Author:

The one thing the team want you to know

Last year we created a Flax Corn Dolly on Blockhouse Park. We’d like to do it again, in April 2023, building on success of last year’s event with a series of corn dolly workshops leading to a spectacular finale.

Help create a giant Flax Corn Dolly, join the procession accompanied by the Morris, release of the spirit of nature into the soil as the flax seed is sown.

To end, a traditional song performed by the Plymouth Morris. The event will lead in to The Village Hub’s Feast and Ceilidh taking place that evening in Stoke Youth and Community Centre.

Project description

Last year we created a Flax Corn Dolly on Blockhouse Park. We’d like to do it again, in April 2023, and build on the success of last year’s event with a series of corn dolly workshops leading to a spectacular finale.

We plan to do a series of workshops over 4 weeks, starting on Sat 25th March, during which participants will make a variety of corn dollies and weavings out of flax straw. In the final session, on 29th April, we will create a head piece and adorn a large willow structure with the weavings creating one large human size corn dolly. This will lead into the ceremony of carrying the Flax Corn Dolly to the prepared spot on Blockhouse Park, accompanied by the Plymouth Morris. Once sited, the community will be invited to take part in the ritual breaking of flax from the dolly into the bed symbolising the release of the spirit into the field. Finally, the flax seed will be sown into the bed and watered. Everyone can participate in every part of this.

We will end the ceremony with a traditional song performed by the Plymouth Morris. The event will lead in to The Village Hub’s Feast and Ceilidh taking place that evening in Stoke Youth and Community Centre, making a full day of Beltane celebrations that bring the community together.

Last year the carrying of the dolly, accompanied by the Morris, happened spontaneously at Stoke Fun Day, in July. It was a very beautiful happening but actually far too late to be sowing flax seed. In April we will be sowing the flax seed at the correct time of year. We want to plan the ceremony in a way that enables us to achieve maximum community involvement. For example, last year three local men were approached randomly, to carry the dolly up the hill. They were bemused but pleased to be asked. They really got into the spirit of the occasion and said afterwards that they enjoyed it and felt part of something. Many people approached me in the weeks that followed to say they would have loved to have known this was going to happen as they would have loved to have been a part of it.

Funding needed £4000

What group or groups of people will the project be working with and why?

We are focussing on people from Stoke and the areas bordering Blockhouse Park, across the age/ethnicity/ability/employment spectrum who are suffering social isolation, anxiety or are emotionally or financially distressed due to the direct or indirect effects of the cost of living crisis. We would particularly like to get local men involved, who traditionally would have been the main participants in these ancient rural practices. To this end, part of the budget is to be allocated specifically to a community engagement role which will start a month before the workshops begin. We intend to build a strong marketing campaign involving flyers and posters at every poster spot in the area to ensure we reach those people, who are not on the internet. We will also use social media and Meta/FB advertising. We will talk to businesses in Stoke Village including the pubs, the Masonic Lodge, the betting shops and the takeaways. We build on/add to the work being done by the Village Hub to create a community event that means something to the people of Stoke, and unlocks creative talents in arts, crafts and music.

What areas will the project be working in?1 neighbourhood

Stoke, loosely bordered, especially the area surrounding Blockhouse Park, including Ford, St Levan, Keyham, Morice Town

What is the group or organisations track record? Track record:
Been going for a few years

How new is the idea? Experimentation:
Established for a year

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Budget

Salaries & peoples time 73%

Project costs 12%

Event/hire/rent 5%

IT spend 10%

Core costs 0%

Capital 0%

Organisations involved

Flax Project C.I.C.
The Village Hub

The one thing the team want you to know

This is a tried and tested model which does what it says on the tin. We feed those in the community who are the most vulnerable whether adults, families, or young people hot nutritious food, which is delivered to their home. Eating healthy nutritious food has so many positive effects on mental health, wellbeing, and concentration. We believe having a full belly is a fundamental right which should be had by all.

Project description

We are targeting the most vulnerable people in our community because we know that self-care and nutrition can sometimes be at the bottom of their list. This could be due to financial contrainst, support and or motivation. We will use the funding to contribute to the normal cost of a two course meal. By doing this we reduce the price of the meal so that the client pays a fraction of the price. For example, the normal price of a two course meal is £6, however £4 would be contributed from the funding and the client only pays the balance of £2.

