REVIEW & CELEBRATION MAGAZINE

YOUNG LISTENERS: ADVANCING MENTAL HEALTH IN SCHOOLS Supporting the delivery of a new outreach and engagement programme for young people, with YouthWatch Wiltshire and Youth Action Wiltshire.

connecting communities The social value of local Community Transport schemes

Social Action Hub Exciting new Community Organising project to support volunteer-led social action.

building bridges Programme anniversary Celebrating a successful fi rst year of the Building Bridges partnership in Swindon and Wiltshire

Vibrant communities, brighter futures.

TACKLING DISADVANTAGE ENCOURAGING ENTERPRISECONNECTING COMMUNITIES inspire ideas & innovate

OUR MISSION

Cover Photo: Tim Gander via Healthwatch Wiltshire.

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introduction & contents

It is always a pleasure to prepare the annual magazine because it allows us to refl ect on the amazing work that our charity does and the di� erence it makes. We continue to help individuals and groups living and working across the County.

In a tough fi nancial environment, we have sustained our work by continually sourcing new funding across a range of services. During 2016-2017 we are very proud to have brought in over £427,000 of funding to deliver vital services and support. This is real support and real funding which otherwise would not be available for local people living both within rural communities and in the towns of Wiltshire and Swindon. We are

also an important local employer with an average sta� team of 40 throughout the year.

Thank you to all the sta� , volunteers, trustees and supporters who help to make Community First such a relevant and e� ective organisation. If you would like to support the work we do then please consider becoming a member of Community First. Turn to page 12 to fi nd out more about joining us an Associate member.

With warm regards,

Lynn GibsonChief ExecutiveCommunity First

Connecting Communities

Community Transport ........................................................................... Page 4

Community Led Planning ...........................................................................Page 6

Community Organising ................................................................................Page 8

Village Halls & Local Councils ............................................................Page 10

Volunteering ............................................................................................ Page 12

Tackling Disadvantage

Youth Action Wiltshire Highlights ..................................................... Page 14

Splash ......................................................................................................... Page 16

Young Carers ........................................................................................... Page 18

Youth Volunteering (Young Listeners) .............................................Page 22

Building Bridges Programme .............................................................Page 24

Grants & Enterprise

Landfi ll Communities Fund Grants .................................................Page 26

LEADER Programme ............................................................................Page 28

Financial Report ............................................................................................. Page 30

Community First, Unit C2, Beacon Business Centre, Hopton Park, Devizes, SN10 2EY01380 722 475 | www.communityfi rst.org.uk | enquiries@communityfi rst.org.uk

Registered Charity No: 288117 | VAT Registration No: 639 3860 06 | Company Limited by Guarantee Reg. No: 1757334 England | Registered with the Financial Conduct Authority

No: FRN 311971

CONTENTS

£427,000NEW INCOME SECURED

to support communities across Wiltshire and Swindon

Priority: Delivering Excellence

› Attract over £300,000 of new income to support our work

› Maintain reserve levels of between 3 and 6 months

› Expand Community Insurance to include Heritage and Museums

› Deliver a new Community Housing Programme in partnership with Wiltshire CLT and Wiltshire Council

› Deliver the Community Organising Social Action Hub project and 350 Listenings

› Increase WALC membership

› Sustain the WVHA service post March 2018 and continue to develop online services

› Develop our volunteer o£ er and be the “go to” organisation for volunteering

› Support 885 participants through Building Bridges and ensure full programme compliance

› Support 130 young people through the environmental programme “Our Bright Futures”

› Support 220 young people through Splash programmes

› Provide an average engagement of 70 hours for the most vulnerable Young Carers

› Support and sustain the rural youth club network and o£ er training to 130 youth leaders

› Deliver a mental health “Listening” programme in schools in partnership with Healthwatch Wiltshire

› Continue to support business and enterprise through LEADER programmes

Priority: connecting communities

Priority: TACKLING DISADVANTAGE

Priority: encouraging enterprise

ORGANISATION UPDATE & PRIORITIES

highlights for the year

COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT• Secured a new 3-year programme

and £52,134, for Community Organising and the development of new Social Action Hubs and extension of our reach in Swindon

• Successful merger with DEVELOP and the transfer of Volunteer Connect and the VC Connect database

• 3 Community Led Planning events in partnership with Wiltshire CLT – 116 people attended with an 80% rating of excellent or very good

• Finalist in the national Children and Young People Now Awards for the Healthwatch Wiltshire Listening project. (174 Listenings conducted)

• Our Community Organisers achieved Award in Education and Training (AET)qualifi cations, allowing us to develop national training programmes

• 168 WVHA members

• 240 clerks were trained against a target of 100

• £48,000 was awarded in grants to 27 Local Councils

COMMUNITY Transport• The LINK volunteer network

(supported by Community First), gave 147,658 hours of volunteer time which equates to an economic value of £1,562,221 (based on ONS 2011 South West average hourly pay of £10.58)

• In partnership with the Nationwide Emerging Talent Programme we created a Social Value report demonstrating £47 of social value for every £1 invested in Community Transport

ENTERPRISE & TRADING• £75,000 of income was generated

through Community Transport contracts, vehicle hire and driver training

• The launch of a new commercial o� ering of digital and creative services through BOLD created £10,200 of work in its fi rst year of operation

• 261 individuals are members of the Oil Buying Scheme and benefi t from bulk buying of fuel

• 481 Village Halls and Community Buildings and 351 Parish Council schemes insured through the Community Insurance programme

Landfill COMMUNITIES FUND Grants• £288,510 was awarded in 2016/17 to

28 community projects to enhance facilities and community assets

• A strengthened relationship and increased applications from Crapper & Sons and CSG Landfi ll operators

LEADER PROGRAMMES• 14 grants were awarded to local

businesses valuing £386,144

• 38 jobs created

• Tourism fi gures have increased by 6,000 day visitors per year and overnight stays have increased by 7,200 per year

PROJECT INSPIRE• 66 young people accessed support

with an average attendance of 85 hours

• 74% of leavers confi rmed a place in employment education and training

Splash• 329 young people who face

challenges have been supported with an average attendance of 21 hours

• 92% reported an improved attitude towards themselves and others

• 96% reported increased self-esteem and feelings of pride

YOUNG CARERS• 72 new referrals were supported into

the young carers service

• 193 young carers accessed support with an average attendance of 48 hours

• 65 young carers gained accreditation

• 88% reported an increase in confi dence and friendships

YOUTH CLUB SUPPORT & YOUTH VOLUNTEERING• 120 youth leaders completed

accredited training courses

• 7 new clubs were set up and launched

• 48 young leaders aged 19 or under completed accredited training

• Raised more than £50,000 for individual clubs

• 12 young Ambassadors gave over 200 hours to support YAW delivery

• During this period, the programme supported 233 participants who are furthest from the labour market

• 610 referrals received and we are currently on target

• Over 35,000 people have visited the Building Bridges programme website since the programme launched

• Over 60% of participants currently have a plan in place and are actively working towards their goals with the support of key workers

• 86 participants have already moved into employment or education

• The programme is now up to full speed and all 20 core delivery partners are working with participants

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CONNECTING COMMUNITIES

COMMUNITY TRANSPORT TEAM TARGETS A MILLION MILES

Community First is proud to support one of the most successful community transport schemes in the country, with 45 Link

(volunteer car) Schemes and 21 Community Minibus Groups operating across Wiltshire and Swindon. Wiltshire Link Schemes and Community Minibus Groups are led by an amazing community of over 2000 volunteers, who o� er a valuable lifeline to people who would otherwise struggle to get out and about.

