The Future Bright team are dleighted to share their latest newsletter which has some inspiring stories about local residents moving forwards with their careers. If you know someone who is in work and wants to take the next step in their career tell them about Future Bright. We offer FREE careers coaching, support and access to training. Future Bright Careers Coaches work with individuals to create and action a plan to improve their work and pay. For more information go to www.futurebright.org.uk or give us a call 01225 395555

Residents can find out about the range of roles currently available in the health and care sector at a recruitment fair to be held at the Guildhall, Bath on Tuesday 21 September. The fair is in support of Bath and North East Somerset’s Proud to Care campaign, which has been celebrating those already working in a caring role and helping employers to recruit new staff. More than 20 employers have signed up to attend the fair alongside staff from National Career Service, Future Bright, Employment & Skills Pod, Kickstart, Bath College, Job Centre Plus and Wiltshire College. Visitors will have a chance to talk to them about available roles, training courses and apprenticeships. Anyone considering changing careers, looking for a first job or a new role can pop along on the day and find out more. Professional care workers will also be attending to give first-hand advice and talk about their experience of working in the sector. Councillor Alison Born, cabinet member for Adults and Council House Building said: “Health and social care workers really do make a difference to people’s lives and it can be a really fulfilling, varied and emotionally rewarding career. “Whether you are just starting your career or are looking to retrain, the recruitment fair is a great way to find out about the opportunities available and a great chance to meet local employers face to face. There’s no need to book, just pop into the fair and have a chat – who knows it could lead to an amazing new career.” There are a huge variety of jobs in the health and social care sector including caring, hospitality, maintenance, housekeeping, catering, as well as administrative and leadership roles. Michael is a cleaner in one of Bath & North East Somerset Council’s care homes and loves his job. He said: “I enjoy putting a smile on peoples’ faces. I see people with needs and I’m happy I am adding value to their lives.” There will be a chance to find out about the different types of care roles, for example in care homes, respite, nursing, dementia care and supporting people to live independently in their own homes. Attendees can also to find out about supporting people with learning disabilities in a variety of different settings including day centre, supported living and respite facilities. The job fair takes place at the Guildhall, Bath on Tuesday 21 September between 10am and 2pm. Tickets can be booked on Eventbrite, or just come along on the day. For more information or to search for health and social care jobs across Bath and North East Somerset visit: proudtocare.bathnes.gov.uk. To find out more about what it’s really like to work in care visit our YouTube Channel and watch our Proud to Care films.

The Bath College Adult Community Learning has lots of exciting courses. They've got their old favourites - the core of their curriculum - starting up again as well as some exciting new additions. Below we've shared their latest update on courses available, as well as eligibility criteria. Adult Community Learning Eligibility: All of our courses are free to anyone over the age of 19 who is not currently in work or who is earning less than £18,525 per year. You must also be a resident of B&NES and have been resident in the UK for 3 or more years. If relevant, proof of settlement status will be required. To take part in one of our online courses, the learner will require an internet connection with a suitable device for video and audio, preferably a laptop. To request information about a course, or to go on the waiting list for anything we may have coming up, please email acl@bathcollege.ac.uk. Adult Community Learning Courses Advantage and the Prince's Trust Supporting the young adults in our community, the Princes Trust Programme is due to start again this month in it's new home at the Bath City Football Club. It's a great opportunity for young people aged 19-25, so if you know somebody who is NEET and would like a new challenge, please email Ben. Essential Digital Skills Qualification The EDSQ covers the basics of: Using Devices and Handling Information, Creating and Editing, Communication, Transacting and Being Safe and Responsible Online. It is a nationally recognised qualification and we are one of the first colleges currently delivering. Learners will be invited to take part in an initial assessment so that we can place them into a class which is a suitable level for their abilities. To book an initial assessment, please email acl@bathcollege.ac.uk and let us know the preferred location (Bath, Radstock or Twerton) and your preferred time of day (AM, PM, Evening). Websites for Beginners This course is a new addition to our curriculum which we are really excited about! Taking website creation right back to basics for even the most apprehensive of beginners, our tutor will guide learners through design, marketing and all of the other elements involved in launching your very own website. This course is running on Tuesdays at our City Centre Campus, 15:00-17:00 from the 21st of September until the 7th of December. Email acl to enrol or refer! Introduction to Animal Care Our popular Introduction to Animal Care is starting on the 4th of October at the delightful Bath City Farm. If you're supporting somebody who has an interest in being outside and a career in animal care is a possibility, this is a great introduction. Goats, chickens, pigs....come and make some new friends and learn some new skills while enjoying the gorgeous views and fresh air! To enrol or refer, please email acl@bathcollege.ac.uk Vocational Skills Course We have three of our Vocational Courses coming up in September, all running at our Somer Valley Campus in Radstock. Choose from Stone Masonry, Woodwork or Plumbing....or join all three! All courses are "Introductions to" and are suitable for beginners. No equipment is needed apart from work boots. Email referrals or questions to acl@bathcollege.ac.uk English and Maths Functional Skills We run our English and Maths vocational skills in Twerton and Radstock througout the year. To take part, a learner simply needs to take an initial assessment with our tutor to make sure that they are placed in a class at the correct level for their learning. If you would like to refer anybody, please email Marcelle and she will be in touch with you soon! Be Your Own Boss The benefits of being your own boss are endless, however many people know that they want to work for themselves, but are not sure where to start. This course will provide mentor style support including creating a business plan, marketing and looking at whether ideas have a place and longevity. This course will be taking place online on Wednesday mornings from 09:30-13:00 from the 15th of September until the 20th of October. A suitable device and internet connection will be required. Contact ACL to enrol or use this link. Health and Social Care Workskills This introductory course covers all of the nationally recognised Care Certificate Standards of which knowledge is required to work within this sector. We provide hands on training in First Aid and other practical skills as well as inviting in speakers to give tasters of the various areas of Health and Social care, some of which may not have been considered as a career option. The course is popular and learners will progress to further training in accredited courses or employment. To enrol, email acl or use this link.