Funding applied for £10,000
Admin/core costs £1,000
Contribution Funding £9,000
Meals 2,250 subsidised meals over 6 months

However, whilst we are asking for £10,000, we can still absolutely make a difference with £5,000. The important thing about this idea is it can be adapted. Of course, the numbers would change but we could still make a big impact, nonetheless.

This is a tried and tested model which is simple yet effective. We know this because our clients tell us the difference this makes to their lives. Having a hot nutritious meal makes a massive impact both on physical health and mental health. In a society where not only the food we buy is becoming so expensive, now to even cook it is breaking the bank for some people. This project is giving those who need it most a choice because right now many of them don’t have a choice.

Funding needed £10000

What group or groups of people will the project be working with and why?

We will be working with the most vulnerable, this includes the elderly, families, and young adults.
By doing this we support their strength by improving wellbeing and resilience through a combination of nutritious meals and contact with volunteers. Improving mental health through reducing loneliness and isolation resulting in physical and phone contact, good nutrition, regular conversation with somebody outside of their lives.

What areas will the project be working in?City wide

We work in areas PL1 – PL9 and everything in between. Whilst there are ‘pockets’ of people in each postcode area, there are some clear indicators which show people from certain postcodes needing our services more than others. These are PL1, PL4, PL5, PL7. Our clients come to us from many ways, a lot are referred from other community groups like the Wolseley Trust, Livewell, Adult Social Care and of course word of mouth.

What is the group or organisations track record? Track record:
Been going for a few years

How new is the idea? Experimentation:
Established for a year

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Budget

Salaries & peoples time 0%

Project costs 90%

Event/hire/rent 0%

IT spend 0%

Core costs 10%

Capital 0%

Organisations involved

The one thing the team want you to know

We’d like to get Stoke JarSquad off the ground!

JarSquad brings people together to communally preserve food, curb waste, and revitalize the art of sharing. In collectively cooking up our shared abundance (of surplus, grown, or foraged food), we spark a RETHINK on what we might value/waste/share.

We’re ready to grow the number of JarSquadders in Stoke by training people to acquire skills to hold caring spaces and run their own JarSquad. In making food together, we work out how to share more, waste less, and connect with each other in mutual support.

Project description

JarSquad offers a social space for people to make, prepare, preserve and share food together that would otherwise go to waste. Being part of a JarSquad is an proactive and practical way for local people to address the cost of living crisis (in food and fuel cost inflation) and knock-on effects of loneliness and isolation. By coming together to creatively cook up surplus food, we share skills and ideas to support each other in and beyond the kitchen. This can also create exciting new foods that brings variety and quality to our diets.

We model the importance of freezing/defrosting, using leftovers, batch-cooking (and even composting!) as modes to curb food-waste, championed by WRAP (a climate action NGO). WRAP’s 2021 reports shows that 71% of (otherwise edible) food waste is generated in domestic households. As a squad we also learn new techniques (like fermentation, or dehydration) that can transform free, cheap or readily available ingredients into long-lasting food. JarSquadders go away with ‘luxury’ food (to enjoy and share with others) without the ‘luxury’ price-tag.

Co-creating a Stoke JarSquad responds to several requests from local people who’ve attended JarSquad ‘takeovers’ at The Village Hub’s Culture Club and want more! JarSquad’s co-animators would develop an offer of skills transfer (through creative consultation, community coaching and organizing) so that Stoke JarSquad can be cooperatively run by members.

JarSquad would promote and hold 2 community-designed sessions to listen to what interested local foodies would like to make happen. We can help chunk these visions to actions, set agreements on how best to support each other, (and handle conflict); and transparently share details of the budget.

The community group will rotate co-steering the first 3 sessions (guided by JarSquad), with an aim at self-facilitating the final 4th session. We included consultation time in-between sessions to aid planning, event-promotion and resourcing food and other necessary materials and equipment. We’ve also included few social gatherings as we’ve found ‘squadding’ more pleasurable when accompanied by opportunities to recreate in other inspiring ways.

The project is not currently funded elsewhere, and meets POP’s funding criteria by responding to an identified need, empowers local people to work more cooperatively and with care for our collective well-being. Success would be measured by the independent running of Stoke JarSquad with locals taking the lead; and the development of new skills and confidence by JarSquadders.

