Employment Skills Support Ready to take your next steps towards further education, volunteering or work? Go along to your nearest Community Hub for 121 conversations with our friendly Community Builders. They can help: Explore what matters to you Develop your CV Signposting to education, training and employment Consider volunteering opportunities Increase your confidence for online searches, applications, interviews Take up opportunities to get involved in your local community For more information please contact: community@fvaf.org.uk or 01594 822073

Tell us what training would help your organisation We're exploring how best to support the training needs of voluntary and community groups across the Forest of Dean. This might include hosting training ourselves, bringing in external trainers, or connecting you with existing resources and courses. Please complete this brief survey to let us know what would be most valuable for you. Your feedback will shape the support we're able to offer. Organisation Name: Your Role: Email Training Topics Which of the following topics would be most valuable for your organisation? (Please tick all that apply and add any others) Funding & Fundraising Marketing & PR Digital Skills/Using Technology Financial Procedures & Management Governance & Trustees Finding & Recruiting Volunteers Volunteer Management & Retention Embedding Climate Action Neurodiversity, Mental Health & Inclusion Safeguarding First Aid Health & Safety Food Hygiene Other Let us know your TOP 3 training needs: When Which days work best for you? (Tick all that apply) Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Preferred times: (Tick all that apply) Morning (9am-12pm) Afternoon (1pm-5pm) Evening (6pm-8pm) Where How would you prefer to attend training? (Tick all that apply) In-person only Online only Hybrid (option to attend either way) No preference If in-person: Forest of Dean only Willing to travel How Which learning formats work best for you? (Tick all that apply) Workshops (group sessions) Online webinars/courses One-to-one support/mentoring Drop-in sessions Self-paced resources Peer learning/networking groups 5. Additional Information Are there any barriers that prevent you from accessing training? (e.g., cost, time, childcare, accessibility needs) Any other comments or suggestions? Submit

Volunteer Heroes Crowned! The community turned out in force on Wednesday 7 September to see local volunteers crowned at a glittering awards celebration evening we held at the AccXel Training Centre in Cinderford. We created the Forest Volunteer Awards to recognise and celebrate the amazing efforts of local volunteers in the Forest of Dean. Earlier this Summer, we asked local people to nominate those volunteer heroes who have demonstrated exceptional and outstanding support to the local community over the past 12 months. The response was amazing and we received hundreds of nominations. An expert panel had the tough task of shortlisting the nominations and picking the winners. However, one category - Volunteer of the Year – Peoples’ Champion – was decided by a public vote with almost 900 votes cast. The winners were crowned at a special evening, held at the stunning conference space at the impressive AccXel Training Centre, which was provided for free to FVAF by local construction company the KW Bell Group, who were the main sponsors of the event. Volunteer of the Year went to Les Cockle, volunteer fundraiser at Great Oaks Hospice whilst Forest of Dean Host Ukrainians and Ukraine Community Hub jointly picked up the Community Voluntary Group of the Year. Young volunteers were celebrated with Keira Stone, volunteer at disability group, Together We Can crowed under 16 years old Young Volunteer of the Year, whilst in the 17 – 25 years old category, Chloe Whatley and Jordan Terrel were rewarded for their tireless hard work volunteering at the Sea Cadets in Lydney. Lisa Tootell was crowned Outstanding New Volunteer of the Year for her amazing impact for the Girl Guides in the Forest of Dean and Hips Social were recognised for supporting the local community and investing in improving the local area. The winners were presented with an award, a framed certificate and £100 Amazon voucher, kindly provided by sponsors the KW Bell Group. Deb Cook, Volunteering Manager at FVAF said “So much of what happens within our community is because of people who give their time and energy for free. We think that recognising the amazing efforts of volunteers and organisations is incredibly important which is why we have been so pleased by the reaction of the local people who have supported these awards by nominating and voting.” Deb added, “It has been an incredible evening and we are so lucky and proud of the strength of the amazing voluntary sector we have in the Forest.” Master of Ceremony for the Forest Volunteer Awards was Kate Clark, BBC Radio Gloucestershire presenter who kept the guests entertained with her expert hosting skills. Award winners were announced by guest presenter; Roger Deeks (FVAF Trustee), Nicola Bird and Yvonne Bell (KW Bell and main sponsor), Sue Middleton (Verderer of the Forest of Dean), Andy Lewis MBE (PT2 Para triathlete), Neill Ricketts (Founder of Versarien and chair the Forest of Dean Economic Partnership). The celebration evening was made possible thanks to generous sponsorship for the following local organisations: KW Bell Group and AccXel Training Centre – main sponsors Hot Tubs Rock Versarien The Midcounties Co- Operative FOREST VOLUNTEER AWARD WINNERS: Volunteer of the Year – Peoples’ Champion WINNER: Les Cockle – Great Oaks Hospice Highly Commended: Hannah McGowan (FOD Hosts of Ukrainians Support Group), Martin Elsmore (The Golden Triangle Club), Steve Gregory (FVAF / Walking with Wheels) and Mark Jones (Community First Responder SWASFT) Community Voluntary Group of the Year WINNER: FOD Hosts of Ukrainians Support Group and Ukraine Community Hub Highly Commended: Together We Can, Newnham Archery Club, Dean Radio, The Friends of Longhope Church and The Rewild Project Outstanding New Volunteer WINNER: Lisa Tootell – Girlguiding FOD South Division Highly Commended: Sarah Maxfield – Berry Hill Memorial Institute Young Volunteer of the Year 16yrs & under WINNER: Keira Stone – Together We Can Highly Commended: Toby Niblett – Lydney Youth Hub Young Volunteer of the Year 17 – 25yrs JOINT WINNERS: Jordan Terrell and Chloe Whatley – FOD Sea Cadets Community Impact Award WINNER: HIPs Social Highly Commended: Recycle Shop CIC Newent and Wilde Earth Journeys

