Our charity has run an oil club for over 10 years now to offer support to those homes in Berkshire that have to heat their homes by oil and do not have a local club to join.

This project has always fit well with our commitment to support rural communities.

The cost of heating buildings to a satisfactory standard is becoming more and more expensive. You only have to watch, listen or read the news to realise how we will ALL be paying more for our energy this winter. In rural areas, there are many off-gas communities. These are leaving residents with more expensive choices for heating fuel – such as oil.

We want to help rural communities cut the cost of heating where they can. The CCB Oil Club can cut the cost of heating to rural communities and it has other benefits. For more information about our club please click here.

Our club administrator, Marion suggests that those that can still try to fill their tanks as soon as possible, even with the high prices;

“This year has been marked by some of the highest fuel prices ever seen and heating oil has been affected like all others.  Buying heating oil when demand is greatest (ie during the coldest months) historically meant paying more so it is always good advice to fill up through the summer and early autumn when suppliers are quieter.  This summer has also seen a slight reduction in the price of crude oil which has, thankfully, seen heating oil prices dropping from the February/March peak.”

Marion Lathar, OFPS

Please find below some other summer top tips for those heating their homes by oil * (source: CPS Fuels)

Fill up your tank in the summer
Leaving tanks partly full in hot weather may see the pocket of air left will form condensation which can damage the internal casing of your tank. The condensed water can oxidise and then rust the casing.

Another issue with a partially empty tank is that bacteria will form on the top of the water and when this bacteria dies, it falls to the bottom of the tank. This creates a buildup of sludgy sediment, potentially leading to a system breakdown.

Secure your tank
Heating oil tanks and the fuel oil itself are expensive and, unfortunately, they are vulnerable to fuel theft. Therefore, it’s a good idea to secure and protect your tank using a variety of security solutions, for example, tank locks, security alarms and lights. If you have a large domestic tank, you could also consider installing a CCTV system.

Regularly inspect your tank
It’s good practice to ensure your heating oil tank is in good condition throughout the entire year, and whilst it’s not in use during the summer, this offers up the perfect opportunity to give it the once over. In fact, you should carry out an inspection every few weeks throughout the summer. You should visually inspect the whole tank for any visible damage and keep your eyes open for leaks and spills. Also, make sure the pipe fittings are secure and not leaking oil.

Get your tank serviced
As you won’t be using your heating oil tank during the summer, this is a good time to call your local heating oil expert to carry out a scheduled maintenance check. Firstly, they’re more likely to be available at a time that suits you, as there is less demand for engineers during the warmer months. Secondly, it will ensure that your home heating system is in tip-top condition for the winter.

This infographic from Citizens Advice also contains some useful advice for those rural households that are off gas in Berkshire:

Through our Family Fuel and Water Poverty project, we can see firsthand just how low-income families across Berkshire are facing difficult decisions this autumn and winter.

The news out there is bleak with @The Times recently reporting that all households face the biggest income squeeze in generations as average energy bills edge towards £500 a month. The chart below indicates how some of us are going to be paying triple the price on our energy bills over the course of the year

Month	Monthly bill based on medium use	Share of disposable income
Feb 2022	£136	5 %
March 2022	£126	5 %
April 2022	£133	5 %
May 2022	£110	4 %
June 2022	£110	4 %
July 2022	£110	4 %
August 2022	£128	5 %
Sept 2022	£136	5 %
Oct 2022	£202	8 %
Nov 2022	£403	15 %
Dec 2022	£419	16 %
Jan 2023	£515	20 %

There are a few actions we can all take to delay those energy bills shooting up so fast, even delaying turning on the heating for a couple of weeks could save us £5 a day, depending on the property type. Other actions we can take include;

• Checking your thermostats are not set too high, and if they’re on a timer, check that they go on when necessary.
• Move furniture away from radiators as this stops hot air circulating and can cause energy efficiency.
• Turn off radiators in rooms that you do not use
• Shut doors and close curtains in the evening to help trap in warm air.
• Put a reminder in your diary to submit a meter reading on September 20th – the day before the price cap increases. By doing this your supplier will know exactly how much you have used on the lower rate

What help is there?