The University of Bath Student Union are getting ready for students returning and wanted to share opportunities for local organisations to get involved. The various opportunities are outlined below: Advertising Volunteering Opportunities Gold Scholars Charity Day ROTORK Challenge 2021 RAG 2021-2022 V Team and Student Projects Staff Changes 1. Advertising Volunteering Opportunities Most of our students will be returning at the end of September (some never left, and some will be studying from home due to the C word). We are always looking for new and exciting opportunities to add to our opportunities page. Top tips on recruiting students and saving your time in the process. The undergraduate student year runs 4th October until 25th April when they head into exams then home for the summer. If you are advertising a “one year role” these are the dates to work between. Please don’t put up open ended applications and opportunities as we need to keep the opportunities page ‘fresh’ and please can you put the advert up for no longer than 3 weeks (end of Oct for now as it’s the holidays). Please can you define the time frame you would like the students for, for eg end of the academic year, until Christmas or if it’s a specific piece of work over the summer. This will help students to recognise if they will be around or not and will be more likely then to sign up. If you need help please do get in touch- we are more than happy to support putting opportunities up and talking through potential ideas. Log in to your account 2. ROTORK Challenge 2021 Rotork Community Challenge 2021 is where our MSc students engage with local organisations and make a positive impact in the local community. Some challenges are about fundraising, some are about awareness raising and some are about delivering specific events to service users. Students apply to join a challenge in October, and we form them into groups of 7-8 students. Each group is assigned a team support who gives them advice and guidance as they attempt their challenge. Groups will compete in a presentation evening on Thursday 9th December to win prizes for their charity (monetary donations provided by Rotork), which we would warmly invite you to attend. The aim of the challenge is to help our students to develop employability skills such as team working, planning and interacting with UK organisations – all of which are valuable skills for their programme of study, CV building and job searching. Time Scale: Tuesday 21st September 16:00 - Application Deadline Tuesday 12 October - Launch Event Thursday 21 October - Students meet team members and learn about their challenge October - Students contact their charity for initial meeting to understand more about the challenge October/ November - Students make project plan Thursday 9 December - Presentation Evening Submit Application for your Organisations 3. Gold Scholars Challenge Day. Would you like to work for a day with a student team, brainstorming solutions to a problem your charity is currently facing? If the answer is ‘Yes’ to the question above, we would like to invite your charity to participate in the University of Bath Gold Scholarship Programme ‘Charity Challenge’ on Saturday 30th October 2021. Your charity’s representative will have the opportunity to work with a team of 5 or 6 Gold or Lloyd’s Scholars for a day - either virtually or in person at the University campus. More information. Register Interest 4. RAG 2021-2022 RAG have made their Big 4 announcement for the year so congratulations to Bath Mind, Three Ways School, Alzheimer’s UK and Bath Welcomes Refugees- RAG are really looking forward to working with you over the coming year. Next year’s applications will open after Christmas (Jan/Feb 2022) 5. V Team and Student Projects Virtual Opportunities/ Tasks. Some of our students will still be working remotely next year and we are looking for remote volunteering opportunities for them to participate in. This could form part of our V Virtual project who meet up weekly for an hour to work on a charity task or we could advertise it out on our opportunities page. We always love time defined tasks that just need one or 2 people. Do you need someone to help with your social media? Lots of you will have asked for help with social media over the last few years to varying success, we launched V Media last year to support you by matching a student to your organisation to work with you on your social feeds. It had some teething problems, but we now have identified a more sustainable model and we will provide more training and support for the students and yourselves. This project will likely restart start of November. Let us know if you would be interested. Trustee Diversity. As part of a working group with 3SG we have been looking at the diversification of trustee boards in BANES. We are launching a trustee entry programme. This would involve us recruiting and training a handful of students in what it means to be a trustee and some essential skills a trustee may need. We are then hoping to place them in local charities for a one year trustee post, then repeating the cycle so that every year you have a new trustee as one steps down. Let Joshua know if you would be interested in getting a trustee through this project and if you would be interested in supporting the training. Email Joshua 6. Staff Updates Bryony will be returning from Maternity leave early October which will see us say goodbye to Katherine who has been covering here maternity cover. We also have Beckie joining our team as our part time volunteer coordinator, working alongside Joshua. She will be working 3 days a week for 40 weeks of the year.

