Hello Neighbours, 

April is the ‘cruellest month’ according to opening of the famous poem The Wasteland. But we disagree, our news this April is actually very exciting. We’re sharing insights into the new plans for police reform, a minute of mayhem on Radio 4, and celebrating some fantastic volunteers. 

Highlights this month: 

• The Neighbourhood Watch podcast - coming soon! 
• Watch the Safer High Streets webinar
• Blog: what will the new police reforms mean in practice? 
• Local volunteer spotlights on Greenwich and Gloucestershire. 
• New Online Crime Centre launched to crack down on fraud
• Sign up to our special Stephen Lawrence Day event on knife crime. 

The Neighbourhood Watch Podcast – coming soon! 

​Neighbourhood Watch is set to launch a brand-new podcast this May. The format brings together well-known faces to share their experiences of crime and community. The podcast, hosted by former police officer turned comedian Alfie Moore, best known for his popular BBC Radio 4 series It's a Fair Cop, will see celebrities open up about the communities where they grew up and how crime has touched their lives. Find out more. 


Safety on our High Streets 
Huge thanks to Sgt Matt Coe for presenting a fascinating online webinar on creating safer high streets.  The webinar was part of our Neighbourhood Safety Training offer for business owners and managers who want to keep their staff safe. You can watch the full webinar online here. If you own or run a business or you know someone who does, you can sign up to the free training here. 


Secure your garden for Summer
As the days get longer and we spend more time outdoors, it’s easy to forget that our gardens can also become a target for opportunistic thieves. From furniture and tools to bikes and side access points, a few simple steps can make a big difference in keeping your outdoor space secure, especially when paired with smart security that keeps an eye on things for you. Read SimpliSafe’s check list for what you can do to keep your belongings secure. Read the full list and find the security system that's right for you at SimpliSafe UK with 50% off at checkout. – Ad. 

Just a minute
Could you talk about your neighbourhood watch group for a minute, without hesitation, repetition or deviation? Just a Minute is a BBC Radio 4 game hosted by comedian Sue Perkins. Each panellist must try to talk on a given topic for sixty seconds.  Guests Paul Merton, Zoe Lyons, Chris Cantrill, Lucy Porter, were given the subject of ‘my Neighbourhood Watch group’. Have a listen here (scroll to 25 minutes into the show if you don’t want to listen to the whole thing).


Stephen Lawrence day webinar 
Stephen Lawrence Day is on 22 April. It marks the anniversary of Stephen's murder in 1993. This year, Neighbourhood Watch is marking the occasion by hosting a special webinar on knife crime, delivered in partnership with the Ben Kinsella Trust, one of the UK's leading charities dedicated to knife crime prevention and education. Join us at 10.30 on 22 April to learn what you can do to keep young people safe. This event is free and online.  Register for the webinar. 


Volunteer spotlight: Gloucestershire 
Phil Sullivan and Gloucestershire Neighbourhood Watch Association have been helping local people prepare for medical emergencies. The ‘Message in a bottle’ initiative is a simple but effective way for people to keep basic personal and medical details where they can be found in an emergency – in the fridge. The scheme is run by the Lions Club, and Gloucestershire NWA has given out 1000s of bottles to vulnerable people in the community. Find out more about the ‘Message in a bottle’ initiative here. 

Police reform 
The Government recently published its white paper on police reform, which if implemented in full, would be the most significant reform of policing in over 60 years, if not ever. There is little doubt that major police reform is required as the nature of crime and criminality has changed massively with the internet. Chief Executive of Neighbourhood Watch Network has shared his insights into what these changes might mean in practice and where the pitfalls lie. Read John’s blog here. 


Volunteer spotlight: Rashmee​
This month we’re celebrating the wonderful Rashmee Roshan Lall. Rashmee is one of our volunteers in Greenwich, London. She was recently celebrated at the 'Spirit of the borough' Civic Awards for her work uniting residents through local events and clean ups.  You may also recognise her as one of the stars in our strategy video! This award is so deserved, and we are incredibly grateful for the work she does, congratulations Rashmee! 

