Welcome to the December Edition of our Learning Together Programme Newsletter. Read on for the latest important dates for your diary, upcoming learning opportunities, funding tips as well as regional and national social prescribing news we think will be of interest. 

Please remember you can get in touch, any time! We’d love to hear what sessions you’d like to see included in the programme, please email: eastengland.thrivingcommunities@nasp.info

Tom Watkins

East of England Regional Lead

Thriving Communities

Churches and Social Prescribing 

Many communities across the country will have active faith groups at the heart of many community activities. Churches, mosques, synagogues and other places and communities of worship have their own strong community networks, and often host other activities for the wider community.

In this webinar, ChurchWorks Commission will focus on the potential for social prescribing through and with churches. This work will help support and inform a model of regional pilots with churches and as a preliminary module for engagement with other faith groups.

The Learning Objectives:

• Understand the current landscape of community faith organisations involvement with social prescribing.
• Engage the social prescribing workforce to explore your involvement with community faith organisations.
• Identify the limitations and opportunities for community faith based organisation to be involved with social prescribing in local communities.
• Explore a model of regional pilots with churches, as a preliminary module for engagement with other faith groups.

Event date: Monday 5th December, 1-2:30pm.

Click here to register. 

Do you have something to shout about? 

Throughout December we are working closely with the NASP National Communications team to highlight extraordinary achievements throughout our social prescribing network. Please send us your case studies!

We're interested in learning more about the barriers you've faced, and how you were able to overcome them through the use of social prescribing. We also would like you to reflect upon your achievements and how you will  continue to support the propagation of social prescribing. 

To apply, please write up one A4 Word document including image and send all submissions to be  to thrivingcommunities.east@communities1st.org.uk

Global Social Prescribing Arts for Brain Health webinar

Arts 4 Dementia are working in partnership with the Global Social Prescribing Alliance to deliver the Arts for Brain Health Webinar. 

Michael Dooley, Treasurer of the College of Medicine, chairs a debate between international leaders in social prescribing, on the pathway in each nation, student champion schemes to instil arts prescribing into practice for brain health for students at the outset of their careers and cross sector partnership funding models for sustainability.

Click here to register

Event date:Tuesday 6th December, 2-5pm. 

APPG on Health & the Natural Environment - Green Infrastructure. 

The session aims to highlight the health benefits of addressing inequalities in access to green space. The session will set out the importance of access to the green space for health and wellbeing and then set out the issues around inequalities in access to green space and how this is impacting communities. 

Click here to register

Event date: Tuesday 29th November, 3pm

National Lottery Project Grants Advice Session 

This webinar is an opportunity to learn more about the Project Grants application process and guidance from Arts Council England.

In this Zoom webinar, you’ll learn more about Arts Council England’s open access funding scheme, National Lottery Project Grants, including what it funds, how to apply, and what happens to your application. The session is suitable for first time applicants as well as those who have applied before. 

Following a presentation, there will be a Q & A. Information about the Project Grants guidance can also be found online here.

The webinar will be held on Zoom and ticket holders will be sent a link on the morning of the event.

Event date: Monday 12 December, 2pm

Click here to register. 

Safeguarding Awareness 

An introduction to safeguarding which aims to raise awareness of the issues for voluntary and community groups working with children, young people or vulnerable adults.

This workshop is suitable for staff and volunteers, including trustees, within organisations to understand that they have a responsibility for safeguarding and to begin to take appropriate measures within their organisation.

By the end of this workshop you will:

• Understand what is meant by safeguarding.
• Have received clear and simple information about what abuse is and how to recognise it.
• Know what action to take to prevent abuse from occurring.
• Know how to raise concerns about, and report, suspected or actual abuse.
  

Workshops are delivered by one of our Funding and Development Advisors.

This is a physical event, please check the event details.  

Click here to register.

