• A programme of free events took place across the City during Cost of Living Week (6-10 November) and Living Wage Week (6-12 November)
• The week aimed to celebrate and promote the work done so far, work together to tackle challenges and encourage involvement and support around the Cost of Living and the Real Living Wage
• BVSC took part in several events across the Week as well as holding our own VCFSE (Voluntary, Community, Faith & Social Enterprise) Sector event on 8 November

Cost of Living Week – 6 -10 November

A programme of free events took place across the City during Cost of Living Week (6-10 November).

Cost of Living Week aimed to:

• Celebrate and promote the work that has been done so far to tackle the Cost of Living crisis
• Look forward and agree how we want to work together to tackle the challenges facing Birmingham
• Encourage everyone to get involved in the Cost of Living programme and think about how they can support the cause

BVSC took part in several events across the Week including:

• Birmingham City Partnership Cost of Living Conference – 6 November– BVSC Chief Executive Brian Carr spoke on the impact of the Cost of Living Crisis on the VCFSE sector at the event
• Steps to Work Jobs Fair – 10 November – BVSC promoted jobs and volunteering opportunities in the sector

Further details of the week, including the full programme is available here.

Living Wage Week – 6 – 12 November

The Week also took place during the national Living Wage Week (6-12 November). BVSC are a Living Wage Employer and Birmingham is a Living Wage City. Paying a Real Living Wage provides vital support to employees with the Cost of Living.

Engage for Funding Forum Cost of Living Special  Event– 6 November

During the week, BVSC held a ‘Cost of Living Special’ webinar with the opportunity to meet some funders. The webinar was part of our programme of weekly Engage for Funding webinars. For more information and to sign up to future webinars click here.

BVSC Cost of Living Event – 8 November

As well as taking part in events across the City, BVSC held its own Voluntary, Community, Faith and Social Enterprise (VCFSE) Sector Cost of Living Event to launch new projects and update the sector on existing activities.

87 people from VCFSE and partner organisations across the City attended the event on 8 November at the Old Library in Digbeth.

Speakers:

Chaired by BVSC Chief Executive, Brian Carr, we were delighted to hear from great speakers on a wide range of topics. Thanks to all our speakers including:

• Cost of Living Week – Councillor Nicky Brennan, Cabinet Member for Social Justice, Community Safety & Equalities, Birmingham City Council
• The Real Living Wage – Andrew Gordon, Programme Officer, Living Wage Foundation
• Launch of Brum Energy (Birmingham Energy Advice Partnership)– Anthony Hughes, Interim Project Manager, BVSC; Phil Beardmore, Energy Confidence, Good Work Coop
• Warm Welcome – Fred Rattley, CEO, Thrive Together, Birmingham
• Vision for Volunteering – Becky Isaac, Vision for Volunteering Implementation Manager, BVSC
• Household Support Fund – Rosa Spawton-Rice, Head of Grants & Partnerships, BVSC; Rashid Ikram, Interim Commissioning Manager – Adult Social Care, Birmingham City Council
• Shopping & Community Connection – Annette Holman, Programme Manager, Neighbourly Lab
• Feedback on Fundraising – Ian Henshaw, Head of Strategic Funding & Sector Development, BVSC
• Responding to Permacrises – Steven Simpson, Chair, West Midlands Funders Network
• Cost of Living in a Racist Society – Jagwant Johal, Trustee, BRIG
• VCFSE Hub – Stephen Raybould, Programmes Director, BVSC
• Multi-Bank and The Dream Team – Taylor McDonald, Head of Children, Families & Young People, BVSC.

Stands:

Attendees were able to browse from and get information from stands at the event including on Warm Welcome, our Engage for Funding Portal and BVSC.

Funders & Supporters:

Many thanks to our funders and supporters who helped make this event possible in particular:

• Birmingham City Council – who we worked with on Cost of Living Week and Cost of Living projects
• Barrow Cadbury Trust – who are supporting us on promoting the Real Living Wage
• DESNZ (Department of Energy Security and Net Zero) and MNZH (Midlands Net Zero Hub) - who are funding Brum Energy – Birmingham Energy Advice Partnership

Also, though they are too numerous to mention individually here, we would also like to thank the myriad of partners across all sectors and organisations who support our Cost of Living programme on an ongoing basis.

Sorry You Missed Out?

Don’t worry – we will soon be uploading presentations and supporting information from the Week and our event on our Cost of Living webpages.

Your Sector, Your Voice Survey – Deadline 13 November

The Your Sector Your Voice Survey is your opportunity to let us know how the Cost of Living is affecting your organisation and tell funders and partners. It’s not too late to complete the survey – deadline 13 November.

Cost of Living Toolkit

Don’t forget to take a look at our Cost of Living Toolkit if you haven’t already – we’ll be updating it soon and on an ongoing basis. And if you have anything you would like to add to or see on the Toolkit please let us know at [email protected]

More Information

• Birmingham Cost of Living Week
• Living Wage Week
• Living Wage City
• BVSC Cost of Living Pages
• Your Sector Your Voice Survey

If you have any questions, please email [email protected]