Protect your belongings with AlarmIDAlarmID is a portable security alarm designed to protect bags, laptops, and luggage from opportunistic theft. Loop it around your things or attach to your laptop. If someone tries to unplug, or cut the cable, a loud siren sounds instantly. Compact, easy to use, for everyday protection wherever you go. Get yours today. – Ad.  


New fraud disruption unit launched Launching in April, the new Online Crime Centre will bring together specialists from the government, police, intelligence agencies, banks, mobile networks and major tech firms to drive coordinated action against fraud. It forms part of a new and expanded Fraud Strategy. Police and companies that hold vital intelligence on scams will work side-by-side, share data and build a single picture of global fraud networks. Find out more on our website. 


Lottery update Congratulations to one of our lucky supporters who won £300.24 in the draw last month. You too can support Neighbourhood Watch and be in with a chance to win up to £25,000 a week. The lottery generates a steady source of income for us to support our volunteers better, build national projects, and make more of an impact. Play One Lottery here. 




Cybercrime survey 
Our fifth cybercrime survey published with the support of Avast is now online. The results demonstrate how keeping safe from online crime has become something of an everyday chore for us, with ever more sophisticated scams catching us out. Read the full survey report here. 


If you'd like on online version of this newsletter to share with friends or neighbours, you can find it here.  And finally, don’t forget that we have a date that we want you to put in your calendars! 1-7 June will be Neighbourhood Watch Week – the theme this year will be ‘Communi-tea’ - a mixture of community and tea party, and who doesn’t love a tea party? Find out more here. 
I hope you have a very happy and safe month – see you in May! 

Welcome to your Charity Bulletin
​
As a family of financial services businesses, the Benefact Group reinvests available profits back to charities and good causes. In this bulletin you'll find the latest support and news for charities from the Benefact Group. 

Join our Facebook Group
​
The Benefact Group Charity Network is a dedicated space for charity professionals to connect, collaborate and support one another. We'll also be sharing our latest support and events. Join to stay informed and inspired.

Join the group

How are trusts and foundations changing their grant-making?
​
We've partnered with Jo Jeffery, trusts and foundations expert, to explore recent changes to grant-making behaviours. 'The List' tracks shifts in grant making to help charities stay in the know.

Explore insights from The ListPlus you can join Jo for a webinar on 16th April to hear more about this sector-wide resource.

Sign up to the webinar.

A day of talks and workshops about Nature, Health and Wellbeing work delivered by professionals across Lancashire and the North West
The conference will showcase projects using the NatureWell approach to Nature and Heath in different settings including men’s groups, families and young people. We will share evidence-based models of practice rooted in eco-psychology and nature connectedness working in partnership across communities and within NHS Trusts.
Our theme will include reciprocity (between people and nature), recovery (personal and community), and regeneration (ecological and systemic) using an ‘Eco-Bio-Psycho-Social’ Model.

Who is the day for?

• People who work or volunteer in health or environmental organisations.
• Funders and policy makers who want to hear firsthand about the impact of effective health support in natural settings.
• People who want to develop a career in, or gain additional skills in nature and health work.

Speakers and workshops include;

• Michéal Connors - Director of the Natural Academy - accredited training provider in ecopsychology including the NatureWell approach to Nature and Health.
• Jacob Webster - Men’s NatureWell group facilitator and Associate Psychological Practitioner at Blackburn West PCN
• Liz Webley - Nature and Health work with families at Wildwood Days Forest School
• Mick Duckworth – Active Lifestyle Officer - Community engagement and Social Prescribing
• Peter Roworth - founder of The Wildwood Days Men’s Group
• Carl Dutton Mental Health Practitioner, Psychotherapist, and Forest School Leader and Nature Well Trainer working at Alder Hey CAMHS for past 23 years and in NHS for 40
• Shaun Roberts - NatureWell facilitator and woodworker
• Safiya Elgindy - Mental Health Practitioner and Eco-Therapist at 42nd Street, Greater Manchester, young people’s mental health charity
• Rachel Barker - Work force development in environmental and conservation organisations

This conference is funded by The National Lottery Community Fund and managed by Wildwood Days and Shine Coaching. Workshops will be hosted for free by one of our partner organisations Newground Together at Offshoots.

