The UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) 2025–2026 was launched by the UK Government. Burnley Borough Council in partnership with Lancashire Combined County Authority launched the Burnley Community Grant Scheme for a fourth year. The investment priority was ‘Communities and Place’ focusing on healthy, safe and inclusive communities. The sub themes were: healthy - improve health and wellbeing; safe - reduce crime and the fear of crime; inclusive - bringing communities together, and tackling homelessness; and development of the visitor economy.

Where did March go?! It’s been a busy one for our Volunteer Hub team here at BPRCVS – with lots of great work happening across Burnley, Pendle & Rossendale 💛

This month at a glance:

• 37 people supported to start their volunteering journey
• 20 referrals made to local opportunities via Get Volunteering
• Visits to Pendleside Hospice & Footy Zone to support volunteer development
• Drop-in session at Rawtenstall Job Centre helping people explore volunteering
• Attended a listening event at Gannow Community Centre with Inclusive North

Upcoming Training Opportunity
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Join our Behaviour Change Workshop with Andrew Levy (Edge Hill University):
📍 Nelson – 5 May
📍 Haslingden – 14 May
🕙 10am–12pm
Perfect for anyone supporting communities and looking to build skills in encouraging positive lifestyle change.
👉 To book: thehub@bprcvs.co.uk
Thanks to everyone we’ve worked with this month – and here’s to a brighter, busier spring ahead! 🌷

A huge thank you to everyone who joined us at our first official Coffee, Cake & Collaboration event at Whitewell Bottom Community Centre! ☕🍰
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Despite the unpredictable weather, it was fantastic to see so many passionate organisations come together to connect, share ideas, and support one another across Burnley, Pendle & Rossendale.

💬 Highlights from the day:

• Celebrating the incredible impact of local organisations and the difference you make in our communities
• Inspiring updates from groups including Community Roots, The White Horse Project, Homewise, and more
• Meaningful discussions around volunteer management, sharing real-life challenges and practical solutions
• Building new connections and exploring future partnerships

💡 From supporting volunteer confidence to tackling challenges like communication, boundaries, and teamwork — the conversations were honest, insightful, and incredibly valuable.
📣 What’s next?
Our next Coffee, Cake & Collaboration event will be heading to Pendle — venue to be confirmed!
👉 We’d love your input on future topics too:

• Funding applications
• Volunteer retention
• Work/life balance
• Preventing burnout

Have ideas? Let us know here: https://forms.cloud.microsoft/e/pHx98heYwx
💻 Don’t forget to sign up to our volunteering platform:
bprcvs.getvolunteering.co.uk
Thanks again for being part of such a positive and collaborative session — we can’t wait to see you at the next one (and for more cake, of course! 😄)

Our commitment and dedication to volunteering in Burnley, Pendle and Rossendale has once again been proven with this latest award of the VCQA from NAVCA.

We're very happy to have been informed that we have once again been awarded the Volunteer Centre Quality Accreditation!

We're very proud of this accreditation, and it shows our dedication and commitment to volunteering across our localities.

BPRCVS is the only Volunteer Centre across the whole of #Lancashire with the VCQA.

Maddy Desforges, CEO of #NAVCA (awarding body) said, "Following the independent assessment of your submission for quality accreditation and NAVCA’s final review of the assessor’s recommendation, I am very pleased to confirm Burnley, Pendle and Rossendale CVS has been awarded the Volunteer Centre Quality Accreditation (VCQA). I attach the final assessment report for your information." - see image below.

"Congratulations - we know how much work has gone into this and hope you and your team will feel, rightly, proud of this achievement. The accreditation is valid for three years."

​​If you want to more about volunteering and get involved in supporting your community, check out our volunteering page here.

If you're a VCFSE group in Burnley, Pendle or Rossendale, or if you're based outside of these localities, but offer volunteering opportunities in our region and are interested in accessing our volunteer brokerage service to support your volunteering needs, check out our volunteering page here.

Click 'read more' to access the latest report from the Lancashire & South Cumbria Integrated Care Board's Small Groups Grants Programme which is administered on their behalf by BPRCVS.

Check out what impact the grants programme has had on the communities of Burnley, Pendle and Rossendale. The report totals the latest outcomes reported by VCFSE groups in receipt of project grants. We also include a project brief, how much was awarded, and a case study for each project receiving grants from this programme.

The report is available in both video and PDF format.

We’d love for you to come along on Thursday 26th March and be part of the celebration 💚

Park Social
Time: 10am – 12pm
Event: Thompson Park Pavilion
 What’s on?

• Arts & crafts
• Games
• Cycling
• Refreshments
• Plus, find out how Social Prescribing can connect you to local groups, services & activities.

💚 Wellbeing is about more than medicine
It’s about connection, purpose, and support. Whether you need help with:

• Social inclusion
• Housing
• Finances
• Employment & education

…we’re here for you.
Come down, get involved, and say hello — we can’t wait to see you there!

