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Your Fortnightly New & Information Bulletin from Halton & St Helens VCA
Welcome to the latest VCA E-Bulletin

Every fortnight we bring you the latest, news, events and information from the VCFSE sector and partners across Halton, St Helens and the wider area.  If you would like to feature in our next e-bulletin please click our link below and submit your story.. 

Submission for Ebulletin
Landmark £25m Pilkington Trust Transfer to Benefit St Helens Charities

Charities and community groups in Merseyside will receive over £800,000 a year in funding, following the transfer of circa £25 million in assets from the Pilkington Charities Fund to the Community Foundation for Lancashire and Merseyside. The donation is the largest single trust transfer donation in the UK Community Foundations network history, of which there are 47 across the country. The fund will support projects tackling poverty and ill health, with priority given to organisations based in St Helens—the birthplace of the Pilkington legacy.

This July, the Pilkington Charities Fund will offer grants of up to £20,000, including support for core costs—an area of funding often difficult for charitable organisations to secure.

 

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GP Health Connect – Digital Inclusion Support & SIM Cards for Halton Residents

Date: Saturdays

Time: Drop in any time between14:00 - 15:00

Location: GP Health Connect - Heath Road Medical Centre

Join in at the Digital Inclusion event where they will be issuing and promoting access to digital data sims at a friendly and welcoming environment. Don't miss out on this opportunity to claim your sim card. 

Individuals must be18+ years old AND from a low-income household and meet at least one of the qualifying criteria:

 

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Healthwatch St Helens - Update

The Government has announced that it wants to change the law to:

1. Transfer the work of Healthwatch England to the Department of Health and Social Care.

2. Transfer the work of local Healthwatch services to the NHS and local authorities.

What does this mean right now?

While these changes will happen over time, the law has not yet been changed.

This means Healthwatch St Helens are still here, open, and working for you.

 

 

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St Helens Mind Launch New Male Mental Health Programme

St Helens Mind have received some funding to create a Men's Suicide Prevention group aimed at 18-30 year old men.

Suicide is the leading cause of death for men under 50 in the UK. Locally, St Helens continues to see high rates of self-harm and suicide. This program directly addresses these challenges with targeted, compassionate support.

 

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Parkinson's UK - Grants

Parkinson's UK have asked us to share information about two new grants programmes which are now available for any local community groups and activity providers.

Provide grants of up to £3,000 to support physical activity projects for people with Parkinson's all over the UK.

Marginalised communities in the UK can apply for up to £3,000 in funding as part of a new grants pilot.

 

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Halton Holiday Activity and Food Provision (HAF) - Summer 2025

Halton Borough Council is delighted to announce that it has secured Government Funding from the Department of Education, to enable local providers to offer free activities and lunch during the ​summer ​holiday period to school aged children from Reception to Year 11, who receive benefits-related to free school meals. 

There are also a number of places available to other vulnerable groups of children and young people, such as SEND, Young Carers and NEET.

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Council Leadership Offers Helping Hands to Local Organisations

St Helens Borough Council's Chief Executive and senior leadership team are rolling up their sleeves for a day of hands-on volunteering — and they’re inviting local organisations to get involved.

The Council is seeking opportunities for a team of around eight people, including the Chief Executive, to support a community project for one day. They're particularly interested in initiatives where they can make a practical impact and gain insight into the valuable work taking place across the borough.

The volunteering day forms part of a wider initiative to encourage more Council staff to engage with volunteering and strengthen ties between the Council and the local community.

 

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Development of LGBTQIA+ Suicide Awareness Training

The Zero Suicide Alliance (ZSA) have been commissioned to develop a bespoke LGBTQIA+ suicide prevention training package, with an anticipated launch in October 2025. This training aims to raise awareness, reduce stigma, and provide practical tools to support mental health and well-being within the LGBTQIA+ community.

They are committed to ensuring this project is executed thoughtfully and is truly representative of the lived experiences within the community. To achieve this, they are grounding their approach in evidence-based research and are eager to engage in meaningful conversations with those who can provide invaluable insight.

They want to hear from people who are part of the LGBTQIA+ community or are close to the LGBTQIA+ community through loved ones or work?