The services o� ered by Link Schemes and Community Minibus Groups are highly e� ective and in demand. In 2016 Link volunteers travelled almost a million miles to help keep local communities connected, this included trips to local shops, GP surgeries, health

appointments and lunch clubs.

The importance of community transport services to older and vulnerable people shouldn’t be underestimated and demand for the service is growing. There are approximately 6,800 pensioner households in rural areas across the county with no access to a vehicle, a further 5,100 households are more than 60 minutes away from a hospital by public transport. By 2035 it is estimated that 20,000 Wiltshire and Swindon households will need help to access transport. Transport groups need to fi nd new volunteers, both to maintain the service and meet this growing demand.

In April 2017, we launched a digital campaign to fi nd new volunteers to support local Link Schemes and Community Minibus Groups. The campaign called One Million Miles aimed to recruit new volunteers including drivers, coordinators and committee members all of which are vital to keep local transport groups running.

In just under a week we reached over 26,000 people on social

media with information about the campaign. We also featured on BBC Radio Wiltshire and received local news coverage. During 2016-2017 the Community Transport team received over 20 direct enquiries relating to volunteering. We hope to build on this by making use of ‘on the ground’ advertising and working closely with local groups throughout the remainder of the year.

To fi nd out more about volunteering with your local service visit: wiltshirecommunitytransport.org.uk/volunteering

The importance of community transport services to older and vulnerable people shouldn’t be underestimated and demand for the service is growing.

The services provided by Link Schemes and Community Minibus groups are incredibly valuable to people who would otherwise be isolated

due to lack of transport. We often take for granted the ability to visit local shops, nearby towns and access medical care. People who use transport services tell us that interacting with other people during these trips is important to their wellbeing and we regularly hear from people whose lives have been transformed by the service.

But that is not enough. At Community First we know that community transport services transform lives as well as creating stronger, more resilient communities. In the current climate of economic uncertainty and increasing pressure on local authority budgets, it is important for us to demonstrate that community transport services represent good value for money, as well as helping people live happy, independent lives.

Community First recently worked with Nationwide to conduct a study, which aimed to quantify the social and economic value of community transport services. Social value is all about understanding how a service like community transport, generates wider social and economic benefi ts. Using a recognised framework, proxy data and data gathered from transport groups, we were able to calculate the social value of community transport services in Wiltshire for the fi rst time.

We achieved this by determining the number of service users a� ected by a specifi c issue (e.g. isolation), the impact of which is minimised or ‘avoided’ by investing in community transport services. We used proxy data to calculate

the ‘avoided’ cost e.g. the cost to the public purse if community transport services were not available to alleviate the negative impact of isolation. This determined the overall social value. The fi nal stage of our analysis used the social value fi gure and a benefi t-cost ratio which revealed that every £1 spent on community transport generates £47 in social value.

It is di« cult to place value on the intangible. How can we measure in monetary terms how Doreen felt about the service? For this, we moved away from calculations, to the more personal; by capturing the thoughts and feelings of service users including Doreen and Hillary.

Doreen described the ‘relief’ at not having to worry about the logistics of everyday life that had been made di« cult by reduced mobility. Hillary, said the service gave her and her family peace of mind.

When working with ratios and numbers it is easy to lose sight of why community transport services exist to begin with. Speaking with

people who benefi t most

reminded us that calculating social value is the means to an end; the ultimate goal is helping people through a di« cult time in their lives.

The results of our research o� er a valuable tool for promoting continued investment in community transport. With empirical evidence demonstrating the economic and social value the service brings to the community; and a reminder about why we do it through the experiences of people like Doreen and Hillary, we have put forward a solid case for local authorities to continue to fund these vital services for local communities.

the Social & Economic Valueof Local Community Transport Schemes

COMMUNITY TRANSPORT16/17 ACHIEVEMENTS

• Practical support and advice to Holt Community Transport who became a CIO. Also supported Kennet Community Transport who are now providing school transport and Tisbus who are delivering transport for Nadder Community Centre.

• An overall increase of 7.5% in passenger journeys

• Link Schemes made 10,900 trips to district hospitals

• A 6.5% increase in Link volunteers, with a total of 1,767 volunteers.

• Link volunteers covered 920,185 miles in 2016

• Volunteers gave a total of 147,658 hours which equates to an economic value of £1,562,221 (based on ONS 2011 South West Average Hourly Pay £10.58 p/hr).

• Worked with Nationwide graduates on ‘Social & Economic Value of Community Transport’ study.

• 12 individuals supported to access work or work-based training through Wheels to Work.

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CONNECTING COMMUNITIES

Planning for Communities WORKSHOPS

With the growing need for more a� ordable housing making headlines locally and nationally, planning and development is

an important issue for people in Wiltshire’s towns and villages.

The Localism Act 2011 is a piece of legislation which aims to move power away from Central Government and towards local communities. The Localism Act gives new freedom and fl exibility to Local Government when it comes to decisions about planning and developments. It also grants new rights and powers for local communities.

Making sure communities have their say on planning and development in their local area is a priority for Community First. In early 2017 we worked alongside Wiltshire Community Land Trust and Wiltshire Association of Local Councils (WALC) to survey Parish Councils with the aim of identifying whether there was a need for extra help and support around planning.

The survey was completed by 38% of Councils and revealed that over 50% of surveyed Parishes did not fully understand all of the planning resources which are available to

support community participation in the planning process. Feedback from the survey allowed us to tailor workshops to meet the individual needs of local Parishes.

Following the consultation, Community First and Wiltshire Community Land Trust organised a series of workshops and invited representatives from Local Councils and the Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise (VCSE) sector. Participants were invited to choose one of three workshops based on the feedback from the consultation, each workshop was led by a local planning expert (see below):

WORKSHOPs & Planning Experts

THE PLANNING PROCESSCarolyn Gibson (Spatial Planning Manager, Wiltshire Council)

COMMUNITY LED PLANNINGJe� Bishop (Place Studio, Bristol)Prof. Stephen Walker (Consultant on Viability of Housing Schemes)

COMMUNITY LED HOUSINGIan Crawley (National CLT Advisor & Community Led Housing Consultant)Anna Hope (Ecomotive Ltd)

Events facilitated by Community First and Wiltshire Community Land Trust

Event attendees also received a copy of ‘Your Community, Your Choices’, a new resource for the sector. If you would like a copy of this useful guide to planning options for local communities, telephone us on: 01380 722 475 or email: enquiries@communityfi rst.org.uk.

Help & Support

Supporting the Delivery of Viable, Affordable Housing in Wiltshire

For many local communities here in Wiltshire, delivering a� ordable housing is a key priority. This includes

reasonably priced homes for families or people

looking to buy their fi rst house and a� ordable properties for older or retired people looking to downsize. Ultimately,

a� ordable housing means housing that

meets the needs of the entire community, including those who are less well o� .

Through Community Organising, partnership

work and outreach, Community First is actively helping to

support local communities who want to be involved in

the planning and development

of a� ordable housing. Whilst Community Led Housing initiatives can help to meet some of the a� ordable housing need in Wiltshire, the majority of new housing is by built by private developers working alongside the Local Authority.

It is important that local people have a voice in proposed development in their area. But in order to take action, it is equally important to help local communities understand the factors which infl uence the viability of a� ordable housing schemes. That’s why our Community Development team is teaming up with experts like Professor Stephen Walker, a Consultant on the viability of housing schemes, to help us produce information guides and to develop our Community Led Planning o� er.

Over the next 12 months we hope to expand our Community Led Planning support and consultancy service by working closely with the Local Authority and local planning experts. Watch this space!

