Becca Powell, Youth Engagement Officer hosted another Youth Council meeting in the council chamber in Market Harborough where Youth Council members gave their input on a strategy for young people that will be revised in coming months.
Gemma Finan, Community Development Officer, has continued to be out and about finding out more about what communities are doing to support vulnerable residents. Gemma and Becky have been working with Citizens Advice and community groups to look at how we support digital and financial inclusion, and with a couple of parish councils about setting up youth clubs. More on these initiatives in future newsletters. |
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Winter support service leaflets for residents
Winter can be a challenging time for many of us. Shorter days, colder weather, and the festive season can bring extra pressures. If you or someone you know could use a little extra support, there are services available in the community that can help.
Local support information leaflets have been created by the Leicestershire County Council Local Area Coordination team in partnership with local services including Harborough District Council, Social Prescriber Link Workers and VASL to help to raise awareness of support and information that is available locally and within the district. |
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The leaflets are targeted towards the areas that the Local Area Coordinators work, but much of the information is general and applicable to local villages - click on the newsletters to see all of the pages. The links in this version aren't clickable, but you can see the addresses. There are also telephone numbers for people to call directly.
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Teams at HDC will be updating our information about support services over the coming months and will share this in future newsletters.
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Community Grant webinars - get help to apply and chat to our Grants Officers to get your questions answered!
We are offering the opportunity to book onto our live Teams webinars with the Community Engagement Team. These will be informal with lots of chances to ask questions.
Webinar A - A step-by-step walk through the Community Grant application form on Grantapproval, including the information required under each question, what makes a good application and how to demonstrate community need and benefit.
Webinar B - Measuring what matters - understanding, evidencing and celebrating the difference you make - see the download from our website for more detailed information about what this will cover.
To book onto either of the above webinars, please click here Grants Webinars – Booking form Let us know if you want to attend but can't make these dates, as we can look at running further sessions. |
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Community Grant UpdatesRound two of year two of the Community Grant now open
Round two of year two of the £1m Community Grant is now open and closes on 16 February 2026, with round three and then a final fourth year two underspend round to follow. Full details about how to apply and supporting examples and templates are online.
As a reminder, the Community Grant funding is for capital projects which create lasting assets across the Harborough district, such as improvements to building, facilities, or purchasing and installing equipment.
As before, Grants Officers are available to support you with applications and answer any questions you may have. Please continue to share your project ideas with us - we may be able to advise on eligibility and how to apply for the new Community Grant, or suggest alternative sources of funding. Underspend round for the year one £1m Community Grant
The round for the small remaining fund from year one (£62,905) is also now open and closes on 16 February 2026 (running concurrently with round two of year two of the grant). As a reminder, groups will be able to apply where any one of the following applies:
- They are groups that deliver services across the district who have not been able to apply previously. Evidence will be required of existing services or activities delivered in the district.
- They are in parishes who have not received any Community Grant funding in the first year.
- They are in parishes that have not used their full allocation. No funding will be given to a group that takes a parish above their individual allocation (in the case of small parishes, this is maximum £5k).
If there are more applications than funding available, assessment criteria considered to prioritise applications will include:
- Quality of consultation and evidence of need for the project.
- Clear demonstration of wide community benefits of the project.
- Smaller projects (e.g. under £5k).
- How much funding the parish and/or applicant has previously received from the Community Grant.
Download the guidance for full information about how to apply and contact Claire and Serretta at communitygrants@harborough.gov.uk to talk through your project.
November grant awardsCabinet Sub-committee Grants made the first year two Community Grant awards as well as awarding some underspend grants. |
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Community Grant Completed Project |
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Newton Harcourt Reading Room
In a village with no pub, sporting facilities, play areas or bus route, the Reading Room, which dates back to 1912, is the only social and recreational facility for residents.
Their committee formed a social group with the aim of providing more community events to reduce loneliness and promote community cohesion and well-being. The Community Grant has recently enabled the purchase of a pool table, shuffleboard, table tennis, projector screen and surround sound equipment. These items have already started to have a positive impact, enabling a greater range of activities and social events to be held to attract a wider range of age groups from the village. |
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With a busy calendar of pub nights, quizzes, coffee mornings, yoga, party bookings and music and talk events, the Reading Room also hopes the projection equipment and wifi availability might attract bookings from other activity groups, as wells as charities or businesses looking to host meetings.
Events are publicised widely and pro-actively, not just on social media, but also via leaflet drops and door knocking, ensuring that all villagers feel welcome and encouraged to join in. This is a great example of the sort of projects that the Community Grant supports, showing a direct link between the capital grant for equipment and increased involvement of local residents with all the benefits that it brings to individuals and the community as a whole. |
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Environmental GrantThe final round for this financial year opens on 2 February 2026 and will close on 1 April 2026.
