Community Capacity Fund

Funding totalling £1.125m is now available for local community-based projects. Projects are able to apply for grants between £2,000 and £25,000.

This fund is to support community organisations to develop projects or project ideas. Organisation will then be in a stronger position to access wider funding opportunities.

About the Fund

The Community Capacity Fund is part of the delivery of the UK Shared Prosperity Fund in Cornwall and comes under the Good Growth Programme.

Examples of projects that could benefit from Community Capacity funding include:

  • Feasibility studies, business plans, architects’ drawings, concept plans or other professional support to determine the concept of your project
  • Community engagement programmes leading to the development of a wider project.

Particular emphasis will be given to supporting those areas that have little or no experience of applying for and securing funding.

Community Capacity Fund is a revenue only programme.

Applications

Applications for the Community Capacity Fund are open until 30 November 2024. Funded projects will have until 31 March 2025 to complete their projects.

The application form, guidance notes and privacy notice are available below:

Submission

Please email your completed application to ccf@cornwall.gov.uk

Support

The project team are available to advise and support you with your application.

To speak to us, please contact us at ccf@cornwall.gov.uk  or 01872 323806 and a member of the team will be in touch.

The Community Capacity Fund programme is part of the Good Growth programme, which is delivering the UK Shared Prosperity Fund in Cornwall.

To find out more about the other funds available visit the Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Good Growth website

CIOS Good Growth website

Cost of living crisis

Cost of Living Resource Sheet

 

At this time, many people are facing problems with the cost of living, with energy bills, fuel costs, and basic food costs rising. This resource sheet has a collection of resources, including many signposting to other help.

In addition, the Inclusion Cornwall Resource library has a host of other specific Resource Sheets, including – Debt and crisis funding, Families, Transport, Health, wellbeing and disabilities, Household goods, Food, clothing and wood banks, and more. Detailed support in those specific areas can be found on those sheets. See https://inclusioncornwall.co.uk/library.

 

Statutory support

 

  1. Cornwall Council

There are a variety of support resources on the Cornwall Council website, including the annual Winter Wellbeing campaign. This has tips for keeping warm and well across the colder months, money-saving tips for energy bills, as well as contact details for a variety of organisations that can help.

 

There is a Cost of Living Support page, which has lists of financial help for those struggling, free school meals, help with food, tips for saving money, and more.

 

You can find out about the Household Support Fund, which was launched in December 2022, providing one-off payments for pensioners on pensions credit, and families receiving free school meals. Other payments can be made through a variety of other support organisations, full details on the Household Support Fund web page.

 

The council has also produced a fridge safety poster, to explain to people why turning off the fridge to save electricity is hazardous. You can download it here:

 

The Council has a list of all local Food banks, including those which accept people who do not have ‘food vouchers’. You can find this list, which has opening times, contact details, etc.

 

Cornwall Council and a selection of major charities and organisations in Cornwall have produced a leaflet for those who are struggling to make ends meet. You can download ‘Worrying about money? From the Council’s website, and other places.

 

 

See also the NHS Healthy Start vouchers for families with children under 4 years, or more than 10 weeks pregnant.

 

 

  1. Government 

There have been a series of announcements from the government regarding support with energy bills, extra support for people with disabilities, Cost of Living payments and more. The information about all these, and any new help that is announced, or changes to existing help, is on the government’s Help for Households hub. There is also information about help with transport costs, childcare payments, finding work, energy-saving tips, etc.

 

Money Helper, formerly the Money Advice Service, also has some helpful advice and calculators or tools, particularly around debt, budgeting and pensions guidance.

 

For information about the Cost of Living payment, and how people receive it, see the Department of Work and Pensions. There is full information there. Scammers have been attempting to take advantage of the confusion around this payment, and there is advice on this page about how to avoid scams. The real payment will not ask you to DO anything, whether call, click a link, email, or fill in a form in order to receive cost of living payments. They are made automatically.

You can read the details of how payments will be made here:

 

Other advice around avoiding scammers can be found here:

 

 

Ensuring you claim all the benefits you’re entitled to

 

For older people, claiming Pensions Credit, if you are entitled to it, is important. It opens the door to a lot of other help. For others, especially if you’re on Universal Credit, there is further support available. Various organisations offer ‘entitlement checkers’ to help people find out what they can be claiming. :

 

  1. Entitled To

 

  1. Turn to Us

 

  1. Age UK
  1. Good Law Project

Various factsheets, including Understanding your energy bill and discounts, and Benefits.