​Royal Horticultural Society - It’s Your Neighbourhood is a unique scheme for volunteer led community gardening projects/groups who are focused on improving their local environment through community gardening. Fennyfold Community Garden has received the top accolade - Level 5 for the second year running.

​Fennyfold Community Garden is about growing people as much as plants, they are definitely in sync, we have seen volunteers blossom, grow in confidence, who have been isolated, suffering from depression, physical difficulties and some non-verbal. Young people struggling to find work, people from all walks of life .

We educate our community on how important and uncomplicated growing plants is to achieve.
We have built are garden through recycling and re-using, what we buy in is sustainably sourced. Plus, we have been financially supported through grants from local organisations and businesses.

We educate our community on how important and uncomplicated growing your own food is. Our community cares about the environment but hesitate after seeing complicated media attention and we share with them techniques by example that are practical, fun and the fresh food always tastes great.

What we have learnt and endorsed is what we share now to minimise the impact of food miles on the environment, making a positive impact but leading the way for the whole of our community to participate in all the activities this site has the potential to provide.

What we do - who we support
Educationally we offer the whole community free hands-on gardening sessions, also accredited courses in horticulture.

Art for wellbeing, exploring painting techniques, creating mixed media.

Personally, our volunteers are the team behind everything we do. Bringing different skills from there lives, we offer a strong friendship bond to everyone with any skillset.

We have an activity calendar, and everyone chooses how much and what activity they wish to join in while at the garden.

Everyone has a say in how we develop the garden, this values our volunteers, plus makes the garden an attractive place to visit and be part of.

We have great fun at our monthly gardening classes for schools in the area, educating our young people about the importance of plant to plate. The wildlife they can enjoy understanding and getting creative through the seasons.

We also support activities of other groups, embarking on improving their green space. By sharing our experiences and helping with planning their resources.

We work with Padiham Town Council promoting Padiham Grow and Padiham Flower Show we love to attend every year.

Plus, we are working with Burnley Green spaces team with tree planting and creating a course for new tenants taking on allotments.

As well as being a hub for volunteering and community sessions, we are an educational site with a focus on environmental sustainability, biodiversity and how we can change the way we live for the benefit of ourselves, our families and our communities.

The RHS Neighbourhood Awards
The neighbourhood awards is an opportunity and recognition to Green up your local community with your friends and neighbours through gardening in this non-competitive programme, but it’s such a lovely community of gardeners. It motivates and creates incentives to gardeners to come together share ideas. Receive fantastic support from the area RHS coordinators and judges .

Annually we enter RHS, Northwest in Bloom competition. This the regional organisation of Britain in Bloom. Britain in Bloom is one of the longest running environmental competitions in the UK. Since 1964 communities have demonstrated the ability to create and maintain attractive natural environments.

The aim of the competition is to encourage the improvement of our surroundings through the imaginative use of trees, shrubs, flowers, veg and landscaping. Recognising volunteer’s achievements to upcycle. Protecting the environment and encouraging natures habitat.

We have participated for the past three years, and gleam advise, support and recognition for all our efforts.

RHS judging criteria structured around key themes. The emphasis placed on the key themes varies with the two campaigns. The key themes are:
· Horticultural Achievement
· Environmental Responsibility
· Community Participation

It’s a great organisation to link up with and our two Burnley parks and Burnley town centre have entered under their specific category.

We would recommend any community group to have a go and get involved it is a worthwhile cause for towns villages and all community groups however small.

Jean Hanson, Chairperson/Project Manager, said, "After a successful career and a Mancunian when retired I wanted to spend time in a relaxing environment, while being physically active and mentally stimulated. What a treasure I discovered in being a resident in Padiham and Burnley and getting to know so many wonderful people, living here and through our community garden. Thank you to everyone who supports us past and present."

