Over the last couple of weeks, we worked with our colleagues to present a statement that VONNE coordinated on behalf of North East infrastructure organisations (including DCA), responding to the racist violence that took place in communities.  

Here at Durham Community Action we’ve been listening to VCSE organisations, hearing concerns and supporting organisations with queries they’ve had, particularly around risk and safeguarding.  We’ve also been linking with local, regional and national colleagues, engaging with responses that reflect our different local situations whilst supporting coordinated messaging and guidance to partners. 

Moving forward we will continue to listen to and support local organisations, as well as working with partners to support VCSE organisations and the communities they support.

Please do continue to keep in touch. 

You can find helpful resources on our website

Community buildings and local organisations across the county have been sharing their stories with us in our podcasts and on our YouTube channel.

Catch up with their stories and learn more about how we provide expertise and support locally

Listen to our podcasts

Watch our You Tube videos

The Charity Commission have published information on their website about charity banking and the support available to charities trying to access adequate banking services.

There is also information about UK Finance's Voluntary Organisation's Banking Guide which provides detailed information on working out your banking needs, and about funding and opening an account

The new Government is handling conversations about more affordable housing, but will it benefit those in rural areas?

Providing new sites of affordable housing in rural areas has been shown to benefit a huge range of different people within a community, from those starting out and taking their first step onto the housing ladder, to those wishing to downsize. The demand for affordable housing within a particular area is not always immediately apparent. The wider local community benefits brought through the development of small rural schemes can be easily overlooked.

‘Rural exception sites’ are an important mechanism for delivering affordable homes in rural areas.  These are greenfield sites adjacent to villages where development would not usually be allowed but planning authorities may exceptionally grant planning permission, usually with a written agreement that the homes will be used to meet local need.

Susan, our Rural Housing Enabler has been doing a series of Summer Meet & Greets where she has worked to demystify how this opportunity can be used to the advantage of local residents within a village.

Susan has been collecting anecdotal evidence from those living in rural Durham which suggests demand from second home buyers and holiday lets can have a strong influence on the availability and value of housing in many rural areas. According to the Land Registry, rural house prices have risen 82% in 10 years and rental prices are often beyond reach, particularly for those with lower incomes. 

If you have been affected by any issues finding suitable housing in rural areas, Susan would welcome talking with you - please email susan.tron@durhamcommunity.org.uk or telephone 07496 461998

Photo: Susan Tron at the TCR Hub

Join us at our next Share and Learn meeting to explore how voluntary and community sector organisations can boost their unrestricted income through trading activities.

The event will be informative and enjoyable, providing you with valuable information to inspire you with new ideas.

It takes place on Thursday 12th September from 9.30am - 12.00noon at Fishburn Youth and Community Centre, Butterwick Road, Fishburn, TS21 4ED. 

At this event, you will:

• Gain an understanding of the basics of trading as a VCSE organisation
• Understand your governance – how can your organisation trade?
• Learn about the different types of trading
• Hear about examples of successful trading initiatives
• Find out more about how Fishburn Youth and Community Centre has developed a variety of trading activities.

Supported by UKSPF funds, this event is delivered by Durham Community Action in collaboration with Durham Start Ups, Create North and the Social Enterprise Team at the region's Business Innovation Centre.

The next Community Growing and Food Network will be an in person meeting on Thursday 26th September - venue to be confirmed.

Look out for more details coming soon. 

Does your community organisation need additional funds? 

Join us for our online information session on Wednesday 2nd October from 10.00 - 11.00am to find out how your organisation can receive free unrestricted funding via funding platform easyfundraising

In this informal session, Becky from easyfundraising will show you how your volunteers, staff and supporters can use the easyfundraising platform to raise donations for free for your organisation when they shop with leading retailers. 

The session will cover:

• A live demonstration of how it works
• Instructions on how to get your organisation set up
• Tips on how to raise as much as possible
• A Q&A session 

It is aimed at anyone involved in fundraising for good causes of all shapes and sizes including voluntary groups, CICs, social enterprises, churches, schools, sports clubs and charities

About easyfundraising

Through easyfundraising, 8,000 online retailers will donate money to your organisation when your volunteers, staff and supporters shop with them. Anything from a weekly grocery shop to a family holiday can generate a free donation for you.  Every 3 months you’ll receive all the donations raised by your supporters and as it’s unrestricted funding, you spend the money on whatever you need.

Durham Safeguarding Adults Partnership have the following training opportunities available:

Safeguarding Adults Reviews Themes training

This training aims to provide an understanding of:

• The key themes from local and national Safeguarding Adult Reviews
• Some of the actions taken locally to embed the learning

There are still places available on this course on Thursday 26 September, visit SARs Local and National Emerging Themes Online Training Course Dates

Other Durham Safeguarding Adults Partnership courses are available until the end of December including Toxic Cultures Part 1, visit the training page here

Employers Against Abuse training

If your organisation does not already have a domestic abuse champions scheme you may be interested in this training from the Survivors Trust, which empowers the staff to create Support Ambassadors within their service.

“Positive feedback from managers that have attended the course includes feeling more confident to speak about domestic abuse with employees and recognise signs and indicators of this harm within their staff group”. 

