Welcome to the Spring edition of Cottsway Connect, our ezine for customers who have signed up to our mailing list. We hope you find something of interest! Grant funding availableThinking about learning something new? Customers and family members living in the same household can apply for grants of up to £250 to help with training courses, books and study materials, laptops or
other learning costs. And what's more, to mark our 25th anniversary, we’ve added £25,000 to the funding pot, bringing this year’s Community Fund to £55,000! We also offer grants for local neighbourhood activities and community-led projects that bring people together. Anti-social behaviour (ASB) awareness event - WitneyAs part of ASB Awareness Week, we’re hosting a community drop-in event in Witney to talk about all things ASB. We’ll be joined by representatives from other local housing associations and Thames Valley Police to offer ASB advice, answer questions, and talk through the support available. There is no need to book - just come along. Everyone's welcome. We'll provide free refreshments and there's also plenty of free parking available. - WHEN: Wednesday 1 July 11am - 3pm
- WHERE: The Corn Exchange, Market Square, Witney OX28 6AB
Growing Ambitions - law firm work experienceWe’re pleased to be able to offer a fantastic work experience opportunity this August to two of our younger residents. The Growing Ambitions scheme is run by law firm Blake Morgan and gives young people a chance to learn about the world of business and law. It's ideal for anyone interested a legal career or curious about working in a law firm. The placement runs from Monday 17 to Friday 21 August in Botley, Oxford and we can help with transport and provide a bursary. If you know a young person aged 16-18 living in a Cottsway home who may be interested, please encourage them to get in touch as soon as possible. Places will be offered on a first come, first served basis. Scrutiny Group Annual Report 2025-26Our Scrutiny Group has published its Annual Report. This sets out the group’s activities over the past year. It also includes a light-hearted AI-generated caricature of group members. Since the report was written, we've welcomed two new members to the group - Kyle and Mick. Both are Cottsway customers who are interested in strengthening our services and it's great to have them onboard. There's still one vacancy on the Scrutiny Group. If you're interested in getting involved, why not take a look at their Annual Report to find out more about what the group does. Responses to recent consultationsIn the last edition of Cottsway Connect, we asked for your feedback on: - Draft Hate Crime and Incident Policy
(4 responses)
The new policy is now available on our website - Format of our upcoming Annual Report
(177 responses)
This will be published by the end of September.
- Improving our customer portal, My Cottsway
(1 volunteer)
We're still looking for customers to help with this. If you're interested, please email us
Thank you to everyone who responded. Your feedback helps us understand what matters to you and make improvements. FREE mental health supportIt was Mental Health Awareness Week earlier this month. This year’s theme was “taking action - for yourself, for someone else and for all of us”. Below we have two free offers for customers who want to learn more about mental health and how to support others. To register for either, or to find out more, get in touch Mental Health First Aid England trainingWe still have funding for a small number of places on accredited training from Mental Health First Aid England. The training is available online or in person and teaches you how to support an adult or young person experiencing mental health difficulties. The Parent ToolkitIf a young person in your life is self-harming and you're unsure how to help, Oxfordshire Discovery College’s Parent Toolkit could support you. Supporting a young person who self-harms can feel frightening, overwhelming and lonely. This 5-week online course offers information, support, and a chance to talk with others who understand. We currently have 7 free places available. Register your interest and we'll share your contact details with Oxfordshire Discovery College so you can book onto one of their online or in-person courses. The Four Million Homes programmeYou can access a wide range of free resources, training, and information through the Four Million Homes programme And finally, a few quick links if you’re interested... | 
