As the world leaders gathered in Glasgow for the COP26 summit, our Community Development Manager Kate Burrows joined key figures in County Durham to pledge their own efforts to tackle climate change. 

More than 70 attendees, including representatives from Durham County Council, Durham University and the NHS, gathered at Beamish Hall to sign a new climate change agreement, announcing their commitment to work together to protect the environment.

The County Durham Climate Change Agreement is a new initiative designed to create a strong and active partnership of organisations which will work together to make real environmental progress. It is hoped that following the launch many more organisations across the county will sign the pledge.

We have worked as a partner with Durham County Council on their recently launched new website Cl!mate County Durham, where you can learn about climate change, it’s impact and get all the information you need to take action and help reduce your carbon footprint contributing towards becoming a carbon neutral county.

There are a range of resources available and advice specifically for community groups, businesses and individuals.

Image: Durham County Council

We have developed a new online workshop aimed at trustees and staff from voluntary organisations who want to do their bit to become 'greener.'

It will take place on Tuesday 30th November from 1.30 - 3.00pm and will include creating an action plan for a greener organisation and what to include in an environmental policy. 

Are you an organisation that is curious about social investment? Interested in knowing what this type of finance is all about, how it works and how it might be able to support your organisation to grow and develop its social impact?

If so, please join our informal information session to hear from a member of the North East Social Investment Fund team at Northstar Ventures to learn more and ask questions about the finance it provides for charities and social enterprises.

You can also hear directly from the Chief Executive Officer of the Linskill and North Tyneside Development Trust who has accessed and used social investment recently to support their own organisation in the North East.

With the support of Durham County Council Area Action Partnership Budget, Durham Community Action and East Durham Trust are working in partnership to provide support to those responsible for the management of community buildings, as COVID-19 restrictions are lifted and activities fully return to communities

A small grants scheme is available to help kick start recovery and build a stronger future by providing resources and capacity needed to ensure your community buildings are safe and COVID secure,

Grants of around £500 are available - examples of how the grants have been spent so far include for additional cleaning costs, cleaning equipment, supplies to start a new activity,  funding to cover reduced room hire for new groups until numbers increase, food hygiene training and card readers to minimise the use of cash.

Durham County Council have recently launched their 'County Durham Cree Network' website.

You can find out about Public Health funded Crees near you using an interactive map, the activities taking place, training opportunities and wellbeing support for Cree staff and volunteers, and you can also access local health data to help further understand the needs of Cree members.

Organised by the North East Community-Led Development Network, this festival will take place online from Monday 29th - Friday 3rd December with Face to Face Friday networking.

It will focus on the core issues of empty properties, land and assets, levelling-up and the decarbonisation of homes. The Festival will explore the role of community-led housing (CLH) in relation to all these issues and highlight the huge opportunity that CLH presents.

We have just launched our programme of online community development workshops taking place from January - April 2022 to assist voluntary and community groups to manage their organisations effectively.

The workshops cover a number of topics from good governance and volunteer management to completing funding bids and becoming a greener organisation. All workshops are currently fully funded