Event date: Wednesday 14th December 2022. 10am-1pm 

Suicide Prevention Training

Everyone has the potential to experience suicidal thoughts but each one of us also has the capacity to make a difference for people who are suffering.

A life is lost through suicide every two hours in the UK but suicidal thoughts and feelings affect thousands of us every single day.

In 2019, 111 people lost their lives to suicide across greater Essex; 83% were male.The #talksuicideessex campaign has been created by the Mid and South Essex Health and Care Partnership to reduce the stigma around talking about suicide and raise awareness of suicide prevention training available FREE to ALL from the Zero Suicide Alliance.

Self guided training - no deadline

Click here to find out more.

Safe Steps Domestic Abuse - Overview 

Safe Steps is the commissioned Domestic Abuse service providing specialist support within Southend. As part of Domestic Abuse Awareness Week 2022, Safe Steps are offering a series of free workshops to increase knowledge and awareness of domestic abuse in Southend.

By the end of the session participants will:

• Have an understanding of the definition, nature and types of domestic abuse.
• Have an understanding of the barriers victims face when seeking help.
• Be aware of safe and appropriate ways to ask about domestic abuse and best practice responses.
• Be aware of referral pathways, overview of resources in Southend and outline of services that are available at Safe Steps.
  

THERE IS A SHORT BOOKING DEADLINE FOR THIS EVENT

This workshop is free, however non attendance will incur a £50 fee. 

Click here to register. 

Event date: Thursday 1st December, 9:30-12:30pm 

The Health Alliance Meeting 

The Health Alliance is for voluntary, community and Social enterprise (VCSE) organisations across Cambridgeshire and Peterborough who directly or indirectly have impact or influence on the local population.

The Health Alliance has members who sit on committees and boards for the ICS and help the voluntary sector have its voice heard.

The monthly meetings are held alternately online and in person and across the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough patch to ensure a wider voice. It is a good way to find out what is happening at ICS level and to share local intelligence and an opportunity for organisations to come together to have a bigger voice.

Click here to register your place. 

Event date: Wednesday 14th December, 9:30-11:30am 

Active Ageing Webinar

Join Active Partnership and hear from the professional writing these bids to learn more about what is on offer and how you can engage as well as additional funding opportunities available to you and your organisation. 

We will also be joined by a number of partners that have already taken advantage of this offer to hear how they have benefited from the service.

You can see further detail about this offer, and how to register your interest for funding here. 

THERE IS A SHORT BOOKING DEADLINE FOR THIS EVENT

Click here  to register.

Event date: Thursday 1st December, 10am-11:30am 

Reducing your risk of dementia, falls and frailty.

Live Longer Better in Hertfordshire Masterclass with Sir Muir Gray 

In this webinar we are grateful to have Sir Muir Gray joining us to share the Brainability programme. This links to a recently launch knowledge campaign from the national Live Longer Better team to help people, including professionals, understand how to use activity to reduce the risk of dementia. This webinar will help to you to understand what is happening to your brain and mind as we live longer, recognise that dementia is not normal ageing and share what we can do to maintain and increase our Brainability and reduce our risk of dementia.

Click here to register

Event date: Wednesday 7th December, 2022

The Basics of being a Charity Trustee 

The 'Better Boards' programme supports organisations to improve governance and acquire best practice. They offer open and bespoke courses for trustee boards and individual trustees to help ensure your organisation is compliant with the Charity Governance Code. 

Join the basics to becoming a charity trustee and understand the roles of trustee boards and the requirements of individual trustees. By the end the course you will be able to: 

• Be more confident in the role of a trustee and understand the different types of voluntary organisations. 
• Understanding the roles of trustee boards
• Understand the key legal requirements and the Charity Government Code.

Click here to register 

Event date: Wednesday 18th January, 6pm -8pm 

Coping with Financial Stress 

The aim of this workshop is to give an understanding of how stress and worry can affect the way our mind and body interact and how using some simple Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) techniques can help to calm the stressful mind and lessen its impact on the body.

