Our ambition is to establish the VCSE sector as an equal health and care partner in shaping strategies, plans and services to deliver improved health and wellbeing for local community.

Membership is open to Frimley VCSE representatives together with nominated Frimley ICS staff. Registered Members have full voting rights in our main Alliance meetings which will take place three times a year. You choose the level of your activity which ranges from attending meetings, being part of one of our four sub-groups which will meet quarterly or simply receiving our e-bulletin updates. Membership registration link here:

If yes, then we would like to invite you to come and join this exciting new VCSE Alliance which has been developed through a collaboration of local Councils for Voluntary Services (including Hart Voluntary Action) and People to Places, together with colleagues from with Frimley Integrated Care System (ICS) – free tickets can be booked here  

Hart Voluntary Action is looking for short-term volunteer support, by way of tutorials, on how to get the most out of their Just Giving subscription. Get in touch using this link.

Go the distance for Step by Step and get sponsored to support young people facing homelessness and other challenges. There's a free Step by Step Travel Mug for raising £50 or more! Entry is just £10 each, with free entry for under 16s. It's a fantastic event for the whole family and dogs are also welcome. 

Where? Wellesley Woodlands, Steele's Rd, Aldershot GU11 2ES.

When? Saturday 20th July 2024.
Registration from 9:30am

Walk starts at 10:30am

Registration link here.

When: the 3rd Friday of each month (except August)

Time:      6.30 – 8.30 pm

Where:   St. Peter’s Parish Centre, 60 Church Avenue, Farnborough, GU14 7AP

For more information about the cafés: Phone:  Farnborough Alzheimer Cafe:  07938 175 002 or see website.                       

New grant applications should reflect the NLCF's updated community-led missions:

• supporting communities to come together

• supporting communities to be environmentally sustainable

• supporting communities to help children and young people thrive

• supporting communities to enable people to live healthier lives.

Awards for All grants are now up to £20k over a 2-year period.

Reaching Communities is the other open grant programme - please allow up to 12 months to get to the grant award point. Other grant programmes which require working with other organisations at the local, regional or national levels include Partnerships and Climate Action Fund - Our Shared Future. Further detail also on the NLCF website.

So far, the confirmed speakers are: Labour’s Shadow Minister for Charities, Lilian Greenwood, and the Liberal Democrat’s culture, media and sport spokesperson, Jamie Stone. Speakers from the Conservative Party, the SNP, Green, Reform and Plaid Cymru to be confirmed.

Date: 19 June

Time: 12.00-13.30

Location: Online, via Zoom

Booking link.

Link to the Voluntary Sector Manifesto which has been put together by NCVO and ACEVO on behalf of their members is here:

Tickets £16 and £11 for under 18

Licensed bar (card or cash), with wine, beer, soft drinks, tea and coffee, run by the Victoria Hall Charity. Booking link here.

The Cross Barn Odiham is hosting a viewing of "Nye" on 21 June. Booking Link here. Tickets £15.

Sessions are online and run between 10.00-12.00

18 July booking link

17 October booking link

15 January booking link

For more information about Inclusion Recovery Hampshire's services, please go to their website.

• The Hampshire Grassroots Action Award

• The Hampshire Projects in Protected Landscapes Award

• The Hampshire Climate Action Award

• The Hampshire Countryside Health and Wellbeing Award

The Hampshire Climate Action Award is for projects rising to the challenge of the climate crisis which currently poses the largest threat to our Hampshire countryside. This may include groups tackling the crisis through energy audits, carbon neutral initiatives, tree planting or innovation energy projects.

Nominations must be received by 30 September. Full details about how to enter at this link.

Fleet Phoenix are asking for all members of the community to nominate those young people aged 11-25 who need celebrating. Young people must live or be educated in Hart District. Nominations are open 30 September, and the celebratory event will be in October. You will see below the categories and each one has an award for a junior (up to 16), senior (16-25) and new this year is the group achievement award.