Funding needed £3870

What group or groups of people will the project be working with and why?

We’ve identified a budding food-passionate group of individuals in Stoke through The Village Hub (TVH) that would form our first set of community-designed consultations. This initial group (~12 people) is a mix of ages (15-73 y/o, with most falling in the range of 45-50) with several people working part-time, or retired. There’s quite a range of abilities and cooking knowledge: some have cooked professionally in kitchens, most are home cooks, and many are interested in local food, but aall re united in their enjoyment and love of food and learning.

Some have volunteered for TVH, or attended a Culture Club event or have previously attended a JarSquad session in Stoke or Stonehouse. Many are looking for an opportunity to upskill or share skills and gain more confidence whilst doing so. Some have specific wellbeing needs including mental health challenges, neurodiversity, addiction recovery etc.

Many live in Stoke, Morice Town, Ford, and North Stonehouse – approximately a 30-minute walk from Blockhouse Park (see below). Two of these areas (Morice Town & Stonehouse) rank high in the Index of Multiple Deprivation (IMD) and has seen increased and continuing demand from local people for acess to emergecy food and fuel throughout 2022.

We would like to collaborate with other POP projects (TPT for eg) to help get the word out to other local people in this same area interested in food.

What areas will the project be working in?1 neighbourhood

Our project will take place in Stoke Village, with an eye to having sessions at the Stoke Youth & Community Centre in Blockhouse Park.

We are aware (from 2021-2022 data collected by The Village Hub), that people who regularly attend creative activities in Stoke Village mostly living in Stoke, Morice Town, Ford, and North Stonehouse neighbourhoods – all within a 30 minute walking distance of Stoke Village – so we will target people living in this area specifically, and treating it as one “neighbourhood” area.

What is the group or organisations track record? Track record:
Been going for a few years

How new is the idea? Experimentation:
New, adapting something similar

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Budget

Salaries & peoples time 37%

Project costs 37%

Event/hire/rent 17%

IT spend 0%

Core costs 9%

Capital 0%

Organisations involved

Primary Partners:
The Village Hub
Friends of Blockhouse Park
All Ways Apples
Generous Earth

Ancillary Partners:
Food Plymouth
Nudge Community Builders

We’d like to connect with Transforming Plymouth Together and Care Nest to explore possible partnerships.

The one thing the team want you to know

Take a moment right now to bring someone to mind – a friend, colleague, neighbour, service user, family member – who you know is really struggling, whether financially, emotionally, physically, mentally, maybe a combination. Close your eyes and feel into how life is for them………
Now imagine inviting them into a room – the door opens, the light is soft, the air still and peaceful. The floor is warmly laid with blankets, cushions, soft seating, wellbeing books, and drawing materials. They sit down and take a deep breath. They can come back here again.
Now how do they feel?

Project description

WHO
Care Nest Plymouth CIC is a socially-purposed organisation based in Stonehouse. Moving into our 5th year of delivering relational wellbeing services, we provide opportunities for local people to directly experience, engage with, and learn from a variety of relational wellbeing practices. The purpose of this work is to help guide, empower, and better equip our clients as they explore, acknowledge, and actively respond to their needs, interests, and concerns.

WHAT
Our plan is to host 2-hour Daily Cause to Pause sessions (Mon – Sun) for a 3-month period, inviting local adults (15 max per session) to drop-in for any length of time and rest together with others in silence. During each session, participants will have access to yoga mats, chairs, blankets, cushions, hot water bottles, wellbeing reading/drawing/writing materials, water, and toilet facilities. The only rules participants will be asked to follow are: NO shoes/food/talking/devices. There will always be at least one Care Nest staff member present during each session to ensure it remains as welcoming, safe, and comfortable as possible for all.

WHY
We’ve listened attentively throughout our years of delivery to the countless stories our clients have shared of their experiences, and have witnessed a commonly shared journey between them that starts with some kind of struggle, progresses into stress, then overwhelm, followed by an inability to act, and finally ends in isolation. What our evaluative processes and client testimonials have taught us is that by accessing our ‘quiet-based’ activities, clients have over time been able to vastly improve their wellbeing by learning how to pause, slow down, listen to themselves, reflect, make wiser choices, practice better self-care, and subsequently recover their self-worth and resilience. Life is noisy, messy, demanding, and uncertain; and there are almost no public spaces (not focused on entertainment, consumption, or religion) available for people to just be together without these distractions interrupting their attention. Our Daily Cause for Pause sessions aim to help fill this gap.

