Since April 2022 we received funding via West Berkshire Council and Wokingham Borough Council Adult Community Learning teams to provide training that supports community groups and volunteer village hall trustees.

In West Berkshire, our alliance with Volunteer Centre West Berkshire saw a plethora of training opportunities provided throughout West Berks to those that are part of the voluntary sector.

In 2022-23 we provided training to 243 adult learners.

We provided over 40 hours of unique training opportunities.

We partnered with other organisations including Age UK Berkshire, Low Carbon Workspaces and British Red Cross to design and deliver bespoke training courses.

We delivered targeted training to village hall trustees and management committees.

• Level 1 & 2 Hallmark Quality Standards – training on how to protect trustees, volunteers and those hiring the hall, health & safety; maintenance & security; entertainment and licensing.

Hallmark Level 2 for Wokingham Borough buildings – “I wanted to find out what was necessary for our hall to put in place good practices and find out the important aspects for doing this. The workbook will allow me to do this in conjunction with other committee members prior to asking Kate to hopefully visit to evaluate.”

• In May 22 we delivered a face-to-face ‘Digital Savvy’ training and developed new skills in developing their hall’s online presence.
• We delivered training on low-carbon halls with learners developing their knowledge of energy efficiency measures and fossil-free heating systems.
• Environmental Audit Training was delivered with learners going away with a better understanding of how their practices and procedures impact the environment.

Digital Savvy Village Halls Learner’s – “I liked this course because it provided simple, straightforward information which was encouraging. I also really enjoyed networking with real people.” “Another great session and very valuable to help us progress with our on-line presence.”

• In the Autumn of twenty-two we also delivered a comprehensive training workshop to help halls reduce their energy consumption through behavioral changes and improvement to their halls.
• To coincide with Village Halls Week, we ran an online seminar looking at a variety of funding opportunities for community buildings.  Learners were provided with advice and guidance on raising funds for hall developments from a range of funders including the Platinum Jubilee Village Halls fund.
• In February 23 we met with learners in Chieveley to learn from Age UK Berkshire about small changes we can make to village halls to make them more welcoming and safer places for those with dementia.
• Social Media for Your Community Building webinar was delivered in March 23 where we walked learners through a variety of social media platforms and free-to-use tools to help them engage with their communities and promote facilities and events.

Environmental Audit & Policy Webinar Learner – “This session gave us a focus point to ensure the efficient running of the facilities, it can be linked to hiring agreements therefore raising awareness with users of the building.  Provides a building block to making positive changes.”

Other training workshops we delivered included;

Two online Reducing Energy & Water Bills workshops that supported volunteers and practitioners working with people at risk of or in fuel poverty. Through this delivery, 79 learners developed new skills and a great understanding of how to advise and support the clients they work with to save money on their bills in a variety of ways.

“The content was very informative and very professionally presented. I will request that we include some leaflets in our food parcels offering advice on energy and water payments. Also will find out more about the electric blankets from OVO.”

“All 8 of my team that attended were inspired and feel a lot more confident to support our clients – thank you.”

“The advice I can pass on to my families as well as friends. I will be getting my children to spend at least a minute less in the shower!”

“Interaction was encouraged through the use of polls, breakout rooms, and opportunities to ask questions.”

We were able to deliver an online First Aid course that focused on what to do in emergency situations and being brave enough not just to be a spectator and step up and help. This course was targeted at those living in more rural communities where emergency services may take longer to reach.

Learners attending our webinar with Collaborative Housing developed a new appreciation for the breadth of community-led housing models in existence. One learner commented: “It really exposed all of the different options for low-cost housing and the challenges. I need to reflect on what I’ve heard and then engage wider within the parish (parish council and NDP steering group). I was surprised that it wasn’t better attended as it must be a key subject for most villages in West Berkshire.”

.