• Community Champion Award

• Courage Award

• Entrepreneur Award

• Environmental Award

• Fundraising Award

• Group Achievement (NEW for 2024)

• Sports & Arts Award

• Volunteering Award

Link to the Nomination Form here.  

Community Orchards provide a wonderful space for people to come together and cultivate trees to produce locally grown fruit and nuts. Community Orchards can become the focal points for community activities and learning, allowing people within their communities to learn new skills within their natural outdoor classrooms. Planting a Community Orchard can help improve community wellbeing and increase outdoor activities. Research has shown that spending time in a green space can also improve mood and boost both mental and physical wellbeing with the NHS now offering 'Green Social Prescribing' in similar projects.

Orchards provide a unique and important habitat for a range of wildlife. By planting Community Orchards in the right places, and encouraging wildlife friendly management practises, we will help boost pollinators and increase biodiversity. The Hampshire Forest Partnership can help people plant and improve Community Orchards in towns and villages across Hampshire, providing community partners with support, advice, and funding. If you are a parish council, community group, or organisation with permission to plant trees on a publicly accessible site in Hampshire and would be interested in finding out more information on eligibility, or to submit an enquiry form, please email treeplanting@hants.gov.uk More detail at this weblink.

Community Grants ((£720,000) so that community organisations can support local initiatives tailored to local needs, as well as for organisations or professionals working with families by exception to apply for urgent crisis funding.

Advice Grants (£125,000) to deliver advice on budgeting, finances, maximising income or accessing other help.

Community pantries and food support schemes (£550,000) for funding that will help provide vulnerable households with food via Community Pantries, with their projects being implemented prior to the end of the grant period.

Closing date for applications is 9 August, but we would advise not waiting until the deadline to apply. Full details at this link, and do no hesitate to contact Hampshire County Council for advice on whether your project proposal would be suitable for this grant scheme.

Grant programmes which are open to Hart-based groups to apply are:

Including Communities grants (opens in August and closes in early October): 1 year grants between £1k and £10k. A focus on "Flourishing Communities" theme – about connecting and strengthening community bonds.

HiWCF is also offering SWEF grants programme for individuals to apply to These grants are up to £2,000, for young adults aged 18-30 who are entrepreneurs and need help taking their new business to the next level.

Weblink for more information or to join the mailing list here.

• The Movement Fund - Sport England

• The Grassroots Football Fund: No Nonsense Support for Grassroots Football

• Arnold Clark – Gear Up for Sport

• Bentley Advancing Life Chances Small Grants Programme

• Newbury Building Society: Community Support Scheme

• Women & Girls Match Fund – Big Give

• South Downs Health and Wellbeing Travel Grants

• Hilden Charitable Fund

• The W G Edwards Charitable Foundation

• GSK Impact Awards 2025

• Cinnamon Incubator Programme

• Space for Nature

• Cycle of the Seed

• Energy Efficient, Warmer Homes

• Waste Prevention

• Health Impacts of Climate Change

Just some of the Greening Fleet activity to date:

• Setting up the volunteer-run Fleet Repair Cafe

• Litter picks/nature walks

• Thermal imaging residents' homes

We also learned that you don't have to live in Fleet to get involved, and that Greening Fleet are looking for more "pillar" volunteers to take the lead on running related events and activities.

Greening Fleet has a private Facebook Group page that you can register your interest to join. Also, do look out for news updates on the Fleet Town Council website.

In Hart, we have:

• nearly 7000 unpaid carers (although the number is likely to be much higher)

• carers in every district, with the highest numbers of carers in Hartley Wintney, Crookham West and Ewshot and Hook

• 2,287 unpaid carers that care for 35 or more hours each week

• 366 unpaid carers who are under 24

Carers can be any age, caring for others with health conditions such as Alzheimer’s and Dementia, mental health problems, addictions, and disabilities. They provide a valuable service to our community and often make many sacrifices of their own.

For information about what services and community groups can involve or support unpaid carers and the people they care for, please click on the "Carers" category in the Here for Hart Directory, a joint initiative of Hart Voluntary Action and Hart District Council.