“The latest meeting of the Reducing Social Isolation & Loneliness Forum took place on December 3rd at County Hall. Attendance at this meeting seemed to be greatly reduced from previous meetings and may be a result of the forum having been influential in designing the current commissioning approach by County Hall which has resulted in the launch of the United in Kind campaign and associated support staff roles.
“The meeting received an update on the UiK forthcoming promotions. The campaign is focussing on “Learn Together” but has also including a Christmas theme of “Be Kind at Christmas” the latter of these will launch on the 9th December. There will be Adwalkers in locations across Essex on the 9th giving out Christmas themed promotion materials including recipe cards and shortbread. This pairs with a short video clip that will be promoted on social media to inspire people to make shortbread to share with friends, family or the wider community.
“UiK coaches are out and about across the county showcasing and facilitating community acts of kindness and were present to give an update. All partners are encouraged to feed into their local coach or to Provide good examples of acts of Kindness and community events so they can be shared on the UiK social media pages, they are also looking for case studies to feature. Templates for this and other useful tools are on the shared Google Drive. If you don’t have access to this contact provide.unitedinkind@nhs.net to request access. This is also the email address to send any event information or case studies.”
Sarah Troop, Co-Chair of The Essex Alliance & Director of Maldon CVS
Our Project Lead, Emma Wardall, was also present at the event and has been working to promote The Essex Map alongside the United in Kind Project. Attendees of the Reducing Social Isolation & Loneliness Forum were invited to add listings to the map for their organisation, and encourage others to do the same.
FREE counter terrorism training is being made available to everyone to teach them how to react to a major incident.
The lessons, which were devised by counter terrorism officers and security experts, were previously only available to staff working in crowded areas.
But Counter Terrorism Policing has now opened the training modules to anyone who wants to become a so-called ‘CT Citizen’, so they can spot the signs of suspicious behaviour.
The National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) said the London Bridge terror attack on November 29 was a ‘stark reminder’ of the ‘ongoing threat and the need for vigilance’.
However, the NPCC said the decision to open the training to the public was not made in response to the attack, which left two people dead.
The online training, which was originally devised in partnership with Marks & Spencer, is available from today and free to anyone who wants to take part.
Called ACT (Action Counters Terrorism) Awareness, consists of seven modules and takes 45 minutes to complete.
The sections include how to identify and respond to suspicious behaviour, what to do in the event of a bomb threat and how to respond to a firearms or weapons attack.
Dep Asst Comm Lucy D’Orsi, senior national co-ordinator for protective security, said: ‘ACT Awareness eLearning is especially useful for anyone working in or regularly visiting crowded places. The threat level remains at substantial, meaning an attack is likely, so giving everyone the chance to be extra eyes and ears for police and security teams helps keep all communities safe.’
She added: ‘The festive period is obviously a busy one, so this is a good time to join up and become a CT Citizen.’
Following an idea by Chelmsford City Council Chief Executive Nick Eveleigh, July 2019 saw the first ever Chelmsford Skills Festival held for Year 8 pupils from the district’s secondary schools.
Set in the beautiful surroundings of Hylands Park and utilising the colourful tents and marquees that had hosted other festivals the week before, the site was transformed into an array of inspiration.
Working with twelve-and-thirteen-year olds provided an opportunity to showcase the many different jobs and career paths available before they commit to their GCSE options in Year 9.
To give you a little snapshot of what a great day it was we thought you might like to see a short video of the event
It certainly made it all worthwhile when we received many quotes like this from the students;
“I really enjoyed this trip because it opened me up to new jobs and ideas for my future careers and employment”
“I never wanted to be a nurse but I am inspired to help others and learn more”
“It was a great chance to try some new things I would have never had done otherwise”
Whilst lots has happened in the last four months, as we hurtle towards the festive period we are already turning our thoughts toward next summer and starting to plan for Chelmsford Skills Festival 2020.
