Uncategorized – Page 10 – Willingham Parish Council

NHS App Support Session

Cambridge Northern Villages Primary Care Network are running NHS App support sessions for patients who use Willingham Surgery.

The session will be run on Tuesday 16th April from 9am – 11am.

Willingham Parish Council Meeting – 3rd April 2024

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Planning Meeting 20th March 2024

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Measles and MMR vaccination campaign

Measles and MMR toolkit – CCC (002)Download

Monthly Update – Communities Service – Strategy and Partnerships Cambridgeshire County Council

Please find below some information you may wish to share and investigate further to help support your community groups and service users. There are a number of external funding opportunities as well so please do take a look.

I will aim to email regularly with useful information and will of course be in touch as and when I see information that may be relevant to you. Please do get in touch with the team via this email should you have any questions or would like some support with setting up a group or have an idea or activities you would like to share.

A little reminder about the Community Reach Fund: Community Reach Fund – Cambridgeshire County Council for new projects for up to £1000 and an enabler for up to £500 for existing projects requiring a boost. (for areas qualifying for S106 and the Kickstart fund please get in touch as well).

It is still not yet confirmed whether the funding from Central Government is to continue, but the CCC have taken the decision to close the local offer – Household Support Fund – Cambridgeshire County Council

The CCC are still continuing with the school meals vouchers, Over 23,000 vouchers distributed this half term to families in need – Cambridgeshire County Council

DASV – Domestic Abuse Basic Awareness e-learning module has been updated with some new content but it’s still free for anyone to access. Please note that they are no longer offering a certificate for completion of the e-learning module as it’s awareness based rather than formal training and has no CPD value. The e-learning can be accessed at Cambridgeshire County Council DASV Partnership – Domestic Abuse Awareness (cambsdasv.org.uk)

Library at Home in South Cambs – a series of drop in information sessions to promote the Library at Home offering at five South Cambs libraries in March and April – dates and times as follows:

Sawston – Wednesday 13^th March 11.30am-1pm
Linton – Tuesday 19^th March 1pm-2.30pm
Great Shelford – Tuesday 26^th March 11am-12.30pm
Histon – Thursday 28^th March 10.30am-12pm
Bar Hill – Wednesday 10^th April 10.30am-12pm

FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES

George, Project Support Officer for Plunkett UK – a funding opportunity in your area.

Plunkett UK has received funding from Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority to support communities in the area’s market towns and rural hinterlands to save assets which are at risk of closure, or which have already closed, or to bring new services to their locale.

Plunkett supports people in rural areas to set up and run a wide range of businesses which are genuinely owned by local communities, whereby members have equal and democratic control. They represent community businesses throughout the UK, from shops and pubs through to woodlands, farms, and fisheries.

Funding from the Combined Authority has enabled Plunkett to offer community groups exploring community business as a way to address their communities’ needs, free packages of business support covering everything from financial planning to governance, plus feasibility grants of up to £5,000 and capital grants of up to £45,000.

Business support and grants will be available until March 2025 and can be accessed by contacting Plunkett on 01993 630 022 or emailing info@plunkett.co.uk.

More information can be found here: www.plunkett.co.uk/cambridgeshire-and-peterborough-combined-authority-area-partner-with-plunkett-to-help-communities-save-community-assets-in-their-area/

George Ogier (He/Him)
Project Support Officer

Plunkett UK, The Quadrangle, Woodstock, Oxfordshire OX20 1LH
Tel: 01993 630022 | Direct: 01993 630250
Small Grants for Summer Playschemes (UK) Grants of between £500 and £1,000 will soon be available to registered charities across the UK to fund summer playschemes for children between the ages of 5-16 years. The funding is available to registered charities, CICs, CIOs or exempt charities with an annual income of less than £100,000. If the applicant is not a registered charity, then a registered charity may apply on the scheme’s behalf. Charities can apply for funding to run playschemes for a minimum of two weeks, ten full days or twenty half days during the summer holidays. Priority will be given to small, local schemes involving a large number of children, especially those with disabilities or from disadvantaged backgrounds. The funding is being made available through the Woodward Charitable Trust’s Summer Playscheme which will be open to applications from the 26th February 2024 until the 5th April 2024. Useful Links: Guidelines Back to Table of Contents https://woodwardcharitabletrust.org.uk/portfolio/diary_page/

