Community groups could be in with a chance of winning up to £1,000 in a new glass recycling campaign prize draw from re3. To take part in the prize draw, re3 is encouraging schools, charities and voluntary and community sector organisations to make a commitment to increasing glass recycling at bring banks.

This could be by collecting hot drinks jars after a fundraising coffee morning and taking them to a re3 glass bank; telling others about the initiative through social media; encouraging supporters to use a glass bring bank on their way to work; or to give a school assembly or write an article in a community newsletter on the benefits of glass recycling.

In return, groups will be entered into the community fund prize draw. At the end of the campaign in October 2018, prizes will be allocated to 15 schools, charities or community groups in the re3 area. The more glass recycled through the campaign, the bigger the community fund, up to the value of £15,000 or £1000 per individual prize.

To register your group’s participation in the campaign and to be eligible for the community fund prize draw, please visit www.re3.org.uk now for the application form and a full list of terms and conditions.

AT: Edgbarrow Woods Car Park, Wildmoor Heath, Sandhurst Road, Crowthorne near RG45 7PP
WHEN: 9 and 10 December 2017, 11.00 to 15.00

The local Wildlife Trust (BBOWT) is having a Christmas tree sale on Saturday 9 and Sunday 10 December.

The trees are sourced from Wildmoor Heath and surrounding nature reserves. The Christmas trees – Scots pines – are sustainably grown, freshly cut the weekend of the sale and drop-resistant. Felling the trees on the nature reserves helps with the heathland management and restoration.

Mistletoe, holly, Wildlife Trust cards and calendars will also be on sale.
Come on down to Edgbarrow Woods Car Park, Wildmoor Heath the weekend of Saturday 9 and Sunday 10 December to buy your Christmas tree and other goodies.
All proceeds go to the Wildlife Trust – Berks, Bucks & Oxon (BBOWT).
For further details visit http://www.bbowt.org.uk/whats-on

Create and run your own social action project. Get up to £500 to make it happen. Create and run your own social action project. Get up to £500 to make it happen.
Criteria

• The project is run by a 14-25 year old volunteer in the UK
• The project has a clear community benefit
• The main aim of the project is not to fundraise
• The project is either completely new or something you’ve done before but would like to do differently
• At least two 14-25 year old volunteers can help you out
• The project costs £500 or less and vInspired cashpoint is the only funder

For further information please visit: https://vinspired.com/cashpoint/about-vinspired-cashpoint

Source: Slough CVS e-bulletin

The Community Action on Fuel Poverty website provides practical resources, tips and information to help communities tackle fuel poverty. It was developed as part of the Community Action Partnership – an NEA and British Gas programme.

The site has been designed with local groups and organisations in mind and supports group leaders to plan, develop and deliver their own fuel poverty activities in a way that suits them.

Users can check out regional fuel poverty figures, browse case studies to see what others have done and select resources from games, posters, presentations, advice leaflets and much, much more.

New to the website is the ‘Focus On’ section providing monthly themes focusing on current fuel poverty topics that keep frontline workers and stakeholders informed and up to date. Users can even subscribe to calendar alerts for upcoming themes to make sure they don’t miss a thing.

For more information please visit www.fuelpovertyresource.org.uk

CCB chose to focus its 2017 AGM on the provision of activities for older people in rural communities in Berkshire.

CCB Chairman Grenville Annetts and Chief Officer Tim Parry

Held in the historic building of Shaw House, Newbury, on the evening of Thursday 19th October Tim Parry, Chief Officer gave highlights of the work the organisation has delivered over the last year which included helping vulnerable households in Berkshire save money on their energy bills. Tim highlighted the fact that CCB’s Energy Advice Project had helped 400 families receive direct support and that 91 frontline workers had received training in how to reduce energy  bills so that they could pass this on to a further 350 families across the county.

Guests at the AGM included CCB members, many representing parish councils and village halls from across the county and a number of Mayors and Deputy Mayors, some travelling from the eastern edge of the county. After the formal business was concluded, Tim introduced CCB’s new President, The Right Honourable Richard Benyon MP for Newbury.

Right Hon Richard Benyon MP, CCB’s President

Richard spoke passionately about loneliness and social isolation, recognising that it exists everywhere but is exacerbated by rurality. In particular he highlighted the extraordinary work that many charitable organisations do to tackle this and the great work CCB does to act as enabler, linking identified needs to those individuals and groups that can help. Richard highlighted how CCB’s Community Planning project made many parishes more vibrant and helped to bring individuals in the community together. He also mentioned the continuing fantastic work that CCB does to ensure that village halls and community buildings remain lively, viable and busy village hubs.

The event concluded with informal discussions on what good examples of community-led provision exist and areas where activity could be improved. Many attendees completed a short questionnaire, representing the start of some research into how gaps in provision can be addressed. Tim said “There was a real buzz in the room at the end of the AGM and everyone present contributed to increasing our understanding of this important issue. I hope to work with many people over the coming months to ensure that we can celebrate the best of what is already going on while putting our efforts into ensuring that everyone, regardless of where they live, can find rewarding activities and make new friends”.