IMPACT
In order to gather evidence for the impact of this work, those who attend sessions will be invited to capture and share their experiences anonymously on paper. These trails of written/drawn feedback will be visually displayed within the space for others to see. Global Plymouth (University of Plymouth) have also stated their direct support for this project, within which they are very keen to collate and research this feedback academically.

Funding needed £4995

What group or groups of people will the project be working with and why?

These sessions will specifically be for adults (18+) who live, work, or move within the Stonehouse area, and who identify as being somewhere on the journey between struggle→ stress→ overwhelm→ inability to act→ isolation. We know that Stonehouse is a highly deprived area of Plymouth, and that outside the city centre, it is also the area most affected by crime (Plymouth City Council 2020 neighbourhood statistics). Therefore, many of these local people may well be closer to the stage of ‘inability to act / isolation’ within their struggles, and may subsequently feel desperate to gain access to a regular space that is safe, quiet, comfortable, and restful. In order to reach and engage with this particular group of people, we’ll tap into our well established network of venues, organisations, and community members local to us through informal conversation and welcoming.

What areas will the project be working in?1 neighbourhood

Stonehouse/Millbay

What is the group or organisations track record? Track record:
Been going for a few years

How new is the idea? Experimentation:
Been delivering for years

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Budget

Salaries & peoples time 75%

Project costs 25%

Event/hire/rent 0%

IT spend 0%

Core costs 0%

Capital 0%

Organisations involved

Global Plymouth (in association with University of Plymouth)

The one thing the team want you to know

Get Crafty will offer low income families a chance to be creative together in a warm, safe and friendly environment. Being creative together encourages team work and strengthens the family bond.
This funding will ensure that we can continue to offer this experience at a much reduced cost through to the end of 2023.

Project description

When we opened 5 months ago our aim was to offer a safe, warm and friendly environment to all those in the local community who felt the need to utilise our offering. We have asked our customers what it is they feel they need. Most have told us that they enjoy our relaxed atmosphere, quality snacks and drinks at low prices and the wide selection of free crafts alongside low cost activities suitable for all age groups.
The cost of living crisis is reported to be affecting 94% of the adult population. Low income families spend significantly more on food and energy. This leaves very little to be enjoyed. Offering a low cost activity ensures that families can continue to spend quality time together. Research shows that a shared activity deepens the family bond and strengthens teamwork and communication skills.
We are situated on the border of Stonehouse and Stoke. As such there is a large population of people in our area living in poverty. The recent cost of living increases have only exasperated the problems.
We have trialled our popular Thursday taster workshop sessions on a Saturday after feedback that much of what we offered would be enjoyed as a family activity. As a result we now offer a drop in service with no pre booking required. We had feedback that the pressure to book a time and attend often acted as a deterrent. However, if people do wish to book to give themselves the accountability that they need, this is possible.
So far we have offered 5 Get Crafty events. These events have supported a total of 63 people across 25 groups, the average group size is therefore 2.5. Each session has grown in size and our upcoming session already has interest from 4 family groups, totalling 15 people.
Funding for this project will ensure that it can continue to grow and be enjoyed by our community. With funding we can enhance our workshop range by investing in a greater selection of craft supplies and materials. Offering a variety of crafts will ensure that these families can expand on their shared knowledge. In addition to strengthening the family bonds we have found that people are getting to know each other and sharing mutual concerns and by talking to each other they feel supported and understood. This helps to reduce fears and in itself improves mental health.

Funding needed £3040

What group or groups of people will the project be working with and why?

The focus of this project is low income families who have been hardest hit by the current cost of living crisis. With more money being spent on food and energy there is very little money available for enjoying a family experience together. Spending time together, especially creating, is very beneficial to the family unit.

What areas will the project be working in?2-3 neighbourhoods

We are based on the border between Stoke and Stonehouse. This is the neighbourhood that the bulk of our project will benefit.