Burnley, Pendle and Rossendale Council for Voluntary Service (BPRCVS) is proud to launch a brand-new, dedicated volunteering website which makes it easier to promote and access volunteer opportunities.
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Get Volunteering puts volunteering in our local communities at your fingertips. It is a brand-new website that provides benefits for both local groups and organisations looking to recruit volunteers, and for local people who are interested in giving something back to their community and getting started on their volunteering journey.

​Carol Port, BPRCVS Volunteer Manager, said, “We’re excited to launch Get Volunteering. It’s a fabulous platform which will make volunteer recruitment easier for groups and organisations, and make searching and applying for volunteer roles much easier for local people.”

Simply visit https://bprcvs.getvolunteering.co.uk/ and in a few moments you’ll be well on your way to beginning your volunteer journey. Search for opportunities nearby by using your postcode or input specific keywords to find what you’re looking for. Get Volunteering also lets you search for opportunities based directly on your interests and the type of activities you’re looking to do, so you don’t have to spend a long time to find the most suitable roles.

Each opportunity has a role description, but also provides additional details such as the hours and days a group or organisation is looking for volunteers to help them, the policies and procedures in place to keep you safe, whether a DBS check is required, if training is provided, and so much more. You can also see what the application process is like, so you’re fully informed on what to expect.

When you find something of interest, it only takes a few moments to create an account, and you can directly enquire for opportunities online. BPRCVS handles your enquiry and liaises between yourself and the group or organisation to get you underway on your volunteering journey.

Groups and organisations are encouraged to register with the Get Volunteering website too using the link above. There are many benefits to using the Get Volunteering platform for your volunteer recruitment. Create an account and begin publishing volunteer opportunities right away.

One of the advantages of Get Volunteering is that it is far more efficient, so opportunities are available for volunteers to see much sooner, but you’re also in control as you can make amendments, renew or close an opportunity as soon as needed. It’s not just a basic role description that’s visible on the website - it allows you to publish several key details which can be of significance to volunteers looking to give their time. The more information provided, the more informed the volunteer is in their decision making which results in many more suitable volunteers applying for the roles.

By providing a few key details about your group or organisation and the role, you’ll make your opportunities more visible to relevant potential volunteers as these are the filters that will be used to search for opportunities.

Get Volunteering delivers automated system emails to keep you informed along the way and BPRCVS receives live notifications of new enquiries which enables us to let you know about any volunteers interested in your opportunities in double quick time.

BPRCVS’ volunteering team reviews all enquiries before passing them onto groups and organisations, so you’re guaranteed to only receive volunteers who are best suited to the role. Get Volunteering makes the process much easier and smoother, saving you time to get on with the wonderful work you do in the community.
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The BPRCVS Volunteer Team, collectively said, “Get Volunteering will make volunteering much more efficient as almost everything can be done online, but we remain available to provide any advice and support needed by groups and organisations as well as local people looking to volunteer, simply email the team at thehub@bprcvs.co.uk or call on 01282 433740.”

The BPRCVS Social Prescribing Team recently welcomed new trainee doctors from UCLan to shadow their work in the community.
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The placement gave the trainees a first-hand insight into the referral process and how social prescribers support clients to overcome barriers. Social prescribers take a holistic, non-clinical approach, helping people access the services and support they need.

During the placement, the trainees:
• Visited clients to understand the referral and support process
• Explored local community centres and services, including substance misuse and homeless support
• Met Pendle New Neighbours, supporting asylum seekers and refugees
• Learned from individuals who have turned their lives around and now help others at Livid Experience
• Spent time at Team Rise, seeing how people with special needs engage with tailored support
This placement highlighted the wealth of knowledge social prescribers hold and the vital role they play in connecting people to community resources.

​New year, new faces, and more ways to get involved in volunteering!
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From an upcoming volunteer meetup to team updates and opportunities across the area – it’s all in the latest Hub Newsletter.

Are you passionate about mental health and wellbeing in our community?

Our latest Annual Impact Report is out now!
Covering the period of April 2024 to March 2025, you'll discover how many hundreds of groups and thousands of people across Burnley, Pendle and Rossendale have been supported by BPRCVS.
Click read more to check it out.

The Annual Impact Report will play below in the slideshow. You can pause it and control it as you like. If you'd like to download a copy, please see below.

The Annual Impact Report is sadly too large of a file to host on our website, but if you scan the QR code below you'll be able to download a copy from Google Drive.

The Cancer Awareness Ambassador project is looking for volunteers and work-based champions from hard-to-reach communities to help:

• Promote cancer awareness
• Encourage routine screening
• Support early action if someone is concerned about their health
• Funded by the Lancashire and South Cumbria Cancer Alliance (Early Diagnosis Team) and coordinated by Spring North, the project takes a community-focused approach  delivering trusted, simple, and authentic messages via local champions to improve early diagnosis and screening rates.