Please note: this workshop does not offer financial advice rather it helps you to deal with the emotional impact.

This is a live webinar presentation, where you login on to your computer, phone, or tablet. A clinician will present the workshop via webcam. You will not be seen by other attendees and you can ask questions to and share experiences with the facilitator in real-time via a chat function that is private and not visible to the rest of the group.

Click here to register 

Event date: Monday 5th December, 1pm - 2:30pm

The Good Neighbourhood Network Sharing Best Practices

Understanding where we are now, where do we want to be and how are we going to get there. Join the Good Neighbour Network with guest speakers from the Citizen Advice Bureau, the Coop Communities Team and the SIP & Warm Handover Team who will share their knowledge and advice on best practice.

Click here to register

Event date: Thursday 15th December, 10am - 12pm 

Space to Thrive (ABCD) Network Meeting 

Space to Thrive is a network of people who use an asset-based approach when working with and in communities across Suffolk. Network members include volunteers, professionals and residents with a common interest.

Their network meetings are an opportunity to meet with other members, hear about asset-based projects and share ideas. At our December meeting we will be hearing from the following speakers:

• Nicole Rickard – Head of Communities, East Suffolk Council
• Darren Kench – Community Network Developer (Central England), Eden Project Communities
• Ann Osborn – Project Manager, Rural Coffee Caravan

Click here to register 

Event date: Tuesday 13th December, 10am - 12pm 

What does it mean to be a trustee? 

MK Community Foundation want to increase the diversity of those who sit on boards. Have you ever been interested in supporting your community in a trustees role but feel it is not for you? Join their workshop to find out exactly what it means to be a trustee and how you can get involved.

As part of MK Community Foundations capacity building programme, this online event is free of charge in order to make it as accessible as possible. Attendees are welcome to leave donation to help further the support of the voluntary sector. 

Click here to register 

Event date: Wednesday 25th January, 12pm 

This section of our newsletter puts the amazing activities delivered by our Learning Together Members in the spotlight. If you're running any social prescribing events or activities you'd like us to shout about, please let us know and we will add the details to our next newsletter! 

Herts Ability 

Established as ‘Herts Association for the Disabled’ in 1958, they are your one-stop charity assisting with all things transport or travel related.

Their highly trained and caring team is on hand to help you, offering support and advice. They work with Occupational Therapists and Approved Driving Instructors have over 30 years experience between them of helping people become safe and reliable drivers.

Whether you’re a provisional licence holder or an  experienced driver looking to return to driving, you will be cared for and treated as an individual.

Click here to learn more about their work 

Masai Cultural Arts 

Masai Cultural Arts is an African Arts organisation dealing in the promotion of African cultural Arts through African Performance and workshops in institutions, Communities, private events and Corporate.

They use interactive performances and workshops in the act African storytelling, African dance, African drumming and most interesting part, the art and craft. 

Based on the ongoing success and experience, they would like to take this opportunity to invite you to consider using our services to thrill new audiences with the powerful and enthralling African arts experience.

Masai Cultural Arts has a significant track record in African performing arts all over Hertfordshire, London, Essex, Bedfordshire, and Manchester and around United Kingdom

Click here to find out more

Herts Viewpoint - Paid Involvement Opportunity

Herts View Point are looking for some members to take part in some Crisis Care Partnership Meetings. Their next meeting is on Tuesday 6th December at 2:30pm via Teams online. The meeting will be a discussion regarding the CCP, we have been able to invite Kate Linhart (Deputy Directly, Integration and Partnerships HPFT) to talk in more detail about the partnership and coproduction. 

This meeting is also open to Carers from Carers in Herts so they can also attend feed into the meeting

You will be paid £12.50 per hour for your involvement, paid via BACs.

