ESC Communities Team Update – December 2023
Cost of Living Support
Cost of Living Leaflet – SCC has updated the Cost of Living leaflet for this winter, with an East Suffolk specific front page – see Cost of Living Support – East-Suffolk-2023 (pagetiger.com). Hard copies are available from communities@eastsuffolk.gov.uk. The leaflet is aimed at community groups, voluntary organisations and public bodies working with residents who need advice and support.
We are working with Citizens Advice this winter to promote the message that Christmas is about people not presents, trying to encourage people not to get themselves into debt in order to fund Christmas presents.
Various Ease the Squeeze grant schemes are still live – including the Community Pantry, Uniform Bank and Community Growing Space grants – see Ease the Squeeze on cost of living » East Suffolk Council
Community Help Hub – the Help Hub continues to take online and telephone referrals (via our Customer Services Team) for practical support and help with money. So far more than 1,250 people have been supported, including with income maximisation through budgeting support, benefit checks and access to grants and to access items like furniture, cooking equipment, bedding, and baby items. See Cost of living referral – My East Suffolk. The Help Hub has a supply of cooking items including hubs, microwaves, and slow cookers.
The Winter 2023/24 Community Cost of Living Fund closes for applications on 6th December so that decisions can be made before Christmas to enable projects run between January and March 2024. The funding is provided by the Suffolk Collaborative Communities Board. Community, faith and voluntary groups can apply for grants of up to £2,500 for projects that help people to stay warm and well fed this winter – East Suffolk Cost of Living Winter Grant Fund » East Suffolk Council
Professionals and those who work for a voluntary sector organisation can now make a direct referral for a winter warmth pack to be sent to a person or household in need. The applicant has to provide their contact details and get the consent of the household to share their details with us too. There is an online referral form to enable people to identify what winter warmth items are most needed Winter warmth pack referral – My East Suffolk
The new East Suffolk Food Network Coordinator, Kim Costello, is now in post and will be working with groups across the district to help set up additional Community Pantries and try and maximise the flow of food into and around East Suffolk.
21st Century Community and Business Hubs
Round 2 of the Community and Business Hub Fund, funded through the Rural England Prosperity Fund (REPF), with revenue funding through the Community Partnership Board, went live on 3rd December and closes on 26th January 2024. The guidance notes are available at East Suffolk Rural Prosperity Fund and the application form at Rural business and community hub fund application – My East Suffolk.
In a nutshell, the fund has been set up to support community spaces/hubs to make changes that help them to meet the future needs of their community – including energy efficiency, digital access, skills development, and community provision e.g. health and wellbeing or access to services. Applicants are encouraged to ‘think big’ – the fund is not intended for ongoing maintenance or repairs. Grants of up to £30,000 per project are available and applicants only have to provide 20% match funding (of which 10% can be volunteer time). 2 projects were funded in Round 1 and there will be a further 3 rounds, with the final one in January 2025.
Sizewell C
Community Safety Action Plan – a draft Action Plan focussing on mitigating some of the potential community safety impacts of Sizewell C has been developed – it is suggested that this be added to the agenda for the next meeting.
SZC Community Fund – ESC is working with Suffolk Community Foundation, who will manage the Community Fund, about timescales and next steps. A key focus for the Aldeburgh, Leiston and Saxmundham Community Partnership will be on supporting local community groups and voluntary organisations to be in the best possible position to apply for the fund when it is launched after Christmas.
Aldeburgh, Leiston and Saxmundham Community Partnership
The Community Partnerships newly agreed priorities are:
- Improving Mental Health and Wellbeing
- Oral health care for children and young people
- Supporting hubs to bring services together
At the last meeting, the CP committed to making £5,800 available to all local schools, and up to three youth groups/services, to use at their own discretion to support their young people’s oral health.