What is a Cancer Awareness Ambassador?
A trained volunteer who:

• Shares cancer prevention messages in their community
  
• Encourages people to use screening services
  
• Supports early diagnosis and reduces stigma
  

Role & tasks include:

• Sharing informal cancer messaging, including at local events
  
• Raising awareness of early diagnosis importance
  
• Helping people understand signs and symptoms of cancer
  
• Providing peer or emotional support to overcome fears
  
• Signposting to GPs, Macmillan, Cancer Research UK, and other support
  
• Helping others overcome barriers to routine and symptomatic screening
  

This is a fantastic opportunity to make a real difference in your community!
 Interested? Please contact: lisa.ross@bprcvs.co.uk or caroline.littleworth@bprcvs.co.uk

BPRCVS is delighted to announce the launch of Helping Hands Lottery, an exciting new fundraising initiative for good causes in our local communities. The lottery will be a great way for people to support local good causes and get the chance to win fabulous cash prizes!  

Click 'read more' to discover how to sign up for our upcoming launch event.​

Leading lottery management company, Gatherwell, has been appointed by BPRCVS to run the scheme, having already launched similar lotteries elsewhere. Leading lottery management company, Gatherwell, has been appointed by Burnley, Pendle and Rossendale CVS to operate the lottery, having successfully launched similar lotteries throughout the UK.

Nigel Atkinson, Gatherwell's General Manager, said: "We are delighted that Gatherwell has been awarded the opportunity to deliver Helping Hands Lottery. We're looking forward to working with BPRCVS to raise funds for many amazing good causes in Burnley, Pendle and Rossendale”.

When the lottery launches in just a few weeks' time, people will be able to purchase tickets online and support the good cause of their choice. Tickets will cost £1 each. The weekly draw has a fantastic jackpot of £25,000, with other prizes being £2,000, £250 and £25. 
 
Local good causes will be able to register to raise funds through the Helping Hands Lottery and keep 50% from every ticket they sell. A further 10% from every ticket will go into a Central Fund that will be distributed to more good causes, with the remainder being put towards prizes, operating costs and VAT. It's a no risk option because it's absolutely free to set up! 

BPRCVS Chief Officer, Christine Blythe, said: “When I learnt about the possibilities with this community lottery scheme I was immediately interested. It has the potential to help so many of the hundreds of very small voluntary, community and faith sector groups that we as a Local Infrastructure Organisation exist to help. When the opportunity was presented to the CVS trustees who are all drawn from our member groups, they too saw the exciting opportunity and agreed to fund the development. Our strapline is ‘helping people to help others’ - hence the name for our lottery.

These groups right across our three districts do some amazing work with very little resource, supporting and helping many thousands of people in so many ways.  Funding is increasingly difficult to find and the demand on our sector is growing. This is a wonderful opportunity to support these groups in a different way and any income they receive through the community lottery scheme would provide unrestricted funding to help them do what they do so brilliantly well.

The money raised by Helping Hands Lottery is going to make a lot of difference to grassroots good causes. We'd encourage all charities and community groups to come to the Good Cause Launch Event and start fundraising with our lottery. It’s easy and completely free!”

Gatherwell are currently producing our lottery website where you can find out more and get involved which we expect to be ready in a couple of weeks.

How To Get Involved - Join The Launch Event

Good causes of all shapes and sizes are being encouraged to attend the virtual launch event of Helping Hands Lottery on 4th November at 11:30 a.m. for their chance to get a slice of the ticket proceeds.

If you are involved with a good cause that would like to find out more about risk and investment-free unrestricted fundraising with Helping Hands Lottery, you can register for the virtual Good Cause Launch Event here: https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/bprcvs/t-ldkaavy

Gatherwell will be joining us and explaining how it all works. You'll also have the opportunity to ask questions.
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Following the event, groups and organisations will be able to complete their registration, and tickets for Helping Hands Lottery will go on sale via the dedicated website, www.helpinghandslottery.co.uk, on 18th November (website goes live on this date too) for our first draw on 6th December.

The BPRCVS Working Group is back for its second session! Join us on Thursday 23rd October, 10am – 12noon at The CVS Centre, Burnley.
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We’ll be reviewing our monitoring and evaluation processes to make them simpler, easier, and more accessible for you and the people you support.

This is an in-person meeting – spaces are limited! RSVP now: katy.thornton@bprcvs.co.uk

Join BPRCVS Gannow Community Centre for a fun day out exploring independent shops, cafés, bars, the heritage visitor centre, and art gallery at the spectacular Piece Hall, Halifax.


​Date: Wednesday 22nd October
Leaving Gannow: 9:30 AM
Departing Halifax/Piece Hall: 3:30 PM
Transport only – minibus
Suggested donation: £11.50

 Book your spot:
Gannow Community Centre
CVS Centre, 62-64 Yorkshire St, Burnley BB11 3BT
📞 01282 412096
✉️ susan.cole@bprcvs.co.uk
Spaces are limited – book early to avoid disappointment!