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CONNECTING COMMUNITIES

social action hub inspiring volunteer-led social action

At Community First we aim to put communities at the heart of everything we do and we actively promote and support community-led social action.

Community First is proud to be the home of Community Organising in Wiltshire and Swindon. Now thanks to 3 years of funding from The O« ce for Civil Society (OCS), led and managed through COLtd, capacity is set to expand across the county. Our ambitious ‘Social Action Hub’ training and development programme kicked o� in 2017 and is rapidly taking pace. We are encouraged for the appetite to develop this movement in our region

Led by our team of Senior Community Organisers Alex Neale and Katrina Watson, Social Action Hub Wiltshire + Swindon aims to recruit and train new teams of Volunteer Community Organisers across the county, who will help local communities identify and fi nd solutions to important local issues. The project is one of 20 Social Action Hubs in England and will run for the next 3 years.

Social Action HubsThe Company of Community Organisers (COLtd) is working in partnership with 20 ‘Social Action Hubs’ (including Community First in Wiltshire and Swindon) to roll out local training and support for community organising into neighbourhoods and voluntary groups up and down the country.

Social Action Hubs are locally accountable organisations (like Community First) working with experienced Community Organisers, to develop community organising in their area. By training local leaders and volunteers at a neighbourhood level they will spread community organising skills and ideas and act as catalysts for community-led social action.

The overall aim of Social Action Hubs is to increase the strength and depth of local networks capable of taking action to create social and political change at a local level. The programme hopes to energise democracy, public services and grass-roots community activity.

Action PlanSocial Action Hub Wiltshire + Swindon will initially focus on two wards in Swindon and one area of Salisbury, where there is already an interest in using community organising to engage, mobilise and promote community action. Throughout the project we hope to make links in other areas and with other projects the team has been involved with, such as the National Citizenship Service.

Community First has been awarded three years of grant funding totalling £52,134 to deliver the project. Our Community Organisers Alex and Katrina expect to recruit, train and support an average of 110 local leaders and volunteers in community organising principles and practice between 2017-2020. The fi rst training sessions took place in early October 2017, with further sessions planned throughout the

year.

All of the training and support is o� ered free of

charge and volunteers will also be o� ered

the chance to work towards a nationally recognised qualifi cation.

Community organising dates back to the 19th century. The ideas and techniques were developed over 100 years in the tenant empowerment and trade union movements, the civil rights movement, the su£ ragette movement, the cooperative movement and other movements for social justice, critical education and community ownership.

Community Organising is the work of bringing people together to take action around common concerns and overcome social injustice. Community Organisers reach out, listen, connect and motivate people to build their collective power.

(Source: COLtd)

COMMUNITY ORGANISING?

WHAT IS

Community Organising is the work of bringing people together to take action around common concerns and overcome social injustice. Community Organisers reach out, listen, connect and motivate people to build their collective power.

LETS DO SOMETHING AMAZING TOGETHER

Find more about Social Action Hub Wiltshire + Swindon or book a place on one of our free Community Organising training sessions:

hello@socialactionhubwilts.org.uk Telephone: 01380 722 475

For updates visit Alex + Katrina’s blog: socialactionhubwilts.org.uk

Or fi nd us on Instagram: @socialactionhub

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COMMUNITY ORGANISING16/17 ACHIEVEMENTS

• Secured 3-year grant funding for Social Action Hub project through COLtd

• Listening services for two Neighbourhood Projects in 2016-2017. 164 listenings were conducted with representatives from the local community, including 32 military households

• New Young Listeners project for 2017-2018 funded through Healthwatch Wiltshire to train a

new team of YouthWatch Wiltshire Young Listeners (see page 22).

• New 3 year Listening project identifi ed through the Building Bridges programme

• Outreach to 151 households are part of BESN and Smart Meter campaigns

• Community Organisers working towards Adult Education Training qualifi cations

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CONNECTING COMMUNITIES

Community First provides an advisory and support service to village halls and community buildings across Wiltshire and Swindon through the Wiltshire

Village Halls Association (WVHA) service. As a member of Action with Communities in Rural England (ACRE), Community First strongly believes village halls and community buildings act as important hubs for rural life and are of paramount importance as meeting places for local communities.

In 2017 Community First is proud to support a network of over 160 village halls and community buildings across the county, with new halls joining us every year. We o� er a unique service which includes a dedicated hall profi le, digital resources including a forum and members area, free access to village hall information sheets (provided

by ACRE), specialist training and support via telephone or email.

As a predominantly rural county, village halls in Wiltshire are an especially important part of village life, often hosting community events including exercise classes, lunch clubs and social events, baby and toddler groups as well as providing local people with an a� ordable venue for weddings, birthday parties and other celebrations.

From Aldbourne to Zeals, village halls and community buildings across the county are managed and run by over 800 volunteer committee members, who give their valuable time to ensure that village halls remain places where communities can come together. In 2016-2017, we provided a secretariat service to the WVHA Advisory Panel and developed an ambassadors programme to support and train village hall volunteers on the new digital resources. We also hosted several information and training sessions for volunteers including insurance and PAT testing.

Supporting village halls and community buildings is a priority for Community First and forms a key part of our community development work. In 2017, we were awarded funding from Big Lottery Awards

WILTSHIRE ASSOCIATION OF LOCAL COUNCILS (WALC)

This year’s local council elections in Wiltshire and parts of Swindon have created a great deal of action within Local Councils’

and Wiltshire Association of Local Councils (WALC).

As is usual in an election year, there were many queries regarding roles and responsibilities of councils, clerks and candidates leading up to the elections and then, post-elections, relating to fi rst meetings and declarations of acceptance of o« ce.

councils embrace new training opportunities

What has been both inspiring and challenging is the sheer demand for councillor training in the new term of o« ce. Since May 2017, Local Councils’ Adviser Katie Fielding has delivered 11 training sessions for councillors, with more than 150 councillors in attendance. A further 8 councillor courses are planned up to the end of November 2017.

In addition, WALC has held a 4-session course for clerks in the Certifi cate in Local Council Administration (CiLCA), a full-day event for new clerks. WALC also has Information Governance, General Data Protection Principles and Planning events in the pipeline.

We expect councillor training demand to continue into the new year and and hope to o� er training which is more subject-

specifi c; for example, fi nance, planning and chairing skills. WALC is happy to consider all subjects.

We always try to respond to demand and if there are councils, councillors and clerks (in WALC membership) with a specifi c area of work (relating to council business or procedure) in mind, do let us know.

The current demand for training in all aspects of council work highlights local councils’ commitment to best practice and service provision. More demands are being placed on some of our local councils with ever stretched budgets and councils are rising to the challenge and continuing to make Wiltshire and Swindon’s communities vibrant and sustainable.

Katie FieldingLocal Councils’ Adviser

01380 732808kfi elding@communityfi rst.org.uk www.wiltshire-alc.org.uk

THE HUB OF RURAL LIFE VILLAGE HALLS & COMMUNITY BUILDINGS

for All to support village halls to be thriving and sustainable hubs for local communities. In 2017, we are actively supporting WVHA members by developing new ideas for how member halls can be used in new and innovative ways, as well as reaching out to halls which are not currently in our network.

Our outreach and engagement programme, which includes support from our team of Community Organisers, hopes to identify new

From Aldbourne to Zeals, village halls and community buildings across the county are managed and run by over 800 volunteer committee members, who give their valuable time to ensure that village halls remain places where communities can come together

and exciting ways for village halls to support local communities through events and other activities. By working closely with halls, door knocking and pop-up events, we hope to encourage new volunteers to come forward to help ensure village halls remain important local hubs for generations to come.