Grants of up to £7,500 for Projects Tackling Loneliness Amongst Older People (England, Scotland and Wales) Grants of up to £7,500 are available to grassroots charitable organisations such as registered charities, community groups, and community interest companies for projects that tackle loneliness amongst older people in England, Scotland and Wales. The McCarthy Stone Foundation’s Community Grants Programme will support the delivery of befriending and other 1-1 direct support services that are designed to reduce levels of loneliness and social isolation experienced by people aged over 65. The funding is only available to organisations providing direct person centred interventions e.g., Befriending to address loneliness. This funding does not cover connector or infrastructure services, such as Citizens Advice or Community Transport. The funding will support the core and project costs of smaller organisations with annual incomes under £250,000 working in deprived areas. To help ensure an equitable allocation of funds and to help with the selection of grant applicants, the Foundation has taken the decision this year to adopt a place-based approach. Funding will be prioritised to organisations able to demonstrate they are working in specified locations across our six grant-award regions. Details of the specified locations are in the Guidance Document. The deadline for applications is 5pm on the 16th March 2024. Useful Links: Guidance Back to Table of Contents https://mccarthystonefoundation.org/our-grant-programmes/

New Fund Launched to Promote Mental Health through Nature (England, Scotland and Wales) The Peoples Health Trust has launched a new Nature for Health grants programme aimed at supporting local community initiatives that promote health and wellbeing through nature-based activities. The funding is available to local community organisations in specific areas across England, Scotland, and Wales. Further information on these regions is available in the programme guidance (link below) Eligible organisations can apply for grants of £20,000 to £40,000 for activities lasting 2 years. Applicants are asked to secure match funding of at least 25% of the grant value. Funded activity should focus on working with people who are experiencing mental health problems (for example anxiety, panic attacks, depression, loneliness) and: • Are experiencing socio-economic disadvantage; • Are experiencing marginalisation and discrimination (for example, people from racialised communities, LGBTQ+ people, disabled people, excluded young people and those struggling to attend school (aged 11-18) • Or are otherwise less likely to access support (for example, men of all ages). Introduced in response to the growing recognition of the positive impact of nature on mental and physical health, the grant seeks to address health inequalities and promote the wellbeing and mental resilience of individuals and communities. The closing date for stage 1 applications is 1pm on the 20th March 2024. Applicants successful at this stage will have until 1pm on the 1st May 2024. Useful Links: Programme Guidance Back to Table of Contents https://www.peopleshealthtrust.org.uk/news/stories/nature-for-health-launches

British Gas Energy Trust Re-opens its Individuals and Families Fund (England, Wales & Scotland) Individuals and families will be able to apply for grants of up to £2,000 to clear domestic gas and electricity debts. The Individual and Families Fund, administered by the British Gas Energy Trust, will provide eligible customers with a grant to clear outstanding arrears with their energy supplier. Any British Gas and non-British Gas customer in England, Wales and Scotland who has sought money or debt advice, and not received a grant from the Trust in the past 2 years, is eligible to apply for the support. However, customers of Boost, Eon, Eon Next, EDF, Scottish Power, Ovo, Octopus, SSE and Utility should apply to their own respective funds. Applicants with energy arrears over £2,000 will not be eligible to apply. The fund will be open to applications from the 4th December 2023 until 4pm on the 8th March 2024, but may close earlier if all funding has been allocated. Back to Table of Contents https://britishgasenergytrust.org.uk/grants-available/

£7.5 Million in Funding for Sports Clubs Crowdfunding Campaigns (England) £7.5 million of National Lottery funding is available to support clubs and community organisations to set up and run their own crowdfunding campaigns to help improve their sustainability. Sport England’s Active Together Fund is a crowdfunding initiative that can match fund successful Crowdfunder campaigns by up to £10,000. • To be eligible to apply, organisations must be: • local sports clubs • charities, community, voluntary and social enterprise sector organisations that deliver sport and/or physical activity in their local community • town or parish councils delivering activity within their community • education establishments that provide access for their whole community The initiative will support organisations impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic, as well as the emerging energy, cost of living or other local crises, to cover additional costs such as: • facility refurbishments, maintenance or improvements • adapting facilities to ensure a safe return to play • running new activity to meet demand, post-pandemic, helping the community to recover • unforeseen events continuing to impact on finances – fire, theft, vandalism or adverse weather • the emerging energy crisis – changing facilities to lower energy consumption Applications can be made at any time. Useful Links: Guidance Back to Table of Contents https://www.sportengland.org/funds-and-campaigns/our-funds/active-together

