Durham Community News January 2026

Durham Community News
January 2026

Durham Community Action awarded Volunteer Centre Quality Accreditation

We are delighted to share that Durham Community Action (DCA) has once again been officially awarded the Volunteer Centre Quality Accreditation (VCQA) by NAVCA, the national body for local infrastructure organisations.

VCQA is a nationally recognised quality mark, awarded following independent assessment against the Five Functions of Volunteer Centres. Accreditation provides assurance to communities, volunteers, voluntary and community organisations, funders and commissioners that volunteering support is delivered to a consistently high standard.

The independent assessor’s report highlighted DCA’s 90-year history of enabling volunteering, our strong strategic partnerships, and our role as a trusted connector across County Durham. Particular strengths were identified in:

Strategic development of volunteering, with volunteering embedded as a core organisational priority
Good practice development, including high-quality training, resources and the County Durham Volunteer Kitemark
Developing inclusive volunteering opportunities, especially for people with lived experience of poverty, the criminal justice system and mental ill health
Voice of volunteering, linking national policy and initiatives with local experience and community insight

The assessment also recognised the impact of our work through initiatives such as the Employer Supported Volunteering Network, UK Shared Prosperity Fund volunteering programmes, Poverty Truth Commission, and our leadership role within health, wellbeing and community partnerships across the county.

“I’m incredibly proud of the hard work and commitment shown by Durham Community Action’s staff team and the many partners we work alongside to support volunteering across the county. It’s really positive to see that collective effort recognised through this best practice accreditation. Action VCQA not only recognises what we do well but also supports continuous improvement. We look forward to building on this accreditation over the next three years, continuing to strengthen volunteering infrastructure, champion inclusive volunteering, and support communities across County Durham to thrive”

Kate Burrows, Executive Director, Durham Community Action

If you’d like to find out more about our volunteering work, or how we can support your organisation or community, please get in touch volunteering@durhamcommunityaction.org.uk

90th Birthday Celebrations

Did you know that Durham Community Action recently celebrated a milestone birthday, marking 90 years of working with organisations and communities across County Durham?

Since 1935, we have had the privilege of seeing the voluntary and community sector landscape evolve through many successes and challenges. From our role offering social support in the 1930s to reflecting the growing importance of the rural agenda in the 80s, through the years Durham Community Action has continued to make a difference to community organisations in County Durham.

People are essential to a thriving voluntary sector in County Durham, and so it was wonderful to see over one hundred friends and colleagues gather at Ushaw Historic House and Gardens to celebrate with us, enjoying a selection of videos from groups that have received support from DCA and browsing our photo archive.

We spoke to a variety of community organisations with whom we have worked closely, such as Just for Women, a mental health support centre in Stanley, who said:

“DCA have been part of our journey since we started 15 years ago. Their support has been absolutely fantastic. From the training workshops, governance or funding, they are always at the end of the phone. We couldn’t do without Durham Community Action.”

Additionally, Blackhall Community Centre highlighted the importance of our support:

“The difference of having DCA in our world means we are at the top end of our game. Our governance is great, we have fantastic volunteers, and we’re constantly updated with funding opportunities. We have recently gone through a charity restructure; DCA are always there either as a shoulder to cry on or a shoulder to just say you’re doing all right and everything is absolutely fine.”

You can listen to our 90th birthday podcast to hear more from community organisations in County Durham here

We exist to help those working to support their communities by making sure voluntary and community organisations are recognised for the work they undertake and the impact they have in communities and we hope to continue for another 90 years!

Two organisations celebrated for achieving the County Durham Volunteer Kitemark

Durham Community Action is delighted to celebrate Wear Rivers Trust and Silver Talk, who both achieved the County Durham Volunteer Kitemark and were formally presented with their awards in December.

Achievement of the County Durham Volunteer Kitemark demonstrates that an organisation meets recognised standards for high-quality volunteer involvement. It shows a clear commitment to overcoming barriers to volunteering, valuing volunteers, and providing a positive, safe and rewarding volunteering experience.

Wear Rivers Trust

Wear Rivers Trust achieved the Volunteer Kitemark in recognition of the strong foundations they have built to support volunteers involved in protecting and improving local rivers and habitats. The assessment highlighted their inclusive recruitment practices, clear policies, and well-structured training and support for volunteers.

Volunteers spoke positively about the range of opportunities available, the quality of training provided, and the support they received from staff. They also demonstrated a strong sense of environmental responsibility, reflecting thoughtfully on sustainability and the impact of their volunteering. This shared ethos between staff and volunteers clearly underpins Wear Rivers Trust’s approach to high-quality volunteer engagement.