For more information about WVHA visit www.wvha.org.uk or email: enquiries@communityfi rst.org.uk

ACHIEVEMENTS IN 16/17

• New WVHA forum and members area launched including access to ACRE information sheets

• Ambassadors group identifi ed to support village halls service and several meetings were held with the advisory group

• £25,000 of new income identifi ed to support the service including £10,000 Awards for All funding

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CONNECTING COMMUNITIES

Community First is passionate about volunteering and the positive impact volunteers have in local communities. From volunteer-led social

action, to our board of trustees, many of the successful services and programmes we oversee could not exist without the support of volunteers.

In 2016, DEVELOP (the volunteering service for Wiltshire) announced that it was at risk of closure following a signifi cant cut in local authority funding. For over 30 years, the organisation had successfully matched organisations with volunteers who wanted to make a di� erence. It also provided a valuable opportunity for charities and voluntary groups to communicate with and learn from each other as part of a county-wide network.

As an organisation which values volunteers and actively works to

make communities stronger and more resilient, Community First knew it was vitally important to secure the future of volunteering services for Wiltshire. Of equal importance was preserving the large and established network which encouraged the sector to celebrate achievements, promote good practise and establish e� ective partnerships.

In July 2016, the volunteering service for Wiltshire moved to a new home in the Community Development team at Community First. The team, led by Head of Community Development Jane Windle-Hartshorn, started the process of embedding volunteering services within the organisation. This included transferring ownership of the database and Volunteer Connect portal to Community First, as well overseeing a data protection exercise to ensure organisations and volunteers registered on the system were fully informed.

By investing in volunteering services, Community First is proud to have ensured a lasting legacy for the work of DEVELOP and the Volunteer Centre Wiltshire. In 2017 Community First continues to fund the licensing cost for Volunteer Connect and the associated database VC Connect,

Our Investment in Volunteering for Wiltshire

to ensure that local charities, voluntary groups and community organisations can advertise and search for volunteers, free of charge.

By investing in the VC Connect system we have also protected the only comprehensive database of VCSE organisations in Wiltshire. This has been instrumental to our success in reaching out to the sector to promote important events including Planning for Communities

By investing in volunteering services, Community First is proud to have ensured a lasting legacy for the work of DEVELOP and the Volunteer Centre Wiltshire.

workshops and the recent VCSE Health and Social Care forum 2017. As well as developing new initiatives to support community development.

To fi nd out more about Volunteer Connect or for support with volunteering, contact our Volunteer Coordinator Laura Naylor:

lnaylor@communityfi rst.org.ukTel: 01380 722 475

When you join Community First as an Associate Member, you will be helping to support our work with local communities across Wiltshire and Swindon. Your contribution really does make a di¦ erence!

In return we can o¦ er you some fantastic benefi ts, available exclusively to members of Community First. Alongside the benefi ts listed (left) members will also be invited* to our AGM and Celebration Event (usually held in October)

Stay up to date Regular email updates plus a copy of First News, our annual magazine

Funding News Receive our regular members only funding bulletin

Job Postings Advertise your job vacancies for free on our website.

FeaturedVolunteering Roles

Advertise volunteering roles on our dedicated volunteering page* (up yo 3 roles per year).

Volunteer ConnectSupport Tickets

Members have free email and telephone support from our Volunteer Coordinator

PromotionalOpportunities

We can o£ er promotional support (subject to editorial discretion).

FIND OUT MORE EMAIL:

members@communityfi rst.org.uk or telephone: 01380 722475

*NB: Associate members do not have voting rights

at the AGM.

**new website launching 17/18

support our work become a member of community first

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youth action wiltshire

tackling disadvantage

Youth Action Wiltshire (YAW) is the national award-winning ‘Youth Arm’ of Community First. It’s success is built on innovative, e� ective and

exciting programmes for young people and the expertise of highly qualifi ed, friendly and dedicated youth workers.

YAW supports a broad network of voluntary youth clubs across the county, as well as providing support to disadvantaged and vulnerable young people aged 5-25 years. This includes young carers, those facing challenges in their lives and young people Not In Education, Employment or Training (NEET).

The Wiltshire Young Carers service worked with over 100 young carers aged between 5-18 years in a summer respite programme which included a variety of activities including arts projects, conservation, cookery and outdoor adventures including fi shing and sports.

This summer Splash supported 160 young people aged 9-16 years who are experiencing a challenge in their lives. Splash arranged a summer programme of 34 activity days, which included fun and challenging activities such as water sports, animation, First Aid and conservation.

25 Young people aged 16-17 years graduated from 2 summer National Citizenship Service (NCS) programmes through Youth Action Wiltshire. The young people completed a variety of team-building exercises, a skills development residential and a week-long adventure sports residential. One team of young people raised funds for The Burnbake Trust in a two-day sponsored walk. A second team led by youth work charity Seeds4Success, completed volunteering activities in their community, including conservation, youth work and organising events for isolated elderly people.

Highlights from yaw Summer Activity 2017

Following a short summer break, the Project Inspire programme returned in early Autumn, o� ering activities, accredited training courses and individual support for young people who are currently NEET or at risk of becoming NEET.

KEY ACHIEVEMENTS IN 16/17

project inspire

youth clubs & youth volunteering

splash

YOUNG CARERS• 66 young people accessed

support

• Average attendance of 85 hours

• 74% of leavers confi rmed a place in employment, education and training

• 329 young people who faced challenges have been supported with an average attendance of 21 hours

• 92% reported an improved attitude towards themselves and others

• 96% improved self-esteem and feelings of pride

• 193 young carers accessed support with an average attendance of 48 hours

• 65 young carers gained accreditation

• 88% reported an increase in confi dence and friendships.

• 120 youth leaders completed accredited training courses

• 7 new youth clubs were supported through their set up and launch

• 48 young leaders aged 19 or under completed accredited training

• More than £50,000 raised for individual youth clubs

• 12 young Ambassadors volunteered over 200 hours each supporting Youth Action Wiltshire delivery

Return yourcompleted form to:

FREEPOST RRLR-XCJB-SSJYouth Action Wiltshire, Unit C2 BeaconBusiness Centre, Hopton Park Devizes, SN10 2EY

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Friend £50 /yr

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Corporate Friend - £200 /yr

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In order to Gift Aid your donation you must tick the box below.

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Please pay the sum of: £............. On ..... /..... /..... and on the same day every

month/year until further notice or for ................months/years starting ...../...../.....

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I want to Gift Aid my donation to Youth Action Wiltshire and any donations I make to this charity in the future. I am a UK taxpayer and understand that if I pay less Income Tax and/or Capital Gains Tax than the amount of Gift Aid claimed on all my donations in that tax year it is my responsibility to pay any di£ erence.

FIRSTNEWS | PAGE 14

Boost your donation by 25p of Gift Aid for every £1 you donate

FRIENDS OF YOUTH ACTION WILTSHIRE

Become a Friend of YAW &Support our work with:

Young carers in Wiltshire

Young people facing challenges in their lives

Young people who are Not In Education, Employment, Or Training (NEET)

& the inspirational youth leaders who run Wiltshire youth clubs

www.youthactionwiltshire.org.uk

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SPLASH

tackling disadvantage

Splash is a programme delivered by Youth Action Wiltshire which provides out of school activities for young people aged 9-16

years who are facing challenges, for example those with special educational needs or disabilities, young people on child protection plans or in care, victims/witnesses of crime or bullying or from families experiencing bereavement, breakdown, substance misuse, fi nancial hardship or rural isolation, as well as young people at risk of anti-social behaviour.

