North Yorkshire UK Shared Prosperity Fund – January update

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The North Yorkshire UKSPF team’s update on the North Yorkshire UK Shared Prosperity Fund includes some key information for voluntary organisations and community groups.
Small Business Grants programme is paused

The team have been exceptionally busy with the Small Business Grants programme over the last few weeks. With over 400 applications received since the launch in November, they have now paused the programme to work through all applications and make some reflective adjustments to the programme before re-opening in April 2024.

Need help with an application?

As well as the Small Business Grants, there has been a high level of interest in all of the other open grant programmes. The team are now focussed on processing and appraising as many applications as they can. If you are currently in the process of applying, then please feel free to get in touch for any further guidance. If you have applied, then you’ll hear about your application soon.

Web page refresh

The North Yorkshire Council fund webpage (UK shared prosperity fund | North Yorkshire Council) is currently undergoing a redesign. Following feedback from users (especially potential applicants), the council is working on the presentation and navigation of the site to make things easier for everyone seeking to get involved. In February, plans are to transform the webpage into a simple landing page (where key updates, news and background information will be posted), leading to two areas focussed on 1) opportunities for businesses, and 2) opportunities for community organisations. This should help users to quickly and easily find the right information about the programmes, grants and support they are most interested in.

Changes to the Local Enterprise Partnership

As a central UKSPF delivery team, you may be aware that the Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) is contracted to manage the programme on behalf of North Yorkshire Council (who remain the Lead Authority for the UK Shared Prosperity Fund and Rural England Prosperity Fund in North Yorkshire). As of 1 February, the LEP will no longer exist and its functions and staff will be transferred into the new Combined Authority ahead of the mayoral elections in May 2024.

New contact details for getting in touch

These are exciting times for the York and North Yorkshire region with the creation of a new strategic body to work alongside the two local authorities.

The UKSPF work will not change as a consequence of this development, and the central UKSPF delivery team will all remain in place!

Contact details have changed (from 1 February) to UKSPF@yorknorthyorks-ca.gov.uk.  Please don’t worry if you have recently sent an email or forget to add the new address to your contacts. The the North Yorkshire UKSPF team will continue to receive emails sent to both addresses for the immediate future.

Keep checking in for further updates

Please keep looking at the UKSPF information online (UK shared prosperity fund | North Yorkshire Council). There are a number of open opportunities at present, and over the next two months, plans are underway for a raft of new opportunities for the third year of the programme (running from April 2024 to March 2025).

 

The North Yorkshire UKSPF team will be in touch again soon with further updates and information. In the meantime, please do not hesitate to contact them for any information or guidance.

 

Meet Alex Sutcliffe – Volunteer manager and arctic explorer!

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As part of our work to highlight the contributions of people whose work involves or supports volunteers, we met up with Alex Sutcliffe, North Yorkshire Council’s Major Incident Response Team Manager. We asked her about her role and also found out something unexpected!

Please introduce yourself

Hello everyone. I am Alex Sutcliffe and I work at North Yorkshire Council. I’m the Major Incident Response Team (MIRT) Manager of the Resilience and Emergencies team, and Manager of the Ready for Anything volunteer group. I have worked in my current role for the last 10 years and prior to that was a volunteer in the MIRT team myself for 8 years. I have the best job in the world!

What attracted you to the organisation and role?

I have always enjoyed working for the public sector. I started my career in the NHS and then moved across to local government. I had coveted the MIRT Manager’s role for a number of years while being a volunteer. I have always wanted to assist in helping those in emotional trauma within our communities. So, being able to lead a team in a council that shares the same ideals made this the perfect job in my eyes.

What would you say to anyone thinking of becoming a Volunteer Coordinator/ Manager?

Do it! It is so rewarding being the custodian of volunteers. You learn so much from them, and they bring a wealth of experience with them. I am humbled every day by the selflessness of our volunteers, and it is very satisfying to be able to help them enhance their skills, keep them engaged and looked after and knowing the value of the work they do in their own time.

What have you learnt about yourself while in this role?

I have learnt that I’m not afraid to walk towards someone’s pain; I will not shy away from approaching someone who has been caught up in something very distressing. I have also learnt that you must never ‘assume’ anything – everyone has a story and we don’t always see their story. They might be outwardly happy (the life and soul of the party even), while inwardly they have a lot of unhappiness. Treating everyone with kindness and respect, never judging and just being myself seems to work.

Finally, please tell us something about yourself that your colleagues would be surprised to know.

In 2022 I circumnavigated Iceland and crossed the Arctic circle before it moves – did you know that the Arctic circle moves? Soon it will be out at sea and we won’t be able to cross it on foot!  It was super cold, but worth the two-hour walk.

Want to find out more about how we can support you?

If you are currently in a volunteer coordinator role, why not have a look at our specialised training or why not join our coordinator’s network that offers practical guidance and support to volunteer coordinators and managers across North Yorkshire.

Down to Earth online wellbeing programme for leaders

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Leadership wellbeing resources inspired by nature

We’re working with Where the Mind Grows to offer online wellbeing resources for VCSE leaders in Yorkshire and Humber to help develop wellbeing strategies for themselves, their teams and their organisations.

Using a nature-inspired approach to wellbeing, the free resources range from light-bite coaching style questions for pause and reflection, to deeper dive interactive workshops and activities.

