Our CEO Barbara Piranty was given the opportunity to put a question directly to Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander in a Q&A style social media video produced by the Department for Transport. 

Barbara chose to challenge the Transport Secretary about poor public transport for access to health services for older people living in rural areas...

Barbara Piranty: "Why are rural communities, and in particular older people living there, still expected to rely on poor transport just to access basic healthcare?"

Heidi Alexander: "Well, they shouldn't, and that's exactly what we're fixing, we're creating a new transport poverty measure to pinpoint where poor connectivity blocks access to essential services like healthcare, and then that lets us target investment where it makes the biggest difference."

Fingers crossed that the Transport Secretary's optimism translates into real improvements for rural communities!

You can watch the video on the Department for Transport's Facebook page using the button below.

Guy Dobson, our Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise (VCSE) Advice Officer, writes:

"Recently I've been running focus groups with volunteers across the county, as part of my role as the coordinator of the Gloucestershire Volunteering Collaborative (GVC).

"The aim of these ‘Volunteer Voices’ focus group sessions is to help shape the priorities of GVC for the year ahead.

"If you manage volunteers within your organisation, have a think about the ways in which you listen to your own volunteers. Effective techniques might be regular support and supervision sessions with each volunteer, or perhaps running group sessions with a number of volunteers to find out their experiences of volunteering for your organisation."

GRCC runs a Volunteer Manager’s Network which offers a wide range of support around effective volunteer management.  If you'd like to join this network, or you'd like advice about managing volunteers, please contact our Community Development Team via cdt@grcc.org.uk

The first two groups of students have just completed our CASA team's new "Autism and Me" post-diagnostic course. 

The course runs as a small online group over six two-hour sessions, and aims to help autistic adults understand their autism diagnosis, and how autism affects them individually in areas such as relationships, sensory processing, communication, work, and wellbeing.

Judging from the students' feedback, the course has been very successful in achieving its aims.  Comments from the course participants included:

• "You have done a wonderful job creating a safe space to come together as a group to explore autism and our experiences as autistic adults"
• "I realised that although I am my own person, there are others like me, it's the most validated I’ve ever felt"
• "Thank you for giving these seminars, being so accessibly informative, making us feel so welcomed and safe"

The course will run again in June and September, and those groups are already nearly fully booked.  For more information, email infocasa@grcc.org.uk or use the button below to visit the CASA page on our website. 

Ella-May Wallace, our Digital & Technology Navigator for Tewkesbury Borough, recently held an innovative computer games development workshop at Northway Community Centre.  It was aimed at encouraging local residents - particularly young men who may be at risk of poor mental health and social isolation - to connect with their community and explore support services.

"Six people attended on the day," said Ella-May, "and while they did not fall within the originally targeted demographic, the workshop was well received, with all the participants engaging in creating their own interactive stories using the Twine game development engine."

"The session provided a welcoming, informal space to build confidence with technology, spark creativity, and open the door to further involvement with the community centre."

Read more about Ella-May's grassroots digital and technology support work in Tewkesbury Borough using the button below.

Recently our Community Development Officer Sabrina Dixon ran an online workshop on the topic of "Funding Top Tips for Parish and Town Councils".

The workshop proved popular, lots of great ideas and tips were shared, and we'll consider repeating the session if there's sufficient interest - so do get in touch if you'd be interested in taking part next time. 

Meanwhile, to whet your appetite, here's Sabrina's ultimate top tip:

"The more ambitious your project, and the more grant funding you're seeking, the more you'll have to prove!" said Sabrina. 

"Demonstrate to funders how local statistics and the results of your community consultations feed into the strategic direction of the community-facing work of your council."

For advice on funding and other issues for your Parish or Town Council, contact our Community Development Team via cdt@grcc.org.uk

Karen Price our Social Prescribing Link Worker for Young People in the North Cotswolds, writes:

"I recently attended a really useful conference about support for neurodivergent young people, organised by the charity Let's Talk Well, which provides free counselling for 9-25 year olds and their families living in Gloucestershire.  

The keynote speaker was Dr. Pooky Knightsmith, who describes herself as 'Proudly autistic' and is a parent to neurodivergent children. I really recommend anyone who wants to have a deeper understanding of the neurodivergent experience to have a look at her website  www.pookyknightsmith.com.