Recovery & Wellbeing Café “A Community Created Curriculum of Curious Conversations” Weekly Face-to-Face Discussions & Recovery Educational Sessions Each Wednesday (Term Time) at Café 16 in Coleford from 6-8pm. “A safe space to create who you are, not be told what to think.” Join conversations with a diverse range of people with professional & lived experience of different subjects, local people who have gained understandings about the impact current concerns have upon mental health, recovery and wellbeing. We are building a supportive space where, as critical friends, we can learn together and support each other with our individual understandings. All curious & compassionate folk welcome.

Help us create a mural celebrating the Forest of Dean's tradition of community action ! We're creating a mural to celebrate our incredible heritage of community action, mutual support, and resilience! From our mining traditions to welcoming Ukrainian families, from river fishing to friendly societies – we want to hear all the stories that matter. The finished mural will be painted on the side of Ow Bist - Forest Community Space, Dockham Road, Cinderford, creating a lasting tribute to our community's story. We've held two drop-in workshops, led by local artist Tom Cousins, where we invited the community to come along and share their amazing stories and ideas about what makes our area special. Couldn't Make It to the Workshops? We Still Want to Hear From You! We've created the below online survey – so you can still contribute your memories, stories, and ideas for the mural. Whether you've lived here all your life or recently made this place home, your perspective is valuable. What We're Looking For Personal stories that capture the spirit of our community Memories of local traditions, places, or events Examples of how neighbours have supported each other What makes you proud to be part of this community Ideas for images or symbols that represent our shared heritage Share your thoughts and ideas below: Your Forest of Dean Stories Your name (optional) How long have you lived in/been connected to the Forest of Dean area? 1. What does community spirit mean to you in the Forest of Dean? 2. Which of these themes resonate most with your experience of our area? (Tick all that apply) Food & Resources (traditional land use, fishing, growing food, sharing resources) Landscape & Environment (rivers, mining heritage, how place shapes community) Arts & Culture (music, festivals, creative traditions) Community Action (mutual aid, rights movements, defending our heritage) Settlers & Diversity (different communities who've made this area home) 3. What's a story, memory, or tradition from the Forest of Dean that you think should be celebrated in the mural? 4. Are there particular people, groups, or movements (historical or recent) that represent the community spirit of our area to you? 5. What would you like visitors and future generations to understand about the Forest of Dean community? Would you be interested in helping with the mural painting in August? Yes - I'd love to help paint! No, but I support the project Email details (if you'd like updates) Submit

COMMUNITY CONNECTORS’ FORUM/KNOW YOUR PATCH NETWORK In-person event 14 June 2022 at The Wesley, Cinderford Event Feedback \ Thank you for participating in our event! Tell us what you thought about it. Name & organisation Please indicate on a scale of 1 – 10, where 1 is the most negative and 10 the most positive What was your overall impression of the day? 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 What was your experience of the speakers? 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Please share any comments about your overall impression of the day and the speakers What was your experience of the activities? 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Please share any comments about the activities What was your experience of the refreshments? 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Was there anything else that you feel could have been provided? What would you like to see in future events? Suggested speakers/format etc Your email Send Feedback Thanks for your feedback!

