cvs BRENTWOODt SUPPORTING VOLUNTARY AND COMMUNITY ACTION ANNUAL REPORT 2023 2024 r. RENTWOOD COMMUNITY & VOLUNTARY SERVIC
Brentwood Community & Voluntary Service is a local infrastructure organisation that supports voluntary and community action in Brentwood. We have been supporting our community for over 30 years by providing advice, training and information to groups and individuals including practical advice on development and funding issues and volunteer recruitment.
Our vision, mission and values
Our vision is for strong and thriving communities across Brentwood.
Our mission is to promote, support and develop effective voluntary action and deliver collaborative projects and services to improve the well-being of Brentwood residents and communities.
Our core values are to be an independent, trustworthy, approachable and community-focused organisation providing professional, accessible and inclusive services and support.
Our relocation to Merrymeade House in Brentwood, offering rental rooms for project delivery, has facilitated the establishment of a Community and Wellbeing Hub. This initiative aims to enhance the health and wellbeing of local residents, providing them with valuable benefits.
Directors Report
Another active year for Brentwood CVS. In April 2023, our organisation officially changed its name from Brentwood Council for Voluntary Service to Brentwood Community & Voluntary Service. This change was necessary as the public often perceived us as an extension of Brentwood Council rather than an independent charitable entity. It marked the culmination of our rebranding process and the transformation of our legal structure from an unincorporated organisation to a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO).
Due to persisting funding challenges, and the uncertainties surrounding funding from ECC, we are committed to establishing a more sustainable financial foundation for Brentwood CVS. Leveraging the resources at Merrymeade House, we aim to generate sustainable income for our charity while enhancing the support provided to residents and communities.
Within our first full year at Merrymeade House, we have successfully implemented regular activities to establish a Community & Wellbeing Hub. This includes hosting a weekly community café, offering IT support, delivering a free weight management program, and organising a walking group. We have facilitated member groups by providing discounted room rentals to enable them to conduct projects such as dementia support for caregivers, Social Prescribing mental health support, and Alzheimer’s Singing for the Brain sessions.
Our core mission of supporting the voluntary and community sector remains steadfast. We have supported 37 VCS organisations with funding advice and assistance to enhance project delivery and capacity building. Additionally, our Volunteer Centre has assisted 189 new volunteers in finding local volunteering opportunities. The 'Community Matters' events have brought together 48 organisations for networking and to showcase their impactful work and initiatives.
Furthermore, we are pleased to have been chosen, alongside Basildon, Billericay & Wickford CVS, as trusted partners of the Mid & South Essex Integrated Care Partnership to oversee the local Health Inequalities Fund. This fund has facilitated the launch of 13 new projects this year, addressing the root causes of health inequalities at a community level, thereby benefiting our local communities.
Directors Report:
This report provides a detailed account of the support we have extended over the past year. We attribute the success of our activities and services to the dedicated efforts of our small team comprising Arsen Poghosyan, Bex Foreman, and John Stammers, along with the invaluable support of our committed volunteers. Their unwavering professionalism ensures the delivery of high-quality services to our members and the broader voluntary sector in Brentwood, all while upholding the welcoming and approachable ethos of Brentwood CVS. A heartfelt thank you to our volunteers, as their contributions are essential in delivering the services and projects we undertake.
This year also marked the 30th anniversary of Brentwood CVS in September, commemorated through a special event to express gratitude to our volunteers and supporters.
Special gratitude is extended to our funders, especially Brentwood Borough Council, whose unwavering support from both members and officers has been instrumental and greatly appreciated.
We trust that you will find this Annual Report enlightening as it showcases the work accomplished by Brentwood CVS over the past year.
Diane Fairchild – Brentwood CVS Director
Brentwood CVS 30th Anniversary Event: Trustees, staff and volunteers with Mayor of Brentwood, Cllr Gareth Barratt.
