A message from our Derbyshire Voluntary Action CEO Jacqui Willis.
Chesterfield has been selected by the Government as one of 55 towns to receive almost £20 million worth of funding (2024 to 2034) to invest in local people’s priorities.
This is an opportunity for you to influence how that money is spent! …….
Hi
I am delighted to let you know that I have been invited to sit on the Chesterfield Town Board and am looking forward to ensuring the needs and interests of our vibrant and resourceful voluntary and community sector are well represented.
As you may be aware, the Board will have responsibility for the allocation of significant funds for our town over the next few years and this is your chance to provide your own views about the priorities for the Board’s work. I do urge you to complete the survey – the more of you who do the better the picture we get to steer our decisions. Here is a link to the survey for your convenience.
Is this the end of the road for voluntary sector funding in Derbyshire?
It is potentially devastating news for voluntary organisations and community groups across Derbyshire. From Tuesday 28th May 2024, a 12-week consultation period opens until the 20th August 2024.
The consultation is open to anyone who lives in Derbyshire (not Derby City).
Due to Derbyshire County Council’s financial situation, they are considering how to prioritise spending on services they are required to provide by law against those that they are not required by law to deliver.
The impact of this could be catastrophic for the voluntary sector across Derbyshire AND the thousands of people they support.
The consultation is called “End of discretionary grant funding”. The Council seem to be clear about what their intentions are. If we have any chance of changing their mind we need as many people as possible to complete the consultation.
What do they want to stop funding?
The proposal is to stop adult social care grants, which would affect 30 community and voluntary groups. In total these currently receive annual grants totalling just over £722,000.
A further 20 groups would be affected by the proposal to stop corporate services and transformation grants. These receive grants totalling just over £333,000.
Seven of the organisations are affected by both proposals.
Derbyshire Voluntary Action receives £18,166 from Adult Social Care and £5,305 from the Corporate Services and Transformation grants scheme. These funds support our infrastructure work for 500+ member groups and the wider health and wellbeing voluntary sector across North Derbyshire.
Our infrastructure services include administering a small grants scheme, assisting voluntary groups in their development and partnership working, ensuring they have a strong voice, and enabling their active engagement in new health and wellbeing service initiatives.
We also offer a community hub in the centre of Chesterfield and deliver projects and training for small community groups across Chesterfield and NE Derbyshire, enhance physical mobility and neighbourhood connections, and provide training for small community groups.
Our Feeling Connected project combats social isolation by helping people to become more socially active. This project also supports individual looking to enhance their community impact.
If the DCC funding was to end it would be very difficult for us to continue that work or to participate in any infrastructure networks, emergency response forums or work collaboratively across sectors. The strength of our response to the pandemic and the cost-of-living crisis has relied upon these strong linkages.
PLEASE, take 5 mins to read the information on the Council’s website and then complete the consultation. Paper versions of the consultation are available to people who do not have access to a digital device.
ThinkFest! 2024 is back, bigger and better than ever! This year, it will back at Vicar Lane on Saturday 25th May from 10am-3pm with an exciting line up of entertainers, workshops and panels.
ThinkFest! is Derbyshire’s first mental health style festival that opens up conversations and awareness around mental health, suicide and wellbeing in Chesterfield town centre. This years theme is ‘Songs That Saved Your Life’ and all of our performers will be singing songs that have got them through some of their toughest times as well as sings submitted by our audiences. We want to share those relatable moments as if it has helped you, it might just be the song that someone else needs to hear to help them.
Learn what services and support are available to you. There will be a line-up of amazing performers, speakers and live music to keep you entertained.
The event is free to attend and no tickets are required.
The Hub @ Low Pavement, June 1st – 30th. Mon-Thurs, 10am-3pm.
An exhibition of 50 ways to volunteer in your neighbourhood, with inspirational stories from people who volunteer across Chesterfield and NE Derbyshire.
The Chesterfield Mental Health Network has collated on activities that are happening in Chesterfield around Mental Health Mental Health Awareness Week this year.
Mental Health Awareness Week is hosted every May by the Mental Health Foundation. Mental Health Awareness Week 2024 will take place this year from the 13th-19th of May with the theme of “Movement: Moving more for our mental health”. The annual event is an opportunity for us to focus on achieving good mental health. The event has grown to become one of the biggest awareness weeks across the UK and globally.
