Halton & St Helens VCA is delighted to be a partner and main sponsor of the 2026 Pride of St Helens Awards, celebrating the individuals, volunteers, community groups and organisations that make a positive difference across the borough.

Organised by the Steve Prescott Foundation in partnership with the St Helens Star, the awards recognise local people who go above and beyond to support others and strengthen their communities. Through this partnership, VCA is proud to help shine a spotlight on the outstanding contribution of the voluntary, community, faith and social enterprise sector.

Community organisations, churches and faith groups across Halton are being invited to take part in a conversation about how local communities can work together to create stronger and more connected neighbourhoods.

The event forms part of the Faith in the City 40th Anniversary Programme taking place across the Liverpool City Region and will bring together community partners from Halton and the wider region.

Children and young people can now access free, confidential mental health support through Soluna by Kooth, the new name for Kooth's digital mental health service. The rebranded platform launched on 2 September 2026 and continues to offer the same safe, self-referral support, with no waiting lists or referrals required.

Available via both a website and mobile app (for ages 13+), Soluna provides one-to-one text chat with professionals, self-help resources, and out-of-hours support. Organisations are encouraged to update any existing signposting information and help raise awareness of the new service among young people and families.

Professionals working with children and young people across Cheshire and Merseyside now have access to a new resource designed to improve confidence and knowledge when supporting those at risk of self-harm.

The Cheshire & Merseyside CYP Self-Harm Professional Resource Hub has been launched to provide practical, evidence-based guidance for staff and volunteers who may not have specialist mental health training but are often in a position to identify and support children and young people experiencing emotional distress.

This summer, £2m in unrestricted funding has been donated to third sector organisations through the easyfundraising platform.

Through this free to use and trusted website, thousands of online retailers will donate money to your organisation when your volunteers, staff, trustees and supporters shop with them. 

Every three months, the donations are paid to your organisation as unrestricted funding, to spend on whatever you need. easyfundraising is already trusted by lots of good causes in our region who are raising much needed funds this way.

The next funding payout is due in November and your organisation can be part of it by setting up your free easyfundraising page

Our Winter Coats project is back and this year we are excited to be partnering with the amazing Care UK Charity! It all kicks off with Donation Stations opening from the 1st September 2026. A big shout out to Roy Jacks, removals company, for their very generous gift of 100 cardboard boxes to help us along the way.

We would love our community recycling schemes fifth year to be bigger and better than the last, ensuring we provide free pre-loved winter coats across the borough. There’s a special request for Children’s and Men’s coats please, we are so grateful for all donations.

Donations are open from 1st September to 16th November.

Voluntary and community organisations across the UK are being encouraged to take part in a national consultation on the future of National Lottery funding for good causes. The review aims to gather views from local authorities, voluntary sector organisations, community groups and members of the public to help shape how funding is distributed in the years ahead.

This is an important opportunity for voluntary, community, faith and social enterprise (VCFSE) organisations to share their experiences and help influence future funding arrangements. Insights gathered through the consultation will help inform how National Lottery funding can best support communities and local priorities across the UK.

The consultation closes on 23 September 2026

Older residents across Halton are being encouraged to take part in a new survey that will help shape the future of local services, facilities and communities.

Halton Borough Council is working towards becoming a recognised Age-Friendly Community and is seeking feedback from people aged 55 and over about their experiences of living in the borough. The survey aims to identify what matters most to older residents and will be used to inform improvements across a range of areas, including housing, transport, health services and social opportunities.

The questionnaire takes approximately 10 minutes to complete and is open until Friday 23 October 2026.

Halton's September VCFSE Forum meeting will be on Wednesday the 9th of September from 9.30am., arrive from 9am.

The meeting will be held at Halton & St Helens VCA, St Marie's, Lugsdale Road, Widnes, WA8 6DB.  We will hear from sector representative, VCA staff team, HBC staff members, and more.

The forum is the perfect stage to showcase your organisation and hear about what else is happening in the borough, and we are now seeing around 50 attendees each month.  

Safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility and safeguarding training is statutory for all individuals who are working with children and families. This introductory course provides a basic awareness of safeguarding children and will support you to:

Recognise the significance of safeguarding and your accountability as a practitioner working with families
Increase your understanding and how to action any worries you may have about the safety and welfare of children.

We would love you to attend our Funders Festival. Drop in between 10:30am and 3:30pm or spend the day with us.

The festival will help you develop your knowledge around how to access funding and resources that will support you to grow and sustain your organisation. The event will include workshops, a marketplace, networking opportunities, a peer support café and more….

Halton's October VCFSE Forum meeting will be on Thursday the 8th of October from 9.30am, arrive from 9am.

The forum is the perfect stage to showcase your organisation and hear about what else is happening in the borough, and we are now seeing around 50 attendees each month. Join us and take time to engage and update one another on projects and activities, as well as touching base with the local Council and NHS organisations.

Registered Office: St Maries, Lugsdale Road, Widnes, WA8 6DB