WINTER 2025 COMMUNITY BUILDINGS NEWSLETTER
Wehopeyouhadapleasantwinterbreakandarefullyrefreshed.
Inthisissue,wehavedetailsonwhattolookforwardtoin2025 Therearevariousevents,specialweeks,andnewtraining opportunities,aswellassomeofourregularones.Wealsoreflect onyour2024HallmarkandTrusteeoftheYearachievements. Congratulationstoallwhoworkedhardtoachievethisquality standard!Wewillkeepyoupostedwhenthe2025applicationsare beingaccepted.
EveryoneatCCSwishesyouahappyNewYear!
HappyReading
RobertHornCCSCommunityBuildingsAdvisor robert@somersetrcc.org.uk
TheBillhasnowpassedthroughthecommonsincorporatingsomeoftheACREsuggestedamendments andisnowwiththeLords ACREattendedPublicBillCommitteeonourbehalftofollowtheprogress This canbetrackedonlinehere
Therewerethreesignificantchangesfromtheoriginaldraftbill:
Fundedby
Youmayrecallthattheoriginalproposalforalowercapacitythresholdof100wasraisedto200 basedonfeedbackfromACREandothers Therewassomeattempttobringthisbackdownto100 andincorporatemandatorytraining,butthiswasdefeatedandtheminister’sclosingremarksmadeit clearthattheGovernmentwouldnotacceptanamendmenttobringthisbackdownto100 The HomeOfficehadbeensurprisedbythesizeandcoherenceofthelobbyovertheimplicationsfor smallruralcharityrunpremisesandalsonotedthatwehadavoidedapublicargumentwiththeBill’s proponents.
Thelowerthresholdcapacityisintendedtobemoreflexiblethanitmayappear.Theword“expected” hasbeenaddedtothecapacitydefinitiontoenablepremisestodefineacapacitythatmaybesmaller thanthetotalcapacity.Ifyourhallcantechnicallyholdmorethan200atastandingonlyevent,you maybeabletolimityournumbersinyourhiringagreementto199orless.
Theterm“fromtimetotime”hasalsobeenaddedtothedefinitionofStandardTiercapacity,sothat ifavenuehasanunexpectedattendanceofmorethan200therewillbenoautomaticpermanent transitionintothattier
ThegovernmenthascommittedtoatwoyearimplementationphaseafterRoyalAssent.ACREand CCSarecontinuingtokeepacarefuleyeonthepassageoftheBillandisindiscussionwiththeHome Officeoverguidanceandregulationsforhallsofover200capacityaswellasanyvoluntarymeasures thattrusteesofsmallerpremisesmayfeeltheneedtotake.
Insummary:thebillisprogressingandmayyetbeamendedbutwearemonitoringitonyourbehalfand willadviseyouofwhatitmeanstoyou EvenifyourhallisbelowtheStandardTiercapacity,wewouldstill advisealltrusteestoconsiderallpotentialsafetyissuesfortheirusersandtobepreparedappropriately.
PreventAgenda
Section26oftheCounterTerrorismandSecurityAct2015andthePreventDutyGuidanceplacean expectationonlocalauthoritiestoensurethatallpubliclyownedvenuesandresourcesdonotprovidea platformforextremistsandarenotusedtodisseminateextremistviewsorideologies.Althoughmost communitybuildingsarenotownedbylocalauthoritiesyoumaybecontactedbySomersetCouncilabout this.IfyouusetheACREmodelhiringagreement(whichcanbedownloadedfromourwebsite),thereisa questiononthatwhichasksthehireraboutthenatureoftheirbookingandwhattheyaredoing.
VillageHallsWeek17th-23rdMarch2025
Itmaybeacoupleofmonthsaway,butwearealreadyplanningeventsbothlocallyand nationally.Thisyear’sthemeis“Celebrating,Encouraging,andSupportingVolunteers," becausewithoutthem,wearejustbricksandmortar.Youandyourfellowtrustees,working tirelesslythroughouttheyear,arethelifeandsoulofyourcommunity.
VillageHallsWeekisyourchancetostandtogetherwithotherhallslocallyand simultaneouslyreachouttoyourcommunity.Manycharitiesstruggletofindenough trustees,andVillageHallsWeekaimstosupportandbuilduponwhatyoualreadyhave. Seethediarydatesbelow.Ifyouhavesomethingspecialplannedandwouldlikeusto publiciseitorattend,pleaseletusknow.
Ifyourgroupisinterestedinthecampaign,pleasecompletetheACREregistrationformso theycansendyounewsandresourcestohelpyougetinvolved.Villagehallsplanningto holdlocaleventswillbefeaturedontheironlineGooglepinmaphere.
https://www.smartsurvey.co.uk/s/VHW25Register/
CELEBRATIONSIN2024
JohnBowman(left)presentedbyAdam DanceMPforYeovil(right).
AshPriorsVillageHall:Levels1,2&3
BurtleVillageHall:Levels1,2&3
HawkridgeVillageHall:Levels1&2
ShiphamVillageHall:Levels1,2&3
AppleyPavillion:Level1
JohnBowman,atrusteeatMerriottVillageHall,has beenhonouredforhisoutstandingserviceand contributionsovernineyearsattheAnnual CommunityBuildingsConference.Johnhasled significantimprovements,includinginstalling comfortablechairs,photovoltaicpanels,anda refurbishedkitchen.Johnhasraisedover£80,000 forbuildingenhancementsandsuccessfully renewedHallmarkawardsin2019and2023.
