Our DAISI Digital Equity project recently ran a Photography For Wellbeing workshop for people who are being supported by GRCC's North Cotswold Social Prescribing Link Workers.  

The workshop was held at Westonbirt Arboretum, and combined gentle physical activity with mindful observation.  Participants were given ten mobile phone photo challenges such as a self-portrait and a macro photo, and the results were stunning.

"The walk was very enjoyable and interesting.  The photography challenges made it more interesting and fun," commented one participant in their feedback. 

Use the button below to read DAISI's July Update, in which you'll find examples of the photos, and all of DAISI's latest news including 

• the latest local organisations who've joined the DAISI Partnership
• news of extra digital drop-ins coming soon to new places
• DAISI's 50 free Digital Upskill  information sheets
• how DAISI helped a client use a tablet with pictorial alternative communication software after a stroke

GRCC's CEO Barbara Piranty, and Chair of Trustees Charles Coats, met with Tewkesbury MP Cameron Thomas recently to discuss the current issues affecting Tewkesbury's rural population.

"It was so helpful to meet with Cameron and discuss some of the key issues facing Tewkesbury Borough’s rural communities, particularly around affordable housing, digital inclusion, flooding and mental health," said Barbara Piranty.

"We look forward to working more closely with Cameron and his team, along with our partners at the Borough Council.”

We were pleased to host a visit from Chris Auker-Howlett from the Gloucester Forces Hub this month to discuss support options for the Armed Forces community in Gloucestershire. 

The GRCC team discussed a range of subjects with Chris, including support and networking for voluntary groups, digital inclusion, and housing.

"Chris outlined some of  the difficulties faced by veterans, their families and serving personnel within Gloucestershire," said GRCC Rural Housing Enabler Tim Gwilliam MBE. 

"Although we were obviously already aware of the headline issues, Chris was able to add depth, clarity and his personal insight, which was at times very stark.  It's just the beginning of what we hope will be a lasting and productive partnership with the Gloucester Forces Hub."

Summer has joined GRCC as the coordinator for our project to support  people with serious mental illness to have their annual physical health checks at their GP practice.   People in this group are entitled to annual health checks, which are particularly valuable to them because of higher rates of physical illness, and lower life expectancy, in people with serious mental illness.

Summer is a qualified mental health nurse, with wide experience including drug and alcohol services, inpatient and community services. 

"I believe it's really important to bridge the gap between mental health and physical health by supporting patients diagnosed with an SMI to access their free annual physical health checks,” said Summer. 

Summer also has other wide and varied interests, as a zumba instructor, running a photography studio, playing the ukulele and making content for TikTok!   Summer will be helping out with social media at GRCC, alongside her main role on the Annual Physical Health Checks project. 

GRCC’s Community Development Officer Sabrina Dixon hosted an information stand at the Gloucestershire Association of Parish and Town Councils (GAPTC) AGM earlier this month. 

 “It was lovely to connect with parishes about the support they currently need, particularly with Local Government Reorganisation,” said Sabrina.

GRCC can support parish and town councils with topics including

• Volunteer management and recruitment 
• Grant funding searches and applications
• Roles and responsibilities of trustees
• Community assets and transfers
• Community-led planning, Community Infrastructure Levy, & S106 agreements
• Community Resilience, Community Emergency Plans, & Flood Wardens 
• Village halls & community buildings

If you would like more information about support for your parish or town council, please contact the Community Development Team by emailing cdt@grcc.org.uk

Our monthly Moreton Community Hub, which we run as part of our North Cotswolds Connecting Communities Project, will be happening again on Monday 4th August. This month we'll be joined by Stephen Moore from Gloucestershire Carers' Hub who will talk about support available for carers, and Leanne Adams from Rethink who will talk about their CandO wellbeing helpline.  

Our Social Prescribing Link Workers and a range of staff and volunteers from support organisations will be there to chat to people and offer advice and help, plus there will be the usual time for socialising and free refreshments.

You can download an A5 flyer here.

Come along to Jameson Court, GL56 0EW, at 10.15am for a short wellbeing stroll, or 10.30am for the drop-in, refreshments and services.  For further information, please contact info@grcc.org.uk or call us on 01452 528491.

David Owen, MSc, PhD, is the founder of Kingswood Defibrillator Awareness Group and received a Highly Commended certificate in the High Sheriff's Volunteer of the Year Awards which ran as part of Gloucestershire Village of the Year.  

David has helped to get 14 (!) defibrillators installed in the village of Kingswood alone, and a further 58 in the wider area.  He helps communities across Gloucestershire with funding, buying, siting, installing, maintaining and using defibrillators, and can deliver defibrillator and CPR training sessions.

"It's Kingswood Defibrillator Awareness Group's mission to ensure that nobody is further than 300 metres away [as the crow flies] from a fully working and publicly accessible defibrillator - a real challenge in a rural environment," said David.

David can be contacted via drddowen@gmail.com, or 01453 844463

The King's Award for Voluntary Service, or "MBE for Voluntary Groups" is given to groups which are volunteer-led, making an outstanding contribution to their community, and working to the highest standards.  

If you know of a fantastic volunteer group which deserves recognition, nominate them for the King's Award - nominations open on 1st September and close on 1st December. 

Last year, just four Gloucestershire groups received the award: Dean Trail Volunteers, Cheltenham Welcomes Refugees, Cirencester Signpost, and Almondsbury Community Shop.

Full details of how to nominate groups for the award are on the King's Award website, and there is a useful summary on this flyer.

The Autumn 2025 Crowdfund Cotswold  funding round is now open for projects to register for support, with a deadline of 24th September 2025.

Running on the Spacehive platform, Crowdfund Cotswold enables projects to pitch for community support through public pledges of as little as £2, leading to further possible funding contributions of up to £10,000 from Cotswold District Council.

Cotswold District projects currently seeking backing via Crowdfund Cotswold are listed here.

Under the government's English Devolution White Paper, Gloucestershire councils are required to submit proposals for how they would reorganise from one County Council and six District councils as we currently have in Gloucestershire, into fewer Unitary Authorities. 

To inform their devolution proposals, Gloucestershire councils are consulting the public on their views about local identity, their priorities, and quality of local services,  though not yet about the geographical details of where the unitary authority or authorities would be.  

Give your views in the online survey before 9th August using the button below, or find out more at futuregloucestershire.org.uk

Age UK Gloucestershire, in partnership with the Gloucestershire Older Persons’ Association (GOPA), is inviting local people aged 50+ to make their voices heard through the "Voice of Older People" initiative. 

The aim is that organisations responsible for making policies and providing services for older people in Gloucestershire will use the  Voice of Older People panel to influence policy and monitor the effectiveness of services.

Participants will be invited to complete occasional surveys or join focus groups, either for Age UK Gloucestershire or other local organisations seeking the views of older people.  Sign up using the button below, or for more information or printed leaflets/signup forms, contact dbrewis@ageukgloucestershire.org.uk
01452 422660

Autumn brings with it seasonal driving challenges: shorter daylight hours, sunlight glare at dawn and dusk, wet leaves and slippery roads, fog, changeable weather conditions, and children returning to school.

This one-hour webinar on September 27th provides advice for mature drivers on how to refresh their driving abilities, prepare their vehicle, and plan journeys for autumn driving conditions. 

For more information or to receive information about future activities, contact Nigel Lloyd Jones of Gloucestershire Older Drivers' Forum via odfglos@gmail.com

If you've had contact with us, or support from us, or just visited our website to try to find information, we'd really love to know how we're doing!  Were we brilliant, just OK, or not very good?  All feedback, good and bad, helps us to shape our services to better fit your needs.