Being active is important for our mental health. Many of us struggle to get ourselves moving and keep ourselves active. We know there are many different reasons for this, so this Mental Health Awareness Week we want to help people to find moments for movement in their daily routines. Going for a walk in your neighbourhood, putting on your favourite music and dancing around the living room, chair exercises when you’re watching television – it all helps!
As well as the national events, Chesterfield Mental Health Network have been working with local partners in Chesterfield to support ‘Mental Health Awareness Week 2024’ and incorporate the theme of ‘“Movement: Moving more for our mental health”’. There are free face to face and virtual sessions and activities throughout Mental Health Awareness week, please see the timetable.
DCC Toolkit of resources for Mental Health – DCC have designed and collated a toolkit of resources which includes social media posts and templates. You can download and share these throughout the year. Move More and connect with nature toolkit is found here – https://bit.ly/DerbyshireMHToolKit
Let’s Chat Derbyshire, connecting with outdoors and nature – The Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Team have been developing some resources and an online map to promote, as well as local physical activity, mental health groups and connecting with nature opportunities to “move more.” This also links to the Let’s Chat Benches across Derbyshire. Webpage and shareable link: https://bit.ly/Movemorenature Let’s Chat Derbyshire Map: https://bit.ly/MHPAMap
Chesterfield Walking Festival – this starts on Saturday 11th May until Sunday 19th May. Explore the highlights of the Chesterfield area on a guided walk. There is something for everyone – it’s the perfect opportunity to get out and about and explore the great outdoors. Most walks are free and are led by trained guides. For more information and to book a place: https://www.visitchesterfield.info/whats-on/walking-festival
1. Looking After Yourself – Dr Melanie Hani, Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Practitioner for the Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise (VCSE) Sector, Derbyshire County Council
‘Looking after Yourself’ talks about boundaries and how to protect your time and your mental health. Dr Melanie Hani’s role is to support the well-being and mental health of those working or volunteering in the voluntary, community and social enterprise sectors.
2. Think Fest! 2024 – Songs that saved our lives – Ellie Marie Scott, The Georgia Bird Foundation
ThinkFest! is Derbyshire’s first mental health style festival that opens up conversations and awareness around mental health, suicide and wellbeing in Chesterfield town centre. This year, it will back at Vicar Lane on Saturday 25th May from 10am-3pm with an exciting line up of entertainers, workshops and panels.
3. Trauma Informed Derbyshire – Lizzie Watt, Public Health Lead, Derbyshire County Council
Derbyshire County Council Public Health are collaborating across the system with education, health and care providers to work towards a trauma informed county. We are supporting the development of a better understanding of the impacts of trauma across the life course and how being trauma informed can help us all to promote recovery, reduce inequalities and improve the life chances of all who live and work in Derbyshire.
4.Derbyshire County Council Consultation on Discretionary Funding
a. Consequences and wider implications to the VCSE of loss of discretionary funding; that is funding which is not a statutory responsibility of Derbyshire County Council.
b. As statutory services pressures increase, what implications does this bring to a voluntary sector at stretched capacity?
5. Evaluating the VCSE Memorandum of Understanding in Derby/Derbyshire
The Memorandum of Understanding was launched in June 2023 and set out cultures, behaviours, aspirations and actions necessary for the Integrated Care System, the Integrated Care Board and the VCSE sector to work effectively together as partners. It was recognised that for the MoU to be effective, it would need to be evaluated annually. We will be creating a space to facilitate conversations on the seven key questions relating to VCSE engagement priorities outlined in the MoU.
The course explores how we can manage and maintain our mental health within each season and across a year, it includes practical tools as well as strategies to support wellbeing along with resource packs. Seasonal follow up group sessions will be on offer for those wanting to revisit aspects of the course. This course is aimed at those living with, or those supporting people with mild to moderate ill mental health, as well as anyone interested in self-development and building emotional resilience.
Course: Free 4 week Mental Health Through The Seasons When: Tuesdays 4th, 11th, 18th & 25th June Time: 10am – 12pm Where: West Studios, Sheffield Road, Chesterfield, S41 7LL
The Hub @ Low Pavement provides opportunities to build confidence and connect, with a range of groups and activities. We also provide a personal coaching service called ‘Springboard’, which enables people to broaden their network of places and activities within Chesterfield. The ‘Hub Welcome Sessions‘ and ‘Five Ways to Flourish‘ events are designed to welcome new people into the Hub and also introduce them to partner organisations.
