Bath & North East Somerset Council has a wide range of thriving voluntary and community organisations-  from small local groups to national charities. The Council aims to help our VCSE organisations flourish, ensuring that local groups can get the help they need to support their local communities.  We also want to encourage groups to collaborate, working together to address issues of local need as well as influencing what goes on in Bath and North East Somerset.

Funding Opportunities

The Council keeps a Funding Journal on its website with the latest local and national funding opportunities.  Also training opportunities, consultations and news.  It is updated regularly.

Interagency Bulletin and Meetings

The Council produces a regular Interagency e-bulletin aimed at community organisations and parishes.  It comes out about once a month.  It also holds Interagency Meetings every other month to enable community organisations and partners to share information and to network.  These meetings are very informal and now take place by Zoom.  They are open to anyone to attend. 

Visit the Interagency page to see past bulletins, sign up to the receive them, view previous meetings and sign up to attend future ones.

Livewell Directories

The Council's Livewell Directory offers information under three headings:

Children and Families:  Find organisations and groups in Bath and North East Somerset to support the needs of your family, including Ofsted registered childcare, parenting support and much more.

Adults Information, signposting, resources and activities to support you, or the person you care for, to live a full and independent life.  This may be a Care Home, social club, local care providers or services to help around the home.

SEND Rainbow Resource:  Provides children and young people (aged up to 25) with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) and their families with information to help them find the right help and support.

If your organisation is not listed, you can register for an account to add your own entry and keep the information up to date.

Community Volunteer Service

HCRG Care Group provide a vital service in promoting volunteering opportunities and identifying suitable volunteer candidates for local charities and community organisations.  If you are an individual or a business interested in volunteering, or a local organisation looking for volunteers, visit their website to find out more.

Useful resources and toolkits

Community and Village Halls

  • The West of England Rural Network provides support and advice on Village Halls and co-ordinates the Hallmark Scheme – a benchmark of good practice.  They also run a network meeting across B&NES, contact Dick Whittington by email or tel: 01275 333701

  • ACRE have produced a series of good practice / information sheets specifically for managing village halls. 

Get Involved and Get Connected

  • Find out what’s going on - as well as signing up to the Interagency e-Bulletin, you can also sign up to Council Twitter feed and get the Council's e-newsletter for residents E-Connect.  You can sign up for it here.
  • Connect Up and have influence - Get involved with our Connecting Communities programme.  The Council works with local partners provide opportunities for people to get together to address issues that affect their local area. There are five Connecting Communities Forums which meet three or four times a year and are open to anyone to attend.  There are Forums for Bath Area; Bathavon Area; Keynsham Area; Chew Valley Area and the Somer Valley.
  • Networks - There are also specialist networks you can get involved with, including Healthwatch and the Children and Young Peoples Network.

Third Sector Group (3SG)

The BANES 3SG is a local membership network of over 150 charities, social enterprises and community groups in Bath and North East Somerset (BaNES).  They hold events, training and information and aim to influence local strategic decision making.

The 3SG seeks to:

  • Consider and champion views and experiences of the local 3rd sector, ensuring that the 3SG is a key part of the public services decision making processes.
  • Act as a mechanism to raise issues and opportunities for the local 3rd sector as well as develop innovative joint responses.
  • Support the 3SG representatives on partnerships and boards as appropriate.
  • Encourage joined up communications across the sector as well as the sharing of resources and expertise.
  • Be a focal point for receiving and disseminating strategic information.
  • A platform to promote and raise awareness of the activities of volunteers & 3rd sector organisations operating in B&NES.

Training

Celebrate Success

  • Celebrate Success - Each year the Council's Community Awards recognise the valuable efforts of volunteers across Bath and North East Somerset Council.  Don't forgot to nominate someone you know deserving of an award.

Research and statistics

Useful to provide evidence of need for funding applications.  Check out our Strategic Evidence Base providing information and data about Bath & North East Somerset.

The hyperlinks to third party websites are provided for the convenience of users only.  Bath & North East Somerset Council does not endorse the views or information held within such websites, the websites themselves, or the owners and operators of the websites, and is unable to grant permission to use material found on such sites. Bath & North East Somerset Council also reserves the right to remove hyperlinks or content as it deems appropriate and at any time.

Your rating: 

Your rating: None Average: 2.5 (13 votes)
To prevent automated spam submissions leave this field empty.