What is the group or organisations track record? Track record:
Been around for less than 6 months

How new is the idea? Experimentation:
Established for a few months

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Budget

Salaries & peoples time 40%

Project costs 10%

Event/hire/rent 40%

IT spend 0%

Core costs 10%

Capital 0%

Organisations involved

The one thing the team want you to know

Homelessness is a marginalising and lonely experience linked to occupational deprivation and mental and physical health inequality. People affected by homelessness are already impacted by poverty of resources, opportunities and relationships. So, the current cost-of-living crisis has disproportionately harsh impacts on them, stifling any ambition and creating even greater distance from a positive, purposeful future. It can be impossible to escape from a cycle of deprivation involving debt, ill health, and lack of resources to take up training or employment opportunities, or establish a home. This project seeks to break that cycle through personalised support to help people move forward.

Project description

The project targets people affected by homelessness, be it an imminent risk, or a current or past experience. This includes people who are currently street homeless, or in transition from rough sleeping into accommodation, from addiction to recovery, or from hospital admission and treatment to discharge. It will provide personalised support to tackle known economic and practical obstacles confronting people when trying to change their life circumstances.
The health challenges for this group are well documented and include frailty, heavy use of emergency services, and reduced life-expectancy (rough sleepers die on average 30 years earlier than the general population). In hospital, they can feel isolated and frightened, and are at high risk of self-discharge. Support for dignity in care, reduced occupational deprivation, and improved engagement can make all the difference between a successful hospital stay and damaging interruption to treatment.
We are a grassroots voluntary organisation in daily contact with our client group. Food brings them to us, but we always seek to understand their wider needs. Our strengths include being a bridge between clients and commissioned services, and the flexibility that being volunteer-led allows us to act nimbly to fill gaps in innovative ways.
We are able to launch project activities promptly, drawing on experience gained through many years of delivering the Soup Run service, plus user feedback, surveys, and participatory research. Our strong experienced partners (Plymouth Access to Housing (Path), Shekinah, and Health Inclusion Pathway, Plymouth (HIPP)) bring specialised skills in supporting people with complex needs. Among many collaborative activities, we successfully piloted the ‘New Beginnings’ scheme with Path helping people in a personalised way to address obstacles to their progress.
We have defined five Objectives to:
1: Prevent homelessness and reduce the risk of accommodated clients returning to rough sleeping, through advocacy, debt relief, and budgeting skills development.
2: Facilitate timely intervention to avert health crises and promote take-up of opportunities, through material and logistical support to attend appointments and treatment.
3: Support hospitalised clients by meeting basic needs through provision of clothing, and enabling connectedness and recreation with reading material, and i-pads/tablets.
4: Reduce isolation and promote personal development for people transitioning from homelessness, through supporting home-making and engagement with wellbeing/recovery programmes, plus new experiences to make their world bigger.
5: Foster interagency working and strengthen relationships between communities and organisations through creative approaches to supporting clients in common whose needs fall outside existing highly-pressured budgets.

Funding needed £7800

What group or groups of people will the project be working with and why?

We are targeting people in the poorest parts of Plymouth, who are currently homeless, affected by past homelessness or at risk of becoming homeless. They suffer multiple disadvantage including severe poverty, and are disproportionately impacted by rises in the cost-of-living. We want to offer them personalised support to progress to healthier and more purposeful lives.

What areas will the project be working in?1 neighbourhood

PL1- predominantly Stonehouse, with clients coming to us from other poor areas of the city.

What is the group or organisations track record? Track record:
Been delivering for many years

How new is the idea? Experimentation:
Been delivering for years

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Budget

Salaries & peoples time 0%

Project costs 100%

Event/hire/rent 0%

IT spend 0%

Core costs 0%

Capital 0%

Organisations involved

Plymouth Soup Run, Plymouth Access to Housing (Path), Shekinah, and Health Inclusion Pathway, Plymouth (HIPP)

The one thing the team want you to know

Well established, our innovation drives our passion to empower people to gain the skills and mindset to attain self sufficiency, resilience and contentment. People tend to turn for help in a crisis and our passionate tutors can help show them there is always a way out of whatever predicament they are facing. We believe developing new skills and overcoming barriers will help them to increase motivation and the desire to succeed.

