The Communities Service has five small teams around the county. Each team has two Community Coordinators and a Community Connector.
Our aim is to support communities across Cambridgeshire to thrive. We do this by working with residents to develop activities and facilities for people of all ages. Our teams help communities grow and get stronger. They link, support, and work with local groups and public services.
What we do
- Discover community strengths - We look for the good things in the community. This includes talented people, helpful organisations, and places that make communities special.
- Connect and collaborate - If you are interested in starting a new group, we can connect you with others locally or further afield.
- Support local groups - We work with your community to help understand its needs and help it to gain the skills, tools, and resources to achieve your goals.
- Build strong relationships - We encourage people to get to know each other and work together. It creates a sense of unity and cooperation. This also includes hosting partnerships and forums.
- Create positive change - We help communities to use their combined strengths to solve problems. This creates lasting, positive change.
- Seed funding - We can support new initiatives to get started with small grants through our - Community Reach Fund | Cambridgeshire County Council)
If you want to find out about volunteering in your community visit:
Volunteering | Cambridgeshire County Council
Volunteer Cambs | VolunteerCambs
Youth work
The Communities Service supports the County Council’s duty under Section 507B of the Education Act 1996. This is to secure, so far as reasonably practicable, leisure-time activities and facilities for young people aged 13 to 19. It also includes those aged 20 to 24 with learning difficulties or disabilities. It ensures that young people have a say in the local offer.
In practice, this means that we support new and developing community groups. We also work with existing youth and community providers, charities and parish and town councils. Provision includes events like summer fun days and awareness events. It also covers youth clubs, youth councils, counselling, support and skills development. We support the development of facilities like meeting places, youth cafés, BMX and pump tracks. We do this by connecting communities to regional and national funding opportunities.
The support from the Communities Service is tailored to the needs of the specific group, community, and projects. It broadly includes:
- Safeguarding training and development.
- Organisational development through our Youth Club in a Box toolkit. We also focus on sustainability and good governance.
- Support to explore and develop their awareness around all aspects of access and inclusivity. This includes services for SEND young people.
- Free training that supports the development of professional youth work practice. It also helps staff understand issues that young people face. Topics include mental health, well-being, vaping, autism awareness, young carers and County lines/exploitation.
- Peer connection and on-going support through the Community Youth Providers network. It includes a newsletter, five district-based youth forums and an annual youth conference.
- The service encourages best practice around young people and the community working together. This helps them shape local facilities and services in their own community. We also have a bespoke service offer and network. It supports the development and delivery of effective youth voice practice Youth Voice and Youth Engagement Partnership.
Contact the Communities Service
Email: communities@cambridgeshire.gov.uk Telephone: 01223 715 492
