Healthwatch Lancashire

 

From: Ed Saville

 

Sent: Friday, October 30, 2015 2:30 PM

Subject: Healthwatch Lancashire

Dear friends

 

Healthwatch has been in touch offering to improve their engagement with groups across Lancashire

 

They would like more people within Lancashire to have the opportunity to have their say on health and adult social care and particularly those groups and individuals who may be "seldom heard".

 

They are willing to meet any groups that you run or know of, with the hope of delivering a very short presentation about who they are and what they do.

They would also like to take the opportunity whilst engaging with the group to gain feedback and opinions from the group on their experiences of using services such as hospitals, dentists, GP's, ambulance, pharmacies and care homes.

This information will then be used to influence and improve health and adult social care services for the people of Lancashire. Groups will receive recognition for their valuable input.

 

Please take a look at their website for more details about them – www.healthwatchlancashire.co.uk

 

If you are interested, or know of any group that may be interested please contact Christina Morley

Communications Officer

Tel: 01524 230661|Mobile: 07809309276 |

Email: christina.morley@healthwatchlancashire.co.uk

 

FOODBANKS TO ROLL OUT REVOLUTIONARY 'FINANCIAL TRIAGE' PROGRAMME NATIONWIDE FOLLOWING £500,000 PERSONAL DONATION FROM MARTIN LEWIS

Trussell Trust taking a step to integrate other services into a More Than Food programme.

A £500,000 personal donation from 'MoneySavingExpert.com' Martin Lewis will allow the Trussell Trust, which runs a network of over 420 foodbanks across the UK, to roll out its ground-breaking 'financial triage, debt and money advice' to 30 foodbanks across the UK, helping thousands of people.

 read more here: http://bit.ly/20fjKi6

Book you place now for our Housing Justice Roadshow Event on November 12th

Housing Justice Road-show ;

A Lancashire Housing and Homelessness Event

Thursday November 12th 9.30- 4pm in Preston

Tickets are going fast but there is limited capacity so to be sure of your place book your free ticket online today go to www.homelessinpreston.org.uk

This is going to be a significant event for everyone across the county who is concerned with homeless people and housing issues in Lancashire today. We are particularly keen to emphasize the role of the church in tackling homelessness, and would love to see Church leaders, street pastors and Christian volunteers in the many drop ins and places of welcome around the county at the conference sharing experiences and learning how we can improve our ministry among homeless and vulnerable people.

We have secured as keynote speakers Alison Gelder and Jon Kurht who are well known nationally for their expertise in this field. They both have important things to to teach and encourage the church in respect of homelessness. They will be backed up on the day in workshop sessions by members of the Housing Justice team, by housing professionals from Lancashire's local councils, and by people with lots of experience in homelessness projects around Lancashire. Add in your own experiences and questions and this will make it a day not to be missed.

It is a free event but tickets must be ordered in advance. There will be a simple lunch - though we would welcome donations of £3 on the day to cover some costs. IF you have particular dietary requirements please contact the organiser when you book your tickets or at the latest by 1st November.

You can download a poster for the event here

and a guide on How to Help the Homeless this Winter

This event has been planned by a group representing a partnership of

• Together Lancashire

• Methodist Action North West

• Caritas Care

• Housing Justice

·An event aimed at the leaders and congregations of churches and Christians of Lancashire

·There will be some Christian prayer and theology during the day but the event is inclusive and open to all people of goodwill

·It is for all those who are concerned about homeless people and housing issues, including clergy, housing professionals, volunteers in homeless projects and activities, and people who have struggled personally with housing issues or have been homeless.

· Aiming to inspire and inform everyone about how best the church / Christians can make a difference around these issues

·Sharing information and best practice from housing professionals and charities

It is a free event but tickets must be ordered in advance. There will be a simple lunch - though we would welcome donations of £3 on the day to cover some costs. IF you have particular dietary requirements please contact the organiser when you book your tickets or at the latest by 1st November.