Applications must be for a grant of between £5,000 and £20,000, with a minimum 10% match funding secured. Projects must have a clear public benefit and a positive and proven impact on the environment, meeting one or more of these primary outcomes: - Reduce the carbon footprint of the community.
- Reduce the waste produced in the community: communities striving to reduce the amount of waste produced within their boundaries, fostering a culture of responsible waste management.
- Create, or protect and enhance, biodiversity or environmental assets such as green spaces and waterways: initiatives focused on creating, protecting, and enhancing biodiversity, as well as safeguarding environmental assets such as green spaces and waterways.
- Educate and/or raise awareness of climate change that will result in one of the above outcomes.
Please see the guidance document for full information.
Project IdeasWhilst all eligible projects are welcomed, we are particularly interested in those which focus on the less frequently seen outcomes such as biodiversity, climate change awareness and waste reduction.
Some ideas for projects you might be able to develop in these areas are:-
Flood impact reduction measures to protect biodiversity and the environment, such as flood gardens, tree planting, attenuation tanks and living walls. Re-wilding of neglected areas to create a community space such as a spare allotment or a pond or recreational area. Educational or awareness initiatives focused on climate change which will ultimately lead to a reduction of carbon emissions and waste or improve biodiversity and protect the environment.
Organisations are encouraged to discuss their project with the grants officers in advance of their application by contacting communitygrants@harborough.gov.uk.
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Councillors' Ward Improvement Grant, closing soon!The Councillors' Ward Improvement Grant Scheme is available to groups and organisations in the Harborough district. Each ward councillor has been allocated £5,000 to support initiatives of their choice within their ward which will benefit residents and/or improve the environment. The funding can be for capital or revenue projects.
Grants must be for values between £1k to £5k and grants must be paid to the organisation by 31 March 2026. Organisations must be constituted and have a bank account in the name of the organisation.
Organisations must contact their ward councillor directly to discuss their project proposal.
See our website for an overview of the grant and some of the things that might be funded - please get in touch if you would like some further suggestions. |
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Youth Council activitiesWhat the Youth Council has been working on |
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At the last meeting held in the council chamber in Market Harborough on Thursday 4 December, Youth Council members did some thinking around the geographical gaps, which schools and areas of the district we don't have members from and thought about how we can reach them. This will be an area of focus for the Youth Council's new outreach and inclusion officer.
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The Youth Council were then introduced to the current HDC youth opportunities plan as this is something Becca, Youth Engagement Officer, is revising and we want the input of young people, so it becomes a strategy shaped by them.
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Becca , pictured left, is arranging meetings with the newly elected Youth Council leadership team to understand how they’d like to shape their roles, what they’d like to achieve whilst in their roles and then they will come together for a group meeting to see how they want to work together and what they want to achieve as the leadership team.
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The next meeting will be after the Christmas break on Thursday 15 January at Lutterworth College 5.30pm-7.30pm.
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Youth Council logo design competitionThe vice chair, outreach and inclusion officer and media and communications officer attended a Speak Out magazine meeting to look at the entries for the logo design competition and have decided on their winning designs. The design will be refined by a professional designer and announced through the Speak Out magazine and website soon! |
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Join the Youth Council!
We are always keen to welcome new members. We have monthly meetings on a Thursday 5.30pm-7.30pm. The meetings alternate between Lutterworth and Market Harborough each month. We provide transport through Lutterworth Community Transport and Market Harborough Community Transport to make the meetings as accessible as possible. |
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If you are a young person aged 11-18 interested in the Youth Council, or know of any young people you think might be interested in attending future meetings or if you have any questions or queries for Youth Engagement Officer, Becca Powell (pictured left at a Youth Council meeting) please contact her at youthvoice@harborough.gov.uk.
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Although we have participants from across the district, we would also like to make sure young people from all secondary schools and colleges in the area are equitably represented, particularly in areas around Kibworth Mead Academy and Thomas Estley Community College. So get in touch with Becca if you can help with this or know young people in those areas who would like to get involved.
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It’s great to see eligible groups utilising the grants available with HDC and applying for both S106, Community Grant and Environmental Grants. To see if there is S106 funds for your community, please see the available funds here. Katie Fox is always keen to discuss any possible projects, contact her at grants@harborough.gov.uk
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Volunteering support: what’s your New Year’s resolution…?Emma Pickering, Volunteer Development Officer at Home-Start South Leicestershire provides an update on the volunteering support project and how she can help.
Volunteering support: what's your New Year's resolution...? The start of a new year is always a good time for reflection --- a chance to start afresh, form new habits, revive old ones, and celebrate how far you've come and what you've achieved over the past 12 months.
