AUTUMN 2021
COMMUNITY BUILDINGS NEWSLETTER
In this issue
Thank you to everyone that
With 2022 fast approaching, we
Community Fundraising event
Halls Week in January.
TRAINING AND EVENTS P2
be running an online event
COMMUNITY FUNDRAISING P3
Arts in Village Halls (P2).
FUNDING NEWS P4
community fundraising (P3).
Our featured hall is Stoke St
STOKE ST MICHAEL WAR
We are now planning our
where the committee have
attended our recent
in Holford. It was lovely to
meet you all in person at last! We will circulate the event recording shortly. In the
meantime, read our top tips for
training and networking
programme for 2022 and need
your feedback on what support
are looking ahead to Village
Amongst other things, we will focused on Celebrating the
Michael War Memorial Hall,
been working to install a new
Somerset Prepared works to
do let us know by filling in the
to emergencies. Find out how
short online survey (P2).
CHANGING PLACES TOILETS P7
Changing Places Toilet. (P7).
would be useful and how you
would like it delivered. Please
MEMORIAL HALL P7
increase community resilience
SMART COMMUNITIES P8
SOMERSET PREPARED P10
they can help you and how you can get involved (P10). .
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TRAINING AND EVENTS Have your say! We are planning a new programme of training and networking events and need your feedback on what support would work best for you. Would you prefer to meet online or face-toface in a village hall? What training topics or speakers would be useful? Would you like more opportunities to network with other halls? We would also like to understand what support is needed around energy efficiency, renewable energies and other environmental improvements in community buildings. Please do let us know by filling in the short online survey here.
Celebrating the Arts in Village Halls
You don't need a fully equipped arts venue to showcase fantastic theatre, music, dance or film. Community buildings offer audiences a more intimate experience, and hosting these events can attract new people into your hall. We will be joined by Danny Pedlar from Take Art who will talk about their rural touring programme in Somerset. We will also discuss licensing and other practicalities to consider when organising a cultural event. Weds, Jan. 26th 10am-12pm. To book, click here.
ACRE Village Halls Week 2022
The fifth annual Village Halls Week will challenge halls to do something different and to innovate for the future. During the week, we will be encouraging halls to pledge to do something different – whether that be extending their offer to their community, reducing environmental impact, supporting the arts, or becoming more financially sustainable.
Let us know if you are planning a special event for Village Halls Week. You can also download an ACRE Village Halls Week event poster to promote your event here.
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COMMUNITY FUNDRAISING What is community fundraising?
Community fundraising is when a large audience make multiple small donations towards a good cause, often organised and carried out by volunteers within the local area. It is one of the least cost-effective ways to raise funds, accounting for just 1% of overall charitable income.
Why is community fundraising valuable?
Local fundraising may not seem significant compared to other funding sources. However, there is more to community fundraising than just attracting donations: Successful community fundraising demonstrates strong local support to grant funders and can be used as match funding. Effective local fundraising increases the profile and credibility of your hall within your community. Community fundraising can increase local ownership and support for the hall, resulting in new friendships, volunteers, trustees and recurring donors. A successful event may become a regular fixture at the hall.
Examples of community fundraising Be creative with your fundraising and ask local people for their ideas and involvement. Common fundraising activities include: Collections. This could be bucket shaking at local events or using contactless donation points. Find out who are your most generous givers. Events. Fayres, concerts, dances, lantern parades..... there are many examples. of creative fundraising events at village halls. Plan well and make sure that the income raised will cover your costs and more. Sponsorship. Look at local sponsorship opportunities connected to your hall. Take a look at Bishops Hull Hub Sponsor a Brick scheme here. Encourage people to make use of online platforms to donate while they shop. (Eg Give as You Live, Easyfundraising, The Giving Machine) Business sponsorship. Approach local companies to get involved. Suppliers may be happy to provide services free or at cost. Agree in writing what services they will provide and what you can offer in return as publicity. Crowdfunding. This usually has a specific “ask”. Be bespoke and realistic, get creative and playful with rewards and make sure everyone can see the benefits. Compare online fundraising platforms here.
TOP TIPS! TIPS TOP Start with some quick wins and celebrate success along the way.
Rally support. Start with friends, family and regular hall hirers and work out from there.
Set up a fundraising subcommittee with clear terms of reference.
Check licensing requirements.
Set up an onine fundraising platform and promote this widely on social media, emails, your website etc.
Dont forget to say 'Thank you!'
USEFUL LINKS Organising a Voluntary Event: A 'can do' guide Community Fundraising Ideas Community Fundraising and Events How to Plan a Fundraising Event
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FUNDING NEWS THE PLATINUM JUBILEE FUND A new fund from the National Lottery Community Fund to celebrate 70 years of Her Majesty The Queen's reign. The fund aims to support projects that create a greater legacy for our places and spaces and to support new opportunities, activities and build better relationships with one another, across generations and with the natural world. Grants of £30,000 - £50,000 for projects that meet at least two of the funding criteria. The application deadline is 15th December 2021, or once 700 applications are received, whichever comes first. Projects will need to be up and running before 5th June 2022. For more information click here.