Please email CEO Leslie Billy  at leslie@hertsviewpoint.co.uk 

Deadline: Tuesday 6th December, 2:30pm

Reengage - Community Christmas Events Directory

Re-engage provides vital, life enhancing social connections for older people at the time when their social lives are diminishing. They aim to reduce loneliness and social isolation by bringing generations together in friendship and shared experiences. 

Community Christmas provides a free online directory of local festive events and activities taking place across the UK, between 17 December 2022 and 1 January 2023. They are open to local older people who would otherwise be spending Christmas alone.

Click below to get involved in the Community Christmas with Reengage:

• Register your event or activity 
• Find an event or activity 
• Join in an event this Christmas 
• How to run an event

Creative Arts East 

Our Day out 

The award-winning 'Our Day Out' is all about engaging people aged 50+ in a high quality, fun, accessible, participatory arts workshops. The sessions are free to attend and gives participants the chance to meet new people, get out and about, have a cuppa, and try a new type of creative activity, which are all led by a professional artist. Past activities have included song writing, drumming, contemporary dance, creative writing and mindful walks and printing too. ‘Our Day Out’ is suitable for carers and is dementia inclusive. 

For more information, please email lauren@creativeartseast.co.uk or call 01953 713390 

The Silver Social 

The Silver Social offers a chance to enjoy a cuppa and cake whilst listening to some live music, watching a theatrical performance, or taking part in an arts workshop. Silver Social welcomes creative events for older people in Breckland. 

Click here for more. 

For more information, please email kaitlin@creativeartseast.co.uk or call 01953 713390

Arts Council England National Lottery Projects Grants

Grants are available for individual artists, community and cultural organisations to support arts, museums and libraries projects that engage people in England with arts and culture.

To be eligible, applicants (individual or organisation) must:

• Be based within (live in or have a business address in) England or the wider UK.
• Have a UK bank account in the exact name they are applying in.
• Be at least 18 years old (for organisations: have an accountable person who is at least 18).
  

Grants of between £1,000 and £100,000 are available.

The funding can support projects lasting up to a maximum of three years.

Click here to find out more. 

Event date: Rolling 

Jane Cart Trust 

The object of the Charity is to provide support to Church of England clergy, clergy widows/ers and the maiden daughters of clergy (the latter when aged over 45) and where that member of the clergy currently or in the past lives/lived or works/worked in the Diocese of St. Albans.

The Jane Cart Trust will be commissioning four grants

• General Living Costs – payment up to £1,000
• Special Needs Criteria – a maximum payment of £5,000
• Retiring Clergy – one off £1,000 payment
• Retreats for Clergy – minimum 15 years in the ministry. 

Click here to find out more. 

Event date: Rolling 

Luton Rising: Small Community Grants Fund 

Grants of up to £10,000 can be considered, generally but not necessarily limited to one year only to support community and voluntary activity in Luton.

Luton Rising Small Grants provides short term funding to not-for-profit groups that can deliver in Luton against the main objectives of this fund. The main objectives include: 

• Securing a strong economic recovery
• Protecting the most disadvantaged in our town
• Making a child-friendly town
• Becoming greener and more sustainable town
• A strong and empowered community. 
  

Applicants applying for this fund will need to demonstrate that the services they are intending to provide will meet these key objectives and outcomes

Click here to find out more

Event date: Rolling 

Cambridgeshire Community Foundation - Cultivate Cambs

Cultivate Cambs aims to support voluntary, community and social-enterprise-sector organisations to deliver projects that address the needs of local residents and help to achieve Cambridgeshire County Council's broad vision of a greener, fairer and more caring Cambridgeshire.

Grants of between £2,000 and £15,000 are available and applicants can apply for up to two years of project funding.

Applications will be considered from:

• Voluntary and community organisations and social enterprises based inside and outside of Cambridgeshire.
  
• Public sector organisations based in Cambridgeshire (including District, Town, and Parish Councils).

Click here to find out more. 

