Student Volunteering Week 7 – 13 February 2022

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Now in its 21st year, Student Volunteering Week (SVW) is an annual celebration of the diverse range of volunteering opportunities available to students. Colleges, universities and students’ unions celebrate by taking part in events and activities during the week.

Student Volunteering Week also celebrates student volunteering as an opportunity to improve student wellbeing, develop employability skills and also champion the positive contributions students make to the wider community.

A study from NUS and the Guardian found that nearly a third of students volunteer alongside their studies and the benefits of volunteering for young people are well documented. Research carried out by the #iwill campaign shows young people who volunteer have stronger personal networks and higher life skills.

Student Volunteering – my experience by Ellie Clapham

I started volunteering with mum when I was 10. My first experience was dressed as a carrot handing out leaflets for the Home Grown Food Festival in Northallerton! I have helped at this event every year, and this year I am going to help with coordinating the other volunteers needed to help run things like this. I have also volunteered at festivals, helped set up and run community events, face painted, been a first aider, baked and sold cakes, visited older people and fundraised.

The benefits to me from volunteering have been many and varied. I have met new people and made new friends. I have given something back to my village, my school, my community, as well as having fun. I have been able to put my volunteering on my CV. I have real life examples of situations I can use at interview. A number of people have offered to be a reference for me. I think I am better able to communicate with others, work as part of a team, organise and manage my time better and make decisions.

I feel I am more confident and have been able to try out so many different things, volunteering is great!

How to get involved
Students and young people

You can volunteer from home and also from your place of study. Most schools, colleges and universities also run their own volunteering programmes, your student services team will be able to tell you more about the opportunities available.

Charities and volunteering groups

For many young people the opportunity to develop skills and knowledge to prepare them for working life is very important; in your advert make sure that you highlight any training and how volunteering with you will develop skills and knowledge. Make contact with your local colleges, sixth forms and universities to let them about your volunteering opportunities.

Places of study

The Student Volunteering Network has lots more information about Student Volunteers Week and guidance for places of study.

Further support and information

Search for volunteering roles on the NCVO (the National Council for Volunteering Organisation) website. There are links to multiple volunteering websites from organisations such as Vinspired, and Volunteering Matters.

If you have any further questions or need support with any aspect of volunteering, please do get in touch info@communityfirstyorkshire.org.uk.

#studentvolunteeringweek

The possibilities the theatre and live events can bring to a village hall

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written by Debby Richardson from Glusburn village hall

At Glusburn Community and Arts Centre, a large, busy, multi-room community venue, we have many activities which take place on a weekly basis.

As in most village halls in most villages across the country, we host a variety of classes/activities – yoga, playgroups, art classes, dog training and more, something for all ages and interests. However, one great advantage of our venue, a Victorian Institute erected by the local mill owner for the villagers, who were mostly in his employ, is that we have a 215-seat theatre space with a proscenium arch stage. Throughout the year, our stage plays host to performances from local groups and national touring artists. We are home to the longest-running annual Scouts Gang Show in the UK, and the pantomime with flying ballet performed by our resident company Glusburn Youth Theatre. These shows are wonderful, showcasing the talents of local children and entertaining packed houses.

It’s always a treat to host touring theatre, and we are very lucky to have Falling Stars Theatre, founded by Director Rebecca Durham, almost on our doorstep. Their pieces are often an immersive style, staged on the auditorium floor surrounded by the audience and involving them in the performance. For Christmas 2021, when our audience capacity was reduced to about 45 due to coronavirus regulations, Beccy penned a reimagining of The Snow Queen and we worked together to bring this to several socially-distanced audiences.  Their village hall tour of Here I Belong was cut short by the first lockdown in March 2020 – we’re delighted that it will finally be performed here two years later than planned on 25th March 2022. We’re also bringing some comedy to our audiences this year from York-based Bad Apple Theatre, a not-for-profit group who are supported by Arts Council England.

Live music is another key aspect of our programming – we book a mix of local artists, touring tribute acts and well-known names – this sort of show was just impossible when we first reopened but once capacity limits were lifted it was clear that audiences were keen to get back to ‘live’ and we had great ticket sales for our first three acts of the season – David Bowie and Frankie Valli tributes and a local Motown covers band, Soul Train. We’re looking forward to welcoming back Snake Davis (twice postponed) and The Houghton Weavers in the spring, and we’re in the process of finalising arrangements for Kiki Dee later in the year. We’re always working a long way ahead in the diary planning the next season before the current one is halfway through.

