Preparing for a few weeks away!

This week has been a busy one with the preparation of going away on annual leave, so as it always does, it has felt like a mad rush before the relaxation can start. There has been ongoing community support, supporting organisations I have worked with before. Here are a few highlights for me this week:

DUK Moo Academy & Community Acupuncture Group: DUK Moo Academy approached me this week for some ongoing support around the establishment of a community acupuncture group. We’ve been exploring various funding avenues to set up the group but also to expand the offerings to include martial arts classes in the venue in Stanley. The potential for these classes to support those living in poverty in the community is helping to break down barriers to participation and essential health services.

East Durham Running Club: Support for the East Durham Running Club has continued. As we approach the year’s end, I’ve worked with Kaye Stephenson, a trustee, to ensure that the club’s accounts are in order, ready for submission to the charity commission. Kaye seemed overwhelmed by submitting the account, but taking the time to talk through it with her made her feel at ease about it all.

Community Spaces Project Another highlight of the week was the visit to Woodhouse Close Community Centre. I went through governance checks, a critical step in the development of our community spaces project. It is frustrating to hear some of the challenges we are facing around leases, and this was another one with the organisation taking on a 5-year lease for other funding, which has now brought up wider issues when applying for funding with 4 years remaining.

Catching Up and Preparing for Leave: It has been a week of catch-up and preparation for two weeks of leave and then straight into a three-day conference, so it seems like I have had to tick a few things off my list before I am due to finish. I am looking forward to a good break and hopefully coming back nice and refreshed.