SPACES AND PLACES GRANT A new Asda Foundation grant for local groups aiming at improving community spaces and places where local people can be together and thrive. Grants of between £5,000 and £25,000 towards building, improving, or redeveloping community buildings and outdoor spaces. Groups must raise at least 50% of the total project cost from other sources. Contact your local Asda Community Champion to discuss your project idea. For more information click here.
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FUNDING NEWS ECCLESIASTICAL INSURANCE TWELVE DAYS OF GIVING Nominate a registered charity, not-forprofit organisations, or community interest company to give them a chance to win £1,000. Ten winners will be drawn at random each weekday from 6 - 21 December 2021. Nominations will remain open until midnight the day before each draw. Make a nomination here.
THE CLARK FOUNDATION COMMUNITY GRANTS This capital grant scheme supports community projects in places where employees and ex-employees of Clarks and their families work and live. Funding priorities include education, community welfare, recreation or health. (This could include improvements to play areas, hall access arrangements, new equipment etc), The grants committee meets in March, June, September and December of each year. The cutoff date for applications is the 15th day of the month before the meeting. Applicants should have a high degree of confidence that the project can be fully delivered within 12 months of the application. For more information contact: trustgrants@clarks.com
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“ONE VERY HAPPY VILLAGE HALL!!” From start to finish Will Holt and the rest of the team helped me to find an excellent deal
from a reputable electricity company and took all the hard work out of the change-over.
We are saving a considerable sum of money - something that is very important for a
small village hall that has been closed due to Covid for the greater part of the last year. I
would fully endorse Utility Aid and honestly say it has been a pleasure to work with them.
Jill Challis, Treasurer, Purleigh Village Hall.
“AN EXCELLENT SUPPORTIVE COMPANY” Very pleased to be in touch with this company - and Michael in particular - to help us find a good deal for our small village hall. Knowledgeable, patient and
exceptionally helpful, I cannot speak too highly of this service.
“IT’S RARE TO GET SUCH GOOD CUSTOMER SERVICE” Arranging a change of gas supplier for a village hall and getting agreement from a committee of people is never easy, however Nathan from Utility Aid was helpful,
knowledgeable and extremely patient with all the questions & hiccups on the way. It’s rare
to get such good customer service sorting out utility bills these days, but Utility Aid was
excellent and made it so much easier. Thank you.
If you would like more details please call:
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0808 178 8170 or visit: www.utility-aid.co.uk
STOKE ST MICHAEL WAR MEMORIAL HALL
The hard-working committee at Stoke St Michael War Memorial Hall go above and beyond to build community spirit within their village. Amongst the activities established and organised by the committee are a craft group, gardening group and history club, as well as cinema nights, music events, coffee mornings, senior residents meals and more. The committee have also established a small wildlife garden with plants and building materials donated by the community. This garden is wellloved by local people. One local family visits every weekend!
Reaching out in lockdown When the pandemic hit, the committee considered how best to continue supporting their community. Working with the Somerset Food Resilience Taskforce and Tescos they set up a Community Larder at the hall where local people who lost their income, could access food, frozen meals and other supplies. They also delivered 70 Christmas hampers to older residents and sent food parcels to the village school for families in need.
Another initiative was a book and puzzle share scheme set up in the garden summer house, with help from a local Men's Shed. This facility is still thriving, regularly used by old and young alike.
A new Changing Places toilet During lockdown, the committee refurbished the hall and considered what else could be done to meet the needs of local people. They recognised that the hall lacked a comfortable changing facility and toilet for mothers with babies, as well as other people with access needs. Their new accessible toilet and changing facility has been designed following the criteria for the Changing Places Toilet scheme. The aim is that following inspection they will be able to register as a Changing Places Toilet, improving provision for existing users and opening up the hall for new groups that would benefit from these facilites.
CHANGING PLACES TOILETS A campaign to install Changing Places Toilets in public venues right across the UK so that everyone, regardless of their access needs or disability or reliance on the assistance of carers or specialist equipment, can use a toilet facility with dignity and hygienically. These are larger accessible toilets with equipment such as hoists, curtains, adult-sized changing benches and space for carers. Over 250,000 people in the country need these facilities to enable them to get out and about and enjoy the dayto-day activities many of us take for granted. There are currently 1676 Changing Places Toilets registered in the UK. For more information visit the Changing Places Toilets website here. 7
Community focused consultancy
Breaking News! Tomorrow the Smart Communities Team launch their new standalone website! www.smartcommunities.online We are sharing social media posts across all our network of channels so please help spread the word via your own networks where appropriate. Smart now have their own Facebook/ Instagram page, LinkedIn profile and Twitter account.