Film screenings are held monthly throughout the year. Like other village halls, we can’t get new releases and have to wait until films are released on DVD – we work with Film Bank for our licensing. The increase in the use of subscription channels like Netflix, Disney and Prime mean, of course, that many people have had the opportunity to see films at home even before the DVD release, but seeing something on a big screen as part of an audience, enjoying a couple of drinks from the bar, definitely adds to the experience and our figures still make this aspect worthwhile. To expand on this, we’ve recently started working with CinemaLive who is a distributor of ‘event cinema’. Through them, we have screened live recordings of Ball & Boe, The Australian Ballet, and this weekend we have Cliff Richard on tour! In Glusburn?!

To be able to run our busy venue, alongside a team of dedicated trustees, we do employ a part-time Centre Coordinator who looks after room and event bookings, tickets, publicity and all the other day-to-day tasks. Still, we rely heavily on support from our wonderful volunteers – we simply couldn’t do everything we do without them. Volunteers can help in so many different ways – distributing posters, setting up events, serving at coffee mornings or on event bars, checking tickets on the door and stewarding in the auditorium, running the technical aspects of events, supporting art classes, looking after the garden – we even have a volunteer clock winder! If you want to grow what you do in your hall, particularly in terms of putting on more events, reach out to your community for volunteers to help you do that.

Don’t be put off if your first attempts aren’t a roaring success – take stock, gather feedback, look at what did work, and try again.

Good luck!

One stop shop for fixed asset registers for community buildings

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Written by Joanne Abbott, development officer at Community First Yorkshire.

Why compile a fixed asset register for a community building?

You may have looked around your community building or village hall on a number of occasions and thought “I wonder how long that boiler will last”, “How many years will it be before the windows need painting?” or “Can we afford to replace those old chairs next year?”!

An up to date asset register could help you answer all these questions and more.

A comprehensive list of all assets and fixtures and fittings will provide you with information, all in one place, to help you make well-informed decisions relating to maintenance and replacement.

One of the 6 main duties of a charity trustee, as defined by the Charity Commission, is to manage the charity’s resources responsibly.

Having a register of the charity’s assets will help trustees fulfil this duty.

An asset register will help trustees:
  •  Know what assets the charity owns
  •  Know where those assets are located
  •  Plan for when renewals may be needed and how much they may cost
  • Compile a reserves policy
    • Designating funds to cover the future cost of replacing items
    • Explaining the reason for holding funds in reserve
  • Value assets for insurance purposes
What does an asset register look like?

This will depend on the assets of the charity and the number of details trustees wish to include.
A simple table or spreadsheet with a list of assets down one side and details of those assets across the top is a useful format to adopt.

For example: number of items, date purchased, cost price, date replacement needed and estimated cost of replacement across the top and boiler, tables, chairs and projector down the side.

Other useful information you may want to include in your table are:

  • Name of supplier and contact details
  • Technical specification of item
  • Location
  • Maintenance intervals
The information captured in the table should help with:
  • Setting reserves levels to ensure enough is set aside to maintain, repair and replace the building and its fixtures and fittings
  • Setting hire charges at a level to ensure sufficient income to maintain reserves levels
  • Planning fundraising activities to fill any shortfall in reserves including staging fundraising events and making applications to grant funders

It is good practice to review and adjust the asset register on a regular basis.
You will need to update the register as assets are purchased and disposed of and carrying out an annual review will help to ensure the register is kept up to date.

Hopefully, you can now see the benefits of compiling and maintaining an asset register for your community building and now have an idea about how you can make a start.

What the Dickens – community library

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‘What the Dickens’ is a community library loaning service based in Monk Fryston and Hillam Community Centre. The project was founded by Sue Woodall.

This project began with contracts for room hire, the completion of permanent and secure shelving by local craftsmen and with an initial store of around 500 books, some borrowed from the Central Library at North Yorkshire County Council, ‘What the Dickens’ was launched successfully in February 2020.

Within the first month of opening fifty members were registered! Unfortunately, like most community projects, it suffered a temporary pause during the national lockdown. But, since reopening in June 2021 they now have a register of one hundred and ten and continue to grow.

With such a rollercoaster of a start, we took some time to speak with the founder of this community project, Sue Woodall.

 

Sue, what did you want to do, or achieve, when you started the project?

Very simply to stimulate the love of reading from nine months to ninety years.

That sounded like a rocky start, opening up a month before a national lockdown. Did you ever feel like giving up?