Every household will get a £400 energy rebate spread over six months from October and automatically deducted from your energy bill. The £400 discount, administered by energy suppliers, will be paid to consumers over 6 months with payments starting from October 2022, to ensure households receive financial support throughout the winter months.

A useful image is taken from the BBC to illustrate how to access it can be viewed above.

Households that get means-tested benefits have started receiving the first of two payments totaling £650 to help with the cost of living crisis. Households where one person claims disability benefit get another £150. Pensioner households will get an extra £300, paid with their annual winter fuel payments

More details of how the scheme will run can be found here – https://www.gov.uk/government/news/400-energy-bills-discount-to-support-households-this-winter

Are you a practitioner or volunteer working with low-income households?

If yes you may be interested in a FREE webinar we are running this autumn offering training, information and advice on Energy & Water Bills. For more details please click here.

Support us and our work

If you would like to support this project consider making a £20 individual donation and become a member of our charitable organisation. Full details of membership can be found here: https://ccberks.org.uk/ccb-membership/

The Bringing People Together Fund
The Bringing People Together Fund from The National Lottery Community Fund support projects that will build stronger connections across communities, and improve the infrastructure and conditions that are needed to strengthen these connections.
We’re interested in projects that:
• deliver across at least two UK countries (England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales) – you can work in a network or partnership
• are bold and experimental responses to bringing people together using new approaches, or a new combination of approaches
• can demonstrate clear positive impacts for communities, including those communities most in need of support
• have a clear focus on equality, diversity and inclusion
• can demonstrate they can learn and adapt as they go.
Up to a maximum of £1 million for up to five years. We expect most of the funding will go to projects that request between £200,000 and £500,000. There will be a smaller number of awards for projects above £500,000. Read more

PRS Foundation’s Open Fund for Music Organisations
Grants up to £10,000 available for not-for-profit organisations based in the UK to support new music projects led by promoters, large performance groups, talent development organisations, venues, festivals and curators.
Priority will be given to projects that fit with all three of the Foundation’s funding priorities:
• To support the creation and performance of outstanding new music in any genre.
• To enable the UK’s most talented music creators to realise their potential.
• To inspire audiences at a local, regional, national and international level.
Deadline for applications is 6pm on 14 September 2022
Read more

HOME Slough Commission

Home Slough Commissioning £15k Of Art Projects for local Slough communities

HOME Slough is looking to commission individuals, groups and organisations in Slough to create new arts and cultural activities. It’s new On You Doorstep programme supports the delivery of arts and cultural events in local neighbourhoods, bringing communities together to enjoy new arts and cultural experiences. Those applying can get between £500 and £1,000 to fund an arts event or activity. The overall pot is £15,000, and On Your Doorstep will continue until all the money is distributed.

HOME Slough is keen to commission work for local communities in local settings that is memorable and high quality. The type of event is up to those applying – it can be anything arts or culture based – but it must be free and allow as many people to take part as possible.

A successful commission will be provided with guidance and support to develop the initial idea. Submissions are reviewed and agreed on a monthly basis by HOME Slough’s Community Programming Board, a group of local Slough residents.

“On Your Doorstep is an opportunity for people to bring new arts and cultural activities to their local communities. We want to commission anything – knitting, dance, film, puppetry or craft – that is arts-based, high-quality and will attract new audiences to get involved. We are looking for great ideas and for people to have some fun!” Jake Orr, Creative Producer, HOME Slough

Those interested in applying for an On Your Doorstep Commission should visit the HOME Slough website. The first commissioned work is expected in late September 2022 and activities will continue into 2023. Want to find out how you can get work commissioned for your community? Attend the briefing session

Veolia’s Sustainability Fund (with Crowdfunding)
Grants are available for not-for-profit organisations and community groups in the UK who can raise their initial funding through a crowdfunding campaign to support projects that create a better environment or a more sustainable local community. More information is available here.
Application deadline: 4 November 2022

Hollyhock Charitable Foundation
Grants are available to local not-for-profit groups for projects which bring general benefit to residents and communities across Great Britain, with a focus on health, poverty, education and Christianity. Please click here for more details.

