To unsubscribe from this Mailing or to opt out of all Halton and St Helens Voluntary and Community Action Mailings please use the links found at the bottom of the page.

Welcome to the latest edition of the Halton & St Helens Voluntary and Community Action E-Bulletin...

Willowbrook Hospice Hit By Storm Damage – Here's How You Can Help

Winds and heavy rain have hit rooms at the Eccleston park facility, resulting in a reduced capacity for the hospice to care for people who need their services most. Charity bosses say they are in urgent need of funding to replace fixtures and fitting. Nichola Saunders, head of fundraising, said: “The recent storms led to severe flooding at the hospice which has particularly affected four of our 12 inpatient bedrooms. Although some of the damage is covered by insurance, many of the fixtures and fittings have been ruined by damp and dirty water and need replacing. We urgently need the support of local people so that we can get up and running again as soon as possible"...

Have Your Say On Cheshire Fire Authority Draft Plans for 2019/2020

Cheshire Fire Authority has now published its draft Integrated Risk Management Plan (IRMP) 2019/2020 for consultation. Every year the Authority publishes an Integrated Risk Management Plan (IRMP). This plan is about improving public safety, reducing the number of emergency incidents and saving lives.  The plan provides information on the risks facing Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service and details how the organisation is structured and operates to mitigate these risks. It also details how Cheshire Fire Authority is funded and outlines plans for the future, which include...

Disability Confident

The DWP have been promoting Disability Confident over the last few months and Merseyside are looking to hold a City wide event to give further information on the initiative. The event is for all employers and the DWP are asking you as employers, if you would be willing to register as a Disability Confident employer or be  interested in progressing to the next level should you already be signed up? The Event is on the morning of Friday 23rd November in Liverpool, the Mayor is expected to open the Event...

Welfare Rights Adviser Vacancy - RAISE

Welfare Rights Advisor, based in Liverpool but travel to the surrounding areas. RAISE are looking for a highly motivated individual who is passionate about empowering individuals to navigate the complexity that is our Social Security system. You will be experienced in providing speciality welfare rights advice, undertaking casework and tribunal representation...

High Sheriff Visits Willowbrook’s Living Well

The High Sheriff of Merseyside Mr Peter Woods DL lent his support to Willowbrook Hospice’s fundraising efforts by contributing to the charity’s ‘Home Money Box’ appeal during a recent visit to the hospice’s Living Well building. Welcomed by the chairman of the hospice’s Board of Trustees Alan Chick and Willowbrook Ambassador, Lady Kirsty Pilkington, the High Sheriff and his partner Francis Ryan were given a tour of the facilities, speaking to both staff and volunteers including members of the hospice’s fundraising team. Nichola Saunders, Head of Fundraising at Willowbrook said: “It was lovely to meet the High Sheriff and he obviously has a keen interest in the hospice and the work we do...

Resources for Professionals Caring For Asylum Seekers and Refugees

Liverpool John Moores University has developed an online resource hub for professionals working with asylum seekers and refugees.  It has some really good resources and contacts which you might find useful. The online resource hub aims to provide accessible and up-to-date information on the rights and well-being of asylum seekers and refugees. Its development was underpinned by a literature review and empirical research based on an action research approach. The respondents were professionals with extensive experience in working with asylum seekers and refugees; some of them were former refugees themselves. They explored and identified the key challenges and solutions related to the complex needs of asylum seekers and refugees and suggested the resources required to support and advance their rights and well-being... 

APEX Charitable Trust, Merseyside Is Seeking A Treasurer And Trustee(s)

Apex Charitable Trust is a Merseyside based charity with a registered office in St Helens town centre. Apex has a mission to deliver services that enable offenders and those at risk of offending to be the best that they can be and inspire breakthroughs in the way society treats them. They have worked in the Merseyside region since 1996 offering a tailored service to ex-offenders and those at risk of offending to move away from a life of crime to employment, training, and education (ETE) & voluntary work. They work holistically with local adult ex-offenders to release their full potential & support them in breaking down the barriers they face...

Don't Forget...

Volunteer Quiz Night

Volunteer Centre Halton's annual Christmas Quiz night for volunteers & co-ordinators/managers is on Monday 3 December 2018, 7.30-10pm. The quiz is free to enter. Teams max 6 people - at least one must be a volunteer. If you don't have a full team, we can help you to join another team. Half time free refreshments. Bring your own tipple...

VCSE Connect

Information about the voluntary, community, charitable sector still remains one of the key issues raised by professionals and clinicians when you ask the question “What could the voluntary sector do?” or “How can I refer this person to something more appropriate?”

As the gateway into the sector, Halton & St Helens VCA holds lots of information and data about local voluntary action.  We have produced that in great detail, in “Here to Help”, provided a search facility on our website, share information with key organisations and have many different ways of sharing what groups do, but still people say they don’t know what groups exist, what they do and how they get to them or refer to them.  So Halton & St Helens VCA has been working on an extension to our database which will display information about groups in an easy format, tell you what they do and when, allow clinicians and other key professionals to log-in directly and make a referral directly to the group (as long as they have agreed to receive referrals).  This means for the first time there will be a single place where referrals to the local voluntary and community sector can be made.

If you would like your organisation to be included in the VCSE Connect directory...

Saying Goodbye...

One of the hardest things in the world is saying goodbye to valued members of staff, but sometimes staff move on and after nearly 10 years of working at VCA, Cath Cahalin will be leaving tomorrow (31st October) and will be joining the Disabilities Team at St Helens Council. We couldn’t let her leave without saying something about how much she will be missed, everyone at VCA would like to wish Cath congratulations on your new role but we’re going to miss you! 

Please feel free to forward this email onto any other organisations/individuals who you feel would be interested. Apologies if you receive this email more than once.

If you have any comments you would like to tell us about this e-bulletin, please send an email to ldaffern@haltonsthelensvca.org.uk or if you have any news/events you would like us to publicise, please complete our News/Events webform: https://www.haltonsthelensvca.org.uk/vca-newsevents-template

Halton and St Helens Voluntary and Community Action