Some other useful resources I'd recommend include:

• Gloucestershire Parent Carer Forum
• Glosfamilies Directory
• Satveer Nijjar's videos about self-harm 
• Glos NHS Eating Disorders Service 

And of course don't forget that GRCC's CASA Service provides support for autistic people over the age of 18 in Gloucestershire." 

Our Affordable Housing team conduct and analyse Affordable Housing Needs Surveys across Gloucestershire, for Parish and Town Councils and the Gloucestershire Rural Housing Partnership.

If you live in Longford or Bisley-with-Lypiatt parishes, please let us know about your household's affordable housing needs.  Every household in those parishes should have recently received a survey form through the post, so please fill in and return yours, or if you're connected with the parishes but not currently living there, you can use these online forms to tell us about your situation:

• Longford Affordable Housing Survey online form 
• Bisley-with-Lypiatt Affordable Housing Survey online form

Find out more about the work of our Rural Affordable Housing team using the button below.

Heating oil and LPG prices have risen sharply recently due to the war in Iran, and this is hitting those in our rural communities with limited financial resources very hard.  

The government has made an extra £27 million available in England to support the most vulnerable people who are reliant on heating oil.  This support is available through the Crisis and Resilience Funds administered by local authorities.  In Gloucestershire, people can apply for this support through the Gloucestershire Family Hubs website.  

At GRCC we are gathering evidence about the effects of energy price rises on rural communities - please tell us about the situation in your community by emailing us via info@grcc.org.uk

The new Gloucestershire Food Map is an online tool designed to connect residents with local food support across all six districts of the county.

Developed by Feeding Gloucestershire, with support from community partners and funded by the Gloucestershire County Council Household Support Fund, the map shows Food Banks, Food Pantries, Community Fridges, Lunch Clubs, and Cooking and Growing Projects, helping people to find the specific type of support that best fits their situation.

You can filter by town and type of support, and the listings include location, opening times, contact details, and whether a referral is required. 

You can access the map at www.feedinggloucestershire.org.uk/food-map/

The Big Lunch and The Big Help Out are teaming up on 5-8 June this year for a weekend of friendship, food, fun and community action.

The Big Help Out started in 2023 as part of the King's Coronation, and saw about 7 million people take part.  The Big Lunch has been running since 2009 as a community initiative organised by The Eden Project.  This year, the two events have joined forces to run together. 

It’s being promoted as "One big do – a chance to meet, eat and lend a hand locally in the UK’s biggest celebration of community. Big or small, what you do is up to you – a BBQ with the neighbours, a local litter pick or helping a good cause for the day."

Use the button below for resources and event ideas. 

Gloucestershire and Worcestershire 4x4 Response is a charity whose volunteers provide assistance to the emergency services, local authorities and other essential services during severe weather and other emergencies. 

Members need to own a road-legal 4x4 vehicle and be prepared to attend training and be on call during severe weather, and also attend outdoor events where the charity provides marshalling to raise fund for the charity.   If you are interested, contact membership@gw4x4r.co.uk or use the button below to view their website. 

This event is held every year for people with a physical or learning disability, sensory loss or mental health needs.  The theme of the event is "staying healthy and active, meeting friends, and having fun".

Big Health Day 2026 will be happening at Oxstalls Sports Park, GL2 9DW, on Thursday 11th June from 9.30am to 2.30pm.  There will be opportunities to try out dozens of inclusive sports and activities, meet therapy dogs and other friendly animals, have health checks, and make contact with health and wellbeing services and organisations.  

Our GRCC Autism and Mental Health team members will be staffing the GRCC stall at the event, ready to chat and offer advice, so do come along to meet them. 

The day is organised by Gloucestershire Health and Care NHS Foundation Trust.  For more information, email bighealthday@ghc.nhs.uk or use the button below to view the event's web page.

The Gloucestershire Volunteer Awards ceremony will take place at Hatherley Manor Hotel & Spa on Friday 5th June, 2-4pm.

Awards will be presented for 11 categories, including Volunteer of the Year.

Free tickets are available to Gloucestershire VCSE (Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise) organisations and volunteers via  the link below.

If you've had contact with us, or support from us, or only 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? 

Please use this online form to let us know.  All feedback, good and bad, helps us to shape our services to better fit your needs.   

If you're able to support our work financially, you can donate online here, or find out about leaving a legacy here.