Matthew Good Foundation – Grants for Good Fund
Grants are available for local community groups, charities, voluntary groups and social enterprises in the UK for projects that have a positive impact on communities, people, or the environment. For further details please click here.

Ashley Family Foundation
Grants are available for projects in England and Wales that fit with the Foundation’s ethos of protecting rural communities and encouraging participation in the arts. For more information click here.

Moto in the Community Trust
Grants are available for community organisations and schools operating within a 15-mile radius of a Moto site for projects and activities that deliver benefits to local communities.  

National Lottery Awards for All – England
Grants are available for charities, voluntary groups, schools and local authorities in England to carry out projects that will improve their local community.

Funding for Community Research Partnerships
The National Institute for Health and Care Research are excited to introduce a new funding call, giving research teams, community and charity organisations and groups the opportunity to explore and develop partnerships together. This is intended to provide a springboard for developing enduring health and social care research collaborations,
and relationships that benefit all parties. In the longer term, we anticipate these partnerships will help ensure that research finds better solutions for the health and care problems that communities face (especially those who are least well served by health and care), as shaped by those communities. Applications close on 21st September. Click here to read more.

Newly Reopened: Youth Music – Trailblazer Fund
The Youth Music Trailblazer fund offers grants of £2,000 to £30,000 to organisations in England to run projects for children and young people (25 or under) to make, learn and earn in music. The project should trial work for the first time, test a new way or working, or disrupt the status quo (or all three!).
Your work must meet one of our themes:
• Early years
• Disabled, d/Deaf and neurodivergent young people
• Youth justice system
• Young people facing barriers
• Young adults
• Organisations and the workforce.
Target organisations:
• Small organisations who support children and young people to make, learn or earn in music.
• Those who work with children and young people facing barriers who want to trial a new music offer.
• Established organisations that want to test a new way of working or disrupt the status quo.

Deadline:
Trailblazer Fund Round 2
Deadline: 29 July 2022
Notification: 04 November 2022
For projects starting between: December 2022 and February 2023
Trailblazer Round 3
Deadline: 25 November 2022
Notification: 03 March 2023
For projects starting between: April and June 2023

Nineveh Charitable Trust
The NINEVEH Charitable Trust (RCN 256025, registered 1968) supports a broad range of UK-based projects and activities of benefit to the General Public, with an emphasis on promoting a better understanding of the countryside:

1. The health, welfare and education of the general public
2. The study and appreciation of agriculture, silviculture, ecology and land management
3. The study and appreciation of land and estate management that encourages conservation of the countryside.
   Whilst the Trust does not specify a minimum or maximum grant amount that can be applied for, an analysis of previous grants would suggest a maximum of £5,000 per year for up to three years.

Selco Community Giveaway
Are you a member of a group, charity or organisation which is at the heart of your local community? Selco’s big community giveaway is back for another year and, with the cost of living crisis hitting the economy, we want to play our part in helping community groups and charities keep up their outstanding work. Until November, we are offering any organisation which benefits the community the chance to win £500 of building materials to use on a project or on a building – and potentially £5,000 cash on top. It could be a charity, a local scout group, a sports club or a community centre which hosts classes throughout the week. Each month for six months, two good causes will be selected by our judges to receive £500 worth of building materials to improve their facility or assist with a project. The finalists then go before a public vote for the chance to win £5,000 cash – what a way to start the new year for our winners! The group which finishes in second spot in the public vote will win £1,000. Entry is simple, just fill in the form on our website and judges will review all the entries before deciding on the winners.