 

Energy & financial support resources

 

All energy and water providers are obliged to keep a ‘priority services register’ of vulnerable customers. This could include people who are elderly, disabled, or require electricity for medical equipment. They are required to give special service to those people, and will prioritise reconnecting them in the event of a power cut or outage. Contact your provider for information. Many local banks are also offering support for people experiencing financial difficulties. See your bank’s website, or visit your local branch for advice.

 

  1. Community Energy Plus – CEP

Community Energy Plus is a social enterprise that provides energy solutions to help householders in Cornwall to enjoy warmer, more energy efficient homes. They have extensive factsheets around a variety of energy-related subjects, including “Saving energy and Money” and “Support with rising living costs”, as well as other useful advice. These are specific to Cornwall, and were updated in the summer of 2022.

 

  1. Citizens Advice

National Citizens Advice has a page of useful links and information, around things like benefits, debt, help with essential costs, and some mental health helplines as well. There is a further leaflet about grants and benefits that are available to help people pay energy bills.

 

Cornwall Citizens Advice has offices across the county, and a phone helpline.

  • Textline: Text ADVICE to 78866 or for debt issues text DEBT to 78866 and they will call you back within 48 hours (excluding weekends).
  • Phone: 0800 144 8848 Mon-Fri 10am to 4pm. FREE
  • https://citizensadvicecornwall.org.uk/

 

  1. The Royal British Legion

Launched a grant scheme in November 2022 for armed services personnel, veterans and their families who are struggling to pay their energy bills. The initiative will provide non-repayable emergency grants of up to £2,400 a year (£200 a month), and is available across the UK.

Eligibility criteria apply, but TRBL are generous with their definitions: current serving members of the Royal Navy, British Army or Royal Air Force, as well as their families, dependants and carers – which can include children, current and former spouses and partners, widows and widowers. Check if you’re eligible on their website, or by calling the helpline.

 

  1. Age UK

The National Age UK website has specific advice for older people, including around energy:

 

  1. Money Saving Expert

All sorts of financial advice. Including special deals, and news. See particularly the sections on ‘Household bills’, ‘Deals and Shopping’ (with a Free and cheap food page) and ‘Income and budgeting’, as well as the sections for Energy Help and Students. There is also a news page about energy grants that people can claim (dated Dec 2022).

 

  1. Which consumer guide

Which has compiled a selection of articles around energy, financial advice, saving money on essentials, and money saving tips. Also, a list of shops and businesses which are offering various types of support, including free meals, discounts and more.

 

  1. British Gas Energy trust

This trust offers grants to clear debt on outstanding energy bills, for people who meet certain criteria, and who can show evidence of being able to make energy payments in future (once the debt is cleared). They have full details of how to prove this on their website. Not just for their own customers, and other energy providers have their own similar funds.

 

  1. GoCompare

GoCompare has developed an interactive energy cost calculator tool to find out how much something costs to run. Use the calculator to pick the appliances you want to compare and select how long they’ll be in use for.

 

  1. Unbiased – a financial adviser

A selection of mostly financial advice, including consolidating debt, budgeting, and how to save.

 

 

Practical support

 

  1. Age UK Cornwall and Isles of Scilly operates Cornwall Link

This hosts community listings across a wide variety of subjects, from many different organisations. At present they have a topic area devoted to cost of living support, including events, give-aways, advice and practical support.

 

  1. Community Hubs

There is a Google map listing all the community hubs, including opening times and contact details.

 

  1. Warm Welcome scheme

Local churches, faith groups, community centres, businesses and more are taking part in the ‘Warm Welcome’ scheme, opening their doors to allow people to come and use their spaces, to be warm, and have some food, rather than heating their own homes. There is an extensive, and growing, list on the website, as more organisations register.

 

  1. Transformation Cornwall

Transformation Cornwall is supporting the Warm Welcome scheme, and has links to community hubs and Warm Welcome venues.

 

  1. BBC

The BBC food pages have a whole section of recipes for £1 per portion or less, as well as information on how to make the most of your food budget, and using slow cookers, pressure cookers, or microwaves as a cheaper alternative to putting the oven on. There are also recipes to use up leftovers, and avoiding the supermarkets tricks to get you to spend more.

