local groups and organisations

Growing Great Places crowdfunding – spring drop-ins

Kirklees Democracy

The Growing Great Places community crowdfunding programme is back this Spring. Got a great idea to help your community recover, reconnect and thrive? Growing Great Places can help you to get your idea off the ground. Successful projects could also receive a pledge of up to £5,000 from Kirklees Council.

Springtime is about green shoots and sowing seeds, where new life grows and recovers after the cold winter months. In similar way we know that people in our local places are coming up with great new ideas to help their community recover and thrive.

Kirklees Council are now launching the Growing Great Places spring funding round to support groups anywhere in Kirklees who are aiming to start a project this summer.

Got an idea that will help people’s health and wellbeing in your local place? Want to reconnect people to grow friendships and tackle loneliness? Setting up new activities to support young people? If you’ve got a great idea for helping your community build back better, Growing Great Places can help you generate support from residents, businesses and Kirklees Council to make it happen.

Drop-in sessions – March 2021

Spacehive and Kirklees Council are running free drop-in sessions where you can get advice and support. We’ll be on hand to answer your questions and to share advice about running a successful crowdfunding campaign. Our online sessions include different breakout rooms where you can get the support that’s right for you. So whether you’re almost ready to get started with your project, or just working on some ideas, we can help.

The deadline to have your project ready to crowdfund is 21st April 2021. Come along to one of our drop-in sessions in March to get all the support you need to get your project ready in time.

Register to take part

This is a great opportunity to further develop the spirit of community you’ve already done so much to grow.

Growing Great Places

 

 

How can more people come together to make local places better?

Kirklees Democracy

Illustrations from our workshops

Online workshops, February 2021

We know that mutual aid groups and community organisations have made a huge difference in our local places over the past year. So we hope you’ll want to be part of these workshops about how we can help more people feel confident in their ability to make our local places even better.

These workshops for Kirklees citizens are an opportunity to meet with other local people to look to the future. It’s a bit of an experiment for us. But what we know for sure is that now, more than ever, we want to work with and alongside each other in our local places.

Please come and share your experiences, listen to other people’s stories and make new connections. 

You will take part in two workshop discussions. You can register now for one of these first sessions:

  • Tuesday 16th February, from 2pm to 4pm
  • Thursday 18th February, from 10am to 12 noon
  • Saturday 20th February, from 10am to 12 noon
  • Wednesday 24th February, from 5pm to 7pm
  • Friday 26th February, from 10am to 12 noon

We’ll arrange the second session with you later, at a time that’s suitable for you.

The workshops will be online via Zoom video call. They will involve a mixture of activities and small group discussions. It’s a safe environment and everyone will have a chance to talk. We hope you’ll want to join in. 

Register to take part

The workshops will be run by the Kirklees Democracy team and an organisation called the New Citizenship Project, who are supporting this work.

People Helping People – 27th January 2021

Kirklees Council

People Helping People network

The next online People Helping People local network event is on Wednesday 27th January 2021 from 10.30am to 12 noon. It’s run by Third Sector Leaders Kirklees, to help small community organisations in local places across Kirklees to get together, meet each other, share what you are doing and learn what others are doing. It is another chance to share best practice and discuss how we might be able to support each other.

What funding & investment do you need to thrive in 2021?

Join other community organisations to discuss your views on what funding and investment is needed to support local groups in places across Kirklees. Hear from other local organisations, share experiences, find out what funding is available now and get help to apply.

How to take part

This meeting will take place online and you will receive a link that you click to join the meeting nearer the time. You do not need any special software, or to download anything or set up an account. You should just be able to click and join.

People Helping People – register on Eventbrite

 

If you have any problems or questions about accessing the meeting, please contact comms@tslkirklees.org.uk

Green Doctor – Fuel Poverty Awareness Course

Kirklees Council

Groundwork’s Green Doctor is a free service that helps households to stay warm, stay well, save money on their household bills and reduce carbon. Groundwork are offering free training for community groups, to help you support people where you live.

Helping people stay warm and well

Millions of households in the UK live in fuel poverty yet very few people understand the scale and severity of this complex issue. Each winter thousands of people die as a direct result of being unable to afford to heat their homes.

The Green Doctor service is completely free and provides valuable assistance to many vulnerable households. It may be an elderly person needing help switching, a young family applying for energy grants, or someone suffering from a health condition that’s made worse by the cold who is struggling to heat their home.