Funding Available for Youth-led Nature Projects (UK) Grants of £500 are available for youth-led projects that celebrate UK native wildflowers, plants and fungi in exciting and engaging ways. The funding is made available to individuals and groups of young people through Grow Wild’s Youth Grants programme to support young people to deliver a wide range of creative projects that will inspire communities and help people connect to each other and nature. Grants can be used for anything project-related, from basic materials and equipment to resources or training. Young people aged 14 to 25 can apply directly as an individual or as a group of up to 6 people, but will need to nominate a youth, community or education-focused organisation to support them with their project. Successful projects can be started in May and must be completed by the end of October 2024. The deadline for applications is 3pm on the 19th March 2024. Useful Links: Guidance for Applicants Back to Table of Contents https://growwild.kew.org/apply-grant/youth

FUNDRAISING PLEAE TO SHARE

Final thing to share is a fundraiser request from HOPE CIC as they wish to purchase an electric vehicle to assist with their Mobile food project.

Please take a look and support if you can, this will benefit many communities and residents. https://www.avivacommunityfund.co.uk/p/hope-cic-mobile-food-project

Willingham Parish Council meeting 6th March 2024

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Welcome to Cambridgeshire Matters February 2024 Cambridgeshire Matters is our monthly newsletter which aims to share good news, highlights and updates from across Cambridgeshire to help our network of district, city and community members stay informed.
Find out about the great work that is taking place to support everyone in the county. Share this newsletter with your communities and feel welcome to use any of the features in your own newsletter or on social media.

County agrees budget: Highways and anti-poverty services prioritised

Cllr Elisa Meschini, Cllr Tom Sanderson, and Cllr Lucy Nethsingha

On Tuesday 13 February, a meeting of Cambridgeshire County Council’s Full Council agreed a balanced budget for 2024/25.

The county council had to close a gap of £37.4m – with 75% of the council’s net spend now being funded from council tax.

The council has also prioritised a number of key areas, based on resident feedback from the Quality of Life survey, and are aligned with the vision to make Cambridgeshire greener, fairer and more caring.

These priorities include sustaining critical adults and children’s social care, highways funding, and support for vulnerable communities.

The county council agreed to a council tax rise of 4.99% (2% for adult social services) – raising £17.5m of local income to help maintain and protect critical services for the most vulnerable communities.
Read the full story on our website.

Have your say: Bus lane enforcement applications in South Cambridgeshire and Huntingdonshire

Image of a bus lane

There is still time for residents to have their say about two proposed applications regarding civil powers to enforce bus lane and bus gate restrictions in South Cambridgeshire and Huntingdonshire.

The surveys close on Monday 11 March.

Currently, bus lane and bus gate restrictions can only be enforced by the police. As part of the proposed changes, Cambridgeshire County Council is applying to the Department of Transport to transfer enforcement responsibilities from the police to the local authority. This would see offences treated as a civil matter and a penalty charge notice would be issued.

Find the Huntingdonshire survey here, and the South Cambridgeshire survey here.

Have your say on creating Healthy Places

Image of a park in St Ives, Cambridgeshire

Our public health team is inviting Cambridgeshire residents to have their say on how new and existing communities can be healthy, supportive and inclusive.

Work is currently underway to develop the Healthy Places Joint Strategic Needs Assessment for Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, a piece of work which will support the development of healthier, easy to access, and inclusive communities. To inform this, the team has launched a survey asking for views on access to healthcare services, inclusive and accessible green spaces, opportunities for active travel and healthy play and leisure, and the provision of affordable healthy food options.

The survey is open until Monday 15 April at 5pm. Complete the survey here.

It will take around 10-15 minutes to fill in and may be completed on behalf of yourself or someone you care for. If you’d prefer to complete a paper copy of the survey, you can pick one up from your local library or New Shire Hall from Monday 26 February.

If you have any questions about the survey or the Healthy Places Joint Strategic Needs Assessment for Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, please email healthinallpolicies@cambridgeshire.gov.uk.

