Whether you are a long-standing member or newly connected, I encourage you to explore the stories, events and opportunities highlighted in this issue. Our strength lies in the diverse experiences we bring together and it’s through continued partnership and dialogue that we move forward. 

Finally, we would love to share your stories in this newsletter and are always looking for contributions from you, our Network Members. If you have something that you would like to see or share in our November 2025 edition (deadline 1st November), please get in touch by emailing us at LeicestershireCommunities@leics.gov.uk with any ideas for our next or future editions.    

If you have been forwarded this newsletter or are not currently a Communities Network Member, please do sign up to join our Network and also sign up to receive future newsletters, information and details of events directly into your inbox.    

Thank you for being a part of this journey. 

The Communities Team

 Communities Network

The Communities Network is a platform for Leicestershire communities to connect with each other about initiatives, projects, and activities which demonstrate local positive community action. Leicestershire communities are varied, with unique local assets and a wealth of skills and experience to share. This newsletter and our dedicated website which features local events and initiatives is designed to support this.   

Our Communities Network offer currently includes Communities Network sessions, Community Conversations and Community Roadshows.

Communities Network sessions are short online sessions aimed at providing information, support and advice to communities across Leicestershire on relevant themes and topics. The Network sessions are a platform for sharing and utilising skills, knowledge, expertise and assets amongst existing groups and the community.

Community 'Conversations with' are a tool to help inspire and support communities. They are short, interview style conversations relating to discussions with the community about a particular topic that they are passionate about.  

Community Roadshows are an opportunity for local businesses, charities, and groups to come together in person and find out more about what groups and activities are available locally. 

Are you a Network member? Or would you be interested in joining? Join us and complete this survey to discuss how we can improve our offering.

Recent events - Parish Conference

The Annual Liaison Event for Parish and Town Councils in Leicestershire took place on Monday 7th July.  

The event featured a vibrant market place where attendees had the opportunity to network with each other, gather information and speak to stallholders from a variety of organisations.

The event opened with a welcome address from Councillor Virge Richichi of Leicestershire County Council and Tony Hirons from the Leicestershire & Rutland Association of Local Councils (LRALC).

National and local updates were presented by John Kilcoyne, Acting CEO of LRALC and Janna Walker, Assistant Director of Environment & Transport at the county council.

Rupert Matthews, Police and Crime Commissioner for Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland, delivered a compelling talk on building safer and prosperous communities. 

This was followed by a Q&A session and panel discussion, offering attendees a chance to engage directly with key speakers.  

The event was a great success, with representation from across the county. 

Upcoming sessions and events

Flooding is one of the most serious natural hazards facing Leicester, Leicestershire, and Rutland. With changing weather patterns and increasing rainfall, communities across Leicester, Leicestershire, and Rutland (LLR) are at growing risk. But there’s a way you can help: Become a Flood Warden and play a vital role in protecting your neighbourhood.

On Saturday 13 September from 11am-3pm at County Hall, a Flood Warden Engagement event will be taking place where you can find out more about the role.

Register here

Also, the Nature Network, formerly the Parish Nature Network, will relaunch on Wednesday 10th September 7-8.30pm.

The network is hosted by the county council, and contributions are welcome from everyone. We provide information on a range of topics, including tree warden activities, invasive and non-native species, the urban wildlife verge scheme, and conservation projects. 

Our first meeting back will focus on water vole recovery across the county, including an informative talk and Q&A session. 

If you are interested and would like to find out more, please email: environmentteam@leics.gov.uk.

Residents across Leicestershire are also invited to attend a series of Community Energy roadshows this autumn, aimed at helping households save energy, reduce bills and showcase the benefits of community energy projects. 

Organised by Community Energy Pathways in partnership with Leicestershire County Council, the roadshows will take place at different venues across the County.

Each event will feature an energy advice desk with talks from local Energy Champions and community groups.

Further details can be found at: https://greenerfutureleicestershire.co.uk/news/2025/08/community-energy-roadshows-launch-across-leicestershire.

Watch this space and register for our Network to hear about more exciting, upcoming events.

New funding for flood management announced by county council

Extra money to tackle flooding has been agreed by the Cabinet.

Proposals include expanding investment across the county to undertake more investigations, find the causes of flooding and identify any potential solutions, and to fund drainage repairs.

Instances of flooding, both nationally and in Leicestershire, have been on the rise, including January’s devastating floods which saw peak rainfall double that of Storm Henk in 2024, and river levels hit their highest point since records began.

Following the floods a pot of extra money was set aside to support ongoing flooding priorities and proactive work including additional drain cleaning alongside community events to help people better understand flooding and how to protect their homes. 

Local Area Coordinators celebrate 10 years - watch our Conversations with

A network of people who work at the heart of Leicestershire’s communities to improve lives are celebrating their 10th anniversary.

The county council’s ‘local area coordinators’ aren’t often in the spotlight but provide a lifeline to many who need health and wellbeing support.

By supporting people to link in with others and connect with local groups, they help residents to make positive changes, and also reduce demand on public services.

A decade on, the 30-strong team remain a constant, trusted presence enabling them to connect with thousands of residents, community organisations and other professionals to offer a wide-range of support.

Last year, Juan from the Communities Team hosted a Conversation with our Local Area Coordinators. In the link below, carers champion Tracy Underwood discusses how she worked with Local Area Coordinator John Coghlan.