Project description

We plan to provide weekly workshops delivering:
6 core activities – participants can join weekly workshops to address any of the challenges they face during the cost of living crisis.
Budgeting
Cooking,
DIY
Sewing
Parental Support (Messy Munchkins sessions)
Employment & Careers Advice

Driven by participant input, we will have an adaptable delivery. We have our own premises but also use community facilities to ensure accessibility across Plymouth.
We have been delivering for over 10 years and have a strong membership. Some workshops have recently finished through cessation of funding. We have a list of referrals which shows the ongoing need and work with other partner agencies for both referral and support.

Due to our EU funded project finishing we have recently ceased running our workshops but we are still receiving referrals and requests for activities from Job Centre work coaches.

Our weekly parents and child sessions for under 5’s provided much needed facilities for new parents along with baby weighing (a service which has become very scarce since the pandemic), support and advice, simple cookery for parents and children, as well as a hot meal at lunchtime for them, a place to meet and make new friends, working with other agencies such as Wolseley Trust, Peninsula Dental School, Devon & Cornwall Police and the Fire Service we were able to offer visiting workshops to provide information and education. These sessions were run with small funding pots from other organisations but have now ceased. We were donated equipment, toys and resources from a closing Children’s Centre. We have the premises, we have equipment, we have a waiting list, we have staff ready, we just need additional funding support.

We know the project will succeed as this project is an accumulation of the best of previous projects – the bits that worked, that people enjoyed and wanted to attend and had the best results.

Funding needed £10000

What group or groups of people will the project be working with and why?

Whilst this project will be open to anyone who is referred or self refers, our target audience is 18-25 year olds. We have strong links with Job Centre young persons team as well as Social Services and other agencies such as Foster Care services, Youth Services etc.

What areas will the project be working in?2-3 neighbourhoods

Whilst based in our own premises in North Prospect, we also have good links with halls in Keyham and St. Budeaux to run additional workshops and sessions. We have a minibus/mobile office so are able to transfer people to other locations, collect them to attend our premises or see them remotely if necessary.

What is the group or organisations track record? Track record:
Been delivering for many years

How new is the idea? Experimentation:
Been delivering for years

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Budget

Salaries & peoples time 60%

Project costs 16%

Event/hire/rent 15%

IT spend 0%

Core costs 9%

Capital 0%

Organisations involved

St. Thomas Church, Wolseley Trust, Colebrook SW, D&C Police, Fire Service, Peninsula Dental School.

The one thing the team want you to know

We don’t want people to break the habit of coming to the cinema because they can’t afford it. It is widely proven that engagement with the arts alleviates anxiety, depression and stress, boosting feelings of wellbeing, and building communities. We introduced a £4 Budget ticket in a trial period in the last quarter of 2022. We sold 242 tickets and welcomed 53 people to the cinema for the first time with this price. Plymouth Live named PAC as one of Plymouth’s kindest businesses for this initiative. We’d love the chance to make it a permanent offer and develop it further.

Project description

PAC has introduced a Budget cinema ticket price of £4 for Unwaged and Low Income (Full price £9). Anybody can purchase these, we do not ask for proof of income. We understand that financially struggles are detrimental to dignity and self-confidence. We trust and respect our audience and are non-judgemental about anyone who purchases a ticket at this price.

We have trialled the Budget tickets, and the media attention, as well as the boost to ticket sales, proves that there is a need for them. Our social media posts about the new price are our most “liked” ever, with comments like “Thank you, this is a great initiative” from Cllr Jemima Laing and “I really appreciate the concession prices otherwise I just wouldn’t be able to see such a range of films” from customers.

People can no longer afford the things they used to enjoy, such as the occasional trip to the cinema. This is concerning, because it is widely proven that engagement with the arts alleviates anxiety, depression and stress, and provides a huge boost to mental health and wellbeing – as people explore new ideas, emotions, and briefly escape from their day to day difficulties. The best way to watch a film is to make it an event and see it on the big screen, with an audience. It provides an immersive, social experience without phones or other distractions that can’t be attained at home.

The cost of living crisis has caused an epidemic of loneliness, with a recent study from Eden Project Communities reporting that 1 in 8 people are enduring loneliness, viewing social and leisure activities as a luxury that they can no longer afford. At PAC, our staff and volunteers are always friendly, and visitors often comment that they regard the venue as a safe space to visit alone. There’ll always be someone to chat with, and a community to feel part of.

