Taken from a press release dated 26th October 2011:

A volunteer scheme which helps elderly, disabled and vulnerable residents to live independently in their own homes is to get a second major injection of cash.

Helping Hands has been awarded £16,012 from Tendring District Council's (TDC) Big Society Fund to continue its vital work in the community.

In June the project received £7,000 to help tide it over while a bid for Big Lottery money was decided.

Unfortunately the application was unsuccessful but the Council has now stepped in to provide extra support for the scheme.

Peter Halliday, TDC's Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Finance, said the Big Society Fund panel is delighted to be able to agree the further award for Helping Hands.

"By helping people to remain in their own homes it relieves the pressure which would otherwise be put on public health and care services," he said.

"Helping Hands has looked very carefully at the way it delivers its services and has made important changes to the way it works to be more cost effective.

"It has met the criteria for the Big Society Fund on many levels and is what the fund is all about."

Albert Reid, Chairman of the Volunteer Centre for Tendring which operates Helping Hands, thanked TDC for its support.

"The failure to secure Big Lottery funding was a major blow and, like other organisations, we have to make major sacrifices in order to survive," he said.

"The additional funding from the Council's Big Society Fund is an absolute lifeline and will allow our hard working volunteers to continue supporting the community until at least 2014 and hopefully beyond."

So far TDC has received 90 applications to the Big Society Fund, of which 23 have been given the all-clear to progress to the final stage of consideration. Of these 12 have been successful and £114,638 has been handed out.

Taken from a press release dated 28th June 2011:

Tendring District Council's (TDC) Big Society Fund has made its first two major awards to a local charity as part of its on-going support for community initiatives.

The money is to be used to provide advice on volunteering opportunities as well as a transport and handyman service for vulnerable residents in the area.

The Council today announced that the Volunteer Bureau for Tendring has been successful with its bids and is picking up more than £33,000 for the two important projects.

Sarah Candy, TDC's Cabinet Member for Regeneration, said that the whole idea of the fund is for the community to take greater ownership and responsibility for its immediate area and to help shape its future.

"The first application underpinned the very ethos of the Big Society and involves giving advice to those who are interested in volunteering and informing them how they can get involved in their community," she said.

"The second bid, which was made by the bureau's Helping Hands project, is for a helpline which provides vital transport and a handyman service to carry out minor maintenance tasks for elderly, disabled and other vulnerable people.

"Both the Helping Hands initiatives will assist residents to live independently in their own homes and avoid putting extra pressure on public health and care services."

The bureau's volunteer centre recruitment scheme is to get £26,602 over the next two years while Helping Hands will benefit to the tune of £7,000.

Albert Reid, Chairman of the Volunteer Bureau for Tendring, said the Big Society Fund awards were a significant boost.

"With our own hard work on fundraising activities and other grants we will be able to continue with our vital services," he said.

"I would like to thank TDC for its support."

TDC set aside a total of £500,000 for the Big Society Fund which went live in March.

So far the Council has received 61 applications, of which 20 have been given the green light to go through to the final stage for consideration.

Cllr Candy added that she is looking forward to be able to announce further successful bids in the near future.

Some initial applications requested basic items, such as litter pickers, to assist local groups to maintain their area to a high standard, and these were automatically agreed without the need for further evidence to support the bid.

Other applications came from individual members of the community. One resident suggested investigating the use of roof space at TDC buildings for creating solar energy, and the Council is looking into the idea.

Taken from a press release dated 7th December 2011:

A volunteer scheme which helps create a safer late night town centre environment for all has been given a cash boost by the Council's Big Society Fund.

Clacton Street Pastors, which is run by Churches Together in Clacton, has received £8,487, to help get the scheme set up and meet its operating costs for the first year.

It is the 14th successful award under the Big Society Fund and takes the total awarded so far to £148,299.

Clacton Street Pastors was launched on Saturday (December 3) and follows a national scheme which supports adults in a vulnerable state when they leave late night premises.

They work with the support of the local council and police but aim to be an independent initiative. Street crime has been significantly reduced in towns where they work, some by as much as 75 per cent.

