One Knowsley, the infrastructure body for the third sector in Knowsley, has announced groundbreaking outcomes from its Community Champions programme. The programme, co-produced with Knowsley Council, engaged with 38 partner organisations, recruited 133 champion volunteers and resulted in the delivery of over 200 projects and events across Knowsley this summer.
To draw the curtain on the programme, champions from across the VCFSE sector gathered alongside representatives from Knowsley Council, including Cllr Christine Bannon – Knowsley Council Cabinet Member for Health, One Knowsley, NHS and local public health teams, for a celebration at The Courtyard @ Court Hey Park.
At the event, which featured a spirit-lifting sing-a-long led by Community Champion Rachel Waite of Singing Mamas CIC, One Knowsley announced that the programme had resulted in the distribution of 9,000 leaflets within the community, 4,000 conversations in public spaces and 15,000 social media impressions, across a six month delivery period.
Working in partnership with Knowsley Council, One Knowsley distributed £182,000 of funding from the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, to Community Organisations across the borough. Champions developed a range of innovative local solutions to promote wellbeing by improving awareness of, and access to, up to date COVID-19 vaccination information and services.
Racheal Jones, Chief Executive, One Knowsley, said:
“This programme has truly been a celebration, with so many groups and organisations working tirelessly within our communities throughout the pandemic, to support our most vulnerable residents.
“The last six months has presented a real opportunity to bring communities together through events and projects – with this programme helping to nurture new relationships, connecting communities, organisations and volunteers together.
“It has empowered everyday people with life changing knowledge and opportunities to recharge, reflect and celebrate.”
“As well as sharing key health and wellbeing messages, the Community Champions funding helped kickstart Knowsley’s recovery from COVID-19 and this is certainly just the beginning for a more connected and more engaged borough.”
Cllr Christine Bannon, Knowsley Council Cabinet Member for Health, said:
“The Community Champions programme has been a huge success, enabling grassroots engagement with our communities.
“As our borough opened up and started its recovery from COVID-19, it was vital we found ways to continue to deliver the latest vaccine and safety information to our residents. The Community Champions Programme supported local organisations to deliver those messages, raise awareness and bring our communities together.
“I would like to thank everyone involved in the programme for their hard work and dedication.”
For more information about One Knowsley visit https://oneknowsley.org