Wem, Market Drayton and Albrighton residents survey is live - please share!

The residents survey is part of the place based Joint Strategic Needs Assessment (JSNA) work. The survey is a great opportunity for residents to have their say and the data collected is valuable for the development of health and wellbeing services. The team are calling on the communities help to spread the word to give everyone in the area the opportunity to complete the survey. Strong representation and a high response rate will have the greatest impact 

Visit the website here or scan the QR code or pick up digital copies from GP's and local libraries. Paper copies can be collected and returned via ‘post-boxes’ placed at the library and medical practice, for those who can’t or won’t complete the online survey. 

The survey will be open until 16^th December 23. 

Shropshire Winter HAF (Holiday Activities & Food) Programme is open for bookings!

Bookings for the Shropshire Winter / Christmas HAF (Holiday Activities & Food) Programme are now open.

Shropshire Council is working with local schools, voluntary and community organisations, and childcare providers to run an exciting holiday programme this Winter, Shropshire HAF (Holiday Activities and Food). 

From 21st December 2023 to 5th January 2024, eligible children and young people are invited to take part in a range of fun activities, happening at over 40 holiday clubs from across the county.

Watch the Winter HAF promo film to find out more.

What’s On Guide & Timetable of Clubs is available on the Shropshire HAF webpages.

During the summer, over 2,840 HAF eligible children and young people attended holiday clubs, participating in sports, arts, cooking, forest schools and other exciting opportunities. Children and young people who attended clubs became more socially connected.

Parents and carers also benefitted directly from HAF, in particular reporting reduced stress levels (70% of respondents), less need for childcare (75% of respondents) and didn’t need to worry about giving food (21% of respondents).

Over 12,700 free nutritious meals were provided at each session, as well as information about nutrition and healthy lifestyles to benefit the whole family.

A&E departments in Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin are ‘under extreme pressure’ and health leaders urge local community to ‘think which service’

Local health and care leaders are alerting residents that Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin’s A&E departments are under “extreme pressure” due to significant and sustained demand.

People are being urged to ‘think which service’ and choose the right service for their needs to help reduce the pressure and make sure everyone can get the care they need as quickly as possible.

Where to get help:

• Visit NHS 111 online or call 111 if you need urgent medical help. They can direct you to the right place and help you get treated sooner.
• Use your local pharmacist for minor ailments such as upset stomachs, earache, skin rashes and for relief of coughs and colds.
• Consider using your local Minor Injury Unit in Bridgnorth, Ludlow, Oswestry and Whitchurch. These can provide rapid treatment for injuries and illnesses that don’t require emergency hospital care.
• You can also contact your local GP if you have persistent or sudden symptoms
• If you have a loved one or family member in hospital, please help us get them home as soon as they are well enough to leave our care.

People should only go to an emergency department if they have a life-threatening injury or illness. Residents should attend appointments as booked and access the care as appropriate. There is no need to call and check if an appointment is going ahead. If an appointment is cancelled, those people affected will be contacted directly.

For help finding the right help fast, visit www.thinkwhichservice.co.uk.

Warm Welcome is Back and Looking for New Spaces

The 'Warm Welcome' campaign is back for another year, with hubs across the county including libraries and other community spaces. These are inclusive accessible places that offer a heated space for free, a friendly chat and can signpost to other services if necessary. 

You can find a full list of spaces here and they are still looking for more places to take part. If you have a space that could work, you can register and find out more here. 

There is grant funding available of up to £250 for participating venues. These venues provide vital cost of living support to ensure everyone has access to a warm, safe space.

Free Training to Support Families of Children with Diverse Needs to Learn About Money

Campaign for Learning is offering free fully funded practitioner training to support all families to learn about money

No specialist knowledge is needed to attend any workshop running between October and December 2023

This free 90-minute workshop for practitioners working with families offers a new inclusive family approach to learning about money. The approach supports children aged 3-7 with a focus on diverse needs, including autism spectrum disorders and social, emotional and behavioural difficulties.

The training is funded by the Money and Pensions Service and delivered by Campaign for Learning.

By attending you will:

• Learn how to deliver an inclusive, differentiated and accessible financial education programme through rich learning experiences using Makaton, sensory icons, storytelling, songs, games and family activities
• Receive all the resources and tools you need to deliver the activities including facilitator’s guide, multimedia content, session plans and certificates

Find out more and book your free place here.

Warm welcome Promised at Dementia Support Groups

A warm welcome is promised to new members joining dementia support groups based in Shrewsbury and Bridgnorth.

Three groups – run by volunteers and staff from local charity Age UK Shropshire Telford & Wrekin – are currently welcoming new members.