Last week we finally got to meet the 'I Can & I Am' team along with their amazing double-decker bus, which was visiting Hayesfield Girls' School. ⁠ The team have been inspiring young people across many local schools through making pizza on board the bus, wellbeing workshops and providing tips for inflating balloons of self-belief! ⁠ If you're an organisation or community group that works with young people and would like a free visit from the I Can & I Am bus, then please get in touch with Rebecca at rebecca@icanandiam.com ⁠ ⁠ Find out more about this amazing charity by heading to their website: www.icanandiam.com You can also read and follow their blog here. We've put below their latest blog, written by James Shone who founded the charity after 16 years of teaching and then being diagnosed with a brain tumour. This led to him losing the majority of his sight which you'll read more about below... Our attitude is our choice: I am so struck by this reality as we journey towards the end of the pandemic. It seems to me that many people carry a determined bleakness whilst others carry a similarly determined attitude of positivity. This has been very much a lesson that has been ‘punched’ in to me in the past. I am going to repeat a story that I shared a number of years ago. It was at an annual MRI scan, a few years after my surgery, when I received a dig in the ribs from my wife because she had seen that my surgeon was in the MRI reception area – I braced myself. He came up to me, and despite it being 4 or 5 years since he’d operated on me, he seemed to remember not only who I was but what I was hoping to do. When he asked me if I had taken the job as a headmaster, I said no, and fell in to the posture of ‘poor old me’. This is one of the most lethal mental attitudes for us as human beings. He quickly followed up by telling me how close I was to being deemed inoperable because I had so much tumour wrapped around my brain stem. He said that to see me being able to walk and talk was a MIRACLE. The killer line was telling me that we must always dwell on what we do have and can do rather than lamenting and dwelling in the space of I can’t and I don’t have. This powerful message still remains with me. I think the title of this blog is so true – if we can teach our children to be thankful for what they do have and can do it will go a long way towards clearing up many of the challenges of mental ill-health.

The Art Cohort is delighted to announce that they have been awarded funding by The West of England Combined Authority (WECA) for a programme called CREATING TOGETHER. They are very excited to say that this funding enables them to run 6 weeks of workshops run by 3 local artists starting in October 2021. The Covid-19 pandemic has been a challenging and unpredictable time. For many, this time has been particularly isolating and lonely. The Creating Together Workshops aim to provide a space for individuals who have experienced isolation due to the pandemic to reconnect within their local community through art-making. They aim to explore creative strategies to maintain mental health through supportive, imaginative and exploratory art activities. Promoting the possibilities of art-making as life affirming, confidence building and connecting us back together. Offering creative classes with local artists every week for 6 consecutive weeks intends to promote playful fun and finding freedom in art making for those who have experienced the loss of human contact. If you are someone who has been affected by isolation and loneliness during the pandemic and want to engage in your local community and get creative, please get in contact with The Art Cohort using the details below: Tel - 01225 635017 Email - theartcohort@gmail.com Social Media - The Art Cohort In person - The Art Cohort, 13 Chelsea Road, Bath, BA1 3DU

Your Park Bristol and Bath are inviting members of the community to come together to transform Brickfields Park into a wilder and more nature-rich environment. The charity will be leading activities to enhance the park through wildflower meadow creation, tree and shrub planting, spring bulb planting and more. All the activities will create new habitats in this urban park, supporting more pollinators and invertebrates who will in turn feed birds, bats, and small mammals like hedgehogs. We want to work with specific groups to develop tailored sessions to support them to use the park for the benefit of their health and wellbeing. We are starting with digging, planting, and sowing wildflower plants and seeds to enhance the park's habitats for nature. It is the prime time to prepare the ground and plant to create a stunning wildflower meadow next year. Please join us on for a drop - in session on: Thursday 9th September between 10-12 or 2-4 Sunday 12th September between 10-12 Our brilliant Park Activator, Mali, will be hand with all the tools and information you need to get involved. Ann Birtwistle Project Outreach Officer – Brickfields Park Email: ann@yourpark.org.uk Mobile No: 07840259183