Supporting the Local Voluntary & Community Sector
2023/2024
| CORE | SERVICE | DETAILS |
|---|---|---|
| 107 | Support & | 107 members supported ranging from small self help groups to large constituted VCS organisations with access |
| Affiliated Members |
Engagement | to free funding advice, support with governance and charity commission compliance, regular news e-bulletins, |
| networking events, volunteer recruitment, | ||
| best practice & training. | ||
| 37 | Funding & | VCS organisations assisted directly with one to one funding advice (identifying funding and applications |
| VCS | Governance | reviews), governance and compliance work. |
| organisations | ||
| assisted directly |
£916,000 of external funding attracted into the district as a result of this dedicated support. |
|
| 48 VCS |
Community Matters |
48 voluntary and community sector organisations attended our Community Matters Networking events to share ideas, forge new links/partnerships and raise the |
| organisations | Events | profile of the community work they do. |
| attended | ||
| ‘Its a great opportunity to connect with other | ||
| voluntary organisations’ - Brentwood Theatre | ||
| 189 | Volunteer | Securing65volunteering places |
| New | Centre | Estimated9464 hoursadditional volunteering in the |
| Volunteers | community this year (based up average 2.8hrs per week) | |
| Estimated£129,700economic value of volunteers to the | ||
| Brentwood community. | ||
| 26 | Training | 26 VCS organisations supported to improve skills - through training, and/or one to one support. |
| VCS | ||
| organisations | 123-456-7890 hello@reallygreatsite.com Training included: funding surgeries, social media ‘canva’ |
|
| Supported | training, & CPR training. | |
| 13 | Health | Brentwood CVS and Basildon, Billericay and Wickford CVS have partnered with The Mid and South Essex Integrated |
| Projects awarded funding |
Inequalities Fund |
Care Partnership to administer the local Health Inequalities Fund The aim to support projects that address the underlying causes of health inequality at a local level. |
Merrymeade House Community & Wellbing Hub
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YOUR LOGO
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BCVS PROJECTS DETAILS
OUTCOME
To support those Community 389 residents struggling Visits by local ’Warm Hub’ with the cost of living, residents to Cafe providing free weekly hub refreshments, porridge and soap Digital Residents supported 26 with technical Residents Support related device issues supported to improve their with IT skills or capabilites
Providing a warm and safe environment, 73 residents signposted/given additional information or support information
Improve digital competent, and confidence
Weight A free weekly Improving the health of the weight local residents with access 337 Management management to free weight management Visits by local session Weight loss can reduce the residents to risk of heart disease, and weight some cancers, thereby also management reducing the impact on session health services Health Walk A regular weekly Promoting health & fitness 48 health walk through Helping to alleviate loneliness Health walks the lovely Improving mental health Merrymeade Country Park Winter Warm packs included 151 Winter Initiatives to support warm items such as thermal those residents whose Winter Warmth hat/socks/gloves, fleece blanket, health and wellbeing Warmth bags snood, room temperature gauge were at risk and and essential information on Hoping to help hello@reallygreatsite.comstruggling with the cost 123-456-7890 local services ie. Brentwood 23 of living during winter Community Directory and months Electic Throws information on cost of living support. Electric throws and draft 15 excluders distributed to Draft residents struggling with fuel Excluders costs
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Merrymeade House Community & Wellbing Hub
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2023/2024
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BCVS SERVICE DETAILS 16 Creating a Regular activities and/or training accommodatedproviding more benefit to local residents:. This includes Community activities such as: Group activities/ & Wellbeing Hoping to help Alzheimer’s Society -Singing for the Brain session & training Hub seated Yoga. accommodated Blue Flower Support - informal dementia support for families Room hire Provide - mental health support group & yoga Shaw Trust - Support for long term unemployment Havering & Brentwood Bereavement Service workshops
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Community Cafe
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30 years of
Brentwood CVS
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Community Events
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Merrymeade
House
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What our members & partners say.............
2023/2024
YOUR LOGO
‘Good venue, perfect speakers for audience, Hoping to help excellent networking opportunity’
Brentwood Rotary
Peter Ferrier - Lead for the Essex Community Tree Network . ‘An organisation dedicated to guiding people towards mental health and well being services across the county of Essex. We are a very small organisation and as such, we have needed help, information and guidance from a number of different charities and organisations’.
‘ No one has helped us more (over a 10 year period) than Brentwood CVS. No, is not in their vocabulary. They have helped us in using all their tools and knowledge to guide us in the right direction. Whether it has to do with funding bids, or physical assistance, as in one of their staff members helping with administrative duties. Brentwood CVS has stood up and have done what they can to help. We have an excellent relationship with a very well run CVS’.
TRUSTEE BOARD, STAFF & VOLUNTEERS
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2023/2024 YOUR LOGO
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TRUSTEE BOARD
Hoping to help
Sheila Murphy - Chair David Tee - Vice-Chair John Fry - Treasurer Dee Truesdale - Secretary Joanne Rayment - Trustee Susan White - Trustee
Co-opted Trustee Steve Willoughby
REPRESENTATIVES OF OUTSIDE BODIES:
Cllr M. Reed Brentwood Borough Council
HONONARY POSITION:
Mayor of Brentwood President of Brentwood CVS
BRENTWOOD CVS TEAM (STAFF & VOLUNTEERS)
Diane Fairchild - Director Arsen Poghosyan - Funding & Information Officer Bex Foreman - Co-ordinator John Stammers - Part time caretaker
Toni Thouvenel - Volunteer Ambassador/Weight Management Jerry Wright - Volunteer IT support Derek Fryer - Volunteer Community Support Linda Eastaugh - Volunteer Weight Management Balvinder Bhogal - Volunteer Weight Management Jane Grover - Volunteer Admin support Harriet Rathborn - Volunteer Social Housing Gardener Mark Soper - Volunteer Social Housing Gardener
Occasional Volunteers supporting Community Projects: Michelle Farrow, Peter Taylor, Andy King
Financial Accounts
2023/2024
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Hoping to help
Note: BCVS Reserves Policy - maintain a reserve equivalent to 6 months running costs
Thank you to our Funders & Supporters
2023/2024
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Hoping to help
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Brentwood &
District
Age Concern
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