Do You Need Help With Universal Credit

Universal Credit claimants can currently access ‘Personal Budgeting Support’ and ‘Assisted Digital Support’ through Knowsley Council. However, the Department for Work and Pensions has decided that from, April 2019, this ‘Universal Support’ will be provided by Citizens Advice nationally and, locally, by Citizens Advice Knowsley. The service is being re-badged as “Help to Claim” and will be available to all those making a new claim for Universal Credit. Support will be provided up until the first Universal Credit payment is received and will include:-

Universal Credit entitlement checks and support to start a claim;
Set up email and online Universal Credit accounts;
Verify identity (using the Department for Work and Pensions “Verify” system);
Applications for ‘adaptions and easements’ (including direct payments to Landlords, more frequent payments and Advance Payments; and,
Referral on to longer term support (for example, debt and housing).

Referrals to the service can be made direct by the claimant, who can ‘self-refer’, as well as by the Jobcentre, Local Authority, Housing Providers and other agencies.

To access the service, telephone 0800 144 8 444 to arrange an appointment at a local Citizens Advice office.

The helpline is open Monday to Friday 8.00 am to 6.00 pm Calls are free from landline or mobile

For more information, go to the Citizens Advice Knowsley

General budgeting/money advice will continue to be available for residents through the Council’s Money Advisor who works on secondment as part of the Council’s Emergency Support Scheme within the Benefits Service and the Council’s One Stop Shop ‘Digital Champions’ will still be available to support residents to get online/use online services. However, residents who need support specifically related to claiming Universal Credit should be referred to the new “Help to Claim” Service.

MacMillan bus to visit Knowsley

The MacMillan bus will be visiting Knowsley next month, with professionals on-board to provide advice and support.

Whether you have a cancer diagnosis, have a friend or relative affected by cancer, or are worried about cancer in any way at all, there are lots of ways that Macmillan can support you - medically, financially, emotionally and practically.

The expert team are available to talk to you in confidence and provide information on all of the Macmillan services available to you. There's also a range of information you can pick up and take away.

The bus will be in Knowsley on:-

Thursday, 11 April between 10am and 4pm on Huyton Hey Road (opposite Iceland), Huyton Village Centre
Friday, 12 April between 9am and 3pm at Halewood Shopping Centre (opposite Specsavers, Halewood)

Staff will be able to provide information and advice on:-

Early signs and symptoms of cancer to look out for
Questions about the breast, bowel and cervical cancer screening programmes
Different cancers, their treatments and side effects
How cancer affects your life, for example: finances or employment
Talking about your cancer, or talking to someone with cancer
Being there for someone with cancer, or the support available locally
Survivorship and recurrence

MacMillan is also available from 8am until 8pm, seven days a week on 0808 808 0000.

Grants and Sponsorship to Support Local Communities

Knowsley Town Council has always supported community groups and local organisations through it grants and sponsorship scheme.

We believe that our Grants and Sponsorship Scheme offer an effective way to help and support residents in our community.

Our Grants and Sponsorship Schemes support new and ongoing activities across our Town Council locality. Supporting and investing in local resident associations, youth groups as well as older people’s groups.

At March's Council Meeting Millennium Morris Dancers where presented with a Grant of £500

Take a look at our Grants and Sponsorships Pageand find out how eligible groups and local organisations who are run by volunteers can apply.

For further information about our Grants and Sponsorship Scheme call us on 0151 548 4545 or email heatherweightman@knowsley.gov.uk

KNOWSLEY VETERANS HUB

Everton in the Community’s Health and Wellbeing arm is launching a project designed to support veterans within Merseyside.

Funded by the Royal British Legion, Knowsley Veterans' Hub (KVH) aims to engage ex-service personnel who are at risk of isolation with sport, training and social activities.

Once ex-service personnel (EPS) return home they can often struggle to readjust and the stress of making the transition from such a structured, highly disciplined lifestyle to civilian life can lead to a myriad of interlinked problems.

The programme will build on the success of EitC’s award-winning ‘Inside Right’ project and will offer a range of engagement tools, support mechanisms and evidence-based behavioural change methods to improve the lives of veterans and their families.

As well as directly supporting veterans, the programme also stands to benefit the local community with the participants improving their skills, finding employment, avoiding potential anti-social behaviour and reducing their likelihood of ill health.

KVH will openly welcome veterans and their families to engage in the project with available provision including one-to-one information, advice and guidance sessions; weekly coffee mornings offering an informal opportunity for participants to meet and facilitate social bonding; invaluable referral links and signposting to ex-forces specific organisations and a wide range of physical activity sessions.

There are over 8,500 identified veterans across Knowsley and these figures are continually increasing along with the levels of homelessness, unemployment and substance misuse.

The programme will allow participants to re-gain structure and routine into their lives as well as providing tailored information and support for the Knowsley area.

Following on from consultations with Knowsley Council and Royal British Legion, delivery will take place at various accessible venues across Knowsley including King George V Sports Centre, Royal British Legion Surgeries and Knowsley Council One-Stop Shops.

For more information on Knowsley Veterans Hub and how to get involved contact Dave Curtis, KVH Project Coordinator, via email on david.curtis@evertonfc.com.

Naafi beaks are Thursday

10.00am -12.00pm

Morning sessions Thursday

10.00am - 12.00pm

based at

Bob Whiley Community Centre

Shop Road

Knowsley Village

Contact Dave Curtis for more information

0151 530 5263/5253

The Cinnamon Trust Urgently Needs Volunteers in Stockbridge Village

The Cinnamon Trust is the national charity whose wonderful volunteers help people over retirement age and those in the latter stages of a terminal illness by offering all kinds of pet care.

