Listen to our latest podcast as Julie Englund (Public Health Research and Evaluation Practitioner) and Rio Floreza (DCA's Community Involvement Lead) sit down together as operational team members for REACH County Durham to reflect on the project to date.

Join them as they discuss how REACH County Durham is working to enable more collaborative research between partners (Durham University, Durham County Council and Durham Community Action), ensuring that priority areas are jointly identified and that involvement from communities more widely remains at the heart of the process.

The Director of Public Health Annual Report for 2025 is now available to read. 

Highlighting the different experiences of health and illness across the County and the challenges faced, it gives key data, outlines actions taken and presents ambitions for the future.

Read the report here:

Public health annual report - Durham County Council

Following last year’s 10 year Health Plan, a new Strategic Commissioning Framework has been published, setting out the requirements for ICBs as strategic commissioners. This marks a shift in the role of ICBs, and the Framework articulates what this means in practice.

It sets out what ICBs and providers (including VCSE organisations) can expect as part of a step-by-step guide with an updated commissioning cycle.  It supports longer-term planning, collaboration with system partners, and working meaningfully with patients and communities.  You can read more about this here:  

The strategic commissioning framework: what you need to know | NHS Confederation  snd see the framework here: NHS England » Strategic commissioning framework

Meanwhile, the ICB in North East and North Cumbria is currently restructuring to respond to this new role and to the government announcement that ICBs needed to cut their running costs (with details given in the NHS Model ICB Blueprint).

Our ICB needs to make a 33% reduction. A formal ICB staff consultation started in November and will conclude on 16^th January, after which the new structure will be finalised and passed to the ICB Board for approval in February.

In terms of the relationship between the ICB and the VCSE, the ICB has said they want to maintain the strategic partner status the VCSE sector currently has and are committed to continuing to work with the sector as a key part of our health system.

At DCA, we are engaged in the VCSE Partnership Programme Executive Group (led by VONNE) and will continue to develop and maintain regional relationships, as well as with local colleagues at Place, and keep you informed.  

As part of the ICB's WorkWell programme, a health and wellbeing support offer is available on the Boost platform for all staff and volunteers, including those working in the VCSE sector, across our region.

It includes resources for emotional, physical, and financial wellbeing, self-help guides, virtual resilience workshops, fitness and lifestyle tools, including popular wellbeing apps. You can also access the staff wellbeing hub, which offers free, confidential, rapid-access psychological support. Again, this service is freely available to people working across the VCSE sector involved in health and care work. 

If you would like to receive the monthly newsletter from the NENC Staff Health and Wellbeing Hub team, you can contact them by email: hubstheword@cntw.nhs.uk with the subject ‘Briefing sign-up’.

Brew Monday takes place on 19th January, when  Samaritans reminds everyone to reach out for a cuppa and a catch-up with the people you care about.

Feeling low isn’t just something that happens on Mondays or a random day in January. ​On Brew Monday, small talk turns into big talk. The day you break open the biscuits and the taboos. The day you remind everyone how good human connection feels. How easy it is. And what a difference it can make.

Reaching out to someone could help them know that they are valued and someone cares. If you’ve noticed someone has gone quiet in the group chat or you haven’t heard from them in a while, reach out and check in. A simple message can mean a lot to someone who is going through a difficult time.

Just reaching out and asking someone how they are can give them the opportunity to open up about how they’re feeling. Don’t forget to put aside some time to catch up with them properly, maybe over a cuppa.

You can download resources here:

Brew Monday downloadable resources

Time to Talk Day is dedicated to encouraging conversations about mental health and aims to break down barriers to discussing feelings.

It provides a platform for people to share their experiences, provide support, and raise awareness about mental health challenges. By talking openly, we can help reduce the stigma and discrimination that often surround mental health issues.

There are numerous ways that you can get involved this year:

• Just have a conversation about mental health with a friend, family member or anyone!
• Tell your story online; it's amazing that your own experience could help hundreds, maybe even thousands of others.
• Challenge mental health stigma in the media and the bad coverage it sometimes gets.

Find out more about the campaign:

Time to Talk Day 2026

Durham Safeguarding Children Partnership offer a range of training options: face to face or online via Microsoft Teams, eLearning/recorded briefings or bespoke training for individual organisations.