Event date: Friday 16th December

Essex Community Foundation: High Sheriffs Fund 

Charities and voluntary groups that are playing a vital role in keeping people safe from harm, helping victims of crime or delivering activities that are making their local communities safer places, are being given the chance to apply for funding to support their work.

Grants are available from the independent charitable trust, Essex Community Foundation (ECF), which manages the High Sheriffs’ Fund and other charitable funds that support community safety initiatives across the county. 

Click here to find out more.

THERE IS A SHORT DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS

Event date: Thursday 1st December.

Hertfordshire Household Support Fund for Groups - grants to address food and energy poverty

Grants of up to £5,000 are available to groups working in areas of deprivation in Hertfordshire that support vulnerable adults by providing access to food and/or support with bills such as fuel and water. It can also be used to provide support with essentials linked to energy and water.

Larger grants (up to £10,000) may be considered where a group can demonstrate an ability to work across a larger geography or support significant numbers of local residents. If you would like to apply for a grant in excess of £5,000 please contact grants@hertscf.org.uk before making an online application.

The fund will need to support: 

• Food 
• Energy and Water 
• Essentials linked to Energy and Water 

Click here to apply 

Event date: Rolling 

Sir Norman Lamb Mental Health and Wellbeing Fund

The Sir Norman Lamb Mental Health and Wellbeing Fund is open only to members of the Sir Norman Lamb Coalition for young people.

The programme is focused on strengthening and enhancing community youth provision to support the mental wellbeing and resilience of children and young people.

A maximum of £70,000 is available to award grants of up to £5,000 in support of activities addressing one of the fund priority areas:

• SEND – Support for children and young people with SEND (Special Educational Needs and Disabilities) (any age)
• Skills Development – Activity that supports young people’s education, training and skills development opportunities (11-25 years)
• Counselling – The provision of counselling services / 1 to 1 therapeutic interventions to young people (these must be accredited)

Activity may be a continuation/enhancement of existing provision, or a new/pilot activity in response to evidenced need.

Click here to find out more.

THERE IS A SHORT DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS

Event date: Monday 5th December

Cost of Living Grants 

Grants are available to fund projects that supports charitable purposes in connection with the relief of hardship, isolation and settlement caused directly or indirectly by the Cost of Living Crisis for the people in Milton Keynes. 

Grants between £3000 and £10,000 will be made available and approved by an internal panel. 

Click here to register. 

Event date: Rolling 

Women & Girls Fund

Grants to support the work of voluntary, community and social enterprise organisations that are delivering work to support local women and girls in need. This fund particularly welcomes applications that are towards early intervention, crisis prevention and education for women and girls.

Click here to apply

Event date: Thursday 22nd December

Suffolk and Crime Commissioners Fund 

Grants of between £2,500 and £20,000 are available to support the work of voluntary and community groups, charities, social enterprises and community interest companies that are delivering services that help support victims of crime and reduce crime and disorder.

Eligible organisations should be working with the following groups: 

• Vulnerable People 
• Victims of Crime 
  
• Those at risk from offending and being victims of Serious Violence
• Young People 
• Drugs and Substance Abuse 
• Preventing reoffending 
• Reducing crime 
  

Click here to apply

Event date: Saturday 21st January,

How to include Money Guidance or Social Welfare Legal Advice within your Social Prescribing Offer

The National Academy of Social Prescribing and the Money and Pension's Service have been working collaboratively to produce a guide that explains why including support for money issues within social prescribing is important. 

Click here to view the guide.

10 Keys to Happier Living 

Based on the latest research, Action for Happiness have identified 10 Keys to Happier Living that consistently tend to make life happier and more fulfilling. Everyone's path to happiness is different. 

Click here to find to access the 10 keys to Happier Living Online. 

MK Money Life Line 

MK Money Lifeline offer free confidential money advice to anyone in the Milton Keynes area. Our services are provided by a team of trained volunteers who give advice in accordance with the training provided by Community Money Advice. 