Not give up but some things were daunting. Like finding the people with the right skills to help us. Setting up the structure to be able to apply for grants – having bank accounts, constitution, organisation and premises in place or lined up and convincing the Funders to back the idea.

Have you had any surprises?

How, despite the pandemic, we have become a part of some people’s lives by not only supplying books but providing regular contact and social interaction. Like friendships being formed, sometimes between people who were near neighbours but did not know each other

And finally – some kind and well-intentioned people thought we might like to take their old magazines and dog-eared books off their hands – we have learnt that what people want is a range of good quality novels by popular authors and biographies. We are not paper recyclers – we provide easy access to your door-step library and drop-in service.

We could not have done it without the generous donations of good quality books from residents, the support of our clients and the organising group.

What would you like to do next?

I would like to get more people of all ages, particularly teenagers reading books.

I would like to get members to write appraisals of books they have read which we could share via our Facebook page and get people to meet and discuss books.

Perhaps this would lead to a book club – where members could meet, share their views of a book they have all read, and socialise as well. NY Libraries would be willing to provide multiple copies of books for a group to read simultaneously.

We need to look at the room we occupy to perhaps provide a better ambience with comfortable seating and décor to encourage socialising.

The success of ‘What the Dickens’ has led to an add-on service: a permanent display of books for the under-sixes that encourages parents attending other groups using the community centre when What the Dickens is closed, to bring and swap books. It has been named Tiny Tim’s Swap Shop and is now regularly attended on a Wednesday by children from Monk Fryston Pre-school.

Further grants and generous donations from locals has enabled the community library to restock their shelves with new reading materials.

What the Dickens has achieved its goal of reaching out to all ages in the community by providing a relaxing environment in which to read and forge new friendships. As we came out of lockdown it became a major part of the fabric of our village and, as society adapts to the new restrictions imposed upon us, it is with confidence that the library and its users can look forward to an even brighter future.

Opening times Wednesday 10.30am – 12.30pm and Sunday 2pm-4pm

  • No borrowing charges
  • Light refreshments offered – tea, toast and scones at a nominal charge

For further information, head to the ‘What the Dickens’ Facebook page that offers weekly updates on opening times and book reviews of new library acquisitions.

Our websites have had a makeover

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One of my new year’s resolutions has been to revitalise my lounge – don’t get me wrong, I love it! It’s comfy and cosy, but it needs a bit of a refresh as it’s looking a bit tired around the edges (cats, kids and a coal fire have taken their toll!). As I write this, with paint in my hair, I’m thinking of other makeovers.

When we launched Community First Yorkshire five years ago, I created and launched a website in four weeks! No mean feat – and necessary at the time – but perhaps not the best approach to building your ‘virtual shop front.’

It’s now time for a refresh. Like my lounge, we’re looking a bit outdated. So this week sees us launching not one but two new websites for Community First Yorkshire and our Community Support North Yorkshire service.

Same web addresses but a totally different look and feel that, we hope, offers something vibrant and engaging for the community groups, voluntary organisations, charities and people across North, South and West Yorkshire that we work with.

It’s not all about looks!

Revamping your website isn’t just about making it look nice; we’ve taken the time to understand what you, as a visitor, need and expect and have made it easier to find the support you’re looking for – whether that’s practical training, specialist resources or advice.

Working with our expert web developers, Castlegate IT, we’ve added more colour, more pictures, more videos and more thought into the visitor’s journey to help you find what you need quickly.

On the Community First Yorkshire website find out about:

Visit the Community Support North Yorkshire website to find out about:

  • Everything you need to know about funding – how to be funding ready, finding the right funds to apply for and help with developing a funding application
  • all things volunteering – whether you’re looking for volunteers or want to volunteer yourself
  • Training to help you run your organisation, be a great trustee, find volunteers, make the most of social media and much more
  • Resources to help your VCSE organisation or community group grow from recruiting volunteers and finding funding, to making sure you have the right safeguarding practices in place.
  • Ideas  and support to help you fulfill your leadership ambitions
  • Our peer support networks for people who run community buildings, charity treasurers, people who manage volunteers, or VCSE finance staff.

And there’s plenty more to be discovered.

What’s next?

While decorating my lounge is a one off for 2022 and then that’s it for the next few years, websites don’t stay still. We’ll constantly be improving the sites so do stay up to date by checking on our blog posts and news updates.

What do you think?

I have to say, I’m pretty chuffed with the results. If my lounge looks and feels half as good, I’ll be very happy. But it’s not about me – it’s all about what you, our website visitor, thinks.