Where you can find more information about us
Check out our Facebook page for all your gardening tips, our progress and the 2000 members who enjoy our page.

​Whats in store this April?

​This Is Nelson Presents: Census
Saturday 18th April 2:30 PM (Doors 2:00 PM)

Join us for this special performance touring the north this summer at our pop up space above 3B systems at the junction of Carr Road and Every Street.
​
This is what happens when a working-class community tells its own story. A bus ride. A bingo card. A memory you didn’t know you shared.

This is our neighbourhood, not the one in the media, but the one shaped by our stories, our laughter and our silence.

Award-winning duo Malandra Jacks invite you into a world of spellbinding projection, real voices and unapologetic heart. Census is part theatre, part time capsule: a celebration of communities rarely seen on stage.

Funny, intimate and defiant, Census is a love letter to working-class communities, a call to remember who we are and what we carry with us.
Click to tickets Book
 
Workshop: There's is also an option to join an evening workshop to contribute to making local content from your thoughts on the themes of the play. This will be held at 3B Systems Wednesday 15th April 1 - 3 PM. click here to book a place.

Join Pendle Social Cinema for On Falling 15 (2024) 

Laura Carreira’s impressive debut drama sees a quietly excellent Joana Santos endure dehumanising work conditions while looking for a way out.
​
Set in Scotland, the plot follows the plight of Portuguese immigrant and warehouse worker Aurora, trapped in a life governed by wage slavery and social isolation and its repercussions, leading to her emotional breakdown.
​
Thursday 30th April
Doors 6:30p.m., film starts at 7:00p.m.
Click to Book

We are operating a pay-what-you-can-afford basis - reserve seats now for free, then put what you can afford in our collection bucket.

LCC Community Engagement and Outreach/PHIL bus – Hajra Sardar: Hajra is part of LCC’s Community Outreach Team, which supports and creates links between LCC services and local communities. The team use the PHIL (Promoting Health in Lancashire) bus at community events to promote health and wellbeing in Lancashire . The bus can be booked for community events. The service can also attend events without the bus, and is able to bring along staff from other teams, such as Adult Social Care. To book the bus or talk to Hajra about linking up with LCC services at your event contact her at Hajra.Sardar@lancashire.gov.uk
 
Rossendale Valley Energy/Energy Redress Scheme – Andrew Pinches: Rossendale Valley Energy (RVE) is a community‑owned organisation supporting local households to reduce energy bills, cut carbon emissions, and live in warmer, healthier homes. RVE’s work focuses on ensuring residents are not left behind as the UK transitions to net zero.
​
What RVE Does
RVE delivers free, impartial energy advice, working closely with local partners to support households struggling with high energy costs or inefficient homes. Key activity includes:

• In‑home energy advice visits to help households understand and reduce their energy use
• Guidance on EPCs, smart meters, and energy bills
• Advice on home retrofit options, insulation and low‑carbon improvements
• Support to access grants and funding for energy‑saving measures
• Signposting to trusted local and regional advice services

Energy Redress / Fairer Warmth
Through Energy Redress funding, RVE is developing the Fairer Warmth Retrofit Record, linking recommended home improvements to clear, realistic energy bill reduction forecasts. This helps households and partners make informed decisions about retrofit and affordability.
Andrews full presentation is attached. Contact details: Email -info@rvenergy.org.uk, Phone - 01706 392646 and leave a voicemail, Text/WhatsApp - 07887 001472, Refer to RVE online - Online referral, Use Fairer Warmth - Fairer Warmth
 
Family Hub update – standing item

• The first SEND E Newsletter is now live, and the team would be delighted if you could take a moment to read it and share it with your community: https://mailchi.mp/a93962de4883/welcome-to-our-first-send-e-newsletter

This edition includes helpful updates, useful resources, and information designed to support children, young people, and families with SEND.