The following news story has been taken from the gov.uk website here and was published on the 1st September 2021. A significant cross-government effort is under way, dubbed ‘Operation Warm Welcome’, to ensure Afghans arriving in the UK receive the vital support they need to rebuild their lives, find work, pursue education and integrate into their local communities. As part of the New Plan for Immigration, the government announced that those coming to the UK through resettlement routes would receive immediate indefinite leave to remain, and today (September 1) the Home Secretary has announced that this will apply to Afghans who worked closely with the British military and UK government in Afghanistan, and risked their lives in doing so, meaning they can now stay in the UK without any time restrictions. People already relocated to the UK under the Afghanistan Relocations and Assistance Policy (ARAP) will be able to apply free of charge to convert their temporary leave into indefinite leave. This will give Afghans the certainty and stability to rebuild their lives with unrestricted rights to work and the option to apply for British citizenship in the future. To give children and young adults the best start in life the government is making at least £12 million available to prioritise additional school places so children can be enrolled as soon as possible, and to provide school transport, specialist teachers and English language support to assist with learning. Further funding will be provided for up to 300 undergraduate and postgraduate scholarships for Afghans at UK universities and adults will also be able to access English language courses free of charge. While many will speak English through their work with the UK government and British forces, and as translators, language classes will ensure all their family members can fully integrate into their local communities. Families who need support navigating the system will also have access to liaison officers who can work with local authorities to help them get set up with a GP, National Insurance number, school place, accommodation and more tailored support, as required. Prime Minister Boris Johnson said: We owe an immense debt to those who worked with the armed forces in Afghanistan and I am determined that we give them and their families the support they need to rebuild their lives here in the UK. I know this will be an incredibly daunting time, but I hope they will take heart from the wave of support and generosity already expressed by the British public. The support for Afghan arrivals follows the largest and most complex evacuation in living memory. It includes the following: £3 million of additional NHS funding so that Afghans arriving under the Afghanistan Relocations and Assistance Policy (ARAP) scheme can access healthcare and register with a GP once they leave quarantine all are being offered the COVID-19 vaccine and so far more than 700 arrivals under the ARAP scheme have left quarantine and received their first vaccination, with more leaving and receiving a jab each day £5 million funding for councils in England, Wales and Scotland to support Afghans coming to the UK via the ARAP scheme and provide a top-up to help meet the costs of renting properties the government is already working with more than 100 councils across the UK to meet the demand for housing, with over 2,000 places already confirmed the Communities Secretary will convene a roundtable with council leaders from across the country in the coming days to harness the generosity of the British public and make sure those who want to help know where to turn, we will launch an online portal to allow people to submit offers of support for people arriving from Afghanistan this portal is already available to submit offers of housing and work is now under way to expand this to further offers, such as job opportunities, professional skills training, or donations of items like clothes or toys £200 million has been committed to meet the cost of the first year of the Afghanistan Citizens’ Resettlement Scheme, which aims to welcome up to 20,000 Afghans Home Secretary Priti Patel said: We owe a great deal to the brave Afghans who worked alongside us and we want to make sure they have certainty and stability to be able to thrive in the UK. As part of the New Plan for Immigration, I committed to providing refugees who make their home here the ability to rebuild their lives in the UK with essential support to integrate into the community, learn English, and become self-sufficient. By providing immediate indefinite leave to remain we are ensuring that those who have fled their homes have every opportunity to look to the future with stability and security and make a success of their new life in the UK. Afghan Resettlement Minister Victoria Atkins said: Operation Warm Welcome is a huge effort across government to make sure that those fleeing Afghanistan are able to make a success of a new life in the UK. The stability of indefinite leave, the security of access to healthcare and the opportunity of education are the foundation upon which those resettled to the UK can build. Health and Social Care Secretary Sajid Javid said: This support package will help Afghan evacuees start a new life in the UK and I’m proud we are providing £3 million to ensure they receive the healthcare they need. This includes access to prescriptions, wound care and dressings, maternity care, mental health support, and screening for infectious diseases. We will also offer the protection of a COVID-19 vaccination as they settle and rebuild."

