Support for you

We offer short-term, flexible, and personalised support to people of all ages. We can help you think about what changes you want to make and support you in achieving your goals, putting you at the heart of the conversation. We start with a 'Good Life Conversation' that looks at your strengths and helps create achievable goals in what matters the most to you.

We've had many Good Life Conversations with people in communities that have resulted in:

• More people accessing community-based support
• More people accessing training and/or volunteering opportunities
• More people with improved financial situations
• Fewer people feeling isolated and lonely

The Community Plus Fund (CPF) is for individuals or third sector organisations such as a charity, not-for-profit organisation, voluntary or community group to deliver community-led projects in Kirklees.

Volunteering, training and employment opportunities

We work closely with local organisations, businesses and learning establishments and over the past year, nearly half of the conversations we've had with people have led them to start volunteering or experience a change in their employment status. Here's how life changed for one gentleman after he visited our team.

Karol's story

Having recently retired, Karol found himself struggling with a sense of purpose and was eager to find ways to contribute meaningfully to his community. He visited a local Community Plus drop-in session and asked about volunteering so he could give something back. He was given some volunteering opportunities to consider that were available in the area.

With support from Community Plus, he applied for a volunteer position at his local library. This role turned out to be a perfect fit for him. He thrived at the library; chatting with customers and assisting with various tasks. His dedication and enthusiasm did not go unnoticed, and eventually, he was offered a paid position within the library service.

The role had given him a renewed sense of purpose and fulfilment to his life. It really showed the significant role that Community Plus has in helping people to get involved in their own communities.

View our events to find details for drop-in sessions where you can have a Good Life Conversation with us.

Early intervention and prevention

We work collaboratively with health, social care, and education services that enables us to support you to achieve the goals you would like to achieve. These could be to improve your wellbeing so that you can remain healthy, well and independent for as long as possible. It may also mean that we support you to manage a long-term illness or identify wider support that would further facilitate your recovery after a stay in hospital.

We work closely with these partners to enable you to achieve the goals you'd like to achieve.

Here's how we helped one woman to make a positive change in her life.

Finding hope after a mental health crisis

An occupational therapist referred a lady to us due to her mental health challenges and physical disabilities resulting from a life-changing illness. These disabilities had a profound impact on her daily life, and she relied heavily on her husband, who is her full-time carer.

After moving back to the area, the lady felt isolated and disconnected from her community, which further affected her wellbeing and confidence. Recognising her need for support, we met with her multiple times to understand her situation and provide tailored assistance. We offered information on various local groups and activities that might interest her.

She was signposted to several volunteering opportunities with an aim to help her regain a sense of purpose and community engagement. Furthermore, she received assistance from In2Care, which enabled her to advertise and hire a Personal Assistant (PA). The PA supports her to maintain her independence and boost her confidence.

Information and advice were also provided to the lady's husband about the carer support services available in Kirklees. This comprehensive support network has been instrumental in improving her quality of life and providing much needed respite for her husband.

Supporting you to achieve your goals

Over the last year, we have supported nearly 4,000 individuals, helping them navigate various challenges and improve their lives. The majority of these people have started making positive changes to achieve the goals they set for themselves whilst others continue to make good progress.

We provide short-term support to help individuals set and achieve their goals. We actively listen and focus on what is important to the person, using coaching conversations to guide them. We create small goals that can often lead to significant, lasting changes in people's lives. Throughout their support, we help connect individuals to community support and develop their own of support networks.

Supporting social connection

We are dedicated to raising awareness and addressing loneliness and social isolation. We work to support communities by listening and having open and honest conversations.

To read our guide for lots of useful information, tips and links to organisations that might just be useful to you, your family or someone you know, please see Being socially connected in your community.

Helping a homeless lady

We supported a lady who had been referred by Kirklees Neighbourhood Housing after she left her husband and became homeless. She was temporarily placed in hotel accommodation with her two young children. She had pre-settled status, only spoke Arabic, and felt anxious and stressed due to her situation and language barrier.

We referred her to Immigration and Asylum Support (IAS) for help with immigration status, financial support and housing. They arranged for regular food parcels and coordinated with the housing officer to address her housing needs. We maintained communication with her and other support services to ensure progress and keep her informed.

As a result, she was rehoused into permanent accommodation, received all entitled financial support, and no longer relied on food banks. Her mental health improved, and she felt positive about the future. Three months later, she continued to receive support from IAS and other key services, noting improvements in her mental health and overall wellbeing.