To book your free ticket online today go to www.homelessinpreston.org.uk

Registered Charity no 1147848 Registered company no 07966145
Together Lancashire Website http://www.cuf.org.uk/together-lancashire

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New funding available for local groups in Lancashire (including Blackpool and Blackburn) People's Health Trust

 
Local groups and organisations with great ideas to make their communities an even better place to live are now invited to apply for funding to turn their ideas into reality.

People's Health Trust has just launched Active Communities Lancashire, Blackpool, Blackburn and Darwen – a funding programme for local people wanting to create fairer places to grow, live, work and age.

Using money raised by HealthHeal through The Health Lottery, People's Health Trust is looking to invest in projects that support people living in the most disadvantaged neighbourhoods of Lancashire, Blackpool, Blackburn and Darwen.

Active Communities is a funding programme for not-for-profit groups with an income of less than £350,000 a year, or an average of £350,000 over two years, seeking investment of between £5,000 and £50,000 for projects lasting up to two years.

Projects could be almost anything that encourages strong connections between people, and that help people to make their communities or neighbourhoods even better places to grow, live, work and age.

People's Health Trust are looking for small and local projects, genuinely designed and run by local people. By small, they mean just a small group of people on an estate, in a few streets or villages.

They are also looking for great ideas from communities of interest. By this they mean a group of people who have something in common and wish to come together to address something that is important to them. These ideas could be based in one neighbourhood, or cover a wider area.

John Hume, Chief Executive, People's Health Trust, says: "We're looking to support ideas designed and run by local people which help create even stronger links and ties within communities. Whether it's a women's volunteering group run by and for Bengali women; a computer skills support group run for and by older people; support for local people to become community organisers; or young people living with mental ill-health wishing to address access to work issues or discrimination, we're interested to hear about it.
"Applying couldn't be easier - it's about local people telling us what would make their local community an even better place grow, live, work and age."

The closing date for applications is 1:00pm on Wednesday 11 November 2015. To apply for funding, visit www.peopleshealthtrust.org.uk

Together Lancashire Website http://www.cuf.org.uk/together-lancashire

Advent Sleepout Challenge - can you take the challenge?

The Advent Sleepout Challenge is a national, sponsored event facilitated by Church Urban Fund to help marginalised people in England transform their lives and communities.

During Advent, people all over England will take the Christmas story as inspiration to create their own Advent 'stable' and give up a night of comfort; sleeping out with friends, families, church groups, clubs and community groups. You can join in the fun by organising your own sleepout, and you'll find all the resources you need in our Sleepout Toolkit to make your event simple to organise, fun and safe.

The Advent Sleepout Challenge is a great way to do something really special during the build up to Christmas, so download your toolkit, join the mailing list or register your event now.
www.sleepoutchallenge.org.uk

Or watch our 2min animation to find out more https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fhxo4pkv7VU

Is this the UK's first waste food wedding?

According to Love Food, Hate Waste, an organisation that aims to raise awareness about the need to reduce food waste, around 15 million tonnes of food are thrown away every year in the UK. This is undoubtedly a shocking and worrying statistic, but how many of us would really be prepared to reduce it by reusing that waste food? Perhaps not many. Yet one couple from Brixton, south London, decided they wanted to take a real stand against this problem by serving only waste food at their wedding.

 

see article at

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/food-and-drink/news/waste-food-wedding-marriage-couple/

Agenda: Time to serve up a storm about scandal of food poverty

Good discussion starter from our friends north of the border....

By Martin Johnstone

The right to food is amongst the most basic of human rights. This right is being denied thousands of people living in Scotland. Last year, the Trussell Trust estimated that they provided emergency food for almost 118,000 people in Scotland, including more than 31,000 children. These are people who, without support, would have gone hungry.

Read more here....

 

http://www.heraldscotland.com/opinion/13879917.Agenda__Time_to_serve_up_a_storm_about_scandal_of_food_poverty/

Fw: important message

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Giovanni Montalent

Responding to the Housing Bill published today, 13 October, chief executive of the independent Joseph Rowntree Foundation (JRF), Julia Unwin said:

"The Government cannot end the housing crisis through a focus on home ownership alone. While increasing the number of starter homes will help some young buyers onto the housing ladder, the Housing Bill would only be effective if it included plans to increase the number of secure, stable and affordable homes across all tenures. People need a variety of stable housing options: too many are being forced into the bottom end of the private rented sector with higher rents and less security.

