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Lancashire Affordable Warmth Forum 27th October 2025 HOSTED BY: The Savoy Suite The Exchange Fourth Floor Count   Allow us to re-introduce ourselves…
From 1st October 2025, drug and alcohol services across Lancashire will come together as a single, county-wide service: Inspire Lancashire, delivered by Change Grow Live. You may have known us previously as Inspire East Lancashire or Inspire North and Central Lancashire — now, we’re joining forces under one name to offer a more joined-up, consistent approach. Our vision is clear: to integrate our teams and elevate the support we offer. We’re not here to reinvent the incredible work already happening — instead, we’re building on what’s strong, identifying where we can improve, and raising the bar in how we support the people and communities we serve. Beyond Words Book Clubs are places to have fun, make friends and tell stories by reading word-free picture books together.
Welcome to the Autumn 2025 Think CO e-newsletter from the Gas Safe Charity. Autumn seems to have arrived early in many parts of the UK. Leaves have started turning yellow and blackberries have become overripe. Even though the summer warmth has left us, people probably haven’t put their boilers back on or lit their coal fire just yet. Early autumn is an excellent time to get gas and other appliances serviced and to have chimneys and flues swept before they get used for the first time in months – Think CO’s top tip. In your role as a CO aware worker or volunteer, it’s a great opportunity to remind your clients to get this done or to chase landlords for a tenant’s annual gas safety check if it hasn’t been done in the last year.  Another month gone by and suddenly Autumn is upon us.
It's not officially Autumn yet, but the weather is telling us something else. We have been very fortunate in having a long spell of summer weather, so it's now time to dig out the woolly jumpers and waterproofs. I shall certainly be packing an abundance of these in readiness for a trip to the Isle of Mull. As many of you probably know, Scotland can give you all 4 seasons in one day! Fingers crossed for some decent weather. I recently saw a news items advising people on how to plan for Christmas. Yes, apparently it is only four pay slips or pension payments away! It does bring home how soon the expensive season will be upon us. The Craft group will be making Christmas items, such as boxes, bags and, more importantly, chocolate truffles to put in the boxes. Doubt they will last until then! The knitting group is also looking at producing festive themed items. All sounds very interesting.  There are still a few tickets left for the Smile Conference 2025, taking place on Friday 3rd October 2025 at Burnley Youth Theatre, from 9:30am to 3:30pm.
The event is completely FREE and includes lunch. Where & When Chai Centre Hustley St, Burnley, BB101BY Wednesdays 10:00 to 12:30 Starts 8th October 2025 Interested? Please contact: [email protected] or speak to someone at the reception.   Lancashire’s Police and Crime Commissioner is urging young people and their parents to understand the serious, long-term consequences of using e-bikes and e-scooters illegally, following a record-breaking number of seizures by police.
In July and August alone, officers seized 359 illegal machines across the county, thanks in part to the introduction of a new fleet of six specialist motorcycles designed to help officers reach off-road and hard-to-access areas where scrambler bikes are frequently used. So far in 2025, more than 752 illegal machines have been seized, a figure never before achieved by the force. This enforcement forms part of Operation Centurion, a county-wide crackdown on anti-social behaviour, backed by Police and Crime Commissioner Clive Grunshaw. The operation targets nuisance vehicles, including scrambler bikes, which are increasingly linked to criminality, road safety risks, and community disruption.  We are writing to inform you of an important development regarding the future structure of local government in Lancashire.
As you may be aware, the government has announced its intention to simplify governance in areas with two-tier systems, such as Lancashire, by creating new unitary councils that deliver all local services through a single authority. Good Things Foundation update - what have we been up to.  Here’s a quick round-up of what we’ve been working on recently to drive digital inclusion forward:
 As we move into autumn, we’re poised to highlight the importance of equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) with National Inclusion Week – a timely reminder of the role we all play in creating a fairer, more inclusive voluntary sector.
We will also be at the Labour Party conference at the end of September, showcasing the impact of our members as well as lobbying for a better partnership between government and civil society, building understanding of the Civil Society Covenant, and positioning voluntary organisations and charities as a critical partner in creating change together. For more on both of these, and others, in this edition of Membership Matters we also share a number of exclusive offers and events coming up for our members including: expert-led webinars, wellbeing support, details of our Annual General Meeting, and the launch of the Civil Society Almanac 2025.  It has been a difficult few weeks, with a rise in racist incidents and a sense that such behaviour is becoming more normalised.
The far right rally in London at the weekend drew around 110,000 people and gave a voice to racist hatred. In communities nationwide, hate crime is increasing, alongside a worrying perception that it is acceptable to single out people who ‘don’t look British.’ Union Jack and St. George flags have been used as a symbol of far right support, with an insidious veneer of “but it's our national flag” in the face of criticism. It is scary, unnerving, and threatening. Many of you will have experienced aggression, or be supporting people who have. You’ll see communities feeling unsafe, feeling frustration with the wider establishment response, or feeling unsure about what we can do. Our role as local infrastructure organisations is to support strong, united communities, which is more important than ever. We are here to listen to and support people, and to build a sense of a shared, positive, inclusive place. We can focus on the positive, call out the aggression, and amplify anti-racist voices. I have been looking for people and places offering me hope, and we can do the same in our roles. Bolstering each other and our community is our superpower right now. I have attached some thinking from the Emergencies Partnership team as they too call out the threat of violence and reality of unrest. This is an internal tool for the Emergencies Partnership team, but might be useful to inform your thinking. I also wanted to share this useful guide from New Ways - When Hate Spills Into Workplaces - A Leaders Guide. It has practical, active steps we can take, and is a piece I certainly find useful to reflect on. It's easy to feel inadequate, and that whatever we do is insufficient in the face of such significant problems. Let’s know that what we has impact, and know that what we do to support inclusive, resilient, thriving communities matters. Lancashire’s Police and Crime Commissioner, Clive Grunshaw, has launched a dedicated WhatsApp community to keep Lancashire residents up to date with the latest updates, news and initiatives covering crime and policing in Lancashire.
By signing up, residents can be the first to hear about important announcements, community safety updates, and opportunities to get involved. Anyone with Whatsapp installed on their device can join by using the sign-up link and choosing the ‘join community’ option. Users can press the notification icon, which is in the shape of a bell, to receive notifications. The 2nd "Let's Talk About Suicide" conference is nearly here, just two weeks to go! We have a fantastic lineup, and our theme this year is "Collaboration for Impact." We're in the process of finalising stalls, and there are still a few tables available. I’ve included the YouTube link to last year's conference to showcase what a fabulous day it was. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YKiTML1pUgM  LCC is about to launch the warm spaces grant – this year the grant will fund up to £750 for groups providing a warm space.  Is your organisation looking for enthusiastic volunteers to support your projects? The University of Lancashire’s Centre for Volunteering and Community Leadership (CVCL) is inviting VCFSE organisations across East Lancashire to get involved, advertise opportunities, and connect directly with students.   Do you have a physical or mental health condition and need support to stay in work or return to work?
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