They also have extensive money-saving tips, around energy, and other topics, and the latest news on the Government’s support packages.

 

 

 

If you spot anything that needs removing, amending or adding, please email bev.wilson@cornwall.gov.uk

RCHT Patient Leader Programme Launch

Cornwall Council Consultation on the proposed Cornwall Devolution Deal

To submit your views, please fill out the consultation questionnaire below by midnight on 17 February 2023 at the latest.

The Government and Cornwall Council have negotiated a proposed Devolution Deal (we will also refer to it as ‘the Deal’). If it is accepted, Government would give additional powers and funding to Cornwall Council. The Deal would give Cornwall Council more funding to invest in Cornwall’s future, and more control over the decision-making that affects Cornwall’s residents and businesses.

The Government has set an important condition: if Cornwall Council is to receive more powers and funding, it needs to change the way the Council is governed, from the current system of a Council Leader, elected by the 87 Cornwall Councillors every year, to a Mayor directly elected by the people of Cornwall every four years.

Before the Deal can come into effect, Cornwall Council will need to decide whether to accept the Deal and agree to change its governance model from a Leader and Cabinet model to an elected Mayor and Cabinet model. Those two decisions are ‘two sides of the same coin’. The Government have made it clear that the Council will not be able to secure the proposed Deal if it doesn’t change its governance model.

What are we consulting on?

We are consulting on a new proposed Devolution Deal that Cornwall Council has negotiated with Government . The powers and funding that the Deal brings are intended to help deliver on the priorities set out in the Cornwall Plan 2050. We are also consulting on the proposed governance changes which are a requirement of the Deal.

The results of this consultation will be considered by Cornwall Council before any decisions are made to approve the Deal including making the required change to the Council’s governance. The results will also be shared with Government who will consider the outcome of the consultation to determine if the statutory tests are met to pass the additional powers and funding to the Council.

How do I find out more?

In our Consultation Document we explain the key powers and funding the Deal would bring and the governance changes we would need to make to secure the Deal. Please read this document before completing the questionnaire.

You will also find links to more information about the Deal on this page.

Before you start:

By registering yourself on Let’s Talk Cornwall (or signing in if you are already registered) before starting the questionnaire, you will be able to save this questionnaire part way through and return to it later without losing responses that you have already completed. You will also receive an automated copy of your responses for your records. We will also be able to let you know about key updates with the Deal, including when the report of this consultation is published.

You do not need register to complete the questionnaire. If you prefer not to register but you do want us to keep you informed with key updates, please subscribe to ‘stay informed’ on this page.

  • Please complete our questionnaire to give your views on the Cornwall Devolution Deal. This questionnaire will close on 17/02/2023.

    In our Consultation Document we explain the key powers and funding the Deal would bring and the governance changes we would need to make to secure the Deal. Please read this document before completing the questionnaire.

    Privacy Notice 

    We will use the information you provide to help inform decisions in relation to the Cornwall Devolution Deal, including the decision whether or not to accept the Deal, including the change to an elected Mayor, which is a requirement of the Deal.

    The Data Controller for the information you provide in this survey is Cornwall Council, New County Hall, Treyew Road, Truro TR1 3AY. Data Protection Registration Number: Z1745294. Once the survey has closed, your data will be held within Cornwall Council’s secure network and premises for up to 2 years. Where we ask you to supply personal data on this form, we will only make access to this data available to authorised members of staff who are required to process it for the purposes outlined in this privacy notice. Please note that other information you provide, such as responses to open questions, may be published in full.If you are responding formally on behalf of a business or organisation, please note that your responses may be attributed to you and/or your organisation.

    Complete Questionnaire

Budget consultation

You are invited to have your say about Cornwall Council’s spending priorities and budget for 2023/24.

We are currently consulting on our draft budget for 2023/24 until Sunday 15 January 2023.

This year we’ve seen an unprecedented rise in the cost of living, impacting on everyone in Cornwall. As everything is becoming more expensive, we also have higher costs. At the same time, demand for our services continues to grow. Our population is growing, people are generally living longer and the type of services that people need is changing. This comes at a time where we are still recovering from the financial costs of supporting and protecting our residents during the Covid pandemic. In short, increased costs and demands on our services are higher than what we planned for last year and we have to make additional savings to be able to balance our budget.

