We are thrilled to be piloting a Connect & Spark Community. Once a month, community members are given emails of introduction to another community member to spark a conversation. This means that you can connect with voluntary, community, and social enterprise (VCSE) colleagues new and old, in a timeframe that suits you.
The voluntary, community, and social enterprise sector is really diverse, and the thing that unites us is that we are all founded and centred on doing good – whatever our objects. A huge challenge with this is demonstrating to other sectors (and sometimes ourselves) the value of what we do.
More than 480 Poor’s Lands or Poor’s Allotments still exist across Norfolk today, and they help with grants for household repairs and appliances, education, hospital transport and financial support.
Lots of our community buildings want to improve their energy effiiciency. This can be because they need to reduce their energy costs, or because they want to improve the environment - or both! We also know this can be a confusing journey to start out on. Finding the right solution, or getting trustworthy advice can be difficult, grants funds are competitive, and it can be hard to know where to start. If this sounds familiar, don't worry, we are here to help!
There’s been a positive announcement from the government about the future of social and affordable housing. Their new plan, Delivering a Decade of Renewal, recognises that some types of housing like homes in rural areas, supported housing, council-built homes, and community-led schemes, can cost more to build, but are still hugely important.
There’s no shortage of passion in Norfolk’s community buildings when it comes to tackling climate change, but knowing how and where to start can be a real challenge. Many are run by volunteers, rely on tight budgets, and serve rural or low income areas where every penny counts.
In an era where digital connectivity is integral to daily life, the UK government has introduced the Digital Inclusion Action Plan: First Steps, aiming to bridge the digital divide and ensure equitable access to technology for all citizens.
Under the new energy price cap, average energy bills will be £1,568 a year - a reduction of 7% compared to the previous price cap. That’s good news, right? Except that standing charges will increase by 10%. And, despite these lower prices, typical bills will still be almost 30% higher than in winter 2021-22.