It is recognised nationally and locally that engaging young people in positive activities in their leisure time has a positive impact by increasing personal and social skills. It also benefi ts local communities by reducing anti-social behaviour and improving relationships between young people and other members of their community.

Splash aims to raise young people’s self-esteem and

confi dence, develop an acceptance of others, reduce peer on peer bullying and empower young people to make independent, positive and safe choices about their future leisure time.

The service, led by a team of highly experienced sta� and volunteers, makes a real di� erence in the lives of young people facing challenges in their lives. During 2016-2017 Splash supported 331 young people

in 97 delivery days (an increase of 23% on the previous year), as well as recording an impressive 1002 contact sessions with young people.

Splash supports a wide range of young people across the county with demand increasing year on year. Last year Splash was oversubscribed by 70%, something Splash Programme Co-ordinator Dawn Whiting hopes to address by expanding programme delivery and increasing fundraising

It is recognised nationally and locally that engaging young people in positive activities in their leisure time has a positive impact by increasing personal and social skills.

to support even more young people through Splash in 2017-2018.

The Splash team aims to removes barriers to attendance by o� ering practical support such as transport and refreshments; in 2016-2017 Splash provided minibus pick-ups to 88% of activities as well as providing healthy meals and refreshments at 68% of the activities delivered.

Young people involved with Splash have the opportunity to take part in activities which are designed to be both fun and challenging. A large percentage of Splash activities harness the relaxing and uplifting

power of the great outdoors and activities often involve learning new skills or participating in adventure sports. To ensure the programme activities are fresh, relevant and exciting, Splash regularly works alongside other charities, voluntary groups and organisations to inspire and challenge young people in exciting ways, including: Wiltshire Wildlife Trust, Wiltshire Outdoor Learning Team and Roaring Rugby.

Youth Action Wiltshire recently secured a 5-year agreement with Tall Ships Adventures and the Hugo Haulkes Charitable Trust to deliver 2 sailing residentials per year. These

exciting projects o� er young carers and young people supported by Splash, a fantastic opportunity to navigate and sail a 72ft yacht around the south coast of England. The team at Youth Action Wiltshire work hard to ensure the young people who take part are fully prepared, trained and committed to embarking on the 5-day voyage.

www.splash-wiltshire.org.uk

Telephone: 01380 732829

Email: info@splash-wiltshire.org.uk

positive activities for young people experiencing challenges in their lives

Splash doubles fundraising target with ‘Mighty Titans’ London to Paris Cycle RideThe ‘Mighty Titans’ a team of fi tness enthusiasts from New Era Fitness studio in Melksham, joined by Splash Programme Co-ordinator Dawn Whiting, rode 160 miles in a sponsored cycling event in aid of Splash. The ten-strong team led by DJ Hussey cycled an average of 100km each day and doubled their original target to raise £3,400 in support of Splash.

The three-day challenge which began

on 15th September 2017 started at Big Ben in London and ended at the Ei£ el Tower in Paris.

A fantastic e£ ort from everyone on the team including mother and daughter Judith and Amy Greenman, George Penny, Richard Hayes, Dawn Whiting, Michael Smith, husband and wife Ben and Rachel Bradshaw, and Sam Gooding. Along with the support crew comprising of Dawn’s husband Steve Whiting, and Alison Hale.

before

after

LET’S PAINTAs well as challenging young people with practical activities and sports, Splash also encourages young people to be thoughtful and active members of their local community. During the 2016 October Half-Term, Splash Coordinated a 2-day ‘Let’s Paint’ project in Salisbury. Young people supported by Splash planned, designed and painted iconic images in a mural on the wall of a local underpass which had fallen into disrepair. This activity aimed to challenge young people to have fun and work together, as well as inspiring them to make a positive di� erence to a shared space that the whole community could enjoy.

The young people had a fantastic time expressing their creative side as well as making their local area a nicer place to live. The mural received lots of positive feedback and was even covered in local press and radio broadcast! Well done to everyone involved.

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This year Wiltshire Young Carers teamed up with The Salisbury Museum to learn new creative skills and fi nd inspiration from the Salisbury history and

costume collection, with important historical artefacts dating back to 1220. The City Story Project, created by The Salisbury Museum and funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund Young Roots Grant, inspired over 40 young carers to have fun exploring important historical collections at the museum and learning new artistic techniques.

The project, which ran from Autumn 2016 to Summer 2017 enabled the Wiltshire Young Carers team, led by Niki Andrews and Sharon Worby, to accompany the young people to The Salisbury Museum to explore a range of artefacts from important historical

sites such as the Royal Palace at Clarendon, the deserted village at Gomeldon and the pottery Kilns at Laverstock. The young people were also introduced to relics of the ancient guilds of Salisbury, civic objects and collections of Salisbury-made bells, clocks, guns and cutlery, as well as the Museum’s collection of historic clothes and textiles.

The young people took part in a series of Saturday and holiday workshop sessions, spending time in the museum and creating artwork inspired by the Salisbury history and costume collections. Each young carer involved with the project had the opportunity to take part in four separate workshops led by local artists. Overall the project aimed to support young carers to have fun and enjoy their time at the museum, whilst discovering the Salisbury City Story for themselves.

The Wiltshire Young Carers programme is an award-winning service run by Youth Action Wiltshire, the youth arm of Community First. The service supports young people in Wiltshire who have signifi cant caring responsibilities at home including caring for a family member with a physical disability or a chronic, long term or terminal illness.

In 2016-2017, Wiltshire Young Carers

CITY STORYYOUNG CARERS ARTWORK

ceramic work of their own. Artist Louise Luton conducted a second 2D artwork session which covered mixed medium oil pastels, paints and metallic pens, followed by a third session with textile artist Alex Hoare. The fi nal workshop was led by artist Nikki Sheppard who worked with the young people on printing and marbling techniques. The young people were also encouraged to develop their own individual creative ideas through sketching as well as working together to produce artwork.

Overall the project was a great success and the young people gave some fantastic feedback to Niki and Sharon, as well as City Story Project O« cer Katy England. Their excitement, creativity and enthusiasm can be seen in each unique piece of artwork. The young carers created a wide range of new and original pieces of art, textile and ceramic work all inspired by the collections at the museum. The artwork will be showcased in an upcoming November 2017 display in the

Wessex Gallery at The Salisbury Museum. A fantastic e� ort by everyone involved!

For more information about the City Story: Historic Past, Creative Future project contact:

Katy EnglandCity Story Project Support O® cerThe Salisbury Museum

katyengland@salisburymuesum.org.uk Instagram: @citystorytsm

young carers city story

supported over 500 young carers by giving them the chance to have fun, learn something new and connect with a supportive peer group. The service has a really positive impact on the young people who take part, with a high percentage of young carers reporting that they had fun and tried new things, felt more confi dent in their caring role and learnt new skills. Activities like the City Story Project, play an important role in helping young carers to challenge themselves and support

The Young Carers City Story project o¦ ered young carers a unique opportunity to work with artists and heritage professionals to explore extraordinary objects, gain new skills, develop an understanding and appreciation of heritage and share this with others.

each other in a positive way.

The Young Carers City Story project o� ered young carers a unique opportunity to work with artists and heritage professionals to explore extraordinary objects, gain new skills, develop an understanding and appreciation of heritage and share this with others.

The fi rst workshop was led by local ceramic artist Sarah Holtby who introduced the young people to ceramics and helped them create

tackling disadvantage

Photo Credit: The Salisbury Museum

Background artwork by;Liam Spooner (Young Carer)

YOUNG CARERS VOICE

“It’s like everything I thought I knew about art, has just expanded into a whole multiverse of fantastic things I had never even heard of.”