 

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Jobs
Finance and Payroll Assistant - VCA

Finance & Payroll Assistant – Based in St Helens (Part time 28 hours)

Salary: £17,777.76 Per Annum

Our St Helens based finance team provides payroll services for a variety of local groups and organisations across Halton & St Helens as well as keeping our internal day to day finances running smoothly. You will be supporting our Finance officer with data entry in both excel spreadsheets and our accounting software - helping to deliver our payroll service.

Job Purpose - To provide administrative and book-keeping support and contribute towards the smooth and effective operation of the finance and admin core team

Closing Date: Midday Monday 21st July 2025

 

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Partnership Officer (Cheshire & Merseyside)

Voluntary Sector North West (VSNW) are looking for someone organised to join their team as a Partnership Officer (Cheshire and Merseyside).

In this role, you’ll support their work across Cheshire and Merseyside, helping build connections across the VCFSE sector. You’ll help make sure voices are heard in health and care systems through effective representation, strong partnerships, and well-run networks.

Salary: £26,692.80 per annum 

Working hours: 28 Hours per week (0.8 FTE)

Working arrangement: Hybrid working

Closing Date: Thursday 10th July at 9am

 

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Newsletter / Bulletins
Halton Funding Bulletin - July 2025

The Programmes Office Team at Halton Borough Council have produced their latest monthly Funding Bulletin covering recent grants alerts.

In addition to the monthly bulletin, Programmes Office can help you search for external funding via grant searches and support with grant applications. Also offering free workshops to help you to develop a fundraising strategy, basic bid writing, managing your grant plus monitoring & evaluation of grants received.

 

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The Autism Wellbeing Project CIC - July 2025 Newsletter

Happy 2nd Birthday to The Autism Wellbeing Project!

They are a non-profit organisation dedicated to supporting autistic adults in Halton and the surrounding areas.

As a Community Interest Company (CIC), their primary goal is to provide comprehensive support services tailored to the unique needs of each individual.

 

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Focus On Volunteering

Wargrave Community Projects Promote Inclusion, Health, and Environmental Action

Efforts are underway in Wargrave, Newton-le-Willows, to build a stronger, healthier, and more connected community through a range of local initiatives.

One strand of the vision focuses on promoting financial inclusion and helping residents access employment opportunities. The aim is to foster a more cohesive, confident, and pro-active local population.

In parallel, a health-focused initiative seeks to improve access to local healthcare, provide a safe and supportive environment, and create space for local health, well-being, and support groups to grow and thrive.

In support of environmental improvement, a community volunteering opportunity is currently open to residents interested in contributing to the restoration of Red Brow Wood. Organised with support from Groundwork Cheshire, Lancashire and Merseyside, the project invites volunteers to help clear pathways, remove non-native species, and improve access to this local green space.

Volunteering sessions are held every Monday (excluding Bank Holidays) from 10am to 2pm, meeting at Sankey Canal off Bradlegh Road, Wargrave. No previous experience is necessary, and all tools, equipment, and PPE are provided—along with refreshments. Participants can expect to gain new skills, meet like-minded individuals, and contribute to a meaningful environmental cause.

For those looking to get involved, this is a great way to spend time outdoors while supporting both community and conservation efforts.

For more information:

https://volunteering.haltonsthelensvca.org.uk/volunteers/opportunity/10255888

 

Find Out More About Voluntering
Have you heard about The Community Lottery – for local good causes?

Charities, community organisations, social business and community groups of all shapes and sizes can sign up, free of charge and get a slice of the ticket proceeds.

A generous 60% of the ticket proceeds from the the Community Lottery will go to charities, voluntary organisations and other not-for-profit groups with the remainder being put towards prizes, operating costs and VAT.

If you are involved with a local good cause that would like to find out more about fundraising with the Community Lottery, simply scan the QR code on the picture or access the "find out more" button below.


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VCA Activities Directory

Do you know about our Activities Directory? There is always something going on in Halton and St Helens and this is the best place to find out what’s what.


If you have any community events that you would like to add to the directory, the link below, will take you to our community events webform:

https://www.haltonsthelensvca.org.uk/add-edit-activity


Find Out More

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

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