On 21 September 2022, the Government outlined plans to help cut energy bills for businesses. Full details are available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/government-outlines-plans-to-help-cut-energy-bills-for-businesses

The following information is for organisations and businesses who use alternative fuels for energy such as kerosene.

The Non-Domestic Alternative Fuels Payments Scheme provides a fixed payment of £150 to UK non-domestic consumers who are off the gas grid and use alternative fuels. Most consumers that are eligible for this payment will have already received it automatically as a credit on their electricity bills.

Properties not connected to the electricity grid will not have received £150 automatically and will need to apply through the online portal.

Higher users of heating oil (kerosene), defined as over 10,000 litres per year, will be eligible to apply for an additional payment based on the amount of Kerosene they use. Please note that the additional payments are for Kerosene only and do not cover other fuels such as liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) gas oil or red diesel. Anyone in any doubt about the fuel they are using should contact their supplier.

Who can apply?

This scheme provides support for all UK non-domestic consumers using alternative fuels such as kerosene for energy, that are not on the gas grid. This includes commercial businesses, voluntary sector organisations including charities and community interest companies and public sector organisations such as schools, hospitals and care homes.

How to apply

If you are connected to the electricity grid, the fixed payment of £150 will be paid to you automatically by your electricity supplier. You do not need to make an application.

If you are not connected to the electricity grid, you will need to apply for the £150 fixed payment.

If you use more than 10,000 litres Kerosene per year you may be eligible for the additional payment and you will need to apply and provide evidence to support your claim.

Where possible, all applications should be completed on-line.

Apply now at https://www.gov.uk/guidance/apply-for-energy-bill-support-for-non-domestic-properties

The BBC has announced that it will suspend the license fee as a one-off for the King’s Coronation weekend. The broadcaster said it is in “exceptional circumstances” that a temporary dispensation is granted, with the event needing to be of “national importance”.

The exemption means that events can be organised to screen the coronation for communities in venues such as churches and village halls without needing to purchase a license, although a PRS Licence will still be required. Other examples of community venues include commercial premises such as concert halls, performing arts venues, and cinemas. It also applies to any outdoor venues that have the facilities to screen.

Further details are available here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/usingthebbc/terms/can-i-screen-the-coronation-and-the-coronation-concert/


• Be in celebration of The Coronation
• Take place between 5th and 8th May 2023
• Be organized and run by unpaid volunteers
• Be provided for the local community
• Have a total expected attendance/capacity 300 or fewer
• Not generate a profit
• Be held in premises or a place that does not otherwise require, or currently hold, TheMusicLicence.

Provided that these conditions are our ACRE Network has been advised that “We would not license this event under our discretionary charging policy.” i.e. no license if needed.

If you’re organising a community event to celebrate the King’s Coronation in Berkshire we’d LOVE to hear from you so we can share and promote it on our social media channels. Please send details to gemma.pearce@ccberks.org.uk

UK residents are being advised to make the most of three key sources of support which are available – Credit Unions, other community lenders such as community banks and CDFIs, and free benefits calculators.

As many as 1.08 million people may already be in the hands of illegal lenders, and a fifth of UK adults had less than £100 in savings even before the current financial crisis, with recent data from Fair4All Finance having shown that over 16 million people in the UK are particularly vulnerable to these practices, or are in financially vulnerable circumstances.

Credit Unions and other community finance providers currently help thousands of people in the UK to get credit to cover essential or unexpected expenses. They also support members to put what money they can aside as savings, even whilst borrowing.

An alternative to high street banks, for many years local Credit Unions have assisted households in a range of financial circumstances to afford essential items or cover unexpected expenses, as well as helping them to build their financial resilience.

Fair4All is also urging the public to make sure they are claiming the correct benefits to help with the cost-of-living crisis by using online benefits calculators such as those recommended by the Government.

Credit unions and community finance providers have decades of experience in supporting households to save and borrow. They are experts in lending responsibly, whether that’s to people who are well off or to those in vulnerable circumstances. They are a key sector as we go through a distressing cost-of-living crisis. Lenders such as these, and the benefits calculators available online, could be vital resources as local people try to navigate this difficult time.

Article by Stop Loan Sharks. To read their winter newsletter click here.

Last month we held a Dementia Friendly Community Buildings face-to-face training workshop in Chieveley Village Hall.

We worked with Age UK Berkshire to deliver the training and were pleased to welcome 13 learners to the session. An outcome of the learning event, supported by West Berkshire Council Adult Community Learning, is that there are more Dementia Friends and community buildings in West Berks that are welcoming and friendly to those experiencing dementia.

Five key messages from Dementia Friends, an Alzheimer’s Society initiative, for us all to take away are:

1. Dementia is not a natural part of aging
2. Dementia is caused by diseases of the brain
3. Dementia is not just about losing your memory – it can affect thinking, communicating and doing everyday tasks
4. It’s possible to live well with dementia
5. There’s more to a person than the dementia