Please have a scroll through both website. We would love to hear your thoughts – get in touch with us at marcomms@communityfirstyorkshire.org.uk.

Can I borrow your brain for a moment?

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One of the things, which a men’s shed offers its members is access to a range of tools and space to carry out projects in the company and with the support of others.

In this environment some of the common requests you might hear include:

“Can I borrow the hammer when you have finished with it, I have left mine at home?”

“Would you mind holding the door as I  do up the screws on the hinges?”

“Can you show me how to use the mitre saw?”

These examples of cooperation, collaboration and community are some of the fundamentals of a Men’s shed.

However, they are not the only aspects of mutual sharing and cooperation which takes place in a Men’s shed and which make a shed a special place.

More importantly Men’s Sheds are also known for the care and support shed members provide for one another.

Recently I was listening to a lecture by Professor Jeremy Holmes on the work of John Bowlby on Attachment Theory and Psychotherapy.

He explained that in times of stress people are less able to process their circumstances because their brains are preoccupied by their emotions rather than the practical aspects of the event.

In a therapeutic context a therapist is able to help the person by supporting them to process their circumstances, by in effect lending the calm and unstressed brain of the therapist.

When I heard this I realised that in a Men’s Shed this is exactly the sort of supportive transaction which takes place between members. A member might be bereaved or be going through the break down of a long term relationship or be facing a serious medical condition. In such circumstances people will often be preoccupied with the emotions of their situation and unable to think things through.

In this situation, other shed members may be able to help them process what is happening by in effect lending them their unstressed brain. They don’t need to provide advice but, by simply remaining calm, will enable their fellow member to express their emotions and have the facts and reality of the situation reflected back.

This is sometimes done by member’s sharing their own stories and experiences. In effect they help their fellow member solve his own problem by lending their brain to do some of the processing for them.

So perhaps the offer of support to the man who is hurting is not just the offer of an arm around the other man’s shoulders in the safe space of the Men’s Shed but also the loan of another member’s brain for careful listening and reflection. This enables the hurting member to process their circumstances and come to a new place of understanding.

By Andy Ryland, Development Officer at Community First Yorkshire.

 

Woodlesford Dementia Group to enjoy sparkling Xmas party thanks to donation

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Christmas party goes ahead with a little help

I always love hearing stories from the community in and around Rothwell. This Christmas story of  a Christmas party that was aided by the donation of a local business really warms my heart as I know how important these gatherings are for the group.

The Leeds branch of a national lift company has given a donation to a volunteer group that provides an important lifeline for people with dementia, their families and carers – and they are spending it on a Christmas party.

Pickerings Lifts, based in Tingley, has made a donation to the Cosy Corner Memory Café in Woodlesford which helps support people affected by dementia.

The Cosy Corner Memory Café is a pop-up event held on the first Thursday of the month at the Two Pointers pub, in Woodlesford. It offers social and emotional support to people with dementia and a chance for families and carers to meet others in similar situations.

The £200 donation will be used to pay for a Christmas party for the group.

Jimmy Richardson, regional manager at Pickerings Lifts, said: “Living with dementia at any time brings challenges but the pandemic is making daily life even harder. The Cosy Corner Memory Café does a wonderful job of providing people affected by dementia with a place they can turn to for regular support, advice and a nice warm cuppa.”

Pickerings Lifts is committed to supporting its local communities across the UK and are involved in a large number of charity-focused initiatives that improve the lives and outcomes of local people.

Pauline Hope, who runs Cosy Corner Memory Café, said: “I’m involved in running a number of social groups in the village including an art group, a mental health group and the Cosy Corner Memory Café which help people come together to support each other. My ultimate goal is to ensure all public spaces and places in our community are dementia-friendly.

“I’m delighted to accept this donation – the Cosy Corner Memory Café group will now enjoy a lovely festive celebration, thanks to Pickerings Lifts.”

Pickerings Lifts, a fifth generation family-owned business, is the UK’s leading lift specialist. Established over 160 years ago, Pickerings has a national network of depots that specify, design, install, upgrade, maintain and repair all types of lifts, escalators, loading systems and mobility equipment across many sectors, for many different kinds of businesses.

Contact:

To get in touch, please email Sarah Hart, our Rothwell Assets Based Community Development Officer / Nidderdale Community Led Housing Officer on: sarah.hart@communityfirstyorkshire.org.uk.

 

Men’s sheds chiming with wellbeing

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By Andy Ryland

Anyone who has been to see blacksmithing or been into a Men’s Shed may have heard the sound of the hammering of hot metal or nails being banged into timber.