Who Smart work with: Charities Local people Community groups Ethnically diverse community groups Parish & Town Councils Community buildings Local Authorities; District Councils, AONBs, Clinical Commissioning Groups Police / Crime Commissioners Social enterprises
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Smart Services Strategic Planning Community & Economic Development Sustainability & Future Planning Research & Evaluation
Training & Events
Community focused consultancy
Working Smart Smart Communities are here for you and your community to support, deliver and find your communities voice.
Long lasting relationships with communities.
Working with local and corporate clients.
How Smart work
Reach
Smart Communities:
go the extra mile to achieve client goals, plan new projects, and source funding
understand how systems work
are an independent, neutral voice
What people say
Experts at working with communities at any and every level.
Reliable
offer creative, cost-effective community-focused consultancy services.
Reputation
Recognised as a trusted partner.
Smart quickly understood the parameters and what the project objective was. The final report was presented in a very professional manner: very clear and comprehensive.
Get smart, get in touch with the Smart Communities team with your project & plans visit:
www.ccslovesomerset.org/smart-communities-consultancy/
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SOMERSET PREPARED Somerset Prepared is a multi-agency partnership working closely with communities to deliver advice, support and training to help enhance local resilience to emergencies. The partnership is made up of many organisations, (including CCS), that are able to provide support to help you develop local initiatives that enhance resilience to emergencies.
Get support Take a look at the Somerset Prepared website which includes links to a wide range of information resources about hazards such as flooding, severe weather, and utility failure.
Somerset Prepared Grant Scheme The Somerset Prepared Grant Scheme awards grants of up to £5,000 to communities for training or equipment to help be better prepared for emergencies. This might include flood protection equipment for a village hall. There is usually a requirement for 20% match funding. For more information click here.
Defibrillator Funding Somerset Prepared also offers funding for defibrillators if this is part of a wider community flood, emergency or resilience plan. Funding is for up to 50% cost for two defibrillators. Any additional defibrillators can be purchased half price through the South West Ambulance Service Scheme, which is the preferred supplier. For more information click here.
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SOMERSET PREPARED Get involved There are a number of ways in which you can get involved in preparing for emergencies in your community. Take a look at the Somerset Prepared website for more information.
COMMUNITY PLACES OF SAFETY This scheme is coordinated by the Somerset Local Authorities Civil Contingencies Partnership. It aims to help communities and local authorities find temporary shelter for people in an emergency where evacuation is required. A large network of facilities (including village and community halls) has already been identified across Somerset that can be used to support residents in an emergency. If you think your hall could be included as a Community Place of Safety you can register your hall here. For more information on what this would involve click here or email info@somersetprepared.org.uk
SOMERSET EMERGENCY COMMUNITY CONTACTS Somerset Emergency Community Contacts (SECC) are a first point of contact for agencies when an emergency has happened in their area. Nominated contacts must be able to speak with authority on behalf of their Council, community, or geographical area. They should be able to give current information about how an emergency is affecting their area and any problems arising where help may be needed. More information about this role can be found here. If you would like to become a Somerset Emergency Community Contact, please first speak with your Parish/Town Council.
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Join our team of Hallmark Visitors! We are looking for new volunteers to join our friendly team of Hallmark Visitors for the Hallmark Accreditation Scheme in 2022. Hallmark is a national accreditation scheme for community buildings which recognises good management and practice by the Community Building Management Committee. Our Hallmark Visitors play a central role in ensuring high standards in these awards. Hallmark Visitors are either existing members of a hall management committee or people who have been closely involved with the work of hall committees in the past. It is a fantastic opportunity to share your knowledge and experience, to visit village halls in other parts of the county and to meet new people. You may even pick up some good tips to take back to your own hall!
Hallmark Visitors work in pairs to visit community halls and then report back using the award checklists and template report provided by ACRE and CCS. Visits take place during the spring and summer months. In addition to the visits, there are two team meetings and an induction session for new Visitors. All expenses will be covered. If you are interested in becoming a Hallmark Visitor or would like to find out more, please do contact Sally on 07946 461560 0r sallys@somersetrcc.org.uk. If you know of someone else in your community who might be interested in this role, please do encourage them to get in touch, especially if they have been involved with village halls in the past.
MEET VAL, ONE OF OUR HALLMARK VISITORS..... My name is Val Boxall and I have been a visitor for Hallmark since 2018, during which time I have visited many village
halls. I always look forward to these trips as I have met some really kind and friendly people and I have visited some
villages that I didn’t even know existed. Not only do you get to know the members of the village halls, but you also build friendly relationships with your fellow visitors.
This year I returned to the village hall which was the first one I visited. It was lovely that they did remember me and, indeed, I remembered them. I shall look forward to next year when I will, hopefully, meet some old friends, make some new friends and get to see even more of the lovely county of Somerset in which we live.
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