Health and Wellbeing News, Events and Opportunities – January 2025
January 7, 2025
Welcome to Cumbria CVS’s Health and Wellbeing News, Events and Opportunities for September ’24. This page will be updated regularly, so we are delighted you have landed here today and hope that you will keep coming back for updates during the month.
To catch up on our News, Events & Opportunities from December 2024, click here
Lots of the News, Events and Opportunities information will also be appearing in our regular Health and Wellbeing Bulletin. This Bulletin is sent out to all current members of our two Networks: Action for Health and the Mental Health Provider Forum. If you have found this page useful why not join either or both Networks by following these links:
News – we will be using this as an opportunity to pick out particularly important/interesting articles from our most recent Bulletin and/or highlighting information that might be time sensitive.
Events – we will be using this as an opportunity to highlight events of interest to organisations interested in health and care issues including Network events. Most of these will be local Cumbria events but some maybe regional.
Opportunities – we will be using this to highlight health and care focused funding and project opportunities, representative roles and working groups you might want to get involved in and much more. These will focus on Cumbria but may also include regional opportunities.
If you’ve seen something you think we should be sharing, let us know! Email us:
Clare Edwards claree@cumbriacvs.org.uk
Holly Ferguson hollyf@cumbriacvs.org.uk
Sarah Penn sarah.penn@cumbriacvs.org.uk
NORTH CUMBRIA NHS area – New funding to support and strengthen collaboration across health and care
The VCSE Partnership Programme has secured a £75k grant from The Assura Community Fund, administered by Cheshire Community Foundation, to strengthen and sustain strategic working relationships between the VCSE sector and health and care partners across the
North East and North Cumbria (NENC) Integrated Care System (ICS).
Monitoring, evaluation, KPIs, outputs and outcomes have always been a bit of a thorny issues in relation to NHS funding/commissioning. This funding from ASSURA will support the delivery of a new project that will focus on the collection and collation of evidence to demonstrate the impact of effective partnership working between the VCSE sector and health system across our region, and the value of VCSE interventions in tackling health inequalities and improving patient outcomes.
As part of the work, the project will co-produce an outcomes framework, and also develop options for changing NHS strategic commissioning processes – with the aim of ensuring ongoing funding and support for VCSE-driven health initiatives.
The VCSE Partnership Programme team will coordinate this work over the next 12 months, involving partners and stakeholders across our regional VCSE sector, ICS, and strategic leads in the NENC ICB. Workshops will be carried out across the region, with reimbursement for participating VCSE organisations in recognition of their time and expertise
You can read more about the project here.
To drive this project forward, we’re seeking a Development Coordinator to join our team. The post holder should be in place by early February 2025
NORTH CUMBRIA NHS area – Catch up with information about the VCSE/third sector stocktake report
At the North East & North Cumbria ICB Board meeting, Dan Jackson, Director of Policy, Involvement, and Stakeholder Affairs presented the VCSE Stocktake Report. This report was created with the involvement from the VCSE Partnership Programme Executive Group and other partner organisations.
The report outlines the ICB’s ambitions to address key areas such as commissioning practices, referral processes, and formalising VCSE involvement in governance and decision-making. It also highlights critical issues raised by the VCSE sector, including advocating for full cost recovery for commissioned services, addressing unfunded referrals, and transitioning to longer-term contracting arrangements.
Lisa Taylor gave this statement from the North East Local Infrastructure Organisations (LIOs) in formal response to the VCSE Stocktake report, which was acknowledged by the Board.
Work is now underway to address the recommendations set out in the report including developing innovative ways of working and sources of funding to support VCSE activity.
COUNTYWIDE – Financial abuse in Cumbria and the North East
Hourglass (Safer Ageing), are proud to have partnered with Burnetts Solicitors as part of their #GiveanHour scheme, providing their helpline to callers in Cumbria and the North East with free, expert legal advice.
Burnett’s are proud to have recently joined forces with national charity Hourglass to support its work to end the economic harm, abuse and exploitation of older people in Cumbria, the North East and across the UK.
The launch of their new partnership coincides with Hourglass’s 2025 Safer Ageing Week, themed ‘Take Note’ which is shedding light on the financial abuse of older people — a hidden epidemic that has led to devastating financial losses. With a rapidly ageing population, the economic abuse of older people is set to worsen. Hourglass is urging communities and professionals to ‘Take Note’ and join the movement against this deeply personal and pervasive form of harm.