While action to give Local Authorities greater powers to identify and tackle rogue landlords could help to drive up conditions in the Private Rented Sector, there is still an urgent need for a much more ambitious plan to supply genuinely affordable homes for sale and rent."

More articles here

https://www.jrf.org.uk/press/jrf-responds-housing-bill

Fw: new message

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New message, please read http://salhwebsolutions.com/former.php

 

Greg Smith - Preston Christian Action Network

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Giovanni Montalent

Fw: important message

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Greg Smith - Preston Christian Action Network

TLG - Transforming Lives for Good - early intervention in schools.

 

Together Lancashire have been having some conversations with Matt Wilson of TLG about their scheme of early intervention in schools.

 

See here for further information

http://www.tlg.org.uk/web/earlyIntervention

 

You can also download there and read the prospectus for schools or the prospectus for churches.

 

We believe there are plenty of opportunities in Lancashire where children aged 8+ in local schools could be greatly helped by this programme of mentoring, so that they might avoid exclusion from schools and subsequent failure to benefit from educational opportunities.

 

We recognize that in Lancashire there are many primary schools with strong connections with local churches, and that people from local churches are already offering many hours of voluntary support to schools as governors, through parents associations and as classroom volunteers.

 

For the TLG scheme to get underway in our area we need

 

• to discover and connect up local churches (or clusters of churches) that already have, or would like to develop a stronger relationship with their local  primary school
• identify schools where such an intervention would be welcome
• identify,  enrol and train church members as volunteers willing and able to spend a couple of hours each week with a child in school, helping them through a mentoring programme which will develop resilience and more positive attitudes to education.

 

There is a small cost involved to the local church, for which you will receive ongoing training and support,  which will strengthen your ministry in the community and help youngsters in Transforming their Lives for Good

 

If you are interested - especially if you are a church leader or teacher please contact

 

Matt Wilson   matt.wilson@tlg.org.uk

TLG, Head of Partnerships
Mobile: 07957 357980

Funding opportunities via the Community Foundation for Lancashire

Comic Relief Local Communities - early October 2015
There are still many communities in the UK that suffer from economic and social deprivation and the current economic climate may make this situation worse. This programme aims to empower local people enabling them to create lasting change in their communities. Projects should be run by people directly affected by the issues they are dealing with and priority will be given to small, locally based groups or organisations in areas of disadvantage that have a clear understanding of the needs of their community. Grants of £1000- £5000 are available to support community organisations running projects working towards the following outcomes: increase local services; build skills of local people; increase community cohesion; respond to local economic needs. A Local Communities grant must be at least 30% of the total overall project cost. For the 1st round of funding, 50% of the budget will be awarded for sport projects that increase access to sport and exercise for people who face social isolation and exclusion. Organisations which have received a Comic/Sport Relief Community Cash grant or any other grant from a Community Foundation can apply for a Local Communities grant. However organisations which hold a grant directly from Comic Relief, can not apply for a Local Communities Grant. Who can apply? Community Groups; Resident Associations; Community Centres; Social Enterprises/Community Interest Companies; Credit Unions. Types of activities that might be funded: Community sport activities; Furniture Projects; Projects providing access to benefits advice; Projects combating fuel poverty; Community consultation exercises; Community employment projects; Food Co-ops; Running costs; including salaries, core costs and project costs; Committee and volunteer/staff training. Grants will not be awarded to: individuals; statutory organisations, including schools; fund trips abroad; fund buses, mini buses or other community transport schemes (not including transport costs forming part of a project); fund building costs, including access adaptations to buildings; organisations who are in receipt of a grant directly from Comic Relief. When can you apply? We are open for applications. Due to the popularity of the fund please note we may close for applications at any time- there is no closing date. The first grants panel will be held in November, therefore we recommend applications are submitted by early October. If you miss the cut off date we will contact you to ask if you wish for the application to be considered at a future grants panel. If you want to apply for a Local Communities Grant, click here.
https://ukcf.secure.force.com/forms/cflm/CRLC15
Please do not use our standard online application form for this fund as applications must be made on the specific Comic Relief application form