As a result of recently secured Healthwatch BANES Community Pot funding, St Mungo’s and KS2 are working collaboratively with local services to carry out a ‘What’s going on’ project. The key principles of the mental health-focused project are ‘empowering, listening and influencing’ and the project is already well underway. Empowering - FREE new ‘Hope Guide - Autumn 2021 edition’ out now St Mungo’s have released a new printed ‘Hope Guide - Autumn 2021’ edition. The guide contains a variety of signposting information, aimed at empowering local residents by being better informed about local mental health and wellbeing opportunities, groups and services. The guide also provides information on managing post-lockdown anxiety, first response community support, as well as local and national helplines. The guide is aimed at adults who are socially isolated, or may be affected by mental health issues, substance misuse or homelessness. It’s also a great signposting resource for professionals. "The Hope Guide is an invaluable, useful and great little booklet, crammed full of vital mental health and wellbeing activity. It is wonderful to see the wealth of activity offered to people locally to help them manage their wellbeing. Having a hard copy resource like this is essential for many clients who struggle to access online activity, and we know that people love getting a hard copy in their hands. I know that all of our services, volunteers, peer volunteers, staff and partners refer to it often and sing its praises”, Bath Mind. “When I first came across the Hope Guide, I was surprised and amazed at just how much mental health and wellbeing support and guidance we had in BANES. The Hope Guide is an absolute goldmine of information with something for everyone. In AWP, staff use the guide daily as a valuable resource for social prescribing, and also to give or send to service users or carers. We would be absolutely lost without it and are always grateful when the new version arrives”, BANES Local Involvement Co-ordinator, Avon & Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership (AWP) NHS Trust. Copies of the Hope Guide are available from Bath Central Library, Keynsham Library and Midsomer Norton library. If you live outside of Bath, you can also call the Village Agents on 01275 333 700 (leave your name and number and someone will call you back) to obtain a copy. The virtual version is available on St Mungo’s Bridges to Wellbeing website www.bridges2wellbeing.co.uk/hope-guide. Listening - Survey and focus groups Within the Hope Guide is an opportunity for local residents to have a say about what’s important to them; sharing their experiences of adult mental health and wellbeing services via a survey. “We’d really like to hear from a range of local voices; especially individuals from seldom heard groups (i.e. homeless, LGBTQ+, boater communities, and ethnic minority groups), as well as those living in the more isolated rural areas of BANES”. Carolyn Trippick, Hope Guide Project Lead. For those with access to the internet, the survey can also be completed online via the Hope Guide website link above. In addition, St Mungo’s will also be hosting a series of online focus groups, to listen to the mental health and wellbeing needs and experiences, direct from those that use services, including carers. These open access focus groups will take place via Zoom on Tues 21st Sept, 6-7pm and Thurs 4th Nov, 10-11am. The outcomes of the survey and focus groups will be shared with local mental health services and commissioning groups. To show your interest and/or sign up to a focus group please e-mail Carolyn.Trippick@Mungos.org. Influencing - ‘What’s Going On’ event Wed 17th Nov 2021, 6-9pm at The Salvation Army, Bath St Mungo’s and KS2 will be hosting a public event to enable providers of mental health services in BANES to discuss feedback with people affected by mental health issues and how service delivery is and can be developed to address local needs. This will be the fourth time they have run a What’s Going On event. On average 100 people with lived experience attend as do the directors of all BANES mental health services. Register online with www.eventbrite.co.uk (search ‘what’s going on event’), or call Paul on 07522 945 518 to book your place. “We are hopeful that by developing the Hope Guide, coupled with the opportunity to influence service provision, it can help reduce some of the local mental health effects of the Covid-19 pandemic”, Carolyn Trippick, Hope Guide Project Lead. Hyperlinks ‘Experiences of adult mental health and wellbeing services within BANES’ survey - complete survey here Hope Guide (virtual version) https://www.bridges2wellbeing.co.uk/hope-guide ‘What’s Going On?’ event - Register online with Eventbrite here or call Paul on 07522 945 518 (Tues or Wed am) to book your place St Mungo's 'Building Bridges to Wellbeing' team works innovatively and creatively with people who have a lived experience of mental health challenges, volunteers and other agencies to empower, inspire and promote independence and wellbeing. We support mental health and wellbeing pathways which enable the positive progression of clients and volunteers. Carolyn Trippick, Hope Guide Project Lead E-mail: Carolyn.Trippick@Mungos.org

Room 627 is a project created to help young people navigate the changes of moving from year 6 to year 7 with kindness, compassion and creativity. It has been funded by the #iwill fund, and it is being run by Bath Mind, The Dept of Kindness and a creative group of young people from Oldfield School. Together we have created a space where young people can explore different activities, share ideas and get creative to build confidence in the changes created by ‘moving up’. Find out more about everyone involved in the project here. Find out more about their plans for the project here. Get started with their welcome video… This animation was produced by the Oldfield School Wellbeing Ambassadors in just 2 sessions, or 3 hours – quite an achievement! It was facilitated and produced by the wonderful Angela Frankham of The Animation Workshop, who was a joy and pleasure to work with and who took everything (including space issues, time constraints and covid) completely in her stride! She is highly recommended.

A new community grants programme has been launched in Bath and North East Somerset, Swindon and Wiltshire to invest in schemes to support groups and communities that have been affected by Covid-19. Since March 2020, over £140m has been donated to the NHS Charities Together (NHSCT) Covid-19 Appeal, including the funds raised by Captain Sir Tom Moore. NHSCT has developed these donations into a grant scheme aimed at supporting community partnerships with over £400,000 allocated to BSW. Locally, the national charity has delegated responsibility for managing the funding to The Forever Friends Appeal, the charity of Royal United Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust in Bath. The Forever Friends Appeal will lead the programme with help from other local NHS charities, including Brighter Futures at Great Western Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Stars Appeal at Salisbury District Hospital and Headlight at Avon and Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust. Grant allocations will be made up of smaller grants up to £10,000 (£5,000k a year for two years) and larger grants capped at £40,000 (£20,000 a year for two years). Grant applications above £40,000 may be considered if the proposed scheme demonstrates a number of organisations working in partnership. Projects will need to be related to Covid-19, involve working in partnership with NHS organisations, and prioritise the most vulnerable and marginalised groups which have been impacted by the virus, with a key focus on deprivation, ethnicity, and mental health. Rhyannon Boyd, Head of Fundraising, The Forever Friends Appeal, said: “Covid-19 has shone a harsh light on some of the wider health inequalities that persist in our society. “It has become increasingly clear that the pandemic has had a disproportionate impact on many who already face disadvantage and discrimination. “With just over £400,000 made available to our local area, we’re so excited to be working in collaboration with our surrounding hospitals, and NHS Charities Together to launch this funding opportunity. “We’re looking forward to building upon our relationships with local community organisations and helping to support our local hospitals.” Tracey Cox, Chief Executive, BSW Partnership, said: “Throughout the pandemic we saw how the voluntary, community and social enterprise sector played a critical role in reaching our more marginalised communities and understanding and responding to their needs to avoid crisis. “This new funding opens doors for more fantastic work that supports our most vulnerable people affected by Covid-19 and helps ease pressures on the local NHS.” Applications can be received up until the 20 September 2021, and will be reviewed independently by the BSW Partnership, which brings together many of the organisations providing local health and care services including our acute hospitals, local councils and community providers. Decisions on which applications are successful and the allocation of funds will be confirmed by November 2021. For further information, or to apply for funding, visit the Forever Friends Appeal website: www.foreverfriendsappeal.co.uk/community-partnerships-funding.

