District Council commits to the continued support of five local charities

The organisations are ones the District Council work closely with and are considered partners in delivering services locally due to their experience, specialist knowledge and reputation.

The five charities are:

• Citizens Advice Sherwood and Newark
• Home Start Newark and Sherwood
• Newark and Sherwood CVS
• The Furniture Project
• Live and Local

The agreement comes after a review of key Service Level Agreements the District Council holds with charities and not-for-profit groups through a regular annual award payment.

Suzanne Shead, Director of Housing, Health and Wellbeing at Newark and Sherwood District Council, said: “We understand that at times other organisations – such as charities, voluntary bodies or community groups – are better placed to deliver services on behalf of the District Council. This can be for several reasons including their experience, the infrastructure in place or the fact they represent an independent trusted voice in the community.

“The organisations we have agreed to provide grant funding for, for the next three-years, provide much needs services to support residents across the district.”

Funding for Citizens Advice Sherwood and Newark will mean their offices in Newark and Ollerton will stay open for two days a week and continue with a dedicated Citizen Adviceline. This service provides advice to residents on a wide range of issues such as benefit checks, employment issues and grant applications.

In addition, Home Start Newark provides vital support to local families living in Newark, Ollerton, Boughton and Bilsthorpe. The funding will support their three main services – home visits, a family group that meets twice per week and their ‘Step Up For School’ programme which empowers parents to support their child’s learning and development.

By continuing to support Live and Local - a not-for-profit arts organisation working with a network of voluntary groups - around 30 arts and entertainment shows will be available to residents in Newark and Sherwood.

Furthermore, Newark and Sherwood CVS co-ordinate volunteer opportunities for all sections of the community who either require voluntary assistance or who want to offer their time and skills as a volunteer. These placements provide a range of positive outcomes – from supporting the groups where volunteers are placed, to the benefits to volunteers themselves – from gaining experience, confidence, friendships and life skills to tackling loneliness.

Finally, The Furniture Project is a charity run by volunteers and provides households with good quality, second hand or excess stock furniture, new clothing and electricals. In addition to supporting households with essential furniture, their work ensures that through recycling and reusing, less waste is sent to landfill.