• The Colourful Footsteps SEND Friendship Group takes place at the Maden Centre, Bacup every Thursday 3.30-4.45, from 16th April to 16th July. More details on the attached poster
• The Rossendale SEND roadshow takes place on 6th May, 9.30pm to 1pm at The Zone/Rawtenstall family Hub
• Aaron Kershaw has been voted in as the Youth Parliament member for Rossendale, Ribble Valley and Hyndburn
• The Children and Family Wellbeing team are working with local nurseries as part of the Best Start in Life programme to ensure children are school ready
• For more information on any of the Family Hub items, or to join future Family Hub network meetings, email Rossendalefamilyhub@lancashire.gov.uk

 
Updates from partners
 
Rossendale Works: Wellbeing and Employment event on Thursday 23rd April, at Futures Park, Bacup OL13 0BB, 1-3pm. Flyer attached.
 
ACEs main grants programme open: The Programme will provide unrestricted grants between £20,000-£25,000 for up to four years. Expressions of interest from charities and CIOs with a planned annual income of £200,000-£2m, with a core focus of preventing or reducing the harm of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are welcomed. The programme
Is particularly interested in hearing from eligible organisations based in the North West of England, and eligible organisations working exclusively with adults and men. 
To find out if you meet the criteria and for details on how to apply, please go to https://leathersellers.co.uk/grant/charity-main-grants/
Deadline to submit expressions of interest: 5pm on Thursday 30th April 2026.
 
Rossendale Rotary: Are holding a charity fund raising event to support families of children with GAND, a rare genetic condition that affects brain development. The event takes place at Rossendale Sports Club, Marl Pits. BB4 7SW, on 15th April, and there is an entrance fee donated to the charity. See Poster attached.
 
Domestic Abuse Support: From 1 April 2026, all support services for medium and high-risk victims of domestic abuse will be delivered by Domestic Abuse Support Services Lancashire (DASSL). Victims who are currently accessing support through Victim Support have already been contacted and will move across to the new provider to continue to receive expert help. A stakeholder briefing with more information is attached.
 
Rossendale Social Prescribing Team: Kellie Holt is now managing the social prescribing team based at Haslingden Community Link. Contact Kellie if your organisation can offer a service that can work with the team and their clients. kellieholt@nhs.net
 
Burnley Pendle and Rossendale CVS: A comprehensive update from BPRCVS is attached that includes information on funding, the Helping Hands Lottery, Cancer Champions and much more!
 
Date of next meeting: 9.00am, Thursday 7th May 2026 on Teams. If you would like to come along to the next meeting to give us a presentation about a local project, please email me and I will add you to the agenda.

Coming Up This Month...
Our new magazine is out now! From the 1st April our Spring, Summer 2026 magazine will be sent out to you either by post or by email. The magazine will be filled with dates and times for all of our upcoming carers cafes, activities, courses, fundraising activities, 25 year celebrations information and much more.

From the 1st April you will now be able to book online on our website for upcoming activities and events. There's information on how to do this in the magazine, and on our website.

We hope you enjoy reading the magazine! You can find a copy here Carers Link Lancashire/About us/Publications

​Welcome to the Think CO Easter 2026 Newsletter. 

This quarter's newsletter has a "news" feel to it including how you can download our new Information and Support resources. These include organisations where you can potentially access funding and support for your clients in a cost-of-living crisis. We also highlight suspected CO incidents that emphasise Think CO's key messages linked to the CO risks of any carbon based fuel including in holiday rentals and campervans.

Think CO Zoom workshops and the e-learning course continue to be popular. Details about both are in the newsletter.

Do you have an idea to make South West Burnley better?

​Apply for up to £500.

We have so many great courses for young people aged 16-30 to get involved in. 

Courses are free and give people the tools to build their confidence, find a job or start their own business.
​
Coming up:

• Get Hired in Health and Social Care
• Team: our 12-week personal development course
• Build confidence with Explore

• Free funding to train or start work
• Support to launch your own business
• CV Review

Read on to find out more!

Upcoming Courses

If you have trouble accessing any of the links below, please click view in browser at the top of this email.