“A very unique experience to be part of, I’m sad for people that don’t get to do this kind of thing.”

“I like that the museum is grand, I enjoyed meeting new friends and seeing the museum with all the amazing displays.”

“I enjoyed making friends and doing something creative.”

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Youth Action Wiltshire (the youth arm of Community First) and Bath Philharmonia’s Creative Learning Team ‘Music in Action’ has been

supporting young carers through creative expression and music since 2009. In Spring 2017, young people from Wiltshire Young Carers joined forces with young carers from Bath & North-East Somerset (BANES) to take part in a very special music project and performance called Listen Up.

Wiltshire Young Carers is a programme run by Youth Action Wiltshire which o� ers support, mentoring and respite activities for young people with signifi cant caring responsibilities at home. The Listen Up project in 2017 aimed to support young carers by giving them the

opportunity to relax and have fun in a creative way and by helping them explore issues and experiences that are unique to being a young carer, through music and art.

As part of the project, the young carers were invited to participate in music and creative workshops over 6 weekends, supported by qualifi ed youth workers from Youth Action Wiltshire and musicians from Bath Philharmonia. All of the young carers who took part in the project worked together to write and perform their own songs and musical pieces, as well as designing and producing artwork to accompany the music.

The Listen Up project in 2017 culminated in a community performance in Wiltshire and a fi nal headline slot at the historic Bath Abbey on Friday 19th May, as part of Bath Festival’s prestigious Party in the City.

For more information about the Young Carers service from Youth Action Wiltshire visit:

www.youthactionwiltshire.org

Or Telephone: 01380 729813

YOUNG CARERS Peta’s Story

Bath Philharmonia

The Listen Up project in 2017 aimed to support young carers by giving them the opportunity to relax and have fun in a creative way and by helping them explore issues and experiences that are unique to being a young carer, through music and art.

tackling disadvantage

MUSIC IN ACTION TO SUPPORT YOUNG CARERS T

he support o¦ ered by the Wiltshire Young Carers service (including creative projects like Bath Philharmonia) makes a

real di¦ erence in the lives of young carers like Peta. Peta was referred to the Wiltshire Young Carers service in 2012 and thrived with mentoring support from the team as well as creative projects, which helped build her confi dence, discover new skills and express her artistic talent. Read her inspirational story here:

Peta was referred to the Wiltshire Young Carers service at the age of 12. At that time, she was struggling with mental health issues and caring for her Mum who has a chronic health condition. Peta received intensive mentoring from the team to o£ er emotional and practical support during a very di° cult period in her life including family problems, school pressure and a signifi cant increase in her caring responsibilities at home.

Thorough regular one-to-one support sessions with Wiltshire Young Carers and contact with her CAMHS worker, the team was able to help Peta focus on her future personal and academic goals as well as expressing her thoughts and feelings about being a young carer through activities including music and art.

Peta is a gifted student and a talented artist who took part in many creative sessions during her time with Wiltshire Young

Carers. The project which really helped her shine and develop her confi dence was Bath Philharmonia, where she contributed to lyrics, musical production and even took a lead in singing. Although Peta’s confi dence was beginning to grow, she was worried about getting the grades she wanted at GCSE and the impact this would have on her future. The team continued to support her through mentoring and encouraged her to challenge herself with positive activities including the National Citizenship Service (NCS) with Youth Action Wiltshire.

As well as o£ ering emotional support to Peta, Wiltshire Young Carers helped her overcome potential barriers to further education by helping her access fi nancial support for college. Peta went on to achieve 5 A*s, 5 A’s & a B grade in her GCSEs, she was delighted and fi nally felt as though she could achieve anything.

Peta started college in September 2016, she is doing well and is already looking ahead to university. Peta’s confi dence and belief in herself has grown immeasurably and in 2017 she took a leadership role as a Peer Mentor on Wiltshire Young Carers music workshops to help and support other young carers.

Image Credit: Rachel Greig (Youth Action Wiltshire)

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Our Community Organisers and youth workers are proud to be involved in an exciting new project, funded by Healthwatch Wiltshire, which has put young people front and centre in the important issue of mental health.

The Young Listeners ProjectThe Young Listeners project was initially conceived by Healthwatch Wiltshire in 2016, with the aim of fi nding out what children and young people had to say about local health and care services and how these services could be improved. To help deliver the project, Healthwatch Wiltshire approached Youth Action Wiltshire (the youth arm of Community First) to train a group of young volunteers aged 16-18 in skills such as safeguarding, listening and e� ective communication.

The Young Listeners volunteered over 100 hours of their time, supported by experienced Youth Action Wiltshire sta� who facilitated

safe, comfortable environments for 174 young people to share their personal experiences of health and care services with the specially trained Young Listeners.

Outcomes from the project highlighted mental health and emotional wellbeing as a key issue for young people, many of whom felt that the waiting time for an appointment for specialist mental health services was too long.

The Young Listeners worked alongside Healthwatch Wiltshire to develop a short fi lm about the project and feedback from the Listening sessions was summarised in a report for commissioners and other decision makers, with a view to infl uencing the future delivery of services for young people.

Making an ImpactIn May 2017, Healthwatch Wiltshire Manager Lucie Woodru� and Young Listener Kerry McKenzie presented the report fi ndings to Wiltshire’s Health and Wellbeing Board, a committee which brings together health and social care leaders in Wiltshire.

As a direct result of feedback from young people involved in the project, Wiltshire Council and NHS Wiltshire Clinical Commissioning Group announced they were aiming to cut waiting times for

young listeners

“Young people who are talking to someone of a similar age to them open up more than they do to an adult. It’s great that we are being heard and can make a di¦ erence.”

tackling disadvantage

Advancing mental health in schools

Image Credit: Tim Gander (via Healthwatch Wiltshire)

mental health services by increasing capacity for mental health support workers in selected schools and increasing online support (including online counselling) to alleviate pressure on the more specialist services provided through the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS).

18-year-old Young Listener Kerry was delighted at the positive impact the Young Listeners had made:

“Before ever carrying out a listening exercise I was sceptical of the impact it would make on people. But then I got into it and realised young people who are talking to someone of a similar age to them open up more than they do to an adult. It’s

great that we are being heard and can make a di£ erence.”

The Young Listeners project was a resounding success, earning positive feedback from the young people involved and was shortlisted for a national award. But most importantly, it laid the groundwork for an innovative outreach and engagement programme which aims to change the way future services for young people are designed and delivered in Wiltshire.

Step Forward: YouthWatch Wiltshire

The team at Healthwatch Wiltshire knew it was important to act on the fi ndings from the Young Listeners project and develop the project

further, so in June 2017 they launched YouthWatch Wiltshire. This is a new platform for young people to help shape future services by ensuring that their views are listened to and taken seriously by people who make decisions about health and care services.

Following the success of the peer listening approach, Healthwatch Wiltshire commissioned Community First and Youth Action Wiltshire to support the delivery of an ambitious mental health outreach and support programme which started in Summer 2017.

The project started with targeted outreach to four Wiltshire schools and invited young people to volunteer as part of a new team of YouthWatch Wiltshire Young Listeners. The outreach activity identifi ed 18 young people who volunteered to take part in a phased training programme developed by Cleo Evans from Youth Action Wiltshire, working alongside qualifi ed Community Organisers Alex Neale and Katrina Watson from Community First.

The training programme, which

started with a 5-week taster course, included activities and skills-based training The fi nal phase of the YouthWatch Wiltshire Young Listeners training programme is now nearing completion and the young people are gearing up for a weekend residential at Oxenwood in Marlborough.