What I have noticed, is that a blacksmith develops a rhythm to his/her work and when the metal is reaching its perfect shape, it will have a ring or a sound like the chiming of a bell. It is as though the blacksmith is playing a musical instrument as they work.

However, the CHIME of wellbeing in a Men’s Shed that I am referring to is something different and in fact, are happy men at work.

You see CHIME is an acronym for a way to promote wellbeing, which is used by professionals to support people as they improve their mental wellbeing.

The letters in CHIME stand for the following:

Connectedness in particular being connected to other people in positive ways, characterised by peer support and supportive friendships. In my view, this is very much what men’s sheds are about; connecting with others and doing things together. Whether that is working on a project to get the shed going in the first place or working with other members to build a community project such as a storytelling chair for the village school.

Hope is something that can be lost when life bowls a googly, perhaps a result of a divorce, death of a partner, or loss of employment. Yet working and being with others can give hope as you hear stories of how they have overcome difficulties and life has got better. In the word of Captain Tom Moore, “Tomorrow will be a good day”.

Identity refers to a positive sense of self. This can be lost on retirement or redundancy and men’s sheds can help to fill that gap, particularly if the person concerned has a role they can fulfil. However, care is needed that this does not become a way to exclude or dominate others.

Meaning is defined by the person (not others) and refers to having found a meaningful purpose in life. A shed can give an opportunity to develop or express this. For instance; working on the project to develop the shed, sharing skills, working on community projects, and being part of a team.

Empowerment. Redundancy, ill health, and retirement can strip a person of the control that someone has over their lives. It may undermine their strengths and take away some of the responsibilities they may have had at one time. Being part of a shed can give that back as it can give an opportunity for someone to express their strengths and, with the encouragement and support of others, regain control over their lives and take responsibility.

Climate change and charities – why we need to take action

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Why climate change matters

In November the UK hosted the twenty sixth Conference of Parties on Climate Change, or COP26. Across the media we are seeing an increasing and much needed focus on Climate Change and what it means for people, why it is important, and what will happen if we do not take action to address the impacts of Climate Change now.

All individuals, neighbourhoods, groups, businesses, organisations and countries have a responsibility to take action against Climate Change; and this includes charities. We all use energy and resources, we all have a carbon footprint and we should all be doing what we can in all aspects of life; home, work and social, to reduce our footprint wherever possible. Without everyone making changes and altering what they use and how, the challenges of Climate Change will not be met.

Charities and climate change

We do not work in this sector because we want to make lots of money. We do the work we do because we want to make a difference – doing what we can to create fair, healthy and happy communities for everyone.

However, in this sector it is hard (sometimes impossible) to do what is needed. We can never do enough, we never have enough time, money or resources. So deciding to remove some of our focus and energy away from our vital work, whether that be cancer research, food banks or loneliness prevention, is difficult. But what we do know and understand in this sector is that disadvantage, whether linked to health, finance, education, background or personal experience, has a long lasting and significant impact on people.

Climate change will impact harder and more quickly on those people who are already struggling, and the longer we leave it before taking action the worse it will be. So we all need to start doing whatever we can, now.

The business case

Taking action on Climate Change is not just morally the right thing to do, it is also sensible professionally and from a reputational point of view. Going forward charities can expect donors, supporters, beneficiaries and volunteers to demand more from us. We can expect funders, grant giving organisations and trusts to ask about the environmental impact of our work when applying for funding. Organisations across all sectors are also seeing increasing public backlash against unsustainable practices, such as the ongoing use of single-use plastic for promotional items and charities are not exempt from this.

What to do next

Thinking about climate change and its consequences can be overwhelming and it can be difficult to know where to start. What is important is that if everyone does what they can, even small changes can soon add up.

A good place to start is to find out what your carbon footprint is. You can then see where you are using the most carbon and put in place measures to lower your carbon footprint. You can use a carbon calculator to help you work out your footprint. There are carbon calculators for both individuals and organisations.