Get Hired In Health & Social Care

Location: St Peter's Health Care Centre, Burnley
Course date: 28 Apr 26
Ages: 18-30

Do you know a young person searching for a job in the Health and Social Care Sector? Our Get Hired programme is here to support them. We’ll empower them with the skills to shine in interviews, giving them a competitive edge. They will then have the chance to interview with employers offering support worker roles at the end of the day.

No matter the outcome, we'll provide them with one-to-one support to plan their next steps.

Eligibility Criteria:

• The programme is open to young people aged 18 to 30
• No qualifications needed
• From Burnley or surrounding areas or able to travel and then work in the area
• Young person needs to be willing and able to attend the one day programme and then work in the Health and Social Care Sector

Explore

Location: Burnley
Taster Session: 28 Apr 26
Course Dates: 5 May 26 - 29 May 26
Ages: 16-25

On our Explore programme, young people will take part in fun, challenging activities to help grow their confidence while taking steps to achieve their goals.

They will gain key skills to support them in life and work, including teamwork, leadership and communication. We'll provide regular one-to-one support to help young people achieve a positive outcome. ​

Team

Location: Lancashire and Cumbria
Course dates: Next programmes start Apr 26
Ages: 16-25

Join Team, our 12-week personal development programme, for the chance to gain new skills, earn a qualification and meet like-minded people.

Young people will take part in a group community project, go on a fun-filled residential trip, and develop their English, maths, communication and teamwork skills.

Support To Start Your Own Business

Location: Virtual
Course dates: Enterprise runs all year round
Ages: 18-30

Know a young person who is looking for support to launch their business? Our free Enterprise programme is here to help them turn that dream into a reality.

With expert-led workshops, one-to-one support, and opportunities to apply for funding, we provide the tools young people need to create a strong business plan and start a successful business.

Eligibility Criteria:

• The programme is open to young people aged 18 to 30.
• Young people must have the right to work in the UK, and must intend for the business to operate in the UK
• They must own, or plan to own, at least 50% of the business.
• If they’ve already started their business, they must have been actively trading for less than 1 year.
• To be eligible young people must live in Burnley, Hyndburn, Blackburn with Darwen, Preston, Pendle or Blackpool

CV Review Service

Location: Virtual
Ages: 16-30

The King's Trust CV Review Service will support young people to:

• Get expert feedback on their CV, cover letter and applications from corporate volunteers
• Get their CV reviewed by professionals from Barclays, Tesco, Apple and more
• Receive detailed feedback from at least two volunteers in word comment boxes

Available for all skill levels and industries, anonymised for privacy, response in 5-10 working days, adaptable to accessibility requirements.

Please send the CV, Cover Letter or Job Application answers in a Word document to the email address in the below link.

Downloadable Resources
If you work with young people, these might be useful as quick guides to our support. 

• Guide to our support
• How we help young people

Refer Someone For Support
We understand that some people may not know which course is right for them. If you know someone aged 16-30 who would benefit from an initial conversation to work out which course is right for them, fill in a short referral form and we will give them a call. Refer a young person

Didn't Find What You Were Looking For? Don't Worry 👇
If you know someone aged 16 to 30 who is thinking about their next steps but hasn't found the right course, we've got them covered.
Direct them to join our new email community to gain access to tools, tips and resources on-the-go to build confidence to spark career inspiration or business ideas. 
Sign up via the website today

Newsletter Sign Up
Signing up to our newsletters is the best way to find out about our upcoming courses.
Sign up to receive future newsletters by clicking here

Want To Get In Touch?
If you have a question for your local team, we're happy to help. Click the button below.
Contact us here

​We are delighted to invite partner organisations working with CVS to take part in our upcoming **Health & Eid Festival**, taking place on **Sunday 19th April 2026** at the **Chai Centre, Burnley**.

This special event is designed to bring together all sections of our community in a vibrant, inclusive environment where individuals and families can access, explore, and become more aware of the wide range of **health and wellbeing services, opportunities, and support available to them**.

We are expecting a strong turnout from across the community, with a diverse audience eager to engage with local organisations, discover new services, and build meaningful connections. Our shared goal is to **work collaboratively to provide the very best health and wellbeing support**, ensuring no one is left behind.

