A tree-mendous edition. This email looks better with images enabled.
Welcome from the Communities Team
Dear residents and Communities Network members,
We are pleased to share the latest edition of our Communities Network newsletter.
In this issue, we reflect on our recent sessions including At the heart of the Community: Supporting the Voluntary Sector, which we hosted in October. You can also find information about our upcoming online session, Community Resilience: Preparing for the Winter, taking place on 27 November.
We also feature updates on the Volunteering Development Project, the Make A Difference Awards, the Carers Strategy and a range of other news and activities happening across the county.
We hope you find this edition informative and inspiring.
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.
We were delighted to host our Communities Network session "At the heart of the Community: Supporting the Voluntary Sector " on 2 October 2025 from 1pm to 2.30pm.
The inspiring session featured insights from Voluntary Action Leicestershire on group support, training opportunities and how to get started.
Attendees also heard from The Hub Project, who shared their journey, followed by Charnwood Borough Council highlighting the Charnwood Volunteers Network.
The event concluded with interactive breakout sessions, giving participants the chance take part in focused discussions.
As the colder months approach, we are bringing together local experts to help residents and community groups get ready for winter.
Please join us and take part in the "Community Resilience - Preparing for the Winter" Communities Network session. This informative session will take place on Thursday 27 November 2025 from 1.00pm - 2.30pm.
This informative session will feature a great line of speakers.
Our Resilience Team will cover community resilience, household preparedness, and community response plans. Colleagues from Flooding will provide an overview of the local flood risk management strategy and explain how residents can get involved. Our Highways Team will also introduce the Snow Warden initiative. And finally, the Warm Homes Team will provide useful advice for keeping warm in the Winter.
The session will wrap up with an opportunity to ask your questions directly to the experts.
Conversations with vlog - Zouch Bridge internships
Watch our latest 'Conversations with' video, about how a £19.5 million Leicestershire County Council contract to repair the Zouch Bridge has supported two local students through placements.
Hear intern Arani about how working on the Zouch project has set her up for life, and follow our Instagram below to see our chat with contractor Eric Wright's social value manager Scott, as well as two local charities who benefitted from £1000 grants.
Recent celebrations - VAL Awards and Make a Difference Awards
Recent weeks have seen several celebrations of the fantastic work going on across Leicestershire's communities.
In early October, Voluntary Action Leicestershire (VAL) hosted their annual awards ceremony. Winners included Loughborough Wellbeing Centre, who were awarded County Charity of the Year for their superb work on mental health support and with armed forces communities.
Back in September, the Leader of Leicestershire County Council Dan Harrison as well as representatives from the Communities Team attended the BBC Make a Difference Awards in Leicester. The ceremony was an excellent celebration of local community champions. Winners included Bob Lee (Green Award winner, for South Leicestershire Litter Wombles) and Kev Bland (Active Award winner, for the Leg Up project).
Leicestershire County Council has launched its innovative Local Area Energy Plan (LAEP) – a dynamic digital tool designed to help communities across the county take control of their energy future.
The LAEP provides street-by-street data, enabling residents, businesses, investors, and community groups to identify and implement energy solutions tailored to their local area. It’s freely available to anyone in Leicestershire to use, offering practical insights into how to improve energy efficiency and resilience.
The website will be live soon - keep an eye on Leicestershire County Council and Leicestershire Communities social media to find out more.
Have your say
Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service consultation
Our colleagues at Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service (LFRS) are consulting on proposals for their Community Risk Management Plan.
To have your say, read about the proposals via the link below before taking the online survey, which closes on Friday 28 November.
Have your say to help us understand your travel options and how you get around Leicestershire.
Your feedback will help us build a transport system that enables people to get to work, health appointments and shops and supports our economy.
Tell us about your travel habits, whether that's by car, bus, bike or on foot, we want to hear from everyone to identify barriers, understand travel patterns and support the transport network.
Are you an unpaid adult carer, caring for someone aged 18+?
Do you want to get involved in strengthening and improving the carers' offer in Leicestershire?
If so, we are developing a new Carers’ Strategy for Leicestershire’s adult carers to set out how we will work with our partners to support the needs of carers. The new strategy will be launched in early 2026.
We value and are passionate about supporting carers across Leicestershire and your voice is important to us!
Why not join one of our online meetings to discuss how we can work together to develop the new carers 'strategy?
Tuesday 2 December 10:00am – 11:30am
Thursday 8 January 2026 10:00am – 11:30am
To book your place, please email carers@leics.gov.uk with the date you would like to attend.
If you are unable to attend one of our meetings, please complete our engagement survey, please click here.
The survey will close on 11 January 2026.
We are also hosting a Carers' Rights Day event on Thursday 20 November at Leicester Racecourse. Tickets can be booked here.
The Volunteering Development project, led by Home-Start South Leicestershire (HSSL) in conjunction with Harborough District Council, and funded through the Government UK Shared Prosperity Fund is now at the halfway point.
The project aims to increase volunteer recruitment, retention, and community involvement across Harborough District. Activities will include providing direct support to volunteer-involving organisations and groups, running district-wide promotional campaigns and providing resources to strengthen volunteering as a pathway to meeting residents’ needs, skills development, employment, and social connection.
This is a short-term project only running until March 2026, so it’s best to book in your support session with Emma quickly to benefit from the project!
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:
February - 1 February 2026
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
Follow us on our social media
This message was sent to using NewZapp. Follow this link to .