The residential combines team-building and trust exercises led by a qualifi ed youth worker with skills-training in safeguarding, listening and communication, mental health awareness and leadership. Kerry, a Young Listener involved with the project in 2016 (now employed by Community First) will also attend the residential to act as a mentor for the young volunteers involved in the training programme.

By the time the residential concludes in Autumn 2017, the young people will have the skills and confi dence they need to represent their school as a YouthWatch Wiltshire Young Listener and continue the fantastic work achieved through the project in 2016. We wish them all the best and look forward to seeing how the project develops.

For more information contact:

Stacey PlumbVolunteer & Involvement O® cerHealthwatch Wiltshire

01225 434218 stacey.plumb@healthwatchwiltshire.org.uk

healthwatchwiltshire.org.uk/youthwatch

Kerry took part in the Young Listeners project in 2016 and gave some great feedback. Read Kerry’s journey in her own words:

“We were trained in heavy topics like safeguarding and mental health, but they were handled in a sensitive and engaging way… It is because of this project that I have been given the opportunity to be a part of

something so unique and special. I have benefi ted in immeasurable ways, but most signifi cantly; this project gave me something to look forward to when my life felt bleak and pointless. The prospect of having something positive to work towards, alongside a group of individuals I knew would support me changed all of that. I have an infi nite amount of thanks and respect for everyone involved in the co-ordination of this project.”

FIRSTNEWS | PAGE 24 PAGE 25 | FIRSTNEWS

Shaun started his journey with Building Bridges programme partner Kennet Furniture Refurbiz (KFR), supported by his Key Worker Debbie.

Shaun initially approached KFR as a volunteer. Although he lacked confi dence he was determined to turn his life around.

With support from KFR and his Key Worker Debbie, Shaun re-built relationships with his family and moved out of supported housing into a place of his own. As his confi dence grew, he applied for a grant to start a City & Guilds qualifi cation and began learning to drive to improve his employability.

Debbie also helped Shaun apply for a grant towards the cost of a residential training course which he successfully completed, gaining a qualifi cation. With support from the programme Steven has since moved into employment.

Photo: Kennet Furniture Refurbiz

FIRSTNEWS | PAGE 24

In October 2017, we are celebrating the fi rst anniversary of the Building Bridges programme in Swindon and Wiltshire. Community First is proud to be

leading this unique and successful partnership and we wanted to take some time to refl ect on the amazing things the partnership has achieved over the last 12 months.

The Building Bridges programme is an ambitious partnership of 40 organisations working together to help people overcome their barriers to employment and education across Swindon and Wiltshire, by o� ering one to one support, training, skills development and other support services. The programme is jointly funded by the Big Lottery Fund and the European Social Fund.

The programme will run until 2019

and our overall aim is to work with 1,827 participants with at least 21% of these individuals moving into employment and a further 29% moving into education or training.

We are delighted with the results of the programme so far and our partners are delivering great results with individuals facing multiple, complex challenges and barriers to work or education.

We would like to thank all of the partners involved in delivering the programme over the last 12 months. We have already achieved so much by working together and we look forward to seeing what the next year will bring.

For more information about the programme:

Visit our website: www.buildingbridgessw.org.uk

Email us;hello@buildingbridgessw.org.uk

Or telephone: 01380 732821

building bridges programme anniversary

tackling disadvantage

Building Bridges programme manager Dave Potts said:

“We are really proud of what Building Bridges has been able to achieve in its fi rst year of operation. We have built a really strong partnership of organisations who are working collaboratively to help support our participants. We have also built very e£ ective links into both statutory and community sector organisations to raise awareness of the programme and to work with them to jointly support people.”

The Building Bridges programme is an ambitious partnership of 40 organisations working together to help people overcome their barriers to employment and education across Swindon and Wiltshire

ACHIEVEMENTS IN 2016-2017

• We have received a total of 610 referrals into the programme over the last 12 months and we are currently on target.

• Over 60% of these participants currently have a plan in place and are actively working towards their goals with the support of key workers.

• A further 26% are ready to receive support from partners as soon as their eligibility is confi rmed.

• Over 85% of participants who have registered with the programme are actively engaging with the help and support on o� er.

• 86 participants have already successfully moved into employment or education, which is a fantastic achievement (see Shaun’s success story, top right).

• Over 35,000 people have visited the Building Bridges website and the website continues to be a key channel for referrals into the programme.

• We have accepted 97% of referrals into the programme so far and those who were not suitable were signposted to other support services.

• The programme is now up to full speed with all 20 core delivery partners actively working with participants.

• We have streamlined our referral process to make it easier for people to register and get the help they need.

• 24% of participants are from deprived areas

• We have been working closely with referral organisations including voluntary and community groups, housing associations and statutory teams in Wiltshire and Swindon.

• Our rates of referral and registration continue to grow as news of the programme spreads across Swindon and Wiltshire.

shaun’ssuccess story

FIRSTNEWS | PAGE 26 PAGE 27 | FIRSTNEWS PAGE 27 | FIRSTNEWS

grants & enterprise

landfill communities fund grants

Community First is proud to manage and administrate the Landfi ll Communities Fund (LCF) in Wiltshire and Swindon. The LCF o� ers capital funding

for local community, heritage and environmental projects in specifi c areas where local landfi ll operators sites or depots are located.

The Government introduced a tax on landfi ll waste in 1996 to reduce waste and promote more environmentally sustainable methods of waste management. The LCF allows Landfi ll Operators (LOs) to contribute a portion of their landfi ll tax liability to community and environmental organisations to ‘o� set’ some of the negative impacts of living in the vicinity of a landfi ll site. The LOs which contribute to the LCF grants scheme in Wiltshire and Swindon are Hills Group, CSG and Crapper & Sons.

In 2016-2017 Community First distributed £288,510 of LCF grants to 28 community projects which enhanced community assets and improved local facilities. This included improvements to a play area in Dauntsey, an extension to Lansdowne Hall and the transformation of Westwood Parish rooms.

Members of the Community First

team (including Grants O« cer Mary Hardwidge) attended 29 opening events between April 2016 and September 2017.

For updates on future LCF project openings follow @CommFirstWilts on Twitter #TheLCF

For more information about LCF grants visit our website: www.communityfi rst.org.uk or call 01380 722475.

1. Kington St Michael Primary

2. Chilseldon Tennis Club

3. Calne Bowls Club

4. Salisbury Playhouse

5. Salisbury Playhouse

6. Corsham Brunel Shed

7. Dauntsey Play Area

8. Westbury Cricket Club

9. Nomansland Sports Association

10. Wilts and Berks Canal Boat

11. Bemerton Community

12. Salisbury URC

13. Atworth Recreation

14. Salisbury Arts

15 West Dean Village Hall

16. Westbury RFC

17. North Wroughton Play Area

18. Box Selwyn Hall

19. Corsham St Aldhelm’s Church

20. Woodbridge (Brinkworth) Golf Club

21. Colerne Boules Club

22. Swindon Supermarine FC

23. Pewsey Vale Bowls Club

24. Royal Wootton Bassett Sports Association

25. Lansdowne Hall

26. Rowdeford Outdoor Learning centre

27. Melksham Shed

28. Westwood Parish Rooms

29. Prospect Hospice

2016-2017 PROJECT OPENINGS

4.11.

6.3.

7.

8.

13.

16.

18. 19.

20.

21.

24.

25.

26.27.

28.

1.

15.

12. 14.

