6th October, 2021 / Andrew
The Active Wellbeing Society (TAWS) is a Birmingham-based community benefit society and cooperative working with communities in areas of high deprivation to tackle inequality and promote wellbeing. Ordinarily focused on supporting communities to be more physically, socially and civically active, their work changed overnight in March 2020. As supermarket shelves emptied and services shut their ...
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6th October, 2021 / Andrew
With the creation of Kidsgrove Town Council’s first five-year plan in 2018, the Council resolved to improve not just the appearance of the Town Centre but to give the population a renewed pride in all of its villages across the whole of the Parish of Kidsgrove. In June 2018, Kidsgrove Town Council engaged with the ...
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6th October, 2021 / Andrew
Billingham Town Council, in conjunction with local organisations BCT Aspire, Fighting Chance Boxing Club and BELP launched its Covid Response on 23rd March 2020. Working with existing organisations within the town meant we were able to scale up a solution that saw over 100 local residents volunteering to assist with shopping for food items, making ...
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5th October, 2021 / Andrew
“All neighbourhoods are a great place to live” is one of Telford & Wrekin Council’s corporate priority. To drive delivery of this, the Council has invested £45m in a “Pride in our Communities” programme which has delivered significant improvement in the physical infrastructure, developed community assets and supported our neighbourhood high streets. Whilst the Council ...
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5th October, 2021 / Andrew
A partnership approach between the Council and charities and voluntary groups across South Tyneside is helping people to recover from the pandemic. South Tyneside Council successfully secured £500,000 of government money to help the third sector engage with groups most at risk from the virus. The main aim of the fund was to recruit Covid ...
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5th October, 2021 / Andrew
The Covid-19 pandemic and subsequent restrictions meant that social interactions were severely limited; and this was reflected in the Council’s ability to engage with the community and its’ residents. Previous efforts to break down barriers between the Council and the communities it served were strained as a result. At South Ribble, it was agreed that ...
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5th October, 2021 / Andrew
Greenwich Co-operative Development Agency (GCDA), is a not-for-profit company, limited by guarantee. It was established in 1982 as a social enterprise support organisation serving the diverse communities of Royal Greenwich. Its work is focussed on a community needs approach using participatory appraisal techniques to encourage local action to meet the needs of local communities. ...
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4th October, 2021 / Andrew
As part of our commitment to protect and enhance the environment, it is important that our local areas are kept clean and attractive for our residents. In addition to our usual street cleansing operations, it is essential that we encourage our local communities to take some level of responsibility in supporting, improving, and maintaining their ...
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4th October, 2021 / Andrew
Ensuring that community groups were able to continue essential services to residents throughout the pandemic. North Herts is a district with a large older population as well as a number of deprived areas. The pandemic therefore produced a significant challenge around issues like loneliness, and the ability of many to afford basic needs. The Council ...
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1st October, 2021 / Andrew
In Kirklees we are developing an approach to empower local community groups to discuss difficult topics with residents that they oftentimes are not comfortable discussing with the Council. This has been very successful with the EU Settlement Scheme (EUSS) and COVID Community Champions scheme. The EU Settlement Scheme offers indefinite leave to remain for EU ...
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1st October, 2021 / Andrew
Hull’s VCSE sector did an amazing job in responding to the coronavirus pandemic, supporting communities by working with each other and alongside the council. In March 2020 we all had to quickly adapt and work differently, and as restrictions eased over last summer, the council took this opportunity not just to engage our VCSE sector ...
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5th August, 2021 / Andrew
Tameside recognised early on during the coronavirus pandemic that there are many in our communities who preferred to receive their information from people that they know and trust. It is for this reason that the “Community Champions” scheme was created. The Tameside Community Champions network is designed to empower our residents and workforces with the ...
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5th August, 2021 / Andrew
Brent Hubs aim to build resilience into local communities; reducing long term dependency on services. They offer alternative ways for Brent residents to connect with local organisations and each other, to access information advice and support, and to use community space to develop ideas and activities that enhance the local area. The Brent Hubs model ...
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5th August, 2021 / Nicola, CCIN
Brent Community Multi-Agency Risk Assessment Conference provides the opportunity for agencies to come together to support vulnerable individuals who are at risk living in Brent. We are able to coordinate a safety plan with interventions to improve safeguards and reduce the risk of re-victimisation. We also help to enhance the services currently available through joint ...
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27th April, 2021 / Andrew
CCIN funding has enabled a programme of co-design with Health and Social Care, Voluntary, Community, Faith and Social Enterprise organisations. We now have a developed Cooperative Engagement Toolkit, tested by statutory partners and with a range of cross-system topics which is being actively used to guide engagement with communities when a change is happening, expected ...
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25th March, 2021 / Andrew
Founded in 2013, the Lambeth GP Food Co-op is an innovative co-operative of patients, doctors, nurses, and residents creating food growing spaces across the 45 general practice (GP) surgeries in the London borough of Lambeth. The co-op’s objective is to transform unused land in GP surgeries (e.g. alleyways or scrubland) into food growing spaces. Patients ...
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6th October, 2020 / Andrew
A Community Support Fund to ensure community groups were able to continue essential services to residents throughout the pandemic. North Herts is a relatively rural district with a large older population, and the pandemic produced a significant challenge around getting food to those who were shielding or unable to leave the house, as well as ...
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6th October, 2020 / Andrew
Working to help communities to support each other: matching volunteers with need; providing quick-to-access funding, open and accessible local information on the pandemic; and offering a place to share and celebrate the good work taking place. Cheshire West and Chester Council focused on enabling and empowering communities to respond to the pandemic, helping them meet ...
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6th October, 2020 / Andrew
An existing set of partnerships – including Town and Parish Councils and the third sector – meant there was a strong network to mobilise support for vulnerable residents. Across Telford & Wrekin there were vulnerable and self-isolating households who needed extra support through the lockdown period – especially those without family, neighbours or other social ...
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20th May, 2020 / Nicola, CCIN
When, shortly after the lockdown started, a 98-year-old resident contacted Stevenage Borough Council to say that she had been told she did not fit the criteria for help with getting a food delivery, the Communities and Neighbourhoods team knew that something had to be done. Although official help channels had been set up, they were ...
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