The teams provide a presence on the streets between 11pm and 3am making sure people getting home safely after a night out. They try to intervene prior to a crime being committed by talking and listening.

Peter Halliday, TDC's Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Finance, said the Big Society Fund panel was delighted to approve the award to Clacton Street Pastors.

"It is an important scheme which works well elsewhere around the country and we are pleased to welcome it to Clacton," he said.

"Any initiative which can help to create a safer environment on the streets of our towns is to be applauded and encouraged.

"The street pastors will work in partnership with the Clacton SOS mobile unit which is being set up by the Tendring Community Safety Partnership and gets off the ground on January 8, 2012."

Rev David Titley, of St Paul's Church who is involved with the street pastor scheme, said the award of almost £8,500 will make a huge difference.

"The Big Society Funding has ensured the project can come to fruition and enables one-off start up costs to be met. Once in operation the scheme aims to be self-funding," he said.

"We intend to make a difference in Clacton and this award has made a big difference to what we can provide in the town."

Taken from a press release dated 22 December 2011

A day centre in Manningtree has received a £25,000 boost to help it continue and develop into a multi-use community facility.

The site, which is based at Foundry Court and run by Essex County Council (ECC) and Colne Housing, has received the vital cash injection from Tendring District Council's (TDC) Big Society Fund.

The award will also help to ensure that the Foundry Court Lunch Club which helps to get more vulnerable and isolated people into the centre where they will engage with and receive services from other agencies will continue to have a base to operate from.

It is the 15th successful award under the Big Society Fund and takes the total awarded so far to £148,299.

The aim is to make Foundry Court community led and co-ordinated through a partnership formed from local individuals and community groups as well as ECC and TDC officers and landlord Colne Housing.

The partnership identified that the only way to develop the facility would be to appoint a dedicated co-ordinator to research and prepare a business case and plan.

The £25,174 is for one year during which time the person will be expected to develop a business plan for the building.

They will also identify where gaps in current provision can be met and maximise income from the communal areas, leading to sustainability for a centre co-ordinator to take over once the Big Society funding ceases.

Clare Lawrance, Supported Housing Manager for Colne Housing Society, is delighted with the news.

"The Big Society funding, so generously awarded by TDC, complements other funding commitments from the local Parish Councils and the Friends of Foundry Court charity," she said.

"We're also supporting the project providing some funding and employing the new Centre Development Officer. There's real enthusiasm from the local community and we can't wait to get started!"

Peter Halliday, TDC's Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Finance, said the Big Society Fund panel was delighted to approve the award to Foundry Court Day Centre.

"This vital injection of funds will ensure that a number of vulnerable people will continue to benefit from activities such as the lunch club as well as see services extended from the site," he said.
"It will help to provide a business case and plan for development for this community facility for the future."

Taken from a press release dated 2 April 2012

A volunteer scheme which helps elderly, disabled and vulnerable residents to live independently in their own homes is to open its own charity shop in Clacton.

Helping Hands was awarded £23,012 from Tendring District Council's (TDC) Big Society Fund last year.

The money was awarded so it could continue its vital work in the community and the Council stepped in to provide some extra support following a successful bid to the fund.

Albert Reid, Chairman of Helping Hands, said that the financial backing from the Big Society Fund has allowed the scheme to continue to operate.

"At the same time we have also taken a hard look at how we can sustain funding our service in the present economic climate," he said.

"As a result, we have restructured our operation to enable us to meet future challenges.

"The new premises will also host our administration offices for Helping Hands and our volunteer recruitment service all under one roof and, in time, will generate a regular income through the shop."

Peter Halliday, TDC's Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Finance, will open the shop at 26, High Street, Clacton, at 10am on Easter Saturday (April 7).

Cllr Halliday said the Council was pleased to be able work with the scheme by providing the funding so that the service is maintained for some of the District's most vulnerable residents.

"I would also like to congratulate them for taking steps to investigate how they can continue in the future and raise their own money to help make them sustainable in the longer term," he added.