To find out more about Hourglass and its free helpline, please click here or for more information on how Burnett’s can help in cases of economic abuse, please click here.
NORTH CUMBRIA NHS area- Help develop third sector feedback and ideas around NHS CHANGE in a regional third sector event 05.02.2025 (online)
Wednesday, 5th February, from 10am – 12pm
There has been a lot of media coverage about the NHS Change consultation, which seeks to shape the next 10-year plan for our healthcare system.
Part of the process for gathering information is a series of local and regional events to gather direct feedback.
This event in FEBRUARY is our opportunity as members of the third sector to help build feedback, ideas and opportunities about CHANGE NHS. The event will be hosted by the NENC VCSE Partnership Programme Team (VONNE).
This event is a key opportunity for third sector organisations across the North East and North Cumbria to share insights, explore the three shifts, and help shape the future of healthcare. We hope you can join the event and share your views and perspectives as part of the consultation.
You can register here for the workshop.
Read more information about the consultation and workshop here
COUNTYWIDE – Mental Health Provider Forum meeting
Wednesday 29th January 2025 10:30-12:30
Online via MS Teams
These events are always an opportunity to meet with other people from third sector organisations who have in interest in all things mental health and mental wellbeing in North Cumbria. The events are also a space to hear about the latest developments in relation to health and care and keep up to date with new initiatives, services and projects as they develop.
Speakers confirmed are:
- COUNTYWIDE – Denise Majer – Chair of MHPF – Mental Health Provider Forum Chair business
- WEST CUMBRIA area – Susan Hogg and Abbey Williamson – Carer Support West Cumbria – Introducing Family and Friends hub
- COUNTYWIDE – Andy Roan – The Well – Update from The well on their latest projects
- COUNTYWIDE – Samantha Joughin – Refunded eating disorder program
To book on click here
NORTH CUMBRIA NHS area – IMPORTANT Changes to the North East & North Cumbria VCSE Mental Health representative role – online event
Wednesday 22.01.2025 12 noon to 12.30pm online presentation from Lisa Taylor Health and Wellbeing Programme Director, VONNE
VCSE Partnership Programme lead NENC ICB VCSE representative
Come and find out about an exciting role that represents the third sector at the key NENC regional Mental Health, Learning Disability and Autism Workstream Group.
Since July 2023 Everyturn asked by the North East and North Cumbria Integrated Care Board (ICB) carried out this representative role at this group.
In addition, Everyturn also supported the role by running the VCSE Mental Health sub-group that sits alongside the role. Initially set up as a temporary arrangement, planned to be in place until April 2024, this was extended to April 2025.
It has now been agreed that in addition to the place held by Everyturn a second VCSE representative role will be democratically recruited to sit on the group.
The role will commence from 1st April 2025, and is open to individuals and organisations who work within mental health who have a track record of operating at strategic level and are able to support the running of the mental health sub-group, as well as committing to the principles of wider sector engagement to inform their contribution to the sub-committee.
If you want to know more about this role, why it’s important to our sector or you are interested in finding out more about the work of the Specialist Mental Health Sub-Group or you are interested in taking on this role come along to the meeting and find out more.
Click here to book onto the event
If you are struggling to understand the role, its significance and just want to know more about our sector and mental health structures in health please email Clare Edwards our Health Partnerships Manager:
CUMBERLAND COUNCIL area – Healthwatch Cumberland Safeguarding survery
Are you a professional whose role involves safeguarding?
Healthwatch is an independent organisation, and their role is to ensure that all voices are heard by gathering people’s experiences of health and social care services. Healthwatch will use this information to influence positive change within the health and social care system.
Healthwatch Cumberland want to know your thoughts about safeguarding in Cumbria and whether it is truly person-centered and informed.
Please take a moment to fill in their survey here.
COUNTYWIDE – Come in out of the cold at your nearest “Warm Spot”
Residents looking for somewhere to warm up and have a hot drink and a chat will be able to choose from many local “warm spots” this winter.
The initiative encourages and supports local organisations to open their doors to people in need of warmth and help, as the cost-of-living crisis and high fuel costs continue to put many people under real strain.
Click here to find the nearest warm spot to you in Westmorland & Furness.
Click here to find a warm spot in Cumberland.
As a minimum, a Warm Spot will offer a warm space, a warm welcome, someone on hand to talk to if you wish, and in most cases, a hot drink (free or at cost). But many are offering a much wider range of facilities, activities, and support
