Minutes

Present

Pauline Woodhouse (Co Chair), Debbie MacColl, Claire Jones, Dawn T, Dorsa P, Connie Nunn,

Sheila Baker, Neelam, Sally Wood, Kate Hirom, Kate Scott, R Packman, Morcea Walker

Apologies were received from Surendra, Rachel Duncan, Stephanie Challis and Elona.

AMENDMENTS –

Page 1 add Neelam to apologies.

Page 3  Breast Friends, item 3 - breast cancer does not affect JUST women

Page 3 Consultancy Support – line 1 - Sally had NOW set up a consultancy business

Matters Arising

Neelam asked for full names rather than initials.

Questions were raised around the gap in services and the scoring system on the DASH form being dependant on who was completing it.  Having the one front door of Voice for victims did not suit everyone.  May people, especially from BAME communities felt they could not access such agencies - awareness and training was required.  This was not restricted to DA either with some horrendous hate crimes going unreported.  Pauline asked if there was room for a BAME member on NADASA to ensure there was strategic input from the wider community.  Morcea responded that some white colleagues were more vociferous than she was in support of diverse communities.  Neelam however stated that she had attended a meeting several years ago and had been all but dismissed and none of her points had been recorded.  She wanted community groups mainstreamed, they had been told their needs would be met but that hadn’t happened.  It was agreed though that Rachel and Christian had been very pro-active in their engagement with diverse communities.

Neelam – asked for what funding OPFCC was given for and what outcomes there were.  Get someone senior from OPFCC – this is still the gap – need it filled.

·         Breakdown of how much funding given, who received, overall outcomes and beneficiaries.

·         Further breakdown of beneficiaries from non-white

·         What is split of referrals going in to Voice white/non-white

·         What doing to make themselves accessible to non-white/non-British

Rachel stated that when funding opportunities came up some groups found it difficult to access them and she would and promote them when she saw they were available.  The OPFCC funding was available for projects that would fit the Police & Crime Plan with some very open topics.  More information was on the website - http://www.northantspfcc.org.uk/get-involved/community-grants-2/ alternatively you could discuss projects with the Funding Officer.   The next deadline was 10 February.

It was felt that community groups found it hard to apply for funding due to the amount of time required to apply, then monitor and evaluate while delivering the project as they were all volunteers.  Neelam stated it would be useful to have a workshop to give practical advice for specific funds.   Claire, from St Andrews Healthcare, Stated the Young Farmers group she was a part of had been offered £10k for rural isolation and preventing suicide in young people/young adults.  It had taken 6 people 3 or 4 sessions to do the application and she would welcome workshops around specific grants.

Post Meeting Update – If enough people are interested VIN can look into running a specific workshop.  However they have a generic workshop already scheduled for 26 March which can be booked  through this link but please hurry as it is filling up fast.

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/introduction-to-grant-applications-workshop-tickets-89061526423

Dawn stated that some of the OPFCC criteria were so broad that is was difficult to administer.  She had just submitted an end of year report for NCF which had been a lot of work for £3k.

Aviva had just opened up a new funding pot – information has been circulated.

The draft flyer was circulated for comments.  This year we were linking in with #TechWomeNN Trailblazers to celebrate the women already working in digital and tech industries and to promote the careers available for girls and women.  There would be at least 1 ‘tech’ workshop in the Guildhall plus several others around the town centre.  There would also be an interactive trailblazers quiz which would guide people around the different locations.  Inspirational Woman Award would be at 2pm.   Anyone who wanted a stall and hadn’t sent a form in, please do it as soon as possible.  Confirmations had now gone out to those who had already applied.

Debbie was waiting for confirmation from Singing for Breathing to see if they could close the event as the Rock Choir could only do earlier performances.  Action: Morcea to contact Girls School to see if they would like to do a performance around 12 noon. 

Holocaust memorial event – Monday 27 January event at the Guidlhall with various performances, arrival from 6pm.  Please support.  There was also a mid-day civic event in the Guildhall courtyard.

Lecture at Synagogue – need to log on Eventbrite – send to me to circulate – 2^nd February.

Carnival 13 June – there would be a Forum float hopefully with representation from each group. 

Knife Angel, the National Monument against aggression and violence, was coming to Northampton in June and would be sited on the All Saints Piazza.  There would be all sorts of opportunities for engagement.  Police week of action for knife crime was also during the first week of June. 

Chinese New Year event  at the Deco – 12 – 3pm on Sunday 26 January.

Palestinian students visiting Northampton with an evening meeting on 3 Feb with speeches – all welcome and free. 

Towns Women’s Guild were engaging with a local women’s refuge.  They would meet in there for coffee and knit, the residents come over and chat while they made things for the children.  Ladies that work in there are absolutely wonderful and take the flack of lack of funding.  Knitted them trauma teddy bears – get lots of things donated but everything was shared across county.  They needed children’s socks and trauma blankets.  They had also sold some teddy bears which helped raise money to buy the yarn to make more.

Festival of colours - 14  March from 5pm at Weston Favell Parish Hall – come in clothes you don’t mind getting ruined! Good fun.  Drop in and join in.  Family event and very good fun for children.

Chai and Chat ladies group was doing very well, a self-financing group that had started about 5 years ago.  They chose a charity every year to support and this year it was Alzhiemers.  There were a few  token male members who would come every now and then.  All women bring a dish so there was plenty to eat.  Love people to come and see.  Nicola Powell coming to speak (Veolia) on Friday.  Once a month adult learning classes – some kind of craft.  £2 to attend but you get a really nice lunch. Started walk and talk – with a walk in Abington Park on Monday – Thursday 10.30 – 11.30 meet by café.  This had started with just Mondays but had to expand due to its popularity.  Good success stories – one woman need inhaler after 1 loop – now doing 6 loops – tackling loneliness etc.  Need at least group of 2 and the walk kept to the area dogs had to be kept on leads.  Need to know if you are coming so they could look out for you.

Sikh Community had a youth social action project generally doing things to help people out such as litter picks and knitting so could so some socks for the refuge.

Rachel McGrath was co-ordinating a food poverty group.  BBC radio would be running a project around  ...  view the full minutes text for item 5.

Voice/OPFCC as discussed in Matters Arising.

Health – impact on women’s health with changes in services - understanding changes in provision. 

1.       Broad overview of changes in NGH on women.  Someone who understands care pathways in NGH

2.       Prescriptions – getting free delivery if order online through some places, some now not doing delivery.  Who?  Boots? National body – Healthwatch?

3.        Social prescribing. 

For Overview and Scrutiny Committee – women and abuse (DA/SA) and gap in provision

There was no other business.