Stay creative, connected, learn new skills and be inspired by the world around you. Join Creativity Works on a taster session, start a new creative wellbeing course or join a creative peer-led group. They look forward to meeting you online or face to face in friendly, fun and sociable sessions. Free for B&NES residents. All places need to be booked in advance. See contact details below. Overview of Creative Wellbeing Projects: Creative Sketchbooks - taster session 17th August 1.15pm – 3pm outdoor session with Karen George and the Get Creative group at Alexandra Park, Bath Explore mark making and textures inspired by natural forms. Bring pencils, pens, paper To book a place contact: karen@creativityworks.org.uk Phone: 07517 110612 or Sign up and book through this online Survey link: https://conta.cc/3Ac1Za4 Two Mindful Walks: Keynsham High Street Explorations Project: 24th August with Adrian Wyatt Morning session: 10am – 12 noon - Meet at Temple Canteen, High Street, Keynsham. To confirm your Free place on the morning Mindful Photography event please book through this online Survey link: https://conta.cc/3f3LlRC Afternoon session: 1pm – 3pm – Meet at Temple Canteen, High Street, Keynsham. This is for those less mobile and will take in two close locations. To confirm your Free place on the afternoon Mindful Photography short walk event please book through this online Survey link: https://conta.cc/3BP2vMO Creative Sketchbooks – 4-week course with Karen George and the Get Creative group Tuesdays from 1:30 to 3pm 21st, 28th September, 5th and 12th October, The Hub, Foxhill and livestreamed online for those that can’t make face to face. Explore patterns in nature using a range of different materials and techniques. To book contact: karen@creativityworks.org.uk Phone: 07517 110612 or Sign up and book through this online Survey link: https://conta.cc/3jk6I2I Wellbeing Wanderers – Snap and Stroll - 6-week course Wednesdays 2 – 4pm starting 29th September, Creativity Works in partnership with Bath Preservation Trust Come and explore Beckford’s Landscape and find out more about Beckford’s Tower. Bring your phone or camera to create images of the landscape. Wear outdoor clothing. Contact Jaq: jaq@creativityworks.org.uk 07912 880056 Sign up and book through this online Survey link: https://conta.cc/3ChwZHq Writing For Wellbeing – 4-week online course – Mondays 2 – 4pm Taster 4th October 4-week course: 18th, 25th Oct, 1st, 8th Nov Contact karen@creativityworks.org.uk Phone: 07517 110612 Sign up and book through this online Survey link: https://conta.cc/3lvo7YJ Creative Peer-led Groups Run by members for the members and usually meet weekly Writing Space – Tuesdays 2pm - 3.30pm This friendly group meet indoors in central Bath and online via zoom on alternate weeks. For people of all writing skills. This is a sociable group who enjoy fun sessions to develop and share ideas. Each session is led with many suggestions to inspire you. You can receive the Writing Space newsletter if you can’t make the sessions. Contact Karen: karen@creativityworks.org.uk Phone: 07517 110612 Sign up and book through this online Survey link: https://conta.cc/3xzqQTD Get Creative art group - Tuesdays 1.30pm – 3pm Meeting at The Hub, Foxhill, Bath, and meet us online if you cannot make it to the venue. We explore different art techniques, develop new skills and plan sessions together. Facilitated by Creativity Works volunteers and occasional visiting artists. Booking essential: Contact Karen: karen@creativityworks.org.uk Phone: 07517 110612 Sign up and book through this online survey link: https://conta.cc/2WMdUwG Keynsham Snap & Stroll – 10am to 12 noon 2nd and 4th Tuesday of the month No experience necessary or fancy camera required! Bring camera or phone, appropriate clothing for weather and an open mind, meet new people and enjoy snapping and strolling A local wellbeing photography group explore in and around Keynsham and further afield. This friendly group offers opportunities to discover new ways of seeing. Meet at Keynsham Memorial Park. Supported by Bath Mind Contact Becky 07538 113 890 Sign up and book through this online Survey link: https://conta.cc/3u7PtW1 Keynsham Snap & Stay - 10am – 12 noon 1st and 3rd Tuesday of the month Meet at One Community Trust staying in one locality – suitable for anyone less able to walk. Sign up and book through this online Survey link: https://conta.cc/3iWLQ17 Contact Creativity Works karen@creativityworks.org.uk or Supported by Bath Mind contact Becky 07538 113890 Happy Snappers - Thursday mornings 11am to 1pm. A small gathering of people enjoying a gentle walk, exploring various interesting spots in and around Bath. No experience necessary or fancy camera required! An upbeat and laid-back supportive group. Meet at St. Andrews Church, Foxhill. Supported by Bath Mind – to book contact Becky 07538 113 890 Book in advance essential: Contact Karen karen@creativityworks.org.uk 07517 110612 or Philippa 07715 382 877philippa@creativityworks.org.uk or for enquiries via AWP services Jaq: jaq@creativityworks.org.uk Phone: 07921 880056 or Becky at Bath Mind 07538 113890 You can view Creativity Work's activities and events calendar here