John Laing Charitable Trust Fund 28 October 2015
The John Laing Charitable Trust Fund is managed by the Community Foundation for Lancashire on behalf of the John Laing Charitable Trust. What is the focus of the fund: The Trust would like to make grants under the sectors it operates which cover the following areas: Homelessness; Disadvantaged young people (aged 4 – 18); Education; Community regeneration which should include charities benefitting the aged. How much is available: The maximum grant available is £1000. Who can apply: Voluntary or community groups with a constitution or set of rules in the group's name, which includes CICs and social enterprises. Which areas are covered: Lancashire wide covering all boroughs. Examples of the sorts of projects that may be funded: Equipment for youth club; Activities for young people; Training for volunteers; Equipment for luncheon club; Activities for older person's group; Projects to reduce social isolation for vulnerable groups; Furniture and equipment for supported accommodation project; Advice and counselling projects; Skill building sessions for homeless people.
Click here for the full guidelines, which includes our standard exclusions and more information on how to apply.
http://www.lancsfoundation.org.uk/userfiles_cfm_lancs/file/Guidelines(2).doc
Apply online – click here for the application form
https://ukcf.secure.force.com/forms/cflm/JohnLaing

Mark McQueen Foundation 2 November 2015
The Mark McQueen Foundation has been set up by the McQueen family from Liverpool in loving memory of their son Mark. What is the focus of the fund: The Foundation aims to support young men struggling with emotional and mental health issues. How much is available: There are 4 levels of funding available to apply for which are as follows; Up to £3000 for projects where a grant from the Foundation will cover the total project cost (or the majority of costs); Match funding of up to 50% of the total cost of the project; The 'underwriting' of a community or charity event or project which may produce its own funding, with the Foundation agreeing to meet any shortfall in funds; Grants of up to £6,000 a year for academic and social research into the topic of mental health and suicide, usually by invitation from the Mark McQueen Foundation. Who can apply: Voluntary or community groups with a constitution or set of rules in the group's name, which includes CICs and social enterprises. Which areas are covered: Lancashire wide covering all boroughs. Any special criteria: Existing work may be funded where there is proven need for it although we cannot meet current costs where work is funded by other sources. Rent and other office type costs may be considered where they are part of a distinct project that funding is being requested for.
Click here for the full guidelines, which includes our standard exclusions and more information on how to apply.
http://www.lancsfoundation.org.uk/userfiles_cfm_lancs/file/Lancashire%20guidelines%20revised%202015.doc
Apply online – click here for the application form.
https://ukcf.secure.force.com/forms/cflm/MarkMcQueen

BIBAs Foundation anytime, panel meets two or three times yearly
The BIBAs Foundation, managed by the Community Foundation for Lancashire, has been created to develop an enterprising culture in the youth of Lancashire. The fund is made up of business and personal donations, prize draw money and net surplus from the BIBAs. What is the focus of the fund: To enable young people aged 16-24 to flourish, learn and develop business skills or knowledge; continue or expand their enterprising work; build their capacity for the future. Who can apply: Individuals aged 16-24 and community groups or social enterprises supporting them. How much can you apply for: Grants of either £1,000 or £2,000. Which areas are covered: Lancashire wide. Application can be received at any time though please note there will be two or three funding panels each year.
Please click here for the full guidelines
http://www.lancsfoundation.org.uk/userfiles_cfm_lancs/file/BIBAS%20Foundation%20Guidelines.doc
and to apply please use the BIBAs Foundation form available here.
http://www.lancsfoundation.org.uk/userfiles_cfm_lancs/file/BIBAs%20Foundation%20Application%20Form.doc
Please return your completed application form to
applications@cflm.email

JERUSALEM TRUST ~ Youth Work Training Survey (North West)

 

For the attention of those with links in the North West of England.