Following the positive feedback we received this year, some useful suggestions and now a blue print to work from, we aim to make Chelmsford Skills Festival 2020 bigger and better – with more activities and more children to come along and learn. We are also going to open the event in the afternoon to older students who will be looking for the next step in their career journey.
As part of the overall Uttlesford Winter Warmth Initiative CVSU have compiled the following offer that will hopefully collaborate and support what other organisations are doing in this area.
This initiative will run from the 1st of December 2019 to the 31st of March 2020.
We will provide:
Coat Swap scheme – Dunmow and Saffron Walden Libraries are going to host a Coat Swap this winter. People bring in their clean unwanted coats on hangers and put them on the coat rail. If they want another coat they can take one. This scheme also includes children coats. This service is free of charge and will work in conjunction with our Winter Warmth Initiative. We will hopefully have the scheme up and running within the next week or 2.
Emergency Fuel Oil Vouchers – We will provide upto 3 voucher in extreme circumstances to different individuals who are elderly, ill, disabled or vulnerable 60 years +. You would need to liaise with our team who have a basic criteria checklist, if appropriate. We will arrange delivery and direct payment to the supplier upto a value of £300.
Safer Homes scheme – Comprises of Handyperson service through which we will repair trip hazards, install draft excluders, heat reflectors behind heaters, repair doors or broken windows or fit curtain rails with pre-made curtains, and in addition a Winter Gardening provision – path access snow and ice clearance, managing Hedges, Small tree pruning, etc This service should be booked through the online Frontline Service or by calling 01371 878400.
Compressed Coffee Granules Fuel Logs – Suitable for Open Fires and Log Burners, will be provided to those in need.
Winter Warmth Packs – We have 100 Winter Warm Packs for Men and Women who are struggling with or are at risk due to the cold weather. These comprise of a set of fingerless gloves, Thick socks, a Hot water bottle, a Thermos mug and a blanket. Again please request a pack via the online Frontline system or through 01371 878400.
Please note we will ask you some questions as to who you are, if you are referring or acting upon someone’s behalf. Who the recipient is, their home address, contact details and age, also their circumstances. We are required by the funders of this initiative to provide information as to the impact of this provision so where we can we would like to obtain some case studies and testimonials. We will only contact people where permission has been granted and we operate in accordance of the GDPR obligations.
If you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact us at CVSU.
On Thursday 26th November, our Co-Chair Sarah Troop attended the launch of the Sensory Action Alliance – bringing together organisations who represent different sectors, all pledging to improve the lives of those with sight and/or hearing loss in Essex.
Why do we need a Sensory Action Alliance?
One in six of us has a hearing loss and one in thirty has a sight loss. In Essex this equates to nearly 350,000 people and this figure is set to grow.
This isn’t just something which happens to other people, and so we all need to play our part in making the world we live in more accessible and inclusive.
Barriers to access can be environmental, personnel, system or information-based but often cause people to stop going out, lose confidence and independence and become excluded from society. The knock on is poorer health and quality of life, missed appointments, less footfall on the high street and higher complaints and dissatisfaction.
It is this we are seeking to change through the Sensory Action Alliance by sharing our expertise and supporting providers to become more accessible.
What are the benefits of being a member?
Publicly demonstrating your integrity and commitment to improving access for all
Promotion as a founding member of this new and exciting initiative
Improved customer and staff loyalty and positive feedback
Opening up your business to thousands of potential new customers and the ‘purple pound’
Reduced missed appointments and a chance to promote your achievements to the CQC
Equalities Act 2010 and NHS Accessible Information Standard compliance
Networking and training opportunities with us and other alliance members to share best practice
The ongoing support of the ECL Sensory Team and partner organisations for information, guidance and advice
Media Trust are offering you the chance to win a free place on one of our expert-led digital marketing strategy workshops in London, thanks to support from Marketing Trust.