**Event Details:**
* **Time:** 10:00am – 2:00pm
* **Set-up:** From 9:00am
* **Location:** Chai Centre, Burnley

We will provide your organisation with a **dedicated space/table/area** to showcase your work, engage with attendees, and promote your services directly to the public.

We would absolutely love for you to join us and be part of what promises to be a well-attended and impactful community event. Please let us know if you would like to attend, along with any specific requirements you may have for your setup - info@bwaburnley.org.uk.

Together, we can make this a powerful and positive experience for our community.
We look forward to hearing from you.

New month, more updates!💭

Spotted any busy bees appearing this Spring? Well, there's been plenty at Healthwatch Lancashire as our teams have been up and down across Lancashire talking to you about your experiences!🌞

We've also just closed our last featured project of the 2025-2026 year with our new workplan soon to be announced - so keep your eyes pealed👀 ​

The Impact of Social Media on Young People

This project has completely flown by, and it's all thanks to the 1000+ people who chose to share valuable feedback with our team.

We are so incredibly grateful for everyone who chose to reach out to our team for case studies, to chat whilst out at events and who have taken the time to fill in our online survey.

Shortly, we will begin the analysis phase of our project with aims to have this report published mid-autumn after the Integrated Care Board and Lancashire County Council have had the opportunity to respond to our recommendations.

Collaborative Working

Steve joined the team at Healthwatch Westmorland and Furness to host pop-ups at Furness General Hospital and Westmorland General Hospital in partnership with the patient experience team at University of Morecambe Bay Hospital Trust.

Men's Health Survey🏥

Our men's health survey is live and encourages men across Lancashire to uncover what truly matters to men and their wellbeing.

We want to know:

• How would you describe men's health services in your area? 
• How comfortable do you feel talking to healthcare professionals about your health needs?
• What matters to you most about your health and wellbeing?

Enter and Views

Healthwatch Lancashire conducts announced visits to health and social care settings across Lancashire, talking to patients and staff.

The aim is to understand how care and service can be improved for patients whilst also highlighting the needs of staff members to provide sufficient care.

You can read some of our latest enter and view reports below.

The Victoria Day Care Centre

Healthwatch Lancashire representatives spoke with four people using the service. Three relatives and five members of staff provided written feedback. Read more.

Riverside Medical Centre, Preston

We spoke with a range of staff and patients on the day of the visit and spoke about how they feel about the service at the Medical Centre relating to communication, care and accessibility. We also received surveys from staff online after the initial visit. Read here.

​Out and about recently...

​Thanks for reading, see you next month🎉

​Please keep forwarding the clinic to any services you think would benefit from attending so we can continue to showcase the amazing resources we have across the patch.

Click each tile to enlarge and download a copy below to access the links contained within.

What have we been up to?

In recent months we've been reflecting on cross-sector conversations we've been hosting, exploring how local communities are responding to the climate crisis through Climate Lab Pendle, and building up our local womens' wellbeing group Hillo Hub amongst many other things. We thought we'd share a bit more about these two projects here. 

​Hillo Hub is a female-led physical activity programme for (mainly) South Asian women in Nelson to support physical, emotional and spiritual wellbeing. It evolved out of an identified need in the town, working with partners to listen to the needs of the community, for years, before taking the form we have today.

Alongside the activities, which focus on exercise (300 women have learnt to ride a bike through Hillo Hub!), social gatherings, women's health, food and faith; the programme supports the systems changes needed to overcome barriers to fitness amongst South Asian women.

We're delighted that we've recently been awarded £19,130 from National Lottery Awards for all to continue our work, though the financial reality is still tricky. 
​
"We were at a standstill until we heard the good news from Awards for All. But still, the struggles around funding are real...To make meaningful, structural changes takes years of hard work and we need the funding to match. Our plans now involve joint bids to secure future funding to continue the project longer-term. We have a particular interest at the moment in a project for women who can't currently access mainstream gyms, and there's an interest in swimming too". - Zoya Bhatti, In-Situ (co-founder of Hillo Hub)

Climate Lab Pendle is a programme of climate engagement where we have conversations with people in order to explore, rather than to tell. 