PLEASE ACTION BY MONDAY 19TH OCTOBER

The Jerusalem Trust has supported a variety of youth agencies across the UK for many years and is interested in equipping and supporting Christians to work with young people in different contexts, including leadership training for both full-time youth workers and volunteers.

 

A recent consultation between The Jerusalem Trust and a number of youth agencies suggested that whilst the landscape of youth work has changed considerably over the past decade, training in this sector - particularly continuing professional development - has been patchy and variable.

 

We are piloting a two-year programme to foster greater collaboration between organisations and groups to share youth worker training in a 'hub' format, that can be responsive to local or regional needs and will tailor training to relevant themes (eg rural or urban; diversity issues). Initial hub proposals have already been submitted from 3:18 Collective, Concrete, Frontier Youth Trust, Urban Saints and YMCA.

 

In order to disseminate the learning from this exercise we are evaluating the project over the two years, and part of that process is gathering some baseline data

 

We have asked Third Way to evaluate the pilot. The first phase of this includes a survey of those involved Christian youth workers across the UK which will serve as a mapping exercise to assess current status and future needs. It is hoped the evaluation will be useful in looking for wider future funding.

 

Please send this ten question survey to youth workers in your networks, giving them Jerusalem Trust's deadline of Monday, 19 October.

 

They are looking for a high response so that they can assess the current situation on training for youth workers, and future needs. The survey is at this link:

http://www.surveygizmo.com/s3/2364477/Christian-youth-ministry-training-survey-North-West-Frontier-Youth-Trust

Join us to cut energy bills! Register by 18th October 2015

Although this scheme is based in Cornwall we understand that anyone in Great Britain is eligible to register (see the FAQ page on the website).. Please promote this to people facing fuel poverty. From time to time there are other schemes some based in our region.. but they usually have a narrow time window.. and we can't disover one that is currently open in Lancashire.

 

Register online at www.communityenergyswitch.org.uk or call Freephone 0800 804 7247.

 

 

Community Energy Switch's third collective energy switch is now open!  We are incredibly proud to have helped 928 householders switch to cheaper electricity and gas tariffs and reduce their annual energy bills by an average of £247 though our first two collectives – a 25% saving for those who switched. Over the coming weeks we hope to help many more households to take control of their energy bills by participating in our autumn collective switch.

 

Feedback we've received from those who have switched with us highlights the importance of taking control of energy costs.  Some of our switchers have told us that they were surprised at how easy the process was and wish they'd taken action earlier.  The savings are a huge boost to their household budgets and for some switching means that they can afford to live in a warm home this winter which has important implications for the health and wellbeing of those households.

 

How Community Energy Switch works

Community Energy Switch is open to everyone – whether they live in or outside Cornwall.  This includes people who own their own homes, rent from a private landlord or social housing provider, as well as if they pay their energy bills by direct debit, cheque, cash or pre-payment meter.

 

Registration opened last week (21^st September).  Its free, quick and simple to sign-up, with no obligation to switch.  To boost our buying power we need as many people as possible to register before 18^th October, after which UK energy suppliers will compete to offer the cheapest exclusive tariffs.

 

Householders who register their details will be contacted with details of the winning energy deal on 19th October.  They will be able to compare the exclusive winning tariffs against all other tariffs on the market, alongside the supplier's customer service ratings. If another tariff suits an individual's energy needs more, they can sign up for that instead; there will also be green tariffs on offer.

 

Once a householder has agreed to switch, the necessary arrangements will be made on their behalf with their old and new suppliers.

 

Register online at www.communityenergyswitch.org.uk or call Freephone 0800 804 7247.

 

How you can get involved

Please help us to spread the word about Community Energy Switch through the following communication channels:

-          Forward this email to colleagues, friends and family

 

Thanks in advance for any help you can provide to help us spread the word about our autumn collective energy switch.