23.

operator key

LCF PROJECT OPENINGS (WILTSHIRE)16/17 MAP

£105,229.10

£10,000

£11,195.80

£11,200

£10,000 £15,000

£15,000£10,000

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Community First manages the Plain Action and Vale Action (LEADER) programmes. LEADER is a current programme of grant

funding which started in 2015. The programme aims to increase rural jobs, help businesses grow and support the local economy in specifi c Local Action Group (LAG) areas in Wiltshire which are:

The Plain Action LAG Area is located in Wiltshire in the south west of England and encompasses Salisbury Plain itself with the immediate surrounding villages and market towns.

The Vale Action LAG Area covers an area of 942km2 and encompasses the majority of the north-west corner of Wiltshire with the A350 corridor being the recurring focus.

Plain Action and Vale Action LAGs are made up of representatives from the local public and private sector who decide which projects to fund in each area. Although local projects are considered based on priorities in that area, all LEADER projects must support one or more of the 6 LEADER priorities:

the 6 leader priorities

PLAIN ACTION & VALE ACTION LEADER PROGRAMME

grants & enterprise

LEADER is a current programme of grant funding which runs from 2015-2021. The programme aims to increase rural jobs, help businesses grow and support the local economy

Support micro and small businesses and farm diversifi cation

Boost rural tourism

Increase farm productivity

Increase forestry productivity

Provide rural services

Provide cultural and heritage activities

programme achievements 16/17

• A total of £2.26m project grant funds available for Plain Action and Vale Action LEADER projects.

• 22 projects contracted for delivery for a total value of £750k. Of this number a total of 6 projects have already been completed.

• A further 20 projects are full applications which

are currently in preparation, with a total value of £780k.

• There are 23 project applications currently in the pipeline with a total value of £520k.

• 32 grants have been awarded to business projects.

• 21 grants have been awarded to farming projects.

• 6 grants have been awarded to tourist attraction projects.

• A total of 38 jobs have been created

• Tourism fi gures have increased by 6,000 day visitors per year.

• Tourism overnight stays have increased by 7,200 per year

Smallest Grant

£3,500 to a young farmer to install Electronic Identifi cation on his sheep which allowed him to get “Farm Assured status”, this gave him the opportunity to expand into new commercial markets.

largest grant

£129,000 to help install a bottling plant at a brewery, this project is currently in progress.

For more information email:

info@plainaction.org.ukinfo@valeaction.org.uk or telephone: 01380 732814

www.plainaction.org.ukwww.valeaction.org.uk

MOST IMPRESSIVE Grant - king arthurs willow TREEHOUSE (mill farm)

In 2007 Mill Farm diversifi ed into glamping and was amongst the fi rst UK farms to o� er glamping, by investing in 5 large, luxury safari tents.

Mill Farm approached LEADER for a grant to help towards the cost of a new treehouse accommodation project. Mill Farm received £49,246 towards the cost of building the new 6 bed treehouse (one of the fi rst of its kind in the country).

The project was successful. The treehouse has now been built and has proved popular, enjoying high occupancy rates throughout the year.

www.millfarmglamping.co.uk

Photo Credit: Mill Farm Glamping

FIRSTNEWS | PAGE 30 PAGE 31 | FIRSTNEWS

The fi nancial report uses information taken from the full fi nancial statement for the year ended 31 March 2017, prepared in accordance

with the Companies Act 2006, the Statement of Recommended Practice (SORP) “Financial Reporting for Smaller Entities” 2015 and applicable accounting standards which received an unqualifi ed audit.

The fi nance report may not contain su« cient information to enable a full understanding of the fi nancial a� airs of Community First. For further information the full Report and Financial Statements and the Independent Auditors report can be obtained from the Company Secretary.

The full report and Financial Statements were approved by members of the Board of Trustees on 24th July 2017 and will be submitted to the Charity Commission and the Registrar of Companies.

community first financial report

financial report

INCOMING RESOURCES

£1,623,124Activities & Investment

19%

Central Government

15%

LocalAuthorities

13%

Landfi ll Tax Credits

25%

OtherFunders

21%

Donations &Membership

7%

RESOURCES EXPENDED

£1,831,830GrantsPayable

28%

Fundraising & Trading

9%

ConnectingCommunities

19%

EncouragingEnterprise

7%Tackling

Disadvantage37%

The Accommodation Welfare CommitteeACREAmbitionArlington PackagingAsdaBDP ImportsBeaufort HuntBig Energy Saving NetworkBig Lottery FundThe Blagrave TrustBrewster Maude Charitable TrustCaenhill Countryside CentreChaloner Lodge Benevolent FundChippenham Borough Lands CharityChristian Malford & Foxham Women’s InstituteCO LimitedComic ReliefCrapper & Sons Landfi ll LtdCSG – Cleansing Services GroupDEFRA – Department of The Environment, Dorset & Wiltshire Fire & Rescue ServiceThe D’Oyley Carte Charitable TrustDepartment of Food & Rural A� airsDCLG – Department of Communities & Local GovernmentDECC – Department of Energy & Climate ChangeDEVELOPDevizes Moonraker QuiltersDr Kingston Charity FundEasterton Parish CouncilEdington Parish CouncilThe Endangered Wildlife TrustFriends of SplashFriends of Youth Action Wiltshire

The Fulmer Charitable TrustGMS LimitedGreensquare GroupHealthwatch WiltshireHenry Smith CharityHills Minerals & Waste LimitedHugo Halkes Charitable TrustThe Henry C Hoare Charitable TrustImagine CruisingThe Inchcape FoundationInner Wheel Club of WestburyThe James Weir FoundationThe Julius Silman Charitable TrustJH King CharityLandsdowne Lodge Of UnityThe Lions Club of Bradford on AvonThe Lions Club of ChippenhamThe Lions Club of DevizesLocalityLocal GivingMagdalen FarmThe May MileNationwide Building SocietyNHS Wiltshire Clinical Commissioning GroupPersimmon Homes - WessexPolice & Crime Commissioner for Wiltshire & SwindonThe Potterne CharitiesRathbonesReed in PartnershipRidgeway Run – Just GivingRotary Club of SalisburySalisbury MuseumSam’s Skydive – Just GivingSanctuary Housing AssociationSantanderThe Seend SingersSt Andrew’s Church, Devizes

St Edmund LodgeSt James Place FoundationSt James TrustSt Johns Parochial Church CouncilSt Mary’s School, CalneSteppes Travel LimitedTall ShipsTesco (Groundwork UK)The Underwood TrustThe Verdon-Smith Family Charitable TrustWaitroseWASP – Wiltshire & Swindon SportThe Wiltshire MastersWiltshire Association of Local CouncilsWiltshire Community FoundationWiltshire CouncilWiltshire Music CentreWiltshire Village Halls AssociationWiltshire Wildlife TrustWinterbourne Bassett Parochial Church CouncilYouth Action Wiltshire CommitteeZurich Community Trust

The Charity has also benefi ted from the generous support of many individuals whose donations and gifts have enabled services to be maintained and expanded and an endowment fund to be established to provide income in future years.

FINANCIAL SUPPORT & OTHER CONTRIBUTIONS

The work of Community fi rst has been made possible with fi nancial support and contributions from the following groups and organisations:

VIBRANT COMMUNITIES, BRIGHTER FUTURES

COMMUNITY FIRSTUnit C2

Beacon Business CentreHopton Park

DevizesSN10 2EY

T: 01380 722 475

W: www.communityfi rst.org.uk

E: enquiries@communityfi rst.org.uk

@CommFirstWilts

@CommunityFirstWiltshire

Registered Charity No: 288117 VAT Registration No: 639 3860 06

Company Limited by Guarantee Reg. No: 1757334 England

Registered with the Financial Conduct Authority No: FRN 311971