Ideas and suggestions for organisational change
  • Appoint a person or a group of people to form a sustainability team, and also get your board or trustees involved.
  • Consider every aspect of your organisation, from the supply chains to the projects you run. Are they all working towards the same goal of sustainability?
  • Draw up sustainability criteria for use when sourcing goods and services
  • Commit to becoming an environmentally responsible organisation, see our template environmental policy for more information
  • Think about adopting energy saving measures in your building; insulation, double/triple-glazed windows, switching to a zero-carbon energy providers, LED lighting or install motion-activated light switches
  • Consider the impact of your facilities; do you have water efficient toilets, how can you reduce wasting water, switch to eco-friendly cleaning products, provide re-usable cups, plates, etc., and recycling and compost bins?
  • Can old or out of date electronics be recycled?
  • Encourage eco-friendly travel alternatives – can you provide incentives for staff to take the train, bus, cycle or walk—rather than driving?
  • Do you allow remote or home working to cut down on travel?

These are just a few suggestions to start you off, depending on the circumstances of your organisation there may also be other changes you could consider.

One of the most powerful ways to support action on climate change is to talk to others about what you are doing and share your knowledge and experiences of making changes in your charity.

For further support and information take a look at our Climate Change Toolkit.

Share your stories

Let us know what you are doing to tackle climate change.

Climate Change and charities – why we need to take action

, ,

Why Climate Change matters

In November the UK will host the twenty sixth Conference of Parties on Climate Change, or COP26. Across the media we are seeing an increasing and much needed focus on Climate Change and what it means for people, why it is important, and what will happen if we do not take action to address the impacts of Climate Change now.

All individuals, neighbourhoods, groups, businesses, organisations and countries have a responsibility to take action against Climate Change; and this includes charities. We all use energy and resources, we all have a carbon footprint and we should all be doing what we can in all aspects of life; home, work and social, to reduce our footprint wherever possible. Without everyone making changes and altering what they use and how, the challenges of Climate Change will not be met.

Charities and climate change

We do not work in this sector because we want to make lots of money. We do the work we do because we want to make a difference – doing what we can to create fair, healthy and happy communities for everyone.

However, in this sector it is hard (sometimes impossible) to do what is needed. We can never do enough, we never have enough time, money or resources. So deciding to remove some of our focus and energy away from our vital work, whether that be cancer research, food banks or loneliness prevention, is difficult. But what we do know and understand in this sector is that disadvantage, whether linked to health, finance, education, background or personal experience, has a long lasting and significant impact on people.

Climate change will impact harder and more quickly on those people who are already struggling, and the longer we leave it before taking action the worse it will be. So we all need to start doing whatever we can, now.

The business case

Taking action on Climate Change is not just morally the right thing to do, it is also sensible professionally and from a reputational point of view. Going forward charities can expect donors, supporters, beneficiaries and volunteers to demand more from us. We can expect funders, grant giving organisations and trusts to ask about the environmental impact of our work when applying for funding.  Organisations across all sectors are also seeing increasing public backlash against unsustainable practices, such as the ongoing use of single-use plastic for promotional items and charities are not exempt from this.

What to do next

Thinking about climate change and its consequences can be overwhelming and it can be difficult to know where to start. What is important is that if everyone does what they can, even small changes can soon add up.

A good place to start is to find out what your carbon footprint is. You can then see where you are using the most carbon and put in place measures to lower your carbon footprint. You can use a carbon calculator to help you work out your footprint. There are carbon calculators for both individuals and organisations.

Ideas and suggestions for organisational change.

  • Appoint a person or a group of people to form a sustainability team, and also get your board or trustees involved.
  • Consider every aspect of your organisation, from the supply chains to the projects you run. Are they all working towards the same goal of sustainability?
  • Draw up sustainability criteria for use when sourcing goods and services
  • Commit to becoming an environmentally responsible organisation, see our template environmental policy for more information
  • Think about adopting energy saving measures in your building; insulation, double/triple-glazed windows, switching to a zero-carbon energy providers, LED lighting or install motion-activated light switches
  • Consider the impact of your facilities; do you have water efficient toilets, how can you reduce wasting water, switch to eco-friendly cleaning products, provide re-usable cups, plates, etc., and recycling and compost bins?
  • Can old or out of date electronics be recycled?
  • Encourage eco-friendly travel alternatives – can you provide incentives for staff to take the train, bus, cycle or walk—rather than driving?
  • Do you allow remote or home working to cut down on travel?

These are just a few suggestions to start you off, depending on the circumstances of your organisation there may also be other changes you could consider.

One of the most powerful ways to support action on climate change is to talk to others about what you are doing and share your knowledge and experiences of making changes in your charity.

For further support and information take a look at our Climate Change Toolkit.

Share your stories

Let us know what you are doing to tackle climate change.

Twitter: @CommFirstYorks   Facebook: Community First Yorkshire

 

Leah Furniss, Development Officer, Community First Yorkshire