Workshop dates:
Tuesday 18 February 2020, 10:00am – 4:00pm
Thursday 27 February 2020, 10:00am- 4:00pm
What you’ll learn: The one day training session will explore key elements for creating a digital marketing strategy, including understanding your audiences, social media platforms and how to measure your impact.
You will leave the workshop with the skills to develop a comprehensive digital marketing plan that meets the needs of your organisation Enter today: To win your place at a workshop all you have to do is tell us:
Why you believe digital marketing is essential for charities in 280 characters or less(the same length as a tweet).
What difference this digital marketing strategy training would make to your charity in no more than 100 words.
Closing date: Tuesday 17 December 2019, 5:00pm.
If you have any questions, please contact aimeedb@mediatrust.org or call us on 020 7871 5600.
I wanted to inform you that the Joint Strategic Needs Assessment has been completed and has been published. The JSNA is a statutory process for Health & Wellbeing Boards to identify and improve the current and future health, wellbeing and social care needs of their area. The purpose is to inform strategic decision making, commissioning of services and reduce inequalities for all ages.
This document presents data from a range of key topics which contribute to the overall the health and wellbeing of residents, in order to highlight areas of inequality and identify opportunities to improve the healthy lives for residents. The JSNA suite of products comprises a single report for Essex, 12 individual district place-based reports, and a summary statement detailing high-level findings. They are published on the Essex Open Data platform where they can be accessed by all. The link to the documents is https://data.essex.gov.uk/dataset/essex-jsna-reports-2019
The JSNA is a rich source of information for all partners and highlights that the issues identified can only be addressed with all partners working together. We will be asking that all Local HWBs place the document on their next agenda so that they can particularly discuss the local context pages.
Please feel free to share the link through your networks and with colleagues who may find this of use.
Kind regards
Ian Davidson
Chair of the Essex Strategic Coordination Group (ESCG)
A hundred and twenty third sector leaders have now graduated from Anglia Ruskin University’s Cert HE in Charity and Social Enterprise Management. With modules in social enterprise, leadership and management, marketing, finance, HR and social impact, the two year part-time course is an excellent introduction for those in any type of management role. Our students come from the smallest voluntary organisation right up to national and international giants of the sector: we can adapt to this because all the focus is on applying the learning to your own organisation. Even better, this focus means the impact is felt at your organisation, not just on you as an individual. Distance learning gives you the flexibility to fit around your work, and we even offer supporting face to face workshops free of charge to our charity and social enterprise students. Our state of the art Virtual Learning Environment, along with a host of new content, is set to enhance the experience still further for new students. You even get 8 free workshops to augment the experience.
Our next intake is in January 2020. Applicants in the East of England may qualify for a 50% bursary (very limited availability). To find out more visit www.aru.ac.uk/csem
The South East Local Enterprise Partnership (SELEP) have produced a prospectus and accompanying case studies to illustrate the major contribution and impact of the work of the social enterprise sector in our region.
The document includes a number of key facts and figures about the impact of social enterprises, and would serve as a useful tool for those writing funding applications or producing information documents.
Chelmsford City Council are looking for organisations to attend a Skills Festival in 2020 and talk to students about career opportunities and wellbeing.
2019 saw the first ever Chelmsford Skills Festival, which showcased the many different jobs and career paths available to year 8 students before they commit to their GCSE options in year 9.
The event had 40 exhibitors hosting over 70 activities including landscaping, First Aid, and Virtual Reality construction. All of the activities were designed to offer the pupils real insight into a variety of job roles.
Chelmsford City Council are aiming to grow the Chelmsford Skills Festival and offer a wider variety of organisations and activities in 2020. They not only want to provide information on careers, but ways to build transferable skills through recreation activities, as well as offering support to those that may be going through difficulties affecting their learning at this very crucial time.
If your organisation would be interested in participating in next year’s festival by demonstrating what you do in a fun and interactive way, please contact Helen.Quinnell@chelmsford.gov.uk