We sold 242 £4 tickets in the last quarter of 2022. We welcomed 53 new visitors using this ticket price. Each ticket is a £5 discount on the full price (£9). This cost PAC £1,210. £5000 would fund this scheme and allow us to grow it in the coming year.

Cinemas, especially independent cinemas, are struggling, with significant closures over the last few months. PAC is no exception: we are fighting hard to survive and need to increase audiences.

Funding needed £5000

What group or groups of people will the project be working with and why?

Here at Plymouth Arts Cinema we work hard to be accessible to all sorts of different groups, and embed ourselves into the community as much as possible. With this offer we will be working with culture lovers in Plymouth who may be unwaged or “working poor” and who fall through the gaps of many other initiatives to alleviate cost of living issues.
We work with a lot of different groups, and reduce ticket prices for these, but wanted to have a price point for people who might not necessarily fit into any of these groups but may be on a tight budget. We trust and respect our audience, and are non judgemental about anyone who wants to purchase a ticket at this price, so do not ask people to prove their income level.
What sets us apart from the multiplexes and other cinema chains is that they don’t engage with the community. We work with other arts organisations in Plymouth to screen local interest films and support local artists and filmmakers. We welcome speakers and local organisations (e.g. environmental) to introduce films, which builds a filmmaking ecology in the city.
Communities we engage with:
– Plymouth and Devon Racial Equality Council Women’s Network – video
– Fotonow + Plymouth Youth Justice Team project
– Relaxed screenings once a month. Working with Plymouth Autism Spectrum Service and Age UK. Tickets £4
– Bringing in Baby -Tickets £4

What areas will the project be working in?City wide

Plymouth as a whole, but we will target lower income areas in our online advertising.

What is the group or organisations track record? Track record:
Been delivering for many years

How new is the idea? Experimentation:
Established for a few months

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Budget

Salaries & peoples time 0%

Project costs 0%

Event/hire/rent 0%

IT spend 0%

Core costs 100%

Capital 0%

Organisations involved

Plymouth Arts Cinema

The one thing the team want you to know

Colebrook SW have been working in the community for many years and deliver a range of community projects from their centres which are the St Budeaux and Barne Barton Wellbeing Hub and the village hall in Crownhill. We work closely with residents in these areas and have a deep understanding of some of the issues they are currently facing and what sort of activities may be beneficial to them in the current crisis. We are passionate about helping people to save money by utilising some of those long forgotten practical skills such as growing food, sewing, cooking and home maintenance.

Project description

We would like to deliver a range of 3 hour practical activities on a weekly basis for 12 weeks that not only support people to save money but also support the reduction of social isolation as well as equipping participants with new skills.

Planned activities will include:- how to sew a draught excluder, How to make simple repairs to clothes, a clothes swap, How to make edible gifts, How to reduce food waste, Healthy eating on a budget, simple home maintenance, personal budgeting skills, ways to save money on everything, soapmaking from leftover soap, grow your own food, and how to sew a non electric slow cooker.
These sessions will be delivered by our partners Whiz Kidz as well as our own staff depending on their particular skill set.
We have engaged with the local community at our Wellbeing café and warm space and these are some of the activities they feel would be beneficial to them and that they would really like to take part in.
We will run an activity each week and change/amend activities in line with community wants and needs.
Our plan is to recruit some skilled volunteers in the longer term so they may continue delivering sessions as part of our wellbeing café.

Funding needed £2480.00

What group or groups of people will the project be working with and why?

We will be working with those people who have been affected by the cost of living crisis and who are looking for ways to save money or make their money go further and are willing and open to learning new skills to support them with this. These may be those who are on benefits or a low income. We feel that those who are currently working but struggling are often under represented when it comes to any support so we will look to work with individuals and families whether they are working or not.

