Working together for the wellbeing of the community The benefits of volunteering are numerous and far-reaching – both for the organisations and communities supported by volunteers, and for each individual giving up their own time to help others. Volunteering can give people a sense of purpose, help them maintain and improve their self-worth and mental health, and give them the confidence to make positive changes to their lives. The Know Your Neighbourhood (KYN) Fund was created by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), designed to widen participation in volunteering and tackle loneliness in communities across England with the poorest outcomes for health and wellbeing. The funding enables charities and voluntary groups to offer activities that will help to improve wellbeing, skills, confidence and social connections for individuals, and give opportunities for volunteering. Barrow-in-Furness is one of those communities benefitting from the KYN Fund, with the Foundation managing that funding. The charity Groundwork North East and Cumbria is leading a partnership of 10 local charities and voluntary organisations known collectively as Furness For You. The partnership offers a variety of meaningful activities that address isolation and loneliness and help people build confidence, meet new people, acquire new skills and encourage volunteering. Victoria Myers from Groundwork said: With KYN funding of £930,000, the Foundation has made a significant investment in this partnership. The funding supports the running of the partnership and the activities of the 10 partner organisations by improving staff capacity and providing materials. The project hopes to support almost 1,000 new beneficiaries and around 500 new volunteers. Victoria said: Collectively the partnership is creating a new collaborative system and cultural change across the Barrow area, with a pooling of knowledge and resources, and joined up delivery. “Most of our beneficiaries begin volunteering because they feel lonely or isolated, and taking this step has significant personal and health benefits. It can also be a step towards creating economic growth, upskilling and providing a stepping stone into employment.” “Our partnership delivers our aims through co-ordinated community-led activities creating volunteering opportunities to bolster the project. This builds confidence for beneficiaries and volunteers.” Enabling online access for all Eden Rural Foyer (ERF) has been operating in the heart of Penrith since 2003, providing accommodation to enable young people to live independently, a cyber café, training rooms, office space and a conference room. The Foundation funded ERF, run by social housing provider the Riverside Group, to develop an IT club to ensure vulnerable and older residents have the essential skills needed to access online services. Delivered in an informal setting in the Foyer’s café, the club caters for all ages and helps people who are able to work to create a CV and register on job searches, for example. But the project’s main aim is providing one-toone tuition to vulnerable residents aged 60+ to help them gain confidence in online activities including: • setting up and running an email account, • accessing social media to help alleviate social isolation, • applying for benefits online and accessing government websites, • registering on NHS Direct and using NHS online services. Emilia Szulc from Riverside said: A grant of £3,373 drawn from three of the Foundation’s funds – Holehird Trust, Fibrus Community Fund Cumbria and Rowan Community First Fund – helped set up the club with IT equipment. The Foundation has also supported Eden Rural Foyer through the Better Tomorrows fund, providing £16,136 to fund a Youth Officer to lead and manage a new youth club at the Foyer for three years. It is open to all young people aged 12 to 19 who live or study in Penrith and the Eden Valley. The IT Club will complement the Youth Club and as Emilia said: “The aim is to improve each service user’s life and help some users secure employment in the future. We are aiming to help enhance skills including team building, communication, and confidence for them to use going forwards.” Lucy Warwick turned to the IT Club for help when homeless and out of work. “If it wasn’t for Emilia, I wouldn’t have got a job. She helped me put my CV together when I was really struggling with PTSD. “Eden Rural Foyer is amazing. Everyone always puts themselves out to help you, even though they are really busy.” “This project is aimed at digitally excluded learners in our community to help them become more confident online. By accessing the training, they will be able to learn IT in a friendly, safe and welcoming environment. It will cover Internet safety and help those who are capable to get back into work and help others to learn new skills and make contacts in the community.” Stitch Ability, a Furness for You project 25 YEARS OF POWERING STRONGER COMMUNITIES 10 11
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