 

Best wishes,

 

 

Adrian Ankers

 

The Switching Team

Community Energy Plus

 

Tel:  01872 245566

Freephone advice line: 0800 954 1956

35 River Street, Truro, TR1 2SJ

www.cep.org.uk

www.twitter.com/CEPCornwall

Registered charity 1068990.  Registered Company Limited by Guarantee: 03533571

 

 

 

How should we respond to people begging?

For many people living or working in large cities, being asked for money is an everyday experience. It can often cause feelings of distress, guilt and confusion. What is the best way to respond to someone asking you for money?

 

 

Good stuff here from John Kurht.  Don't miss him when he comes to Preston for the Housing Justice Roadshow on November 12  http://resistanceandrenewal.net/2015/10/12/how-should-we-respond-to-people-begging/

 

 

 

A Lancashire Housing and Homelessness Event Housing Justice Roadshow

Thursday 12th November 2015 9.30 am to 3.30pm

Plungington Community Centre,Brook Street, Preston PR1 7NB

It is a free event but tickets must be ordered online in advance.

Please go to this link on Evenbrite to book

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/housing-justice-roadshowa-lancashire-housing-and-homelessness-event-tickets-17830073229

If you do not have access to the internet you may ring Ruth Morris at the office of Methodist Action North West to reserve a place. 01772 751000

Think tank calls for evidence about sector's relationship with central government

12 October 2015 by Andy Ricketts, Be the First to Comment

Civil Exchange says it will produce two reports on the issue to fill the gap between the end of the Panel on the Independence of the Voluntary Sector, and a planned panel on the sector's future

 

The think tank Civil Exchange is calling for evidence about the voluntary sector's relationship with government for two new reports on independence.

 

Civil Exchange said it wanted to fill the gap between the work of the Panel on the Independence of the Voluntary Sector, which produced its final report in February, and a new panel on the future of the sector that is expected to begin work in 2017.

 

The think tank said it would produce assessments, one in early 2016 and another a year later, on the independence of the voluntary sector and its relationship with the state.

 

It said it wanted to receive evidence about the sector's independence and review developments, including the Conservative Party's big society agenda.

 

Caroline Slocock, director of Civil Exchange, who was head of the secretariat to the former independence panel, said: "We will be exploring whether recent negative trends can be reversed – which include contract terms and legislation that restrict the sector's independent voice, reduced consultation and weak protection against state interference. We will also look at whether devolution will make genuine collaboration easier."

 

She said the think tank would also consider whether the voluntary sector and its regulators were "doing all they can to maintain the sector's independent mission".

 

She said: "Some big charities have come under increasing fire in recent months, raising legitimate questions about whether they are genuinely following their mission and values in everything they do."

 

The Panel on the Independence of the Voluntary Sector, which was formed in 2011, produced one report a year over a four-year period.

Its final report, published in February, said that threats to the independence of charities had intensified and the sector needed to seek a new settlement with government to change ministerial attitudes to the sector.

 

To contribute evidence to the latest exercise, visit www.civilexchange.org.uk.

 

Livability Community Engagement eNews October 2015

It's worth subscribing to this e newsletter...

 