What happens if illness, injury or just the fact that we all get older eventually affects our ability to look after our four legged companions? A large number of elderly or ill pet owners become very worried about their ability to care for their pets, feeling that their only option is to rehome them, this is where our national network of dedicated volunteers step in to offer support enabling them to stay together. We’ll walk the dog for a housebound owner, we’ll foster pets when owners need hospital care, we’ll fetch the cat food, even clean out the bird cage or litter trays.

If you would like to have a more in-depth chat about how we could help you or you are interested in becoming a volunteer please call us on 01736 757900 or you can download our volunteer registration form from our web site www.cinnamon.org.uk or email us at volunteer@cinnamon.org.

We urgently need volunteers to help a resident of Stockbridge Village whose dear little dog Spirit a 16 year old Chihuahua Jack Russell cross would love to go for a little walk so we wondered whether anyone might like to volunteer to help.

Please call Sally or Tressa direct on 01736 758707 or email sallycollins@cinnamon.org.uk or tressaherriott@cinnamon.org.uk

Registered Charity No: 1134680 The Cinnamon Trust is a limited company registered in England and Wales. Registered Office: 10 Market Square, Hayle, Cornwall, TR27 4HE. Company Number 07004861

NEW FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES

The Weaver’s Company – grants up to £15k for disadvantaged young people and Offenders – deadline 31^st March 2019:

https://mfip.org.uk/2019/01/16/funding-to-support-disadvantaged-young-people-and-offenders-31st-march-2019-uk/

Groundworks – ‘Changing Places and Lives’ funding – up to £25K grants for charities, CICs, Local Authorities, housing and health bodies to apply:

https://mfip.org.uk/2019/03/06/funding-of-up-to-25000-available-for-community-projects-england-scotland-wales/

Asda Foundation Grants – for community projects with Grants up to £30k+:

https://mfip.org.uk/2019/03/05/asda-foundation-grants-for-local-community-projects-uk/

Get help to give up this No Smoking Day - and throughout March

Smokers can get help to give up this No Smoking Day (Wednesday 13 March 2019) and throughout the month with the new Step into Summer Smokefree campaign.

Smokers are urged to quit and ‘breathe easy’ as part of the new Knowsley campaign, which will visit town centres, health centres and supermarkets throughout March with information, advice and support on giving up your way.

'Step into Summer Smokefree’ events

Date	Location	Time
Tuesday 12 March	Huyton town centre	9.30am to 2pm
Wednesday 13 March	Whiston Hospital	9.30am to 1.30pm
Thursday 14 March	Kirkby town centre	Morning
Friday 15 March	Huyton town centre	Morning
Wednesday 20 March	St. Chad's Centre, Kirkby	9am to 11am
Tuesday 26 March	Halewood Centre	9am to 11am
Thursday 28 March	Tesco, Whiston	10am to 1pm
Friday 29 March	Whiston Hospital	9.30am to 1pm

No matter how long you've smoked some of the benefits of giving up are almost immediate. You will experience improved energy and breathing within a matter of days and the appearance of your skin and teeth will be better too. Of course you also will start saving money as soon as you stop smoking.

If you can't get along to one of the events in March you can contact Smokefree Knowsley - which offers free support all year round - on 0800 3247111 or 0151 426 7462, text BREATHE to 61825 (normal network charge), visit the Ready to Stop Smoking website or visit your local pharmacy for support to give up smoking.

Two-day course launched to help Knowsley residents who are currently out of work

My Turn

My Turn is a new, two-day course aimed at people who are currently out of work and living in Knowsley or any other borough within the Liverpool City Region.

It will help course attendees build a positive future through gaining self-motivation and working to break down barriers to change.

What is included within the course

The course will include:

Looking at thought processes, feelings and behaviours
Teaching attendees how to embed positive thinking in their daily routine
Equipping attendees with techniques to tackle problem solving

At the end of this two-day course, confidence and self-motivation will have increased.

Course dates, times and venue

The two-day course is taking place on two separate occasions:

Tuesday 2 April and Wednesday 3 April - from 10am until 3pm
Monday 13 May and Tuesday 14 May - from 10am until 3pm

Both courses will take place at The Venue in Huyton.

To find out more or to make a course booking, contact hello@thewo.org.uk or telephone 0151 706 8111.

Cervical Screening Saves Lives

A new national campaign 'Cervical Screening Saves Lives' aims to raise awareness about the importance of cervical screening which can stop cancer before it starts.

The Public Health England campaign encourages all women to respond to their cervical screening invitation letters, and if they missed previous invites, to book an appointment at their GP practice.

Cervical screening, also known as a smear test, prevents up to 75% of cervical cancers from developing, and is estimated to save around 5,000 lives each year.

Screening is however at a 20 year low and one in four women do not attend when invited for this potentially life-saving appointment. Sadly, every day in England two women lose their lives to cervical cancer.

Everyone with a cervix, which is most women and many trans people, between the ages of 25 and 64 are invited to attend cervical screening every three or five years depending on their age. The screening test only lasts a few minutes and it could save your life.

For more information, visit the NHS website

Green Waste Service (Blue Bin)

The green waste (blue bin) collection in Knowsley will start up again during the week beginning Monday, 4 March 2019.

As blue bin collections are made on a three weekly cycle, please check the date of your next collection by viewing your online waste collection calendar.

There's a break in the blue bin collection service during the winter months due to the reduction in the amount of garden waste produced during this period.

Remember, you can recycle the following in your blue bin: lawn cuttings, shredded paper, finished flowers, prunings, hedge and tree clippings, twigs and branches, leaves, plants and weeds, untreated bark and wood chippings, pet bedding (clean or soiled).

For more information on recycling and waste in Knowsley visit the council's website and the Recycle Right website.