More information can be found here

 Durham Children Safeguarding Partnership's current training offer includes the following workshops:

Sensory Smart Awareness Session for Professionals (free training)

Free training is available from the Children's Occupational Therapy Service at County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust (CDDFT). It's for all workforces in County Durham and might be useful for Family Hub teams and Early Help teams to keep up to date with neurodevelopmental sensory difficulties and strategies to support. The Occupational Therapy team provide the training on request to teams and groups of staff. To arrange please contact cdda-tr.childrensoccupationaltherapy@nhs.net

These sessions are designed for professional colleagues who require an update of the sensory systems and strategies that can be used within nurseries/schools. There are different packages to suit the different teams and last approximately 3 hours. Find out more here

Training Programme

Our face to face and Teams/Zoom training continues to grow and we have more courses available for you to access. There are currently 14 courses covering various themes available. The latest dates released for Parental Substance Misuse are now available to book along with all the other training we have on offer. To book any of the training on the training programme, click here

Me Learning

We have added 3 new courses to our Me Learning (eLearning) course catalogue. These are:

Criminal Exploitation and County Lines

Criminal exploitation is a huge issue that involves people all over the world. It’s a very real problem and is extremely difficult and dangerous for victims of exploitation to get help. We all play a role in our community to look out for exploitation, and understanding criminal exploitation, including county lines, is crucial. This course will help you to become more aware of criminal exploitation and its different forms, and to understand what signs to look out for and how to respond.

Online Safety – Risks to Children

Most children use the internet positively, but they can sometimes behave in ways that may place themselves at risk. Knowing the potential risks and being able to encourage responsible and safe use of the internet is vital to help safeguard children online.

Information Sharing - How We Work in Durham

As mentioned in the 'What's New' section, the modules include, learning from practice in Durham, the definition of safeguarding in the context of information sharing, with a strong emphasis on prevention, and a shift in culture from requiring consent to share information to sharing within the lawful basis of 'public task'.

Connected Voice are offering 3 different types of training covering the following:

Social Justice Champions:

• Full course lasting 12 hours and covers 4 modules. Prices from £1620 upwards depending on size of organisation and Connected Voice membership.
• Buy the course for your organisation for up to 10 maximum participants, you set the date and venue or send individuals from your team to a pre-arranged multi-agency course, dates set by us held in Newcastle.

Supporting People with Neurological Conditions:

• Full course lasting 12 hours. Prices from £1620 upwards depending on size of organisation and CV membership.
• Buy the course for your organisation for up to 10 maximum participants, you set the date and venue
• Or send individuals from your team to a pre-arranged multi-agency course, dates set by us held in Newcastle.

Effective Communication and Active Listening

Putting People First: person-centred approaches to supporting individuals

These are two stand-alone two hour modules: prices from £324 for your team of maximum 10 participants, at date and venue of your choice, or prices from £41 per person depending on size of organisation and Connected Voice membership, held in Newcastle on advertised dates 

There are scheduled dates on the Connected Voice website to sign up to for these modules -  Our Programme | Connected Voice

Email: advocacy@connectedvoice.org.uk

Telephone: 0191 235 7013

The Rookhope Art, Craft, and Rag Rug Group, based in Rookhope Village Hall, are proving that size doesn’t matter when it comes to making a difference. The group, led by two local residents, provides a warm, welcoming space for residents to connect, chat, and explore various crafting techniques such as printing, sewing, felting, and weaving.

The group were shortlisted for the Lakes & Dales Co-op Community Connect initiative, which offers a share of £9,000 to three community groups and charities across the North of England. Funding will be used to purchase essential supplies for creative projects, including a wall hanging display for the village hall.

Now, they’re on a mission to inspire other local groups of all sizes to seize this incredible opportunity. As part of the Rookhope Village Hall, the pair initially thought they were too small to be considered for such a significant award.

Leanne Bain of the Rookhope Art, Craft, and Rag Rug Group shared,

“We almost didn’t apply because we thought we were too small to be shortlisted. But we took the chance, and now we’re encouraging other groups, no matter how big or small, to do the same. The Lakes & Dales Co-op Community Connect initiative is an incredible opportunity, and the funding is a game-changer for groups like ours, enabling us to teach new skills and create beautiful, meaningful pieces for our community. The application process is simple, and we want to see more groups benefit from this fantastic support!”

Steve Beavis, Lakes & Dales Co-op Membership & Community Manager, added, “Community Connect funding is designed to uplift and support groups that play a vital role in their communities. We hope that by hearing Rookhope’s story, other charities and good cause groups feel inspired and confident to apply for this funding!”

Applications are now open for the Lakes & Dales Co-op’s Community Connect awards, with shortlisted groups standing a chance to receive £5,000 or £2,000. Don’t miss out: the deadline for applications is Wednesday 28th August.

View Terms & Conditions

The application form is here: https://www.smartsurvey.co.uk/s/JS6F6K/

For any questions regarding the community connect scheme or any other funding opportunities with Lakes & Dales, please contact stevebeavis@scotmid.co.uk

Please note the Lakes & Dales Co-op stores in County Durham are based in Weardale in Frosterley, St Johns Chapel and Stanhope. 

County Durham's Markets

Help our local markets to thrive. We're carrying out a review of our markets and would like you to tell us about the markets you go to and what you'd like to see at them that would encourage you to visit.

Your views on County Durham's Markets

Closing Date: 2nd September

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Council Plan 2025 - 2029

Help us to update our Council Plan which sets out how we plan work over the next four years and deliver the services which are important to our communities.

Consultation on our Council Plan 2025-2029

Closing Date: 15th September

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New Local Network boundary areas

Have your say on proposals for new Local Network (Area Action Partnerships) boundary areas.

Proposals for new Local Network boundary areas

Closing Date: 20th September

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Advice Services

Have your say in how advice services are offered to County Durham residents in the future. These services include managing money, debt management and access to benefits, as well as welfare, employment, housing, consumer rights and health and social care.

Advice service consultation

Closing Date: 20th September