By introducing nature-inspired and regenerative leadership wellbeing principles, the programme helps leaders feel more confident, reduce stress and overwhelm, and create positive ripple effects throughout their organisations. Available online and with various navigation options, this programme offers a flexible and accessible way for leaders to enhance their leadership skills and prioritise wellbeing.

This flexible and accessible programme is available until 30 April.

Find out more and sign up here.

Network members invited to Partnership Development Workshop

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As part of our work to build on our vision for the Age Friendly Network, we are holding a Partnership Development Workshop on 8 February in Northallerton and would like to invite Network members to attend.

We are keen to engage with members who are passionate about improving the physical and social environments of our North Yorkshire communities and want to identify and understand the challenges faced by an ageing population. This means listening and responding to current needs and opportunities across all areas from transport, communication and social participation to health and social care, housing, outdoor spaces and employment.

Your insights, ideas and lived experience will help shape the future of this initiative and the development of the network partnership group.  The workshop will be a face-to-face event, however video access via a zoom link will also be available.

When is the event?

Date:     Thursday 8 February 2024, 1pm- 3pm
Venue:  The Cottage Meeting Rooms, Northallerton Methodist Church, High Street, Northallerton, DL7 8EG

The venue is fully accessible and refreshments will be provided.

Parking: There is on street parking directly in the front of the building and additional parking close by at The Northallerton Forum.

Please let us know if you plan to attend

Please confirm your attendance by emailing Jeanette Hague or call 07825 380052.

We very much look forward to seeing you.

Ask questions of the Director of Health & Adult Services in North Yorkshire

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Submit your questions for Richard Webb, Director of Health and Adult Services in North Yorkshire Council

Three times a year, Richard Webb, Director of Health and Adult Services at North Yorkshire Council, meets for a Q&A about public health and social care with representatives from citizen voice groups, including the ageing well network.

The next meeting is coming up on 8 February and you are invited to submit questions about public health and social care topics which you would like your ageing well network representative to ask. If you are interested in representing the network at this meeting in future please contact Jeanette Hague, the Age Friendly Network Coordinator at Community First Yorkshire.

If you would like to send in questions, please contact Claire, Helen and Liz from the council’s Health and Adult Participation and Engagement team at HASengagement@northyorks.gov.uk or call 07929 873638 by Thursday 25 January. If you are sending more than one question, please indicate which is your most important question. Sometimes the council receive too many questions to cover in the time and this will help them prioritise the most important ones.

After the meeting the council will share an update about what was discussed at the meeting so you can find out what questions were asked and the responses given.

Children’s mental health in 2024

Children & Young People Now, issued an article highlighting how the cost-of-living crisis is affecting children’s mental health, and how we can find ways to improve their wellbeing. Read more.

Start Well forum

The Children and Young People’s Health Alliance held a forum last month, highlighting how children from impoverished areas are more likely to be impacted by the wider detriments of health, such as poverty. If you’re interested in attending future workshops, or would like to know more, email: hnyicb-voy.hnycyptransformation@nhs.net. 

Member invite to our AGM: join in the celebration

Our AGM is an important point in our year – a time when we celebrate our achievements and look ahead to how we can make the following year even more successful.

As a Community First Yorkshire member, we’d love you to be part of the celebration and help shape the future for the organisation. This year’s AGM will be a chance not only to run through the normal business of the AGM, including the election of trustees but a chance to look at the vital role that volunteering has to play in the year ahead through the Vision for Volunteering.

Date: Tuesday 6 February, 4-5pm (via Zoom).

Benefit from our Vision for Volunteering session

Community First Yorkshire is excited to be involved in the Vision for Volunteering: a national, 10-year programme developed by a partnership of five organisations – NAVCA, NCVO, The Association of Volunteer Managers, Volunteering Matters and Sport England.

The Vision for Volunteering aims to create a diverse, innovative, ambitious, equitable and person-centred future for volunteering. Community First Yorkshire will be implementing this vision as part of their refreshed volunteering strategy for 2024.

Following the formal business of the AGM, we will hear more about this programme from our Community Support North Yorkshire team, who will introduce the five key themes and what these mean for volunteers and the VCSE sector.

As a Community First Yorkshire member, this is your chance to ask questions and feed into the development of our work to support our volunteer related activities.

Vacancies on our trustee board

We do currently have vacancies on our trustee board. Our trustees are vital in shaping both how we support our member organisations and how we further raise the profile of the sector, and the issues, challenges and opportunities it is facing, to key stakeholders and policy makers. If you would like to be a part of shaping our future do please complete the Trustee Nomination Form. If you would like to speak to someone before applying, do contact jill.wynne@communityfirstyorkshire.org.uk.

You can find the AGM agenda here.

To reserve your place please book here or call the office on 01904 704177 for further information. Bookings will close at 08:00 am on Tuesday 30 January.

Your vote matters

If you are unable to attend, please ensure you complete the Proxy Voting Form. You can either do this by filling in our online Google form or, downloading this word version and returning it to us at info@communityfirstyorkshire.org.uk.

The link to the Zoom meeting will be sent out to all those registered one week before the meeting.

Please call the office on 01904 704177 if you have any questions, or if you have not used Zoom previously and would appreciate some assistance prior to the AGM.

Yours sincerely,

Jane Colthup

Chief Executive

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