Village halls and community buildings are at the heart of our rural and urban communities. 2020 has been a tough year, with lockdown and compulsory closures for all. However, the Covid-19 pandemic has provided a special opportunity for those involved in running village halls across the East of England to share experiences, ideas, opportunities, and resources.
Many mutual aid groups and Good Neighbour Schemes are even more active in the final run-up to Christmas. Just one example is Thorpe Helping Hands, operating across south-east Norwich.
At CAN we work closely with the Borough Council of King's Lynn and West Norfolk on the Big Switch and Save energy switching project. There are three important news items about Big Switch and Save that we’d like to convey to West Norfolk residents, and we’d be grateful for the help of VCSE groups and organisations working in the area to help spread the word.
The scheme offers a package of support to help give families peace of mind in the run up to Christmas and over the winter months by helping those suffering from financial hardship due to Covid-19.
The support includes food vouchers for the schools holidays and emergency food ingredient boxes, as well as help with fuel costs and everyday living expenses.
Every VCSE organisation has a duty to safeguard volunteers, staff members, participants and donors, and to have appropriate and proportionate policies and procedures in place. Likewise, staff and volunteers themselves need to aware be aware of their individual responsibilities to themselves and to their clients, service users and hirers.
Our CANConnect service, working in partnership with Future Projects, operates throughout the former North Norfolk Clinical Commissioning Group area. CANConnect has worked regularly with Redwings Horse Sanctuary in Aylsham in offering social events aimed at bringing together people from across the area who are experiencing loneliness and social isolation.
Action Fraud, the Charity Commission and the Fundraising Regulator are warning the public to remain vigilant when making charitable donations this Christmas. Whilst the warning is directed to the giving public, it’s important for VCSE organisations themselves to understand the implications of potential impersonation fraud.
The Benjamin Foundation is well known across Norfolk and Suffolk for its sterling work in bringing hope, opportunity, stability and independence to children, young people and families experiencing life’s challenges. This includes working to prevent youth homelessness, offering emotional wellbeing support and providing positive activities for young people with limited opportunities.
Reconditioned laptops, access to wifi, broadband dongles are just some of the items being distributed to families like you unable to access the internet during the Coronavirus pandemic