Bruce Wake Charitable Trust
The trust was established to encourage and assist the provision of leisure activities for the physically disabled. The trustees will consider grant applications related to the provision of leisure activities for the disabled but favour particularly applications whereby; the potential beneficiaries are physically disabled wheelchair users and unable to raise the required funds; improved access for wheelchair users is being proposed; and/or; a sporting or leisure activity involving disabled wheelchair users is proposed. For further details please click here.

Comic Relief Community Fund – Round 2 opens in August 2022

Funding is intended to support community-led organisations to deliver change by drawing on the ‘lived experiences’ of people who have experienced the issues being tackled. These issues should align with one of Comic Relief’s four strategic themes:

Children Survive and Thrive – ensuring every child has the best start in life.
Fighting for Gender Justice – tackling gender-based violence, inequality and exploitation.
A Safe Place to Be – supporting those who have been displaced to access secure housing and feel settled in their new homes.
Mental Health Matters – helping people with poor mental health to access appropriate support
Grants of up to a maximum of £10,000 are available with:

Capacity Building grants of up to £1,000 to be spent on activities to strengthen operations and governance. (All applications must include this grant).
Project Delivery grants of up to £9,000 to deliver projects that fit with the programme’s strategic themes.
Who can apply
Community-led local organisations based in England may apply. For further details please click here.

With thanks to Berkshire’s brilliant CVS’s for the information contained in this article – Bracknell & Wokingham InVOLve, West Berkshire Volunteer Centre, Reading Voluntary Action & Slough CVS.

A survey is being conducted to better understand the needs of England’s 10,000+ rural community buildings as energy prices continue to soar

National charity and our national body, Action with Communities in Rural England (ACRE) and Utility Aid are calling on volunteer management committees to share their experiences, concerns and views on what can be done to make sure village halls do not run into financial difficulties and save energy.

The move comes amid fears that village halls are not covered by Ofgem’s price cap and may be particularly vulnerable to volatility in the cost of commercially supplied energy which has increased by 166% for electricity and 189% for gas in the past year. According to Utility Aid, prices continue to rise with gas supplied to commercial premises now costing one third more than last week.

The volunteers who manage Hunsdon Village Hall in Hertfordshire are one of many rural community groups voicing concern about the spiralling cost of energy. John Felstead, a trustee of the hall explained, “Like everyone, we have seen our energy bills rise exponentially over the last few years. However, as a charity we do not qualify as a domestic user and are therefore put on a business tariff. This means there is no energy cap. Here in Hunsdon we have a Grade II listed building which was built in 15th century and leaks heat. We would dearly love to improve the insulation, but the Listed Building status make that very expensive. And as a ’not for profit’ organisation, funds are scarce, and we rely on income from hiring out our hall or organising fundraising events to make improvements or repairs.”

Richard Quallington, ACRE’s Executive Director said, “It’s important we understand how village halls are weathering the fuel crisis and what can be done to make sure the services they offer to rural communities are not jeopardised. Many halls were built during the inter-war period and do not always have efficient heating and insulation, so bills are likely to be going – quite literally – through the roof! Ultimately, we want to be in a position where we can help management committees to future-proof their buildings and encourage them to take a leading role in achieving net zero locally. Of course, that will require funding, so this is our first attempt at appraising this need.”

Utility Aid are corporate partners of ACRE. As the largest energy broker for the not-for-profit sector, they want to be able to use information from the survey to offer more targeted support for village halls. Giles Hankinson, Utility Aid’s Chief Executive Officer explained, “The halls we are speaking to day-in, day-out are telling us they are very concerned about increasing energy bills. We are doing everything we can to help them find the best deal, however, more can be done to help these community buildings in the long run. This survey will help to tailor our services according to their needs. At the same time, we are also keen to work with ACRE to find ways of levering in more funding for halls to make sure they can save energy as well as money in the long run.”

The survey is being made available here and responses can be submitted until midnight Friday 19 August.