As part of the NHS Covid-19 asymptomatic testing programme, Bath & North East Somerset Council is operating a Covid-19 rapid testing van that will travel to various locations in B&NES from Monday 9th August for seven weeks. The van will offer supervised lateral flow testing for those without symptoms and give out free home self-test kits. Overview Rapid lateral flow tests are for people who do not have symptoms of coronavirus (COVID-19). Around one in three people with coronavirus do not have symptoms and can spread the virus without knowing it. Getting tested is the only way to know if you have the virus. We’re using a testing van to help our residents access lateral flow tests, particularly out in our rural areas. People can take a test at the van and pick up free test kits for themselves and their household. The aims of the van are to increase confidence in and uptake of regular lateral flow testing, and we will be offering both testing and collection of lateral flow tests. The van will operate as a drop-in service so people won’t have to book, they can just turn up and either pick up test kits, have a supervised test or simply come along and ask us about testing, vaccination, or other COVID-19 questions. The council are working with Richmond Event Management (REM) to deliver this service to B&NES residents. REM also run our Burton Street rapid test site in Bath. Locations & Timings The locations will be published here and you can view the latest schedule below. Please email public_health@bathnes.gov.uk if you would like weekly emails of the van timetable for the week ahead. The van will visit from 9:00am-5:00pm seven days a week from Monday 9 August to the end of September. The wider community testing programme offer Our three static sites (Ashton Way car park, Keynsham, South Road car park, Midsomer Norton and Burton Street, Bath) remain a valuable resource to assist the public with lateral flow tests and to give out free home test kits and are all in place until 6 August. The focus of the programme changes when our static sites in Keynsham and Midsomer Norton close, to be replaced by the mobile van with an outreach team, aimed at reaching out to those communities that are under-represented in testing and those that have been disproportionately impacted by COVID-19. Our site at Burton Street in Bath remains very popular and will continue to be in place for tests and for home test kit collection until the end of September. The number of people using this great facility is increasing and more positive cases are being identified as a result. If you or someone you know, needs any assistance in doing a test, then please come to any of our sites for help. Free home self-test kits are also available from any local pharmacy in B&NES. Check your nearest pick up point here. You can also order rapid tests online, or call 119, for delivery to your home. Lines are open 7am to 11pm and calls are free. Test kits are also available at the following locations: Timsbury Library Radstock Library Bishop Sutton library Love Weston Library Midsomer Norton Library and Information Centre Keynsham Library and Information Centre Bath One Stop Shop (Lewis house, Manvers Street) We’re also working with a number of local trusted organisations to ensure vulnerable groups have access to lateral flow testing via their local service providers How are we letting people know about the van? We are writing to district councillors, parish councillors and key community organisations and asking them to communicate directly with residents and service users. We will provide them with posters, social media assets, and useful information. Communications will go out regularly to let you know when the van will be in your area. We will also send out more general widespread communications via our own social media channels, website and e-connect newsletter. Date Time Location 18th Aug All day Beacon Hall, Peasedown St John 19th Aug 9am - 11am Bath City Farm, Bath 12pm – 3pm Pennyquick Park, Bath 3.30pm – 5pm Twerton High Street (near the zebra crossing) 20th Aug AM Mulberry Way, Combe Down, Bath PM Sladebrook Church, Englishcombe Lane, Bath 21st Aug All day Morrison's, London Rd, Bath 22nd Aug All day Royal Victoria Park, Bath 23rd Aug All day Sladebrook Church, Englishcombe Lane, Bath 24th Aug AM Radstock Working Men’s Club PM Paulton Village Hall 25th Aug All day Twerton High Street 26th Aug 9am – 12pm Lidl, Lower Bristol Road, Bath 12pm – 5pm Entry Hill, Bath 27th Aug All day Morrison’s, London Road, Bath 28th Aug All day South Road Car Park, Midsomer Norton 29th Aug All day Guildhall Car Park, Bath Any questions? Please contact Louise Lees at public_health@bathnes.gov.uk

Tesco Bags of Help has responded to the current COVID-19 crisis by setting up a new fund to support local communities. In order respond quickly to the emergency they have created a streamlined application and payment process to make it easier to get funds out quickly. The programme will provide a single payment award of £500 to organisations who are supporting vulnerable groups, as part of their emergency response in supporting local communities. Please note that the last day they will accept applications to this fund is Friday 18th September 2020. Click here for more information.