People who live in a housing association home or in council housing, those who rent privately and people who own their own home are welcome to participate in the Green Doctor scheme. The aim is to help people make the most of their income and to empower people to make informed decisions about energy use.

Fuel Poverty Awareness Course for community groups and frontline workers

In order to increase awareness of this free service, the Green Doctors are running a series of presentations and training sessions for community groups and frontline workers.

Presentations cover topics such as:

  • Switching supplier
  • Tariffs
  • Payment options
  • Smart Meters
  • Energy efficiency
  • Damp / Mould / Condensation advice
  • Additional support
  • Carbon Monoxide
  • Green Doctor service

Register to take part

Fuel Poverty Awareness Course – 6th January 2021 from 12 noon to 4pm 
Fuel Poverty Awareness Course – 20th January 2021 from 12 noon to 4pm

Groundwork – North East and Yorkshire

Community Voices – can your group be a voice in your community?

Kirklees Council

Community Voices is about hearing the views of residents, especially those who are seldom heard, specifically in relation to health.

Did you know that the NHS has a duty to involve local communities when health service changes are being considered? Did you know that local voluntary or community organisations can train for free to get the knowledge and skills to carry out accredited engagement and consultation work locally?

The Community Voices programme supports voluntary and community organisations with training for their staff or volunteers to become an accredited ‘Community Voice’ and then seek the views of the organisation’s members to inform health service changes. Local groups and organisations are really well placed to help residents have a voice.

Once the accredited training has been completed, groups can earn money for their local voluntary or community organisation for each survey completed. Accreditation lasts for 12 months, at which point a refresher course needs to be taken.

The free training to help groups to become Community Voices has 5 elements:

  1. Understanding how the NHS Works
  2. Legal and Statutory Duties of the NHS
  3. Methods and Approaches to Engagement and Consultation
  4. A Practical Task
  5. Equalities, safeguarding and review and evaluation

The next virtual Community Voices training runs on the following dates:

  • Session 1: Wednesday 20th January 2021
  • Session 2: Wednesday 27th January 2021
  • Session 3: Wednesday 3rd February 2021
  • Session 4: Wednesday 10th March 2021

All sessions are held online through Zoom and last from 10am to 12 noon. Participants need to be able to commit to attending all four sessions.

If you are interested or want more information please email engagement@cvac.org.uk or contact Laura Beesley on 07535 184368.

 

People Helping People – 12th November 2020

Kirklees Council

The next online People Helping People local network event is on Thursday 12th November 2020 from 11.30am to 12.30pm.It’s run by Third Sector Leaders Kirklees, to help small community organisations in local places across Kirklees to get together, meet each other, share what you are doing and learn what others are doing. It is another chance to share best practice and discuss how we might be able to support each other.

Supporting people through lockdown, Christmas and beyond…

Join other like-minded local organisations to discuss how we can think differently about supporting people and run covid safe activities during lockdown and beyond. Hear from other local groups, share experiences and get information, advice and support.

How to take part

This meeting will take place online and you will receive a link that you click to join the meeting nearer the time. You do not need any special software, or to download anything or set up an account. You should just be able to click and join.

People Helping People – register on Eventbrite

 

If you have any problems or questions about accessing the meeting, please contact comms@tslkirklees.org.uk

Adult Safeguarding: training to help you keep people safe

Kirklees Council

Adult Safeguarding week runs from 19th to 23rd October 2020. Third Sector Leaders Kirklees are running some important sessions for local groups and volunteers. Never before have citizens in our communities been so active in supporting vulnerable people. TSL Kirklees continue to offer new learning and awareness events to make sure we remain informed.

If you’re interested in attending a free session to learn more, or if you know a group or volunteer who might be, you can find out more and book your free place now…

Scams and Frauds Training

Delivered by the Financial Exploitation and Abuse Team at West Yorkshire Trading Standards 

Tuesday 20th October from 10am to 12 noon

This training will be relevant to staff and volunteers who are supporting vulnerable and isolated people anywhere in Kirklees. The session will provide information on Scams and Doorstep Crimes including new Covid-related scams in the local area. Illustrated with real case studies, it will also provide an overview of the role of WY Trading Standards and how you can report a concern.

The training will be hosted by Third Sector Leaders Kirklees and delivered via Zoom.