Silver Talk

Silver Talk, Karbon Homes’ free telephone befriending service for people aged 50+, was also awarded the County Durham Volunteer Kitemark. Silver Talk connects people through regular, friendly telephone conversations delivered by fully trained volunteers, helping to reduce loneliness and improve wellbeing.

The Kitemark assessment showed that Silver Talk offers a supportive and well-managed volunteering programme, where volunteers feel valued and can clearly see the positive impact of their roles. Volunteers described staff as approachable and supportive, and praised the clarity of guidance and training provided.

Charlotte Linton, Volunteering Specialist at Durham Community Action, said:

“Durham Community Action were delighted to present both Wear Rivers Trust and Silver Talk with the County Durham Volunteer Kitemark. In both organisations, volunteers played an active role in the assessment process and spoke passionately about the work they do. They feel valued, well supported, and can clearly see the difference their volunteering makes to individuals and communities.”

The County Durham Volunteer Kitemark helps volunteers make informed choices about where they volunteer and reassures them that organisations have the right policies, processes and culture in place to offer a positive experience.

If your organisation would like to find out more about the County Durham Volunteer Kitemark or apply, visit: https://www.durhamcommunityaction.org.uk/volunteer-kitemark

The Hidden Cost of the lack of affordable housing in rural areas

Housing issues are often hidden, and the cost of rising rents and lack of security when renting from private landlords can make life very difficult for people, particularly in rural areas.

An example of the pressures a lack of affordable rural communities causes can be seen below in this Parish Profile;

Local rural communities can do something about this and instigate the delivery of new affordable homes in rural areas, helping to keep family networks together and support a thriving economy.

To find out how to start the process, visit our website:

Durham Community Action - Meet Your Rural Housing Enabler

Here, you’ll find good practice examples of how other communities have worked together to deliver new affordable homes:

Durham Community Action - Rural Housing Enabling Case Studies

New Employer Supported Volunteering Webpages

We’ve been busy behind the scenes updating our Employer Supported Volunteering (ESV) webpages, and they’re now ready to share with you.

The updated pages are designed to help you:

Understand what ESV is and the different types of volunteering available
Identify ways to get involved as an employer
Learn how ESV can support your organisation or charity
Discover and celebrate some of the amazing ESV activities taking place across the county

Visit the new pages here:

Durham Community Action - Employer Supported Voluntering

Sign up for our Community Energy Newsletter

We launched our first Community Energy newsletter in December, highlighting information about Community Energy projects in County Durham and across the country, updates from our network, upcoming events and details of current funding opportunities.

You can read it here:

Community Energy Newsletter December 2025

We plan to send this newsletter out at least twice a year.

Sign up here to receive future editions directly to your inbox

Does your organisation provide support services for people who have been released from prison?

We are looking for VCSE organisations that offer services and support for people returning to the community after spending time in custody.

Durham Community Action is working as a partner on a research project with the University of York called AMICABLE (Addressing Mental Health in Custody: A Brief Learning). The project aims to examine the implementation of a Problem Support Mentor scheme (PSM) in prisons; to assess whether it can improve the quality of life, and symptoms of depression, and reduce the risk of re-offending. DCA is supporting Problem Support Mentor schemes at HMP Low Newton by helping them find volunteering roles after their release.

At the mid-way point, some further responsive research funding has been identified through Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys Foundation Trust (TEWV) to enable them to work with DCA and the University of York. Several challenges have been identified, including maintaining contact following release, other competing immediate concerns and a lack of resources around services available upon release.

To address some of these challenges, Durham Community Action are now mapping services that support people upon release, and those that recruit prison leavers into volunteering across County Durham, with a particular focus on women.

We would like to hear from anyone who works with prison leavers in County Durham, including local, regional or national charities and organisations.

Please complete this short survey, which should take approximately 5 minutes. Alternatively, you can contact Georgia Donohue via email to arrange an informal meeting at georgia.donohue@durhamcommunityaction.org.uk

Following the survey, there will be a knowledge exchange event for invited participants to share learning from this work. The event will be in March 2026, date to be confirmed.

Complete the survey here:

Responsive Research Project: Survey of Services in County Durham

National Year of Reading 2026

The National Year of Reading is here for 2026 to inspire the nation to Go All In on reading! Reading for pleasure is currently at an all-time low, even though reading is known to improve literacy rates, mental wellbeing, develop empathy and connect people together.

This year long campaign is a great opportunity to inspire your networks and communities to celebrate reading by becoming a Literacy Champion with the National Literacy Trust. This is a flexible, inclusive and creative role where small actions make a massive impact! It’s a chance to inspire those around you to (re)connect with reading at a time when it’s most important.