Make sure you and your family are protected against measles
Image of a nurse writing on a clipboard

With cases of measles rising in some areas of the country, we are asking everyone to check their MMR (measles, mumps and rubella) vaccination status and get vaccinated if not up to date.

Measles is a highly infectious illness which can be very unpleasant and sometimes lead to serious complications. Two doses of the MMR vaccination give long-lasting protection against measles.

In the UK, the MMR vaccination is given as part of the routine childhood vaccination schedule. The vaccine is free, available from GPs and anyone can catch up at any age on missed doses. An alternative MMR vaccination is available which does not contain pork products.

Walk-in vaccination clinics are taking place across Cambridgeshire. These are for anyone over the age of one year who is not up to date with their MMR vaccinations. Details of upcoming clinics can be found here.

Individuals should check their vaccination status if possible before attending one of these clinics. Vaccination records are in a child’s personal health record (red book). Adults can check if they’ve been vaccinated with their GP or vaccination records from childhood.

Further information on measles including symptoms to look out for can be found on the NSH website.

Share your views on electric vehicles and planning for more charging points

Image of an electric charger plugged into an electric car

With more and more electric cars on our roads, the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority are asking people across the county for their views on electric vehicles (EV) and electric vehicle charging points.

Working with Cambridgeshire County Council and Peterborough City Council, the Combined Authority are seeking local opinions to help plan for more EV charging points in the region to help meet demand.

The Combined Authority is responsible for transport planning in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, and its recently approved Local Transport and Connectivity Plan aims to transform journeys in the region, including lowering greenhouse gas emissions to support net zero carbon emissions targets.

The survey only takes five minutes to complete, and can be completed here. Alternatively, email your comments to transport@cambridgeshirepeterborough-ca.gov.uk or request a hard copy of the survey by emailing the same address or calling 01480 277180.

The survey closes on 26 March 2024. Download the poster to share in your community spaces.

Download the ’50 things to do before you’re five’ app for fun experiences

Image of a parent and a child playing with building blocks

Parents and carers across Cambridgeshire can download the ‘50 things to do before you’re five‘ app, which includes free or low-cost activities for you and your child to experience together.

Each of the ‘50 things‘ on the app have been carefully developed by education experts, early years practitioners and parents to provide a diverse and educationally enriching range of activities for children aged 0-5 years old.

All the suggestions on the app are free or low-cost experiences that include indoor, outdoors, seasonal, home-based, and out-and-about activities – that are not only fun but help with learning and language development.

Also on the app is the option to create a memory bank of those special moments – to revisit, reflect on, and look back on later in life.

Download the app on the iOS app store or via Google Play.

Read a Little Aloud sessions in libraries

Image of a reading group listening to an author read a book

Why not join one of Cambridgeshire Libraries ‘Read A Little Aloud’ sessions and listen to volunteers reading aloud in a friendly and relaxed environment.

Six back, relax and listen – the sessions are a great opportunity to listen to a variety of poems and extracts from books, and discover authors who might be new to you.

The monthly themed sessions take place in different locations across Cambridgeshire, and are drop-in events with no need to book in advance. To find the closest library to you offering ‘Read A Little Aloud’ sessions, please visit the Cambridgeshire Libraries website.

Further updates from around Cambridgeshire

Find below an additional range of news, highlights and updates from around the county this month:
* Wisbech incinerator decision announced by Government.
* Honorary Alderman award for former ‘father of the council’.
* Rural business opportunities on three council-owned farm sites. * Access information and resources for your health and wellbeing on the Be Well in Cambridgeshire website.
* Access support with running or starting up a business with the Business and IP Centre Cambridgeshire.

Updates from the Communities Service

Image of a person holding a smart phone

The Armed Forces Covenant is a promise between the nation, the government and the Armed Forces community – ensuring that those who serve, and have served, in the Armed Forces and their families, are treated fairly and are not disadvantaged by their service.

The Covenant covers all serving personnel, regular and reservists, and their families, as well as bereaved families, veterans and cadet adult volunteers. The Armed Forces Covenant Officer, Tommy Kelly, sits within the Communities Service, and plays a vital role across the county.