Devenir membre de la FVAF En devenant membre de la FVAF, vous nous aidez à continuer à fournir un service de soutien vital au secteur bénévole et communautaire dans le Forêt de Dean . La FVAF agit en tant que défenseur de l'action volontaire et communautaire, le cas échéant, au niveau du district, du comté et au niveau national, et plus nous représentons de membres, plus notre voix est forte. Les membres sont donc consultés sur les questions ayant un impact sur le secteur bénévole et communautaire dans la forêt de Dean et sur ce que nous visons à réaliser en tant qu'organisation. En tant que membre, vous bénéficierez de l'accès à nos services de bureau, de tarifs d'impression et de copie réduits, de la promotion de postes bénévoles pour votre groupe et de la location gratuite d'une gamme d'équipements de bureau. Ceci comprend: Tableaux d'affichage Boucle auditive Projecteur numérique et écran Système de sonorisation Tableaux à feuilles mobiles Table pliante longue Urne traiteur eau chaude Gazebo (don de 5 £ requis) Si vous souhaitez devenir membre de la FVAF, veuillez cliquer sur le bouton Rejoindre la FVAF à droite et remplir le formulaire. Pour plus de détails, appelez le 01594 822073 C'est GRATUIT de devenir membre de la FVAF pour accéder à tous nos services d'assistance Rejoindre la FVAF

Association des jeunes de la forêt Forest of Dean Youth Association est là pour offrir aide et soutien aux jeunes et aux clubs, groupes ou organisations de jeunes. Se faire de nouveaux amis Impliquez-vous dans votre communauté Poursuivre un intérêt Essayer quelque chose de nouveau Apprendre de nouvelles compétences Bénévole Faire un monde meilleur Faire du bénévolat Il existe de nombreuses possibilités de bénévolat pour les jeunes et les adultes. Si vous êtes un jeune à la recherche d'un travail bénévole à faire pendant votre temps libre, pour acquérir plus de compétences ou dans le cadre de votre programme DofE, veuillez nous appeler ou visiter https://do-it.org/ De même, si vous êtes un adulte qui possède des compétences et des connaissances ou si vous souhaitez soutenir une organisation de jeunesse au sein de la forêt de Dean, veuillez nous contacter car de nombreuses organisations apprécieraient votre soutien. Adhésion affiliée pour votre club / organisation Lorsque vous vous affilierez à l'Association des jeunes de Forest of Dean, vous aurez droit à notre gamme complète de services, qui offre des conseils et un soutien dans tous les aspects de la gestion d'une organisation comme la vôtre. Nous organisons également un calendrier d'activités auxquelles vos bénévoles et jeunes peuvent participer moyennant des frais nominaux. Pour connaître tous les avantages ou pour inscrire votre club, cliquez sur les liens suivants Avantages de l'adhésion à une association de jeunes pour les clubs Formulaire d'adhésion à l'association des jeunes pour les clubs Coordonnées Pour plus d'informations Si vous souhaitez en savoir plus sur l'un de nos projets ou événements ou sur la manière de vous impliquer, veuillez contacter notre agente de développement de l'association des jeunes, Alethea Bumpstead au FodYouthAssociation@fvaf.org.uk For More Information If you would like to know about any of our projects or events or how to get involved, please get in touch with us at hi.ya @fvaf.org.uk Aide financière Forest of Dean Youth Association est fière de recevoir le soutien financier des conseils municipaux de Cinderford et de Coleford. Si votre paroisse ou votre conseil municipal souhaite en savoir plus sur l'association des jeunes de Forest of Dean ou sur la manière dont vous pouvez nous soutenir, veuillez nous contacter par e-mail. FodYouthAssociation@fvaf.org.uk

The podcast kit is also available for hire to voluntary community groups. For more information on The Community Action Pod and ways to get involved contact the Host Melanie Benn on melanie@fvaf.org.uk or 01594 822073. Produced by Forest Voluntary Action Forum Funded by the Barnwood Trust Digital Inclusion Fund