The work challenges ‘business as usual’ thinking and de-centres the emphasis on individual behaviour change, looking instead at structural changes.

The reflective events, conversations and resources have been supporting our communities to collectively navigate the complexities of the climate crisis and the inequality that lies at the heart of it. 

Climate Lab Pendle promotes knowledge, discernment, listening, respect and collective action. We are delivering a range of activities in Nelson and across Pendle, including Climate Fresks.

Climate Fresks were developed by a University professor in France, as a way of making simpler for his students the hefty IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) report. Cutting out the report's main graphics, he asked the students to sort these into cause and effect. 

This has now developed as an activity that takes people in group settings on a journey starting with basic human activities like building and eating, slowly unfolding a picture of where we are heading. 

Millions of people around the world are now taking part in Climate Fresks as a fun way of opening up conversations.

As part of Climate Lab Pendle, In-Situ's Anna Taylor, alongside climate activist and educator Tom Deakin, have created this case study: How to We Approach Systemic Crises at a Local Level?

Help us shape what comes next 📢

​Everyone should be able to access a high‑quality conversation about their mental health when they need it. But right now, many people wait too long for that support. And when they do finally get it, many don’t feel heard, or don’t get support that sees them as a whole person. We want to change that. And we need your help.

We’re in the early stages of developing a new campaign, and we want the input of Mind supporters like you to shape it. If you’d like to be the first to hear more, you can sign up to be a Mind campaigner.

One month left to take our Big Mental Health Survey!📜
Our Big Mental Health Survey is back and there’s still chance to talk about your experiences of mental health and the system surrounding it.

We want to hear from anyone 16+ in England and Wales, who’s used or tried to use mental health primary care services (like your GP or practice nurse), secondary care services (like Community Mental Health Teams (CMHTs)), or charity mental health support services in the past 12 months.

What you say could go on to push for better laws, build better services and create a system that works for everyone.​

Take the survey today. Change the system tomorrow.

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Contact our Infoline for information and help or get help now.

0300 123 3393

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We would be delighted if you could join us for the annual Convention of the University of Lancashire’s Institute for Planetary Resilience and Community Transformation (PACT).

PACT Convention: What does the Lancashire Growth Plan mean for us and our research?11am-3.15pm, Wednesday 22 April 2026
Engineering Innovation Centre, University of Lancashire, Preston campus

Register for PACT Convention, 22 April 2026 – Fill in form
The Lancashire Combined County Authority (Lancashire County Council plus Blackpool and Blackburn with Darwen Unitary Authorities) published the Lancashire Growth Plan in September 2025. The University of Lancashire aims to support the Plan’s aims through the research it carries out. But how much do you know about the Plan’s contents and its implications for research?

Our annual PACT Convention this year will be an opportunity to explore the Lancashire Growth Plan in more depth and understand the opportunities it presents for us to take forward meaningful research in collaboration with local partners.

You will be welcome to join us for all or any part of the day:

• 11am–1pm         Andy Walker, Head of Business Growth, Place Directorate, Lancashire County Council, and Matthew Guest, Head of Regional Business Engagement, University of Lancashire, will lead our discussion of the Growth Plan.
• 1pm–1.45            Lunch, with an opportunity to chat and view a poster display of recent research and projects.
• 1.45–3.15pm     Short presentations of emerging research and knowledge exchange activity with a connection to Growth Plan themes: net zero and clean growth, skills development, and health and wellbeing. We would love your feedback and thoughts.

Lunch and refreshments will be provided.

Attendance is free and all are welcome. Attendance may be particularly useful for people seeking more insight into the local policy landscape and to develop stronger research connections with the University. Please register via the link above.

From 1 April 2026, all support services for medium and high-risk victims of domestic abuse will be delivered by Domestic Abuse Support Services Lancashire (DASSL).
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Victims who are currently accessing support through Victim Support have already been contacted and will move across to the new provider to continue to receive expert help.