Last year, we set out a clear path forward and started making some very tough decisions on how we shape our Council to deliver services in the future, how we prioritise our spending on the services we deliver and how we balance our budget.

Our Business Plan is based on a clear mission for Cornwall Council of working with communities for a carbon neutral Cornwall, where everyone can start well, live well and age well. Our priorities, shaped by our residents and young people, are to make Cornwall:

  • A brilliant place to be a child and grow up
  • In a thriving, sustainable Cornwall that offers a secure home, a decent income and a great environment for all
  • With vibrant, safe, supportive communities where people help each other live well
  • All supported by an empowering and enterprising Council that delivers great value for money

Our draft budget proposals reflect these priorities. We are now seeking views on our plans to deliver these priorities within the budget available to us. Our proposals build on the actions we have already taken to tackle the housing crisis, turbo-charge our economy, and make Cornwall the first place in the UK to be net carbon neutral.

More information about our proposals and the consultation can be found on https://letstalk.cornwall.gov.uk/budget-23-24

Budget consultation event

We are holding an online event for our businesses, public sector and voluntary sector partners and stakeholders, where you will be able to discuss the proposals with the Leader, Deputy Leader and Chief Executive of Cornwall Council:

Wednesday 4 January 2023
7pm to 8.30pm

A video of the event will be made available after the meeting on the Council’s Let’s Talk website.

I hope you will be able to join us at the event and look forward to seeing you there.

If you would like to attend this event, please let us know by emailing haveyoursay@cornwall.gov.uk by 5pm on Tuesday 3 January. We will then send you a link and joining instructions for the event.

Cllr David Harris
Deputy Leader | Isel hembrenkyas
Cornwall Council | Konsel Kernow

Gritting – Cornwall Council

Our Winter Service Plan states that we will salt (commonly known as “grit”)

  • All A and B roads
  • Some other well used roads
  • Access to sites of strategic importance, including but not limited to
    • hospital minor injury units
    • health centres
    • major transport interchanges and
    • most fire stations
    • Access to some secondary schools

Precautionary Salting Network

We call the network of roads we salt the Precautionary Salting Network. The network is over 1,400km (900miles) of road.

In normal circumstances we would aim to complete the 25 routes within three hours.

You can view a map of our precautionary salting network using the online mapping system.

You can view the areas that will be salted over the next 24 hours by following @CornwallCouncil.

Why we use salt

Salt (commonly known as “grit” when spread on the road) is used to lower the freezing point of water in frosty conditions. This stops ice forming and reduces the possibility of skidding, or more serious road accidents.

Stored in salt barns around Cornwall, it can be used quickly by Cormac when weather forecasts indicate a freeze ahead.

Salting is usually done before freezing occurs. Weather forecasts often predict near freezing temperatures with rain, hail or sleet showers.

These showers can wash the salt from treated roads and leave them prone to freezing. This makes forecasting and planning salting difficult.

We take every reasonable step to prevent freezing roads.

Cormac’s staff monitor the weather conditions throughout the day and night. They liaise closely with forecasters specifically employed for this task.

There are also 11 roadside sensors that measure road temperature and other important information. This information is automatically sent back to the forecasters and Cormac staff.

What are we unable to do

  • We will not routinely treat footways. When there is a significant risk of icy conditions for long periods through the day we may salt busy footways in main towns. We can only do this if it does not affect the treatment of the precautionary network.
  • Salting or other work on the trunk roads, as these are the responsibility of the Highways England.
  • Salt all roads and footways. This would be an enormous and costly task. We can salt the Precautionary Network only.
  • Always keep roads free of ice and snow.
  • We do not salt on request. We will only consider salting and clearance of routes off the main gritting routes once the precautionary network is clear.

We do not provide salt bins.  Please see the guidance on salt bins.

To report urgent emergencies of ice and snow on the road, where it is resulting in hazardous conditions, telephone 0300 1234 222 (24 hour service). Please include location details. We will assess the situation and send resources to the places in most need. This will be when the precautionary network is clear and where resources permit.

For more information please see our winter service procedures.

Need help?

Most issues can be resolved online, it’s the quickest and most convenient way to get help.

Use our contact us form

The Big Green Tender