Embedded Files
Energy Neighbours - Nov 2023 to June 2025
Funded by TSL Kirklees
Growing out of the Community Buildings & Energy Project, Energy Neighbours is a project that puts communities and community organisations at the heart of action on energy, and on climate change. Starting from community priorities, Energy Neighbours aims to build on the skills, organisations, connections and experience of some communities with the lowest income. Through activities, learning, volunteering, community networking and organisation development the project will help communities to act on energy concerns to improve local lives and build resilient communities. Community volunteers and organisations will shape how the project works through share learning and decision making. Evaluation and learning will be shared widely. TSL Kirklees has developed the project and is seeking funds.
Tom4charities led the development and wrote the funding application which secured £935k for TSL Kirklees.
Update (Aug 2025): with key project staff in place, Tom no longer has a role in the project at this time. Tom has some voluntary involvement through Kirklees Climate Commission, a partner in the project.
Calderdale Voluntary Sector Strategy - Oct 2023 to May 2024
Funded by Calderdale Council, contracted by CVAC
Tom was one of two consultants on this project, working as equal partners. Together they developed an approach which involved listening to and valuing the perspectives, experience, relationships and expertise of volunteers, staff and managers in public and third sector organisations. Conversations, explorations and co-designed surveys identified the issues and priorities. Draft documents were reviewed and and shaped by further workshops and consultations, with the final strategy approved by a multi-stakeholder group. This innovative and effective approach produced a quality strategy for the partnership, shaping partnership work between Calderdale public and voluntary sectors to 2029.
In July 2025, the Calderdale VCSE Strategy was selected as a case study of good practice in the Civil Society Covenant, describing the UK Governments ambitions for a fair and respectful relationship with the UK third sector. The case study highlights the value of the approach "Central to its development and implementation has been Calderdale Council’s recognition of the inherent value and expertise of the VCSE sector. Co-produced with VCSE representatives, the strategy acknowledges the diverse and complex nature of the VCSE sector and its significant impact on Calderdale residents and communities. It recognises the sector’s contribution to society as well as to the local economy."
Community Buildings & Energy Project - 2022/3
Funded by TSL Kirklees
As energy prices began to rise in 2021 to a peak in 2022, Tom raised concerns locally about the impact on community buildings. Many of the community organisations running buildings had little or no cash reserves and were not energy efficient buildings. Covid had impacted on the use and volunteer involvement in buildings, though half of them were still managed by volunteers.
With support and encouragement from TSL Kirklees, Tom re-started the Community Buildings Network and began listening to concerns and exploring solutions with local organisations.
The Community Buildings and Energy Survey received 72 responses from large and small organisations managing buildings. The report concluded that £3.5 million was spent on energy by these organisations. If even 10% of this could be saved, then this would be over a third of a million pounds more each year in the local economy available to support communities.
This provided evidence to support the development of the Energy Neighbours project, along with research by Friends of the Earth that identified Kirklees as a 'fuel poverty hotspot'.
Threadbear Theatre Charity - Nov 2022 to Feb 2024
Threadbear Theatre perform Playback Theatre where they improvise performances, often including music and voice, from real-life, emotionally rich stories told by audience members. Threadbear aims to bring diverse people together to improve our understanding of each other, improve social inclusion and connect us to our common humanity. Threadbear offers training and workshops to develop Playback Theatre skills which include deep listening, improvisation, forms and patterns, making and receiving offers and trust. Performances and practice can be emotionally moving and deep, though they are also usually filled with laughter and play too.
Tom was actively involved in Threadbear for over seven years, as an actor, musician and trustee. He led on establishing Threadbear as a charity, registering it as a CIO in Nov 2022. Sadly, we were not able to organise ourselves to work as a charity, so the charity closed in Feb 2024.
Members of Threadbear Theatre continue to be involved in creative community activities in all kinds of ways across West Yorkshire, but not as Threadbear.
Mapping VCSE Maternity and NeoNatal Support in West Yorkshire - Sept 2023 - Apr 2024
Working with voluntary sector infrastructure organisations across West Yorkshire, this project aims to map all the support and services provided by the third sector to women from conception through to having a child of twelve weeks. Support can include targeted services, advocacy, self and mutual help and support to partners or family. Tom contacted over 70 organisations across West Yorkshire to gather information and consent to share.
In partnership with TSL Kirklees. Funded by HPoC.
Here is where you can view the MatMap.
Like all directory type resources, this may not be up to date. Some West Yorkshire health staff have access to update the map.
Climate Voices - Aug - Dec 2021
Climate Voices was a short-term project enabling and capturing community conversations about climate change and feeding the findings into the Global Assembly, which reported to COP 26.
Tom volunteered to devise the project, develop the methodology from Global Assembly ideas, and write the final report. He was supported by a small diverse group of volunteers.
See: Climate Voices on Facebook and the Climate Voices Kirklees Report
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