The Volunteering Development Project has been doing just that. By the time January arrives, the project will be entering its final quarter, with an end date of 31 March 2026. Here are reflections on what is working well in the world of volunteering from my visits to volunteer-involving organisations, and what may be points for consideration. The challenges:
Volunteer-involving organisations everywhere are experiencing a shortage of volunteers. |
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People simply don't have the time they once had. Prospective volunteers may be working longer hours, retiring later, or --- if retired --- taking on grandparent duties. Young people, while recognising the benefits of volunteering, are often keen to build savings through paid work before leaving home. Over-reliance on the same people may also leave them vulnerable to burnout.
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What works:
Successful, consistent volunteer recruitment is most likely where the volunteer-involving organisation is well established or linked to another organisation, such as a church, but what if your organisation doesn't have any such links?
Offering a variety of opportunities or activity groups enables prospective volunteers to explore an interest or bridge a skills gap. This can be especially valuable in rural communities and may be where you find people who stay with you through thick and thin. Adding flexibility to roles, allowing volunteers to dip in and out, can make positions more appealing. Could rigid commitment requirements conflict with the needs or lifestyles of prospective volunteers?
Celebrating volunteers --- not just during Volunteers' Week, but throughout the year --- can strengthen their sense of wellbeing, highlight the value of their role, and provide the self-satisfaction that helps retain them. Many volunteer-involving organisations across the district have benefited from employer-supported volunteering, including groundwork projects and donations for Christmas gifts, so this could be a consideration.
Where to find new volunteers: |
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Community events are a great starting point. Our Local Area Coordinators have recently held Marketplace events in Lutterworth and Broughton Astley.
Word of mouth is powerful --- promote your successful volunteer stories or, better still, ask your volunteers to spread the word! |
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Voluntary Action LeicesterShire (VAL) can offer online or face-to-face support with recruiting volunteers and provides an online directory where you can advertise opportunities or find candidates.
A new online platform, GoVo, has been launched by the Royal Voluntary Service (RVS) to advertise voluntary opportunities nationwide. Looking ahead:
Successful volunteering in the future may depend on finding the right balance between meeting the needs of prospective volunteers --- what commitment can they give? --- and those of organisations and groups --- what is the minimum commitment needed to remain functional? It also means thinking creatively when recruiting and working with companies offering employer-supported volunteering opportunities to understand how they can best support.
So, what will your New Year's volunteering resolution be...? For further advice and support on suggestions in this newsletter and other things volunteering, contact Emma Pickering, 07547 469499, emma@home-startsouthleics.org.uk
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This project is funded by the UK government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund along with a wider programme of activities in the district.
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Have your say on support for the VCSE sector in Leicestershire |
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Leicestershire County Council currently holds contracts/grant agreements with a small number of organisations who provide support to VCSE (Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise) sector organisations.
These agreements are: |
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Infrastructure Support for VCSE Organisations (delivered by Voluntary Action Leicestershire) Support for Social Enterprises in Leicestershire (delivered by CASE – Co-operative and Social Enterprise Development Agency) Community Buildings Support (delivered by RCC – Rural Community Council)
The contracts/grant agreements are currently due to end on 31 March 2027. Leicestershire County Council is undertaking a review of these agreements to inform their planning for the future and are seeking views, via a survey questionnaire, to better understand the impact of the services delivered by VAL, CASE and RCC, as well as understanding the needs of the VCSE sector, which will help to guide their decision making for the future.
The VCSE Engagement Survey Questionnaire will be open until Friday 16 January 2026.
If you have any questions you can email Leicestershire County Council at shiregrants@leics.gov.uk |
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Village Halls Week 2026 – Connecting Communities to Health and Wellbeing |
ACRE has announced that Village Halls Week returns from 16–22 March 2026, celebrating the vital role village and community halls play in rural life. This year’s theme focuses on health and wellbeing, highlighting how these spaces help keep people active, connected, and supported at every stage of life.
From hosting exercise classes and social clubs to providing health sessions and peer support, village halls are key to reducing isolation and promoting wellbeing locally. They also help ease pressure on health services by enabling people to stay well closer to home.
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What can halls do?
- Organise activities that support physical and mental health.
- Promote social opportunities to strengthen community connections.
- Share information about local health and wellbeing services.
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Hall committees are encouraged to save the date and register for updates on how to get involved. Free bunting and badges are available while stocks last.
Local supportIf you’d like to work with charities or local groups to offer more activities for vulnerable residents, or explore health and wellbeing programmes already running in the district, please contact: |
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Village halls may also be able to apply to HDC for grants for improvements or equipment.
Grants Officers Claire and Serretta can talk through your ideas and eligibility for HDC's Community Grants.
Katie Fox can help with S106 applications. |
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The Rural Community Council Leicestershire & Rutland delivers Halls Together, a free membership service providing advice, training, and resources to support the management of village halls and other community buildings in rural settlements across Leicestershire and Rutland.
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