Go Learn courses

Online applications are now being accepted for hundreds of courses in local venues across the Leicestershire. 

Since Summer 2024 over 4,300 residents of Leicestershire took a leap into learning and joined an adult learning course from GoLearn.  

• 404 have taken a course to improve their Digital Skills and/or improve their employability.
• 319 have worked towards gaining a qualification in English or Maths.
• 565 are speakers of other languages who have worked to improve their English to support life and work in the UK.
• 289 have joined a Better Mental Health course to support their own recovery and resilience.
• 720 have supported their health and wellbeing with a creative arts or fitness course.
• 652 have learnt how to support their child’s education through Family Learning programmes.
• And 701 have expanded their horizons with courses from our Languages and BSL team.

To see what courses are available from GoLearn this year, residents can browse courses and apply online at www.GoLearnLeicestershire.ac.uk. There is also more information on financial support for those in receipt of benefits.

Waste prevention map

The Waste Initiatives team at Leicestershire County Council have created a map to help residents find organisations and services near them that will support waste reduction. The map includes places such as Rehome Zones at our Recycling and Household Waste Sites where items can be dropped off for reuse, refill shops, community fridges, fixer groups and much more.

If an organisation helps reduce waste, they can be listed on the map and easy to find. This is particularly helpful for small organisations that may not have an online presence. They can do this by completing a form on the Lesswaste website. It is hoped that by making it easier to find places to repair, refill and reuse items they will become more accessible so people can keep items in use for longer or avoid excess packaging to begin with.

We hope everyone will visit the map to find places that can help reduce waste. You can also send this link to any organisations you are aware of and encourage them to get listed, so please help us spread the message.

Call for carers

Leicestershire County Council are recommissioning a new service for carers to start in Autumn 2026. We are keen to listen to carer's voice - what carers like about the current services provided by Voluntary Action South Leicestershire (VASL): Support for Carers. VASL: Support for Carers is Leicestershire’s commissioned provider and supports carers aged 18+ who look after, help, or support an adult.  
 
If you are a Leicestershire carer or know someone who is a Leicestershire carer and would like to share your views and ideas, please complete the short survey below.
 
The survey will close on Wednesday 3 September 2025. 

Social Impact Framework funding

The East of England NHS Collaborative Procurement Hub is establishing a Social Impact Framework to support the commissioning and procurement of community-based services that reduce health inequalities and improve wider wellbeing.

VCSE organisations can apply to deliver services through categories named “lots”, which include:

• Voice, Influence and Representation: Enabling people and underrepresented communities participate in shaping services and be active participants in decision-making.
• System Leadership and Infrastructure Support: Coordinating VCSE engagement across health and care systems.
• Community-led Prevention Services: Providing early intervention and actions of prevention in areas such as mental health, housing, employment, and domestic abuse, supporting people to make positive changes and reducing demand for crisis or acute care.

Find out more via the link below. Submissions need to be in by noon 26 August 2025.

VOIDS - Office Spaces for VCSE

Finding affordable space is one of the biggest challenges facing charities today.

Thousands of commercial buildings across the UK sit empty, waiting for their next use.

That’s where VOIDS comes in.

VOIDS can help charities access free temporary space by matching them with property owners who want their vacant buildings to serve a purpose instead of gathering dust and generating costs. It’s a simple, effective way to support your work without stretching your budget.

Citizens Advice LeicesterShire

Citizens Advice LeicesterShire is a local charity which is commissioned by Leicestershire County Council to provide a wide range of advice services, supporting people with issues such as debt, welfare, housing and employment. The charity helps over 30,000 people annually, including some of the most vulnerable people in our communities.

Citizens Advice LeicesterShire is honoured to be joining other globally recognised names, in their nomination for a prestigious and highly competitive People Management Award by the CIPD: the leading professional body for HR and people development. The success of this process has been recognised by the CIPD, and Citizens Advice LeicesterShire have now been shortlisted for an award.  The winners will be announced at the awards ceremony on 25 September 2025.

For more information about how Citizens Advice LeicesterShire, please contact melissa.march@citizensadviceleicestershire.org

 Civil Society Covenant Framework

The Civil Society Covenant Framework is a new principles-based arrangement, designed to help build effective relationships between UK Government and civil society.

The Covenant will create an environment in which civil society is respected, supported and listened to by government, both when working in partnership with civil society and independently, when civil society is holding government to account.

The core principles of the Covenant Framework are Recognition, Partnership, Participation and Transparency.

The UK government has committed to ensuring that Government Departments publicly support and work towards implementing the Covenant in order to become a better partner for civil society.

More information about the Civil Society Covenant Framework programme, including tools and case studies, can be seen on the Government website.

 Get involved and help shape future newsletters 

We would really like to hear from you and want to use this newsletter to showcase your good community stories and other local news. If you would like to share events information, success stories, information about your organisation or other content, please get in touch with us via email at LeicestersireCommunities@leics.gov.uk

Newsletter deadlines for providing content are as follows:  

• November - 1 November 2025

 Become a Network Member 

Would you like to connect with like-minded people? If so, why not join the Communities Network by filling in a short Communities Network sign-up form.

By becoming a Communities Network member, you will receive up to date information, news and details of local events. Networking can encourage connections with other individuals or groups facing similar problems and issues and can help us work together towards community solutions and to continue to Build Great Communities in Leicestershire. 

We look forward to hearing from you. 

Communities Team 

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