Forum des connecteurs de la communauté - Connaissez votre réseau de correctifs Supporting Strong and Thriving Communities with Know Your Patch Soutenir des communautés fortes et prospères avec Know Your Patch Know Your Patch du Forum des connecteurs communautaires (CCF) relie le secteur bénévole et communautaire, les services statutaires et les résidents locaux d'une manière qui crée de meilleures méthodes de travail. Le réseau Forest of Dean Know Your Patch est conçu pour connecter le secteur bénévole et communautaire, les services statutaires et les résidents locaux d'une manière qui crée de meilleures méthodes de travail qui, en fin de compte, renforcent nos communautés. Cette « offre communautaire » est particulièrement vitale pour prévenir ou retarder l'escalade des besoins de santé. Nous organisons des événements trimestriels dans toute la forêt de Dean où nous invitons les parties prenantes à se joindre à la discussion sur ce qui compte dans leur communauté et sur la manière dont les services et les groupes du secteur bénévole peuvent aider à soutenir cela. Chaque événement Know Your Patch est GRATUIT et ouvert à toute personne souhaitant participer à la conversation. Si vous souhaitez y assister, veuillez appeler le 01594 822073 ou envoyer un e-mail à help4groups@fvaf.org.uk . Nous envoyons également des e-mails réguliers et des mises à jour à notre réseau Know Your Patch concernant ce qui se passe dans la forêt de Dean. Si vous souhaitez rejoindre ce réseau, abonnez-vous ici . Grâce au financement de Conseil du comté de Gloucestershire , Know Your Patch est également disponible dans tous les autres districts du Gloucestershire. Si vous souhaitez en savoir plus à ce sujet, veuillez visiter ici . Voici quelques-unes des recherches qui sous-tendent notre réflexion : "Nous avons tous un rôle à jouer pour aider les individus et les communautés à développer le capital social. Il est de plus en plus reconnu que, bien que les groupes sociaux et les communautés défavorisés aient une gamme de besoins complexes et interdépendants, ils ont également des atouts au niveau social et communautaire. qui peuvent aider à améliorer la santé et à renforcer la résilience aux problèmes de santé » (The Kings Fund, 2018) "Ceux qui avaient des relations sociales adéquates avaient un taux de survie de 50 % supérieur à celui des personnes ayant de mauvaises relations sociales" (Holt-Lunstad et al 2010) "Les réseaux sociaux se sont révélés être des prédicteurs de mortalité aussi puissants que le mode de vie courant et les risques cliniques tels que le tabagisme modéré, la consommation excessive d'alcool, l'obésité, l'hypercholestérolémie et la tension artérielle" (Pantell et al 2013 ; Holt-Lunstad et al, 2010) . "Le soutien social est particulièrement important pour accroître la résilience et favoriser le rétablissement après une maladie" (Pevalin et Rose, 2003) "Le manque de réseaux sociaux et de soutien rend plus difficile l'autorégulation du comportement et le renforcement de la volonté et de la résilience au fil du temps, ce qui conduit à l'engagement dans des comportements malsains" (Cacioppo et Patrick 2009). "La participation communautaire réduit l'isolement, l'exclusion et la solitude" (Farrell et Bryant 2009 ; Sevigny et al 2010 ; Ryan-Collins et al 2008) "Un capital social fort améliore les chances d'éviter les risques liés au style de vie comme le tabagisme" (Folland 2008 ; Brown et al, 2006) Autumn Programme 2025 September 2nd (Short) Thriving Communities The TC grant was launched in August. Come along and find out more about it and hear about the work that has been funded through the scheme. 16th (Short) Digital Inclusion Strategy – Stakeholder Engagement with GCC This session will be led by those involved in the Digital Inclusion Project in Gloucestershire. 30th (Short) Health in the Forest A focus on health-related matters and support that is available in our locality. October 14th (In-person) Spotlight on Cinderford This meeting will take the form of a walk around the town visiting some of the projects that are being led by FKYP members and partners. We will meet at Ow Bist Forest Community Space and follow a route round Cinderford. 28th (Short) FODCAP Update Come along and hear about developments and updates on project in the Forest. November 11th (Short) Community Support Showcasing the work of several community groups who work for the benefit of the Forest Community. 25th (Long) Health in the Forest Another session where we will focus on health-related matters and support that is available in our locality. Please note The meeting on October 14th will be in-person and an opportunity for all those attending to network. All other meetings are online on MS Teams. The invitation will be sent out at the beginning of the season and then the link will be added to the regular reminder email – together with meeting notes from the previous session and the Agenda for the meeting If you would like to deliver a presentation at a forthcoming meeting or there is a topic that you would like to be addressed, please contact Teresa Rose, FKYP Facilitator at fodkyp@fvaf.org.uk to discuss this further. We look forward to seeing you in the forthcoming weeks.