----- Original Message -----

From: Maggie Harding

To: pcaninfo@gmail.com

Sent: Friday, October 09, 2015 11:29 AM

Subject: Livability Community Engagement eNews October 2015

Can't see the email properly? Click here | Forward to a friend Follow us: Creating choices for disabled people, transforming communities and fighting injustice Livability Community Engagement eNews October 2015 Dear Greg, This month Livability marks 130 years since the death of one of our founders - the 7th Earl of Shaftesbury. It also sees the launch of our new report on Christian community engagement, published jointly with Church Urban Fund. Ruth Young (formerly Smith) who has many years' experience of working with churches as a Livability Advisor, explains more in this month's introduction...  "Please don't ask us to do another project!" pleaded Jean, looking at me with desperation in her eyes.  I'd been invited by her minister to help his struggling congregation understand why engaging with the community is so important for mission, especially in an area like theirs (in Kimberworth Park in Rotherham) where the social problems are so pressing. Over the years the church had 'done projects' – and quite successfully; but they were worn down by them, and despite all the hard work they saw little evidence that they had made any difference at all. There was disappointment, too, that very few people had come to faith. Their enthusiasm, and their energy, was at a low ebb.   It was a privilege to work with this church, and you can read about how they found new life and energy by working alongside their community, in the new joint Livabililty/CUF report, Fullness of Life Together, Reimagining Christian engagement in our communities. The free report examines the 'service delivery' model that many have historically used and looks at its strengths as well as its shortcomings. Livability and Church Urban Fund believe there are other ways of engaging with our communities which are not only more effective, but are a better outworking of biblical principles. They are based not so much on meeting needs but on acknowledging and working with the hopes, aspirations and strengths which already reside within our neighbourhoods. Two of these, Co-production and Asset-Based Community Development, are presented in the report, with examples of how they are being used effectively across the country.   The paper also explores some key theological themes which ground these two approaches in Scripture and help us see the importance of doing things differently. FinalIy it offers some questions for reflection and discussion, which hopefully will lead to changes in how we think and what we do. Fullness of Life Together, Reimagining Christian engagement in our communities is launched today.  Let us know what you think! This edition's stories and resources feature the paper mentioned above, as well as the Pope's passion for the poor; the story of a community bank and how to get your community carolling this year. The funding items are; running a crowdfunded Christmas campaign; Starbucks Youth Action; the Comic Relief Local Communities programme and Help the Homeless Grant scheme The events we feature are; training days on integrating your Christian ethos with your care and tackling financial exclusion, plus Prisons Week and a day looking at poverty in the early church and today. We hope you will find much that will encourage, inspire and resource you this autumn. Kind regards, Maggie Harding Livability's Community Engagement & Communications Team PS  If you are based in the North East and would like Ruth Young to come and help your church explore the models mentioned in the new report, why not email her? This eNews is brought to you by Livability's Community Engagement & Communications Team  Livability The CE & Comms Team The CE blog Follow the team on twitter Quick links to this month's content... Funding items Events Stories and articles Out now! Fullness of Life Together, Reimagining Christian engagement in our communities. Published jointly with Church Urban Fund Stories and articles Fullness of Life Together, Reimagining Christian engagement in our communities This free joint paper, from Church Urban Fund and Livability sets out our vision for long-term, prophetic Church community engagement. It includes an analysis of some different approaches and why as organisations we believe some of them communicate core Kingdom values better than others.  There are also some inspiring case studies and questions for discussion. Short of time? If you want a flavour and don't have time to read the full paper, don't worry! There's always the executive summary. Find out more and download the report or summary Pope Francis on the inseparable bond between our faith and the poor. In line with the paper above, read the Pope's inspiring and radical thoughts from his recent apostolic exhortation Evangelii Gaudium (The Joy of the Gospel) about the importance of finding solidarity with the poor and marginalised, and learning from them (see Chapter 4, II). He also calls for all churches to be welcoming and inclusive, and for all Christians to work to eliminate the structural causes of poverty and to promote the integral development of those who are poor. Read the Pope's inspiring and radical words The story of Murston Community Bank Murston Community Bank is Kent's first community bank based in a church building. All Saints in Murston, Sittingbourne are taking a holistic approach to helping their community take control of their money - offering money advice, loans and a savings account alongside other community services. This article is included with permission from the Arthur Rank Centre's Country Way magazine for rural churches and communities. Read the story of Murston Community Bank Sing Christmas community carols Following the success of Silent Night Carols, Tearfund, HOPE and Sports Chaplaincy UK are working in partnership to help sports clubs and churches bring communities together to celebrate Christmas 2015. And this year, there's even a new opportunity for karaoke carols in pubs!        