One very practical way all of us can support this work is to download the Forces Connect app on our smartphones. Hosted by Surrey County Council, and with the Cambridgeshire section maintained by Tommy, the app contains links to, and information about, support and advice for the Armed Forces Community.

There are links across all support areas to national and Cambridgeshire-based civilian and military-focussed organisations. The Forces Connect app is free, and downloading ensures you can provide signposting support for a member of the Armed Forces Community.

Download the Forces Connect app

You can download the app on both Google Play and the Apple app store. Use the links below or simply search “Forces Connect” in your preferred app store:
Forces Connect on the Apple app Store
Forces Connect on Google Play
For more information about the Armed Forces Covenant, please contact Tommy Kelly.

Updates from Care Together
Carer holding the hand of an older person

Over 1,000 older people have already benefitted from Care Together

In the summer of 2023, we saw a number of the projects funded by Care Together start to deliver opportunities and impact for older adults across Cambridgeshire.

To date, over 1,000 older adults have benefitted from projects funded by Care Together. These have been co-produced with local communities, in partnership with City, District and Parish Councils, NHS colleagues and of course our vibrant Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise (VCSE) sector.

Projects that are making a significant difference in their communities include the Cambridge Independent Living Scheme Activities Coordinator, Over Day Centre Memory Café (in South Cambridgeshire), Cambridgeshire ACRE Community Hubs and Carers Neighbourhood Social Prescriber (both in East Cambridgeshire), Love to Move (in Huntingdonshire) and the Fenland Ferry Project Lunch Club. To find these and many other services in your community, search in your local area here.

The impact of these projects has included increased physical activity and better health outcomes for older adults, respite for carers of those with dementia, social inclusion in rural communities and urban centres, and increased quality of life for older adults across the county.

In addition, our team of Care Micro-Enterprise Development Officers have helped over 30 new Micro-Providers (CMEs) to provide local care and support across the county, with capacity for over 2,000 hours per week. You can find out more about CMEs on the dedicated webpage here.

For more information, as well as video interviews with partners and people accessing services themselves, watch our celebratory video made just before Christmas 2023, or contact the team at care.together@cambridgeshire.gov.uk.

Improve your digital know-how with courses from Cambridgeshire Skills

Improve your digital know-how this year with Cambridgeshire Skills, including the brand new, free online course ‘Introduction to AI using ChatGPT‘.

Learn more about ChatGPT and its capabilities, explore the ethical considerations in chatbot development, and discover practical applications of ChatGPT in real world scenarios.

Browse the Cambridgeshire Skills online directory to find more digital skills courses, including ‘Advanced formulas using Microsoft Excel‘ and ‘Digital Functional Skills Level 1‘.

Library coat rails keeping communities warm over winter Image of winter coats on a rail

Libraries in Cambridgeshire are helping dozens of people to stay warm this winter by offering free coats to those in the community experiencing financial hardship.

Libraries in Bar Hill and March, run by Cambridgeshire County Council, have a rail of winter coats that visitors can discreetly take without any questions being asked.

The rails in both libraries stock coats for adults and children and have proved very popular. Both libraries are still welcoming donations and plan to keep the rails available to anyone that might need a warm coat until the spring.

March Library is planning to replace the coat rail with other clothing soon to be in high demand, and Bar Hill Library is happy to receive suggestions of other services is can replace the coat rail with over spring and summer – if you have any ideas, get in touch with colleagues in the library, over social media, or by calling 0345 045 5225.

All our libraries are warm and welcoming spaces open to everyone. During particularly cold weather remember that you can visit your local library as a warm hub whilst taking advantage of their wide range of services.

We want to hear your views! Too long? Too short? Not enough relevant features? Let us know your thoughts after reading Cambridgeshire Matters so we can ensure our newsletter works for you. Please email the Internal Communications team.

Category: Uncategorized

NHS App Support Session

Willingham Parish Council Meeting – 3rd April 2024

Planning Meeting 20th March 2024

Easter Holiday Scheme

Measles and MMR vaccination campaign

ecops – Latest Court News

Arthur’s Shed

ECops Newsletter

Monthly Update – Communities Service – Strategy and Partnerships Cambridgeshire County Council

Willingham Parish Council meeting 6th March 2024

Planning Committee Meeting – Monday 4th March 2024

Warning after vans targeted by thieves

Planning Meeting 15th February 2024