Emotional support and information are offered alongside a friendly social environment in which people can share experiences in a relaxed atmosphere and make new friends.

The groups are for local people with dementia or memory difficulties, along with their families, carers and friends. Currently, Shrewsbury groups in Monkmoor (based at Forest Way community room) and Copthorne (at Lindale Court), as well as the Bridgnorth group (which meets at St Leonard’s Church Hall) are welcoming newcomers.

To book your place at an upcoming meeting telephone Age UK Shropshire Telford & Wrekin on 01743 233 123 and select option 3 for our Wellbeing Services Team or send an email to enquiries@ageukstw.org.uk. The charity’s Dementia Support Workers are available to answer any questions about the group or our services.

Oswestry community meeting: Focus on the environment

28th November, 7pm-9pm, Hope Church Oswestry

Oswestry Town Council is hosting a Community Meeting focused on the environment. 

The meeting plans to discuss how Oswestry’s organisations and individuals can better tackle the twin crises of climate change and biodiversity net loss.

The event is open to all residents, local associations, businesses and stakeholders with an interest to share insights and support collaboration.

Find out more here.

The Clothworkers' Foundation - Digital Infrastructure Grants Webinar

Thursday 7th December, 10am Online

The Clothworkers Foundation have expanded their grants to include digital infrastructure projects. Attend this webinar to find out more. 

You can check your eligibility for the grant here and register here.

Shropshire Charity Network Face to Face Networking Event 

Monday 27th November 5.30 - 7pm

This event will be a free and informal networking session for those working in and with the charity sector in Shropshire. The event will take place at the Lion and Pheasant in Shrewsbury in the large upstairs function room. 

Attendees can book via Eventbrite

Lights of Love

Sunday 3rd December, Severn Hospice Bicton Heath

 Now in its 25^th year, carols, music and readings to remember loved ones, culminating in a special moment of collective remembrance and reflection, before the Lights of Love tree is lit and shines for those in our thoughts. Dedicate a light to someone special and let their memory shine brightly.

Performances by Shrewsbury Male Voice, accompanied by Shrewsbury Brass Band. Free shuttlebus available from the nearby Oxon Park and Ride. See the website for more details.

Community Grants Officer

Shropshire Council's Feedback and Insight Team is seeking to recruit a Community Grant Officer. The focus of the role will involve working closely with Shropshire Council's Economic Growth Team to coordinate grant schemes aimed at supporting Shropshire's local businesses, voluntary and community sector groups and organisations to access external investment in the form of grant funding and civic crowdfunding.

Deadline 11th December 2023, find out more here.

Tender for Community Needs Analysis for Shropshire, Telford & Wrekin

Community Resource, an Action with Communities in Rural England (ACRE) member charity, would like to outsource the implementation and delivery of a Community Needs Analysis (CNA) across Shropshire, Telford & Wrekin, where the charity operates.

Community Resource's mission is “to enable people to enjoy a good quality of life and empower people to help their communities thrive” and this CNA will assist in supporting the work that the charity does by helping to understand what is important to people in Shropshire to improve their physical and mental health and wellbeing.

A note of interest should be submitted by Friday, 1^st of December with presentation of proposals in the week commencing 11^th December and the final report delivered on 8^th May 2024.
Find out more and apply here.

Tennis Shropshire would like to recruit a volunteer to lead on ED&I

Tennis Shropshire would like to recruit a volunteer to lead on ED&I and Open Court, the LTA’s nationwide strategy which actively promotes and delivers opportunities for disabled people to get involved in tennis.

If anyone is interested then please contact Fiona Jones, Tennis Shropshire Chair at info@tennisshropshire.co.uk for an informal chat.

Insight and Involvement Officer

Healthwatch Shropshire 

Healthwatch Shropshire are seeking a part time officer to implement Healthwatch Shropshire’s community engagement and communications strategy as part of the wider team.

You will go out and about meeting residents of Shropshire to listen to their experiences and support them to be involved in the development and improvement of local health and social care services. You will represent Healthwatch Shropshire at public events and stakeholder meetings.

Deadline 29th November 2023. Find out more and apply here.

Service Manager

Shropshire Supports Refugees

Shropshire Supports Refugees, is a multi-award-winning Community focused registered Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO). They support refugees and migrants who have come to live in Shropshire. They welcome people when they arrive in the county and develop services according to need.

'The ideal candidate will be someone who shares our vision of a cohesive community in Shropshire where diversity is celebrated, communities come together to support each other in difficult times, and share an optimistic view of the future.'

Find out more and apply here.

Read Easy Telford and Shropshire East 

The following opportunities are available, for further details about each of these roles please visit their website.