Citizens Advice Bath & North East Somerset recently released an article discussing how deeply Bath’s residents were involved in slavery. To read the full article visit here, a short extract from the article can be found below. Monday, 23 August, was International Day of Remembrance of the Slave Trade and its Abolition. One of our team walked around some of Bath’s buildings with links to the Slave Trade. Our Business Development and Marketing Manager, Douglas Eason, did the walk in his capacity as a member of the local council’s Race Panel, which seeks to tackle some of the region’s issues around race and discrimination. You can find out more about your rights regarding discrimination on our national website by clicking here. If you’d like to talk to an adviser about discrimination or any other issues, you can do so Monday – Friday from 9.30am to 2.30pm by freephoning 0808 278 7897 Read Full Article

The BANES, Swindon and Wiltshire Research Hub are keen on widening the diversity of their patient and public group PARTICIPATE. This group helps to shape research applications submitted to external funders. In order to do this they have put a call out to the local community and would appreciate your support, please read their message below: We are looking for diversity in our patient and public group PARTICIPATE BSW Research Hub support all aspects of applied health research within the University of Bath and local primary and community care. We have created a Participate Network, for members of the public with an interest in health research and a willingness to share their experiences and views. Members of the network are involved in a number of ways such as: being part of a research panel, which involves giving views on research ideas and plans. An example of this is researching better ways to help manage asthma or various other projects on diet and wellbeing. We would really like to hear your views on our projects and shape them according to your experiences and the experience of others in your group. being a research partner, which involves helping researchers with planning and designing research and disseminating results. We support studies that are recruiting in the local area, however these are not restricted to primary care studies as we also support secondary care, mental health, social care and local authority studies. We wish to expand our reach within the community to increase the diversity of members and encourage new people to join our PARTICIPATE network. We would like to engage with local groups and interested societies in BANES, Swindon and Wiltshire. Please get in touch if you know of any groups or individuals that would be interested. Samantha Barrett - sw872@bath.ac.uk

Vodafone has launched charities.connected, an initiative allowing UK charities to apply for free data. The aim is to help individuals and families supported by charities, as well as enable organisations to improve their own digital capacity. Almost half of charities (45%) have had to give their users devices, data or support to enable them to get online and 20% said they had to cancel services because they did not have the skills or technology needed to deliver them, according to the 2021 Charity Digital Skills report. Click here for full details.

Avon Fire & Rescue Service have developed online fire safety training for practitioners which can be accessed for FREE! The training aims to help practitioners understand the risk and dangers of fire for those most vulnerable. It covers topics including; cooking practices, hoarding, candles and smoking safety, electrical safety and, importantly, how to make a referral into AF&RS to request a Home Fire Safety Visit. The training is free and will run over Teams for 1 hr 15 minutes. Sessions can be booked from AF&RS website (using Eventbrite) Book Now: https://avonfire.gov.uk/our-services/fire-safety-practitioner-training-sessions In 2019/20 there were over 250 fire fatalities in the UK. Avon Fire & Rescue Service (AF&RS) aim to prevent this by working with local agencies who engage with vulnerable members of the community.

Our partners at Clearly PR have kindly offered their meeting room space for charities and social enterprises for free, with complimentary tea & coffee available too! Based at 1 Saville Row, just behind The Assembly Rooms and the opposite end to Beckford Bottle Shop, Clearly's offices are spread across three floors - one of which has been made available for any Bath-based charity or social enterprise. The main meeting room currently seats 10-12 people, with a large table and TV screen complete with Apple and PC adaptors. The room can be blocked out for a handful of hours or a full day. Complimentary organic and Fairtrade coffee and tea are available, and there is also access to a smaller meeting room should anyone want to hold a break-out session. For all bookings, please email Clearly's Office Manager, Lindsey at lindsey@clearlypr.co.uk They hope to welcome you soon!

Cassia Bath is a new co-working café and events space based on Bath Riverside. They have an adults-only café, a large terrace and a private space for people to hire desks by the day. Any of their spaces can be hired for events and meetings, in a range of different formats, with menus to suit. They offer a discount for charitable groups. Our Trustee Jenny and Coordinator Miles visited the cafe last week and thoroughly enjoyed this new space that is fully set up for remote working. For more information get in touch with them at: events@cassiacommunity.co.uk Visit their website here: https://www.cassiacommunity.co.uk/