Heoversawmajorprojectslikeinstallingdisabled access,refittingthekitchen,andimplementing energy-savingmeasures.Johnalsodevelopeda newCharityTrustDeedin2020andisleadingthe transitiontoaCharitableIncorporated Organisation(CIO).Hisdedicationhasgreatly benefitedthecommunity,earninghimtheTrustee oftheYearAward2024.
JANUARYEVENTS
DecarbSomerset:Lunch&Learn9thJanuary12pm-1pmonlineviaZoom
DoyouwanttoapplyforoneofSomersetCommunityFoundation’sCommunityBuildingEnergy EfficiencyGrantsofupto£20,000?Notsurewhatyouneedinplacewhenthisnewfundopensin February?ComeandmeetthefunderandfindouthowCCScanhelpyoutoget'application-ready'. YoucanapplyifyourorganisationrunscommunitybuildingsinSomersetforthebenefitoflocalpeople. Forexamplevillagehalls,communitycentres,sportspavilionsandotherassetsusedbythewhole community.
Thisone-hoursessionwillstartwithanintroductiontothefundbyClareStephen,SCFProgrammes ManagerbeforeCCSCommunityAdvisorstalkthroughthesimplestepsofwritingyourDIYEnergyCheck, CarbonReductionPlanandsomeofthewaysyoucanconsultwithyourcommunityandtelltheirstories.
Decarb:EnergySavingMarketplace
22ndJanuaryfrom10am-2pm
BOOKNOW-thefirst20eligiblebuildings*toregister willreceivea£25Screwfixvoucheronarrival,tospendas youwishonenergysavingmeasures!(*voluntary, charity,faith,socialenterprise(VCFSE)groupswith buildingsacrosstheSomersetCounciladministrative area)
DuringEnergySavingWeekfindgreener/cleanerenergy solutionsforyourbuildingandgainsomequickwinson howtobetterunderstandyourbuilding'senergyusage andimpact.
Herearesomeofthedatesandeventsbeingplannedforthisyear. Ifthereareanyothertopics thatyouwouldlikeatrainingcourseabout,pleaseletusknow!
Tosecureyourspaceatanyofthebeloweventsvisit:https://ccslovesomerset.org/communitybuildings-events-2025/
20-25thJanuary NationalEnergySavingWeek
22ndJanuary DecarbonisationEventatYeovilMethodistChurch
29thJanuary TrusteeRoles&Responsibilitieswebinar
6thFebruary SuccessfulFundingwebinar
25thFebruary Trustee’sLiabilityandIndemnity
17-23rdMarch VillageHallsWeek(themecelebratingVolunteers)
18thMarch RiskAssessmentTrainingatMilvertonVictoriaRooms(tbc)
19thMarch VolunteeringLunchandLearnwithSparkSomerset
21stMarch SuccessionPlanningforcharities
2ndApril Hallmark2025webinar
15thApril Incorporation(CIO)forCommunityBuildings
7thMay LocalCouncilsandVillageHallssupportingeachother
13thMay HowtocarryoutPATtestingforyourCommunityBuilding(venuetbc)
4thJune ProductiveMeetingsandSuccessfulAGMs
11June TrusteeRoles&Responsibilities–online
ResourcesandInformation
Aquickreminderthatthereareliterallyhundredsof documentsandtemplatesandotherresourcesinthe membersareaofourwebsite.Thereareinformation sheetsandmodeldocumentsfromACRE,CCSguidance, casestudiesandresourcesfromothercounties,aswellas templatescreatedbyvillagehalltrustees Wehave groupedtheseintocategoriestomakeiteasierto navigate
Thedocumentsarereviewedregularlyandupdated wherenecessary.
Itisasecureareaandyouwillhavebeengivena usernameandpasswordaspartofyourmembership If youcannotfindthemorwouldlikethemreset,pleaseget intouch.
Membersarea:
https://ccslovesomerset.org/members/
SparkSomersetWarmSpaces:
WarmWelcomeisbackwithanewonlinemap,funding andsupportforSomersetvenues.Withthehelpof communitypartners,SparkSomersetarebuildinga networkandonlinemapofWarmWelcomespacesfor thoseaffectedbythecost-of-livingcrisis.
WarmWelcomeMap
Addyourgrouporvenuetothemappleasevisitthe dedicatedwebpage
Fundingforyourspace?SomersetCommunity Foundation’sHelpThroughWinterFundisnowopen visittheirwebsite
WarmWelcomeSomersetissupportedbythe HouseholdSupportFund‘HelpThroughWinter’ programme.
ThisprogrammeisfundedbySomersetCouncilwhoare workingalongsidepartnersacrosseducationandthe voluntary,community,faithandsocialenterprisesector todeliveressentialsupporttofamiliesandresidents.
CCSlaunchesacampaignto changelives
Everyday,wehelppeoplelikeAmy,whoselimitedmobility leftherwithoutfreshfoodandtheabilitytocookfor herself.Withoursupport,Amynowhasaccesstoafood pantryandakitchensetupathomethatallowsherto prepareherownmealsagain.
AtCCSwe’reworkingtomakesurethatnooneinourcountyhastofacehardshipalone.Thelaunchofour PayItForwardForSomersetcampaignwillenableustoprovidevitalsupportservicesthathelpSomerset residentswhentheyneeditmost
Everypounddonatedwillsupportourworkinthecommunity;addressingeconomicchallenges,healthneeds, andsocialisolationacrossthecounty.
Sopleaseforwardthisemailtoyourfriendsandcolleagues,shareourcampaigninyournewsletters,and shareour#PayItForwardSomersetsocialposts.Ifyoucandisplayaposterinyourbuilding,pleaseemail nikit@somersetrcc.org.ukforcopies.Thankyou.
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