• Coordinator 
• Publicity Organiser
• Volunteer Recruiter
• IT Supporter 

Please contact Claire, the Team Leader, on 07941 515220 & tewrleader@readeasy.org.uk

www.readeasy.org

Deadline for Crowdfund Shropshire approaching

The deadline to pitch to the Crowdfund Shropshire fund is Wednesday 29th November. You must be pitched to the fund, verified and live by this date. As the verification process can take a few days, we recommend that you submit for verification as soon as possible. 

Please let the council team and/or Spacheive know if we can support you in any way to get ready in time. Not sure where to start - fill out this Project idea form and the Spacehive team can help you to get started. 

Spacehive have shared the below resources which should help you when pulling your project together. You can also visit their Help Centre

Video - How do I create a project? 

Video - How do I cost up my project?

Video - How do I pitch to a fund? 

UK Shared Prosperity Fund - Supporting People & Skills

Shropshire Council has been allocated £1,600,000 for the Supporting People and Skills Priority of Shropshire’s UK Shared Prosperity Fund to be delivered by March 2025.

The call is specifically for intermediary organisations to deliver support, services or/and grants to local individuals across Shropshire, such as through skills initiatives or/and grant programme, i.e., one to many. Projects must make a clear positive impact on the individual outcomes.

Seeking projects that will deliver from 1st April 2024 until 31st March 2025 under the Supporting People and Skills Priority.

Deadline Monday 18th December 2023. Apply here.

Veolia EnviroGrant Shropshire £15k scheme now OPEN

Veolia's EnviroGrant Shropshire scheme enables clubs or groups to apply for up to £1,000 in funding for projects that benefit the local community or environment in Shropshire. 

This could be projects that improve or protect the local environment through practical action or education, or projects that improve the quality of life for the local community by providing or improving facilities and resources.

The EnviroGrant scheme is aimed at groups who are looking to improve areas, from planting wildflowers to clearing paths to enable access.  Whether you are doing a project that focuses on reuse and recycling, or a local school looking at developing a forest school, they want to hear from you. Deadline is 3rd January 2024, apply here.

The High Sheriff of Shropshire’s Fund – Shropshire Community Foundation

The High Sheriff of Shropshire’s Fund is now open to applicants.

Organisations or community groups can apply for grant funding of up to £1250 to support youth led projects that encourage young people to positively contribute to their local community.

The High Sheriff is particularly keen to support projects that could go forward to the National Crimebeat Awards and therefore welcomes applications towards projects that provide opportunities for young people at risk of involvement in crime or exploitation. The fund is available to organisations or community groups based within Shropshire, Telford & Wrekin.

Applications will be assessed by a committee comprising of the High Sheriff, a trustee from the Shropshire Community Foundation and the High Sheriff in Nomination for Shropshire 2024/25. Phase one closing date is 15 December 2023.

Find all the details here: https://www.shropshirecommunityfoundation.org.uk/open-grants/

£250 grants available to support ‘Introduction to Tennis’ sessions for disability groups

Tennis Shropshire has received funding from the LTA THROUGH ITS open Courts programme and are therefore pleased to invite bids from community disability groups for £250 to fund 5 x one hour sessions in the Cathie Sabin Community Tennis Centre. These sessions would be daytime at a time to suit, coach led and tailored to the ability of the group.

These grants are limited so if any groups would like to apply then please contact info@tennisshropshire.co.uk to receive a form.

Lloyd's Bank Foundation Funding Programme for Specialist Small Charities

This new funding programme offers three-year unrestricted grants of £75,000 with tailored development support aimed at helping to strengthen charities and build the knowledge, skills and capabilities of staff and trustees. In addition, grants of up to £500 are available for groups who need accessibility support to apply.

The funding is for small, local, specialist charities with an annual income of between £25,000 and £500,000 who are providing in-depth services in one of the following eight themes:

• Addiction
• Asylum Seekers and Refugees
• Care Leavers
• Domestic Abuse
• Homelessness
• Offending
• Sexual Abuse and Exploitation
• Trafficking and Modern Slavery

Deadline 25th January 2024. Find out more on on guidelines, eligibility and how to apply here. 

Veterans Foundation Grant

Funding to help charities and other not-for-profit organisations that support serving and former members of the UK Armed Forces, and sometimes their dependants, who are in need.

The following grants are now available:

• Grants up to £30,000. This can be for one year or a multi-year grant for up to three years (eg, £10,000 per year over three years).
• Grants up to £50,000 (an increase from the previous £40,000) for the exclusive use of salary costs, over a two-year period may be awarded, (ie, £25,000 per year over two years).

Deadline 30th January 2024. Apply here.