What areas will the project be working in?1 neighbourhood

St Budeaux/Barne Barton

What is the group or organisations track record? Track record:
Been delivering for many years

How new is the idea? Experimentation:
New, adapting something similar

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Budget

Salaries & peoples time 44%

Project costs 20%

Event/hire/rent 36%

IT spend 0%

Core costs 0%

Capital 0%

Organisations involved

Whiz kidz

The one thing the team want you to know

As part YMCA Plymouth’s Health & Wellbeing agenda, we’ve established a new project (Y’s-Group) aimed at supporting
senior citizens aged 60+. This project was created to help combat loneliness, empower inter-generational interactions (utilising Health and Social Care students from Discovery College) and tackle social isolation, particularly for those residents in the poorest area of the city, who have been adversely affected by the cost of living crisis. Social Isolation has been widely researched, with studies highlighting that senior citizens who stay socially active experience:

· Better cognitive function
· Prevention of onset dementia or Alzheimers
· Good emotional health

Project description

Rationale:

Established in 1848, YMCA Plymouth’s mission is to deliver professional and personable services, focusing on 3 strategic priorities; Education, Health & Well-being and Families. Sitting in the heart of our community (Honicknowle) we support 10,000+ people per year. Our provision is delivered within a LSOA decile-2 area of deprivation, catering to economically disadvantaged people (deciles 1-3).

The cost of living crisis has increased social isolation, due to reduced means, detrimentally affecting the health of over 60’s. The NHS stated that 1-in-4 adults (over 60) and 1-in-3 adults (over 75), reported being isolated. Equally concerning, there’s a 50% increase risk of dementia, and a 32% risk increase of stroke amongst this demographic. As a result, YMCA Plymouth pilot a Y’s-Group project in October 2022, engaging 10-12 particpants deemed ‘socially isolated’. Within 8-weeks the pilot had grown to over 45+ Plymouth residents, initially from PL5 postcodes, now expanding to PL3,4,6,7&9, hence the need for growth funding. The YMCA organises structured activities, bringing the Y’s-Group together to enable them to get active, socialise and visit local attractions (see: https://www.ymcaplymouth.org.uk/ys-group/).

Our group members live alone, bereaved, in sheltered housing, have minimal social contact and no access to transport. In addition, many of the members have disabilities/ailments which without YMCA’s and POP+ support provides further barriers to isolation services. Therefore the Y’s-Group is the only opportunity to participate in something positive and purposeful…ultimately tackling a range of social isolation barriers.

Action to enhance the wellbeing of local residents:

YMCA Plymouth, in partnership with POP+, Go Southwest and GWR (offering reduced cost transport) will support our members to access health & wellbeing activities, reducing social isolation and broaden the Y’s-Group horizons. This allows the Y’s-Group free opportunities to venture beyond their home, providing access to locations around the Westcountry, whilst building new friendships and improving their physical/mental health. This funding will allow the YMCA to organise daytrips every 2-3 weeks (inclusive of warm refreshments & lunches) that only accesible bus/rail transport can provide, showcasing local picturesque landscapes, whilst exploring great sightseeing destinations from days gone by, including: Looe and St Ives, plus visits to small local towns, including Calstock, Totnes and Tavistock.

Aims and objectives:

1. Increase group size (circa 80-100 particpants)
2. Provide a wider range of experiences
3. Reduce social isolation
4. Improve particpant wellbeing

Target Groups:

– Over 60
– Socially isolated
– from marginalised communities / impoverished backgrounds

Funding needed £3847.00

What group or groups of people will the project be working with and why?

The groups of people the YMCA will be working with:

– Over 60
– Socially isolated / living alone / bereaved / disabilities & ailments
– from marginalised communities / impoverished backgrounds (most affected by cost of living crisis).

Why:

Evidence reveals that social isolation and loneliness hinders good health, putting older adults at risk of high blood pressure, heart disease, obesity, weakened ammune system, anxiety, depression, cognitive decline, alzheimers disease and 4 x the increase of early death (NHS:2022)

What areas will the project be working in?City wide

Predominately / preference given to the PL5 communty (LSOA deprivation decile 2), however we will accept and support referrals from other organisations such as: GP’s, Improving Lives Plymouth, Memory Matters & Timebank (already referal partners).

What is the group or organisations track record? Track record:
Been delivering for many years

How new is the idea? Experimentation:
Established for a few months

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Budget

Salaries & peoples time 0%

Project costs 65%

Event/hire/rent 30%

IT spend 5%

Core costs 0%

Capital 0%

Organisations involved

– Improving Lives Plymouth
– Timebank
– Memory Matters
– Plymouth Isolation Forum
– Mindful Art Club
– GP’s
– Go Southwest (Formerly Plymouth CityBus)
– Great Western Railways (GWR)