Examples of courses include:

• An Introduction to Intra-familial child sexual abuse – taking a multi-agency approach
• Anti-Racist Practice
• Being Part of a Team Around the Family (TAF)
• Gypsy, Roma Traveller Cultural Awareness
• Impact of Parental/Carer Mental Ill Health on Children (PAMIC)
• LGBTQIA+ Awareness
• Neglect and Poverty
• Neglect Basics and Toolkit
• Parental Substance Misuse
• Safeguarding Children for Managers and Designated Leads (Level 3-4)
• Safeguarding Children Level 1 and 2
• Trauma Informed Approaches
• Understanding Gangs and Exploitation from a Child’s Perspective (Accredited)

More information can be found here:

Durham Safeguarding Children Partnership Training Programme

Dawdon Young Person’s Cree provides access to confidential support and guidance with issues including friendship, loneliness, anxiety, confidence, self-harm, and sexual health.

The Cree supports young people to feel more positive and is for those aged 12 – 19 years. It is free of charge and meets every Wednesday from 5.30pm – 7.30pm at The Leanne Kennedy Centre (formerly Dawdon Youth & Community Centre). Times may vary during holiday periods.

Becoming a member is by referral - young people or parents can access the service by calling into the centre or by contacting Joanne Bowen (Youth and Play Development Manager) on 0191 5131777 or email joanne@dawdonycc.org.uk

Live updates regarding sessions are available on The Youth Hub’s Facebook page, where a highly responsive messaging service is also available regarding membership, volunteering, requests and queries.

The Cancer Champions programme is a new initiative designed to raise awareness of the signs and symptoms of common cancers and encourage people to attend vital screening appointments. At its heart is a network of trained volunteers, known as Cancer Champions, who will be supporting their workplace or the wider community.

Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men, with around 55,300 cases diagnosed every year in the UK. Yet many men delay getting checked, often because they don’t recognise the symptoms or feel uncomfortable talking about them. Movember is a timely reminder that these conversations matter - and the Cancer Champions Project is here to make them happen.

Over the next twelve months, the project aims to recruit and train sixty Cancer Champions, building a sustainable network that uses innovative digital tools and community engagement to spread awareness.

Delivered in partnership by health and wellbeing charity, Pioneering Care Partnership, and County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust, the programme will focus on areas where cancer-related health inequalities are most common in County Durham.

Becoming a Cancer Champion means helping others spot the signs early, attend screenings, and ultimately, live longer and healthier lives.

If you’re friendly, caring, and passionate about making a difference, the Cancer Champion Project would love to hear from you.

Information webinars are scheduled to take place on Thursday 15th January, at 10.00am, and Monday 19th January, at 11.00am.

Please get in touch by emailing paula.town@pcp.uk.net or telephone 01325 321 234.

There is an opportunity to apply for Public Health Grassroots Awards funding up to £5,000 for those who have a contract of employment with:

• A local authority in England
• Non-NHS provider, commissioned by a local authority to deliver a public health service or function
• Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprises (VCSEs) in England that receive a grant or are commissioned to deliver public health services by a local authority

The vision for the Public Health Grassroots Awards is to foster a culture of research within public health at the grassroots level, empowering more individuals to contribute to innovative and informed practices that improve public health and reduce inequalities.

By offering short-term, part-time funding, the award is focused on equipping individuals in public health with the research skills necessary to enhance their impact and contribute to evidence-informed practices, with support from local and national infrastructure.

Find out more about the funding call by watching the application support webinar

The deadline for applications is Tuesday 27th January. 

Macmillan's CARE Grants Programme supports community organisations across the UK to tackle unfairness in cancer care.

Grants of between £50,000 and £150,000 are available for projects under the following themes: 

•  Cultural responsiveness in cancer care
• Shared decision-making
• Dementia-friendly cancer care

Full details are available here:

Macmillan Care Grants

The deadline for applications is 23rd January 

Durham County Council has commissioned Fuel Research to review and map existing employment support services across County Durham, and is keen to hear from organisations involved in delivering or supporting this work.

By completing this short online survey, you can help ensure that the range, reach and effectiveness of current employment support is accurately reflected. Your insights will directly inform understanding of what is working well, where there are gaps, and how services can be strengthened to better meet local needs.

The survey should take approximately 5–10 minutes to complete, and your responses will play an important role in shaping future decision-making and service development across the county.

You can access the survey here:

Stakeholder and delivery partner survey: mapping employment support services

If you require any support with completing the survey, or have any questions, please email  cherri@fuelresearch.co.uk