This last year has been the toughest time for many people, but one of the good things to come out of the pandemic is the way people are pulling together and supporting each other, and making sure the most vulnerable in our communities stay safe.

This month we are launching a new project in partnership with West Lancashire Borough Council to support this groundswell of community action and to help get accurate and up to date information about the local covid-19 situation into the heart of communities across West Lancs.

Volunteers needed

As a first step, we are looking for volunteers in each neighbourhood to help as community champions. These volunteers will play a key role in cascading the information supplied by CVS through their networks of family, friends, and the groups and organisations they are a part of.

Community Champions can also help to deliver practical help to those in need in their local area or to work within a West Lancs organisation to help enhance their vital work.

We are looking to quickly recruit these volunteers to help champion the community in West Lancs and help support the ongoing grassroots efforts to keep people safe. Can you help?

If you could help by giving practical support locally, or by cascading information to your networks, we would love to hear from you as soon as possible!

To talk to us about becoming a community champion volunteer, please get in touch by:

• Phone 01695-733737
• Email: enquiries@wlcvs.org
• Social media: Facebook and Twitter

Directory

As part of the Community Champions scheme, we will be researching and producing a local directory of voluntary, community, faith and social enterprise groups working throughout West Lancashire. This will be available on our website later in the year to help provide access to information on the key activities and services delivered by the voluntary sector.

Funding available

West Lancs CVS and West Lancashire Borough Council have worked together to bring investment into local voluntary sector and as part of the Community Champions scheme are launching a £200,000 grant fund.

Grants will soon be available to voluntary, community, faith, and social enterprise (VCFSE) organisations, to support the work they’re doing in helping communities that have been impacted by COVID-19.

You will be able apply if you have a new idea or if your idea is to support existing activities. The focus will be on organisations that work with or support vulnerable groups in West Lancashire and the grants must be used to:

• reduce isolation
• improve health and wellbeing – such as helping people to be active
• help people and communities to recover from the impact that COVID-19 has had on their life and community

You will also be eligible to apply if your organisation takes on additional volunteers as Community Champions.

Full details on the Community Champions funding grants, and how to apply will be circulated soon.