Click here to access support. 

Charity Sector Cost of Living Crisis - Latest Monthly Update and Forecast of the Impact on Charities. 

Charity Excellence Crisis Impact and Forecast has been updated. This monthly briefing began in Aug 22 and uses Charity Excellence Big Data to provide an oversight of how well charities and voluntary organisations are responding to the cost of living crisis and what the future might look like. 

Click here to see the Crisis Impact and Forecast

Reimaging Social Prescribing - Perspectives and experiences from Black and Racially Minoritised Communities. 

The Ubele Initiative (Ubele), with the support of London Plus, was funded by The National Academy of Social Prescribing (NASP) to undertake engagements on reimagining social prescribing in Black and Racially Minoritised Communities as part of the Thriving
Communities Programme. This report provides the outcomes of an overview of the exploration of Social Prescribing in Black and Racially Minoritised Communities in London. The main objective was to identify and understand some of the gaps and barriers preventing access and take-up of Social Prescribing within Black and Racially Minoritised Communities in London.

Click here to read the document. 

Voluntary and Community Organisation Toolkits 

East Cambridgeshire District Council in partnership with Voluntary and Community Action East Cambridgeshire have produced two toolkits in order to help voluntary and community organisations to be sustainable and 'funder ready'.

Click here to access the toolkits.

Bank of England - Explainers

Do you want to learn more about money and how the economy works? Explore the Bank of England's knowledge bank of short explainers which focus topics around money, inflation, interest and borrowing. 

Click here to find out more

Bank of England - Free Teaching and Home schooling resources 

The Bank of England have put together a list of home learning activities to help students, teachers, families and adults to learn about the economy. The bank of England are offering free teaching and home-schooling resources to help to explain how the economy works and the role of the Bank of England.

Click here to access their free resources. 

The National Centre for Creative Health Review 

The National Centre for Creative Health (NCCH) and the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Arts, Health and Wellbeing (APPG) Creative Health Review will highlight the potential for creative health to help tackle pressing issues in health and social care and more widely, including health inequalities and the additional challenges we face as we recover from Covid-19.

Click here to access the full review. 

Hertfordshire County Services for Young People

Services for Young People is part of Hertfordshire County Council and provides youth work projects, information,. Advice, guidance, work related learning and wider support for young people in Hertfordshire.. 

They help young people with the issues which are important to them such as jobs, careers and education, relationships, sexual health, confidence, self-esteem, substance misuse, staying safe, housing and independent living skills. 

Click here to access their services. 

Parish Nursing Ministries: Find a Parish Nurse

Parish Nursing operates by supporting people and communities towards the concept of whole-person healthcare, through a local church of any denomination.

All Parish Nurses are registered nurses and are appointed or employed through a local church or Christian organisation. Most of them continue to work for the NHS, although some work solely as a Parish Nurse.

Click here to find your Local Parish Nurse

Energy saving trust: Quick Tips to save energy 

Energy Trust have provided you with tips and advice for quick easy ways to save energy, lower your bills and reduce your carbon footprint. 

• Switch off standby
• Draught-proof windows and doors 
• Turn off lights 
• Careful with your washing
• Avoid the tumble dryer
• Spend less time in the shower
• Swap your bath for a shower
• Avoid overfilling the kettle
• Fill your dishwasher 
• Top up insulation 

Click here to find out more. 

Mobile Supermarket to support people in Norfolk and Suffolk.

Better Together: Reducing your energy bills

Talk Money: Are You Comfortable Talk about Finance.

Cost of living 'emergency' declared with support groups 'buckling under pressure'.

NHS Winter Workforce Preparedness Guidance 

Supporting staff with the rising cost of living - good employment practice. 

What is Social Prescribing? Social Prescribing Stories

How to hire a social prescribing advice worker

Innovations in social prescribing: the role of social housing

Best wishes,

The East of England Thriving Communities Team