Book your free place for the scams and frauds training 

Adult Safeguarding Basics

For Community and Volunteer-led organisations anywhere in Kirklees

Thursday 22nd October from 6pm to 7pm

We all have a role to play in keeping people safe from harm and abuse. Covid has meant that more vulnerable adults are ‘invisible’ as they are unable to access their usual support services.

This short briefing for community groups and volunteer-run groups will include:

  • Measures your group can take to protect staff, volunteers and those who use your services or participate in your activities
  • Signs and indicators to look out for when you are helping ‘adults at risk’ in your community
  • What to do if you think someone may need help.

The Training will be delivered via Zoom by Third Sector Leaders Kirklees in partnership with Yorkshire Children’s Centre.

Book your free place for the safeguarding basics training

People Helping People event – 13th October 2020

Kirklees Council

The next online People Helping People local network event is on Tuesday 13th October 2020 from 1pm to 2.30pm. It’s run by Third Sector Leaders Kirklees, to help small community organisations in local places across Kirklees to get together, meet each other, share what you are doing and learn what others are doing. It is another chance to share best practice and discuss how we might be able to support each other.

Coping with the ever-changing lockdown rules

Looking for advice about what your group or organisation can (or can’t) do during Covid-19? We know that it’s a confusing and worrying time for organisations who are managing community spaces and running community activities. At this meeting you can hear advice from others who are going through the same thing.

How to take part

This meeting will take place online and you will receive a link that you click to join the meeting nearer the time. You do not need any special software, or to download anything or set up an account. You should just be able to click and join.

People Helping People – register on Eventbrite

 

If you have any problems or questions about accessing the meeting, please contact comms@tslkirklees.org.uk

The Covid Quilt Project – a stitch in time

Kirklees Council

The Covid Quilt Project is a nationwide project aimed at tackling social isolation by bringing people together to be part of something bigger in their community, by stitching our memories into the fabric of time.

By bringing people together in a creative space, to make bold statements about memorable moments in the time of Covid and piecing them together stitch by stitch, the project aims to document people’s experiences by creating a historical textile reflecting a living social history of our time.

But capturing memories and documenting them to look back on is only part of the story. This is also about people and places – a way to talk, create and give people a voice. It is about gaining new understanding of the local communities around us and how we coped.

This is a great opportunity to share your own memory with others, or to help other people to share something, and continue to help bind our communities together.

All project details are available online, including how to get a group together, a timeline for the project, and the support you can expect, such as regular updates, regular Zoom drop-in calls and mutual support and discussion groups.

Find out more

The Covid Quilt Project – patchwork group information (PDF)

Threads of survival – 999 Call for the NHS

Cooking up ideas in the Colne Valley – recipe book

Kirklees Council

Header image

Mutual aid groups in the Colne Valley have added something a little extra to their food deliveries after local organisations got together to create a recipe book. As well as being value for money, the recipes in the book are easy to make and are nutritionally balanced.

Third Sector Leaders Kirklees supported the groups with funding from One Community and One 17 Charitable Trust have produced the book. The recipe books will now be given out with food packs in the Colne Valley.

Liz Quinn, a director of Pride in Linthwaite, has put together the recipes. She says in the book:

“I’m an NHS dietician in my day job and I felt that this was something that I could help with. I tried to keep the recipes nutritionally balanced and easy to prepare, inexpensive and accessible for everyone. Tinned, dried and frozen foods can be a fantastic source of nutrients. We hope you enjoy the recipes.”

Among the 18 recipes are the likes of Sausage and Bean Stew, Pea and Pesto Soup, Tuna Pasta Bake and Tinned Meat Hash. If you fancy a dessert there is Banana Flapjack.

Just as different ingredients come together to make a healthy meal, it is the many different groups within a community working together who can make useful projects like this happen.

Co-operative Care Colne Valley are the community anchor organisation who are working with community groups and citizens to respond to needs and priorities across the Colne Valley. Along with mutual aid and community groups, they have been at the heart of support for the community during the Covid-19 crisis, providing food supplies, supporting isolated people and developing community activities in Linthwaite, Slaithwaite, Marsden and Golcar.

Community anchor organisations such as Co-operative Care Colne Valley play a significant role in bringing local groups together to help make healthier and happier communities.

See the recipe book

Delicious! Quick and easy great value family meals to make at home (PDF)