New initiatives mark second year for Community First in Winchester district
Community First in the Winchester District has launched a new series of ‘coffee and cash’ events for voluntary and community organisations as it enters the second year of a contract with Winchester City Council.
These free drop-in events run across the Winchester area and aim to provide informal help to identify, search for and apply for suitable funding for new projects and important services. They are free to attend, and run by an experienced team from Community First.
The next ‘Coffee and Cash’ event takes place at Guildhall Winchester on Thursday 16 July between 3pm and 6pm.
The events are part of a programme of support provided to local organisations by Community First. First commissioned by the City Council in May 2014, the contract with Community First has been so successful that it has been extended for another year. During that period, Community First has merged with Winchester Area Community Action, which has strengthened and enhanced its capacity to support the sector.
In building regular contact with over 500 groups, the Community First team has enjoyed finding out more about the diverse and vibrant community organisations across the Winchester district. For those groups who have received more in-depth support or have attended training or funding events, feedback has been very positive, and the team looks forward to continuing to work in partnership with the staff and volunteers of these organisations.
In taking on the contract for a second year, Community First has decided to move to a base in Winchester Discovery Centre in Jewry Street, although most of its work is carried out in the market towns and rural areas of the district.
For more details of the services provided, see www.cfheh.org.uk/services/winchester