To find out more get in touch with Lucy Reeves (Project Officer in the North East) lucy.reeves@literacytrust.org.uk

Community Growing and Food Network Winter Gathering
22nd January

The Community Growing and Food Network is facilitated by Durham Community Action to bring together like-minded organisations with projects or an interest related to growing and food. It enables community groups and organisations from all sectors with similar visions to connect, communicate and collaborate, supporting each other and sharing good practices.

Our next meeting will be an in-person winter gathering on Thursday 22nd January from 10.00am – 12.00noon at The Hut in Ushaw Moor Community Garden.

There will be a practical seed planting workshop with Howard Leslie – Horticultural Therapist, and planning for year-round growing – what to grow and when.

Find out more and book your place here:

Community Growing and Food Network Winter Gathering - Year Round Growing

Funds Online Webinar
29th January

Funds Online is a website containing details of over 8,000 funders giving a combined total of over £8 billion.

You can subscribe to access funding from: grant-making charities giving to organisations; companies giving cash and in-kind contributions; grant-making charities giving to individuals for education, health and social welfare and statutory sources.

They are running a free information webinar on Thursday 29th January from 12.30 - 1.00pm for you to find out more - book your place here:

Funds Online Webinar

Rural Durham Community Research Network:
Funding for Research
4th February

VCSE organisations and community groups are invited to join Rural Durham Community Research Network's ‘Funding for Research’ event taking place on Wednesday 4th February from 10.00am - 12.00noon online.

They will be joined by two speakers who will share practical tips, real-life stories and insight:

Kirsty Neale and Kate Orchard from the British Science Association (BSA) will draw on extensive experience working alongside community organisations, on initiatives that champion community-led research and foster collaborations with researchers. While the BSA does not currently have open funding opportunities, Kirsty and Kate will share valuable insights and practical lessons from their work supporting communities to take the lead. They’ll showcase real-life case studies of community groups that have successfully secured funding and explore the impact of these projects. Attendees can expect insights from their learning, inspiring stories, and practical tips.
Dr Andrew Orton, the Director of the William Leech Research Fund, will share what makes a strong research funding application to them, whilst recognising that funding criteria, interests and approaches can vary across different funders. He will explain the types of research the fund supports and how they work alongside community organisations, whilst highlighting good practice to aim for and some common pitfalls to avoid. Attendees will gain practical insight into how funding decisions are made by one funder, helping strengthen your approach.

Register for your free place here

Share and Learn Network Meeting: Community Energy
19th February

The next Share and Learn meeting will take place online on Thursday 19th February from 10.00 - 11.30am, focusing on Community Energy.

You will have the opportunity to hear from Cleaner and Greener about their new Community Hub model, as well as hear from a regional Community Energy organisation.

Look out for more information coming soon.

Local Network Welfare Fund open for applications

Any not-for-profit organisations or groups that are looking to bring improvements to welfare support are being invited to apply for funding to support their goals.

Each of the Durham County Council Local Network areas has received £10,000 to support projects and organisations that improve the wellbeing of residents affected by welfare reforms in their area.

Applicants to the Local Network Welfare Fund must show that their project provides positive results and assists in adapting to changes to the welfare and benefit system.

The funding can be used for projects and activities that educate residents about welfare reform, while providing social, emotional and mental support to those who are impacted by them.

The closing date for applications is Monday 2nd February.

For an online application pack, contact the Local Network Team via email localnetworks@durham.gov.uk

Have You Say on Local Heritage and Community Arts

Hello!

We’re a group of young community researchers (Belle, Emily and Emily, Jenson, Logan, Max, Nathan, Oliver and Ruby) working alongside Jack Drum Arts and researcher Jay Conlon to explore how local heritage and community arts can bring people of all generations together. We want to understand how heritage in our area builds pride, strengthens connections, and helps make our community unique.

To help us do this, we’ve created a short survey (under 10 minutes) for anyone aged 13 plus to complete. Your responses will directly help shape future heritage projects with Jack Drum Arts and ensure they truly reflect what matters to our community.

The deadline for the survey is Friday 13th February.

What happens next?
We’ll use the results to create a presentation sharing what we’ve learned and how we can improve and strengthen our local area together.

As a thank you:
Everyone who completes the survey will be entered into a prize draw to win a £50 voucher.

Take part here: Heritage Survey

Let's Talk County Durham

Durham County Council's consultation and engagement platform, Let’s Talk County Durham, provides a space for people to be actively involved in local decision-making, deciding together what should happen.

By registering on the site, you can create your personalised account to make the most of its features and get alerts on subjects or geographical areas of interest to you.

Consultations are currently taking place on allotments, the North Pennines National Landscape Management Plan, Conserving County Durham's natural environment and the Easington Colliery Community Action Scheme.

Visit: www.letstalkcountydurham.co.uk

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Durham Community Action, 9 St Stephens Court, Willington, Crook, County Durham. DL15 0BF