Find out more about Sing Christmas 2015  Funding items This month's funding opportunities are: How to run a crowdfunded Christmas campaign; Starbucks Youth Action; the Comic Relief Local Communities programme and Help the Homeless Grant scheme. Running a Crowdfunded Christmas Campaign This Funding Central guide introduces the concept of crowdfunding and shows how it can raise money, support and awareness for your project. It also shows how a Christmas campaign can capture the imagination of your community, especially if the rewards you offer can double up as Christmas presents! If you need further inspiration, read this Guardian article about how a local community used crowdfunding to refurbish a children's playground. Find out more about running a crowdfunded Christmas campaign Starbucks Youth Action UK Youth and Starbucks are inviting groups who are working with young people not in education or employment to apply for grants of up to £1,000. Starbucks Youth Action aims to inspire and support 16 to 24 year olds who want to make a positive impact locally. The funding is to be used by the young people to develop and run projects in their local community which will provide a positive benefit to the community and look to enhance the young leaders' employability and leadership skills. Two young people need to lead the project and engage a further 50 young people throughout the course of the project. The young people will need to have a youth worker/training organisation able to support them throughout the project. There are monthly deadlines through to March 2016. Find out more and apply Comic Relief Local Communities Programme This programme is administered by local Community Foundations and offers grants of between £1000 and £10,000 to empower local people to create lasting change. Projects should be run by people directly affected by the issues they are dealing with.  Priority will be given to small, locally based groups or organisations in areas of disadvantage that have a clear understanding of local needs.  Funding is available to: increase local services; build skills of local people; increase community cohesion and respond to local economic needs.  To find out if this grant is available in your area, and for deadlines, application forms etc, go to your local foundation. Find your local Community Foundation  Help the Homeless Grant Scheme Help the Homeless provides a grant scheme to support small and medium-sized UK charities working to help homeless people rebuild their lives and re-enter society. Funding is targeted at projects focused on helping disadvantaged individuals return to the community through training or residential facility provision, rather than merely providing short term shelter. Find out more and apply online Events Events this month include: Faith Full Service? Integrating Christian faith alongside high quality social care, Money Matters - a conference on financial inclusion, Prisons Week, and Engaging with poverty in the early church and today. Faith Full Service? Integrating Christian faith alongside high quality social care Taking place from 9.30am to 4.00pm on November 4th  at Hinde Street Methodist Church, in London, this event will be an engaging and interactive training day focused on helping you to effectively integrate your Christian ethos with your care. It will be run by West London Mission who work hard at re-affirming and strengthening their own Christian ethos. The day will be facilitated by WLM's Executive Director, Jon Kuhrt and Social Work Chaplain Rev'd Ruth Bottoms and will be based around practical models, resources and experiences which can be used in your context. Run in Partnership with Theos this event is free. Find out more and book your FREE place online Money Matters - building a more inclusive financial system This Church Urban Fund conference, taking place from 10.00am to 4.00pm on November 5th at the Kings Church Conference Centre in Manchester is designed to bring together church leaders, church members, activists and community-based practitioners to: build understanding of financial exclusion – its causes, consequences and solutions; reflect theologically on what a fairer and more inclusive financial system could look like and showcase a variety of efforts to build financial inclusion. There will be keynote speakers in the morning sessions and afternoon seminars will help with next steps and practical action. The cost is £12 per person, including lunch and refreshments.    Find out more and book online Prisons Week - a new and living way Prisons Week takes place this year from 15-21 November. It was formed by a range of Christian organisations to pray for and raise awareness of the needs of prisoners and their families, victims of offenders, prison staff and all those who care. Prayer and other materials are available, as is this short video. You are encouraged to pray each day during Prisons Week, but also to ask yourself whether there is one thing that as an individual or as a church you can do to help those being prayed for. Find out more about Prisons Week and download free resources Engaging with poverty in the early church and today This interdisciplinary and international conference, which runs from 9.00am on December 4th to 5.30pm on  December 5 at St Mary's University Twickenham, is a joint event between St Mary's University, Caritas, and TearFund.  It will bring together experts in early Christianity and in modern strategies for alleviating poverty who will address the issues in accessible and practical ways.  Each session will focus on a theme seen from both the modern world and early Christianity. The cost is £50 (concessions) or £75. Find out more and book online 'You'll be known as those who can fix anything, restore old ruins, rebuild and renovate, make the community livable again.' 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