Durham Community Action Training Opportunities for Volunteer Led Organisations

Brought to you by Durham Public Health Team and Durham Community Action

Building Healthier Communities Together is a free and exciting online learning programme for voluntary and community sector (VCSE) organisations, developed and delivered through a partnership between County Durham Public Health Team and Durham Community Action (DCA).

As a vital part of the public health system, you, through your service/organisation, help people stay active, build social connections, improve their wellbeing, and access the support they need.

Whether it's tackling loneliness, providing money advice, distributing food, supporting mental health through creating opportunities for participation, or helping people live healthier lives, your work has a lasting impact. The work you do within our communities helps people live healthier lives - you are an important part of the Public Health system.

This free, interactive three-part learning programme will support you to understand Public Health and how you make a difference as part of the Public Health system. You will learn where to find health data for your local area and how to use this data to develop project ideas, equipping you with practical tools, knowledge and confidence to strengthen funding applications, demonstrate outcomes and showcase the value of your public health work.

Whether you are part of a small community group or a larger voluntary organisation, this programme will help you recognise, strengthen and showcase your contribution to improving health and wellbeing across County Durham.

Upon completion of all three sessions, you will receive a resource pack for your invaluable contribution to the Public Health system.

The sessions are designed to build on each other and should be completed in order. Each session will be repeated three times as outlined below.

Session Outlines

Session 1: Making a Difference: Understanding Your Role in Public Health

This session aims to help VCSE organisations recognise and value their role within the public health system, understand what influences health and wellbeing, and strengthen their contribution to improving outcomes for local communities.

Session 2: Turning Public Health Insight into Public Health Action

This session aims to support VCSE organisations to understand the needs of their communities, use evidence to demonstrate why their work matters, and design effective services and projects that improve health and wellbeing.

Session 3: Stronger Together: Collaboration, Learning and Impact

This session aims to support VCSE organisations to build effective partnerships, strengthen their role within the wider public health system, and demonstrate the difference they make to the health and wellbeing of County Durham residents through collaboration, learning and impact measurement.