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January 2021
 
Message from the CEO: 

Dear Friends,

Thank you for your ongoing effort in supporting our communities during these challenging times.

As we continue through the latest lockdown, I have been struck by the levels of compassion and empathy that are being shown in both words and actions to those who need it most. Just remember to take a minute to show yourself and those you work and live with the same levels of kindness

Best wishes

Kevin
 
Updates From The Care Forum:
Bristol Join-Up

Bristol Join-Up is 7 organisations working together to engage people within 6 different communities. These projects include social activities, volunteering, peer support, befriending and getting your voice heard. We are proud to be funded by The National Lottery Community Fund.

The Care Forum is the lead partner of Bristol Join-Up. We manage resources, facilitate partnership working and promotion, support volunteer training and report back to The National Lottery. The 6 other partners are:

  • Bangladeshi Bristol Women's Group
  • Centre for Deaf and Hard of Hearing People
  • Bristol Older People's Forum
  • Bristol Pakistani Welfare Organisation
  • Local Friends
  • Chinese Community Wellbeing Society

All 7 partners met together 4 times during the first year of the project. We shared our successes, challenges, ideas and worked as a team to develop the project.

The focus this year has been on starting the Bristol Join-Up services, adapting our services because of Covid, creating our initial branding and on collecting data for evaluating our impact. We were also fortunate in receiving additional funding for our Covid response from The National Lottery Community Fund and the Government.

Our plans for next year are; to keep adapting our projects to support our communities with the changing Covid restrictions and impacts, to have more training as a partnership, possibly focussing on active listening and First Aid, to look at a thank you event for volunteers and to explore how the services that we deliver can continue in the longer term.

Staff and volunteers involved in Bristol Join-Up projects: 58

People supported through Bristol Join-Up: 421

Research participants: 250

We have worked with people from over 12 different ethnic groups, with 12 different first languages and over 6 different faiths/religions. A lot of people we have supported have considered themselves disabled and come from older age groups.

Some Quotes from service users who have used one of the Bristol Join-Up partners:

“Keeps me connected with my community. Gives members a sense of belonging and opens them up to great opportunities they might not have encountered if it weren’t for the group” -a Bangladeshi Bristol Women’s Group member.

“It was easy to sign up and I can fit it around work. It gave me contact with others and allows me to help people during lockdown”-a Local Friends Volunteer.

“The Coffee Morning on Zoom has improved my day every Tuesday. During lockdown, I had no access to friends and I was missing them. CfD helped me to download and use Zoom and now I am able to enjoy a social life.”-a Centre for Deaf and Hard of Hearing People group participant.

“The service gives me the opportunity to meet new people and that is very important for me as I live alone” -a Bristol Pakistani Welfare Organisation participant.

For more information about each of the Bristol Join-Up partners, including how to contact them you can view our leaflet and read our first year review on the link below.

You can also contact the Bristol Join-Up team at The Care Forum directly:

Telephone: (0117) 965 4444
READ MORE ABOUT BRISTOL JOIN-UP
 

The Heathwatch Swindon Team have produced their January Newsletter. It contains the 'Because We All Care' quarterly report and lots of useful information.
READ THE NEWSLETTER HERE
 
News and Information:


South Gloucestershire Local Plan

In late November South Gloucestershire Council started a consultation on the first stage of preparing the new Local Plan 2020.

The consultation document ‘Phase 1 – Issues and Approaches’, is out for consultation for 12 weeks, from Friday 27 November 2020 until Monday 1 March 2021.

This first stage is all about exploring and discussing the issues, challenges and approaches that could inform the new Local Plan.

Please get involved in shaping how South Gloucestershire changes and grows over the next 15 years by completing the questionnaire. 

You can also view the short videos which explain what the local plan is and read the supporting documents.
 
QUESTIONNAIRE, VIDEOS AND SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS
 

Invitation: Bristol Impact Fund 2 Ahead of the cabinet paper and further information being published, there is now the opportunity to join one of three sessions for a heads up on what is now being proposed.

FREE webinar series throughout February focusing on Children & Young People’s Mental Wellbeing To help raise awareness of Children and Young People’s Mental Health, the Mental Health and Emotional Wellbeing Team   are hosting a webinar series for those based in South Glos who work with children and young people, are a parent/carer or a young person.

Get involved in shaping North Somerset’s Health and Wellbeing Strategy North Somerset’s Health and Wellbeing Board is developing the Health and Wellbeing Strategy 2021-2024 which will set out local health and wellbeing ambitions and priorities and an action plan outlining measures to be taken to achieve these ambitions.

South Gloucestershire Council Covid-19 Winter Grants: Food Vouchers The Winter Grant Scheme aims to assist vulnerable households through the winter months and is funded by a ‘Covid-19 winter grant’ from central government, administered by South Gloucestershire Council. Closing date Friday 12th February 2021.

New Mental Health Peer Support Groups, in South Bristol  Changes Bristol in partneship with BS3 Community Development and Knowle West Health Park Co have opened up several new mental health Peer Support Groups, in South Bristol.These are open access, do not need a referral or diagnosis and people can attend multiple groups, for as long as they like.  

Carers Supporting Someone in South Gloucestershire: Support through the Covid-19 Pandemic  The Covid-19 pandemic will have increased the pressures that carers already faced. It has also meant that services for carers have needed to adapt to a new environment. South Gloucestershire Council are aiming to gather more information about this and would really appreciate your help.


 
FOR MORE NEWS VISIT OUR WEBSITE
 
Our Services:

  • Jobs-find a current vacancy or advertise with us.
  • Membership-become a member of The Care Forum.
  • Well Aware-the Health and Wellbeing Information and Signposting service for Bristol and South Gloucestershire.
  • Advocacy-we provide complaints procedure advocacy for those who want to complain about social care services in Bristol and spot purchase advocacy.
  • Social Prescribing-a free and confidential social prescribing service to anyone over the age of 18, living in the Greater Fishponds area of Bristol.
  • Voice & Influence Partnership-making sure that individuals, groups and communities whose voices aren’t always heard are listened to, and are part of shaping Bristol’s future.
  • Dialogue-supporting the voluntary, community and social enterprise (VCSE) sector across the West of England.
  • Bristol Join-Up-7 organisations working together to engage people within 6 different communities. These projects include social activities, volunteering, peer support, befriending and getting your voice heard
  • Healthwatch-helping people get the best out of their local health and social care services through influencing the delivery and design of them.


 
THE CARE FORUM WEBSITE
 
 

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The Care Forum
The Vassall Centre
Gill Avenue
Fishponds
Bristol
BS16 2QQ

admin@thecareforum.org.uk

0117 965 4444