contributions from Marcus Allyene from Black Voices Cornwall and Revd Patrick Gilbert, BAME Champion for Truro Diocese the toolkit contained a number of prayers, reflections, and sermon ideas to help Churches and faith groups in Cornwall observe Racial Justice Sunday.
The toolkit was well received and we are happy to report that the toolkit was accessed over 200 times by 131 different people. We are looking to work with friends and partners to release a number of similar 'Tools For Change' toolkits and more details of upcoming toolkits will be released soon.
Thank you Rosey
At the end of this month, Rosey Sanders is stepping down from her role as Admin Worker at Transformation Cornwall. Rosey has been an absolute backbone to our work and her compassion, values and care for others is inspiring. We will still work closely with Rosey in her general Admin role at the Diocese of Truro, and particularly in her role supporting Reverend Andrew Yates in his Social Responsibility work.
Our Chair, Reverend Steven Wild, Chair of the Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Methodist District writes: Rosey Sanders is well known by all Christian denominations in Cornwall she has had a very special role in the Transformation Cornwall team, and we are sorry to be saying goodbye to her after very faithful service. Her care for detail, her prompt response to issues and being good and kind to all who she meets - it’s been a great joy to be alongside her. We are very grateful indeed for all that she has done for us, much of it has been in the background, but none the less incredibly effective.
In 1 Thessalonians Chapter 5 there is a verse that just fits Rosey. St Paul says that ‘we should acknowledge those who work hard among us who care for us in the Lord and to hold them in the highest regard in love because of their work’. Thank you Rosey
Weekly Cornish Foodbank Update
Our weekly update on Cornish food banks (linked below) lists details for the 19 major Cornish food banks, including opening times and procedures for getting food. In the midst of the third national lockdown, dedicated Foodbank volunteers and staff across Cornwall are ensuring that those most affected by Covid-19 continue to have access to food.
Owing to extra complications brought on by Covid-19, many food banks would also appreciate financial donations instead of or in addition to food donations. You can find details for making financial donations in the update linked below. For most food banks you can either make a single donation or donate regularly by Direct Debit or Standing Order.
If you or someone you know could benefit from this information please send them the link. Our Weekly Foodbank Update automatically updates to the latest version each week. This means that the web link will always click through to the most recent edition (uploaded each Friday at 6pm).
Weekly updated grants lists for groups and individuals in Cornwall
Every week Transformation Cornwall continue to compile and update two grants lists which detail the latest available grants currently open to applications. Our current lists detail well over 100 grants.
Our first grants list details possible funders that might support the work of Foodbanks, grass-root groups, and faith based social action projects in Cornwall.
Of particular note at the moment is the February Foundation. The February Foundation have grants averaging £8,700 for UK registered charities for a wide range of charitable causes, in particular charities working with people in need in the areas of the arts, culture, disability, education, end-of-life care, financial hardship, healthcare and patient support, and heritage. Our second list details hardship grants for individuals in need. This has a huge range of grants for those who have worked in certain professions (including retail, construction, fishing, farming etc), support for disabled people, grants for education and retraining, young people, and so much more.
Of particular note at the moment is the Cornwall Council Crisis and Care Awards. Cornwall Council offers two separate awards. Crisis awards are for those in emergency or disaster situations to help them and their families with immediate needs. Care awards help vulnerable people to live as independently as possible in their community. You must live in Cornwall or have a local connection and have less than £1500.
As with our foodbank update, the URL for the grants list stays the same. You can find the latest version at the same URL link every Friday at around 6 pm.
Now, maybe more than ever, we know that people like to talk with organisations who offer advice and support.
This month we have released our updated Telephone Signposting Information List and a new A3 Poster. These resources are for people, Foodbanks, and grassroot organisations in Cornwall.
The list contains the telephone numbers for a range of support groups, locally and nationally, that will offer help to people in Cornwall. We have tried to make it as useful as possible and covered key topics that you and your customers might need help with.
Welcome to a calm place Where we put aside our daily cares
Welcome to an honest place Where we wake up to the world’s troubles
Welcome to a quiet place Where we sit in solitude for a while
Welcome to a rowdy place Where we open our ears to the world’s cries
Welcome to a peaceful place Where we are reminded of what is good
Welcome to an unsettling place Where we see more clearly what is wrong
This is God’s world - beautiful This is God’s world - broken
We are here - beautiful and broken We are here - broken and beautiful
May this be a calm, quiet and peaceful place May this be an honest, rowdy, and unsettling place
God of the stillness
We settle and wait for you God of the storm
We hold fast and wait for you
Meet us. Greet us. Shake us. Remake us. We trust and we tremble. We worry and we hope.
There is no place that is not yours
There is no time that is not yours This is your place.
This is your time. We are your people.
Carry us today, we pray. Amen.
