Advice Dorset Partnership E News No 14a: 24 October 2024

Welcome to this week’s E News on the Citizens Advice Dorset website. Just a reminder that the Advice Dorset Partnership is a network of organisations providing advice and support to residents of Dorset and Bournemouth Christchurch and Poole. It is managed by Citizens Advice and is open to any organisation which provides information, advice and support/guidance to local residents.

The Advice Dorset Partnership E news is published fortnightly on a Thursday, BUT if there is something urgent in-between we will send out a short supplementary edition. This is one of those!

Please can you now subscribe to the newsletter (it is still FREE but in future you will get an automatic notification when it is published) – and do encourage colleagues to subscribe too. The Subscribe option is at the bottom of this page! So far I can see that over 100 people have subscribed; if you haven’t done so already please do asap.

If you would like to send anything out via the bulletin, and for all other enquiries about the Advice Dorset Partnership, contact Caroline Buxton at Citizens Advice Central Dorset: [email protected]

Advice Partnership Briefing – 24 October 2024

Here are the presentations from today’s event:

Citizens Advice – context, cost of living issues [Caroline Buxton], and energy advice [Dan Fancy]:

ADP Briefing 24 OCT 2024 CA slides

Energy Unit ADP Presentation Oct 24

Update from  Peter Bywater Ridgewater Energy (Healthy Homes Dorset, LEAP etc):

Ridgewater Energy_Energy Support Schemes_October 2024

Dorset Council update from  Tina Frampton, Benefits Service Manager:

Local Authority Update

eVisas –Ibi Mboto, Citizens Advice Central Dorset:

eVisas oct 2024

Volunteer Centre: Emergency Local Assistance and small appliance scheme, Lynita Harris:

VCD Cost of Living Presentation – Oct 2024

Dorset Macmillan Citizens Advice Service, Clare  Tonge:

Dorset Macmillan CitA Service

Dorset Gypsy, Roma & Traveller Advocacy Service, Karen Packman,  poster (slides to follow):

GRT poster

Job opportunities

Kushti Bok are recruiting for a Manager-Coordinator, 15 hours/week, salary pro rate of £28k.  The role will ensure the charity works efficiently and effectively as an employer and a  service provider.  Kushti Bok works on a wide range of projects to support the Gypsy Roma and Traveller communities in Dorset and  BCP. For more information contact:  [email protected]

Funding News

BCP Food and Energy Support Fund –  via Dorset Community Foundation:  Thanks to an extension of the UK government’s Household Support Fund, BCP Council are pleased to be able to invest funding into this grant scheme. This is now open for applications from Monday 21st October until midday on Monday 11th November.

Grants of up to £10,000 are available to local community and voluntary organisations that are delivering community initiatives to help BCP households impacted by the rising costs of living. Grants must be utilised between 1st December 2024 – 31st March 2025. The scheme is intended to cover a wide range of support for vulnerable and low income households, including families with children of all ages, pensioners, unpaid carers, care leavers and disabled people, larger families, single-person households, and those struggling with one-off financial shocks or unforeseen events.

Pre-application support is particularly encouraged for groups who have not applied to the grant programmes before but is available for anyone in need of advice about the application process, or if you are unsure whether your project/activity is suitable, then please contact the Dorset Community Foundation Grants Manager, Ellie Maguire: 07592 032666 / [email protected]. Read more here.